Alexander Stewart, Archbishop of St. Andrews

1490 - 1513  (23 years)

• Name	Alexander Stewart
  Suffix	Archbishop of St. Andrews
  Birth	1490	Edinburgh Castle, Midlothian, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  FamilySearch ID	LRXX-XNC
  	https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LRXX-XNC
  Religion	1504 1513	St Andrews, Midlothian, Scotland
  	Archbihop of St.Andrews
  _UID	ED539F88388445A3A80B97BF2935583600FB
  Death	9 Sep 1513	Braxton, Northumberland, England
  Notes	Alexander Stewart (c. 1493 ?  9 September 1513) was an illegitimate son of King James IV of Scotland by his mistress Marion Boyd. He was the King's eldest illegitimate child. He was an elder brother of Catherine Stewart his only full sibling, a half brother to James Stewart, Margaret Stewart and Janet Stewart, the other illegitimate children of James IV and his mistresses. He was an older half-brother of the future James V. His mother was Marion Boyd, daughter of Angus Boyd, who was Earl of Angus's brother-in-law through his second wife. Angus's influence over the young King may have been how Marion and James IV met and eventually had two children, Alexander born around 1493 and Catherine born around 1494. His sister married James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton. From a young age Alexander was groomed for a life in the church. At the age of four his father received a dispensation from illegitimacy by Julius II enabling him to join the church. By September 1502 he was archdeacon, when his uncle James, Duke of Ross died in 1504 his father the King nominated him as the new Archbishop of St Andrews. Alexander was still only a boy at age 11 which would mean his father could still receive the revenues of St Andrews since Alexander was under age until he turned 27. He received a superb education firstly from James Watson, later Dean of the Arts faculty at St Andrews, and latterly from Patrick Paniter whom he seemed to have been close to. In 1507 Alexander Stewart was sent to France on the royal ship the Treasurer. His education continued with lengthy journeys to the Low Countries, and Italy in 1507. In Padua he studied rhetoric and Greek under Erasmus who wrote a moving obituary after young Alexander's death at the Battle of Flodden. Erasmus mentioned their time at Siena where after studies in the morning Alexander would play the monochord, recorder or lute in the afternoon. Alexander returned to Scotland in 1510 and at the age of 17 became Lord Chancellor of Scotland. Alexander was reportedly severely myopic, possibly from extensive study in poor conditions. In 1511 he co-founded St Leonard's College in St Andrews, whose chapel still stands (minus its original tower). A gateway with his coat of arms above the arch survives in St Andrews. He was killed along with his father at the Battle of Flodden.
  Person ID	I22762	Lanark County Origins
  Last Modified	18 Aug 2018

  
  

  Father	James Stewart, IV, King of Scotland,   b. 17 Mar 1473, Edinburgh Parish, Midlothian (Edinburghshire), Scotland d. 9 Sep 1513, Battle of Flodden Field (Branxton), Northumberland (Northumbria), England (Age 40 years)
  Mother	Marion Boyd,   b. Abt 1477, Bonshaw, Dumfriesshire, Scotland d. 31 Aug 1559, Abbey Parish, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland (Age ~ 82 years)
  Family ID	F7768	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Kennedy, of Rattray,   b. 1470, Blairquhan Castle, Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland d. 1573, Rattray, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (Age 103 years)
  Children	1. Mary Stuart,   b. 1513, Warwickshire, England d. Abt 1570, Yorkshire, England (Age 57 years)
  Family ID	F7769	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2024

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1490 - Edinburgh Castle, Midlothian, Scotland  = Link to Google Earth