Stuart or Stewart, Robert, 1st duke of Albany, 1340?-1420, regent of Scotland; third son of Robert II. As earl of Fife and Monteith, he held commands under his father and more than once raided England, leading the invasion of 1388. Because of his father's old age he was given the power of government in 1389; he continued it during the reign of Robert III, his infirm brother. Made duke of Albany in 1398, in 1399 he was forced to give up the regency to his nephew, David Stuart, duke of Rothesay. Rothesay died (1402) in the custody of Albany and Archibald Douglas, 4th earl of Douglas, both of whom were officially declared guiltless of his death. Albany became governor or warden again and continued in that position after Robert III's death because the new king, James I, was a prisoner in England. During Albany's rule the struggle with England went on, and the Scottish alliance with France was continued. At home he allowed the nobles much power but put down (1411) a rebellion of Donald MacDonald, lord of the Isles. Apparently Albany tried to make his sovereignty hereditary in all but name, and he was succeeded as regent by his son Murdoch, 2d duke of Albany. The latter proved a weak ruler, however, and was executed (1425) after James I's return to Scotland.

Stuart or Stewart, John, duke of Albany, 1481-1536, regent of Scotland; son of Alexander Stuart, duke of Albany, and grandson of James II of Scotland. He was brought up on his estates in France by his mother, Anne de la Tour d'Auvergne, and always considered himself French. Shortly after the death (1513) of James IV, the Scottish nobles asked Albany, as heir presumptive, to assume the government for the infant James V, but Albany's own lack of enthusiasm and the influence of Henry VIII of England prevented his departure from France until 1515. Upon arrival in Scotland, he assumed the regency forfeited by Margaret Tudor (the queen dowager and sister of Henry VIII) as a result of her marriage to Archibald Douglas, 6th earl of Angus. Albany gained possession of Margaret's children and crushed a rebellion led by Lord Home, Angus, and James Hamilton, 1st earl of Arran. Margaret fled to England and accused Albany of poisoning her infant son, the earl of Ross. Henry VIII's request to the Scottish Parliament for Albany's dismissal was emphatically refused, the duke being declared (1516) heir to the Scottish throne. Since conditions in Scotland seemed fairly stable, Albany returned (1517) temporarily to France, where he negotiated the Treaty of Rouen (renewing the alliance between France and Scotland and providing for the marriage of James V to a French princess) and promoted the interests of Scottish merchants. By a secret agreement between France and England, Albany was prevented from returning to Scotland until 1521. Margaret, who had broken with Angus, enlisted Albany's aid in securing a divorce, and false rumors (possibly started by Cardinal Wolsey) were circulated of their intimacy and projected marriage. Henry again demanded the dismissal of Albany, and, when the Scots refused, English forces raided (1522) the Scottish border. Albany led an army toward Carlisle, but the Scots refused to fight outside their own country, and the force disbanded. Albany returned to France, and Margaret in his absence used her influence in the interests of England. Albany returned in 1523 with French troops and gold, but a subsequent lack of military success on the border destroyed his prestige. While on a visit to France in 1524, Albany's regency was annulled, and he never returned to Scotland. He later served (1525) with the French army in Italy and was French ambassador to Rome (1530-33).

Stuart or Stewart, Alexander, duke of Albany, 1454?-1485, Scottish nobleman; second son of James II of Scotland. He was captured (1463) by the English while he was at sea en route to the Low Countries but was soon released. He became high admiral of Scotland, warden of the marches, and lieutenant of the kingdom. In 1479, however, his brother James III, suspecting Albany of plotting against the throne, had him imprisoned. Albany escaped to France and thence went to England, where he concluded (1481) a treaty with Edward IV, by which the English king agreed to recognize Albany as king of Scotland if the latter became his vassal. An English army invaded Scotland (1482), but Albany was persuaded by some of the Scottish nobles to renounce his pretensions to the throne in return for the restoration of his estates. He was briefly reconciled with James, but in 1483 he was sentenced to death and fled to England. After raiding Scotland in 1484, he went to France, where he was accidentally killed in a tournament.

New Albany, city (1990 pop. 36,322), seat of Floyd co., S Ind., near the falls of the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Ky.; inc. 1819. The city was a shipbuilding center in the 19th cent., and the riverboats Robert E. Lee and Eclipse were built there. Its industries produce wood and paper products, apparel, electronic and transportation equipment, chemicals, and other products. Indiana Univ. Southeast is located there. Bridges link New Albany with Louisville.

Fort Albany, Canadian fur-trading post, N Ont., at the mouth of the Albany River on James Bay. It was founded (before 1682) by the Hudson's Bay Company as one of its earliest forts. In the Anglo-French struggle for the Hudson Bay trade, Fort Albany was taken by the French in 1686. It was recaptured by the British in 1693 and from 1697 to 1713 was the only post of the region in the British company's possession. It has continued as an important fur-trading post.

Albany, Robert Stuart or Stewart, 1st duke of: see Stuart, Robert, 1st duke of Albany.

Albany, Louisa, countess of, 1752-1824, wife of Charles Edward Stuart (the Young Pretender), self-styled count of Albany; daughter of a German noble, the prince of Stolberg-Gedern. Married in 1772, she left her dissolute husband after eight years and became the mistress of the poet Vittorio Alfieri. After his death in 1803, she was mistress of a French painter, François Fabre. Secret marriages with both men were rumored, but not well attested.

Albany, Fort: see Fort Albany, Canada.

Albany, Alexander Stuart or Stewart, duke of: see Stuart, Alexander, duke of Albany.

Albany Regency, name given, after 1820, to the leaders of the first political machine, which was developed in New York state by Martin Van Buren. The name derived from the charge that Van Buren's principal supporters, residing in Albany, managed the machine for him while he served in the U.S. Senate. During the Jacksonian period the Regency controlled the Democratic party in New York. It was one of the first effective political machines, using the spoils system and rigid party discipline to maintain its control. Notable figures in the Regency were William L. Marcy, Silas Wright, Azariah C. Flagg, and the elder Benjamin F. Butler. After 1842 it split into factions (Barnburners and Hunkers) over issues of internal improvements and slavery, thereby losing its power.

Albany Congress, 1754, meeting at Albany, N.Y., of commissioners representing seven British colonies in North America to treat with the Iroquois, chiefly because war with France impended. A treaty was concluded, but the Native Americans of Pennsylvania were resentful of a land purchase made by that colony at Albany and allied themselves with the French in the ensuing French and Indian War. The meeting was notable as an example of cooperation among the colonies, but Benjamin Franklin's Plan of Union for the colonies, though voted upon favorably at Albany, was refused by the colonial legislatures (and by the crown) as demanding too great a surrender of their powers.

Albany, ancient and literary name of Scotland, N of the Firth of Forth and Firth of Clyde. Variants are Alban and Albin.

Albany, town (1996 pop. 14,590), Western Australia, SW Australia. It is a port on Princess Royal Harbour of King George Sound. The town has woolen mills and fish canneries. Founded in 1826 as a penal colony, Albany is the oldest settlement in the state of Western Australia.

Albany. 1 Residential city (1990 pop. 16,327), Alameda co., W Calif., on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay; inc. 1908. The city has varied manufacturing; Tilden Regional Park is nearby.

2 City (1990 pop. 78,122), seat of Dougherty co., SW Ga., on the Flint River; inc. 1841. The industrial center of a pecan- and peanut-producing area, it engages in food processing, meatpacking, and cotton milling. Manufactures include concrete, printing and publishing, fertilizer, millwork and lumber, construction materials, and transportation equipment. In the city are Albany State Univ., Albany Naval Air Station, and a U.S. Marine Corps supply center. The Georgia Pecan Festival is held annually. Nearby are Chehaw State Park and the Radium Springs resort. Albany was the scene of 1960s civil-rights confrontations and was severely damaged by flooding in 1994.

3 City (1990 pop. 101,082), state capital and seat of Albany co., E N.Y., on the west bank of the Hudson River; inc. 1686. A deepwater port of entry, it handles much shipping, has major oil storage facilities, and is a transshipment point for turbines and generators. Though now primarily a government and service center, the city retains significant manufacturing, trucking, and warehousing functions. Manufactures include metal fabrication, machine tools, cardboard and paper products, clothing and textiles, chemicals, plastics, cable and wire rope, and petroleum products.

After a decline in manufacturing in the 1950s, the city undertook revitalization efforts including the Empire State Plaza, a complex of state administrative buildings, convention facilities, parks, and the state museum and state library. The plaza faces the capitol, built (1867-98) in the French château style. The city is the seat of the State Univ. of New York at Albany; the schools of pharmacy, law, and medicine of Union Univ.; the College of St. Rose; and the Albany Institute of History and Art. Among many old buildings are the Schuyler mansion (1762); Ten Broeck Mansion (1798); and Cherry Hill (1768), the home of Philip Van Rensselaer. An annual tulip festival is held.

In 1609, Henry Hudson visited the site, and four years later the Dutch built Fort Nassau, a fur-trading post, on Castle Island. In 1624 several Walloon families began permanent settlement at the Dutch post of Fort Orange, renamed Albany after the English took control (1664). Albany was long important as a fur-trading center and was involved in the French and Indian Wars. In 1754 the Albany Congress met there, and in 1797 the state capital was moved to Albany from New York City. Albany's trade grew particularly after the opening of the Champlain and Erie canals in the 1820s.

4 City (1990 pop. 29,462), seat of Linn co., NW Oreg., on the Willamette River; inc. 1864. Many refractory metals are produced, including titanium, zirconium, and columbium. Other manufactures include food products, furniture, prefabricated homes, and construction materials. An annual world championship timber carnival is held there.

Albany, river, 610 mi (982 km) long, rising in Lake St. Joseph, W Ont., Canada, and flowing generally E into James Bay, near Fort Albany. The Kenogami and Ogoki rivers are its chief tributaries. The river, named for the duke of York and Albany, later James II, was long an important fur-trading route.

Conference convened by the British Board of Trade in 1754 at Albany, N.Y. They advocated a union of the British colonies in North America, in part to secure a defensive union against the French before the outbreak of the French and Indian War. In addition to colonial delegates, several representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy were present. Delegates including Benjamin Franklin supported a plan to unify the seven colonies, but it was never adopted. The plan became a model for proposals made during the American Revolution.

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City (pop., 2000: 95,658), capital of New York state, U.S. It lies along the Hudson River 145 mi (230 km) north of New York City. The first permanent settlement, named Beverwyck, was built in 1624 by the Dutch. When the British took the area in 1664, the village was renamed to honour the duke of York and Albany. In 1754 the Albany Congress adopted Benjamin Franklin's “Plan of Union.” In the 19th century Albany became a major transportation centre. Its focal point today is Empire State Plaza, a governmental, cultural, and convention complex.

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