Alexander Livingston of Callendar.

About Alexander Livingston of Callendar

Alexander Livingston of Callendar was a Scottish nobleman who played a significant political role during the minority of King James II. He served most notably as Justiciar of Scotland, and also acted as guardian to the king in his role as custodian of Stirling Castle. Livingston rose to power by imprisoning Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots, James II's mother, in 1439, and enjoyed extensive prestige and influence in Scotland during the next decade. Livingston's alliance with the Douglas family, particularly William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, contributed to a period of civil war in Scotland during the 1440s. Livingston's political power collapsed in 1449, with the executions of several of his influential relatives, leaving him in exile outside Scotland. Despite these circumstances, Livingston ultimately became the progenitor of the Earls of Linlithgow through his eldest son, James.