ames I (1394-1437), king of Scotland, the son of Robert III. He crushed the house of Albany (1425), and forced Alexander, the Lord of the Isles, to submit (1429). While he was endeavoring to strengthen the crown and give his kingdom internal peace, war broke out with England. A defeat of an English force at Piperden, near Berwick, in 1436, was followed by an attempt on the part of an English fleet to capture the Princess Margaret when on her way to France to marry the Dauphin, afterwards Louis XI. James then endeavored unsuccessfully to capture Roxburgh. On Feb. 20, 1437, he was murdered at Perth, the chief conspirators being the Earl of Athole and Sir Robert Graham. He is the author of The King’s Quair. [World Wide Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1935]

Notes on King James I
Faced with a threat from the Duke of Albany, King Robert sent James by ship to France for safety. But he was captured by the English at sea on 4 Apr 1406. James was held prisoner for the next 18 years; in Windsor Castle and elsewhere. King Henry IV made some recompence for his injustice by ensuring that James was well brought up. On Albany’s death in 1420, he was succeeded by his feeble son, Murdoch who eventually sought the return of James in 1424. Finding his kingdom demoralised, James set himself to restore order. The surviving ringleaders of the regency were captured and put to death; others had their titles and estates confiscated. James was unquestionably the ablest of the Stewart sovereigns. The tender, passionate collection of poems, Kingis Quair, is attributed to him. James introduced the principle of representation into the Parliament and took steps to improve internal and external trade. He also continued to harshly curb the powers of the nobles, fighting off conspiracies against him. However, he was the victim of a plot and cruelly murdered. James was assassinated by his Uncle Walter, Duke of Atholl; Sir Robert Graham and other conspirators. {Burke’s Peerage and Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary} [GADD.GED]

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