John Stewart, Earl of Mar (died 1503)

{{For|the son of James II of Scotland|John Stewart, Earl of Mar (died 1479)}}

{{Infobox royalty

| name = John Stewart

| full name =

| title = Earl of Mar

| image = Arms of John Stewart, Earl of Mar (died 1503).svg

| image_size = 200px

| caption = The arms of John Stewart, Earl of Mar

| succession =

| reign =

| reign-type =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| spouse =

| issue =

| issue-link =

| issue-pipe =

| house = Stewart

| father = James III of Scotland

| mother = Mary of Guelders

| birth_date = {{circa|1479}}

| birth_place = Dunfermline Palace, Scotland

| death_date = 11 March 1503 (aged c. 24)

| death_place = Scotland

| place of burial =

}}

John Stewart ({{circa|1479}} – 11 March 1503) was a Scottish prince. He was the youngest son of King James III and his wife, Margaret of Denmark. John held the title of Earl of Mar. Very little is known about his life.

Life

John was probably born in late 1479.{{cite web |title=James III - died 1488 |url=https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTLAND.htm#JamesIIIdied1488 |website=Medieval Lands |publisher=Foundation for Medieval Genealogy |access-date=24 April 2025}} He was certainly alive by the summer of 1480.{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James III |date=2009 |publisher=John Donald |isbn=978 1 904607 87 8 |pages=306 |edition=Second}} The third and youngest son of James III of Scotland, John was traditionally born at Dunfermline Palace.[https://www.stewartsociety.org/history-of-the-stewarts.cfm?section=family-lines&subcatid=43&histid=339 Stewart Society website, History of the Stewarts: John Stewart Earl of Mar and Garioch] He was probably resident at Stirling Castle in 1482, alongside his mother, Margaret of Denmark, and his two elder brothers, who were both named James.{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James III |date=2009 |publisher=John Donald |isbn=978 1 904607 87 8 |pages=306 |edition=Second}} John seems to have been kept at Stirling during much of his childhood.{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James IV |date=1998 |publisher=Tuckwell Press |isbn=1 86232 006 3 |pages=55 |edition=Reprinted}} John's mother died in the castle in 1486.{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James III |date=2009 |publisher=John Donald |isbn=978 1 904607 87 8 |pages=304 |edition=Second}} His father was killed at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488, after which his eldest brother, James IV, became King of Scots.{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James IV |date=1998 |publisher=Tuckwell Press |isbn=1 86232 006 3 |pages=44 |edition=Reprinted}}

John's father granted him the title of Earl of Mar on 2 March 1486.[https://www.stewartsociety.org/history-of-the-stewarts.cfm?section=family-lines&subcatid=43&histid=339 Stewart Society website, History of the Stewarts: John Stewart Earl of Mar and Garioch]{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James III |date=2009 |publisher=John Donald |isbn=978 1 904607 87 8 |pages=352 |edition=Second}} In 1490, the Scottish parliament complained that some of the rents due to John from his estates were not being collected.{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James IV |date=1998 |publisher=Tuckwell Press |isbn=1 86232 006 3 |pages=81 |edition=Reprinted}}{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=K.M. |title=1490/2/13 |url=http://www.rps.ac.uk/trans/1490/2/13 |website=The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707 |publisher=University of St. Andrews |access-date=24 April 2025}} Alexander Home, a prominent courtier who had become keeper of Stirling Castle, was made John's guardian around the same time.{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James IV |date=1998 |publisher=Tuckwell Press |isbn=1 86232 006 3 |pages=82 |edition=Reprinted}} The remainder of John's life is very obscure. Unlike his elder brother, James, Duke of Ross, he did not play any noticeable role in politics.{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James IV |date=1998 |publisher=Tuckwell Press |isbn=1 86232 006 3 |pages=82 |edition=Reprinted}} The parliament of 1496 discussed disputes in the earldom of Mar without reference to John, who apparently did not attend.{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=K.M. |title=1496/6/13 |url=http://www.rps.ac.uk/trans/1496/6/13 |website=The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707 |publisher=University of St. Andrews |access-date=24 April 2025}}{{cite book |last1=Macdougall |first1=Norman |title=James IV |date=1998 |publisher=Tuckwell Press |isbn=1 86232 006 3 |pages=174 |edition=Reprinted}}

John died on 11 March 1503.{{cite web |title=James III - died 1488 |url=https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTLAND.htm#JamesIIIdied1488 |website=Medieval Lands |publisher=Foundation for Medival Genealogy |access-date=24 April 2025}} After his death, the earldom of Mar passed to his eldest brother, James IV, who granted most of its estates to his courtier, Alexander Elphinstone.{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Mar, Earldom of|volume=17|pages=665–666|first=John Horace|last=Round|authorlink=J. Horace Round}}