James Stewart, Duke of Ross

Scottish archbishop

James Stewart
Archbishop of St Andrews
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	St Andrews
Appointed	20 September 1497
Term ended	January 1504
Predecessor	William Scheves
Successor	Alexander Stewart
Other post(s)	Commendator of Dunfermline (1500–1504)
Personal details
Born	March 1476
Died	January 1504 (aged 28)
Parents	James III of Scotland Margaret of Denmark

James Stewart, Duke of Ross (March 1476 – January 1504) was a Scottish prince, and the second son of King James III of Scotland and his wife, Margaret of Denmark. James was heir presumptive to his brother until his death, and was Archbishop of St Andrews and Lord Chancellor of Scotland.

Life

He was made Marquess of Ormond at his baptism. He was created Earl of Ross in 1481 after that title was forfeited to the crown by John, Lord of the Isles.

Of his father's three sons, James of Ross was the favourite. James III tried to marry him to Edward IV's daughter, Catherine of York. This increasing preference shown to James of Ross was a factor in the rebellion of his elder brother (the future James IV) against their father; and later, as king, James IV was suspicious of his brother's loyalty.

Nonetheless, when the elder James succeeded to the crown in 1488, he raised James of Ross's title to Duke of Ross.

Around May 1497, his brother the King nominated James of Ross (then 21 years old) to be Archbishop of St Andrews. King James thought that would keep James of Ross from rebelling against him. At that time, James of Ross was a minor, and so the revenues of the archbishopric would be controlled by King James.

James of Ross also became Lord Chancellor of Scotland in 1502.

Name

He was one of three brothers, his two brothers being King James IV of Scotland and John Stewart, Earl of Mar. It may seem surprising that there were two brothers both called James, but in late medieval Scotland it was not uncommon to have two brothers, or occasionally even three, with the same Christian name.

Arms

The arms of James of Ross were: Quarterly 1st and 4th: Royal Arms of Scotland, 2nd: Gules, three lions rampant argent (Ross) 3rd: Or, three piles gules (Brechin).

References

^ Oxford Reference website, 1st duke of Ross, James Stewart
The Stewart Society website, History of the Stewarts, King James III of Scotland
^ Tudor Times website, Scottish Peers Chapter 2: Dukes & Marquises
Norman Macdougall James IV (Edinburgh, 1989)
The Stewart Society website, James Stewart, Duke of Ross
Black The Surnames of Scotland
Johnston, George Harvey (1906). The heraldry of the Stewarts, with notes on all the males of the family, descriptions of the arms, plates and pedigrees. Edinburgh W. & A.K. Johnston. p. 27. Retrieved 9 October 2017.

Religious titles
Preceded byWilliam Scheves	Archbishop of St. Andrews 1497–1504	Succeeded byAlexander Stewart
Preceded byGeorge Crichton	Commendator of Dunfermline 1500–1504	Succeeded byJames Beaton * His immediate* successor may have been Gilbert Strachan.
Academic offices
Preceded byWilliam Scheves Archbishop of St Andrews	Chancellor of the University of St Andrews 1497–1504	Succeeded byAlexander Stewart Archbishop of St Andrews
Political offices
Preceded by2nd Earl of Huntly	Lord Chancellor of Scotland 1502–1504	Succeeded byin 1510 Alexander Stewart

v t e Mormaers, earls and dukes of Ross
Earls or Mormaers of Ross	MacHeth mormaers Ferchar William I William II Hugh William III Euphemia I ¹ Alexander Leslie Euphemia II (Leslie) ² John Stewart Mariota Leslie ³ Alexander of Islay John of Islay James Stewart Henry Stuart James Stuart Charles Stuart
Dukes of Ross	James Stewart Alexander Stewart
¹ Married Walter Leslie ² In 1415 Robert, Duke of Albany persuaded her to resign the earldom to his own son ³ Married Donald, Lord of Isles, who opposed Albany's title in her favour.

v t e Bishops and archbishops of St Andrews
Known pre-Norman era bishops	Cellach I Fothad I Máel Ísu I Cellach II Máel Muire Máel Ísu II Ailín Máel Dúin Túathal Fothad II Giric Cathróe
Scoto-Norman era bishops	Turgot of Durham Eadmer Robert of Scone Ernald Richard the Chaplain Hugh the Chaplain John Scotus Roger de Beaumont Geoffrey de Liberatione William de Malveisin David de Bernham Robert de Stuteville Abel de Gullane Gamelin William Wishart William Fraser William de Lamberton James Bane William Bell William de Landallis Stephen de Pa Walter Trail Thomas Stewart Walter de Danielston Gilbert de Greenlaw Henry Wardlaw James Kennedy Patrick Graham
Pre-Reformation archbishops	Patrick Graham William Scheves James Stewart, Duke of Ross Alexander Stewart John Hepburn Cardinal Innocenzo Cybo Andrew Forman James Beaton Cardinal David Beaton John Hamilton Gavin Hamilton
Post-Reformation archbishops	John Douglas Patrick Adamson George Gledstanes John Spottiswoode James Sharp Alexander Burnet Arthur Rose
Afterwards, see also: Episcopal Archbishops of St Andrews, Bishops of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane (etc.) & Roman Catholic Archbishops of St Andrews and Edinburgh (etc.)

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