John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox
John Stewart, ( * ca 1490, † September 4, 1526 in Linlithgow ) was a Scottish nobleman from the Stewart family and 3rd Earl of Lennox.
John was a son of Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox, and his wife Elizabeth Hamilton. He succeeded his father as 3rd Earl of Lennox 1513th
Because of its proximity to the throne he was regarded as a rival of the powerful Hamilton family. The Earl led an army to Linlithgow to the young King James V of Scotland from the influence of the pro-English family Douglas to free, but was defeated by the Earl of Arran, jailed and murdered in cold blood by James Hamilton of Finnart, the Bastard of Arran.
John married in 1511 Elizabeth, daughter of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, and had with her the following children:
- Elizabeth († 1564), ∞ John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland; she had with King James V. an illegitimate son (Adam, † 1600)
- Matthew (1516-1571), 4th Earl of Lennox, father of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley
- Robert (1517-1586), Earl of March, Earl of Lennox, Bishop of Caithness in 1543
- John (1519-1567), 5th Seigneur d' Aubigny, father of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox