Sir James STEWART of Schillinglaw, 6th of Traquhair (c. 1534-1607)

1. Sir James STEWART of Schillinglaw, 6th of Traquhair, son of Sir William STEWART 2nd of Traquhair ( - ) and Christian HAY ( - ), was born circa 1534. He had the title '6th Baron of Traquhair'. He appeared in the census. He died on 9 March 1607. He married Catherine KERR.

 

Was the youngest son. He inherited his title after his three elder brothers had in turn held it and then died, by which time he was a very old man. This James Stewart of Traquair was also variously styled James Stewart of Kirkland, of Innerleithen, and of Schillinglaw, the last being the most commonly used. He was a lieutenant in the King's Guard under his brother, Sir John.

 

Mention in Tweedie Family History 1604:

In 1604, Tweedie of Drava had some grievance against Lord Maxwell "for exhibiting Armstrong before the Council". Who this Armstrong was is not very clear, but it is interesting to note that the estates of the famous Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, after his seizure and summary execution by James V in 1530 had been made over to Lord Maxwell and that Christie Armstrong, Johnnie's son, in 1557 got back the lands and further in 1562 was intrusted with the office of collector of the revenues of the Maxwell lands in Eskdale.

Trouble was going on in many quarters at the same time; John and James Tweedie, the sons of Tweedie of Dreva are bound over not to harm William Linlythgow; and James Tweedie of Drummelzier not to harm William Hay of Linplum; George Tweedie of Calder in company with James Bailye is in trouble for attacking and wounding John Lowrie, and they are apprehended by the King's Guard and lodged in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh; Oliver Kay and James Tweedie burgess of Peebles have a difference with James Lowrie about "a complete stand of footmen's arms"; the feud between Lady Skirling relict of Sir James Cockburn and James Tweedie of Drummelzier still flourishes and Tweedie is again bound over not to harm her; Adam Tweedie, son of Adam Tweedie of Dreva and William Veitch of Kingsyde give a bond by John Tweedie of Winkistoun not to harm James Brown in Wester Hoprew, the bond being written by and subscribed before John Tweedie, notary in Peebles; James Tweedie, apparent of Dreva becomes security for John Tweedie of Innerleithen and for his son Adam not to harm James Stewart of Schillinglaw, the bond being witnessed by William and Walter Tweedie the sons of James Tweedie of Dreva; while Burke tells us that William Tweedie of Oliver, the son of a former William Tweedie of Oliver, had his cows oxen and horses stolen by John Batesoun, alias Jock of the Scoir, and was killed by him, Batesoun being afterwards hanged at Edinburgh for the crime.

 

Catherine KERR was born before 1578. She died on 28 February 1606. She and James STEWART had the following children:

 

+2	John STEWART (bef1594- )
+3	Robert STEWART ( - )
+4	Margaret STEWART ( - )

Second Generation

2. John STEWART, son of Sir James STEWART of Schillinglaw, 6th of Traquhair and Catherine KERR, was born before 1594. He married Margaret STEWART.

 

John died before his father.

 

Margaret STEWART, daughter of Andrew STEWART Master of Ochiltree ( - ) and Margaret STEWART (bef1567- ), was born before 1578. She and John STEWART had the following children:

 

+5	John STEWART (c. 1600-1659)

 

3. Robert STEWART was the son of Sir James STEWART of Schillinglaw, 6th of Traquhair and Catherine KERR.

 

Robert was tutor to his nephew, the great Earl of Traquair.

 

Third Generation

5. Sir John STEWART 1st Earl of Traquair, son of John STEWART and Margaret STEWART, was born circa 1600. He had the title '1st Earl of Traquair'. He was a Lord High Treasurer to Charles I. He died on 27 March 1659. He married Catherine CARNEGIE.

 

John Stuart, whose portrait hangs in the Dining Room of Traquair, received an Earldom from Charles I in 1633, and in 1636 was made Lord High Treasurer. As, Treasurer Depute, he succeeded Sir Gideon Murray in that post. He built an additional story to the house and undertook the formidable task of diverting the River Tweed away from the House (the Well Pool outside the Brew House indicates its original course)

The first Earl's political fortunes rose and fell. He was dismissed from his post as Treasurer and Commissioner to the General assembly in 1641, and fined and confined to his estates , then readmitted to Parliament on the intervention of Charles I in 1646. In 1648 he was captured at the Civil War Battle of Preston while trying to rescue the king from the Parliamentarians. After 4 years imprisonment in Warwick Castle he was released to live out his last years at Traquair.

"John Stuart was a man of extraordinary natural parts, which were greatly improved by a liberal education, of remarkable steadiness and integrity, of great learning, a consummate statesman, and invariably attached to the interest of the royal family, on which account he afterwards suffered great and many hardships" (Peerage of Scotland)

According to Mahon (Life of General the Hon. James Murray) Traquair lived to see his estates passed into other hands, and died in absolute poverty, even starvation, as a result of his former support for Charles I.

 

John Stuart received an Earldom from Charles I in 1633, and in 1636 was made Lord High Treasurer. As Treasurer Depute, he succeeded his relation Sir Gideon Murray in that post. The first Earl's political fortunes rose and fell. He was dismissed from his post as Treasurer and Commissioner to the General assembly in 1641, and fined and confined to his estates, then readmitted to Parliament on the intervention of Charles I in 1646. In 1648 he was captured at the Civil War Battle of Preston while trying to rescue the king from the Parliamentarians. After 4 years imprisonment in Warwick Castle he was released to live out his last years at Traquair. "John Stuart was a man of extraordinary natural parts, which were greatly improved by a liberal education, of remarkable steadiness and integrity, of great learning, a consummate statesman, and invariably attached to the interest of the royal family, on which account he afterwards suffered great and many hardships" Traquair lived to see his estates passed into other hands, and died in absolute poverty, even starvation, as a result of his former support for Charles I.

 

Catherine CARNEGIE was the daughter of Sir David CARNEGIE 1st Earl of Southesk (bef1583-1658) and Margaret LINDSAY (bef1590-1614). She and John STEWART had the following children:

 

9	Elizabeth STEWART ( - ). Elizabeth had the title 'Lady'. She married Patrick 2nd MURRAY on 9 April 1643 in Aberlady. She died.

 

6. James BURNET, son of William BURNET of Barns and Margaret STEWART, was a Clergyman. He appeared in the census. He appeared in the census. He married Christian DUNDAS.

 

James, graduated from the College of Edinburgh in 1609 and was Minister of of Lauder from 1615, and inducted as Minister of Jedburgh by Charles 1 in 1635. He was deposed for his episcopalian views in April 1639.

 

Christian DUNDAS and James BURNET had the following children:

 

10	Alexander BURNET (1614-1684). Alexander was born in 1614. He was a Clergyman. He died in 1684. He was buried in St Salvator's Chapel.

 

7. Alexander BURNET was the son of William BURNET of Barns and Margaret STEWART.

 

Alexander was a Treasurer-Clerk of Scotland until 1639 and also served as HM Advocate-Deputé.

 

8. Robert BURNET was the son of William BURNET of Barns and Margaret STEWART.

 

Robert became an advocate and was designated "The Younger" to distinguish him from Robert Burnett of Leys, who was an advocate as well.