Mary was married to her first husband, Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran, when she was 13 years old before 26 April 1467. The
Isle of Arran was given as her dowry upon her marriage.
Law Castle in
North Ayrshire was built for the couple. In 1467, Mary's husband Thomas was sent to Denmark to escort King James III's bride,
Margaret of Denmark. During his absence, Mary's brother, the King, became alienated from Mary's husband by the enemies of the
Clan Boyd who brought false charges of
treason against Thomas and his father,
Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd. Mary, upon hearing that her husband was to be summoned before the king and
Parliament to answer the charges, immediately went to the harbour of
Leith when Thomas' ship docked in July, to forewarn him. Mary and Thomas then promptly sailed to Denmark. On 22 November 1469, Mary's husband was attainted, and his title, honours, and estates were forfeited to the crown. She later returned to Scotland in an attempt to have her husband cleared of all charges laid against him. Upon her arrival in Scotland, her brother James detained her in custody at
Dean Castle in
Kilmarnock, until her marriage was annulled. Mary's marriage to Thomas was then declared void in 1473, and she was forced to marry
James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton. Thomas and Mary together had two children: • Lady Margaret Boyd (1468–1533), married, firstly,
Alexander Forbes, 4th Lord Forbes; secondly, Sir
David Kennedy, 1st Earl of Cassilis. Although she was married twice, neither marriage produced children. •
James Boyd, 2nd Lord Boyd of Kilmarnock (1469–1484), died unmarried. He was killed at the age of 15 by
Lord Montgomerie, which ignited a feud that lasted for over 70 years. In early 1474, Mary married, as her second husband, James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, who was almost forty years her senior. They received a papal
dispensation on 26 April 1476 thus legitimising the two children already born to them. Together, James and Mary had three children: • Hon. Elizabeth Hamilton (died after April 1531), married, on 9 April 1494,
Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox, by whom she had issue. The Stewarts of Lennox, of whom
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, the second husband of
Mary, Queen of Scots, was the most notable, who derived his claim to the Scottish throne from Elizabeth's son
John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox. •
James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran (1475–1529), married, firstly, in 1490, Elizabeth Home by whom he had two daughters; he divorced Elizabeth in 1504. He married, secondly, in 1516, Janet Bethune, daughter of Sir
David Bethune, 1st of Creich and Janet Duddlingston, by whom he had three children including his heir,
James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault, 2nd Earl of Arran (c. 1516 – 22 January 1575),
heir presumptive to the Kingdom of Scotland (2 July 1536 – 22 May 1540), (April 1541– 8 December 1542), (14 December 1542 – 19 June 1566), and (29 July 1567 – 22 January 1575);
Regent of Scotland (1542–1554). • Robert Hamilton, Seigneur d'Aubigny (21 March 1476 – 1543). He was born at
Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran, Scotland. He died in 1543 in Torrence,
Lanarkshire, Scotland, when he was 66 years old. According to some records, he married (Elizabeth?) Campbell, the daughter of Campbell (Goodman) of Glaister, or Glacester (Angus), the niece of the Sheriff of Ayr (the latter of whom also had connection to the earls of Lennox). They had at least two (claimed) children: Janet Hamilton, born in 1500, who married Alexander Burnet, 4th Baron & 9th Laird of Leys; and Matthew Hamilton, born in 1512, who married Jean Muirhead of Torrence. == Death and legacy ==