a minor when his father died.]

It can hardly be supposed that Lord Lovat would be a disinterested
spectator of these proceedings, and in the interest of his sister's
children he procured a precept of clare constat from James Stewart,
Duke of Ross, [After the forfeiture of the ancient Earls of Ross,
the district furnished new titles under the old names, to members
of the Royal family. James Stewart, second son of King James the
Third, was created in 1487 Duke of Ross, Marquis of Ormond, Earl
of Ardmanach, and Lord of Brechin and Navar. The Duke did not
long hold the territorial Dukedom of Ross. On the 13th of May
1503, having obtained the rich Abbey of Dunfermline, he resigned
the Dukedom of Ross into the hands of the King. The Duke reserved
for his life the hill of Dingwall beside that town for the style of
Duke, the hill of Ormond (above Avoch) for the style of Marquis,
the Redcastle of Ardmanach for the style of Earl, and the Castle
of Brechin, with the gardens, &c., for the name of Brechin and
Navar. The Duke of Ross died in 1504. It was said of him by
Ariosto, as translated by Hoole - "The title of the Duke of
Ross he bears, No chief like him in dauntless mind compares." The
next creation of the title of the Duke of Ross was in favour of
Alexander Stewart, the posthumous son of King James the Fourth.
The Duke was born on the 30th April 1514, and died on the 18th
December 1515. In the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, John, Earl
of Sutherland, acquired from Mary, the Queen Dowager, a certain
right in the Earldom of Ross, which might ultimately have joined
in one family both Sutherland and Ross. Lord Darnley, on the
prospect of his marriage with Queen Mary, was created Earl of
Ross, a title by which he is little known, as it was only given
to him a short time before he obtained the higher titles of Duke