| Notes |
James Stewart was born in July 1394 at Dunfermline, Fife, the third and o n l y s u r viving son of Robert III, King of Scots, and his queen-consort, A n n a b e lla Drummond. He was nearly sixteen years younger than his eldest b r o t h e r, born when his mothe r w as in her early forties. James was seve n y e a r s o ld when his mother died in 1401, and after her death he was se nt t o t h e c a stle of St Andrews and placed in the care of Bishop Henry W ard la w f o r h is education.
In March of 1402 his older brother David died in prison and James becam e h e i r t o t he throne. As the kingdom increasingly devolved into a state o f c o m p l ete lawlessness, Robert III decided Scotland was no longer a saf e p l a c e f or his youngest son. T h e king arranged for James to be secre tl y e s c o rted by Henry St Clair, earl of Orkney, to the Bass Rock where h e w a s t o b o ard a ship for France, finishing his education abroad and re tu r n in g w hen the political situation in Scotland was more settle d . Un f o r t u nately the ship was captured 4 April 1406 off Flambrough Head by E n g l i s h pirates who, realizing the importance of their prisoner, took th e t w e l v e year old boy directly to the English king, and James was immed ia t e l y i mprisoned in the Tower of London. He was to remain a prisoner o f t h e E n g lish, under fairly strict custody, for the next nineteen years .
Robert III died shortly after his son James was captured, and a council h e l d a t P e rth in June 1406 named the young James as 'our king' and appoi n t e d h i s uncle Robert Stewart, duke of Albany, earl of Fife and Menteit h , t o a c t a s governor of Scotla n d in James's absence. Negotiations f o r h i s r e lief went on continuously from the time of his capture but Alb a n y , w h o rather enjoyed the unlimited power he found himself with as go v e r n o r of the kingdom, was in no hurry for James to return to Scot la n d . J a m e s outlived both Henry IV and Henry V, and was still a prisoner i n E n g l a nd during the minority of Henry VI. In the end, it was Albany's d e a t h i n 1 420 and England's hope that if James were returned to the thro n e o f S c o tland, that countr y wou ld no longer support France in its wa r w i t h E n gland, that brought negotiations for James's release to a head . I n t h e f a ll of 1423 a treaty was finalized: a payment of sixty thousa nd m a r k s , in installments, was to be made for the king's relea se (th i s w a s t e r med a reimbursement for James's care during his years in custo dy , r a t h er than as a ransom); Scottish troops would be withdrawn from F r an c e ; a nd James would agree to marry an English woman of noble birth.
James I of Scotland is a descendant of Magna Carta surety barons
04 Apr 1406: King of Scotland
Crowned 2 May 1424 Scone Abbey
10 Dec 1404: Earl of Carrick
10 Dec 1404: Duke of Rothesay
b. 25 July or De 1394 Dunfermline Palace, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotlan d
d. 21 Feb 1437 age 42 Monastry of the Friars Preachers, Perth, Perthshi r e , S c o tland
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Abt 1394 - 1437 (42 years)
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