LORDS AVANDALE, OCBITATIEE, AND CASTLESTUART ; EARLS OF CASTLESTUART.7-• Andrew Stewart,. eldest legitimated son of James the gross, and grandson of Murdoch duke of Albany, was created lord Avandale in 1455, and held the office of chahcellor tb James III. Ou his death without issue in 1488, he was succeeded by his nephew, Andrew, eldest son of his also legitimated brother, Walter, who had three sons. The eldest of these, Andrew, third lord Avandale, exchanged his title for that of Ochiltree; and was fattier of Andrew. second lord Ochiltree, sometimes called the "good lord Ochiltree," an active promoter of the reformed faith, one of the lords of the czngre gation, and an accomplice in the assassination of Riccio. One of his daughters became the second wife of John Knox; and his younger son, James, has an unenviable notori ety in history. He was the unprincipled and. arrogant favorite of James VI.'s early.
years; held, along with other offices, that of chancellor of Scotland; was created earl of Arran on the forfeiture of the Hamilton family; and enriched himself with the spoils of the estates of Angus, Mar, Glammis, and other forfeited lords, But his downfall was as sudden as his elevation. At the raid of Stirling, in 1565, he was st ripped of his honors, offices, and spoils, the earldom.of Arran being restored to the HamiItons; and in 1596 he was assassinated by sir James Douglas. The second lord Ochiltree was succeeded by his grandson, Andrew, third lord Oehiltree, who resigned the lordship of Ochiltree to his cousin, sir James Stewart of Killeith, son of the earl of Arran, settled in Ireland, where extensive lands were bestowed on hint by James VI., and was in 1619 created
lord Stuart of Castlestuart in the peerage of Ireland. After the death of the fifth lord Castlestuart in 1684, the title remained dormant till claimed by Andrew. ninth lord, as heir-wale of the body of the first lord, which claim was proved to the satisfaction of the Irish house of lords in 1774. The younger branch of the house, to whom the title of Ochiltree was transferred, had come to an end in 1673, and lord Castlestuart claimed also the Ochiltree title; but the evidence adduced by him was held insufficient by the British house of lords. He was, in 1793, created viscount Castlestuart, and, in 1800, earl of Castlestuart; and the present and fifth earl is his great-grandson.
Lonus METnivEN.—Henry Stewart, second sou of Andrew, second lord Avantlale, became, in 1526, third husband of the princess Margaret of England, widow of James IV., and divorced wife of Archibald, earl of Angus. In 1528 he was created lord Meth yen. He left no children by the queen-dowager. but by a second marriage had a sou, who became second lord Methven, and in the person of whose son, the third lord, the succession terminated.