Donnchadh Lennox, 8th Earl of Lennox

DUNCAN, EARL OF LENNOX

Genealogy

1. The Lennox by William Fraser, Volume I. Memoirs (Edinburgh MDCCCLXXIV), 538 pp.
2. The Lennox by William Fraser, Volume II. Muniments (Edinburgh MDCCCLXXIV), 542 pp. including indexes

Beheaded in 1425

From Darryl Lundy's Peerage page on Duncan, 8th Earl of Lennox:

http://www.thepeerage.com/p10796.htm#i107952

Duncan, 8th Earl of Lennox[1]

• M, #107952,
• b. circa 1345,
• d. 1425
• Last Edited=27 Sep 2008

Duncan, 8th Earl of Lennox was born circa 1345.

He married Helen Campbell, daughter of Sir Archibald Campbell of Lochow, before 1373.[2]

He died in 1425, beheaded.

He gained the title of 8th Earl of Lennox.[1]

He is the son of Walter of Faslane and Margaret, Countess of Lennox.

Child of Duncan, 8th Earl of Lennox

• 1. Margaret of Lennox+[3]

Children of Duncan, 8th Earl of Lennox and Helen Campbell

• 1. Elizabeth (?)+4 d. c Nov 1429
• 2. Isabel of Lennox, Countess of Lennox+1 b. c 1370, d. c 1458

Citations

• 1. [S11] Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 217. Hereinafter cited as Britain's Royal Family.
• 2. [S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 449. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.
• 3. [S37] Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition, volume 2, page 1722.
• 4. [S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 327. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.

  ---

From the English Wikipedia page on Donnchadh of Lennox:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnchadh,_Earl_of_Lennox

Donnchadh of Lennox was the Mormaer of Lennox, 1385-1425. He was a son of Baltar mac Amlaimh and Margaret, daughter of Domhnall, Earl of Lennox.

\When Domhnall of Lennox died in 1365, Donnchadh's mother Margaret became ruler of Lennox. It had been Domhnall's intention that the marriage would eventually allow the succession of a son, i.e. Donnchadh, but it is probable that Baltar intended to rule in his turn.

It is not known how relations deteriorated, but it seems that Donnchadh got impatient. In the summer of 1384, King Robert II issued two charters formally conferring the Mormaerdom on Baltar. However, a year later he and his wife Margaret resigned the Mormaerdom over to their eldest son Donnchadh, and hence Donnchadh became ruler.

However, in 1388, Baltar and Margaret were handed custody of the Mormaerdom for the remainder of their lives, with Donnchadh retaining the title. Donnchadh was confined to a stronghold in Loch Lomond, Inchmurrin castle.

Donnchadh was forced to form strong ties with the great Robert Stewart, who was the bastard son of King Robert II, and who ruled much of Scotland. In 1392, Donnchadh met Robert at Inchmurrin and agreed to marry his daughter Isabella to Robert's son, Muiredach if Robert could secure him the Mormaerdom. As Domhnall was heirless, the deal ensured that the Mormaerdom would pass to the Stewarts upon Donnchadh's death. It took much of the 1390s, but nevertheless Robert managed to secure his part of the bargain.

Donnchadh hence became a part of the Albany Stewart nexus which controlled much of Scotland and challenged the crown's authority. Donnchadh proved to have some longevity, and eventually Muiredach's second son Walter became the designated heir.

These Stewart ties led to Donnchadh's downfall. In 1425, the men of Lennox revolted against King James I, who was conducting a purge of the Albany Stewarts. Both Donnchadh and Walter were executed as a result.

He was the last male ruler of his line.

Marriage and issue[1]

During the life of his father Baltar, Donnchadh forged ties with his Argyll neighbours, and married Helen, the daughter of Archibald Campbell of Lochawe. Countess Helen was widow of a John of the Isles, son of John of Islay.

By Helen of the Isles, Lennox had issue:

• 1. Isabella, Countess of Lennox - married Murdach Stewart, Earl of Fife
• 2. Elizabeth - married John Stewart of Darnley, Lord of Aubigny, Concressault and Count of Évreux.

Earl Donnchadh also had four natural sons:

• 1. Malcolm
• 2. Thomas
• 3. Donald
• 4. William

Notes

• 1. ^ Balfour Paul, vol V, pp341-342 [1]

Bibliography

Balfour Paul, Sir James, Scots Peerage IX vols. Edinburgh 1904.

Brown, Michael, "Earldom and Kindred: The Lennox and Its Earls, 1200-1458" in Steve Boardman and Alasdair Ross (eds.) The Exercise of Power in Medieval Scotland, c.1200-1500, (Dublin/Portland, 2003), pp. 201–224

Mormaer of Lennox (1385-1425)

• Preceded by Margaret with Baltar mac Amlaimh
• Succeeded by Isabella

  ---

From the English Wikipedia page on King James I of Scotland (who had him executed):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_Scotland

Douglas's death at Verneuill was to weaken the position of his son Archibald, the 5th earl. On 12 October 1424, the king and Archibald met at Melrose Abbey ostensibly to agree the appointment of John Fogo, a monk of Melrose, to the abbacy.[32] The meeting may also have been intended as an official acceptance of Douglas but it signalled a change in the Black Douglas predominance vis-a-vis the crown and other nobles. Important Douglas allies died in France and some of their heirs realigned with rival nobles through blood ties while at the same time Douglas experienced a loosening of allegiances in the Lothians and the loss of his power base of Edinburgh Castle all served to improve James's position.[33]

Despite this, James continued to retain Black Douglas support allowing him to begin a campaign of political alienation of Albany and his family. The king's rancor directed at Duke Murdoch had its roots in the past—Duke Robert was responsible for his brother David's death and neither Robert nor Murdoch exerted themselves in negotiating James's release and must have left the king with the suspicion that they held aspirations for the throne itself.[34]

Buchan's lands did not fall to the Albany Stewarts but were forfeited by the crown, Albany's father-in-law, Duncan, Earl of Lennox was imprisoned and in December the duke's main ally Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar settled his differences with the king.[2]

An acrimonious sitting of parliament in March 1425 precipitated the arrest of Murdoch, Isabella, his wife, and his son Alexander—of Albany's other sons Walter was already in prison and James, his youngest, also known as James the Fat, escaped into the Lennox.[29]

James the Fat led the men of Lennox and Argyll in open rebellion against the crown and this may have been what the king needed to bring a charge of treason against the Albany Stewarts.[35]

Murdoch, his sons Walter and Alexander and Duncan, Earl of Lennox were in Stirling Castle for their trial on 18 May at a specially convened parliament. An assize of seven earls and fourteen lesser nobles heard the evidence that linked the prisoners to the rebellion in the Lennox—the four men were condemned, Walter on 24 May and the others on 25 May and immediately beheaded in 'front of the castle'.[36]

James demonstrated a ruthless and avaricious side to his nature in the destruction of his close family, the Albany Stewarts, that yielded the three forfeited earldoms of Fife, Menteith and Lennox.[37]