Alexander Livingston Lord of Callendar

Brief Life History of Alexander

Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar (executed 1451) was a significant figure in the early part of the reign of King James II of Scotland. He was keeper of Stirling Castle for at least part of the king's minority, during which he had custody of the king. He conspired with William Crichton, the Lord Chancellor, in the assassination of the 6th Earl of Douglas and his brother, the "Black Dinner" at Edinburgh Castle. Later he allied with the Douglases against Crichton. FROM THE NATIONAL RECORDS OF SCOTLAND 20 April 1444: Copy of Charter by William Earl of Douglas to Gilbert Kennedy of Dunure and his heirs of the lands called Balgray, the lands of Auchintibber, Fulwood, Gabrachhill, Brydiland, Struther, Peacockbank, Spittal, the 20 shilling land of Whitelee, and lands of Over and Nether Bordlands, lying in the Lordship of Stewarton and Dunlop and bailiary of Cunningham; To be holden of the Earl and his successors for 3 suits at three head courts of the Lordship of Stewarton yearly. Witnesses - James Bishop of St. Andrews James Bishop of Dunkeld, Sir Alexander Livingston of Callander, Sir John Sibbald of Balgony, and Sir James Auchinleck of that Ilk, Knights, and James of Livingston, Captain of Stirling Castle. Dated at Stirling. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Kennedy Family, Earls of Cassillis (Ailsa Muniments), reference GD25/1/33 Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 33 Livingstone, Alexander (d.1450?) by Thomas Finlayson Henderson LIVINGSTONE, Sir ALEXANDER (d. 1450?), of Callendar, guardian of James II of Scotland, was eldest son of Sir John Livingstone of Callendar, who was killed at the battle of Homildon on 14 Sept. 1402. His mother was a daughter of Menteith of Carse. On 23 Feb. 1423–4 he received a safe-conduct till 30 April as hostage for James I at Durham (Cal. Documents relating to Scotland, iv. entry 942). He was also one of the jury at the trial of Murdac, duke of Albany, in 1424. After the assassination of James I in 1437 Livingstone seems to have been entrusted with the guardianship of the infant prince James II. To frustrate the designs of Sir William Crichton [q. v.], he aided the queen in removing the prince to Stirling in 1439. Shortly afterwards he came to terms with Crichton, and on 3 Aug. he forcibly entered the queen's chamber at Stirling, and placed her under restraint; but difficulties were finally arranged between them, and by a solemn indenture of 4 Sept. Livingstone was to retain the custody of the king till his majority (Acta Parl. Scot. ii. 54). In 1443 Livingstone entered into a coalition with the Douglases against Crichton, and although through the influence of the Douglases he was in 1445 denounced a rebel and imprisoned, he gained his liberty on payment of a large sum of money, and was subsequently restored to the king's favour. In 1449 he was appointed justiciary of Scotland. The same year he was named one of the commissioners to England, and on 18 Sept. he signed a prorogation of the truce till 19 Nov. following (Cal. Documents relating to Scotland, iv. entry 1216). Towards the close of the year he, however, fell again into disfavour, and was imprisoned in Blackness, while his son Alexander, at a parliament held at Edinburgh on 19 Jan. 1449–50, was condemned to be executed on the Castle Hill. About the father nothing further is known. By a daughter of Dundas of Dundas he had two sons—Sir James Livingstone of Callendar, and Alexander, ancestor of the Livingstones of Dunipace—and two daughters, Janet, married to Sir James Hamilton of Cadzow, and Elizabeth to James Dundas of Dundas. [Auchinleck Chron.; Histories of Boece, Major, and Lindsay of Pitscottie; Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, vol. iii.; Cal. Documents relating to Scotland, vol. iv.; Douglas's Scottish Peerage (Wood), ii. 124.] From: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Livingstone,_Alexander_(d.1450%3F)_(DNB00) ____________________ "Sir Alexander de Livingston, Lord of Callendar, Knight, was a very able, as well as an ambitious man of affairs, but previous to the return of James I from exile in England there is little mention of him in the records of that period. He was a witness, together with his father, to some charters executed in the years 1399 and 1401, in which he is styled 'Alexander of Livingston', while in a charter dated at Clackmannan, Oct. 6, 1406, he is described as 'Alexander of Livingston, Lord of Callendar'. He was in receipt of an annuity of 20 pounds out of the customs of Linlithgow, which had been originally granted to his father by King Rober III, and Sir John Livingston's widow (Alexander's stepmother) Agnes Douglas, was a participant in this annuity to the extent of one-third between the years 1418-1422. Alexander also appears as a witness to charters granted by the Regent Albany in 1407 and 1408. That Sir Alexander of Callendar was considered by his contemporaries to have been a man of exceptional ability is borne out by a deed in the Wigtoun charter chest, by which one John Blair of Adamtoun grants to Alexander Livingston of Callendar. In the document he is styled 'a noble and potent man'. The lands of Catscleuch orCattiscleuch in the barony of Herbertshire, Stirlingshire, in consideration 'for his good council manifoldly given and to be given' to the said John Blair. This deed is dated Jan. 26, 1424-25, and among the names of the witnesses are thos of his younger brothers Robert and John, and Henry Livingston of Manerstoun. James I, returning to Scotland after being held captive in England for eighteen years, and marrying just before his release, Lady Joan or Jane Beaufort, granddaughter of the celebrated John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, he proceeded to seek vengence on those he thought responsible for the great delay in obtaining his release. Citations 1.[S11572] The Lineage and Ancestry of H.R.H. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, by Gerald Paget, Vol. II, p. 320. 2.[S11649] Clan MacFarlane & Associated Clans Genealogy. 3.[S16] Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition, Vol. III, p. 585. 4.[S16] Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition, Vol. III, p. 571-572. 5.[S4] Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry, Vol. I, p. 663-664. 6.[S4] Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry, Vol. I, p. 649-650. 7.[S11620] The Douglas Archives. From: http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p611.htm#i18341 _______________________ Citations [S8] BP1999 volume 1, page 4. See link for full details for this source. Hereinafter cited as. [S8] [S3268] Hans Harmsen, "re: Chester Family," e-mail message to Darryl Roger Lundy, 21 August 2008. Hereinafter cited as "re: Chester Family." [S37] BP2003 volume 1, page 1218. See link for full details for this source. Hereinafter cited as. [S37] [S37] BP2003. [S37] From: http://www.thepeerage.com/p11033.htm#i110327 _____________ Citations 1.[S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 1218. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition. 2.[S37] Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition. From: http://www.thepeerage.com/p39264.htm#i392636 __________________ Citations 1.[S8] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 4. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition. From: http://www.thepeerage.com/p11033.htm#i110327

Photos and Memories (8)

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Family Time Line

Alexander Livingston Lord of Callendar
1375–1451
Janet Dundas Lady Callendar
1389–1459
Marriage: 1399
Margaret Livingston
1395–
James Livingston 1st Lord Livingston
1410–1467
Alexander Livingston of Phildes
1415–1450
Janet Livingston of Callendar
1399–1439
Elizabeth Livingston
1400–
Joan Livingston baroness of balgonie
1405–1439
Lady Helen Livingstone
1412–1478
Eupham Livingston
1412–

Sources (8)

  • "American Ancestors," entry for Alexander Livingston.
  • "American Ancestors," entry for Alexander Livingston of Callendar.
  • wikipedia

Name Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from a place in Lothian, originally named in Middle English as Levingston. The placename derives from the Middle English personal name Leving (genitive Levinges) + Middle English, Older Scots toun ‘town, village, settlement’.

Irish: surname adopted as equivalent of Gaelic Ó Duinnshléibhe and Mac Duinnshléibhe (see Dunleavy ).

Americanized form of Jewish Lowenstein .

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

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Story Highlight

Sir Alexander Livingston

Livingston of Callendar Sir Alexander Livingston     The following account of Sir Alexander Livingston is copied from Sir Hector Livingston Duff, The Sewells of the New World, William Pollard and C …

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