History of the Stewarts | Famous Stewarts
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James was a son of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland; the identity of Alexander´s wife is unknown. The date of his birth is not certainly known and some sources have placed it, on no good evidence, as early as 1243. This is now thought to be unlikely. Firstly, James´s father is known to have planned a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint James of Compostella in 1252 or after, so that James would probably have been born after this. Secondly, James´s name was an unusual one, not common in Scotland in the 13th century and not a traditional name in the Stewart family where Walter and Alan were the most common. It is therefore quite possible that he was not Alexander´s eldest son, but rather the eldest surviving son. For these reasons, and also the fact of his son and successor Walter Stewart being described as a "beardless lad" around 1314 in John Barbour´s The Brus therefore it seems likely that James was born around 1260
In 1302, with six other ambassadors including John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, he was sent to solicit the aid of the French king against Edward, to whom he was once again compelled to swear fealty at Lanercost on 23 October 1306. To render his oath if possible secure, it was taken upon the two crosses of Scotland most esteemed for their sanctity, on the consecrated host, the holy gospels, and certain relics of saints. He also agreed to submit to instant excommunication if he should break his allegiance to Edward. Convinced that his faith was to his country in spite of all, he once again took up the Scottish patriotic cause and died in the service of The Bruce in 1309.
James, 5th High Steward, was either married to Cecilia, daughter of Patrick de Dunbar, 7th Earl of Dunbar & March,[3][4] or Gilles {Aegidia} de Burgh, daughter of Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster. By one of these ladies he had:
Walter, 6th High Steward (1293–1326) who married King Robert I´s daughter, Marjorie Bruce.
Sir John, killed 14 October 1318 at the battle of Dundalk.
Sir Andrew,
Sir James Stewart of Durisdeer, Tutor to his nephew, the future King Robert II of Scotland, in 1327.
Egidia Stewart, who married Sir Alexander de Menzies, of Durisdeer.
Reference: Heraldry of the Stewarts