Lady Jean Stewart

Lady Jean Stewart (also known as Jane Stuart; c. 1533 – 7 January 1588), was an illegitimate daughter of King James V of Scotland by his mistress, Elizabeth Bethune (sometimes spelled Betoun or Beaton).

Jean was born between 1528 and 1537. Her mother Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir John Bethune, 2nd of Creich, and Janet Hay. Elizabeth Bethune was first married to John Stewart, 4th Lord Innermeath, by whom she had two sons: James Stewart, later 5th Lord Innermeath and the poet John Stewart of Baldynneis. She married, secondly, James Gray, son of Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray.

As an infant, Lady Jean Stewart was brought up in the household of Mary of Guise, the Queen of Scotland as wife of King James V, and then briefly in the nursery of the Queen's eldest son, Prince James, the Duke of Rothesay, her legitimate half-brother. The Scottish treasurer's accounts record purchases for the infant Lady Jean.

In September 1538, Jean Stewart was given a canopy made with 27 ells of red, yellow, and green cloth. A clothing account from 1538 mentions a "hood of the French sort" made from black velvet and lined with red "crammesy" satin for Jean Stewart. The coif or frontlet was embellished with a gold "chafferoun" of Paris or filigree work made by John Mosman. In November, Jean was at Falkland Palace with Mary of Guise. Her nurse was Christine Baxter. Baxter's kirtle was altered in December 1538 to made a "gown of the French fashion" then prevailing at the Scottish court.

By March 1539, Jean Stewart was housed with her illegitimate half-brothers, "Lord James of Kelso and "Lord James of Saint Andrews", and had a black velvet and taffeta night gown lined with 'martrik' sable. In May 1539 she moved with the court from Stirling Castle to St Andrews. Her clothes were washed at Falkland Palace in April 1540. In May 1540, at St Andrews, James V gave her nurse 22 shillings, and in July she was sent seven hanks of coloured silks and cloth to embroider samplers, and in December 1540, she was given a missal and a matins book.

A list of payments for livery clothes for the household servants of the two Princes made in January 1541 includes two servants of their half-sister Lady Jean Stewart; Cristiane Baxstar and the chamberer Thomas Stroupe. Mary of Guise's son by her first marriage, François III d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville, received a gift of a gold chain from James V's daughter, probably Lady Jean Stewart, and in return he sent another chain, with blue and green enamelled gold beads Jane Stewart seems to have been in France with Mary, Queen of Scots. Accounts held by the National Library of Scotland mention clothes for her, and her tailor. As Mary's half sister, she was known at the French court as "Mademoiselle la bâtarde d'Ecosse".

On 5 July 1553, Jean's marriage contract with Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll was signed at Falkland Palace. Her jointure property included the lordship of Lorne and a cash dowry of 5,000 merks to be paid by Mary of Guise and Jean's brothers, the Commendators of Kelso, Holyrood, and Coldingham. In August 1553, Henri Cleutin mentioned the process of obtaining a dispensation from Rome for her marriage, "le memoire touchant Mademoiselle la bastarde et le filz du Conte d'argueillz".

A wardrobe account of Mary of Guise includes clothes made as a gift for Lady Jean shortly before her wedding. Her cloak and skirt front had decorative bands of black satin. The wedding itself was in April 1554, possibly at Castle Campbell.