When Duke Murdoch Stewart 2nd, of Albany was born on 9 December 1362, in Strathblane, Stirlingshire, Scotland, his father, Robert Stewart 1st Duke of Albany, was 22 and his mother, Margaret Graham Countess of Menteith, was 28. He married Isabella of Lennox, Duchess of Albany on 17 February 1391, in Inchmurrin, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 1 daughter. He died on 24 May 1425, in Stirling, Stirlingshire, Scotland, at the age of 62, and was buried in Stirlingshire, Scotland.
Do you know Murdoch? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
Scottish (Lanarkshire) and English: originally an occupational name for an administrative official of an estate, from Middle English stiward, Old English stigweard, stīweard, a compound of stig ‘house(hold)’ + weard ‘guardian’. In the Anglo-Saxon period this title was used of an officer controlling the domestic affairs of a household, especially of the royal household; after the Norman Conquest it was also used more widely as the native equivalent of Seneschal, for the steward of a manor or manager of an estate. In Scotland the term was also used of a magistrate originally appointed by the king to administer crown lands, forming a stewartry.
History: Stuart or Stewart is the surname of one of the great families of Scotland, the royal family of Scotland from the 14th century, and of England from 1603, when James VI of Scotland acceded to the English throne as James I. There were many minor branches of the family left in Britain after the flight of James II in 1688, but not every bearer of the surname can claim relationship with the royal house, even in Scotland. Every great house in medieval England and Scotland had its steward, and in many cases the office gave rise to a hereditary surname. The fall of the house of Stuart in Britain, conversely, led to the establishment of several highly placed branches bearing this surname in continental Europe, which are in most cases related to the old Scottish royal family.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related NamesThe stone stands atop a place in Stirling, Scotland, that’s also called “Mote Hill” or “The Heading Hill,” a spot where an ancient Pictish Fort once stood. Over time, this area became the place where …
As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.