William II de Haya
Encyclopedia
William II de Haya, generally referred to simply as William de Haya (Guillaume de La Haye), was a Norman knight who is considered to be the progenitor of the Scottish Clan Hay
. He is the first recorded de Haya in Scotland and is known to have been in the Scottish court in 1160.
, based on his reference to Ranulf de Soulis as his late uncle, i.e., his mother’s brother,in a charter, and was almost certainly born in the La Haye-Hue (now La Haye-Bellefond
) / Soulles
region of the Cotentin Peninsula
, but the date is unknown. William II probably joined his uncle, Ranulf I de Soules
, at the Scottish court as a young man. He married Eva of Pitmilly, a Celtic heiress. Again, the date is unknown. Eva brought into the marriage lands at Pitmilly
.
, succeeding his uncle, Ranulf I de Soules
, although the exact dates that he held this position are unknown. He witnessed some of the later charters of Malcolm IV, in one of which he is styled pincerna, and he is also styled as such in some of the early charters of William the Lion, and in a charter that he himself granted in 1171.
During the years 1173-74, three of Henry II of England
's sons and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine
, rebelled against him. In 1174, believing Henry II to be distracted by the fighting in France, William the Lion attempted to regain Northumberland
for Scotland. He was captured at the Second Battle of Alnwick
and taken to Henry in Falaise in Normandy. In order to regain his freedom, in December, 1174 he had to sign the punitive Treaty of Falaise
. One of the last provisions was that William the Lion had to send twenty-one hostages to England to ensure compliance. One who went in that role was William de Haya, his butler. In August, 1175, the Treaty of Falaise was ratified at York
and William the Lion and his brother, David, having paid homage to Henry II of England for Scotland and Galloway
, were allowed to return to Scotland. According to J. C. D. Hay, William de Haya was also allowed to return to Scotland at that time.
William was one of the ambassadors sent in 1199 by William the Lion to the newly crowned King John of England
to try to have his lost patrimony of Northumberland and Cumberland
returned to Scotland. King William offered to swear fealty to King John if this demand was granted.
). This is the beginning of the still extant House of Erroll Earl of Erroll
. The charter remains preserved in their family papers, while the artificial mound (motte) on which William II de Haya built his wooden tower (bailey) in the twelfth century still existed at Erroll in 1967.
In 1171 or 1172, William granted a charter to the Prior of St Andrews
in which he and his wife, Eva, leased lands (eight carucatum terre) in Pitmilly to the Priory of St Andrews for twenty years at an annual rent of half a merk of silver for the purposes of a hospital, meaning essentially a boarding house, for pilgrims traveling to St Andrews
.
Sometime before 1187, William II de Haya granted the lands of Ederpolls to Coupar Angus Abbey
for the benefit of the souls of King Malcolm; his uncle Ranulf de Soulis, and others, which grant was confirmed by King William, ostensibly between 1187 and 1195, although these dates are thought by Barrow to be too late. An abstract of William II de Haya's charter exists in Coupar Angus documents
, one of the three most powerful of the original seven Mormaer
s, or Celtic Earls of Scotland. This union with Celtic nobility strengthened the Hays' claim as a Celtic-Norman Scoto-Norman
family.
Clan Hay
Clan Hay is a Scottish clan that has played an important part in the history and politics of Scotland. Members of the clan are to be found in most parts of Scotland and in many other parts of the world. However, the North East of Scotland, i.e...
. He is the first recorded de Haya in Scotland and is known to have been in the Scottish court in 1160.
Early life
He was the son of William I de Haya and Juliana de Soulis Clan HayClan Hay
Clan Hay is a Scottish clan that has played an important part in the history and politics of Scotland. Members of the clan are to be found in most parts of Scotland and in many other parts of the world. However, the North East of Scotland, i.e...
, based on his reference to Ranulf de Soulis as his late uncle, i.e., his mother’s brother,in a charter, and was almost certainly born in the La Haye-Hue (now La Haye-Bellefond
La Haye-Bellefond
La Haye-Bellefond is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France....
) / Soulles
Soulles
Soulles is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France....
region of the Cotentin Peninsula
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy, forming part of the north-western coast of France. It juts out north-westwards into the English Channel, towards Great Britain...
, but the date is unknown. William II probably joined his uncle, Ranulf I de Soules
Ranulf I de Soules
Ranulf de Soulis was a Norman knight who came to Scotland with David I and served as his cupbearer.-Early life:Ranulf was probably born in the Cotentin Peninsula at Soules, the family's seigneurie near Saint-Lô...
, at the Scottish court as a young man. He married Eva of Pitmilly, a Celtic heiress. Again, the date is unknown. Eva brought into the marriage lands at Pitmilly
Pitmilly
Pitmilly is the site of a former estate located five miles south-east of St Andrews, Scotland. Its historical significance is threefold. It has been inhabited from ancient times; artifacts continue to be recovered from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages and a well-known barrow Tumulus from the...
.
Service to the King
William was pincerna (cup bearer or butler) to Malcolm IV and William the LionWilliam I of Scotland
William the Lion , sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of the Scots from 1165 to 1214...
, succeeding his uncle, Ranulf I de Soules
Ranulf I de Soules
Ranulf de Soulis was a Norman knight who came to Scotland with David I and served as his cupbearer.-Early life:Ranulf was probably born in the Cotentin Peninsula at Soules, the family's seigneurie near Saint-Lô...
, although the exact dates that he held this position are unknown. He witnessed some of the later charters of Malcolm IV, in one of which he is styled pincerna, and he is also styled as such in some of the early charters of William the Lion, and in a charter that he himself granted in 1171.
During the years 1173-74, three of Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
's sons and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
, rebelled against him. In 1174, believing Henry II to be distracted by the fighting in France, William the Lion attempted to regain Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
for Scotland. He was captured at the Second Battle of Alnwick
Battle of Alnwick (1174)
The Battle of Alnwick is one of two battles fought near the town of Alnwick, in Northumberland, England. In the battle, which occurred on 12 July 1174, William I of Scotland, also known as William the Lion, was captured by a small English force led by Ranulf de Glanvill.-Background:William had...
and taken to Henry in Falaise in Normandy. In order to regain his freedom, in December, 1174 he had to sign the punitive Treaty of Falaise
Treaty of Falaise
The Treaty of Falaise was an agreement made in December 1174 between the captive William I, King of Scots, and the English King Henry II.Having been captured at the Battle of Alnwick during an invasion of Northumbria, William was being held in Falaise in Normandy while Henry sent an army north and...
. One of the last provisions was that William the Lion had to send twenty-one hostages to England to ensure compliance. One who went in that role was William de Haya, his butler. In August, 1175, the Treaty of Falaise was ratified at York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and William the Lion and his brother, David, having paid homage to Henry II of England for Scotland and Galloway
Galloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
, were allowed to return to Scotland. According to J. C. D. Hay, William de Haya was also allowed to return to Scotland at that time.
William was one of the ambassadors sent in 1199 by William the Lion to the newly crowned King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
to try to have his lost patrimony of Northumberland and Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
returned to Scotland. King William offered to swear fealty to King John if this demand was granted.
The first feudal Baron of Erroll
Around 1178-8, William the Lion granted Erroll(Herol),located on the north side of the Tay estuary, to William II de Haya for the service of two knights. The barony, which was granted as a hereditary right (in feu and heritage), awarded the privileges associated with that rank, including the right to hold a judicial court and to retain the fines imposed (sake and soke), the right to exact tolls and to hold a market (toll and team), and the right to hang thieves caught red-handed (infangthiefInfangthief and outfangthief
Infangthief and outfangthief were privileges originally granted to landowners in Anglo-Saxon law...
). This is the beginning of the still extant House of Erroll Earl of Erroll
Earl of Erroll
The Earl of Erroll is an ancient title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1453 for Sir William Hay.The subsidiary titles held by the Earl of Erroll are Lord Hay and Lord Slains , both in the Peerage of Scotland. The Earls of Erroll also hold the hereditary office of Lord High Constable...
. The charter remains preserved in their family papers, while the artificial mound (motte) on which William II de Haya built his wooden tower (bailey) in the twelfth century still existed at Erroll in 1967.
Granting of lands
Granting of landsIn 1171 or 1172, William granted a charter to the Prior of St Andrews
Prior of St Andrews
The Prior of St Andrews was the head of the property and community of Augustinian canons of St Andrews Cathedral Priory, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was established by King David I in 1140 with canons from Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire...
in which he and his wife, Eva, leased lands (eight carucatum terre) in Pitmilly to the Priory of St Andrews for twenty years at an annual rent of half a merk of silver for the purposes of a hospital, meaning essentially a boarding house, for pilgrims traveling to St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
.
Sometime before 1187, William II de Haya granted the lands of Ederpolls to Coupar Angus Abbey
Coupar Angus Abbey
Coupar Angus Abbey was a Cistercian monastery near Coupar Angus, in central Scotland, on the boundary between Angus and Gowrie.It was founded on the old royal manor of Coupar in 1161 x 1162 with the patronage of Máel Coluim IV , King of Scots, by Cistercian monks from Melrose Abbey...
for the benefit of the souls of King Malcolm; his uncle Ranulf de Soulis, and others, which grant was confirmed by King William, ostensibly between 1187 and 1195, although these dates are thought by Barrow to be too late. An abstract of William II de Haya's charter exists in Coupar Angus documents
Legacy
William II and Eva had six sons, David, William III, John, Thomas, Robert and Malcolm. William II was still alive in 1201, as proved by a charter in the Benholm Charter-chest of that date, but apparently died soon afterwards. David succeeded his father as Baron of Erroll and married Ethna, the daughter of Gilbert, Earl of StrathearnGille Brigte, Earl of Strathearn
Gille Brigte of Strathearn is the third known Mormaer of Strathearn. He is one of the most famous of the Strathearn mormaers. He succeeded his father Ferchar in 1171. He is often known by the Francization of his name, Gilbert, or by various anglicizations, such as Gilbride, Gilbridge, etc...
, one of the three most powerful of the original seven Mormaer
Mormaer
The title of Mormaer designates a regional or provincial ruler in the medieval Kingdom of the Scots. In theory, although not always in practice, a Mormaer was second only to the King of Scots, and the senior of a toisech.-Origin:...
s, or Celtic Earls of Scotland. This union with Celtic nobility strengthened the Hays' claim as a Celtic-Norman Scoto-Norman
Scoto-Norman
The term Scoto-Norman is used to described people, families, institutions and archaeological artifacts that are partly Scottish and partly Norman...
family.