Andrew Stewart (d. 1541)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Stewart was a 16th century Scottish noble and cleric. He was the legitimate son of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl
and Eleanor Sinclair, daughter of William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney
. His paternal grandmother was Joan Beaufort
, former queen-consort of Scotland (to James I
). Andrew chose an ecclesiastical career, held a canonry in Dunkeld Cathedral
and was rector
of Blair
parish church
(Dunkeld
diocese
), a church under the control of the earls of Atholl.
After the death in January 1515 of George Brown
, Bishop of Dunkeld
, a new bishop was needed for that bishopric
. Queen Margaret
, husband of the recently deceased James IV
and mother of the young James V
, backed to succeed Brown one Gavin Douglas
, a poet and cleric who was Provost
of St Giles church in Edinburgh
. He was the uncle of the queen's new husband, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus
. The queen had put him forward on 20 January 1515, just a few days after Brown's death. Douglas had lately missed out on the position of Archbishop of St Andrews
, and so this was in some way intended as compensation. Douglas had a proctor
pay 450 florins to the Papal see, and Pope Leo X
confirmed his position on 25 May.
Meanwhile, Andrew Stewart's brother John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl
, pressured the chapter
of Dunkeld Cathedral
to elect Andrew to the see
instead of Douglas. Alexander Myln, in his 16th century Vitae Dunkeldensis ecclesiae episcoporum ("Lives of the Bishops of Dunkeld"), related that after hearing news of Bishop Brown's death, Atholl visited Dunkeld and requested that his brother be made bishop. As many of the canons were either related by blood to Atholl, or else held lands under Atholl's power, the pressure was significant and Andrew Stewart was accordingly elected to the see. A letter was sent to John Stewart, Duke of Albany, Governor of Scotland and guardian of the young James V of Scotland
; Albany was in France and refused to deal with the disposal of any bishopric until his return to the country. When Albany returned in May (still 1515), he subverted Queen Margaret, confirmed the appointment of Andrew and compelled the chapter of Dunkeld to hand over the temporalities of the see. In July, the Queen agreed to Andrew Stewart's appointment and Albany imprisoned Douglas for breaking the laws of the kingdom, that is, on account of his purchase of the bishopric at Rome.
However, Andrew Stewart failed to secure confirmation from the Papacy. Albany gave up his support for Andrew and released Douglas from imprisonment; in September 1516, he agreed to Douglas' accession to the see of Dunkeld. Douglas was consecrated on 21 September 1516. On 24 July 1517, Albany wrote to the Pope requesting that Andrew Stewart be given the now vacant see of Caithness. The Pope agreed, and on 14 December 1517, Andrew Stewart became Bishop of Caithness
. Thereafter, the sources leave almost no information about Stewart, and his 24-year rule of the diocese of Caithness goes largely undocumented, save only the occasional appearance, such as his attendance at parliament on 10 December 1540. He died intestate some short time before 9 August 1541.
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl , also known as Sir John Stewart of Balveny, was a Scottish nobleman and ambassador to England .-Life:...
and Eleanor Sinclair, daughter of William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney
William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness
William Sinclair , 1st Earl of Caithness , 3rd Earl of Orkney , Baron of Roslin was a Scottish nobleman and the builder of Rosslyn Chapel, in Midlothian....
. His paternal grandmother was Joan Beaufort
Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland
Joan Beaufort was the Queen Consort of Scotland from 1424 to 1437 as the spouse of King James I of Scotland. During part of the minority of her son James II , she served as the Regent of Scotland....
, former queen-consort of Scotland (to James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
). Andrew chose an ecclesiastical career, held a canonry in Dunkeld Cathedral
Dunkeld Cathedral
Dunkeld Cathedral stands on the north bank of the River Tay in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Built in square-stone style of predominantly grey sandstone, the cathedral proper was begun in 1260 and completed in 1501...
and was rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Blair
Blair Atholl
Blair Atholl is a small town in Perthshire, Scotland, built about the confluence of the Rivers Tilt and Garry in one of the few areas of flat land in the midst of the Grampian Mountains. The Gaelic place-name Blair, from blàr, 'field, plain', refers to this location...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
(Dunkeld
Dunkeld
Dunkeld is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite side of the Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, on the...
diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
), a church under the control of the earls of Atholl.
After the death in January 1515 of George Brown
George Brown (bishop)
George Brown was a late 15th century and early 16th century Scottish churchman. He first appears on record in 1478 as the rector of the church of Tyningham, and is called a clerk of the diocese of Brechin...
, Bishop of Dunkeld
Bishop of Dunkeld
The Bishop of Dunkeld is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunkeld, one of the largest and more important of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th century cleric named Cormac...
, a new bishop was needed for that bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. Queen Margaret
Margaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots. James died in 1513, and their son became King James V. She married secondly Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of...
, husband of the recently deceased James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
and mother of the young James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
, backed to succeed Brown one Gavin Douglas
Gavin Douglas
Gavin Douglas was a Scottish bishop, makar and translator. Although he had an important political career, it is for his poetry that he is now chiefly remembered. His principal pioneering achievement was the Eneados, a full and faithful vernacular translation of the Aeneid of Virgil and the first...
, a poet and cleric who was Provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
of St Giles church in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. He was the uncle of the queen's new husband, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots...
. The queen had put him forward on 20 January 1515, just a few days after Brown's death. Douglas had lately missed out on the position of Archbishop of St Andrews
Archbishop of St Andrews
The Bishop of St. Andrews was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews and then, as Archbishop of St Andrews , the Archdiocese of St Andrews.The name St Andrews is not the town or church's original name...
, and so this was in some way intended as compensation. Douglas had a proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
pay 450 florins to the Papal see, and Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
confirmed his position on 25 May.
Meanwhile, Andrew Stewart's brother John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl
Earl of Atholl
The Mormaer of Earl of Atholl refers to a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl , now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is reported from the Pictish period. The only other two Pictish kingdoms to be known from...
, pressured the chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of Dunkeld Cathedral
Dunkeld Cathedral
Dunkeld Cathedral stands on the north bank of the River Tay in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Built in square-stone style of predominantly grey sandstone, the cathedral proper was begun in 1260 and completed in 1501...
to elect Andrew to the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
instead of Douglas. Alexander Myln, in his 16th century Vitae Dunkeldensis ecclesiae episcoporum ("Lives of the Bishops of Dunkeld"), related that after hearing news of Bishop Brown's death, Atholl visited Dunkeld and requested that his brother be made bishop. As many of the canons were either related by blood to Atholl, or else held lands under Atholl's power, the pressure was significant and Andrew Stewart was accordingly elected to the see. A letter was sent to John Stewart, Duke of Albany, Governor of Scotland and guardian of the young James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
; Albany was in France and refused to deal with the disposal of any bishopric until his return to the country. When Albany returned in May (still 1515), he subverted Queen Margaret, confirmed the appointment of Andrew and compelled the chapter of Dunkeld to hand over the temporalities of the see. In July, the Queen agreed to Andrew Stewart's appointment and Albany imprisoned Douglas for breaking the laws of the kingdom, that is, on account of his purchase of the bishopric at Rome.
However, Andrew Stewart failed to secure confirmation from the Papacy. Albany gave up his support for Andrew and released Douglas from imprisonment; in September 1516, he agreed to Douglas' accession to the see of Dunkeld. Douglas was consecrated on 21 September 1516. On 24 July 1517, Albany wrote to the Pope requesting that Andrew Stewart be given the now vacant see of Caithness. The Pope agreed, and on 14 December 1517, Andrew Stewart became Bishop of Caithness
Bishop of Caithness
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Aindréas spent much if not all of his career outside his...
. Thereafter, the sources leave almost no information about Stewart, and his 24-year rule of the diocese of Caithness goes largely undocumented, save only the occasional appearance, such as his attendance at parliament on 10 December 1540. He died intestate some short time before 9 August 1541.