Lords of Lorn (1386)
Lord of Lorn, John Stewart, b.?, a.1386, d.1421
The MacDougall clan, descended from Dugall,
eldest son of Somerled of the Isles, traditionally
had control over the lands of Lorn, Benderloch and the islands of Mull, Lismore,
Coll and Tiree. The
MacDougall heiress, Isabel, daughter of Ewen
MacDougall of Lorn, married Sir John Stewart of Innermeath, a descendant of Sir John Stewart of Bonkyl, a younger son of Alexander Stewart, 4th
High Steward of Scotland, and John became the first
Stewart Lord of Lorn. He was Ambassador to England
during the negotiations to obtain the release of King James I from England. His
younger son, Sir James Stewart of Lorn, is famous as
the Black Knight of Lorn and was father of the first
Stewart earls of Buchan and of Atholl.
Lord of Lorn, Robert Stewart, b.?, a.1421, d.1449
Son of John Stewart, Lord of Lorn, and Isabel
MacDougall. From 1424 to 1429 he served as
hostage for the release of James I. He was created 1st Lord Lorn in the Peerage of Scotland in 1439.
Lords Lorn (1439)
1st Lord Lorn, Robert Stewart, b.?, a.1439, d,1449
2nd Lord Lorn,
John Stewart, b.?, a.1449, d.1463
Son of the 1st Lord and Joan (or Margaret) Stewart, daughter
of Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany. Of legitimate children, he only had daughters. Isabel Stewart (b.?, d.1510) married Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll and Janet Stewart married Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, ancestor of the Campbell earls of Breadalbane. In late life
he fell in love with the daughter of Maclaren of Ardvech, and their affair produced a son, Dugald. After finally agreeing to marry his sweetheart, his
wedding party was attacked as it left Dunstaffnage
Castle by a force led by Alan MacCoull, an
illegitimate MacDougall, almost certainly under the auspices of the Lord of the
Isles, and his own son-in-law Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll.
Lorn was fatally injured and the aggressors occupied Dunstaffnage. Dugald roused his
supporters, notably the Maclarens, and attacked the
castle, only to be met by a group of Macfarlanes. The
resulting battle yielded heavy losses on both sides. Dugald
was not able to succeed as Lord of Lorn but kept
control of Appin and Lismore,
from where he regularly invaded Campbell territory. In a bid to destroy this
powerbase, the new Lord Lorn, Dugald’s
uncle Walter Stewart, led a raid on Appin in 1468 but
was sounded defeated, resulting in the near destruction of the Macfarlane clan.
James III formalised Dugald’s claim to Appin in 1470. Dugald was
eventually killed clashing with the Macdonalds in
1497.
3rd Lord Lorn,
Walter Stewart, b.?, a.1463, d.?
Younger brother of the 2nd Lord Lorn. Although succeeding to the title, he had no control over the lands of Lorn, as indicated above, and in 1469 he abdicated in order
to take the alternative title of 1st Lord Innermeath.
From him the later Stewart earls of Atholl
are descended. The title of 1st Lord Lorne was thereafter granted to
Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, in
1470.
For a continuation of this line please refer to the Atholl page.
(Last updated: 23/02/2011)