Biography of John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux 1380-1429

Paternal Family Tree: Stewart

1421 Battle of Baugé

1423 Battle of Cravant

1429 Battle of the Herrings

After 1342 [his father] Alexander Stewart of Darnley and [his step-mother] Janet Turnbull (age 10) were married.

Around 1380 John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux was born to Alexander Stewart of Darnley (age 38) and Jonetta Keith (age 45).

After 1381 [his father] Alexander Stewart of Darnley (age 39) and [his mother] Jonetta Keith (age 46) were married.

After 1404 [his mother] Jonetta Keith (age 69) died.

Before 05 May 1404 [his father] Alexander Stewart of Darnley (age 62) died.

After 1406 [his son] John Stewart 2nd Lord Aubigny 2nd Lord Concressault was born to John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux (age 26) and [his future wife] Elizabeth Lennox Countess Évreux (age 36).

After 1406 [his son] Alan Stewart of Darnley was born to John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux (age 26) and [his future wife] Elizabeth Lennox Countess Évreux (age 36).

Around 1408 John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux (age 28) and Elizabeth Lennox Countess Évreux (age 38) were married. She the daughter of Duncan Lennox 8th Earl Lennox (age 63).

In 1421 John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux (age 41) was created 1st Lord Concressault, 1st Lord Aubigny, 1st Count Évreux. [his wife] Elizabeth Lennox Countess Évreux (age 51) by marriage Lord Concressault, Lord Aubigny, Countess Évreux.

Battle of Baugé

On 23 Mar 1421 the Dauphin's (age 18) French army and a Scottish army heavily defeated the English army at the Battle of Baugé. On the French side Étienne Vignolles "La Hire" fought. On the Scottish side John Stewart 2nd Earl Buchan (age 40) and John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux (age 41) fought. William Douglas (age 37) was killed.

On the English side John Beaufort 1st Duke Somerset (age 18), Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter (age 44), Thomas Beaufort Count Perche (age 16) and John Holland 2nd Duke Exeter (age 26) were captured. John Beaufort 1st Duke Somerset (age 18) would be captive for the next seventeen years. Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter (age 44) was released in 1422. Thomas Beaufort Count Perche (age 16) was released around 1427 in a prisoner exchange.

Thomas Lancaster 1st Duke of Clarence (age 32) was killed in battle. Duke Clarence extinct.

John Lumley (age 38) was killed in battle.

John Ros 7th Baron Ros Helmsley (age 24) was killed in battle. His brother Thomas Ros 8th Baron Ros Helmsley (age 13) succeeded 8th Baron Ros Helmsley.

William Ros (age 24), and Gilbert V Umfraville were killed.

John Grey 1st Earl Tankerville (age 37) was killed in battle. His son Henry Grey 2nd Earl Tankerville (age 3) succeeded 2nd Earl Tankerville.

William Douglas 1st Lord Drumlanrig was present.

Battle of Cravant

On 31 Jul 1423 the English and Burgundian army defeated the French and Scottish armies at the Battle of Cravant at Cravant, Yonne. On the English side Thomas Montagu 1st Count Perche 4th Earl Salisbury (age 35) commanded. Robert Willoughby 6th Baron Willoughby (age 38) was second in command.

The French and Scottish army were commanded by John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux (age 43). Louis Bourbon 1st Count Vendôme 1st Count Castres (age 47) was second in command. Both were captured; Darnley lost an eye.

1429 Battle of the Herrings

On 12 Feb 1429 John Fastolf (age 49) was at Rouvray leading a supply train of some 300 carts of crossbows, cannons, etc and also barrels of herrings to Orléans. A force of 400 strong Scottish cavalry led by Charles Bourbon I Duke Bourbon (age 28) and John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux (age 49) attacked the supply train and were destroyed by English archers protected by supply wagons. John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux (age 49) was killed. He was buried at Orléans Cathedral.

Chronicle of Jean de Wavrin 1429 Chapter VII. And there came thither some French captains to fight him, who for a good while before were well aware of his coming, such as Charles duke of Bourbon, the two marshals of France, the constable of Scotland and his [his son] son, the lord of La Tour, the lord of Chauvigny, the lord of Graville, sir William d'Albret, the viscount of Thouars, the bastard of Orléans, sir James de Chabannes, the lord of La Fayette, Pothon de Saintrailles, La Hire, sir Théaulde de Valpergue and many other noble men, who all together were from three to four thousand combatants of good stuff. Of their coming the said English were informed beforehand by some of their men who were in garrison thereabouts in the fortresses holding their party, on account of which news these English, like men full of confidence, put themselves in good order with great diligence, and with their waggons formed a large enclosure in the open fields in which they left two entrances open, and there all together they placed themselves in the manner following, that is to say, the archers guarding those entrances and the men-at-arms very near in the necessary places; and on one of the sides in the strongest place were the merchants, waggoners, pages, and other people with little power of defence, with the horses and mares.

In the way you have heard the English waited for their enemies for the space of full two hours, who came with great tumult and formed themselves in battle array before the said enclosure out of reach of the arrows; and it seemed to them, considering their noble quality and their great number, and that they had only to do with men gathered from many levies, of whom but from five to six hundred were English, natives of the country of England, that they could not escape from their hands, but would be very soon vanquished; nevertheless there were some wise persons who had great doubt lest the contrary should happen to them, especially because the intentions of the said French captains were not well accordant one with the other, for some, especially the Scots, wished to fight on foot, and others wished to remain on horseback.

There were made new knights, by the hand of the lord of La Fayette. Charles de Bourbon and some others; but meanwhile the said constable of Scotland, his son and his men dismounted and then very shortly they went to attack their enemies, some on foot and others on horseback, and were received by them very courageously; and their archers who were very well shielded by their waggons began to shoot very sharply, in such manner that at the onset they made their enemies fall back before them, fully two to three hundred horsemen who had come to fight at one of the entrances of the said enclosure. And there the said constable of Scotland, thinking he was well followed up by the French, was discomfited and slain on the spot1, with him died his son and sir William d'Albret, the lord of Orval, the lord of Chasteau-Brun, the lord of Monpipel, sir John de Larget, the lord of Verduisant, the lord of Yvri, the lord of La Greve, sir Anthony de Prully, and full six score gentlemen, and others to the number of five hundred combatants or more, much the greater part of whom were Scots: the other captains seeing this departed thence and went away, flying in great confusion, so that one did not wait for another, and they returned to the places whence they had come. And the English, filled with very great gladness on account of the fair victory that they had gained with so little loss, praised their Creator aloud, and then, after the dead were despoiled, they refreshed themselves and rested that night in the said village of Rouvray, and on the next day departing thence sir John Fastolf and all his men, of whom he was supreme captain, took the road towards Orléans, and they and their waggons made such good progress that a few days after, exhibiting great joy, they arrived at the siege, where they were received with great gladness by their people, who, when they knew of their good fortune, heartily praised God for it, making a great noise with trumpets and clarions, and they were also very well refreshed by the victuals which they brought to them: and the said conflict from that day forward was commonly named the battle of the Herrings, and the reason of this name was because a great part of the waggons of the said English were loaded with herrings and other victuals for Lent. For this ill fortune of the French which had thus befallen, king Charles was very sad at heart, seeing that on all sides his affairs turned out contrary to his desire, and continued going on from bad to worse. This battle of the Herrings happened on the eve of Behourdis ^ about three o'clock in the afternoon; and on the side of the English there died, of people of name, but one single man called Besautrau, a very handsome esquire and valiant man in arms, a nephew of sir Simon Morhier, provost of Paris; and there were made knights among the English, Le Gallois Damay lord of Orville, Gerard Kollin, and Louis de Lurieu, a Savoyard. And the said English might be about sixteen hundred combatants of good stuff besides the common people, and the French were six thousand men, all trained and expert in arms; many noble men also were made knights there with the duke of Bourbon, all of whose names I have not been able to learn, except those which follow, that is to say, the lord of Chasteau-Brun and Yvonet de Clichon; and there were no prisoners but one Scot. Thus then as you have heard sir John Fastolf master of the household of the regent arrived gloriously at the siege before Orléans with a great quantity of provisions and other things necessary for those who were at the said siege, the account of which we will leave until it be the time to return to it.

Note 1. M.S. H. adds that the constable's name was sir John Stuart,

After 12 Feb 1429 John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux (age 49) was buried at Sainte Croix Cathedral.

Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox 1542 1583 Arms. Quartered 1&4 John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux 1380 1429 Arms, 2&3 Stewart Arms a Bordure Engrailed gules for difference, overall an inescutcheon of Lennox Arms the heiress of whom was Elizabeth Lennox Countess Évreux wife of John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux. Source.

Royal Ancestors of John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux 1380-1429

Kings Wessex: Great x 10 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England

Kings Scotland: Great x 8 Grand Son of Malcolm III King Scotland

Kings Franks: Great x 17 Grand Son of Louis "Pious" King Aquitaine I King Franks

Kings France: Great x 10 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King France

Royal Descendants of John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux 1380-1429

King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland x 1

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom x 2

Queen Consort Camilla Shand x 1

Diana Spencer Princess Wales x 32

Ancestors of John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux 1380-1429

Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Stewart 3rd High Steward

Great x 3 Grandfather: Alexander Stewart 4th High Steward

Great x 4 Grandmother: Bethóc Angus

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Stewart of Bonkyll

Great x 1 Grandfather: Alan Stewart

Great x 3 Grandfather: Alexander de Bonkyl Bonkyl

Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Bonkyl

GrandFather: Alexander Stewart

Father: Alexander Stewart of Darnley

GrandMother: Joanna Baird of Galston

John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux

GrandFather: William Keith of Galston

Mother: Jonetta Keith