I found wonderful book “WHO’S WHO IN SCOTTISH HISTORY” by Gordon Donaldson and Robert S Morpeth
None of the kings who reigned in Scotland in this period had a good fortune to find a biographer.
There were three kingdoms: Dalriada, Pictland and Stracthclyde. Although the later Scottish kings were to race their antecedents among the Kings of Dalriada and even to invent a list of rulers which began not with the historical Fergus about A. D. 500 but with an imaginary ‘Fergus I’ in 330 B.C. it was the Picts who occupied far the larger part of country and their kings, little though we know about them, must have been important figures.
Brude, son of Bile (d 693) began his reign about 671. He was evidently a great warrior, who said to have ‘destroyed’ the Orkneys in 682. And it was presumable he who besieged the fortresses of the Scots at Dundurn and Dunadd in 683. When Brude lured him into difficult terrain and then turned on him defeat and kill him at Nechtansmere (Dunniches near Forfar) on 20 may 685. Another great warrior King of the Picts was Angus, son of Fergus, whose reign is dathe from 731 and who died in 761. He was said to have captured Dunadd in 736 and to have ’overthrown Dalriada’ in 741.
The termination of the Pictish monarch and its suppression by the dynasty of the Scots of Dalriada came with Kenneth, son of Alpin d 858, who became King of Scots in 841 and of the Picts in 843, though his acceptance throughout the whole of Pictland may well have taken some time. Its appears that, at a point when the Picts, were suffering heavy defeats at the hand of Norse invaders, Kenneth had received reinforcements from Ireland which enabled him to invade Pictland. Kenneth may have had a claim to the Pictish throne through his mother, and conquest may have been a less important element than a dynastic union in bringing Scots and Pict together in one kingdom called Alba. Kenneth is said to have invaded England (that is Lothian) six times.
Constantine II, son of Kenneth was killed in battle against the Norse at Forgan in 177. Constantine III (900-42) had to deal with Norse attacks from almost all sides. Besides the King of England there was Danes and Britons but the confederacy was defeated at Brunauburh 937. Malcolm 9425-54 is said to have obtained from Edmund, King of England that he would hold it against the Norse, this can have been only a temporary arrangement Kenneth II 971-95 is said to have gained Lothian from the England King Edgar.
Kenneth II succeeded after the violent death of his 2nd cousin, Culen and was then himself killed by Constantine III, son of Culen. Kenneth III, Nephew of Kenneth II, killed Constantine III and was in his turn killed by Malcolm II son of Kenneth II. Malcom II tried to secure his position by liquidating Boilhe, who was the son of either Kenneth II or Kenneth III but this was not prevent Malcolm II’s grandson, Duncan I from being killed by Macbeth.
Malcolm II, King of Scots (c 954-1034) son of Kenneth II, who was king from 971 to 995. This may have been designated as his father’s heir but for 10 years the throne was contested by others members of the royal house. Malcolm continued the policy of his predecessors by aggression in the south, he was victorious over the men of Northumbria at Carham in 1016 or 1018. The Scots had control of the area between the Firth of Forth and the River Tweed. The death of the last King of Strathclyde or Cumbria, Malcolm’s son Duncan succeeded him. Malcolm established good relations with Earl Sigurd of Orkney, by married on his daughters and he was therefore grandfather of Earl Thorfinn, who succeeded Sigurd in 1014. Malcolm’s eldest daughter Bethoc married Crinan Abbot of Dunkeld and was the mother of Duncan I and third daughter many have been the mother of King Macbeth. Duncan died on 25 Nov 1034
Malcolm II was seceded by his grandson Duncan I (1010-40), the son of Crinan, Abbot of Dunkeld and Bethoc, Malcolm’s eldest daughter. Duncan, who had thus gained the throne by primogeniture, married a cousin of Siward, Earl of Northumbria, about 1030. In 1040m after incurring heavy losses in an unsuccessful siege of Durham, he was twice defeated by his cousin, Thorfinn, Earl of Orkney and then was killed by Macbeth at Pitgaveny near Elgin 14 Aug 1040. Macbeth was challenged by Crinan fell in fight. In 1054 Malcolm, the eldest son of Duncan, came up with Earl Siward of Northumbria and possibly gained the Lothians. He and his wife gave endowments to the Church and in 1050 he went on pilgrimage to Rome. Macbeth was defeated and killed by Malcolm, son of Duncan at Lumphana in Mar on 15 Aug 1057. Macbeth had no children. Macbeth stepson, Lulach (the Simple) who inherited Queen Gruoch’s claim to the throne. He was installed at Scone and held it until he was overthrown and killed by Malcolm at Essie in Strathbogie
Lulach’s son Malsnectai was forced in monastery by Malcolm there he died in 1805. His grandson by daughter was Angus. Mormaer of Moray, who was defeated and killed by David I in 1130. Crinan "the Thane" de Mormaer m’d Bethoc (Beatrix) Priincess of Scotland, Heiress of Scone
Children
Duncan I King of Scotland b abt 1013 m’d Sibyl Fitzsiward
Duncan and his wife Sibyl children
1 Malcolm III King of Scotland b abt 1033 Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland d 13 Nov 1093 Alnwick, Northumberland, England buried Holy Trinity Church, Dumferline, Fifeshire, Scotland m’d Ingeborg Finnsdatter b 1021 Osteraat, Yrje, Norway
2 Donald III aka Donald Bane (1033-1100)
Malcom III called ‘Canmore’ (means great head or chief) Kings of Scots (c 1031-1093). Malcolm had to take refuge in England when his father was overthrown by Macbeth in 1040. He stayed in England for at least fourteen years. In 1054 his kinsman, Earl Siward of Northumbria won a victory over Macbeth. Malcolm control the southern part of Scotland but could not become King until he defeated and killed Macbeth on 15 Aug 1057 and had encompassed the death of Lulach, Macbeth’s stepson on 17 Mar 1058. Malclom III 1st wife was Ingibjorg the daughter of Thorfinn Early Orkney. Thorfinn (1009-1065) was the eldest son of Earl Sigurd by a daughter of Malcolm II. Being like Duncan I, a grandson of Malcolm II he may well have believed that he had a claim to the Scotland throne. Thorfinn’s wife was named Ingibjorg and he had two sons paul and Erlend. It has been said that his widow subsequently married Malcolm III. This is impossible for Malcolm III wife to Thorfinn wife but she could be Thorfinn’s daughter.
Malcolm and Ingibjorg children
1 King Duncan II
2 Malcolm possibly killed in 1094
3 Donald d 1085
After her death (or possibly divorce on grounds of consanguinity) he married the English Princess Margaret about 1069. Margaret brother was Edgar the Altheling. Malcolm invaded England 5 times after he married Princess Margaret. The last and fifth invasion of England, during which he was killed at Alnwick 13 Nov 1093.
Malcolm and Margaret children
1 Edward mortally wounded at Alnwick.
2 Edmund who seems to have collaborated with his uncle Donald Bane in his seizure of the throne after Malcolm’s death, but who died a monk in England.
3 Ethelred, who succeeded to the family abbacy of Dunkeld
4 Edgar
5 Alexander I c 1007-1124 m’d Sybille d 1122 (the natural dau of Henry I of England)
6 David who became Kings of Scots.
7 Matilda 1080-1118 who married in 1100 Henry I England by whom she had a son William, lost at sea in 1120
8 The Empress Maud who was the mother of Henry II
9 Mary who married the Count of Boulogne and was the mother of the wife of King Stephen.
The wife of Malcolm III was Margaret the daughter of Edward “the Exile”a son of Edward Ironside and grandson of Ethelred II. When Cnut became King of England after Edmund death, Edward was banished and found his way to Hungary, when he married a German princess a had three children, Margaret, Christina and Edgar the Atheling. They return to England at the invitation of Edward uncle Edward the Confessor. The nephew Edward died with in few days or weeks after returning to England. His son Edgar claim to succeed Harold as King of England abt 1066. In about 1069 Edward “the Exile” family move to Scotland, where Margaret m’d Malcolm III. Margaret was canonized in 1249. Margaret died 16 Nov 1093 on hearing of her husband’s death.
Donald III aka Donald Bane (1033-1100) was an exile during Macbeth’s reign but found a refuge not, like his elder brother Malcolm, in England, but in the Isles. On Malcolm’s death 13 Nov 1093 Donald seized the throne and drove out the English whom Malcolm had introduced. In May 1094 he was ousted by his nephew, Duncan II but on 12 Nov after Duncan had been killed, Donald recovered the throne. By Oct of 1097 he was overthrown and it was by an English army send up to supersede him by Edgar, another son of English Margaret. Donald was captured by Edgar, who had him blinded. He was the last king of Scots to be buried in Iona.
Duncan II King of Scots c 1060-1094 the eldest son of Malcolm III was handed over to William the Conqueror as a hostage in 1072 but after the death of Conqueror in 1087 released and knighted, by William II (Rufus) Duncan ousted his uncle Donald Bane and establish himself as the King of Scots. Duncan to appease his Celtic subject rejected his English followers. 12 Nov, he was killed. During Duncan short reign he issued the earliest Scottish charter which has survived granting to the monks of Durham certain lands in East Lothian. Duncan m’d his kinswoman Octreda, daughter of Earl Gospatrick of Northumbria and left a son William Fitz Duncan d 1151 m’d Alice de Rumilly.
Edgar, King of Scots c 1074-1107 4th son of Malcolm III by Queen Margaret, fled to England after his father death. Abt 1095 King William Rufus acknowledged Edgar as rightful King of Scots. Edgar died unmarried on Jan 1107
David who became Kings of Scots c 1084-1153. The son of Malcolm III and Margaret, spent his youth in England. His sister, Matilda, was the wife of Henry I. David m’d Maud, daughter of and heiress of Walthof, Earl of Huntingdon, and widow of Simon de Senlis, brought him the earldom of Northampton and the honor of Huntingdon and made him the greatest baron in England. During the reign of his brother Alexander I, David ruled southern Scotland with the title of “EARL” and founded the abbeys of Selkirk. David’s generosity to the Church continued after he became king. David was no altruistic visionary. Apart from the contribution made by ecclesiastical institutions to the cohesion and stability of the realm, some his monks, with their interests in agriculture, sheep-farming, coal-working and salt-making, aided the economy. David and Maud had three or four sons but only one reach adulthood. His name was Henry c 1114-1152, Earl of Northumbria and Northampton, who married Ada, daughter of William, Earl of Warenne, and had three sons.
Henry and Ada children
1 Malcolm IV
2 William I
3 David the Earl of Huntingdon
And three daughters. On Henry’s death in 1152, David designated his grandson, Malcolm as his successor. He died at Carlisle on 24 May 1153
David the Earl of Huntingdon’s daughter: ISABEL (died circa 1251), second daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon, who was son of Prince Henry, Earl of Huntingdon, son and heir of David I, King of Scots m’d Robert de Brus
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Malcolm IV, King of Scots 1141-1165 Called ‘the Maiden’ was the eldest son of Henry, son of David I by Ada daughter of the Earl of Warenne. Malcolm tutor was his Uncle Waltheof, Abbot of Melrose. Malcolm father died July 1152. David instructed Duncan, Earl of Fife, to conduct the boy round the kingdom. Malcolm became King at the age of 12. Malcolm had evidently been infirm for some time before his death at Jedburgh on 9 Dec 1165. He was buried at Dunfermline. He never married.
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William I, King of Scots 1143-1214 is conventionally known as ‘the Lion’. He was the 2nd son of Henry, son of David I. On his father death, David assigned to William the earldom of Northumberland, but Henry II of England annexed it in 1165. William succeeded his brother Malcolm IV 9 Dec 1165. William was with Henry II in 1166 and spent Easter 1170 at Henry’s court at Windsor. 1174 he (William) joined with Henry’s son in his rebellion against his father and invaded England. Captured at Alnwick, he was taken to France, and by the Treaty of Falaise (8 Dec 1174) he acknowledged Henry as feudal superior of his kingdom and surrendered some Scottish castles. Queen Ermengrarde, who founded Balmerino Abbey in 1229, died in 1234. By her husband William had one son, Alexander II and three daughters. Margaret, Isabella and Marjory. None of them married English princes as agreed in 1209. They married Margaret m’d Hubert de Burgh, Isabella m’d Earl of Norfolk and Marjory m’d the Earl of Pembroke. William had 6 illegitimate children.
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The claim of JOHN BALLIOL to the Scottish throne was honored by Edward I 1286 by the suggesting of William Fraser, Bishop of St Andrews d 1297. Balliol claim arose through his descent from David Earl of Huntingdon c 1144-1219, the third son of Prince Henry, son of David I. David founded the abbey of Lindores c 1191, but after his marriage in 1190 to Maud, daughter of Hugh, Earl of Chester, his interests lay mainly in England. Apart from two sons who died young and one who did not marry. David had a fourth son John ‘the Scot’, who succeeded to the earldoms of Huntingdon and Chester but died without issue in 1237. It was therefore through Earl David’s daughters that the royal line continued after the death of the Maid of Norway, Margaret. The eldest daughter Margaret m’d Alan, Lord of Galloway and their daughter, Devorguillla, was the mother of John Balliol. The 2nd daughter, Isabella m’d Robert Bruce, Lord of Annandale; her son contested the throne with Balliol and his grandson became King as Robert I. Third, Ada, m’d Henry Hasting and their grandson, John Hastings, claimed in 1291, that Scotland, like any feudal fief, was divisible among heiresses and should therefore be partitioned among the Balliol, Bruce and himself.
John Balliol, King of Scots c1250-1313 was descended from John de Bailleul, Picard who was a landowner in England under William Rufus and whose son Guy, had appeared under David I. As the son of Devorguilla, Lady of Galloway, granddaughter of David , Earl of Huntingdon, Balliol represented the senior line in succession to the throne after the death of ‘the Maid of Norway’ in 1290. He had only just succeeded lordship of Galloway on his mother’s death. There were 12 competitors for the throne but Balliol’s main rival was Robert Bruce. When the Dispute was submitted to Edward I and the competitors all agreed to accept him as their lord, Edward chose Balliol, who was set on the Stone at Scone on 30 Nov 1292. Edward I wanted John to give him military service with the English army but insisted that John should answer in English courts for, among other things, the unpaid bills of King Alexander III. John’s counselors would not permit John to submitted to any indignity as to English authority. The Scots made an Alliance with England’s other enemy France, I 1295, and this brought on them retaliation by Edward, who defeated them heavily at Dunbar (27 Apr 1296). Balliol resigned his kingdom to Edward (10 July) and by being stripped of his royal insignia, became know as ’Toom Tabard’ (the empty cloak). He was taken to England as a prisoner but three years was allowed to retire to his French estates, where died. Balliol m’d daughter of the Earl Surrey and two sons Edward (who contested the throne of David II) and Henry who died with out issue. His sister Alianora m’d John Comyn Lord of Badenoch. Their son John “the Red Comyn” fought for Balliol in 1296. He could not co-operated amiably with the rival family of Bruce, and in a quarrel in 1299 he seized Robert Bruce, the future king, by the throat. In 1306, in circumstances which remain mysterious he was stabbed by Bruce in a quarrel at Dumfries and according to a picturesque tale was dispatched by one of Bruce’s followers, Roger Kirkpatrick.
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Robert Bruce ’The Competitor’ 1201-1295, the descendant of a Norman on whom the lordship of Annandale had been conferred by David I, was the son of Isabella, 2nd daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon. 1255 Robert was one of the guardians of young Alexander III but his career was for many years mainly in England. He supported Henry III against Simon de Montfort and after the latter’s overthrow at Evesham (1265) he became governor of Carlisle, sheriff of Cumberland and in 1268, Chief Justice of the Court of King’s Bench. His first marriage was to Isobel, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Glouscester and Hereford and 2nd to Christina, daughter of Sir William de Ireby. In 1270, he went on a crusade with Edmund, the youngest son of Henry III. In 1284, he acknowledged Margaret, ’the Maid of Norway’ as heiress to the Scottish throne, but on Alexander III’s death in 1286 he rose in arms to claim the throne in virtue of an alleged declaration by Alexander II (then childless) in 1238 that he, as a male, should be preferred to the daughter of his mother’s elder sister. In 1290 on the death of ’the Maid of Norway, he renewed his claim and in 1291, along with his son, swore fealty to Edward I, to whose judgment the competition for the throne was remitted. After Edward appointed Balliol as King. Bruce resigned his rights to his son Robert, who had become Earl of Carrick by his marriage c1272 to Marjory, daughter and heiress of Neil, Earl of Carrick. Carrick who lived until 1304, was the father of King Robert I, to whom he had resigned his earldom in 1292 and of Edward, King of Ireland as well as of three other sons, Thomas, Alexander and Nigel all of whom were put to death by the English.
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Robert I, King of Scots 1274-1329 was the grandson of the Robert Bruce who contested the throne with John Balliol in 1291. His parents were Robert Bruce and Marjory, Countess of Carrick and he was born, probably at Turnberry on 11 July 1274 His fathe, who held the earldom of Carrick in right of his wife, resigned it to his son in 1292. In 1297 while his father remained on the side of Edward, Robert joined William Wallace’s rising but there is no evidence that he took any part in the battles of Stirling Bridge and Falkirk. After Wallace’s defeat, Bruce continued to associate with those who maintained resistance and in Dec 1298 he was appointed one of the Guardians of the Realm. Yet in 1302 while others were continuing resistance with some effect, Bruce submitted to Edward, possibly because he feared a Balliol restoration under English aspics and thought that his lands as well as his claim to the throne might be in danger. Bruce quarreled with John Comyn at Dumfires in which the latter was killed. He was inaugurated as King at Scone 25 Mar 1306 and crowned by Isabella, Countess of Buchan 27 Mar.
Bruce married 1st c 1295 Isabella , daughter of Donald, Earl of Mar, by whom he had a daughter Marjory and 2nd in 1302 Elizabeth d 1327 daughter of Earl of Ulster who bore the future David II. In 1315 Bruce had no son , the succession was settled Marjory’s consent on his brother Edward, as a man skilled in war and fitted to defend the kingdom. Edward c 1276-1318 had taken part in his brother’s campaigns, first by overrunning Galloway in 1308 and the Battle of Bannonckburn had been the outcome of his agreement in 1313 with the governor of Stirling Castle that the castle would surrendered if ti were not relieved Midsummer Day 1314. Edward was styled Lord of Galloway in 1309 and was created Earl of Carrick, abt 1313. Edward land in Larne May 1315 was crowned King of Ireland. He was killed in 1318 at Dundalk and leaving no issue. Marjory Bruce too, was now dead and in 1318 the crown was settled, failing male issue of King Robert , on Robert ( later Robert II) her son by Walter the Steward. Thus the Steward/Stewart reign began
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Robert II, King of Scots 1316-1390 was descended from Flaald, a Breton, who was a landholder in England under Henry I and whose grandson, Walter FitzAlan, became hereditary Steward of Scotland under David I. Walter, the sixth High Steward, married Marjory, daughter of Robert I, in 1315 and their son Robert born on 2 Mar 1316 was declared heir presumptive in 1318. He succeeded as Steward on his father’s death in 1326. When Robert I died 1329 his son David II b 1324 became King and David’s nephew Robert who was 8 years older then David II became 2nd place. Robert shared in the command at the battle of Hilidon. At Neville’s Cross in 1346 the Steward was among the Scottish commanders. The David II was captured and Robert became the guardian of the kingdom until David returned from his English captivity in 1357. When David died, Robert succeeded (12 Feb 1371) As early as 1381 his eldest son, the Earl of Carrick was associated with him in the government and in 1384 was effect appointed to rule in his place. In 1388 when Carrick himself had become a chronic invalid the King’s next son Robert, Earl of Fife, was appointed.
Robert have several children by Elizabeth Mure daughter of Adam Mure of Rowallan before he married the lady on 22 Nov 1347. He and his wife were related within the forbidden degrees, it was debatable whether the papal dispensation for their marriage could legitimate the children already born to them. After Elizabeth Mure death he married Euphemia Ross 1355 by who had two sons there is no dispute. In 1373 an Act of Succession was passed, assigning the crown to the three surviving sons of the first marriage in turn and their heirs males, whom failing the two sons of the second marriage and their heir males. Robert II died at Dundonald on 19 Apr 1390 and was buried at Scone.
Robert and Elizabeth sons and daughters
1 John who succeeded as Robert III
2 Walter who died about 1362
3 Robert , Earl of Fife and later Duke of Albany 1339-1420 m’d Margaret, Countess of Menteith. At which time Robert became the Earl of Menteith. (a son from this marriage was name Murdock b 1362-1425) and 2nd m‘d Muriell Keith (three sons, John; Andrew d 1413 and Robert d 1431)
4 Alexander Lord of Badenock
And five daughters.
Robert and Euphemia sons
1 David, Earl of Stathearn
2 Walter Earl of Atholl m‘d Isabella, Countess of Fife and on the death of Robert his brother he became the Earl of Fife and Menteith but 1398 he was created Duke of Albany. During his fathers reign he became keeper of Stirling Castle 1373
And two daughters.
Robert also had 8 illegitimate sons.
Robert III King of Scots c 1337-1406 was eldest son of Robert II Elizabeth Mure and was baptized John. He was created Earl of Carrick in 1368 and before his father’s death he was already something of an invalid following a kick from horse. When Carrick succeeded on 19 Apr 1390 he assumed the name of Robert for John was considered unlucky name for King. Robert III was about 53 when became King. During much of his reign real power lay with his next brother Robert Earl of Fife and Duke of Albany. Disorder grew in the realm, until it was remarked that there was no law in Scotland and the whole kingdom was as den of thieves. Alexander, Lord of Badenoch, Robert brother, burned Eligin Cathedral. David of Duke of Rothesay and Kings heir was appointed Lieutenant of the kingdom but he act with advice of councilors among whose names that of Albany stood first. With death of David Rothsay 1402. The Old King in the hope of preserving his younger son James arranged for him to be sent to France for safety. But he was captured by the English at sea. The King may have felt increasing in security for he withdrew to the castle of Rothesay on his ancestral island of Bute. There he died 4 Apr 1406. Robert’s wife Annabella Drummond daughter of Sir John Drummond of Stobhall whom he had married in 1367 and died 1401.
Robert and Annabella children
1 David 1378-1402 was betrothed 1st to Euphemia sister of David 1st Earl of Crawford, the to Elizabeth daughter of George, Earl of March but in Feb 1400 m’d Marjory daughter of Archibald 3rd Earl of Douglas.
2 Robert (who did young)
3 James
And four daughters.
He had 2 recorded illegitimate sons.
THE GREAT HISTORIC FAMILIES OF SCOTLAND [p.6] THE ANCIENT EARLDOM OF MAR. INTRODUCTION. By Taylor, James. The Great Historic Families of Scotland . London: J.S Virtue & Co., 1889.
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THE clan Mackenzie, of which the Earls of Seaforth were the chiefs, has been conspicuous in Scottish history from the days of King Robert Bruce down to the present century. As is usually the case with Highland families, there is a difference of opinion respecting their origin. According to one account, the Seaforth family are descended from a younger son of COLIN OF TIlE AIRD, progenitor of the powerful Earls of Ross, and their designation was derived from KENNETH, the grandson of their founder, who received from David II. a charter of the lands of Kintail in 1362. This view of the origin of the Mackenzies is corroborated, and, Mr. Skene says, completely set at rest by a manuscript of date 1450—the oldest Gaelic genealogical account on record—which states that the Mackenzies are descended from a certain Gilleon Og, or Colin the Younger, a son of Gilleon na h'Airde, the ancestor of the Rosses, and consequently must always have formed an integral part of the ancient and powerful native Gaelic tribe of Ross. The Mackenzies held their lands of the Earls of Ross until the forfeiture of those potent and turbulent chiefs. See Mr. Skene's Highlands of Scotland, pp. 223-5, and Celtic Magazine, iii. pp. 41-9.* On the other hand, an old and cherished, though erroneous, tradition represents them as having derived their origin from Colin Fitzgerald, a cadet of the great house of Geraldine in Ireland, who, having been driven from his native country, took refuge in Scotland, and, as a reward for his valour at the battle of Largs, received from Alexander a grant of the barony of Kintail.|R†|r He was also appointed governor of the [p.186] royal fortress of Ellandonan. According to a legend handed down from early times, an important service rendered to Alexander III. by Kenneth, son of this Colin, greatly advanced if it did not lay the foundation of his fortunes. That monarch, it is said, on one occasion held a royal hunting-match in the Forest of Mar. It was at the season when the deer are fiercest, and the King, accidentally separated from his attendants, was exposed to imminent peril by a stag which assailed him, when young Kenneth hastened to the rescue of the King, exclaiming 'Cudich an Righ Cudich an Righ' and sprang between Alexander and the deer, with his naked sword in his hand, and severed its head from its body at one stroke. The brave youth was immediately attached to the royal service and liberally rewarded with grants of land. The Caberfae (the deer's head) was taken as his crest, and Cudich an Righ became his motto and that of his descendants. It is quite possible that the tradition respecting the service which the ancestor of the Mackenzies rendered to the King may be substantially correct, though he was certainly the son of Colin of the Aird and not of Colin Fitzgerald.*
page 371
THE Hays are amongst the oldest and most illustrious of the historic families of Scotland, but their realorigin has been obscured by a fabulous traditionary story which would still appear to be held for gospel truth in the northern district of Aberdeenshire, as various allusions were made to it on the banners and triumphal arches displayed when the eldest son of the present Earl came of age, as well as in the speeches delivered on that occasion. It is said that in the reign of Kenneth III., the Danes invaded Scotland, and encountered a Scottish army commanded by their king at Luncarty, near Perth. The battle was long and fiercely contested, but at length the two wings of the Scottish forces were compelled to give way. As they were flying from the field, pursued by the victorious Danes, a husbandman named Hay, who happened, along with his two sons, to be at work in a neighbouring field, armed only with the yokes of their ploughs, stationed themselves in a narrow pass through which the fugitives were hurrying, compelled them to halt in their flight, restored the battle, and gained a complete victory. 'Sone after,' says Hector Boece, 'ane counsal was sat at Scone in the quhilk Hay and his sons were maid nobil and doted for their singular virtew provin in this field, with sundray lands to sustane thair estait. It is said that he askit fra the King certane lands liand betwixt Tay and Arole, and gat als mekil thairof, as ane falcon flew of ane man's hand or scho lichtit. The falcon flew to ane tower, four miles fra Dunde, called Rosse, and lichtit on ane stane quhilk is yet callit the Falcon Stane, and sa he gat all the lands betwixt Tay and Arole, six milis of lenth and four of breid, quhilk lands are yet inhabit by his posteritie.' In proof of the truth of this story an appeal is made to the arms of the Hays—three escutcheons supported by two peasants, each carrying an ox-yoke on his shoulder, [p.371] with a falcon for the crest. In all probability, however, this story, which is entirely fabulous, was invented to explain
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The first mormaor of Mar whose name has come down to our day in a written document was Martachus, who in 1065 was witness to a charter of Malcolm Canmore in fayour of the Culdees of Lochleven. His son, Gratnach, who about fifty years later witnessed the foundation charter of the monastery of Scone by Alexander I., appears to have been the first of the great hereditary rulers of Mar who bore the title of earl. From this period downward the heads of the house of Mar filled a most influential position at the Court and in the national councils; they held the highest offices in the royal household, and took a prominent part in most of the great events in the history of the country. They were connected by a double marriage with the illustrious line of Bruce; the restorer of Scottish independence having taken to wife a daughter of David, sixth Earl of Mar, while Gratney, seventh earl, married Christiana, sister of King Robert, and received as part of her dowry the strong castle of Kildrummie, in Aberdeenshire, which was long the chief seat of the family. His son Donald, eighth earl, was taken prisoner in 1306, at the battle of Methven, in which his royal uncle was defeated, and did not regain his liberty till after the crowning victory of Bannockburn. On the death of Randolph, the famous Earl of Moray, Earl Donald was chosen Regent in his stead, August 2nd, 1332. But only two days thereafter he was killed, at the battle of Dupplin, in which the Scots were surprised and defeated with great slaughter by the 'Disinherited Barons.'
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Thomas, the ninth earl, or, according to another mode of reckoning, the thirteenth who enjoyed that dignity, was one of the most powerful nobles of his day. He held the office of Great Chamberlain of Scotland, and was repeatedly sent as ambassador to England. He died in 1377, leaving no issue, and in him ended the [p.8] direct male line of the Earls of Mar. His sister Margaret was, at the time of Earl Thomas's death, the wife of William, Earl of Douglas, nephew and heir of the 'Good Sir James,' the friend of Robert Bruce. On the death of his brother-in-law he obtained possession of the historical earldom of Mar and transmitted it, along with his own hereditary titles and estates, to his son James, the hero of Otterburn, 'the dead man that won a fight'—one of the most renowned in Scottish history. The Douglas estates were inherited by Archibald 'the Grim,' the kinsman of Earl James, while the earldom of Mar passed to his sister, Isabella, wife of Sir Malcolm Drummond, brother of Annabella, Queen of Scotland, wife of Robert III. About the year 1403, Sir Malcolm was suddenly surprised by a band of ruffians, who treated him with such barbarity that he soon after died, leaving no issue. This outrage was universally ascribed to Alexander Stewart, natural son of the Earl of Buchan, the 'Wolf of Badenoch,' fourth son of Robert II. After the death of her husband the Countess was residing quietly and in fancied security at her castle of Kildrummie, when it was suddenly attacked and stormed by Stewart at the head of a formidable band of Highland freebooters and outlaws, and either by violence or persuasion the young Countess was induced to become the wife of the redoubted cateran, and to make over to him, on the 12th of August, 1404, her earldom of Mar and Garioch, with all her other castles. In order, however, to give a legal aspect to the transaction, Stewart presented himself, on the 19th of September, at the gate of the castle of Kildrummie, and surrendered to the Countess 'the castle and all within it, and the title deeds therein kept; in testimony thereof he delivered to her the keys to dispose of as she pleased.' The Countess, holding the keys in her hand, declared that deliberately and of her own free will she chose Stewart for her husband, and conferred upon him the castle, pertinents, &c., as a free marriage gift, of which he took instruments. It appears that even this formal transaction was not deemed sufficient to give validity to the transaction, for on the 9th December following, the Countess, taking her station in the fields outside her castle, in the presence of the Bishop of Ross, and the sheriff and posse comitatus of the county, along with the tenantry on the estate, that it might appear that she was really acting without force on Stewart's part or fear on hers, granted a charter to him of her castle and estates duly signed and sealed.
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The origin of the Keiths is hid amid the mists of antiquity, and the stories told by the early chroniclers respecting their descent from the German tribe of the 'Catti,' who were driven from their own country and took refuge in Caithness, are absurd fictions. All that is known with certainty on the subject is, that in the reign of David I., when Norman, Saxon, Flemish, and Scandinavian settlers in great numbers took up their residence in Scotland, a part of the district of Keith, in East Lothian, was possessed by a baron named HERVEIUS, who witnessed the charter by which King David granted Annandale to Robert de Brus. His estate received from him the designation of Keith Hervei, and afterwards of Keith Marischal. Herveus de Keith, the son of this baron, held the office of King's Marischal under Malcolm IV. and William I., which from this time became hereditary in the family. Philip, his grandson, who died before 1220, succeeded him in his estate and office, and by his marriage with Eda, grand-daughter and heiress of Simon Fraser, [p.99] obtained Keith Hundeby (now Humbie), the other half of the barony of Keith.
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THE Campbells of Breadalbane are the most powerful branch of the house of Argyll; indeed, in the extent and value of their estates they surpass the parent stock. They are descended from Sir Colin Campbell, third son of Duncan, first Lord Campbell of Lochaw, by Marjory Stewart, daughter of Robert, Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland. In the 'Black Book of Taymouth,' printed by the Bannatyne Club, from an old manuscript preserved m Taymouth Castle, it is stated that 'Duncan Campbell, commonly called Duncan in Aa, Knight of Lochaw (lineallie descendit of a valiant man surnamit Campbell quha cam to Scotland in King Malcolm Kandmore his time, about the year of God 1067, of quhom came the house of Lochaw) flourished in King David Bruce his dayes. The foresaid Duncan begat twa sons, the elder callit Archibald, the other namit Colin, wha was first laird of Glenurchay.' That estate was bestowed on him by his father. It was the original seat of the M'Gregors, who were settled there as early as the reign of Malcolm Canmore. It was gradually wrested from them by the Campbells in pursuance of the hereditary policy of their family, and in the reign of David II. they managed to procure a legal title to the lands of Glenorchy, but the M'Gregors continued for a long time to retain possession of their ancient inheritance by the strong hand. SIR COLIN CAMPBELL, the founder of the Glenorchy or Breadalbane branch of the clan, Douglas says, 'was a man of high renown for military prowess and for the virtues of social and domestic life. He was a stream of many tides against the foes of the people, but like the gale that moves the heath to those who sought his aid.' He was born about A.D. 1400, and, says the 'Black Book,' 'throch his valiant actis and manheid maid knicht in the Isle of Rhodes, quhilk standeth in the Carpathian Sea near to Curia [p.263] and countrie of Asia the Less, and he was three sundrie tymes in Rome.' After the murder of James I., in 1437, Sir Colin took prompt and active measures to bring the assassins to justice, and succeeded in capturing two of them, named Chalmers and Colquhoun. For this service James II. afterwards conferred upon him the barony of Lawers. In 1440 Sir Colin erected the Castle of Kilchurn (properly Coalchuirn) on a rocky promontory at the east end of Loch Awe, under the shadow of the majestic Ben Cruachan, at no great distance from the Pass of Brander, where the M'Dougalls of Lorne were defeated by Robert Bruce. This 'child of loud-throated war,' as the castle is termed by Wordsworth, is now a picturesque ruin, which has been repeatedly sketched by eminent painters. 'From the top of the hill,' says Miss Wordsworth in her Journal, 'a most impressive scene opened upon our view—a ruined castle on an island (for an island the flood had made it) at some distance from the shore, backed by a cove of the mountain Cruachan, down which carne a foaming stream. The castle occupied every foot of the island that was visible, thus appearing to rise out of the water. Mists rested upon the mountain-side, with spots of sunshine; there was a wild desolation in the low grounds, a solemn grandeur in the mountains, and the castle was wild yet stately—not dismantled of turrets nor the walls broken down, though obviously a ruin.'—See 'Address to Kilchurn Castle, upon Loch Awe,' Wordsworth's Poetical Works, pp. 117—125.*
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CAWDOR is indelibly associated with the name of Macbeth, and the tragedy of which, according to local tradition, it was the scene, and which the genius of Shakespeare has woven into 'the most striking tale of ambition and remorse that ever struck awe into a human bosom.' It has been justly remarked that had the 'gracious Duncan' possessed as many lives as a cat, Scottish tradition has local habitations for taking them all. He was undoubtedly murdered at Glamis, certainly at Cawdor, and positively at the Castle of Inverness—all by proof irrefragable. The investigations of modern historians, however, have led to the conclusion that Duncan was not murdered at all, but fell in battle against Macbeth, who was the hereditary Mormaor of Ross and, in right of his wife, Graach, Mormaor of Moray. This lady, who herself had a good title to the Crown, had suffered fearful wrongs at the hands of Malcolm, Duncan's grandfather and immediate predecessor on the throne. Her grandfather had been dethroned and killed by Malcolm, her brother assassinated, and her first husband, the Mormaor of Moray, burned in his castle along with fifty of his friends. Macbeth, too, had wrongs of his own to avenge, for his father also had been slain by Malcolm. Thus instigated by revenge and ambition, he attacked and slew Duncan, in the year 1039, at a place called Bothgowan, near Elgin. But in spite of all that historians and genealogists can allege or prove, implicit credit is still given to the story told by the great dramatist, and Macbeth continues to be regarded as having undoubtedly been Thane of Cawdor.
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Several centuries before the extinction of the male line of the family in Normandy, a junior branch of the Maules had taken root in Scotland. A son of Peter, the first Lord Maule of that name, accompanied William the Conqueror into England, and received from him a part of the lordship of Hatton de Cleveland, in Yorkshire, and other extensive estates. ROBERT DE MAULE, one of his sons, became attached to David, Earl of Huntingdon, afterwards David I. of Scotland, and obtained from him a grant of lands in Midlothian. His eldest son, WILLIAM DE MAULE, was with King David at the Battle of the Standard, A.D. 1138, and received from that monarch a gift of the lands of Fowlis, in the Carse of Gowrie. He died without male issue, and the line of succession was carried on through ROGER MAULE, his younger brother—the progenitor of the Maules of Panmure. His grandson, SIR PETER MAULE, married Christian, only child and heiress of William de Valoniis, the representative of a great Norman family whose immediate ancestor settled in Scotland at the end of the reign of Malcolm IV., and was appointed by William the Lion High Chamberlain about 1180. Sir Peter obtained [p.322] with her the baronies of Panmure and Benvie in Forfarshire, and other estates both in England and Scotland, thus uniting the fortunes of two ancient and influential houses. He had two sons, WILLIAM—by whom he was succeeded—and SIR THOMAS, who was a soldier of distinguished valour and 'a most audacious knight in mind and body.' His character has been oftener than once reproduced in the family. He was governor of Brechin Castle, the only fortress in the north which shut its gates against Edward I. in his progress through the country in 1303. 'Trusting to the strength of the walls, the governor made no account of the war machines brought against them. The King of England's men incessantly threw stones against the walls without effect. Sir Thomas held the castle for twenty days against the assaults of the English army, and was so confident of its strength that he stood on the ramparts and contemptuously wiped off with a towel the dust and rubbish raised by the stones thrown from the English battering engines.' Wallace Papers, p. 21.* But he was at last mortally wounded by a splinter broken from the wall by the force of a stone missile. 'While he lay expiring on the ground, being asked if the castle should now be surrendered, he cursed the men as cowards who made the suggestion.'|R†|r The garrison, however, capitulated next day. Henry de Maule of Panmure, the nephew of this gallant soldier, fought on the patriotic side in the War of Independence, and was knighted for his services by King Robert Bruce. Sir Thomas Maule, the head of the family at the commencement of the fifteenth century, fought under the banner of the Earl of Mar at the sanguinary battle of Harlaw, in August, 1411, along with the chivalry of Angus and Mearns, and was among the slain. As the old ballad says—
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THE founder of the Drummond family was long believed to have been 'a Hungarian gentleman, named MAURICE, who was said by Lord Strathallan, in his history of the family, to have piloted the vessel in which Edgar Atheling and his two sisters embarked for Hungary in 1066. They were driven, however, by a storm to land upon thenorth side of the Firth of Forth, near Queensferry, and took refuge at the Court of Malcolm Canmore,which was then held at Dunfermline. After the marriage of the Scottish king to the Princess Margaret, the Hungarian, as a reward for his skilful management of the vessel in the dangerous sea voyage, was rewarded by Malcolm with lands, offices, and a coat-of-arms, and called Drummond; 'and so it seems,' says Lord Strathallan, 'this Hungarian gentleman got his name, either from the office as being captaine, director, or admiral to Prince Edgar and his company—for Dromont or Dromend in divers nations was the name of a ship of a swift course, and the captaine thereof was called Droment or Dromerer—or otherwise the occasion of the name was from the tempest they endured at sea;' for Drummond, his lordship thinks, might be made up of the Greek word for water, and meant a hill, 'signifying high hills of waters; or Drummond, from drum, which in our ancient language is a height.' The myth was enlarged with additional and minute particulars by succeeding historians of the family. Mr. Malcolm exalts the Hungarian gentleman to the position of a royal prince of Hungary, and affirms that he was the son of George, a younger son of Andrew, King of Hungary. The late Mr. Henry Drummond, the banker, and M.P. for West Surrey, in his splendid work, entitled, 'Noble British Families,' adopts and improves upon the statements of the previous writers, and gives the Hungarian prince a royal pedigree in [p.87] Hungary for many generations anterior to his coming to Scotland in 1066. All three agree in stating that thefirst lands given to that Hungarian by Malcolm Canmore lay in Dumbartonshire, and included the parish of Drummond in Lennox.
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Mr. Fraser, in his elaborate and most interesting work, entitled, 'The Red Book of Menteith,' has proved,by conclusive evidence, that these statements respecting the origin of the Drummond family are purely apocryphal. The word Drummond, Drymen, or Drummin, is used as a local name in several counties of Scotland, and is derived from the Celtic word druim, a ridge or knoll. The first person who can be proved to have borne the name was one Malcolm of Drummond, who, along with his brother, named Gilbert, witnessed the charters of Maldouen, third Earl of Lennox, from 1225 to 1270. But this Malcolm was simply a chamberlain to the Earl. Mr. Drummond states that he was made hereditary thane or seneschal of Lennox, which is quite unsupported by evidence; and he asserts that Malcolm's estates reached from the shores of the Gareloch, in Argyllshire, across the counties of Dumbarton and Stirling into Perthshire, which Mr. Fraser has shown to be an entire mistake. Instead of the Barony of Drymen, or Drummond, having been granted to a Prince Maurice by Malcolm Canmore in 1070, the lands belonged to the Crown previous to the year 1489, when for the first time they were let on lease to John, first Lord Drummond, and afterwards granted to him as feu-farm. The earliest charter to the family of any lands having a similar name was granted in 1362, by Robert Stewart of Scotland, Earl of Strathern, to Maurice of Drummond, of the dominical lands, or mains of Drommand and Tulychravin, in the earldom of Strathern. It is doubtful if he ever entered into possession of these lands; but it is clear that, whether he did so or not, they did not belong to the Drummond family previous to the grant of 1362, but were part of the estates of the Earl of Strathern, and that they are wholly distinct from the lands and lordship of Drummond afterwards acquired by John Drummond, who sat in Parliament 6th May, 1471, under the designation of Dominus de Stobhall, and, sixteen years later, was created a peer of Parliament by James III.
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The lands of Roseneath, in Dumbartonshire, were also said by Mr. Henry Drummond to have beengranted by Malcolm Canmore to the alleged Hungarian prince, but these lands were in reality acquired by the Drummonds in 1372, by a grant from Mary, Countess of Menteith, and were soon restored. The bars wavy, the armorial bearings of the Drummonds, were alleged to have been taken from the tempestuous waves of the sea, when Maurice the Hungarian piloted the vessel which carried Edgar Atheling and his sisters. The late Mr. John Riddell affirms that this supposed origin of the Drummond arms is too absurd and fabulous to claim a moment's attention. Mr. Fraser has shown that the bars wavy were the proper arms of the Menteith earldom, and that the Drummonds, as feudal vassals of the Earls of Menteith, according to a very common practice in other earldoms, adopted similar arms.
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The Drummonds were not only a brave and energetic race, but they were conspicuous for their handsomepersons and gallant bearing. Good looks ran in their blood, and the ladies of the family were famous for their personal beauty, which no doubt led to the great marriages made by them, generation after generation, with the Douglases, Gordons, Grahams, Crawfords, Kers, and other powerful families,which greatly increased the influence and possessions of their house. Margaret, daughter of Malcolm, Lord Drummond, and widow of Sir John Logie, became the second wife of David II., who seems to have been familiar with her during her husband's lifetime. The Drummonds gave a second queen to Scotland in the person of Annabella, the saintly wife of Robert III., and mother of the unfortunate David, Duke of Rothesay, and of James I., whose 'depth of sagacity and firmness of mind' contributed not a little to the good government of the kingdom. They had nearly given another royal consort to share the throne of James IV., who was devotedly attached to Margaret, eldest daughter of the first Lord Drummond, a lady of great beauty. The entries in the Lord High Treasurer's accounts respecting the frequent rich presents lavishedon a certain Lady Margaret, which have been adduced as proofs of the relation in which Lady Margaret Drummond stood to James, have been proved to refer to Lady Margaret Stewart, the King's aunt. James, indeed, was a mere boy when those sums were paid; his connection with Margaret Drummond did not commence until the summer of 1496.* But that king's purpose to marry her was frustrated by her death, in consequence of poison administered by some of the nobles, who were envious of the honour which was a third time about to be conferred on her family. Her two younger sisters, who accidentally partook of the poisoned dish, shared her fate. The historian of the Drummonds states that James was 'affianced to Lady Margaret, and meant to make her his queen without consulting his council. He was opposed by those nobles who wished him to wed Margaret Tudor. His clergy likewise protested against his marriage as within the prohibited degrees. Before the King could receive the dispensation, his wife (the Lady Margaret) was poisoned at breakfast at Drummond Castle, with her two sisters. Suspicion fell on the Kennedys—a rival house, a member of which, Lady Janet Kennedy, daughter of John, Lord Kennedy, had borne a son to the King.' A slightly different account is given in 'Morreri's Dictionary,' on the authority of a manuscript history of the family of Drummond, [p.92] composed in 1689. It is there stated that Lady Margaret, daughter of the first Lord Drummond, 'was so muchbeloved by James IV. that he wished to marry her, but as they were connected by blood, and adispensation from the Pope was required, the impatient monarch concluded a private marriage, fromwhich clandestine union sprang a daughter, who became the wife of the Earl of Huntly. The dispensation having arrived, the King determined to celebrate his nuptials publicly; but the jealousy of some of the nobles against the house of Drummond suggested to them the cruel project of taking off Margaret by poison, in order that her family might not enjoy the glory of giving two queens to Scotland.' The threeyoung ladies thus 'foully done to death' were buried in a vault, covered with three blue marble stones, in the choir of the cathedral of Dunblane.
All this is, no doubt, very interesting, but until this MS. history of the Hays is produced, and thecircumstances in which it was found are made known, the alleged Celtic origin of the family must beregarded as a romance, and we must continue to believe that the Hays are in reality a branch of theNorman family of de Haya. [p.373] They derive their designation from an estate in Normandy, and their armorial bearings are thesame as those borne by families of the name in Italy, France, and England. A Sieur de la Haya accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1066. A William de la Haya, who married a daughter ofRanulph de Soulis, Lord of Liddesdale, was principal butler to Malcolm IV., about the middle of thetwelfth century, and to his brother, William the Lion, who bestowed on him the lands of Errol. SIR GILBERT DE LA HAYA and his brother HUGH, descendants in the fifth generation from this royalbutler, were amongst the first of the Scottish barons to repair to the standard of Robert Bruce, and were present at his coronation. Hugh was taken prisoner at the battle of Tippermuir, but Gilbert made hisescape, with Bruce and a small body of his followers, into the wilds of Athole, and shared in all hissubsequent perils and privations. Hugh must in some way have regained his liberty, for he fought, along with his brother, at Bannockburn. Sir Gilbert was created, by King Robert Bruce, HIGH CONSTABLE OF SCOTLAND— an office which was made hereditary in his family, and received from his grateful sovereign a
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ALEXANDER MENTEITH, sixth Earl of Menteith, elder brother of the 'false Menteith,' fought on the patriotic side in the War of Independence, and in consequence lay for a considerable time in an English dungeon. His son, ALAN MENTEITH, seventh earl, a staunch supporter of Robert Bruce, was taken prisoner at the battle of Methven, in 1306, when the fortunes of the patriot king were at the lowest ebb, was deprived of his estates by Edward I., and died in an English dungeon. He was succeeded by his brother, MURDOCH STEWART, who was killed at the battle of Dupplin, 12th April, 1332. His niece, LADY MARY, only daughter of Earl Alan, who appears to have been under age at the time of her father's death, now became Countess of Menteith. She married Sir John Graham, who is supposed to have been the younger son of Sir Patrick Graham of Kincardine, ancestor of the Montrose family, and became Earl of Menteith apparently by courtesy through his wife. He accompanied [p.21] David II. in his invasion of England in 1346. He was present at the battle of Durham, and, when the archers were almost within bowshot, earnestly urged the King to send a body of cavalry to charge them in flank. His advice was unhappily disregarded, and when the archers were about to direct their deadly volleys on the serried ranks of the Scottish spearmen, the Earl exclaimed, 'Give me but a hundred horse and I engage to disperse them all; so shall we be able to fight more securely.' His appeal was, however, unheeded, and hastily leaping upon his horse, and followed only by his own retainers, he rushed upon the advancing bowmen. But his gallant attack was not supported. His horse was killed under him, and after bravely, but vainly, striving to arrest the advance of the enemy, he was compelled to retire to the main body of the Scottish army. After a stout battle, which lasted for three hours, the Earl was taken prisoner, along with his sovereign, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. By the direct orders of King Edward, he was tried and condemned as a traitor, on the plea that he had at one time sworn fealty to the English King, and was drawn, hanged, beheaded, and quartered.
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LADY MARGARET GRAHAM, only child of the heroic Sir John Graham, Earl of Menteith, and Lady Mary his countess, inherited the earldom about the year 1360. She was four times married, twice before she had attained the age of twenty years; and she received five dispensations from the Roman Pontiff to enable her to enter into her successive matrimonial alliances. Her first husband, to whom she was married when she was fourteen, was Sir John Moray of Bothwell, son of Sir Andrew Moray, who was regent of the kingdom during the minority of David II. He died about the close of the year 1351 without issue. The hand of Lady Margaret was next sought in marriage by Thomas, thirteenth Earl of Mar, the last male heir of the ancient race of that house, to whom she was married in 1352; but she was soon after divorced by him, Fordun says by the instigation of the devil and on pretences that were utterly false.
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'From this instrument the following circumstances may be collected:—
'1. The death of David, Prince of Scotland, occasioned a parliamentary inquiry.
'2. His uncle, Robert, Duke of Albany, and his brother-in-law, Archibald, Earl of Douglas, were at least suspected of having confined him and put him to death.
'3. The result of the inquiry was that the Duke of Albany and the Earl of Douglas avowed that they had confined him, and justified their conduct from the basis of public utility.
'4. The King did not hold it as expedient or necessary to publish these motives to the world.
'5. It appeared that the "Prince of Scotland departed this life through Divine Providence, and not otherwise." The reader will determine as to the import of this phrase. If by it a natural death was intended, the circumlocution seems strange and affected.
'6. The Duke of Albany and the Earl of Douglas obtained a remission in terms as ample as if they had actually murdered the heir-apparent
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The origin of the Keiths is hid amid the mists of antiquity, and the stories told by the early chroniclers respecting their descent from the German tribe of the 'Catti,' who were driven from their own country and took refuge in Caithness, are absurd fictions. All that is known with certainty on the subject is, that in the reign of David I., when Norman, Saxon, Flemish, and Scandinavian settlers in great numbers took up their residence in Scotland, a part of the district of Keith, in East Lothian, was possessed by a baron named HERVEIUS, who witnessed the charter by which King David granted Annandale to Robert de Brus. His estate received from him the designation of Keith Hervei, and afterwards of Keith Marischal. Herveus de Keith, the son of this baron, held the office of King's Marischal under Malcolm IV. and William I., which from this time became hereditary in the family. Philip, his grandson, who died before 1220, succeeded him in his estate and office, and by his marriage with Eda, grand-daughter and heiress of Simon Fraser, [p.99] obtained Keith Hundeby (now Humbie), the other half of the barony of Keith.
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