Clan Mar

Last updated

Clan Mar
Marr
Clan member crest badge - Clan Mar.svg
Crest: On a chapeau Gules furred Ermine, two wings, each of ten pen feathers, erected and addorsed, both blazoned as in the Arms.
MottoPans Plus (Think More) [1]
Profile
Region Lowlands
District Aberdeenshire
Chief
Coat of arms of the Earl of Mar.png
Margaret of Mar
The 31st Countess of Mar
Seat Great Witley, Worcestershire
Historic seat Kildrummy Castle
Septs of Clan Mar
Marr, Marrs, Mair, Mairs, Mayers, Morren, Strachan, Tough, Mahr.
Allied clans

Clan Mar is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands. [2] It is also officially known as the Tribe of Mar. [3] The chiefs of the Clan Mar were the original Earls of Mar, although this title later went via an heiress to the Douglases in the late fourteenth century, and then to the Stewarts before going to the Erskines. The current chief of Clan Mar is Margaret of Mar, Countess.

Contents

History

Mar tartan TartanClanMar.gif
Mar tartan

Origins of the Clan

One of the seven ancient provinces or kingdoms of Scotland that was ruled by a Mormaer , which was an ancient Pictish equivalent of an Earl, was the Mormaerdom of Mar. [2] The territory of the Earldom of Mar was in Aberdeenshire, between the River Dee and the River Don. [2]

Donald, Mormaer of Mar fought alongside the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, against the Viking invaders at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. [2] In a charter of 1114, erecting Scone Abbey, Rothri, Mormaer of Mar is named and is given the Latin title Comes which equates to the modern rank of Earl. [2]

Sometime before 1152 Morggán (or Morgund) witnessed a charter to Dunfermline Abbey. [2] Uilleam (William) was one of the Regents of Scotland and in 1264 he was the Great Chamberlain of the Realm. [2] William's son was Domhnall (Donald) I who was knighted at Scone in September 1270 by Alexander III of Scotland. [2] Donald witnessed the contract of marriage between Eric II of Norway and Margaret of Scotland. [2] Donald also acknowledged Eric's daughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway as the lawful heir to the throne. [2] However, Margaret died in Orkney en route to claim her kingdom. [2]

Wars of Scottish Independence

The ruins of Kildrummy Castle which was the seat of early chiefs of Clan Mar. It is believed to have been built during the lordships of Uilleam (William) and Domhnall (Donald) I. Ruins of Kildrummy Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1319488.jpg
The ruins of Kildrummy Castle which was the seat of early chiefs of Clan Mar. It is believed to have been built during the lordships of Uilleam (William) and Domhnall (Donald) I.

The Earls of Mar supported Robert the Bruce's claim to the throne. [2] Donald's eldest daughter was Isabella of Mar who was the first wife of Robert the Bruce. [2] Isabella's brother was Gartnait (Gratney) who married Bruce's sister, Christina Bruce. [2] Gratney was succeeded by his son, Domhnall (Donald) II. [2] This Donald was captured at the Battle of Methven in 1306. [2] He was then taken as a hostage to England and was not released until after the Scottish victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, when several other hostages including the wife, sister and daughter of Robert the Bruce were exchanged for the Earl of Hereford. [2] Mar was chosen as Regent of Scotland in 1332 but he only held the title for ten days. [2] On the eve of his election to the post, Edward Balliol marched with his English troops to Perth while Mar gathered his troops to confront the invaders. [2] In the dead of night the English fell upon the Scots army while they were asleep and totally routed them. [2] The Earl of Mar was among those who were killed. [2]

Donald's son, the next earl, Thomas, died without issue and the title passed to Margaret, Countess of Mar who was his sister. [2] From Margaret the title passed to her daughter, Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar. [2] Isabella's second husband was Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, son of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, the feared Wolf of Badenoch. [2]

15th to 16th Centuries

Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar died without issue and the claim to the Earldom of Mar passed to Robert Erskine, 1st Lord Erskine who was descended from Elyne, daughter of Gartnait (Gratney). [2] Robert Erskine was recognized retrospectively as an Earl of Mar by an 1885 Act of Parliament. [2]

17th century and Civil War

In 1615 Chief John Erskine was appointed governor of Edinburgh Castle. [2] He supported Charles I of England. [2] Lord Erskine fought for the royalists at the Battle of Kilsyth in 1645. [2] The family estates were forfeited for their support of the royalists but were later restored by Charles II of England in 1660. [2]

18th century and Jacobite risings

Chief John Erskine (known as "Bobbing John") supported the House of Stuart and the Jacobite cause during the uprisings. [2] He had his honours forfeited for supporting the Jacobite cause. [2] These honours were restored in 1824 by Act of parliament. [2]

Clan Chief

The current chief of Clan Mar is Margaret, Countess of Mar who descends from the Earls of Mar, first creation (1404) (as deemed by Act of Parliament in 1885). [2] She is chief of the name and arms of Mar. [4]

The Clan Erskine has a separate chief; James Erskine, Earl of Mar and Kellie, who descends from the Earls of Mar, seventh Creation (1565) (as deemed by the House of Lords in 1875). [2] He is chief of the name and arms of Erskine. [5]

Clan Castle

See also

Related Research Articles

Domhnall II, Earl of Mar was briefly Regent of Scotland during the minority of David II, King of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella of Mar</span> Countess of Carrick

Isabella of Mar was the first wife of Robert Bruce VII, Earl of Carrick. Isabella died before her husband was crowned King of Scotland. She and her husband were the grandparents of Robert II, King of Scotland, founder of the Royal House of Stuart.

There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. The seventh creation is currently held by James Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar and 16th Earl of Kellie, who is also clan chief of Clan Erskine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Buchan</span> Title of nobility in the United Kingdom

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 passings from female heirs to sons. Today, it is held by the Erskine family as a peerage. The current holder is Harry Erskine, 18th Earl of Buchan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Angus</span> Scottish peerage

The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is held by the Duke of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the Duke's eldest son.

The Earl of Fife or Mormaer of Fife was the ruler of the province of Fife in medieval Scotland, which encompassed the modern counties of Fife and Kinross. Due to their royal ancestry, the earls of Fife were the highest ranking nobles in the realm, and had the right to crown the king of Scots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan</span> Scottish noblewoman, figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence

Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan, was a significant figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1675–1732)</span> Scottish earl

John Erskine, the 23rd and 6th Earl of Mar and 1st Duke of Mar,KT, was a prominent Scottish nobleman and a key figure in the Jacobite movement. He held the title of the 23rd Earl of Mar from the earldom's first creation and was the sixth earl in its seventh creation. Erskine, often remembered for his political adaptability, navigated the complex and shifting landscape of early 18th-century British politics.

Donnchadh of Lennox was the Mormaer of Lennox from 1385 to 1425. He was a son of Baltar mac Amlaimh and Margaret, daughter of Domhnall, Earl of Lennox.

William of Mar, also known by the name Uilleam mac Dhonnchaidh, was the mormaer of Mar in medieval Scotland from 1244 to 1276. His father was Donnchadh of Mar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domhnall I, Earl of Mar</span> 13th-century Scottish noble

Domhnall I, Earl of Mar, also known by the name Domhnall mac Uilleim, was the seventh known mormaer of Mar in medieval Scotland, ruling from the death of his father, Uilleam of Mar, in 1276 until his own death sometime between 1297 and 1302. If Gille Críst is excluded, Domhnall I is considered the sixth mormaer or Earl of Mar.

Gartnait of Mar, Earl of Mar – Gartnait mac Domhnall, 8th Mormaer of Mar, was a Scottish noble during the first War of Scottish Independence (1296–1328). His name is sometimes rendered as Gartney or Gratney. A son of Domhnall I, Earl of Mar, and his wife, Elen ferch Llywelyn, Gartnait of Mar died in about 1305.

Thomas, Earl of Mar, was a 14th-century Earl of Mar, an earldom located in the County of Aberdeen, Scotland. He is sometimes styled Mormaer of Mar since mormaer was the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of the English word earl. Because the identification and numbering of the ancient earls of Mar is debatable, Thomas is variously numbered the ninth, tenth, or thirteenth. of the ancient earls. He was a son of Domhnall II of Mar, who fell at the Battle of Dupplin Moor in 1332.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Dalrigh</span> Battle of Scottish Independence

The Battle of Dalrigh, also known as the Battle of Dail Righ, Battle of Dalry or Battle of Strathfillan, was fought in 1306 between the army of King Robert the Bruce against Clan MacDougall of Argyll, who were allies of Clan Comyn and the English. It took place at the hamlet of Dalrigh near Tyndrum in Perthshire, Scotland. Bruce's army, reeling westwards after defeat by the English on 19 June at the Battle of Methven, was intercepted and all but destroyed, with Bruce himself narrowly escaping capture. The battle took place sometime between July and early August, but the exact date is unknown.

Thomas de Lundin, often referred to as Thomas l'Ussier or Thomas Durward, was a 13th-century Scottish nobleman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar</span> 15th-century Scottish nobleman

Alexander Stewart was a Scottish nobleman, Earl of Mar from 1404. He acquired the earldom through marriage to the hereditary countess, and successfully ruled the northern part of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Erskine</span> Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Erskine is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Lennox</span> Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Lennox is a Lowland Scottish clan. The clan chiefs were the original Earls of Lennox, although this title went via an heiress to other noble families in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The chiefship of the clan then went to the Lennox of Woodehead branch.

Christian or Christina Bruce, also known as Christian or Christina de Brus, was a daughter of Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, and her husband, Robert de Brus, jure uxoris Earl of Carrick, as well as a sister of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. It is presumed that she and her siblings were born at Turnberry Castle in Carrick.

Alice Comyn, Countess of Buchan, Lady Beaumont was a Scottish noblewoman, a member of the powerful Comyn family which supported the Balliols, 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, and after his death the Earldom of Buchan was successfully claimed by her husband Henry de Beaumont, Earl of Buchan, by right of his wife. His long struggle to claim her Earldom of Buchan was one of the causes of the Second War of Scottish Independence.

References

  1. Clan Mar Profile scotclans.com. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). pp. 266 - 267.
  3. 1 2 3 Tribe of Mar Official Website Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  4. Search for Chief of Clan Mar Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine clanchiefs.org. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  5. Search for Chief of Clan Erskine Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine clanchiefs.org. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  6. Coventry, Martin (2008). Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans. Musselburgh: Goblinshead. p. 555. ISBN   978-1-899874-36-1.