Walter Bailloch, also known as Walter Bailloch Stewart (1225/1230 – 1293/1294), was distinguished by the sobriquet ''Bailloch'' or ''Balloch'', a
Gaelic
Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to:
Languages
* Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...
nickname roughly translated as "the Freckled". He was the
Earl of Menteith
The Mormaer or Earl of Menteith was the ruler of the province of Menteith in the Middle Ages. The first mormaer is usually regarded as Gille Críst (or Gilchrist), simply because he is the earliest on record. The title was held in a continuou ...
''
jure uxoris
''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could beco ...
''.
Life
Walter was a younger son of
Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland, and his wife Bethóc or Beatrix Mac Gille Críst of Angus, daughter of
Gilchrist, Earl of Angus, and wife Marjorie of Huntingdon.
[George Edward Cokayne, ''The complete peerage; or, A history of the House of lords and all its members from the earliest times'', Vol. VIII, eds. H. A. Doubleday; Howard de Walden (London: The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., 1932), p. 662] In 1258-59, Walter accompanied
Louis IX of France
Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis VI ...
on his Crusade, according to tradition.
After the death of King
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II ( Medieval Gaelic: '; Modern Gaelic: '; nicknamed "the Peaceful" by modern historians; 24 August 1198 – 6 July 1249) was King of Alba (Scotland) from 1214 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of York (1237) which defined t ...
he was aligned with the "English faction", and in 1255 secured the persons of the young King and Queen, but he was not at this time allowed to a share in the government.
[''The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland'', Vol. VI, ed. James Balfour Paul (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909), p. 130] About 1260, when
Isabella, Countess of Menteith and her husband
Walter Comyn, Lord of Badenoch were forced to leave Scotland, the magnates of Scotland arranged the marriage of her sister,
Mary, Countess of Menteith, to Walter Stewart, who took possession of the lands and title, with questions of legal ownership being reserved.
He was certainly using the title of earl (''jure uxoris'') before 17 April 1261, when he was witness to a grant to the
Paisley Abbey
Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the River Cart, White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, base ...
.
In the following year
Dubhghall mac Suibhne granted to the earl the lands of
Skipnish, Killislate, and others, being that part of
Kintyre
Kintyre (, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll, East and West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, West Loch Tarbert in t ...
called South
Knapdale
Knapdale (, ) forms a rural district of Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands, adjoining Kintyre to the south, and divided from the rest of Argyll to the north by the Crinan Canal. It includes two parishes, North Knapdale and South Knapdale. ...
and the
parish of Kilcalmonell. Following on this, the Earl granted the church of Kilcalmonell at
Clachan to the monks of Paisley. He also made grants to
Kilwinning Abbey
Kilwinning Abbey is a ruined abbey located in the centre of the town of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire.
History
Establishment of the Abbey
Kilwinning was a Tironensians, Tironensian Benedictine monastic community, named after Tiron in the di ...
of churches in
Knapdale
Knapdale (, ) forms a rural district of Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands, adjoining Kintyre to the south, and divided from the rest of Argyll to the north by the Crinan Canal. It includes two parishes, North Knapdale and South Knapdale. ...
, which show that he had possession of North Knapdale also.
[''The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland'', Vol. VI, ed. James Balfour Paul (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909), p. 131] About 1263 the earl was
Sheriff of Ayr, and aided in making preparations to repel the expected invasion of King
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon IV Haakonsson ( – 16 December 1263; ; ), sometimes called Haakon the Old in contrast to his namesake son, was King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign lasted for 46 years, longer than any Norwegian king since Harald Fairhair. Haak ...
.
He and his brother
Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland
Alexander Stewart (c. 1210 – 1282), known as Alexander of Dundonald, was a Scottish magnate who in 1241 succeeded his father as hereditary High Steward of Scotland.
Origins
He was the son of Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland.
Car ...
were joint commanders of the Scots in the
Battle of Largs
The Battle of Largs (2 October 1263) was a battle between the kingdoms of Kingdom of Norway (872–1397), Norway and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde near Largs, Scotland. The conflict formed part of the Scottish–Norwegian ...
. The earl was
Sheriff of Dumbarton in 1271 until 1288. On 25 July 1281 he was one of the witnesses to and guarantors of the marriage contract of the Princess
Margaret
Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
with
Eirik II of Norway. He, Countess Mary, and a party of Scots barons traveled to Norway accompanying the princess and her dowry of fourteen thousand marks. In 1285 he and his Countess were again attacked by the rival claimants
William Comyn and his wife Isabella, their claim having been in 1282 pressed upon King
Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III (; Modern Gaelic: ; 4 September 1241 – 19 March 1286) was King of Alba (Scotland) from 1249 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of Perth, by which Scotland acquired sovereignty over the Western Isles and the Isle of Man. ...
by the English King, and in a Parliament at
Scone
A scone ( or ) is a traditional British and Irish baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat flour or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often ...
it was decided that the earldom should be divided into two portions.
[E. William Robertson, ''Scotland Under Her Early Kings: A History of the Kingdom to the Close of the Thirteenth Century'', Vol. II (Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas, 1862), p. 79]
One half was retained by Walter Stewart, with the title of earl, and the other half was erected into a barony for
William
William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...
, the son of
John the Red Comyn, and his wife, a daughter of the elder countess by her first husband.
The component parts of the earldom which remained to Walter Stewart are not known. The death of King
Alexander
Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here ar ...
in 1286 threw the kingdom again into confusion, and during the rivalry which ensued between the parties of
Bruce and
Balliol, the
Earl of Menteith
The Mormaer or Earl of Menteith was the ruler of the province of Menteith in the Middle Ages. The first mormaer is usually regarded as Gille Críst (or Gilchrist), simply because he is the earliest on record. The title was held in a continuou ...
supported the cause of Bruce. Walter was a party to the
Turnberry Bond with his sons Alexander and John and the Bruces, which was signed at
Turnberry Castle
Turnberry Castle is a fragmentary ruin on the coast of Kirkoswald parish, near Maybole in Ayrshire, Scotland.''Ordnance of Scotland'', ed. Francis H. Groome, 1892-6. Vol.6, p.454 Situated at the extremity of the lower peninsula within the pari ...
on 20 September 1286. In 1289 he was present at
Birgham, and approved of the marriage proposed between
Prince Edward of England and the young
Margaret, Maid of Norway
Margaret (, ; March or April 1283 – September 1290), known as the Maid of Norway, was the queen-designate of Scotland from 1286 until her death. As she was never crowned, her status as monarch is uncertain and has been debated by historia ...
as she was called, the heiress of the Scottish Crown.
Her unhappy death renewed the contest between
Bruce and
Balliol, and when it was proposed that the King of
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
should arbitrate, Menteith was one of those named by Bruce as his commissioners. He was present at
Norham
Norham ( ) is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south-west of Berwick on the south side of the River Tweed where it is the border with Scotland.
History
Its ancient name was Ubbanford. Ecgred of Lindisfarne (d.845) replac ...
on 20 November 1292 when the new king
John Balliol
John Balliol or John de Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as Toom Tabard (meaning 'empty coat'), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...
swore fealty to
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...
. This is the last certain record of him, as although letters were addressed by the English King to Walter Stewart,
Earl of Menteith
The Mormaer or Earl of Menteith was the ruler of the province of Menteith in the Middle Ages. The first mormaer is usually regarded as Gille Críst (or Gilchrist), simply because he is the earliest on record. The title was held in a continuou ...
, on 29 June 1294, it is not clear that he was then alive. He may even have been dead by 10 February 1293, when Balliol's Parliament directed the lands of
Knapdale
Knapdale (, ) forms a rural district of Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands, adjoining Kintyre to the south, and divided from the rest of Argyll to the north by the Crinan Canal. It includes two parishes, North Knapdale and South Knapdale. ...
belonging to the earl to be incorporated in the sheriffdom of
Lorn under
Alexander of Argyll.

The Countess Mary predeceased her husband, probably before 1286. Their tombstone is preserved in the
Priory of Inchmahome, bearing the effigies of husband and wife, the former bearing on his shield the Stewart
fess chequy with a label of five points, a device which also appears on his seal of arms in the
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office (abbreviated as PRO, pronounced as three letters and referred to as ''the'' PRO), Chancery Lane in the City of London, was the guardian of the national archives of the United Kingdom from 1838 until 2003, when it was m ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
Family
In 1258 Walter married
Mary I, Countess of Menteith.
Walter
Walter may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Walter (name), including a list of people and fictional and mythical characters with the given name or surname
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–19 ...
, third son to the 3rd High Steward, took the name of Menteith after succeeding to the
Earldom of Menteith in right of his wife, and differenced the Stewart arms by changing the fess to a bend and the Azure squares of the check to Sable. They had two sons as issue, both of whom assumed the surname Menteith and at least one daughter.
*
Alexander, Earl of Menteith
Alexander of Menteith (d. bef. 1306), a Scottish nobleman and member of the Clan Stewart, Stewart family, he was the Earl of Menteith.
Life
Alexander was the eldest son and heir of Walter Bailloch Stewart and Mary I, Countess of Menteith and was ...
, who succeeded to the earldom.
['' The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland'', Vol. VI, ed. James Balfour Paul (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909), p. 134]
* Sir
John de Menteith, notorious as the betrayer of Sir
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace (, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence.
Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of St ...
.
* Elena Stewart, who married Sir John Drummond (aft. 1240-1301),
Thane
Thane (; previously known as Thana, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city located on the northwestern side of the list of Indian states, state of Maharashtra in India and on ...
of
Lennox,
Chief of
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship
and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...
Drummond, son of Sir Malcolm de Drummond (aft. 1209-1278), Thane of Lennox, and paternal grandson of Sir Malcolm Beg de Drummond (aft. 1169-1259), Thane of Lennox, and wife Ada of Lennox, daughter of
Maol Domhnaich, Earl of Lennox
Mormaer Maol Domhnaich (sometimes anglicized as ''Maldoven'') was the son of Mormaer Ailín II, and ruled Lennox in 1217–1250.
Biography
Like his predecessor Ailín II, he showed absolutely no interest in extending an inviting hand to oncomin ...
, and wife Elizabeth or Beatrix Stewart, and had issue:
** Sir Malcolm Drummond (aft. 1270-1325), Thane of Lennox, who fought in the
Battle of Dunbar in 1296, where he was captured by the English, and in 1301 was again captured by the English, and in the
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn ( or ) was fought on 23–24 June 1314, between the army of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, and the army of King Edward II of England, during the First War of Scottish Independence. It was a decisive victory for Ro ...
in 1314, married to ... de Graham, daughter of Sir
Patrick de Graham of Kincardine and wife Annabella of Strathearn, and had issue
** Gilbert Drummond, who was granted the lands and church of
Kilpatrick, as Gilbert de Drumund of Dumbarton appears on the
Ragman Rolls
The Ragman Rolls are the collection of instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland subscribed allegiance to King Edward I of England, during the time between the Conference of Norham in May 1291 and the final award in favour of Ball ...
of 1296 swearing fealty to
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...
[Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The ]Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs
The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is an organisation that represents many prominent Scottish clan chief, clan chiefs and Scottish clan chief#Chief of the Name and Arms, Chiefs of the Name and Arms in Scotland. It claims to be the pr ...
). pp. 120 - 121.
** Walter Drummond, Scottish
Ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
to England and Secretary to King
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...
** Christian Drummond, who received grants of lands in Ardcurane from
Maol Choluim I, Earl of Lennox
** Margaret Drummond, who received grants of lands in Ardcurane from
Maol Choluim I, Earl of Lennox
References
See also
*
Brown, Michael, ''The Wars of Scotland, 1214-1371'', (Edinburgh, 2004)
* Brydall, Robert, "Monumental Effigies of Scotland, from the Thirteenth Century to the Fifteenth Century", in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 29 (1894–95), figure 15, p. 353.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailloch, Walter
13th-century births
1290s deaths
Medieval Gaels from Scotland
Scoto-Normans
Peers jure uxoris
Mormaers of Menteith
13th-century mormaers