Stuart of Bute

The stewards, or seneschals, of Dol in Brittany came to Scotland via England, when David I returned to claim his throne in 1124. They soon rose to high rank, being created hereditary high stewards of Scotland. By judicious marriage to Marjory, daughter of Robert the Bruce, they acquired the throne on the death of the Bruce’s only son, David II. Robert Stewart, who reigned as Robert II, bestowed upon his younger son, John, the lands of Bute, Arran and Cumbrae. The king erected the lands into a county, and conferred the office of hereditary sheriff on his son. The grant was confirmed by a charter in the year 1400 by Robert III.

James, sheriff of Bute between 1445 and 1449, was succeeded by his brother, William, who was also keeper of Brodick Castle on Arran. His grandson, Ninian Stewart, was confirmed in the office of sheriff of Bute together with the lands of Ardmaleish, Greenan, the Mill of Kilcattan and Corrigillis. In 1498, James IV created Ninian hereditary captain and keeper of the royal Castle of Rothesay, an honour still held by the family to this day and which is shown in their coat of arms. He married three times, and was succeeded in 1539 by his son, James, who suffered during the struggle between the Earl of Lennox and the Earl of Arran, Regent of Scotland. In 1570, James was succeeded by his son, John, who attended Parliament in Edinburgh as Commissioner for Bute. The family favoured the spelling of their name introduced by Mary, Queen of Scots, and the present chiefs still use it to this day.

Sir James Stuart of Bute was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia by Charles I in 1627. Early in the civil war, he garrisoned the Castle of Rothesay, and at his own expense raised soldiers for the king. He was appointed royal lieutenant for the west of Scotland, and directed to take possession of Dumbarton Castle. Two frigates sent to assist him fell foul of stormy weather, and one was completely wrecked. Ultimately, Sir James was forced to flee to Ireland when the forces of Cromwell were victorious. His estates were sequestrated, and he was forced to pay a substantial fine to redeem them. His grandson, Sir James Stuart of Bute, was appointed to manage the estates and to be colonel of the local militia on the forfeiture of the Earl of Argyll in 1681. He supported the accession of Queen Mary and William of Orange, and later, in the reign of Queen Anne, he was made a Privy Councillor and one of the commissioners for the negotiation of the Treaty of Union between Scotland and England. In 1703 he was created Earl of Bute, Viscount Kingarth and Lord Mount Stuart, Cumra and Inchmarnock. But by 1706, the earl was convinced a union with England would be a disaster for his country, and he opposed it vehemently. When he realised that Parliament would vote in favour of the alliance, he withdrew from politics entirely. He married the eldest daughter of Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, the celebrated Lord Advocate and heraldic writer. After the succession of George I, the Earl of Bute was appointed Commissioner for Trade and Police in Scotland, Lord Lieutenant of Bute and a lord of the bedchamber.

During the rising of 1715 he commanded the Bute and Argyll militia at Inveraray, and through his vigilance kept that part of the country peaceful. His second son, having inherited his mother’s estates of Rosehaugh, took the surname Mackenzie. He became a Member of Parliament and later envoy to Sardinia, Keeper of the Privy Seal and Privy Councillor.

John Stewart, the third Earl, was tutor to Prince George and became his constant companion and confidante. When his royal friend became George III, Bute was created a Privy Councillor and First Lord of the Treasury. He concluded a treaty with France in 1763 which brought the Seven Years’ War to an end, but the terms were unpopular, and he was vilified by the press of the day. He retired from public life, having employed Robert Adam to build a splendid house at Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire. His heir, John Lord Mount Stuart, was born in 1767. He married the heiress of Patrick Crichton, the Earl of Dumfries. He succeeded his father as Earl of Bute in 1792, and in 1796 he was advanced to the rank of marquess. The second Marquess consolidated the family fortunes and expanded the estates on business-like lines. He was a noted industrialist who was largely responsible for modern Cardiff, where he developed the docklands to rival Liverpool. By 1900 millions of tons of coal were being handled there, making Cardiff the greatest coal port in the world. John, the third Marquess, inherited vast wealth at the tender age of six months. He grew to be a scholar, with wide interests, including heraldry, archaeology and mysticism. He rebuilt Castel Coch and Cardiff Castle as tributes to the high art of the Middle Ages.

The present chief, better known as the racing driver, Johnny Dumfries, succeeded his father, the sixth Marquess in 1993. The late Lord Bute was passionately concerned for Scottish heritage, and his efforts were recognised by a knighthood shortly before his death.