From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

King James I of Scotland
King of Scots
Reign	April 4, 1406 – February 21, 1437
Coronation	May 2 or 21, 1424
Born	December 10, 1394(1394-12-10) Edinburgh Castle
Died	February 21, 1437 (aged 42)
	Perth
Buried	Perth Charterhouse
Predecessor	Robert III
Successor	James II
Consort	Joan Beaufort
Royal House	Stewart
Father	Robert III
Mother	Annabella Drummond

James I (December 10, 1394 – February 21, 1437) was nominal King of Scots from April 4, 1406, and reigning King of Scots from May 1424 until February 21, 1437.

Born on December 10, 1394, the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond, he had an eventful childhood. In 1402 his elder brother, David, starved to death in prison at Falkland in Fife. Before the death of his father in 1406 the authorities sent James to France for safety.

On the journey to France, the English captured the young prince and handed him over to Henry IV of England, who imprisoned him and demanded a ransom. Robert III allegedly died from grief over the capture of James. James's uncle, Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany, who became Regent on the death of Robert III, showed no haste in paying for his nephew's release. Albany secured the release of his own son Murdoch, captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill, but not so with James. So for the next 18 years James remained a prisoner/hostage in England. Henry IV had the young Scots King imprisoned and educated in Windsor Castle and in secure large country houses near London. After the death of James's uncle in 1420, the Scots finally paid the ransom of £40,000, and in 1424 James returned to Scotland to find a country in chaos. He took his bride with him – he had met and fallen in love with Joan Beaufort, a cousin of King Henry VI of England, while imprisoned. He married her in London in February 2, 1423. They would have eight children:

• Margaret of Scotland (1424-1445), wife of Louis XI of France.
• Isabella Stewart, Princess of Scotland 1426-1494 married Francis I, Duke of Brittany
• Eleanor Stewart, Princess of Scotland 1427-1480 married Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
• Mary of Scotland, Countess of Buchan 1428-1465 married Wolfart VI van Borsselen
• Joan of Scotland, Countess of Morton ca 1428-/1486 married James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton
• Alexander Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (born and died 1430); Twin of James
• James II of Scotland (1430-1460)
• Annabella of Scotland married and divorced 1. Louis of Savoy, and then married and divorced 2. George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly.

Scholars believe that during his captivity James wrote The Kingis Quair, an allegorical romance, one of the earliest major works of Scottish literature.

James was formally crowned King of Scotland at Scone Abbey, Perthshire, on May 2 or 21, 1424. He immediately took strong actions to regain authority and control. In one such action he had the Albany family, who had opposed his actions, executed. The execution of Murdoch, Duke of Albany, and two of Murdoch's sons took place on May 24, 1425 at Castle Hill, Stirling.

James proceeded to rule Scotland with a firm hand, and achieved numerous financial and legal reforms. For instance, for the purpose of trade with other nations, he made Scots coinage exchangeable for foreign currency only within Scottish borders. He also tried to remodel the Parliament of Scotland along English lines. However, in foreign policy, he renewed the Auld Alliance, a Scottish-French (and therefore anti-English) alliance, in 1428.

His actions throughout his reign, though effective, upset many people. During the later years of his reign, they helped to lead to his claim to the throne coming under question.

James I's grandfather, Robert II, had married twice and the awkward circumstances of the first marriage (the one with James's grandmother Elizabeth Mure) led some to dispute its validity. Conflict broke out between the descendants of the first marriage and the unquestionably legitimate descendants of the second marriage over who had the better right to the Scottish throne. Matters came to a head on February 21, 1437, when a group of Scots led by Sir Robert Graham assassinated James at the Friars Preachers Monastery in Perth. He attempted to escape his assailants through a sewer. However, three days previously, he had had the other end of the drain blocked up because of its connection to the tennis court outside, balls habitually got lost in it. (See also: Catherine Douglas.)

A wave of executions followed in March, 1437, of those who had participated in the plot. The authorities executed (among others) James's uncle, Walter Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, and Atholl's grandson, Robert Stewart, Master of Atholl — both of them descended from Robert II's second marriage).

• Scottish monarchs family tree

• Peter Wordie and Lance St John Butler (1989). "Tennis in Scotland" in The Royal Game. Stirling: Falkland Palace Real Tennis Club. ISBN 0-9514622-0-2 or ISBN 0-9514622-1-0.

v • d • e Monarchs of Scotland (Alba)

Traditional List of Monarchs of the Picts Legendary Monarchs • Drest of the Hundred Battles • Talorc I • Nechtan I • Drest II • Galan • Drest III • Drest IV • Gartnait I • Cailtram • Talorc II • Drest V • Galam Cennalath • Bruide I • Gartnait II • Nechtan II • Cinioch • Gartnait III • Bruide II • Talorc III • Talorgan I • Gartnait IV • Drest VI • Bruide III • Taran • Bruide IV • Nechtan IV • Drest VII • Alpín I • Óengus I • Bruide V • Cináed I • Alpín II • Talorgan II • Drest VIII • Conall • Caustantín • Óengus II • Drest IX • Eogán • Ferat • Bruide VI • Cináed II • Bruide VII • Drest X Traditional List of Monarchs of the Scots Cináed I • Domnall I • Causantín I • Áed • Giric • Domnall II • Causantín II • Máel Coluim I • Idulb • Dub • Cuilén • Cináed II • Causantín III • Cináed III • Máel Coluim II • Donnchad I • Mac Bethad • Lulach • Máel Coluim III • Domnall III Bán • Donnchad II • Domnall III Bán • Edgar • Alexander I • David I • Máel Coluim IV • William I • Alexander II • Alexander III • First Interregnum • John • Second Interregnum • Robert I • David II • Robert II • Robert III • James I • James II • James III • James IV • James V • Mary I • James VI* • Charles I* • Charles II • The Covenanters • The Protectorate • Charles II* • James VII* • Mary II* • William II* • Anne* * also monarch of Ireland and England