Editing James I of Scotland (section)

== Prince and Steward of Scotland ==
James was probably born in late July 1394 at [[Dunfermline Abbey]], 27 years after the marriage of his parents, [[Robert III of Scotland|Robert III]] and [[Annabella Drummond]].<ref name="Brown, p 9">Brown, ''James I'', p. 9</ref> It was also at Dunfermline under his mother's care that James would have spent most of his early childhood.<ref name="Brown M. H., James I, ODNB">Brown M. H., ''James I'', ODNB</ref> He was seven years old when his mother died in 1401, and a year later his elder brother [[David, Duke of Rothesay]], was probably murdered by their uncle [[Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany]], after being held at Albany's [[Falkland Castle]].<ref>Boardman, ''David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay'' ODNB</ref> James, now heir to the throne, was the only barrier to the Albany Stewarts' royal ambitions.<ref>Brown, ''James I'', p. 13</ref> In 1402 Albany and his close ally [[Archibald, 4th Earl of Douglas]], were absolved of Rothesay's death allowing Albany's reappointment as King's Lieutenant.<ref>Boardman, ''David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay'' ODNB</ref>

[[File:Stewartry and Carrick 4.png|thumb|left|250px|The lands held in regality by Prince James<ref>Based on text information in ''Early Stewart Kings'' by Stephen Boardman, p. 282 and some information in map in ''A Companion to Britain in the Later Middle Ages'' by S.H. Rigby, p. 304.</ref>]]

Albany rewarded Douglas for his support by allowing him to resume hostilities with [[Kingdom of England|England]]<ref>Boardman, ''Early Stewart Kings'', pp. 239–246</ref> but their fortunes suffered a serious reversal in September 1402 when English troops defeated their large army at the [[Battle of Homildon Hill]]. Numerous Scottish nobles and their followers were captured, including Douglas himself, Albany's son Murdoch, and the earls of Moray, Angus and Orkney. 1402 also saw the death of Rothesay, that of Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross and Malcolm Drummond, Lord of Mar. This power vacuum was inevitably filled by individuals who were not involved in national politics.<ref name="Boardman, pp. 246–247">Boardman, ''Early Stewart Kings'', pp. 246–247</ref> In the years between 1402 and 1406, the northern earldoms of Ross, Moray and Mar were without adult leadership and with Murdoch Stewart, the justiciar for the territory north of the Forth in an English prison, Albany found himself reluctantly having to ally with his brother the [[Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan|Earl of Buchan]], and Buchan's son, Alexander, to counter the ambitions of the Lord of the Isles.<ref>Boardman, ''Early Stewart Kings'', p. 260</ref> Douglas's absence allowed King Robert's allies [[Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney|Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney]], and Sir David Fleming of Biggar to become the main political force in the Lothians and [[Scottish Marches]].<ref name="Boardman, pp. 246–247"/>

In December 1404 the king granted the royal Stewart lands in the west ([[Ayrshire]] and around the [[Firth of Clyde]]), to James in [[regality]], protecting them from outside interference and providing the prince with a territorial centre should the need arise.<ref>Brown, ''James I'', pp. 13–14</ref> Yet in 1405, James was under the protection and tutelage of Bishop [[Henry Wardlaw]] of [[St Andrews Cathedral|St Andrews]] on the country's east coast. The animosity of the Douglas affinity was intensifying due to Orkney's and Fleming's expanding influence in border politics and relations with England.<ref>Brown, ''James I'', pp. 14–16</ref> Although a decision to send the young prince to France and out of Albany's reach was taken in the winter of 1405–1406, James's departure from Scotland was unplanned.<ref>Boardman, ''Early Stewart Kings'', pp. 291, 293</ref> In February 1406 Bishop Wardlaw released James to Orkney and Fleming who, with their large force of Lothian adherents, proceeded into hostile Douglas [[east Lothian]]. James's custodians may have been displaying royal approval to further their interests in Douglas country.<ref>Boardman, ''Early Stewart Kings'', pp. 293–294</ref> This provoked a fierce response from [[James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas|James Douglas]] of [[Balvenie Castle|Balvenie]] and his supporters who, at a place called Long Hermiston Muir, engaged with and killed Fleming while Orkney and James escaped to the comparative safety of the [[Bass Rock]] islet in the Firth of Forth.<ref name="Brown M. H., James I, ODNB"/><ref>Brown, ''James I'', p. 16</ref> They endured more than a month there before boarding the France-bound ''Maryenknyght'', a ship from [[Danzig]].<ref>Boardman, ''Early Stewart Kings'', p. 296</ref> On 22 March 1406, the ship was captured by an English vessel that was under the partial ownership of English politician [[Hugh Fenn (died 1409)|Hugh Fenn]]; the vessel's crew delivered James to [[Henry IV of England]], who kept him as a [[hostage]].<ref>Woodger, FENN, Hugh atte (d.1409), of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk</ref> Robert III was at [[Rothesay Castle]] when he learned of his son's capture and he died soon after, on 4 April 1406, and was buried in the Stewart foundation abbey of [[Paisley Abbey|Paisley]].<ref>Penman, ''Kings and Queens of Scotland'', p. 134</ref><ref>Boardman, ''Early Stewart Kings'', p. 297</ref>
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