Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox

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Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox[1] (21 September 1516 – 4 September 1571) was a leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland. He was the paternal grandfather of King James VI of Scotland and I of England. He owned Temple Newsam in Yorkshire, England.

Served in the French army 1532-Mar 1543. Elected Regent of Scotland 11 Jul 1570, but taken prisoner by supporters of Queen Mary.

m (St James’s Palace 29 Jun 1544) MARGARET Douglas, daughter of ARCHIBALD Douglas 6th Earl of Angus & his wife Margaret Tudor Queen Regent of Scotland (Harbottle 18 Oct 1515-Hackney 9 Mar 1578, bur 3 Apr 1578 Westminster Abbey).

Matthew & his wife had five children:

1. HENRY Stuart (Feb 1545-29 Nov 1545).

2. HENRY Stuart (Temple Newsham, Yorkshire 7 Dec 1545-murdered Provost’s House, Kirk o’ Field, Edinburgh 10 Feb 1566/7, bur Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh). Lord Darnley from birth. Created Earl of Ross and Baron Ardmannoch 15 May 1565, and Duke of Albany 20 Jul 1565. Proclaimed King of Scotland 28 Jul 1565. m (Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh 29 Jul 1565) as her second husband, MARY Queen of Scots, daughter of JAMES V King of Scotland & his second wife Marie de Guise (Linlithgow Palace 7/8 Dec 1542-executed Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire 8 Feb 1587), bur Peterborough Cathedral, removed 1612 to Westminster Abbey).

a) JAMES CHARLES (Edinburgh Castle 19 Jun 1566-Theobalds Park, Herts 27 Mar 1625, bur Westminster Abbey). Duke of Rothesay from birth. He succeeded his father as Duke of Albany, Earl of Ross and Baron Ardmannoch 10 Feb 1567. He succeeded his mother 24 Jul 1567 as JAMES VI King of Scotland. Crowned King of Scotland 29 Jul 1567 at the Church of the Holy Rood, Stirling. He succeeded in 1603 as JAMES I King of England.

3. son (-young).

4. 4 daughters (-young).

5. Lord CHARLES Stuart ([1556]-London 1576). Created Earl of Lennox and Lord Darnely 18 Apr 1572. m (late 1574, before 22 Dec) ELIZABETH Cavendish, daughter of Sir WILLIAM Cavendish & his third wife Elizabeth Hardwicke (-Sheffield Castle just before 21 Jan 1581/2). Charles & his wife had one child:

a) Lady ARABELLA Stuart ([1575]-Tower of London 25 Sep 1615, bur 27 Sep Westminster Abbey). Imprisoned at Lambeth 9 Jul 1610 on account of her marriage, she escaped, but was recaptured and imprisoned in the Tower of London where she went insane.

m (secretly Greenwich Palace 22 Jun 1610) as his first wife, WILLIAM Seymour, son of EDWARD Seymour Lord Beauchamp & his wife Honora Rogers (1 Sep 1587-). Imprisoned in the Tower of London 8 Jul 1610 on account of his marriage, he escaped 3 Jun 1611 and fled to the Netherlands. He was allowed to return to England after his wife’s death. Lord Beauchamp Sep 1618, after his older brother’s death. Succeeded his grandfather 1621 as Earl of Hertford. Created Marquess of Hertford 3 Jun 1641. Restored as Duke of Somerset 13 Sep 1660. No children.

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTTISH%20NOBILITY.htm#Matthew13Le...

4th Earl of Lennox; Regent of Scotland

Matthew Stuart (September 21, 1516 - September 4, 1571) was the 4th Earl of Lennox, and leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland.

At the time of James V's death in 1542, Lennox possessed a strong claim to the throne of Scotland should Mary Queen of Scots, then an infant, pass away without an heir. He was James V's second cousin, descended from a daughter of Princess Mary, sister of James III. However, the Earl of Arran, James Hamilton, was descended from a son of Princess Mary, as thus held the stronger claim. As a result, Lennox was bumped to third in line of succession.

He spent most of his youth in exile in England, but returned to assert his claims to the line of succession when James V died. In 1544 he married Margaret Douglas (1515-1578), half-sister of the previous King James V of Scotland. This significantly improved the claim to the Scottish throne of any of his progeny, and also introduced a claim to the English throne. Alas, his return to Scotland was short-lived; he supported Henry VIII's military efforts to secure a marriage between Mary Queen of Scots and his son Edward, Prince of Wales in the Rough Wooing. He fled once more to England with his wife.

Returned to Scotland upon Elizabeth I's urging during Mary Queen of Scots's marriage negotiations in 1564. He quickly took up his position as the most powerful lord in the Glasgow area and played a vital role in the turbulent years to come.

Whether or not Elizabeth's intention was for Lennox's beautiful son, Lord Darnley, to capture Mary's heart (and eliminate the possibility of the Scottish Queen making a powerful marriage to a continental - or worse, Catholic - prince) is a matter of conjecture. In any event, Lennox was instrumental in the marriage of his son to Mary I of Scotland. Elizabeth reacted with disapproval of the marriage because Darnley, technically born in England and thus one of her subjects, had married without her permission. She then threw Lennox's wife into the Tower of London.

After Darnley's 1567 murder, Lennox became the most ardent pursuant of justice against the lords who had conspired in the murder. He also became the star witness against Mary, though her involvement in the murder, most certainly carried out by her then lover and later husband, Lord Bothwell, is controversial.

In 1570, Lennox became regent for his grandson, James VI, but the Queen's party declared war against him and he was killed the next year in a skirmish at Stirling.

Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Matthew Stuart (September 21, 1516 - September 4, 1571) was the 4th Earl of Lennox, and leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland.

At the time of James V's death in 1542, Lennox possessed a strong claim to the throne of Scotland should Mary Queen of Scots, then an infant, pass away without an heir. He was James V's second cousin, descended from a daughter of Princess Mary, sister of James III. However, the Earl of Arran, James Hamilton, was descended from a son of Princess Mary, as thus held the stronger claim. As a result, Lennox was bumped to third in line of succession.

He spent most of his youth in exile in England, but returned to assert his claims to the line of succession when James V died. In 1544 he married Margaret Douglas (1515-1578), half-sister of the previous King James V of Scotland. This significantly improved the claim to the Scottish throne of any of his progeny, and also introduced a claim to the English throne. Alas, his return to Scotland was short-lived; he supported Henry VIII's military efforts to secure a marriage between Mary Queen of Scots and his son Edward, Prince of Wales in the Rough Wooing. He fled once more to England with his wife.

Returned to Scotland upon Elizabeth I's urging during Mary Queen of Scots's marriage negotiations in 1564. He quickly took up his position as the most powerful lord in the Glasgow area and played a vital role in the turbulent years to come.

Whether or not Elizabeth's intention was for Lennox's beautiful son, Lord Darnley, to capture Mary's heart (and eliminate the possibility of the Scottish Queen making a powerful marriage to a continental - or worse, Catholic - prince) is a matter of conjecture. In any event, Lennox was instrumental in the marriage of his son to Mary I of Scotland. Elizabeth reacted with disapproval of the marriage because Darnley, technically born in England and thus one of her subjects, had married without her permission. She then threw Lennox's wife into the Tower of London.

After Darnley's 1567 murder, Lennox became the most ardent pursuant of justice against the lords who had conspired in the murder. He also became the star witness against Mary, though her involvement in the murder, most certainly carried out by her then lover and later husband, Lord Bothwell, is controversial.

In 1570, Lennox became regent for his grandson, James VI, but the Queen's party declared war against him and he was killed the next year in a skirmish at Stirling.

Matthew Stuart (September 21, 1516 - September 4, 1571) was the 4th Earl of Lennox, and leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland.

At the time of James V's death in 1542, Lennox possessed a strong claim to the throne of Scotland should Mary Queen of Scots, then an infant, pass away without an heir. He was James V's second cousin, descended from a daughter of Princess Mary, sister of James III. However, the Earl of Arran, James Hamilton, was descended from a son of Princess Mary, as thus held the stronger claim. As a result, Lennox was bumped to third in line of succession.

He spent most of his youth in exile in England, but returned to assert his claims to the line of succession when James V died. In 1544 he married Margaret Douglas (1515-1578), half-sister of the previous King James V of Scotland. This significantly improved the claim to the Scottish throne of any of his progeny, and also introduced a claim to the English throne. Alas, his return to Scotland was short-lived; he supported Henry VIII's military efforts to secure a marriage between Mary Queen of Scots and his son Edward, Prince of Wales in the Rough Wooing. He fled once more to England with his wife.

Returned to Scotland upon Elizabeth I's urging during Mary Queen of Scots's marriage negotiations in 1564. He quickly took up his position as the most powerful lord in the Glasgow area and played a vital role in the turbulent years to come.

Whether or not Elizabeth's intention was for Lennox's beautiful son, Lord Darnley, to capture Mary's heart (and eliminate the possibility of the Scottish Queen making a powerful marriage to a continental - or worse, Catholic - prince) is a matter of conjecture. In any event, Lennox was instrumental in the marriage of his son to Mary I of Scotland. Elizabeth reacted with disapproval of the marriage because Darnley, technically born in England and thus one of her subjects, had married without her permission. She then threw Lennox's wife into the Tower of London.

After Darnley's 1567 murder, Lennox became the most ardent pursuant of justice against the lords who had conspired in the murder. He also became the star witness against Mary, though her involvement in the murder, most certainly carried out by her then lover and later husband, Lord Bothwell, is controversial.

In 1570, Lennox became regent for his grandson, James VI, but the Queen's party declared war against him and he was killed the next year in a skirmish at Stirling.

Temple Newsam was the family estate. 4th Earl of Lennox. Shot in the back. Died in exile.

Sources:

The book, 'The Life & Times of Elizabeth I'

(plus many more)