Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 54.djvu/349

 at Falkland as late as 4 Aug. 1420; and the probability is that Bowyer simply made a mistake in regard to the year. Albany was buried in Dunfermline Abbey between the choir and the chapel of our Lady. A eulogistic Latin epitaph was inscribed on his tomb (, ii. 460).

Albany's conduct may be assigned with almost equal facility to lofty and patriotic or to base and selfish motives. But of his strong personality and great ability his remarkable ascendency over the turbulent nobility is sufficient proof; and if that ascendency was won partly by winking at their extortions and oppressions, it must be remembered that while this does not in itself sufficiently account for it, it was almost impossible for one who was only a regent to retain his position otherwise. Moreover he is to be judged by the standards of the time; and the chroniclers of the period, while they bear witness to his imposing presence, are almost equally unanimous in extolling his affability, temperance, justice, fortitude, and wisdom.

By his first wife, Margaret, countess of Menteith, Albany left a son Murdac or Murdoch Stewart, second duke of Albany [q. v.] By his second wife, Muriella (d. 1449), daughter of Sir William Keith (d. 1407) [q. v.], marischal of Scotland, he had three sons: John, earl of Buchan, Andrew, and Robert. He had also six daughters: Janet, betrothed to David, infant son of Bartholomew de Loen; Mary, married to Sir William Abernethy of Saltoun; Margaret, married first to Sir John Swinton of Swinton, and afterwards, probably, to Robert Stewart of Lorne; Isabel, married to Alexander, earl of Ross, and secondly to Walter Haliburton of Dirleton; Marjory, married to Duncan Campbell of Lochow; and Elizabeth, married to Malcolm Fleming of Biggar and Cumbernauld.

[Chronicles of Wyntoun, Fordun, Froissart, and Walsingham; Rymer's Fœdera; Cal. Documents relating to Scotland, 1359–1507; Accounts of the Great Chamberlain of Scotland; Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, vol. ii–iv.; Acta Parl. Scot. vol. i.; Sir William Fraser's Red Book of Menteith; notes collected by the late William Galloway.] 

STEWART, ROBERT, afterwards  (d. 1592), was a natural son of James V of Scotland by Euphemia, daughter of Alexander Elphinstone, first lord Elphinstone. He was a half-brother of Mary Queen of Scots, of James Stewart, the regent Moray, and Lord John Stewart (1531–1563) [q. v.] In 1539 he had from the king a grant of the abbacy of Holyrood. His name first appears as a member of the privy council, 20 March 1551–2 (Reg. P. C. Scotl. i. 119). He early joined the lords of the congregation against the queen regent, and Knox states that in 1559 he was present during the surprise attack of the French on the Canongate, and on their withdrawal was one of the first to follow in pursuit of them (Works, i. 458). He subscribed the treaty of Berwick between the lords of the congregation and Queen Elizabeth on 10 May 1560 (ib. ii. 53), and he is included by Knox among those attending the parliament of July–August of this year, who ‘had renounced Papistry and openly professed Jesus Christ’ (ib. p. 88). No doubt, like his half-brother Lord John, he was in his political conduct mainly guided by Lord James (afterwards Earl of Moray), whose force of character secured him the loyal devotion of both. Thus on the arrival of Queen Mary in Scotland both Lord Robert and Lord John placed themselves at the disposal of Lord James in regard to the queen's celebration of her first mass, and after the ceremony protected the priest and conveyed him to his chamber (ib. p. 271). In 1561 he also with Lord John kept watch at Holyrood Palace when, during the absence of Lord James on the borders, a rumour arose of a projected night attack (ib. p. 293).

On 3 Nov. 1566 Lord Robert received from the queen a pension of 990l. and several chalders of different kinds of grain out of the temporalities of Holyrood for the maintenance of his legitimate and natural children; and the grant was confirmed on 19 April 1567 by act of parliament. The grant, as well as the confirmation, may have been intended as a bribe in connection with the murder of Darnley. Though he took no active part in the murder, he would appear to have had a more or less intimate knowledge of the plot. After Darnley's arrival at Kirk o' Field he was reported to have warned him that mischief against him was intended. Darnley, it is further stated, informed the queen of what Lord Robert had told him; but Lord Robert denying that ‘he had spoken any such thing,’ they put their hands to their weapons, and the Earl of Moray had to be called in to separate them (, History, ii. 343). In 1569 Lord Robert exchanged the temporalities of Holyrood House for the temporal estates of the see of Orkney with Adam Bothwell, bishop of Orkney; but in 1570 the bishop of Orkney explained that Lord Robert had ‘violently intruded himself on his whole living with bloodshed and hurt of his servants;’ that ‘after he had craved justice, his and his servants’ lives were