Biography of Walter Stewart 1st Earl Atholl 3rd Earl Caithness 1360-1437

On 18th May 1425 Murdoch Stewart 2nd Duke Albany (age 63), his two sons Walter Stewart (age 25) and Alexander Stewart, and Duncan Lennox 8th Earl Lennox (age 80) were tried at Stirling Castle [Map] in the presence of King James I of Scotland (age 30).

The jury which condemned them was composed of 21 knights and peers, including Albany's half-uncle Walter Stewart 1st Earl Atholl 3rd Earl Caithness (age 65), first cousin Alexander Stewart 1st Earl of Mar (age 50), first cousins once-removed Archibald Douglas 2nd Duke Touraine (age 35), and Alexander, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles.

On 26th March 1437 Walter Stewart 1st Earl Atholl 3rd Earl Caithness (age 77) and his grandson [his grandson] Robert Stewart (age 37) were hanged, drawn and quartered at Edinburgh Castle [Map] for having conspired to assassinate King James I of Scotland (deceased).

A Brief Latin Chronicle. 21st February 1437. And around the following March, the same king, by the wicked persuasion and counsel of the Earl of Atholl (age 77), his uncle, and others supporting him in this, was killed one night by a Scot commonly known as William Graham and some others, while the king was preparing for bed, dressed only in his shirt and trousers. He was terrified and forced into the latrine of his own chamber, where he was cruelly and inhumanely killed with swords. It is said that he had about thirty wounds on his body, seven of which seemed fatal. As evidence of this event, an apostolic legate then in Scotland reportedly later brought the said shirt to the Pope, as it is said. Blessed be the Lord God who so often rescues His servants from the hands of those seeking evil against them, and confuses and overthrows the perjurers and those who disturb the peace!

Et circiter mensem Martii extunc proximo sequentem idem rex, iniqua suasione ac consilio Comitis de Athel, avunculi sui, et aliorum sibi in hoc favencium, per quemdam Scottum, Willelmum Grame vulgariter nominatum, et quosdam alios, nocte quadam, dum se rex ad lectum disponebat, camisia et braccis solummodo indutus, improvise territus et in cloacam proprie camere fugatus, cum spatis crudeliter et inhumane est occisus. Fertur enim ipsum circa xxx vulnera in corpore habuisse, quorum vij letalia videbantur. In evidenciam cujus rei quidam legatus apostolicus in Scotia tunc existens dictam cdamisiam postmodo Domino Pape, ut dicitur, deferebat. Benedictus sit Dominus Deus qui tam sepius servulos suos eripuit de manibus querencium eis mala, perjurosque et pacem turbantes confudit et evertit!

The Death of King James. [26th March 1437] Soone after this was takyn the Erle of Athetelles (age 77), by the Erle of Angwis; and laid ynto the castell of Edenburghe to prisone. This same Erle of Athetelles was endited, arreyned, and dampned. Bot bycause of that this was nighe the fest of Pascue, the crosse was takyn adowne; and he lad to the polour yn the towne, and ther was he fast boundon, and a corone of papir put upon his hed, the which was all abowte depaynetid with jubettes, and for the more dispite and shame to hym was writyne with thes wordes, TRAITOUR, TRAITOUR, TRAITOUR. The Busshope of Urbinate, legate of owre Holy Fadir the Pope, then beyng in Scotteland, upon his ambassite, hard thare confessions. And then evyn forthwith the said Erle of Athetelles was heded; bot he went alwas to have grace and pardon, unto the tyme that the hangman had hym upon the skaffald, to be there and then hedid. For he confessid, and said that he was not yn no wyse consentyng ne assentyng to the Kynges deth; but that he knew therof long, and kepte hit counesell, bycause that Sir [his grandson] Robert Stuward (age 37), that was oone of the grettest traitours, was his sonnes sonne, and therfore he told hit not to the Kyng. Bot yit nevyre the lesse when this Sir Robert wist therof and told hit to the Erle of Athetelles of the Kynges deth, he blamyd hyme sore, and defendid hym that in no wyse shuld he be consentyng to none such murdure of his Soveran Lord: weynyng veraly that nether he, ne none of all the other, the which bene rehersid afore, wold never have done that murdure yn effecte. And so the said Erle told, and confessid, at his lyvys end; and his hed, coroned with a corone of yryne, stondyng upon a spere shaft yn the myddis of Edenburghe.