History of the Stewarts | Famous Stewarts

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Scottish nobleman and one the chief undertakers in the Ulster plantation

Castle Stewart was the only son of Andrew Stewart, Master of Ochiltree and Margaret, daughter of Henry Stewart, Ist Lord Methven . He became the 3rd Lord Ochiltree on the death of his grandfather.
He held several positions at court including Gentleman of the Bedchamber for James VI and I in 1587. He was lietant and warden of the West March of Scotland in 1597. In 1608, he was sent by the King to put down feuds in the Western Isles - there he destroyed rebel shipping. As a reward for this campaign, the King offered him 3.000 acres of land in County Tyrone with this huge gift he became one of the chief ´planters´. The aim of the planation of Ulster was to anglicise Gaelic Ulster and to break the link with the Scottish Highlands.
In 1611, Castle Stewart settled on his Irish estates. He built houses and farmed the land. He lived Irry. In 1615, he resigned the Barony of Ochiltree and sold it to his cousin Sir James Stuart. In 1619, James VI and I raised him to the Peerage O Ireland as Baron Castle Stewart.
He was married to Margaret, daughter of Sir John Kennedy of Blairquhan
They had five children:-
Sir Andrew Stewart,
John Stewart
Robert Stewart of Irry - ancestor of the Earls of the Castle Stewarts
Margaret Stewart, married George Crawford of Crawfordsburn
Maria Stewart,