The Ancestral Lineage of Queen Joan Beaufort

My 16th great-aunt, Joan Beaufort, is connected to some of the most influential noble families of Scotland and Europe. I have not only 1 connection to Joan Beaufort through my paternal grandfather, but another connection through my paternal grandmother.  As confusing as this may be, I have found through my years of research that nobility usually married other nobles, and this has resulted in many intersecting family lines, including those of Joan Beaufort. through her husband, Thomas R. Rattray. Thomas’s 5th great-grandfather was Sir John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl, whose parents were Joan Beaufort and Sir James Stewart, The Black Knight of Lorn.

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Joan Beaufort: Queen of Scotland and Royal Lineage

Joan Beaufort was first married to King James I of Scotland, making Sir James Stewart, her second husband, the stepfather to King James II of Scotland.

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Joan Beaufort’s Family Background:

• Father: John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (grandson of King Edward III of England)

• Mother: Margaret Holland, daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, and Joan “The Fair Maid” of Kent (half-sister of King Richard II of England)

• Royal Connections: Half-niece of King Henry IV of England

King James I of Scotland reportedly first saw Joan while imprisoned in England around 1420. He was inspired to write The Kingis Quair, allegedly after seeing her in the garden. Their marriage was politically motivated to strengthen Anglo-Scottish relations.

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Marriage: February 12, 1424, at St. Mary Overie Church, Southwark, London

Children of James I and Joan Beaufort:

1. Margaret Stewart, Princess of Scotland – married Prince Louis, Dauphin of Viennois (later King Louis XI of France)

2. Isabella Stewart – married Francis I, Duke of Brittany

3. Mary Stewart, Countess of Buchan – married Wolfart VI van Borsselen

4. Joan of Scotland, Countess of Morton – married James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton

5. Alexander Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (twin of James II)

6. James II, King of Scotland

7. Annabella Stewart – married Louis of Savoy (divorced), then George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly

8. Eleanor Stewart – married Sigismund, Archduke of Austria

 

The Assassination of James I and Joan’s Later Life

On February 21, 1437, King James I was assassinated in Perth by Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl. Joan narrowly escaped, sustaining injuries. She successfully identified the assassin and temporarily maintained control of her son, James II, until political pressures forced her to relinquish power.

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Marriage to Sir James Stewart, The Black Knight of Lorn

In July 1439, Joan married James Stewart, The Black Knight of Lorn, an ancestor of Thomas R. Rattray. This marriage directly linked our family to European nobility.

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About James Stewart, The Black Knight of Lorn:

• Born in Innermeath, Scotland (c. 1399–c. 1451)

• Son of Sir John Stewart and Isabel MacDougall, heiress of the House of Ergadia

• Allied with the Black Douglases during the Scottish regency of James II

• Married Joan Beaufort with a papal dispensation before September 21, 1439

 

Children of James Stewart and Joan Beaufort:

1. John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl

2. James Stewart, Earl of Buchan – married Margaret Ogilvy

3. Andrew Stewart – Bishop of Moray (1483–1501)

James Stewart plotted with the Douglases to influence young King James II but was ultimately captured and later released. He reportedly died at sea after 1451.

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Royal Ancestry Through Joan Beaufort

Joan Beaufort’s lineage connects our family to a remarkable network of European royalty:

• Kings of England: Edward III, Henry II, William I

• Kings of Scotland: James II onward

• Royal Houses of France, Denmark, Austria, and Savoy

• Historical Figures: Charlemagne, Hugh Capet, Rurik, Alfred the Great

 

Key Descendants of Joan Beaufort and James I of Scotland Include:

• Mary, Queen of Scots – married Francis II of France, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, and James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell

• King James VI of Scotland / I of England – married Anne of Denmark

• King Charles I of England – married Henrietta Maria of France

• King Charles II, King James II, Queen Mary II, and Queen Anne of Great Britain

Through these connections, our family is intertwined with the House of Hanover and the broader European royal network.