Walter Stewart and Marjorie Bruce

Walter Stewart was born in 1293 in Irvine, Ayrshire, , Scotland as the first child of James Stewart and Egidia Gilles De Burgh. He had four siblings, namely: Andrew, John, James, and Egidia. He died on 09 Apr 1326 in Castle, West Lothian, , Scotland. When he was 22, He married Marjory Bruce,daughter of Robert The Bruce and Isobel Of Mar, in 1315.

Walter Stewart was known by the title of 6th High Steward of Scotland.

Walter Stewart and Marjory Bruce had the following children:

1. Robert II Stuart was born on 02 Mar 1315/16. He died on 19 Apr 1390 (Age: 74). He married Euphemia De Ross after 05 Feb 1355. He married Elizabeth Mure on 22 Nov 1347 in Dispensation, Kyle, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Walter Stewart and Alice Erskin had the following children:

1. Jean.

2. Walter Stewart and Isabel Graham had the following children:

3. Andrew.

4. John Stewart was born in of Ralston.

5. Egidia.

Frederick Lewis Weis, Walter Lee Sheppard, Kaleen E. Beall, Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists who Came to America Before 1700: Lineages from Alfred the Great, Charlemagne, Malcolm of Scotland, Robert the Strong, and Other Historical Individuals.

  Stuart, House of Encyclopædia Britannica Article            Page  1  of  1                                          House of Stuart      also spelled  Stewart, or Steuart,   royal house of Scotland from 1371 and of England from 1603. It was interrupted in 1649 by the establishment of the Commonwealth but was restored in 1660. It ended in 1714, when the British crown passed to the house of Hanover.      The first spelling of the family name was undoubtedly Stewart, the old Scots version, but during the 16th century French influence led to the adoption of the spellings Stuart and Steuart, because of the absence of the letter “w” in the French alphabet.      The family can be traced back to 11th-century Brittany, where for at least four generations they were stewards to the counts of Dol. In the early 12th century they appeared in England, and Walter, third son of the 4th steward of Dol, entered the service of David I, king of Scots, and was later appointed his steward, an office that was confirmed to his family by King Malcolm IV in 1157. Walter (d. 1326), the 6th steward, married Marjory, daughter of King Robert I the Bruce, in 1315, and in 1371 their son Robert, as King Robert II, became the first Stewart king of Scotland. The royal Stewarts had an unlucky history, dogged by sudden death; and seven succeeded to the throne as minors.      The direct male line terminated with the death of James V in 1542. His daughter Mary, Queen of Scots (d. 1587), was succeeded in 1567 by her only son (by Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley), James VI.      In 1603 James VI, through his great-grandmother Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England, inherited the English throne as King James I. After the execution (1649) of James's son Charles I, the Stuarts were excluded from the throne until the restoration of Charles II in 1660. Charles II was succeeded in 1685 by his Roman Catholic brother James II (d. 1701), who so alienated the sympathies of his subjects that in 1688 William, prince of Orange, was invited to come “to the rescue of the laws and religion of England.” James fled, and by the Bill of Rights (1689) and the Act of Settlement (1701), which denied the crown to any Roman Catholic, he and his descendants were excluded from the throne. But Stuarts still ruled in England and Scotland, for William was the son of Charles II's sister Mary, and his wife Mary was James II's elder daughter. They became joint sovereigns as William III and Mary II. They left no issue, and the Act of Settlement secured the succession to Mary's sister Anne (d. 1714) and on her death without issue to Sophia, electress of Hanover, a granddaughter of James I; Sophia's son and heir became George I, first of the British House of Hanover.      The last male Stuarts of the British royal line were James II's son James Edward (d. 1766), the Old Pretender, and his sons Charles Edward (d. 1788), the Young Pretender (known as Bonnie Prince Charlie), who died without legitimate issue, and Henry (d. 1807), Cardinal Duke of York.


 Stuart, House of
 Encyclopædia Britannica Article

 Page  1  of  1









 House of Stuart

 also spelled  Stewart, or Steuart,   royal house of Scotland from 1371 and of England from 1603. It was interrupted in 1649 by the establishment of the Commonwealth but was restored in 1660. It ended in 1714, when the British crown passed to the house of Hanover.

 The first spelling of the family name was undoubtedly Stewart, the old Scots version, but during the 16th century French influence led to the adoption of the spellings Stuart and Steuart, because of the absence of the letter “w” in the French alphabet.

 The family can be traced back to 11th-century Brittany, where for at least four generations they were stewards to the counts of Dol. In the early 12th century they appeared in England, and Walter, third son of the 4th steward of Dol, entered the service of David I, king of Scots, and was later appointed his steward, an office that was confirmed to his family by King Malcolm IV in 1157. Walter (d. 1326), the 6th steward, married Marjory, daughter of King Robert I the Bruce, in 1315, and in 1371 their son Robert, as King Robert II, became the first Stewart king of Scotland. The royal Stewarts had an unlucky history, dogged by sudden death; and seven succeeded to the throne as minors.

 The direct male line terminated with the death of James V in 1542. His daughter Mary, Queen of Scots (d. 1587), was succeeded in 1567 by her only son (by Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley), James VI.

 In 1603 James VI, through his great-grandmother Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England, inherited the English throne as King James I. After the execution (1649) of James's son Charles I, the Stuarts were excluded from the throne until the restoration of Charles II in 1660. Charles II was succeeded in 1685 by his Roman Catholic brother James II (d. 1701), who so alienated the sympathies of his subjects that in 1688 William, prince of Orange, was invited to come “to the rescue of the laws and religion of England.” James fled, and by the Bill of Rights (1689) and the Act of Settlement (1701), which denied the crown to any Roman Catholic, he and his descendants were excluded from the throne. But Stuarts still ruled in England and Scotland, for William was the son of Charles II's sister Mary, and his wife Mary was James II's elder daughter. They became joint sovereigns as William III and Mary II. They left no issue, and the Act of Settlement secured the succession to Mary's sister Anne (d. 1714) and on her death without issue to Sophia, electress of Hanover, a granddaughter of James I; Sophia's son and heir became George I, first of the British House of Hanover.

 The last male Stuarts of the British royal line were James II's son James Edward (d. 1766), the Old Pretender, and his sons Charles Edward (d. 1788), the Young Pretender (known as Bonnie Prince Charlie), who died without legitimate issue, and Henry (d. 1807), Cardinal Duke of York.

Princess Marjory Bruce died on March 2, 1316, the same day her son was born:

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/women/wih10.htm
Women in History of Scots Descent
Marjory Bruce

Marjory Bruce, Princess of Scotland, was the only child of the 1st marriage of Robert I, The Bruce. She was born probably in December 1296, the same eventful month that Edward I of England, the self-styled 'Hammer of the Scots', invaded Scotland and laid siege to Berwick.

At the end of June 1306 the 9-year-old princess, together with her step mother and other women-folk of The Bruce's family, were sent for safety to Kildrummy Castle (Aberdeenshire), escorted by Nigel Bruce and the Earl of Atholl. It was intended that they would then take refuge in Orkney until times were easier, but the English army was already at Aberdeen and the royal ladies moved on to Tain, north of Inverness, still hoping for a boat. Here they were captured in the sanctuary of St. Duthac and sent to Edward of England, then at Lanercost Priory in Cumberland. They were separated from each other and Marjorie was sent to a convent, where she remained until her release 8 years later.

She was not yet eighteen at the time of the battle of Bannockburn, 24 June 1314. One of the heroes of that great victory over the English was her second cousin once removed, Walter Stewart, 6th Lord High Steward, some four years her senior, whom she married in the following year. It was from that Stewart cousinship that the typically Stewart name of Marjorie first came into the family of Bruce, Robert the Bruce's mother and maternal grandmother both bearing that name. This last-named Marjorie had been the second of the three daughters of Walter, 3rd High Steward.

Part of the wedding dowry which Marjorie Bruce brought to her husband was the castle and Barony of Bathgate in Midlothian, which it was intended would become their private family residence; but this was not to be.

Whether through rashness, fearlessness or ignorance of the possible consequences, Princess Marjorie went out riding near Paisley while heavily pregnant. Her horse, taking fright at something, reared up, Marjorie was thrown violently to the ground and immediately went into premature labour. Her only child, the future Robert II, was delivered at the roadside by Caesarean section (the first authentic record of such an operation being performed since the birth of the eponymous Julius Caesar). The beautiful Marjorie died within a few hours, aged only about 19 years and 3 months, on 2 March 1316. Her last words are reported to have been 'He's a laddie; I ken he's a laddie; he will be king'. Her improbable dying prophecy eventually came true, but not for another fifty-five years.

Robert II Stuart of Scotland

Robert II Stuart was born on 02 Mar 1315/16 as the first child of Walter Stewart and Marjory Bruce. He died on 19 Apr 1390 (Age: 74). When he was 31, He married Elizabeth Mure,daughter of Adam Mure and Janet, on 22 Nov 1347 in Dispensation, Kyle, Ayrshire, Scotland. When he was 38, He married Euphemia De Ross,daughter of Hugh De Ross and Margaret Graham, after 05 Feb 1355.

Robert II Stuart was buried in Scone Abbey, Scone, Perthshire, Scotland. He was known by the title of King of Scotland.

Robert II Stuart and Moira Leitch had the following children:

1. John Stuart was born in Of Bute.

Robert II Stuart and Elizabeth Mure had the following children:

1. Robert III John. He died on 04 Apr 1406 in Rothshay Castle, DunDonald. He married Annabella Drummond in 1377.

2. Walter. He died in 1362.

3. Margaret Stuart was born about 1330. She married John MacDonald after 14 Jun 1350.

4. Alexander Stewart was born in 1352 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, , Scotland. He died in 1405

5. Robert Stuart was born in 1339. He died on 03 Sep 1419 in Stirling Castle, Stirling, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He married Margaret Graham after 09 Sep 1361. He married Muriel De Keith after 04 May 1380.

6. Isabella.

7. Marjory.

8. Jean Johanna. She died about 1350. She married John Lyon between 27 Jun 1376–02 Oct 1377. She married James Sunderlands Sandilands about 1384. She married John De Keith on about 17 January I373.
Katherine.

9. Elizabeth.

Robert II Stuart and Euphemia De Ross had the following children:

1. David Stewart was born in 1356 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, , Scotland. He died in 1390 in Perth, Perthshire, , Scotland.

2. Walter Stuart was born in Of Atholl. He died in 1437.

3. Egidia Gelis. She died after 1387.

4. Catherine.

5. Margaret.

6. Elizabeth. She died after 1380.


Robert II Stuart and Marion Cardny had the following children:

1. Thomas Stuart was born in Of Dunkeld.

2. James Stuart was born in Of Kinfauns.

3. Walter.

4. Alexander Stuart was born in Of Inverluan.

5. John Stuart was born in Of Burley.

6.John Stuart was born in Of Arntullie.

7. John Stuart was born in Of Cairdney.

The Kings and Queens of Britain (John Cannon, ‎Anne Hargreaves).


  Robert II Encyclopædia Britannica Article                born March 2, 1316 died April 19, 1390, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scot.         Robert II, coin, 14th century; in the British Museum  Peter Clayton      also called (until 1371)  Robert the Steward , or (1357-71)  Robert Stewart, Earl of Strathearn  king of Scots from 1371, first of the Stewart (Stuart) sovereigns in Scotland. Heir presumptive for more than 50 years, he had little effect on Scottish political and military affairs when he finally acceded to the throne.      On the death (1326) of his father, Walter the Steward, in 1326, Robert became seventh hereditary steward of Scotland at age 10. From 1318 he was heir presumptive to his maternal grandfather, King Robert I the Bruce (died 1329). He lost this position in 1324 when the Bruce's son, afterward King David II, was born; but two years later the Scottish Parliament confirmed Robert the Steward as heir apparent to David.      During David's periods of exile and of imprisonment by the English, Robert the Steward was joint regent (1334-35; with John Randolph, 3rd earl of Moray) and sole regent (1338-41, 1346-57). After David had been ransomed from the English, Robert led an unsuccessful rebellion (1362-63). He succeeded in defending his own right as heir apparent against David's abortive proposal to commute his remaining ransom payments to the English by making a son of King Edward III of England heir to the Scottish throne.      On the death of David (Feb. 22, 1371), Robert succeeded to the throne, his reign proving largely an anticlimax to his career. He took no active part in the renewed war with England (from 1378 to 1388). From 1384 the kingdom was administered by Robert's eldest son, John, earl of Carrick (afterward King Robert III), and from 1388, by his next surviving son, Robert, earl of Fife (afterward 1st duke of Albany).      Robert's marriage (c. 1348) to Elizabeth Mure followed the birth of their four sons and five daughters, whose legitimation by the subsequent marriage did not give any of them an undisputed right of succession to the crown. A superior claim was asserted on behalf of Robert's two sons and two daughters by his second wife, Euphemia Ross, whom he married in 1355. Partly because of this dispute, Walter, earl of Atholl, one of Robert's sons by Euphemia, instigated the murder (1437) of James I, king of Scots, grandson of Robert and Elizabeth Mure. Robert also had at least eight illegitimate sons.
 Robert II
 Encyclopædia Britannica Article


 born March 2, 1316
 died April 19, 1390, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scot.


 Robert II, coin, 14th century; in the British Museum
 Peter Clayton

 also called (until 1371)  Robert the Steward , or (1357-71)  Robert Stewart, Earl of Strathearn  king of Scots from 1371, first of the Stewart (Stuart) sovereigns in Scotland. Heir presumptive for more than 50 years, he had little effect on Scottish political and military affairs when he finally acceded to the throne.

 On the death (1326) of his father, Walter the Steward, in 1326, Robert became seventh hereditary steward of Scotland at age 10. From 1318 he was heir presumptive to his maternal grandfather, King Robert I the Bruce (died 1329). He lost this position in 1324 when the Bruce's son, afterward King David II, was born; but two years later the Scottish Parliament confirmed Robert the Steward as heir apparent to David.

 During David's periods of exile and of imprisonment by the English, Robert the Steward was joint regent (1334-35; with John Randolph, 3rd earl of Moray) and sole regent (1338-41, 1346-57). After David had been ransomed from the English, Robert led an unsuccessful rebellion (1362-63). He succeeded in defending his own right as heir apparent against David's abortive proposal to commute his remaining ransom payments to the English by making a son of King Edward III of England heir to the Scottish throne.

 On the death of David (Feb. 22, 1371), Robert succeeded to the throne, his reign proving largely an anticlimax to his career. He took no active part in the renewed war with England (from 1378 to 1388). From 1384 the kingdom was administered by Robert's eldest son, John, earl of Carrick (afterward King Robert III), and from 1388, by his next surviving son, Robert, earl of Fife (afterward 1st duke of Albany).

 Robert's marriage (c. 1348) to Elizabeth Mure followed the birth of their four sons and five daughters, whose legitimation by the subsequent marriage did not give any of them an undisputed right of succession to the crown. A superior claim was asserted on behalf of Robert's two sons and two daughters by his second wife, Euphemia Ross, whom he married in 1355. Partly because of this dispute, Walter, earl of Atholl, one of Robert's sons by Euphemia, instigated the murder (1437) of James I, king of Scots, grandson of Robert and Elizabeth Mure. Robert also had at least eight illegitimate sons.
 The History of Scotland - Page 90
Peter Somerset Fry, ‎Rosalind Mitchison - 1985

The succession of Robert II as the first of the Stewart kings of Scotland meant that the Scots had a Celtic king once more, for the Stewarts were descended from Breton Celts in Brittany (north-west France). Admittedly, the blood had been thinned by their marriages outside Celtic families, but the point was not lost on the Scots that a Celtic dynasty was ruling again. They could be forgiven for looking to Robert II to bring about a break with the allegiance to the kings of England. When he succeeded his uncle David II (who was actually several years his junior), Robert had already demonstrated his Scottish nationalism for over a quarter of a century. He believed fervently in the independence of Scotland. He had played an important part in persuading the parliament of 1363 to reject David II's preposterous plan to bequeath his kingdom to an English prince. Certainly, too, he had been right to withdraw his divisions in good order from the battlefield at Neville's Cross in 1346 (see p. 86), once he saw that the battle was lost and the king actually captured. If he, too, had been taken, Scotland would have had no direct heir to the throne.  There would have been a golden opportunity for Edward III of England to supply one---of English blood.
Robert inherited a kingdom still suffering grave difficulties as a result of the swingeing ransom instalments being collected for payment to England on behalf of David II. He came with years of administrative experience behind him. He was popular. We have descriptions of him: tall and well-built; gentle-mannered; full of good fun and humour; a ruler with the tenderest of hearts; said by the Scottish historian Boece to have paid for the damage done to crops in the fields around Scone when the crowds gathered to celebrate his coronation there in March 1372; affectionately known as 'Old Blearie' because his eyes were more or less permanently bloodshot.
And yet, this lovable old man had lost the fire and vigour of his youth. He was no longer the fighter he had been, and he proved quite unable to give Scotland the firm government she needed so desperately. Power passed to his son John, earl of Carrick, and to feudal lords like the Douglases (who were all-powerful in the Lowlands). In the military sense it was as well that power was in other hands because in the 1380s there were fresh troubles with England. One of Robert's earliest acts had been to reaffirm the 'Auld Alliance' with France, which provoked the English to renew border skirmishing. Neither side made significant gains. The French king, always ready to aggravate his English adversaries, decided to send an army over to Scotland to help step up the war. Led by Jean de Vienne, admiral of France, about 1000 knights and men-at-arms with plenty of armour and weapons set out for Scotland, intending to invade England with the help of their allies. But when they reached Scotland the were to be disillusioned.
The Scots had found that large-scale battles with the English were not worthwhile (though, of course, Bannock Burn was the glorious exception). They preferred guerrilla warfare and refused to be tempted into open battle. Even when the English crossed the border and burned down abbeys like Melrose and Dryburgh and destroyed shops, homes and farms, the French were astonished to see that their allies did nothing to stop them. The Scots explained that while it was a pity about the abbeys, the smaller buildings, mostly of wood, could easily be rebuilt in a few days. They were content to let their homes smoulder and allow the English to rampage around without opposition, for they expected the English to retire across the border, exhausted by chasing and trying to bring to battle a seemingly non-existent enemy. Then the Scots would descend into England, sack the towns and carry off what plunder they could find, meeting little opposition form the tired troops.
The French did not understand this kind of warfare at all. They had come to Scotland to fight battles with the English, but they could not risk major engagements without Scottish help. So they decided to go back to France, disgusted with the Scots whom they considered a rude and worthless people. Before they could leave, however, the Scots compelled them to pay for the damage they had done to Scottish fields and crops during their stay. The French were outraged. They were accustomed in their own land to trampling down crops on farms while on their way to battle and they were not expected to compensate the farmers. Why should they pay compensation in the land of their allies? The Scottish people were equally disenchanted. They had not wanted the French in Scotland in the first place. Why didn't they go home?
In 1390 Robert II died. His son Carrick succeeded. His Christian name was John but so many King Johns had come to grief in one form or another--John of England, forced to seal Magna Carta, John of France, defeated and captured at Poitiers (1356), and John Balliol, disgraced and expelled--that he decided to be known as Robert III.
Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy - Page 405
James Panton - 2011
ROBERT II (1360-1390). Robert, the first monarch from the House of Stewart (see STUART, HOUSE OF), was heir presumptive to the Scottish throne for much of his life, but after the accession, he had limited impact on the course of political affairs. The son of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of King Robert I, and her husband, Walter Stewart (c1293-1326), he was born prematurely on 2 March 1316 after his mother fell from her horse while riding near Paisley. Some writers have suggested that the birth was caesarean, but this claim has been much contested.
For more than 50 years, Robert was king-in-waiting. From 1316 until the birth of Robert I's son, David (later David II), in 1324, he was heir presumptive to his paternal grandfather, and from 1326 until his succession to the throne in 1371, he was heir presumptive to David. He served as Guardian of Scotland (in effect, as regent) during periods when David was in exile in France from 1334 to 1341 and again while he was held prisoner by the English from 1346 to 1357. In 1346, he fought at the Battle of Neville's Cross but ran away, leaving the king exposed, when the English troops gained the upper hand, and in 1363 he joined the rebellion against David, perhaps because the king appeared willing to designate Edward III of England or one of his sons as the heir apparent to the Scottish throne, or perhaps because the monarch was planning to marry Margaret Drummond, a member of a family with which the Stewarts were feuding.
Robert eventually became king, at the age of 54, when David died unexpectely in 1371. The first decade of his reign was marked by improvements in the country's finances, partly because of a prosperous trade in wool and partly because of the termination of payments to the English crown that had been promised in return for David's release from captivity. However, differences with one son (John, earl of Carrick) over military strategies, and an unwillingness to deal with the despotic administrative policies of another (Alexander Stewart, wolf of Badenock), led to a palace revolution in 1384, with Carrick taking control of government and leaving his father as king in little more than name. Robert never regained control and died on 19 April 1390 sy Dundonald Castle, which he had built as a royal residence in Ayeshire. He was buried at Scone and was succeeded by Carrick, who ruled as Robert III(rather than John) in order to avoid associations, in only through nomenclature with the oft-disgraced King John of Scotland.
Traditional assessments of Robert II's reign have concluded that he had passed his intellectual and physical peaks by the time he became king and so was a weak monarch who failed to provide direction and leadership for a divided country. Some more modern views are less critical, however, suggesting that he adopted a pragmatic approach to war with England and that he attempted to maintain control at home through strategic marriages that linked his daughters to politically important nobles as well as by dispensing patronage in the form of payments derived from customs revenues--a low-profile form of leadership out of kilter with the age.

John of Isla MacDonald

John of Isla was also known in Gaelic as Eoin na-h Ile, and the clergy called him "good John of the Isles", because of his generosity to the church. At the time he was assuming the lordship of Isla, Scotland also had a new king on the throne, David II. David was a child when he became king and in his minority, Scotland's politics were controlled by the regency of Randolph, Earl of Moray. When Randolph no longer controlled the country, chaos and anarchy ensued. Although Scotland was going through many changes, trying to maintain her independence from England, John of Isla did not gain his reputation in battle as had his forebears. He was motivated by the desire to maintain his house and the domains he had inherited. He may have been loyal to the Scottish crown, but most likely only when it was expedient to be so. With regard to maintaining his independence, it would have been appaent to him that the English influence in Scotland and a weak king on Scotland's throne could be used to his advantage. This was most likely what motivated him to support Balliol. In other words, John supported England's interests in order to maintain his own independence from Scotland. Randolph, Earl of Moray, while regent of Scotland, refused to confirm some of the lands John had inherited from his father, Angus Og. And when Randolph was replaced, they were still not confirmed to him. So, when Balliol took the throne, John of Isla figured he was the person most likely to give him this confirmation of his lands.

In 1335, John made a treaty with Edward Balliol, which put him into possession of his lands. He was put into possession of the Island of Ysla (Isla), Kentyre (Kintyre), Knappedoll (Knapdale), the Island of Githe (Gigha), half of the Island of Dure (Jura), the Island of Golwonche (Colonsay), the Island of Mulle, the Island of Skye, the Island of Lewethy (Lewis), Kenalbadon and Ardinton (Morvern and Ardnamurchan). These constitute a large amount of property. The process of having these lands which were rightfully his amounted to this: when a lord died, his lands temporarily reverted to his overlord or king and his successor was only allowed to inherit if his overlord or king said so. Sometimes, they took back parts of an inheritance, but frequently they would grant the possessions back to the successor if he swore loyalty to his overlord or king.
John was also granted the wardship of Lochaber, until Lord David of Strathbolgie reached his maturity, as Earl of Athol.

In return for this confirmation of lands, John swore to be loyal and faithful to the King of Scotland, Edward Balliol and his heirs. He was also bound to fight all enemies of the king and any rebels. He had to swear this oath on the holy eucharist, the cup of the altar, and the missal. He also agreed that if the king required a hostage to ensure that he honor the agreement, a cousin or cousins, a close relative who was underage would be delivered to the king. This was because John at that time had no legal heirs. The king also stipulated that when he should have an heir, John would be it's godfather.

Besides making John the godfather of his heir, John must have been important to the king, because he made sure that his subjects understood that John and those travelling with him were under his protection. It also indicates that he could have been in danger from those Scots as were not supporters of Edward Balliol.

Eventually, there was another change in rulers in Scotland, and David II assumed his throne. Due to John's support of Balliol, during David's minority he forfeited the lands of Gigha, Isla, Jura, and Cononsay, which wre granted to John's kinsman, Angus Maciau of Ardnamurchan. John resisted this decree to take his lands from him with the aid of Reginald MacRourie.

In 1346, David II decided to invade England, while Edward III was in France. He began preparing for this as early as 1343. He needed all of the military force he could muster, and with that in mind he pardoned John and Reginald MacRouri, so within a short period of time John forfeited his lands and then had them restored to them. Some of them had reverted back to their original owners and were not returned to them including: Kintyre, Knapdale,and Skye.

Reginald MacRourie answered the king's summons to bring his men to Perth where the army was being gathered in preparation for invading England, he and his men made their quarters in the monastery of Elcho. There had been a long standing disagreement between Reginald and the Earl of Ross over land. The Earl of Ross took advantage of Reginald's situation within the monastery and broke into the monastery and killed Reginald and seven of his men. Reginald's murder caused John to inherit some of his possessions.

John had married about 1337 to Euphemia MacRuari, who was the sister of Reginald. Upon Reginald's death, she inherited his lands, and thus by marriage, they became the possession of John of Isla. He being a close relative to Reginald, also gave him a secondary claim to these lands, including Garmoran and the Northern Isles. The Scottish crown refused to recognise his claim to these lands.

When Scotland invaded England, the expedition failed and the young king was taken hostage. Edward III of England was preoccupied with his war in France and made a temporary peace with Scotland, while keeping his hostage. So, for eleven years John was not only in possession of his own lands, but also of the lands of MacRuari, even though they had not been confirmed to him.

In 1354 the English were negotiating a treaty with Scotland and the ransom of their king which Edward III held hostage. The English were still at war with France and the French paid 40,000 moutous of gold to the Scots nobles to break the truce with England.

In 1356 there were Scottish troops in France to aid them in their war with England. The English had fought their way deep into France and the French king aided by the Scottish allies, tried to cut off their retreat, but was unsuccessful. In the battle of Poitiers in 1356, the Scottish suffered massive losses and John, Lord of the Isles was taken prisoner. He was held prisoner in England for about a year.

He was freed and given safe conduct by the King of England to return to his home. Two years later, the treaty and the ransom for David II were being negotiated and part of the stipulations of the treaty were that were that Edward Balliol and John of Isla were to be included in the truce. This was an indication of his importance to both the English and Scottish, as did his marriage to Margaret Stewart, daughter of the Steward, around the time of David II's return to Scotland.

In order to marry Margret, it was necessary for John to divorce his MacRuarie wife. He was urged to do this by the Steward and his own advisors. Archibald MacDonald says that Amy lived for a long time after her separation from John and during this time she built Castle Tirrim in Moidart and Borve Castle in Benbecula. She also built some places of worship.

Although John was connected in marriage to the Steward and his family, he seems to have maintained favor with King David II. In 1360, he was appointed Constable of Edinburgh Castle, which was a very high and prestigious military appointment. In 1364 he surpassed even this and was made Senescall, or High Steward of the King.

This came about because the Stewart family was next in line to the throne if the king did not produce an heir. In 1363, David II's queen Joanna died without having produced an heir. The king then began an affair with a woman of humble birth and because of his love for her, granted all of his lands to her, meaning that if she produced an heir, the Stewart's would not inherit the throne.
As a result of the Stewart's opposition, that the Steward and his son were imprisoned, and John of Isla was appointed as the replacement Steward.

Again as in his earlier life, John's allegiance fluctuated. Scotland was still having trouble raising the ransom money to be paid for David II's release. The taxation was particularly resented in the Highlands, and John sided with other northern barons in refusing to pay the tax or to attend a meeting of the Estates of the realm.

The king, unable to rectify the situation released John's father-in-law from prison in order to restore the king's authority over these barons. John of Isla was one of the most difficult to subdue, but at this time there was peace between England and Scotland and he was unable to use the enmity between the two kingdoms to his advantage as he had in the past. After several years of defiance, the Steward convinced John to meet with the King at Inverness in 1369.

John of Isla signed a document in which he more or less appologised for transgressing against the king and humbly asked for forgiveness and for the favor of the king. He also states that he would make reparations to any men of the kindom whom he or his sons had injured. And he was to remain faithful to the king. In order to ensure his compliance to this document he gave his son Donald, by Margaret Stewart and his grandson Angus, son of his son John and some others as hostages. David II died two years later, and since John was the son in law of the new king Robert II Stewart, he immediately began to benefit.

Robert II confirmed upon him the 300 merklands of Moidart, Arisaig, Morar, Knoydart in the lordship of Garmoran, the Islands of Uist, Barra, Rum, Eigg and Harris. This was given to him during a parliament in 1371-2. After 1372 he lived out the rest of his life in relative peace and prosperity.


He married as his second wife, Margaret Stewart, daughter of Robert II, the first Stewart king of Scotland. According to the historian of Sleat, Hugh McDonald, he had a son named Donald who succeeded him.

John of Isla was an ally of the English against his neighbors the Scotch despite the generosity his family had been shown the Scottish rulers and he himself had received from David II. At the instigation of the English he headed an army of his Highlanders and Islemen in order to attack the Scottish. A tentative peace was made, but having been shown just how vulnerable they were to danger from the English, through the MacDonald's island kingdom, they watched it very closely from that point on, always looking for an opportunity to destroy it. Even so, this policy of sidng with the English was continued by John's successors and eventually was the cause of its downfall.

John had sons by Anna MacRourie, daughter of Rorie, high chief of Lorn. These sons were Godfrey, Ranald and Angus. John supposedly did not marry Anna until later at the time of her death. His advisors opposed this marriage saying that he would not be able to make suitable matches for these sons if they were his legitimate heirs. He did however make provisions for them. His son Raald was given all the land extending from Fort-August in Abertarff to the river Sheil, and from the river Sheil to the Belleith in the north, Eig and Rum, and the two Uists. He then went to the mouth of the river of Glasgow, bringing with him threescore longships, and married Margaret, the daughter of Robert Stewart, the King of Scotland.

In an article in the Celtic magazine, edited by A. MacKensie and A. MacGregor, it is stated that there was a dispensation given toJohn and Amy/Ann in 1337. There is also a treaty between John of Islay and David II in 1369 which refers to hostages from his family, which indicates that their sons, John, Godfrey, and Ranald were legitimate. The article also states that Robert II persuaded John to make the sons of both of his marriages feudally independent of each other. In my opinion, these two facts should be proof that their marriage was a lawful one. But you could also add to these the fact that she was the daughter of the lord of her clan, and thus unlikely to have simply handfasted or lived without marriage with John of Isla. However, the papal dispensation was sought because they being third cousins were too closely related, and may have been the reason why the Scottish government did not recognise it as legitimate. In those times, kings had the right to decide who their subjects were allowed to marry. The legitimacy of John's sons by his first marriage is of importance to later descendants from this line, who consider themselves to be the rightful heirs. In my opinion, you cannot unspill milk, and it is rediculous to speculate over what might have been.

As previously stated, John's eldest son by the first marriage received lands from the lordship of Gamoran and other lands. John also set aside certain lands to be inherited by his son from the marriage to the King's daughter. This charter was confirmed by the King. These children of the second marriage were not John's feudal heirs, making it necessary to provide for them through this charter. Politically, it would have been a hard situation. On the one hand he had these sons by his first marriage who should have inherited. But the children from the second marriage were of royal blood and therefore, presumed superior to the half-siblings.

John and Margaret had several sons; Donald of Isla, his heir, and John Mor the Tanist; Alaster Carrach the third son; as well as another son named Marcus, whose descendants are the Clan Donald of Cnoic-an-chluith in Tirone, Ireland.

John lived a long life. He made donations to Iona and he also covered the chapel of Isle Eorsag and the Chapel of Isle Finlagan, and the Chapel of Isle Suibne, with all their appropriate instruments for order and mass and the service of God, for the better upholding of the monks and priests this lord kept in his company. He also erected the monastery of the Holy Cross.

He died in his castle of Ardtornish, with the monks and priests in attendance and having received last rights, his body was taken to Iona. As was the custom, his body was met by the abbot and the monks and vicars. A wake was held for eight days and nights and then he was placed in a grave with his father in the church of Oran in the year 1380.


My particular descent is through Donald of Isla, who was John MacDonald's heir.


An historical account of the Macdonnells of Antrim: including notices of ...
by George Hill - Antrim (Northern Ireland : County) - 1873

Reliquiæ celticæ: texts, papers and studies in Gaelic literature and ...‎ - Page 159
by Alexander Cameron - 1894

The Celtic magazine, conducted by A. Mackenzie and A. MacGregor‎ - Page 210
edited by Alexander Mackenzie - 1881

A History of the Scottish Highlands, Highland clans and Highland regiments‎ - Page 146
by Thomas Maclauchlan, John Wilson, John Scott Keltie - Clans - 1875

History of the Macdonalds and Lords of the Isles: with genealogies of the ...‎ - Page 31
by Alexander Mackenzie - Clans - 1881

The clan Donald‎ - by Archibald Macdonald - 1896