Andrew Stewart, 1st Baron Castle Stuart (1560–1629) was a Scottish nobleman, soldier, courtier to King James VI and I and one of the chief undertakers in the Ulster Plantation. Stuart resigned his title "Lord Ochiltree" and was made "Baron Castle Stuart".
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Biography
Described as 'a nobleman of impeccable background and proven military ability', he was the only son and heir of Andrew Stewart (d.1578), Master of Ochiltree, and Margaret, daughter of his first cousin Henry Stewart, 2nd Lord Methven of Methven Castle. He was the grandson of Andrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Ochiltree, whose title he succeeded to after his father predeceased his grandfather.
He became a General in the Artillery and held the office of General of Edinburgh Castle. He was appointed to the court position of Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James VI and I on 12 January 1587. On the death of his grandfather in 1591, he became the 3rd Lord Ochiltree and inherited estates in Galloway and Strathclyde.
In August 1592 the king sent him to raid the House of Row in Liddesdale to catch counterfeiters and their coining irons who were working for the rebel Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell. He joined forces with his brother-in-law, the laird of Ferniehirst, or Andrew Ker of Jedburgh, and captured two men at Row, a number of 30 shilling coins, and the coining irons in the tower, but the master coiner escaped to England.
He was lieutenant and warden of the West March of Scotland in 1597, and James VI granted him Torthorwald Castle. Torthorwald had belonged to James Douglas of Parkhead who killed Ochiltree's uncle, James Stewart, Earl of Arran.