Justiciar of Lothian
Encyclopedia
The Justiciar of Lothian (in Norman-Latin
, Justiciarus Laudonie) was an important legal office
in the High Medieval
Kingdom of Scotland
.
The Justiciars of Lothian were responsible for the administration of royal justice in the province of Lothian
, a much larger area than the modern Lothian, covering Scotland
south of the Forth
and Clyde
, outwith Galloway
, which had its own Justiciar of Galloway. The institution may date to the reign of King David I
(died 1153), whose godson
David Olifard was the first attested Justiciar. The Justiciars of Lothian, although not magnates of the stature of the typical Justiciar of Scotia
, were significant landowners and not creatures of the kings.
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
, Justiciarus Laudonie) was an important legal office
Legal institutions of Scotland in the High Middle Ages
Scottish legal institutions in the High Middle Ages are, for the purposes of this article, the informal and formal systems which governed and helped to manage Scottish society between the years 900 and 1288, a period roughly corresponding with the general European era usually called the High Middle...
in the High Medieval
Scotland in the High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages of Scotland encompass Scotland in the era between the death of Domnall II in 900 AD and the death of king Alexander III in 1286...
Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
.
The Justiciars of Lothian were responsible for the administration of royal justice in the province of Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
, a much larger area than the modern Lothian, covering Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
south of the Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
and Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
, outwith Galloway
Galloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
, which had its own Justiciar of Galloway. The institution may date to the reign of King David I
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
(died 1153), whose godson
Godson
Loongson is a family of general-purpose MIPS-compatible CPUs developed at the Institute of Computing Technology , Chinese Academy of Sciences in the People's Republic of China. The chief architect is Professor Hu Weiwu....
David Olifard was the first attested Justiciar. The Justiciars of Lothian, although not magnates of the stature of the typical Justiciar of Scotia
Justiciar of Scotia
The Justiciar of Scotia was the most senior legal office in the High Medieval Kingdom of Scotland. Scotia in this context refers to Scotland to the north of the River Forth and River Clyde....
, were significant landowners and not creatures of the kings.
List of Justiciars of Lothian, (incomplete)
- David Olifard (c.1165–c.1170)
- Robert AvenelRobert AvenelRobert Avenel was a 12th-century Anglo-Norman magnate. He was ruler of the small former Northumbrian province of Eskdale in Dumfriesshire, as well as Abercorn in West Lothian. He was one of a small number of Anglo-Norman immigrants to have been given a provincial lordship in southern Scotland in...
, Richard ComynRichard ComynRichard Comyn was a Scottish noble, the nephew of William Comyn.Richard was probably born between 1115 and 1123. In 1144, William Comyn gave him Northallerton Castle, which he had built a few years earlier. Shortly after, he received the castle and honour of Richmond as part of his uncle's...
, Robert de Quinci, Geoffrey de Melville (c.1170xc.1178) - Walter Olifard the Elder (c.1178–c.1188)
- Patrick I, Earl of DunbarPatrick I, Earl of DunbarPatrick I , Earl of Dunbar and lord of Beanley, was a 13th century Anglo-Scottish noble.He was the eldest son of Waltheof, Earl of Dunbar and Alina, and succeeded to his father's titles upon the latter's death in 1182....
(d. 1232) (c.1195–c.1205) - David de Lindsay the ElderDavid de LindsayDavid de Lindsay the elder, son of William de Lindsay, was an Anglo-Scottish baron of the early 13th century. He was the son of William de Lindsay, of a family that had migrated to Lothian from Lincolnshire in the 12th century. He held the position of Justiciar of Lothian, a post which his father...
and Gervase Avenel (d. 1219) (c.1206–c.1215?) - Alexander, Sheriff of Stirling and Walter Lindsay, Sheriff of Berwick (c.1206–c.1215?)
- Walter Olifard the Younger (d. 1242) (c.1215–1242)
- David de Lindsay the YoungerDavid de Lindsay of the ByresDavid de Lindsay the younger, also called David Lindsay of the Byres , was a 13th century Scottish knight and crusader. A minor baronial lord of a family of English origin, he was the son of David de Lindsay and held lands in East Lothian. He became Justiciar of Lothian under Alexander II of...
(c. 1241–1249x1251) - David Graham, deputy (1248, 1253)
- Alan DurwardAlan DurwardAlan Hostarius was the son of Thomas de Lundin, a grandson of Gille Críst, Mormaer of Mar. His mother's name is unknown, but she was almost certainly a daughter of Máel Coluim, Mormaer of Atholl, meaning that Alan was the product of two Gaelic comital families.Alan was one of the most important...
, Knt.(1250), - Thomas de Normanville (c.1251–1253x1255)
- Walter Murray of Bothwell (1255x1257)
- Hugh Barclay (1258)
- Thomas de Normanville and Stephen Fleming (1259)
- Stephen Fleming (c.1260)
- Hugh de Berkeley (c1261 - after Feb 1275-6)
- William de Soules (d. 1292x1293) (c.1279–1292x1293)
- Geoffrey de Moubray (d. 1300) (1294–1296?)
- Adam of GordonAdam de Gordon, lord of GordonSir Adam de Gordon , lord of Gordon, was a Scottish statesman and warrior.Gordon was the son and heir of Adam de Gordon in Berwickshire. His great-grandfather, likewise Adam de Gordon, was younger son of an Anglo-Norman nobleman who came to Scotland in the time of David I, and settled on a tract of...
and John de Lisle (1305–1306) - Sir James DouglasJames Douglas, Lord of DouglasSir James Douglas , , was a Scottish soldier and knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence.-Early life:...
(c.1314-c.1318) - Sir Robert de Lawedre of The Bass (d. Sept 1337) (bef. Sept 1319 - 1337)
- William Douglas, 1st Earl of DouglasWilliam Douglas, 1st Earl of DouglasWilliam Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas was a Scottish magnate.-Early Life:William Douglas was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Beatrice Lindsay, and nephew of "Sir James the Good", Robert the Bruce's trusted deputy...
(1371-1384)
See also
- Scotland in the High Middle AgesScotland in the High Middle AgesThe High Middle Ages of Scotland encompass Scotland in the era between the death of Domnall II in 900 AD and the death of king Alexander III in 1286...
- Legal institutions of Scotland in the High Middle AgesLegal institutions of Scotland in the High Middle AgesScottish legal institutions in the High Middle Ages are, for the purposes of this article, the informal and formal systems which governed and helped to manage Scottish society between the years 900 and 1288, a period roughly corresponding with the general European era usually called the High Middle...