Alice Comyn
Encyclopedia
Alice Comyn, Countess of Buchan
, Lady Beaumont (1289 – 3 July 1349) was a Norman-Scottish noblewoman, being a member of the powerful Comyn
family that supported the Balliols
, who were claimants to the disputed Scottish throne against their rivals, the Bruces. She was the niece of John Comyn, Earl of Buchan
to whom she was also heiress. The Earldom of Buchan, however, was later claimed by Alice's husband Henry de Beaumont
, Earl of Buchan
by right of his wife.
Alice was the maternal grandmother of Blanche of Lancaster
, and thus great-grandmother of King Henry IV of England
.
It was her husband's continued struggle to claim her inherited title of Buchan which was one of the causes of the Second War of Scottish Independence
.
, Scotland in 1289, the eldest daughter of Alexander Comyn, Sheriff
of Aberdeen
and Joan le Latimer
and granddaughter of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan
. She had a younger sister, Margaret, who would later marry firstly Sir John Ross, and secondly Sir William Lindsay, Lord of Symertoun.
Alice's paternal grandparents were Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan, Justiciar
and Constable
of Scotland, and Elizabeth de Quincy
; and her maternal grandparents were William le Latimer and Alicia Ledet. Alice's uncle was John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, one of the most powerful nobles in Scotland. The earl, who died in December 1308, was married to Isabella MacDuff
, but the marriage was childless. Alice was John Comyn's heiress to the title of Countess of Buchan, although the earldom had been forfeited to the crown prior to her uncle's death in England to where he had gone as a fugitive.
) As a consequence of her marriage to Henry, Alice had become, in Scottish eyes, irretrievably English, therefore the Scots recognised her sister Margaret's right to the Earldom of Buchan rather than her own.
The marriage produced ten children:
, England by the orders of King Edward I
after she crowned Robert the Bruce king of Scotland at Scone
in March 1306. In 1310, she was sent to a convent, and three years later was ordered to one of the Beaumont manors where she died on an unknown date.
In 1314, Henry de Beaumont fought at the Battle of Bannockburn
on the side of the English.
Sometime between 1317 and 1321, Alice succeeded to the English estates of her younger sister, Margaret.
On 22 January 1334, Alice's husband Henry was summoned to Parliament
as the Earl of Buchan. He was recognised as earl from that date until 16 November 1339. On 10 February 1334, he sat in the Scottish Parliament bearing the same title. It was Henry's relentless pursuit of Alice's inherited earldom of Buchan which was one of the factors that lead to the Second War of Scottish Independence
between the Comyns and their ancient rivals, the Bruces.
Alice died on 3 July 1349 at the age of sixty. Her husband Henry had died in 1340 in the Low Countries
where he had gone with King Edward III of England
. With the death of Alice, the earldom of Buchan forever passed out of the Comyn family.
Alice's numerous descendants included, Kings Henry IV of England
and Henry V of England
, Philippa of Lancaster
, Anne Boleyn
, and Humphrey Kynaston
, the English highwayman
.
Earl of Buchan
The Mormaer or Earl of Buchan was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male line. The earldom had three lines in its history, not counting...
, Lady Beaumont (1289 – 3 July 1349) was a Norman-Scottish noblewoman, being a member of the powerful Comyn
Comyn
Comyn can refer to:* Clan Comyn, another name for Clan Cumming.People* Dan Comyn, an Irish cricketer.* Stephen George Comyn, Naval chaplain to Lord Nelson* Valens Comyn, English MP* William Leslie Comyn, Californian shipbuilder...
family that supported the Balliols
House of Balliol
The House of Balliol was a Picard and Anglo-Norman family who began to rule some estates in England in the reign of William Rufus. In the late 13th and 14th centuries, two members of the house were kings of Scotland....
, who were claimants to the disputed Scottish throne against their rivals, the Bruces. She was the niece of John Comyn, Earl of Buchan
John Comyn, Earl of Buchan
John Comyn was Earl of Buchan and an important member of Clan Comyn during the early 14th century. He was a chief opponent of Robert the Bruce in the civil war that paralleled the War of Scottish Independence. He should not be confused with the better known John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, who...
to whom she was also heiress. The Earldom of Buchan, however, was later claimed by Alice's husband Henry de Beaumont
Henry de Beaumont
Henry de Beaumont, jure uxoris 4th Earl of Buchan and suo jure 1st Baron Beaumont was a key figure in the Anglo-Scots wars of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, known as the Wars of Scottish Independence.-Life:...
, Earl of Buchan
Earl of Buchan
The Mormaer or Earl of Buchan was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male line. The earldom had three lines in its history, not counting...
by right of his wife.
Alice was the maternal grandmother of Blanche of Lancaster
Blanche of Lancaster
Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster was an English noblewoman and heiress, daughter of England's wealthiest and most powerful peer, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster...
, and thus great-grandmother of King Henry IV of England
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
.
It was her husband's continued struggle to claim her inherited title of Buchan which was one of the causes of the Second War of Scottish Independence
Second War of Scottish Independence
The Second War of Scottish Independence was the second cluster of a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries....
.
Family
Alice was born in AberdeenshireAberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Scotland in 1289, the eldest daughter of Alexander Comyn, Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and Joan le Latimer
Latimer
-Politics and government:* Asbury Latimer , farmer and U.S. Senator from South Carolina* George Latimer , multiple politicians* Henry Latimer , lawyer and judge from Florida...
and granddaughter of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan
Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan
Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan was a Scoto-Norman magnate who was one of the most important figures in the 13th century Kingdom of Scotland. He was the son of William Comyn, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan, and Marjory, Countess of Buchan, the heiress of the last native Scottish Mormaer of Buchan,...
. She had a younger sister, Margaret, who would later marry firstly Sir John Ross, and secondly Sir William Lindsay, Lord of Symertoun.
Alice's paternal grandparents were Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan, Justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
and Constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
of Scotland, and Elizabeth de Quincy
Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester
Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester was a medieval nobleman who was prominent on both sides of the Anglo-Scottish border, as Earl of Winchester and Constable of Scotland....
; and her maternal grandparents were William le Latimer and Alicia Ledet. Alice's uncle was John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, one of the most powerful nobles in Scotland. The earl, who died in December 1308, was married to Isabella MacDuff
Isabella MacDuff
Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan was a significant figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence.She was the daughter of Donnchadh III, Earl of Fife, and Johanna de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford...
, but the marriage was childless. Alice was John Comyn's heiress to the title of Countess of Buchan, although the earldom had been forfeited to the crown prior to her uncle's death in England to where he had gone as a fugitive.
Marriage and issue
Shortly before 14 July 1310, Alice married Henry de Beaumont, Lord Beaumont, the son of Louis de Brienne, Viscount de Beaumont and Agnes, Viscountess de Beaumont. Upon her marriage she was styled as Lady Beaumont. Henry was a key figure in the Anglo-Scottish wars of the 13th and 14th centuries. (See main article: Wars of Scottish IndependenceWars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
) As a consequence of her marriage to Henry, Alice had become, in Scottish eyes, irretrievably English, therefore the Scots recognised her sister Margaret's right to the Earldom of Buchan rather than her own.
The marriage produced ten children:
- Katherine de Beaumont (died 11 November 1368), married David III Strathbogie, Earl of AthollEarl of AthollThe Mormaer of Earl of Atholl refers to a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl , now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is reported from the Pictish period. The only other two Pictish kingdoms to be known from...
, by whom she had issue. - Elizabeth de Beaumont (died 27 October 1400), married Nicholas Audley, 3rd Baron AudleyNicholas Audley, 3rd Baron AudleyNicholas Audley, 3rd Baron Audley was born in the Heighley Castle, Staffordshire, England to James Audley, 2nd Baron Audley, his only surviving son ....
. Died without issue. - Richard de Beaumont
- John de Beaumont (died young)
- Thomas de Beaumont
- Alice de Beaumont
- Joan de Beaumont, married Sir Fulk FitzWarin, 3rd Lord FitzWarin
- Beatrice de Beaumont, married Charles I, Count of Dammartin
- John de Beaumont, 2nd Lord Beaumont (1318- 14 April 1342), on 6 November 1330 married as her first husband, Eleanor of LancasterEleanor of LancasterEleanor of Lancaster, Countess of Arundel was the fifth daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster and Maud Chaworth.-First marriage and issue:...
, by whom he had issue. He was killed in a tournamentTournamentA tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
. - Isabel de BeaumontIsabel de BeaumontIsabel de Beaumont, Duchess of Lancaster, of the House of Brienne was an English noblewoman, being the youngest daughter and child of Henry de Beaumont, Earl of Buchan and Alice Comyn.- Family :...
(c.1320- 1361), married in 1337 Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of LancasterHenry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of LancasterHenry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, 4th Earl of Leicester and Lancaster, KG , also Earl of Derby, was a member of the English nobility in the 14th century, and a prominent English diplomat, politician, and soldier...
, by whom she had two daughters, Maud, Countess of LeicesterMaud, Countess of LeicesterMaud of Lancaster , also known as Matilda, Countess of Hainault, was a 14th century English noblewoman who married into the Bavarian royal family....
and Blanche of LancasterBlanche of LancasterBlanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster was an English noblewoman and heiress, daughter of England's wealthiest and most powerful peer, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster...
.
Countess of Buchan
In April 1313, Isabella MacDuff, the widow of Alice's uncle John Comyn, was placed into the custody of the Beaumonts, following her release from her harsh imprisonment. She had been confined in a cage for four years in BerwickBerwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
, England by the orders of King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
after she crowned Robert the Bruce king of Scotland at Scone
Scone, Scotland
Scone is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The medieval village of Scone, which grew up around the monastery and royal residence, was abandoned in the early 19th century when the residents were removed and a new palace was built on the site by the Earl of Mansfield...
in March 1306. In 1310, she was sent to a convent, and three years later was ordered to one of the Beaumont manors where she died on an unknown date.
In 1314, Henry de Beaumont fought at the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
on the side of the English.
Sometime between 1317 and 1321, Alice succeeded to the English estates of her younger sister, Margaret.
On 22 January 1334, Alice's husband Henry was summoned to Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
as the Earl of Buchan. He was recognised as earl from that date until 16 November 1339. On 10 February 1334, he sat in the Scottish Parliament bearing the same title. It was Henry's relentless pursuit of Alice's inherited earldom of Buchan which was one of the factors that lead to the Second War of Scottish Independence
Second War of Scottish Independence
The Second War of Scottish Independence was the second cluster of a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries....
between the Comyns and their ancient rivals, the Bruces.
Alice died on 3 July 1349 at the age of sixty. Her husband Henry had died in 1340 in the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
where he had gone with King Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
. With the death of Alice, the earldom of Buchan forever passed out of the Comyn family.
Alice's numerous descendants included, Kings Henry IV of England
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
and Henry V of England
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
, Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster, LG was a Queen consort of Portugal. Born into the royal family of England, her marriage with King John I secured the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and produced several famous children who became known as the "Illustrious Generation" in Portugal...
, Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, and Humphrey Kynaston
Humphrey Kynaston
Humphrey Kynaston , aka Wild Humphrey Kynaston, was an English highwayman who operated in the Shropshire area. The son of the High Sheriff of Shropshire, he was convicted for murder in 1491. After being outlawed, he moved into a cave in the area and lived a lifestyle compared to Robin Hood.-Early...
, the English highwayman
Highwayman
A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
.