John Stewart of Traquair (died 1591) was a Scottish landowner and soldier.
Career He was a son of William Stewart of Traquair and Christian Hay. He was a younger brother of Robert Stewart of Traquair, from whom he inherited the family estates.
His home was Traquair House at Innerleithen. Stewart was a Protestant and supported the Scottish Reformation.HMC 9th Report: Traquair, pp. 241, 244.
A young laird of Traquair, possibly Robert Stewart, was shot at the siege of Haddington in August 1548.Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, vol. 2 (London, 1892), p. 616 no. 453. In November 1553, Mary of Guise summoned the Earl of Bothwell to her presence, and instead, he sent his excuses with "my cousin of Trakwair" (presumably John Stewart).Annie Cameron, Scottish Correspondence of Mary of Lorraine (Edinburgh: SHS, 1927), p. 369.
In December 1562 Mary, Queen of Scots sent Adam MacCulloch, Marchmont Herald, to Hermitage Castle, demanding its surrender to John Stewart of Traquair.James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1916), pp. 234-5. He received cereal from the Thirds of Benefices to contribute to the castle provisions.Gordon Donaldson, Thirds of Benefices (Edinburgh: SHS, Edinburgh, 1949), p. 131.
Stewart was a captain of the Royal Guard of Mary, Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley. He is said to have accompanied them on their ride to Seton Palace and Dunbar Castle with Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange and Anthony Standen after the murder of David Rizzio.HMC 9th Report: Traquair, p. 241.John Maxwell, Lord Herries, Historical memoirs of the reign of Mary Queen of Scots: and a portion of the reign of King James the Sixth (Abbotsford Club, 1836), p. 78.M. S. Giuseppi, HMC Salisbury Hatfield, vol. 16 (London, 1933), p. 17. Standen wrote in one version of his narrative that Traquair's brother, William Stewart, was also present.Joseph Stevenson, History of Mary Stewart by Claude Nau (Edinburgh, 1886), p. ciii.
The "Book of Articles" written against Mary mentions that the "laird of Traquair" attended Mary's bedchamber at Holyrood Palace before the murder of Lord Darnley.John Hosack, Mary Queen of Scots and her accusers, 1 (Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1869), p. 536. According to John Lesley in The Defence, the laird of Traquair was one of the gentlemen who attended Darnley's funeral at Holyrood Abbey.Reprinted in Anderson's Collections, 1 (Edinburgh, 1727).
He was engaged in a feud with his kinsman William Hay, 6th Lord Hay of Yester in 1587, and Hay was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle.David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: 1585-1592, vol. 4 (Edinburgh, 1881), pp. 186, 229.
John Stewart married Jonet Ker. They had children.
John Stewart died on 18 April 1591.
In 1591 William Stewart of Caverston, his younger brother, inherited the Traquair lands, and after his death Traquair went to another brother, James Stewart, who was married to Kathrine Ker (died 1606). His son, John Stewart, married Margaret Stewart, a daughter of Margaret Stewart, Mistress of Ochiltree.Michael Pearce, 'Anna of Denmark: Fashioning a Danish Court in Scotland', The Court Historian, 24:2 (2019), p. 148. Their son was John Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair.HMC 9th Report: Traquair, p. 241.
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