The manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of ... - Electric Scotland

The more important of the letters in these two sections of
Correspondence are given at length in the Eeport. There are
other letters, however, which are not so important. These are
given in the Eeport in abstract form, the salient points being
retained in the exact words of the writers of them, which are
distinguished by quotation marks.
Section First.—Letters from Alexander Stewart,
Moray.
fourth Earl of
The Stewart Earls of Moray are descended from James Stewart,
prior and commendator of St. Andrews and Pittenweem, afterwards
Earl of Moray, and better known as " The Good Kegent."
Although the Eegent Moray is the illustrious progenitor of the
Stewarts, Earls of Moray, he did not at his death hold either his
title or territorial earldom so that they could derive either of these
from him. Twice the Earl of Moray made resignation of his earldom
to the crown. Upon the first of these resignations he
obtained, on 22 January 1564, a regrant of the Earldom to him and
the heirs male of his body. The second resignation was followed
by a charter by Henry and Mary, King and Queen of Scots, of
the earldom of Moray to him and his wife, and the heirs of their
bodies, whom failing to the Earl's nearest heirs or assignees
whomsoever. The charter is dated 1st June 1566. On 19th
April following, the Earl obtained a parliamentary ratification of
the charter of 22 January 1564, and this ratification was subsequently
confirmed by Queen Mary in a charter to the Earl
dated 9th June 1567.
When the regent Earl of Moray was assassinated at Linlithgow
on 21st January 1570, he left issue two daughters, Lady Elizabeth
Stewart and Lady Margaret Stewart. Lady Margaret married
Francis, ninth Earl of Errol, and had no issue. Ten years after
the death of the Eegent Moray, or in 1580, King James the Sixth
granted the ward and marriage of the Earl's two daughters to
James Stewart, son and heir of Sir James Stewart of Doune, who
immediately married Lady Elizabeth, the eldest daughter.
Directly upon his marriage, James Stewart assumed the title of
Earl of Moray, apparently upon the ground of the alleged right
of his wife, in virtue of the charter of 1566. This alleged right
could not be said to be a well founded one. As the charter of 1st
June 1566 to heirs general, which would have conveyed the title
to Lady Elizabeth, the Earl's eldest daughter, was superseded by
the later ratification and confirmation of the charter of 1564, which
was to heirs male of the body, the dignity and earldom of Moray,
upon the Eegent' s death, of right reverted to the Crown.
The assumption of the dignity of Moray, upon the part of
James Stewart and his wife, notwithstanding the peculiarity
which has just been stated, was acknowledged by the King, and