312 COMPLETE PEERAGE atholl was cr. Earl Palatine of Strathern [S.] for life. He »»., before 19 Oct. 1378, Margaret, da. and h. of Sir David Barclay, Laird of Brechin, CO. Forfar, by Janet, (") da. of Sir Edward Keith, of Synton. By her he acquired the Lordship of Brechin. She d. before i Aug. 1404, when he had dispensation to m. Elizabeth, da. of Sir William Grahame, of Kincar- dine, (possibly I St Lord Graham [S.]) but there is no evidence that the marriage took place, and on 3 Feb. 1407/8, this Elizabeth m. the Earl's half br., Sir John Stewart, of Dundonald, illegit. s. of Robert IH. Though greatly trusted by his nephew, James I, he long cherished a design to supplant him on the throne, to which, as representative of the 2nd marriage of his father, he conceived himself to have a better right than the doubtfully legitimate issue of his father's ist wife. Accordingly he and his grandson and h. ap. (as mentioned below), were among the chief contrivers of the murder of James I, 20 Feb. 1436/7. They were both put to death, the Earl being executed at Edinburgh 26 Mar. 1437, when his titles and extensive estates htca.me forfeited. [David () Stewart, probably styled Master of Atholl, ist s. and h. ap. In May 1424 he was one of the hostages for the ransom of James I, and d. in England, v.p., after Feb. 1433/4.] [Sir Robert Stewart, undoubtedly (") styled Master of Atholl, s. and h. of the above David, on 29 Jan. 1428/9 had dispensation to marry Margaret Ogilvy. He joined in the conspiracy of his grandfather, and was executed a few days before him, in Mar. 1437.] XX. 1457 .^ I. Sir John Stewart (who, in right of his wife, was and of Balveny, co. Fife), s. and h. of Sir James Stewart " the 1482. Black Knight of Lorn, " by Joan, Queen Dowager of Scotland, was b. about 1440 and was cr. EARL OF ATHOLL [S.] in, or shortly before, 1457. He had a new charter of this Earldom 18 Mar. 148 1/2, to him and the heirs male of his body, with rem. to the Crown. ('^) He is there described as " frater carnalis " of (*) Janet m., andly, Sir Thomas Erskine, by whom she had a s. and h., Robert, who, through her, sue. to the Earldom of Mar [S.], of which he was deprived in 1457. (*) This David is misprinted as James in the Preface to o. iv of the Exch. Rolls [S.], p. cbci. {ex inform. G.Burnett, sometime Lyon.) f^) See ante, p. 2 note " a " as to this being an early use of the designation * Master. ' (*) " Some perplexity has arisen from the fact that while Sir John Stewart is designated Earl of Athole as far back as 1457 [Rotuli Scotice, vol. ii, p. 383) he has never- theless, on 1 8th Mar. 148 1/2, a charter from James III conveying to him, as if for the first time, the Earldom of Athole, and designating him Sir John Stewart of Balveny {Reg. Mag. Sig., X, 7). The explanation seems to be that the Queen's dower having been secured on the Earldom of Athole, the alienation of it by the Crown, during her lifetime, was a questionable proceeding, and, for the security of Earl John's rights, it became important to have a confirmation of it after the death of Mary of Gueldres. " (Preface to vol. vi (p. Ixxxv) of The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, edited by G.Burnett, sometime Lyon King of Arms.)
