John Stewart of Darnley

John Stewart
Lord of Aubigny

Arms of John Stewart of Darnley
Predecessor New creation
Successor John Stewart, 2nd Lord of Aubigny

Titles and styles

Count of Évreux
Lord of Concressault
Lord of Aubigny
Born c. 1380
Died 1429
Rouvray-Sainte-Croix, Loiret, France
Buried Orléans Cathedral
Noble family Stewart of Darnley
Spouse(s) Elizabeth of Lennox

Issue

Alan Stewart of Darnley
John Stewart, 2nd Lord of Aubigny
Alexander Stewart
Father Alexander Stewart of Darnley
Mother possibly a member of the Clan Turnbull

Sir John Stewart of Darnley, 1st Lord of Concressault and 1st Lord of Aubigny, Count of Évreux (c. 1380 – 1429) was a Scottish nobleman and prominent soldier during the Hundred Years War.

Life

The son of Sir Alexander Stewart of Darnley and Janet Keith, he was a distant cousin of the Stewart Kings of Scotland, being descended from the second son of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland, Sir John Stewart of Bonkyll.

Darnley inherited his father's estates in 1404, and was knighted c.1418. In 1419, Darnley was part of the Scottish expeditionary force which under the Earls of Buchan (Darnley's cousin) and Wigtown, set out to France. By 1420 Darnley was referred to as Constable of the Scottish Army there.

Darnley was present at the major Scots victory at the Battle of Baugé in 1421, and for his part in the fight was granted the lordships of Concressault in 1421, and Aubigny-sur-Nère in 1422, by a grateful Dauphin.

Darnley was present, and a commander, at the defeat at Cravant, where he was captured and suffered the loss of an eye.

During his captivity, Darnley could not participate at the Battle of Verneuil, at which the Franco-Scottish army was heavily defeated. His ransom having been paid by the Dauphin Charles, Darnley once again entered French service, taking command of the remaining Scots forces in the country. Following a victory over the English at Mont Saint-Michel, Darnley was made Count of Évreux, and allowed to append the Fleur-de-Lis to his coat of arms.

In 1428, he along with Renaud of Chartres, the Archbishop of Rheims, returned to Scotland to raise further troops, and to negotiate the future marriage between Princess Margaret of Scotland, and the Dauphin's son Louis. He returned again to France in 1429, where he took part in the Siege of Orléans where he arrived with 1000 men. Four days later, he commanded the Scottish contingent at the Battle of the Herrings, where he was killed.

John Stewart of Darnley was buried in the Sainte-Croix Cathedral, Orléans.

Marriage and Issue[1]

Darnley married Elizabeth, a daughter of Donnchadh, Earl of Lennox c.1408, she accompanied Darnley to France, where she died 10 months after him and is buried beside him at Orléans. They had issue:

See also

Notes

  1. Balfour Paul, vol V, pp346-348

References

Balfour Paul, Sir James, Scots Peerage, IX vols. Edinburgh 1904.

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