William Stuart, { Master of Lennox }

WILLIAM STUART { Master of Lennox }

Of uncertain existence. Not the husband of Margaret Graham of Montrose

It has been claimed that William Stuart, here treated, was the son of Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox, and his wife Elizabeth Hamilton, Extinct Peerages: p. 512 but this proposition is not supported by the Scots Peerage account of the Lennox family.The Scots Peerage V: p. 351

Primary evidence for the life of William Stuart, Master of Lennox, here treated, has not been found, and it would seem that his existence may depend entirely upon an account of the Earls of Lennox that was published in 1866, from which it would appear that the author may have confused or misidentified William Stuart with John Stuart, third Earl of Lennox. Extinct Peerages: 512 The probability of this being the case is made all the more certain by an indenture dated 15 April 1506, between William Graham, Earl of Montrose, and Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox, by which the principals agreed that "John Stuart, son and heir apparent to the said Mathew shall marry Margaret Graham, lawful daughter of the said William and the deceased Janet Edmonstone his spouse, as soon as they are old enough to marry legally". NRS: GD220/1/A/2/7/4 A. Francis Steuart did not miss this mistake. In his account of the Lennox family for the Scots Peerage he said this: "John, third Earl of Lennox, succeeded his father. On 15 April 1506 he had been contracted to Margaret Graham, daughter of William, first Earl of Montrose, but the marriage was never accomplished". The Scots Peerage V: p. 351 Francis J. Grant agreed with Steuart. He said this about Margaret Graham: "Margaret, who, as daughter of the second marriage was in April 1506 in her infancy, contracted to John, Master of Lennox, son and heir-apparent of Matthew, Earl of Lennox, which marriage did not take place, and she was afterwards married (contract 10 July 1510 ) to Sir John Somerville of Cambusnethan.

Evidence from the National Records of Scotland

15 April 1506: Indenture between Mathew, Earl of Lennox, lord Darnley and William, Earl of Montrose, lord Graham whereby it is agreed that John Stuart, son and heir apparent to the said Mathew shall marry Margaret Graham, lawful daughter of the said William and the deceased Janet Edmonstone his spouse, as soon as they are old enough to marry legally; in contemplation of which marriage the Earl of Montrose shall pay to the Earl of Lennox the sum of 1800 merks of which 7 merks are paid for redeeming a wadset on the Earl of Lennox's lands of Hendrystoun at Michaelmas 1509, and 300 merks for redeeming another wadset of the Earl of Lennox's lands of Househill at Michaelmas 1510, and thereafter 100 merks to be paid termly at Whitsunday and Michaelmas till the 1800 merks is completely paid. The money appointed for redeeming wadsets is not to be used for any other purpose. In return for this tocher the Earl of Lennox is obliged to put his son in fee of £100 of land lying in a convenient place with a mansion house, and to put John and Mary in conjunct fee of 100 merks worth by year of the £100 land, reserving the liferent of the remainder to the Earl of Lennox. Dated at Edinburgh. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Graham Family, Dukes of Montrose (Montrose Muniments), reference GD220/1/A/2/7/4

Genealogy

1. The Scots Peerage V: 351
2. Stirnet: Stewart 03

Misleading Genealogy

1. A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages. By Sir Bernard Burke, Ulster King of Arms. (Harrison, London, 1866), pp. 512
2. Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and United Kingdom. Volume 5. (William Pollard, London, 1893), pp.60-5 for the Earls of Lennox
3. The Baronial House of Somerville: an abridged and condensed narrative of the .. Page 73. "this lady had been previously married to William, master of Lennox