John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl

John Stewart PC ( * 1533-1542; † April 25, 1579 in Kincardine Castle, near Auchterarder, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) was a Scottish nobleman of the family of Stewart. He was the son of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Atholl and his wife Grizel Rattray, a daughter of Sir John Rattray and succeeded his father in 1542 as 4th Earl of Atholl.

In 1560 he was one of the three nobles who voted in Parliament against the Reformation and the creed and declared their allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church. Along with Murray and Morton he opposed Huntlys and fought him in October 1562 in the Battle of Corrichie. He supported the proposed marriage of Queen Elizabeth I. James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran.

After the arrival of Mary I of France in 1561 he became one of their twelve private consultant and had because of his religious beliefs soon even a greater influence than Murray or Maitland. He was one of the main supporters of the marriage with Darnley, became the leader of the Roman Catholic nobles and was with Knox the most powerful man in the government. According to statements by John Knox, he attended public Mass in the chapel of Queen Mary and had full confidence in their project to introduce Roman Catholicism again. He was handed over to the fortress of Tantallon Castle, in 1565, he was appointed Lieutenant of northern Scotland. In the same year the French ambassador described him as " très grand catholique hardi et vaillant et remuant, comme l' on dict, mais de 850 jugement et nul experience".

After the murder of David Rizzio in 1567 he joined the Protestant lords against Mary. In Carberry Hill, he appeared as one of the leaders against them, and was subsequently involved in their capture in Loch Leven Castle. In July, he was present at the coronation of James I. and was a member of the regency to Mary's abdication. In May 1568 Langside he was not present, and in July he was again supporters of Mary and voted in 1569 for her divorce from Bothwell. In March 1570 he joined forces with a number of other Lords a letter to Elizabeth on in which it was asked for support of Mary's claims. He participated in the meeting in April in Linlithgow part, which was a counter-event to a celebration of the King in Edinburgh.

In 1574 he was persecuted as a Catholic, and threatened with excommunication.

He had had no success in 1572, to prevent Morton's appointment to the regency council, but in 1578 he succeeded together with the Earl of Argyll, to drive him from office. On March 24, James took the government into his hand and caused the regency on. New members were Atholl and Argyll, 29 Atholl was appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland. As a result, Morton succeeded to get to Stirling Castle and the guardianship of James to take over '. Atholl and Argyll, who were in correspondence with Spain to get out of there support, coated with strong forces to Stirling and reached a compromise, according to which all three Lords were included in the government.

On the way to a banquet on April 20, 1579 Atholl suddenly fell ill and died on April 25. He was buried on 4 July in the St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Family

In his first marriage he was already before 1547 Elizabeth, daughter of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, married, with whom he had two daughters. His second wife he married in 1557 Margaret, daughter of Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming. With her he had three daughters and a son, who succeeded him as 5th Earl of Atholl.