History of the Stewarts | Famous Stewarts
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Robert Stewart
1st Earl of Orkney
Aged 5 in 1539 Robert was made Abbot of Holyrood Abbey, and Commendator (which meant he got part of the revenue from the Abbey but didn´t have to perform any of the duties of an abbot essentially) of Charlieu Abbey in France by 1557.
On 9 February 1560 he testified against the Hamilton Duke of Châtellerault and Earl of Arran, and the Protestant Lords of the Congregation to James MacGill and John Bellenden of Auchnoule. They were collecting evidence for Henri Cleutin and Jacques de la Brosse, the French advisors of his step-mother Mary of Guise who planned to have the Hamiltons charged with treason against his half-sister, Mary, Queen of Scots and France. Robert himself had signed some of the letters that were to be cited as evidence.
He was knighted as Sir Robert Stewart of Strathdon on 15 May 1565, as part of marriage celebrations of Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. .Robert´s first visit to Orkney came in 1567, following Mary Queen of Scots defeat and her husband´s flight to Denmark. On this visit Stewart managed to gain control of the sheriffship and Kirkwall castle.The following year, his supporters took control of the St Magnus Cathedral to prevent it from being used by the bishop´s men. Although still not earl, he made up for this by making himself Provost of Kirkwall. Not satisfied with seizing Noltland Castle and with it the Westray rents he also began to build the Earl´s palace in Birsay.
Mary wrote her will at Sheffield in 1577 declaring his title to Orkney null and void, after In 1575, a complaint made to the Scottish Privy Council regarding Stewart resulted in his detention in Edinburgh Castle while the complaints were investigated.
At this time, Stewart´s nephew, James VI, was growing up and assuming more control over matters of state. Stewart managed to find favour in his nephew´s eyes and was permitted to return to Orkney in 1578. Therefore he was finally granted title Earl of Orkney, Lord of Shetland and Knight of Birsay, in 1581. Confirmation of his Bishopric rights followed in 1585 and gave him complete control of the islands. However Stewart soon fell out of favour with James VI, who was investigating the land-grabbing habits of a number of his sheriffs - in particular Robert Stewart himself. As a result, the Orkney earl began to return some of the land he had acquired over the years.
The king sent an old enemy of Robert´s, Patrick Bellenden, to Orkney with three armed ships. Bellenden´s task was not only to gather rents owed the King but also to fetch Robert Stewart and take him to Edinburgh .
On his arrival, Bellenden was met by Earl Robert, who commanded a force of men still loyal to him. Bellenden was forced to return empty handed.
On 14 December 1561 Robert Stewart married Jean Kennedy, daughter of Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis, and Margaret Kennedy. On the death of Robert Stewart in 1593 the earldom passed to his son Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney. His younger sons included a James Stewart and John Stewart, 1st Earl of Carrick.
