Talk:Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross

Second captivity
This component appears to have no source material and is littered with errors. As an example "by 1432 Mar had received papal dispensation to marry Margaret Seton, the mother of the heiresses to the earldom of Moray, which he would administer on their behalf". The Earl of Mar at the time was Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar and he was never married to Margaret Seton. "Margaret Seton" may refer to Elizabeth Seton, the daughter to Alexander Seton, Lord Gordon as the marriage between Elizabeth and Alexander must have occurred in 1430. The Earldom of Moray, at the time, was held by the family of Dunbar not the Seton's and they, the Seton's, didn't hold the Earldom until George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly in 1549 and after the Seton's had changed their name to Gordon.

In addition it is not clear why the paragraphs regarding the Battle of Drumnacoub is included at all. It seems irrelevant and had nothing to do with Alexander. This period of Alexander's life, from his humiliation and captivity, which by the way was probably as a result of the Queen and not the nobles who would more likely had him killed, through to his release was highlighted by the Battle of Lochaber. Family locator (talk) 04:13, 10 September 2013 (UTC)

Alexander, Earl of Ross
This component is not accurate. It confuses the Earldom of Ross. In 1415, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany conveyed the estates and titles to his son John Stewart, Earl of Buchan who became the Earl of Buchan and Ross. He, however, was illegitimate and thus when he died at the Battle of Verneuil in Normandy his estates passed to the crown, James I, as was normal practise.

James I then, in accordance with the rights of inheritance, conveyed the title and lands to Mariota, wife to Donald and mother to Alexander. Thus, in 1425, we see Alexander, Lord of the Isles and "Master of the Earldom of Ross," on the jury which condemned to death Murdoch, Duke of Albany, and his two sons, and the Earl of Lennox. Donald was, by this point, already dead and Mariota held the title. The other issue, which seems to get missed, is that at this point Alexander is not yet married although he must be 55 - I cover this point below.

As mentioned in the article, James I marched on Inverness, in 1427, with an army and demanded that the nobility of Ross meet at Inverness. At the resultant Parliament James arrested most of the chiefs of the clans and executed many. There is no record of any trial so it could be expected they were imprisoned, isolated and questioned and many summarily executed. Alexander Macdonald and his mother, the Countess of Ross, were imprisoned as a result. Alexander was later released while his mother retained in prison, most say at the abbey on Inchcolm in the Firth of Forth where she likely died. Alexander inherited the title to Ross in his own right in 1429, presumably on the death of Mariota although she may have resigned it, and appears as Earl of Ross in a Charter dated 24 October 1429. This is many years before the date suggested in the article.

It is highly improbable that James ever saw Alexander as "the only magnate who could now offer security". Indeed this proved correct as one of the first things Alexander did as Earl was to raise 10,000, which is likely an exaggeration, of the clan and followers and march on Inverness where he laid waste to the Crown lands and burnt the town to ashes. His followers, to quote the MS. History of the Mackintoshes, from "Invernessiana," "were a band of men accustomed to live by rapine, who fell upon Inverness, pillaged and burnt the houses, and then besieged the fort itself. But in vain, for it was gallantly defended by the bravery and vigour of the Governor, and Alexander, understanding that an assault was meditated upon him, retired precipitately towards Lochaber."

It was this that led to the 1st battle of Lochaber which the author discusses under "War Against the King".

The last paragraph needs considerable work; to quote Mackenzie "A question has been raised about the legitimacy of Celestine and Hugh, as well as of Hugh's descendants, especially Donald Gallach, from whom descended the present Lord Macdonald of the Isles". If, as stated in this article, Hugh is not legitimate then neither is the line of the current Lord. I would suggest that this requires some clarity. In Mackenzie's work he discusses the issue of the "handfast wives" common in the clans but I don't see the same legitimacy being applied in this paragraph.

Family locator (talk) 04:13, 10 September 2013 (UTC)

Issue of Inheritance
Although the article discusses the age of the Earl of Mar it seems to avoid the issue of Alexander. My research suggests that Alexander must have been born about 1370 as his father, Donald, is believed to have married Lady Mary Leslie (daughter of Sir Walter Leslie, by Euphemia, Countess of Ross, in favour of whose marriage there is a dispensation dated 1367) and thus older than the Earl of Mar (who was born in 1375).

My research also suggests that this issue was the largest concern facing Alexander and likely the issue that broke out into the Inverness affair. It only became a concern after 1425 when John Stewart, Earl of Buchan died. At his death the Earldom of Ross, one of the most important in the Kingdom, passed to Mariota as mentioned. Alexander was the heir but he was not married and was 55. James I would have known as would many others, such as his uncles, that he held the title to both the Earldom of Ross and Lord of the Isles. The resolution of this concern was essential and may have been part of the reason that culminated in the Parliament at Inverness in 1427. It was essential to the Kingdom that Alexander produced a legitimate heir. These are my thoughts. Family locator (talk) 04:13, 10 September 2013 (UTC)