Mormaer of Moray
Encyclopedia
The Mormaerdom or Kingdom of Moray (Middle Irish: Muireb or Moreb; Medieval Latin:
Muref or Moravia; Modern Gaelic: Moireabh) was a lordship in High Medieval Scotland
that was destroyed by King David I of Scotland
in 1130. It did not have the same territory as the modern local government council area of Moray
, which is a much smaller area, around Elgin
. The medieval lordship was in fact centred on both the lower Spey
valley and around Inverness
and the northern parts of the Great Glen
, and probably originally included Buchan
and Mar
, as well as Ross
.
, far larger than the later county or district of the same name, which at its largest extended from Drumochter in the south to the Scandinavia
n held lands of Caithness
and Sutherland
in the north. Moray would also eventually cover from Buchan
in the east to the Atlantic Ocean
in the west.
Njal's Saga
, a Saga of the Icelanders mentions Mormaers and Kings in northern Scotland from the later 10th century, namely Jarl Melsnatr (Máel Snechtai) and King Melkofr (Máel Coluim) of "Scotland." Both date from the period 976 to 995. However no king named Máel Coluim reigned in Scotland in this period. Njal's Saga was written as a historical guide for details outside Iceland
or Scandinavia
and the text is notoriously unreliable.
Moray was ruled by a Gaelic-speaking dynasty, the most notable perhaps being King Macbeth of Scotland
, who ruled from 1040 to 1057. These rulers were sometimes styled Ri meaning king or mormaer meaning great steward.
Irish annals record the killing of Findláech
, son of Ruaidri, 'mormaer of Moray', in 1020 by the sons of his brother, Mael Brigte. Both Findlaech and Mael Coluim are styled 'king of Alba' rather than 'of Moray' in one obituary
but this may be an error or exaggeration. Mael Coluim's brother and successor, Gillie Coemgáin is recorded as Mormaer of Moray. The death of Mael Coluim, son of Mael Brigte, is recorded in 1029 and, in 1032 that of his brother Gilla Comgain, killed along with 50 of his men.
Gilla Comgain's successor and probably also his killer, was his cousin Macbeth (Mac Bethad mac Findlaig). Macbeth married Gilla Comgain's widow Gruoch, a princess of the mac Alpin dynasty, and became king of Scots in 1040, after defeating and killing Duncan I of Scotland
(Donnchad ua Mail Choluim) in battle. Later sources suggest that MacBeth had a claim to the Scottish throne through his mother, but his Gaelic pedigree, on record only two generations after his death, traces his descent through his father Findlaech, and grandfather Ruaidri, from the house of Loarn, Kings of Dál Riata
.
The pedigree of Macbeth from the Loarn kings of Dál Riata offers a clue to the origins of his dynasty in Moray. Moray may have been a separate kingdom for a time, independent of the dynasty of Kenneth mac Alpin. However it seems likely that rulers of Moray were subject loosely to the Kings of Alba
. Moray acted as a buffer against further Scandinavian penetration from the north, and its rulers were remembered with respect in Scandinavian sources such as Orkneyinga Saga
.
Macbeth himself was in turn killed and defeated in 1057. After which, his stepson Lulach, son of Gilla Comgain, and presumably also of Grouch, claimed the Scottish throne briefly before being himself killed in 1058. Lulach's son, Mael Snechtai, died in 1085 as 'king of Moray'. Later, an Earl named Aed or 'Heth' who witnesses royal charters early in the next century may also have been based in Moray. The last ruling member of the dynasty, styled 'king' or 'earl' of Moray, was Óengus
(Angus) son of the daughter of Lulach. Óengus
(Angus) challenged David I of Scotland
in battle, but was defeated and killed at Stracathro
in Angus, in 1130 and thus the Kingdom of Moray was destroyed by David I of Scotland.
With the death of Angus brought the rapid feudalization of Moray under Flemming Freskin
, who was of Flemish
and Norman
descent and his descendants who adopted the significant designation 'de Moravia', which means 'of Moray'. (The de Moravia family would later become Earls of Sutherland
in the 13th century). Claims that William fitz Duncan
became the last Mormaer of Moray cannot be substantiated and his claim for the Scottish throne proved unsuccessful. Malcolm MacHeth
, who rebelled against David I, but was later made Earl of Ross
may have been related to the old rulers of Moray, as may also have been the mysterious Wimund
. Later MacHeth claimants to Moray were unsuccessful.
. Despite the expulsion of its line of rulers, Moray continued to be referred to in the early 13th century as a land separate to Scotia. Even when the realm of Scotland was recognised as stretching as far north as Caithness
, Moray was still recognized as one of the chief northern provinces. The Gaelic notes in the Book of Deer
dating from the mid 12th century offer a glimpse of the holding of land and the ordering of society in Moray.
The actions of the crown's royal government during the century after 1130 seemed to create differences between the upland regions of the province and the coastal districts of the Laich of Moray, between the River Spey
and Inverness
. The crown's existing estates were concentrated in these coastal regions and between 1130 and 1230 the kings established sheriffdoms centered on Inverness, Nairn
, Forres
and Elgin
, providing a framework for royal authority in the province.
The extension of royal government was accompanied by the settlement of immigrants in the Laich of Moray. Lands were given to the crown's supporters, the most important of whom was Flemming Freskin
, who was of Flemish - Norman descent. Freskin founded the 'de Moravia' or 'Moray family'. The senior line of de Moravias would later become Earls of Sutherland
, chiefs of Clan Sutherland
and another branch of the same family who took the name Murray became chiefs of Clan Murray
and later Earls of Atholl
.
The final area of change in the province of Moray after 1130 was religion. There was a Bishop of Moray
before 1130, however a Diocese of Moray
with an established centre at Elgin Cathedral with a parochial structure was achieved only during the 13th century. Reformed religious houses were founded at Beauly
, Pluscarden and Kinloss
.
While the changes that took place in the centuries following the 1130 defeat of the kings of Moray secured the Laich of Moray under the authority of the crown, the interior of the province from Lochalsh to Strathbogie
remained a source of difficulty and threat. Attempts to revive the old earldom of Moray and challenge the king of Scotland found support in these areas. Leaders such as Wimund
, the son of the Earl of Angus
and the MacWilliam family were able to raise allies from the Gaelic uplands of Moray which led to warfare in the region from the 1140s to the 1220s. The kings normally left the defeat of these enemies to their aristocratic vassals. The interior of the province from the Great Glen
to Strathbogie was divided between six or more families, the greatest of which, at this time was the Clan Comyn
lords of Badenoch and Lochaber.
with a base and allies during his northern campaign against the Comyns and their allies in 1307 - 08. The province was forced to submit to Edward I of England
in 1303 and Robert I of Scotland therefore clearly recognized the significance of Moray for the security of his realm. In 1312 Robert I re-established the earldom of Moray
for his nephew, Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray. The new earldom included all of the old province and the crown lands of the Laich.
Thomas's son John Randolph was killed in 1346, leaving no heir and the other noble families including the Comyns, Strathbogies and Morays had all disappeared from or left the province by between 1300 and 1350. With the absence of noble leaders, power fell to lesser figures who functioned in kin-based groups such as the Clan Donnachaidh of Atholl and the Chattan Confederation
which centred on Badenoch. This drew in lords and men from outside of the province, from further south such as the Dunbars
and Stewarts who staked claims rule the province of Moray. In 1372 the earldom of Moray
was divided between them with John Dunbar receiving the coastal districts and Alexander Stewart, favorite son of Robert II of Scotland
being made lord of Badenoch in the uplands
Other areas which were previously part of the kingdom of Moray were also made into Earldoms separate from that of Moray, including Ross
, Mar
and Buchan
.
.
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|-Comparative Genealogies from the Genelaig Albanensium, dating to the early 11th century. :
Genealogy of Máel Snechtai
Genealogy of Macbethad
Genealogy of Máel Colum II
Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502
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|-
|colspan = "5" bgcolor = "#D7F7D7" align="left"|Kings/Mormaers of Moray
|-
|Findláech mac Ruaidrí
|before 1014-1020)
|-
|Máel Coluim mac Máil Brigti
|1020–1029
|-
|Gille Coemgáin mac Máil Brigti
|1029–1032
|-
|Mac Bethad mac Findláich
(?)
|1032-1057 (?)
|-
|Lulach mac Gille Coemgáin
(?)
|1057-1058 (?)
|-
|Máel Snechtai mac Lulaich
|? 1058-1078/1085
|-
|?
|-
|Óengus
|?-1130
|-
|? William fitz Duncan
|1130s-1147
|-
|Annexed to Kingdom of Scotland
.
|-
|}
|}
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,...
Muref or Moravia; Modern Gaelic: Moireabh) was a lordship in High Medieval 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...
that was destroyed by King David I of Scotland
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...
in 1130. It did not have the same territory as the modern local government council area of Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
, which is a much smaller area, around Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
. The medieval lordship was in fact centred on both the lower Spey
River Spey
The River Spey is a river in the northeast of Scotland, the second longest and the fastest-flowing river in Scotland...
valley and around Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
and the northern parts of the Great Glen
Great Glen
The Great Glen , also known as Glen Albyn or Glen More is a series of glens in Scotland running 100 kilometres from Inverness on the Moray Firth, to Fort William at the head of Loch Linnhe.The Great Glen follows a large geological fault known as the Great Glen Fault...
, and probably originally included Buchan
Buchan
Buchan is one of the six committee areas and administrative areas of Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland. These areas were created by the council in 1996, when the Aberdeenshire unitary council area was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994...
and Mar
Marr
Marr is one of six committee areas in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, bordering Atholl, Badenoch, Gowrie, The Mearns, Banff and Buchan. It has a population of 34,038...
, as well as Ross
Ross
Ross is a region of Scotland and a former mormaerdom, earldom, sheriffdom and county. The name Ross allegedly derives from a Gaelic word meaning a headland - perhaps a reference to the Black Isle. The Norse word for Orkney - Hrossay meaning horse island - is another possible origin. The area...
.
Before 1130: Dynasty of Findláich to Óengus
In the century or two before 1130 the name Moray described a polityPolity
Polity is a form of government Aristotle developed in his search for a government that could be most easily incorporated and used by the largest amount of people groups, or states...
, far larger than the later county or district of the same name, which at its largest extended from Drumochter in the south to the Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n held lands of Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
and Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
in the north. Moray would also eventually cover from Buchan
Buchan
Buchan is one of the six committee areas and administrative areas of Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland. These areas were created by the council in 1996, when the Aberdeenshire unitary council area was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994...
in the east to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in the west.
Njal's Saga
Njál's saga
Njáls saga is one of the sagas of Icelanders. The most prominent characters are the friends Njáll Þorgeirsson, a lawyer and a sage, and Gunnarr Hámundarson, a formidable warrior...
, a Saga of the Icelanders mentions Mormaers and Kings in northern Scotland from the later 10th century, namely Jarl Melsnatr (Máel Snechtai) and King Melkofr (Máel Coluim) of "Scotland." Both date from the period 976 to 995. However no king named Máel Coluim reigned in Scotland in this period. Njal's Saga was written as a historical guide for details outside Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
or Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and the text is notoriously unreliable.
Moray was ruled by a Gaelic-speaking dynasty, the most notable perhaps being King Macbeth of Scotland
Macbeth of Scotland
Mac Bethad mac Findlaích was King of the Scots from 1040 until his death...
, who ruled from 1040 to 1057. These rulers were sometimes styled Ri meaning king or mormaer meaning great steward.
Irish annals record the killing of Findláech
Findláech of Moray
Findláech of Moray was the King or Mormaer of Moray, ruling from some point before 1014 until his death in 1020....
, son of Ruaidri, 'mormaer of Moray', in 1020 by the sons of his brother, Mael Brigte. Both Findlaech and Mael Coluim are styled 'king of Alba' rather than 'of Moray' in one obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
but this may be an error or exaggeration. Mael Coluim's brother and successor, Gillie Coemgáin is recorded as Mormaer of Moray. The death of Mael Coluim, son of Mael Brigte, is recorded in 1029 and, in 1032 that of his brother Gilla Comgain, killed along with 50 of his men.
Gilla Comgain's successor and probably also his killer, was his cousin Macbeth (Mac Bethad mac Findlaig). Macbeth married Gilla Comgain's widow Gruoch, a princess of the mac Alpin dynasty, and became king of Scots in 1040, after defeating and killing Duncan I of Scotland
Duncan I of Scotland
Donnchad mac Crínáin was king of Scotland from 1034 to 1040...
(Donnchad ua Mail Choluim) in battle. Later sources suggest that MacBeth had a claim to the Scottish throne through his mother, but his Gaelic pedigree, on record only two generations after his death, traces his descent through his father Findlaech, and grandfather Ruaidri, from the house of Loarn, Kings of Dál Riata
Dál Riata
Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
.
The pedigree of Macbeth from the Loarn kings of Dál Riata offers a clue to the origins of his dynasty in Moray. Moray may have been a separate kingdom for a time, independent of the dynasty of Kenneth mac Alpin. However it seems likely that rulers of Moray were subject loosely to the Kings of Alba
Kingdom of Alba
The name Kingdom of Alba pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the deaths of Donald II in 900, and of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence...
. Moray acted as a buffer against further Scandinavian penetration from the north, and its rulers were remembered with respect in Scandinavian sources such as Orkneyinga Saga
Orkneyinga saga
The Orkneyinga saga is a historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands, from their capture by the Norwegian king in the ninth century onwards until about 1200...
.
Macbeth himself was in turn killed and defeated in 1057. After which, his stepson Lulach, son of Gilla Comgain, and presumably also of Grouch, claimed the Scottish throne briefly before being himself killed in 1058. Lulach's son, Mael Snechtai, died in 1085 as 'king of Moray'. Later, an Earl named Aed or 'Heth' who witnesses royal charters early in the next century may also have been based in Moray. The last ruling member of the dynasty, styled 'king' or 'earl' of Moray, was Óengus
Óengus of Moray
Óengus of Moray was the last King of Moray of the native line, ruling Moray in what is now northeastern Scotland from some unknown date until his death in 1130....
(Angus) son of the daughter of Lulach. Óengus
Óengus of Moray
Óengus of Moray was the last King of Moray of the native line, ruling Moray in what is now northeastern Scotland from some unknown date until his death in 1130....
(Angus) challenged David I of Scotland
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...
in battle, but was defeated and killed at Stracathro
Stracathro
Stracathro is a small place in Angus, Scotland,-Location:Stracathro is located 2½ miles southeast of Edzell in NE Angus. It lies to the northeast of Brechin on the A90.-History:...
in Angus, in 1130 and thus the Kingdom of Moray was destroyed by David I of Scotland.
With the death of Angus brought the rapid feudalization of Moray under Flemming Freskin
Freskin
Freskin was a minor nobleman active in the reign of King David I of Scotland. His name appears only in a charter by King William to Freskin's son, William, granting Strathbrock in West Lothian and Duffus, Kintrae, and other lands in Moray, "which his father held in the time of King David"...
, who was of Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
and Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
descent and his descendants who adopted the significant designation 'de Moravia', which means 'of Moray'. (The de Moravia family would later become Earls of Sutherland
Earl of Sutherland
Earl of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia. The Earl of Sutherland is also the Chief of Clan Sutherland...
in the 13th century). Claims that William fitz Duncan
William fitz Duncan
William fitz Duncan was a Scottish prince, a territorial magnate in northern Scotland and northern England, a general and the legitimate son of king Donnchad II of Scotland by Athelreda of Dunbar.In 1094, his father Donnchad II was killed by Mormaer Máel Petair of...
became the last Mormaer of Moray cannot be substantiated and his claim for the Scottish throne proved unsuccessful. Malcolm MacHeth
MacHeths
The MacHeths were a Gaelic kindred who raised several rebellions against the Scotto-Norman kings of Scotland in the 12th and 13th centuries. Their origins have long been debated.-Origins:...
, who rebelled against David I, but was later made Earl of Ross
Earl of Ross
The Mormaer or Earl of Ross was the leader of a medieval Gaelic lordship in northern Scotland, roughly between the River Oykel and the River Beauly.-Origins and transfers:...
may have been related to the old rulers of Moray, as may also have been the mysterious Wimund
Wimund
Wimund was a bishop who became a sea-faring war-lord adventurer in the years after 1147. His story is passed down to us by 12th-century English historian William of Newburgh in his Historia rerum anglicarum, Book I, Chapter 24 entitled "Of bishop Wimund, his life unbecoming a bishop, and how he was...
. Later MacHeth claimants to Moray were unsuccessful.
After 1130: Suppression of Moray
David I of Scotland's suppression of the Kingdom of Moray in 1130 did not mark the end of the province's significance or of the problems its management caused to the kings of ScotlandScotland
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...
. Despite the expulsion of its line of rulers, Moray continued to be referred to in the early 13th century as a land separate to Scotia. Even when the realm of Scotland was recognised as stretching as far north as Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, Moray was still recognized as one of the chief northern provinces. The Gaelic notes in the Book of Deer
Book of Deer
The Book of Deer is a 10th-century Latin Gospel Book from Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, with early 12th-century additions in Latin, Old Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is most famous for containing the earliest surviving Gaelic literature from Scotland...
dating from the mid 12th century offer a glimpse of the holding of land and the ordering of society in Moray.
The actions of the crown's royal government during the century after 1130 seemed to create differences between the upland regions of the province and the coastal districts of the Laich of Moray, between the River Spey
River Spey
The River Spey is a river in the northeast of Scotland, the second longest and the fastest-flowing river in Scotland...
and Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
. The crown's existing estates were concentrated in these coastal regions and between 1130 and 1230 the kings established sheriffdoms centered on Inverness, Nairn
Nairn
Nairn is a town and former burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness...
, Forres
Forres
Forres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
and Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
, providing a framework for royal authority in the province.
The extension of royal government was accompanied by the settlement of immigrants in the Laich of Moray. Lands were given to the crown's supporters, the most important of whom was Flemming Freskin
Freskin
Freskin was a minor nobleman active in the reign of King David I of Scotland. His name appears only in a charter by King William to Freskin's son, William, granting Strathbrock in West Lothian and Duffus, Kintrae, and other lands in Moray, "which his father held in the time of King David"...
, who was of Flemish - Norman descent. Freskin founded the 'de Moravia' or 'Moray family'. The senior line of de Moravias would later become Earls of Sutherland
Earl of Sutherland
Earl of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia. The Earl of Sutherland is also the Chief of Clan Sutherland...
, chiefs of Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is located in the region of Sutherland in northern highlands of Scotland and was one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The clan seat is at Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland...
and another branch of the same family who took the name Murray became chiefs of Clan Murray
Clan Murray
Clan Murray is a Highland Scottish clan. The Murrays were a great and powerful clan whose lands and cadet houses were scattered throughout Scotland.- Origins of the Clan :...
and later Earls of Atholl
Earl of Atholl
The 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...
.
The final area of change in the province of Moray after 1130 was religion. There was a Bishop of Moray
Bishop of Moray
The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics...
before 1130, however a Diocese of Moray
Diocese of Moray
The Diocese of Moray was one of the most important of the medieval dioceses in Scotland. It was founded in the early years of the 12th century by David I of Scotland under its first bishop, Gregoir...
with an established centre at Elgin Cathedral with a parochial structure was achieved only during the 13th century. Reformed religious houses were founded at Beauly
Beauly
Beauly is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901...
, Pluscarden and Kinloss
Kinloss
Kinloss is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located near the shore of Findhorn Bay, around 3 miles from Findhorn and 2.5 miles from Forres. RAF Kinloss is located northeast of the village, and is transitioning to an Army barracks.The Cistercian Kinloss Abbey was created in 1150 by King David...
.
While the changes that took place in the centuries following the 1130 defeat of the kings of Moray secured the Laich of Moray under the authority of the crown, the interior of the province from Lochalsh to Strathbogie
Strathbogie
Strathbogie may refer to:* Strathbogie, the old name of Huntly in Scotland, and the strath to the south of it.* Strathbogie, Victoria, Australia* Shire of Strathbogie, Victoria, Australia* Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria, Australia...
remained a source of difficulty and threat. Attempts to revive the old earldom of Moray and challenge the king of Scotland found support in these areas. Leaders such as Wimund
Wimund
Wimund was a bishop who became a sea-faring war-lord adventurer in the years after 1147. His story is passed down to us by 12th-century English historian William of Newburgh in his Historia rerum anglicarum, Book I, Chapter 24 entitled "Of bishop Wimund, his life unbecoming a bishop, and how he was...
, the son of the Earl of Angus
Earl of Angus
The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is currently held by the Duke of Hamilton.-Mormaers:...
and the MacWilliam family were able to raise allies from the Gaelic uplands of Moray which led to warfare in the region from the 1140s to the 1220s. The kings normally left the defeat of these enemies to their aristocratic vassals. The interior of the province from the Great Glen
Great Glen
The Great Glen , also known as Glen Albyn or Glen More is a series of glens in Scotland running 100 kilometres from Inverness on the Moray Firth, to Fort William at the head of Loch Linnhe.The Great Glen follows a large geological fault known as the Great Glen Fault...
to Strathbogie was divided between six or more families, the greatest of which, at this time was the Clan Comyn
Clan Cumming
Clan Cumming, also known as Clan Comyn, is a Scottish clan from the central Highlands that played a major role in the history of 13th century Scotland and in the Wars of Scottish Independence and were instrumental in defeating the English at the Battle of Roslin in 1303...
lords of Badenoch and Lochaber.
1296 to 1346: Wars of Independence and Creation of the Earldom of Moray
Moray's importance as part of the kingdom of Scotland was demonstrated during the years of major warfare between 1296 and 1340. The province was relatively untouched by direct fighting and Royal-led English armies penetrated Moray on only three occasions in 1296, 1303 and 1335, and significant English occupation occurred only in 1296- 97. This security meant that it was a vital refuge and recruitment ground for the Scottish guardians between 1297 and 1303, and provided Robert I of ScotlandRobert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
with a base and allies during his northern campaign against the Comyns and their allies in 1307 - 08. The province was forced to submit to Edward I of England
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...
in 1303 and Robert I of Scotland therefore clearly recognized the significance of Moray for the security of his realm. In 1312 Robert I re-established the earldom of Moray
Earl of Moray
The title Earl of Moray has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland.Prior to the formal establishment of the peerage, Earl of Moray, numerous individuals ruled the kingdom of Moray or Mormaer of Moray until 1130 when the kingdom was destroyed by David I of Scotland.-History of the...
for his nephew, Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray. The new earldom included all of the old province and the crown lands of the Laich.
Thomas's son John Randolph was killed in 1346, leaving no heir and the other noble families including the Comyns, Strathbogies and Morays had all disappeared from or left the province by between 1300 and 1350. With the absence of noble leaders, power fell to lesser figures who functioned in kin-based groups such as the Clan Donnachaidh of Atholl and the Chattan Confederation
Chattan Confederation
Clan Chattan or the Chattan Confederation is a confederation of 16 Scottish clans who joined for mutual defence or blood bonds. Its leader was the chief of Clan Mackintosh.-Origins:The origin of the name Chattan is disputed...
which centred on Badenoch. This drew in lords and men from outside of the province, from further south such as the Dunbars
Clan Dunbar
-Origins of the Clan:The Clan Dunbar descends from Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria, grandson of Crínán of Dunkeld and Seneschal of the Isles and nephew to King Duncan I of Scotland, who became Earl of Northumberland after his father’s death. William the Conqueror deprived Gospatric of the title in...
and Stewarts who staked claims rule the province of Moray. In 1372 the earldom of Moray
Earl of Moray
The title Earl of Moray has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland.Prior to the formal establishment of the peerage, Earl of Moray, numerous individuals ruled the kingdom of Moray or Mormaer of Moray until 1130 when the kingdom was destroyed by David I of Scotland.-History of the...
was divided between them with John Dunbar receiving the coastal districts and Alexander Stewart, favorite son of Robert II of Scotland
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
being made lord of Badenoch in the uplands
Other areas which were previously part of the kingdom of Moray were also made into Earldoms separate from that of Moray, including Ross
Earl of Ross
The Mormaer or Earl of Ross was the leader of a medieval Gaelic lordship in northern Scotland, roughly between the River Oykel and the River Beauly.-Origins and transfers:...
, Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
and 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...
.
Comparative Moravian and Scottish Genealogies
This table is a comparison of the genealogies apparently used by the Kings of Muireb and of (southern) Alba. Both trace their descent to Ercc. All three, incidentally, are called King of Alba in the manuscriptManuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
.
{| width="85%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0.5em 1em 0.5em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-Comparative Genealogies from the Genelaig Albanensium, dating to the early 11th century. :
- Máel Snechtai
- Lulach
- Gille Comgáin
- Máel Brigte
- Ruadrí
- Domnall
- Morggán
- Cathamal
- Ruadrí
- Ailgelach
- Ferchar
- Feradach
- Fergus
- Nechtan
- Colmán
- Báetán
- Echdach
- Muiredach
- Loarn (hence Cenél Loairn)
- Ercc
- Echdach Muinremuir
- -
- -
- Macbethad
- Findláech
- Ruadrí
- Domnall
- Morggán
- Cathamal
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- Máel Coluim
- Cináed
- Máel Coluim
- Domnall
- Causantín
- Cináed
- Alpín
- Eochaid
- Áed Find
- Domangard
- Domnall Brecc
- Eochaid Buide
- Áedan
- Gabrán (hence Cenél nGabráin)
- Domangard
- Fergus (Mór)
- Ercc
- Echach Muinremuir
Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502
List of Mormaers
The following names and dates are based on people named in sources. All are Moravians named in sources either as King of Scotland or just Mormaer. The beginning and end dates are virtually always based on known death date, and assuming the next named successor actually did succeed, and succeeded immediately:{| width="60%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0.5em 1em 0.5em 0; background: #e9e9e9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
|
{| width = "100%" cellpadding = 0 cellspacing = 0
|-
{| border="1" width = "100%" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0.5em 1em 0.5em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
|colspan = "5" bgcolor = "#D7F7D7" align="left"|Kings/Mormaers of Moray
|-
|Findláech mac Ruaidrí
Findláech of Moray
Findláech of Moray was the King or Mormaer of Moray, ruling from some point before 1014 until his death in 1020....
|before 1014-1020)
|-
|Máel Coluim mac Máil Brigti
Máel Coluim of Moray
Máel Coluim of Moray was King or Mormaer of Moray , and, as his name suggests, the son of a Máel Brigte...
|1020–1029
|-
|Gille Coemgáin mac Máil Brigti
Gille Coemgáin of Moray
Gilla Coemgáin was the King or Mormaer of Moray, a semi-autonomous kingdom centred around Inverness that stretched across the north of Scotland. Unlike his two predecessors, he is not called King of Scotland in his death notice, but merely Mormaer...
|1029–1032
|-
|Mac Bethad mac Findláich
Macbeth of Scotland
Mac Bethad mac Findlaích was King of the Scots from 1040 until his death...
(?)
|1032-1057 (?)
|-
|Lulach mac Gille Coemgáin
Lulach of Scotland
Lulach mac Gille Coemgáin was King of Scots between 15 August 1057 and 17 March 1058.He appears to have been a weak king, as his nicknames suggest...
(?)
|1057-1058 (?)
|-
|Máel Snechtai mac Lulaich
Máel Snechtai of Moray
Máel Snechtai of Moray was the ruler of Moray, and, as his name suggests, the son of Lulach, King of Scotland.He is called on his death notice in the Annals of Ulster, "Máel Snechtai m...
|? 1058-1078/1085
|-
|?
|-
|Óengus
Óengus of Moray
Óengus of Moray was the last King of Moray of the native line, ruling Moray in what is now northeastern Scotland from some unknown date until his death in 1130....
|?-1130
|-
|? William fitz Duncan
William fitz Duncan
William fitz Duncan was a Scottish prince, a territorial magnate in northern Scotland and northern England, a general and the legitimate son of king Donnchad II of Scotland by Athelreda of Dunbar.In 1094, his father Donnchad II was killed by Mormaer Máel Petair of...
|1130s-1147
|-
|Annexed to 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...
.
|-
|}
|}