Lochlann of Galloway

Last updated

Lochlann of Galloway (died 12 December 1200), also known as Lochlan mac Uchtred and by his French name Roland fitz Uhtred, was the son and successor of Uchtred, Lord of Galloway as the "Lord" or "sub-king" of eastern Galloway.

Contents

Family

Lochlann was the oldest son of Uchtred, Lord of Galloway and his wife Gunhilda of Dunbar, daughter of Waltheof of Allerdale. [1] Lochlann (also called Roland) had four siblings—sisters Eve of Galloway (wife of Walter de Berkeley) and Christina (wife of William de Brus, 3rd Lord of Annandale), and two younger brothers, Fergus and another whose name is not known. Through their father Lochlann and his siblings were great-grandchildren of King Henry I of England. Through their mother they were descended from the house of Dunkeld.

Lochlann's father is considered to be the last living King of Galloway, which he ruled jointly with his brother, Gille Brigte, from 1161 to 1174. At this time Gille Brigte, brutally slew his brother, Uchtred, who was a strong ally of Scotland, and attempted to transfer Galloway over to English control. Gille Brigte offered the King of England tribute if the King would "remove them [the Galwegians] from the servitude of the king of Scotland" (Anderson, p. 258). However, when King Henry's delegation discovered the fate of Uchtred, Henry's cousin, they rejected the request. Gille Brigte was forced to come to terms with the two kings, and pay penalties for the death of his brother.

Lochlann of Galloway was likely a young adult at the time of his father's death at the hands of his uncle. He likely participated in King William of Scotland's disastrous invasion of Northumberland. After his father's death Lochlann made it plain he considered King William of Scotland his liege. Where his father had declared himself King of Galloway, after Gille Brigte's death in 1185 Lochlann became "Lord of Galloway". It is said his favourite title was yet to come, courtesy of his wife.

Constable of the King of Scots

Lochlann, son of Uchtred, married Helena, daughter of Richard de Morville, and eventually his sole heir. The couple had at least one known son, Alan of Galloway. Richard de Morville, Constable of Scotland, died in 1189, all his sons having predeceased him. The title of Constable of Scotland and all his Scottish estates passed to Lochlann through his marriage to Helena. Her English inheritance appears to have not been so secure, for in 1200 Lochlann accompanied King William to pay homage to King John, and it is stated it was Lochlann's intention to discuss his wife's estates. "Constable of the King of Scots" was the title Lochlann preferred above all others, perhaps because it had not been sullied by his uncle. Lochlann of Galloway was in England at the time of his death in 1200. Alan of Galloway succeeded his father, to become Lord of Galloway, and by right of his mother, to become Constable of Scotland.

Later life

After the death of his uncle Gille Brigte in 1185, Lochlann went about to seize the land of Gille Brigte's heirs. In this aim he had to defeat the men who would defy his authority in the name of Gille Brigte's heir. He seems to have done so, defeating the resistors, who were led by men called Gille Pátraic and Henric Cennédig. Yet resistance continued under a warrior called Gille Coluim of Galloway.

Lochlann's aims moreover encouraged the wrath of a more important political figure than any of the above. King Henry II of England was outraged. A few years before Gille Brigte's death, Henry had taken his son and successor Donnchad as a hostage. Hence Henry was the patron and protector of the man Lochlann was trying to disinherit. When King William of Scotland was ordered to visit Henry in southern England, William was told that Lochlann must be stopped. However, William and Lochlann were friends, and so in the end Henry himself brought an army to Carlisle, and threatened to invade unless Lochlann would submit to his judgment. Lochlann did so. As it transpired, Lochlann kept most of Galloway, and Donnchad was given the new "Mormaerdom" of Carrick in compensation.

More than any previous Lord of Galloway, he was the loyal man and vassal of the King of Scotland. After all, he owed his lands to the positive influence of King William. Whereas Lochlann's grandfather, Fergus had called himself King of Galloway, Lochlann's favourite title was "Constable of the King of Scots".

Lochlann had led William's armies north into Moireabh against the pretender Domnall mac Uilleim, who claimed the Scottish throne as a grandson of King Donnchad II of Scotland. Lochlann defeated him in 1187 at the Battle of Mam Garvia, a mysterious location probably near Dingwall.

Lochlann, unlike his uncle Gille Brigte, welcomed French and English colonisation into his eastern lands. In this, he was following his overlord, King William I of Scotland. Of all the Lords of Galloway, Lochlann is the least mentioned in the Gaelic annals, suggesting that he had lost touch somewhat with his background in the world of greater Irish Sea Gaeldom.

In 1200, he was in the company of King William in England, who was giving homage to the new king, John. Lochlann used the opportunity to make legal proceeding in Northampton regarding the property claims of his wife, Helena, daughter and heiress of Richard de Morville. It was here that he met his death and was buried. Lochlann and Helena had a son Alan, who succeeded to Galloway.

In 1191/1192, Lochlann founded Glenluce Abbey. [2]

Marriage and Children

At some time before 1185, [3] possibly in the 1170s, Lochlann married Elena de Moreville, daughter and eventually sole heir of Richard de Morville, Lord of Cunninghame and Constable of Scotland. They had 5 children: [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm IV of Scotland</span> King of Alba from 1153 to 1165

Malcolm IV, nicknamed Virgo, "the Maiden" was King of Scotland from 1153 until his death. He was the eldest son of Henry, Earl of Huntingdon and Northumbria and Ada de Warenne. The original Malcolm Canmore, a name now associated with his great-grandfather Malcolm III, he succeeded his grandfather David I, and shared David's Anglo-Norman tastes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Carrick</span> Title applied to the ruler of Carrick

Earl of Carrick is the title applied to the ruler of Carrick, subsequently part of the Peerage of Scotland. The position came to be strongly associated with the Scottish crown when Robert the Bruce, who had inherited it from his maternal kin, became King of Scots in the early 14th century. Since the 15th century, the title of Earl of Carrick has automatically been held by the heir apparent to the throne, thus the current holder of the title is Prince William, Duke of Rothesay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord of Galloway</span> Medieval Scottish ruler

The lords of Galloway consisted of a dynasty of heirs who were lords and ladies who ruled over Galloway in southwest Scotland, mainly during the High Middle Ages. Many regions of Scotland, including Galloway and Moray, periodically had kings or subkings, similar to those in Ireland during the Middle Ages. The Scottish monarch was seen as being similar to a high king. The lords of Galloway would have either paid tribute to the Scottish monarch, or at other times ignored him. The Lords of Galloway are fairly well recorded in the 12th and 13th centuries, but the records are incomplete or conflicting at other times. Later on, the kings were known as "lords" at the Scottish court, and "kings" at home, finally becoming "lords" in both arenas.

Alan of Galloway was a leading thirteenth-century Scottish magnate. As the hereditary Lord of Galloway and Constable of Scotland, he was one of the most influential men in the Kingdom of Scotland and Irish Sea zone.

Uhtred mac Fergus was Lord of Galloway from 1161 to 1174, ruling jointly with his brother Gille Brigte (Gilbert). They were sons of Fergus of Galloway; it was believed that they were half brothers, but Duncan of Carrick was addressed as cousin by the English King, as was Uchtred.. Their mother's name is not known for sure, but she must have been one of the many illegitimate daughters of Henry I of England, most likely Elizabeth Fitzroy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord High Constable of Scotland</span> Hereditary ceremonial office in Scotland

The Lord High Constable is a hereditary, now ceremonial, office of Scotland. In the order of precedence of Scotland, the office traditionally ranks above all titles except those of the royal family. The Lord High Constable was, after the King of Scots, the supreme officer of the Scottish army. He also performed judicial functions as the chief judge of the High Court of Constabulary. From the late 13th Century the Court – presided over by the Lord High Constable or his deputies – was empowered to judge all cases of rioting, disorder, bloodshed and murder if such crimes occurred within four miles of the King, the King's Council, or the Parliament of Scotland. Following James VI's move to England, the jurisdiction of the Lord High Constable was defined in terms of the "resident place" appointed for the Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fergus of Galloway</span> Lord of Galloway (d. 1161)

Fergus of Galloway was a twelfth-century Lord of Galloway. Although his familial origins are unknown, it is possible that he was of Norse-Gaelic ancestry. Fergus first appears on record in 1136, when he witnessed a charter of David I, King of Scotland. There is considerable evidence indicating that Fergus was married to an illegitimate daughter of Henry I, King of England. It is possible that Elizabeth Fitzroy was the mother of Fergus's three children.

Gille Brigte or Gilla Brigte mac Fergusa of Galloway, also known as Gillebrigte, Gille Brighde, Gilbridge, Gilbride, etc., and most famously known in French sources as Gilbert, was Lord of Galloway of Scotland. Gilla Brigte was one of two sons of the great Fergus, the builder of the "Kingdom" of Galloway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnchadh, Earl of Carrick</span> Mormaer or Earl of Carrick

Donnchadh was a Gall-Gaidhil prince and Scottish magnate in what is now south-western Scotland, whose career stretched from the last quarter of the 12th century until his death in 1250. His father, Gille-Brighde of Galloway, and his uncle, Uhtred of Galloway, were the two rival sons of Fergus, Prince or Lord of Galloway. As a result of Gille-Brighde's conflict with Uhtred and the Scottish monarch William the Lion, Donnchadh became a hostage of King Henry II of England. He probably remained in England for almost a decade before returning north on the death of his father. Although denied succession to all the lands of Galloway, he was granted lordship over Carrick in the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gille Brigte, Earl of Strathearn</span> Scottish earl (1150–1223)

Gille Brigte of Strathearn (1150–1223), sometimes also called Gilbert, was the 3rd Earl or Mormaer of Strathearn.

Gille Críst, Earl of Angus ruled until 1206 Mormaer of Angus. He was a son of Gille Brigte of Angus and younger brother of Adam of Angus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Alba</span> Medieval kingdom in Scotland

The Kingdom of Alba was the Kingdom of Scotland between the deaths of Donald II in 900 and of Alexander III in 1286. The latter's death led indirectly to an invasion of Scotland by Edward I of England in 1296 and the First War of Scottish Independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotland in the High Middle Ages</span> Scotland between about 900 and 1286 CE

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, which was an indirect cause of the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Christian of Whithorn was Bishop of Whithorn (1154–1186), the second incumbent of that Episcopal See since it had been resurrected by King Fergus of Galloway earlier in the 12th century.

The Meic Uilleim (MacWilliams) were the Gaelic descendants of William fitz Duncan, grandson of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, king of Scots. They were excluded from the succession by the descendants of Máel Coluim's son David I during the 12th century and raised a number of rebellions to vindicate their claims to the Mormaerdom of Moray and perhaps to the rule of Scotland.

Richard de Morville, Lord of Cunninghame succeeded his father, Hugh de Morville, as Constable of Scotland and in his Scottish estates and English lands at Bozeat in Northamptonshire, and Rutland, as well as a number of feus of the Honour of Huntingdon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincluden Collegiate Church</span> Church in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK

Lincluden Collegiate Church, known earlier as Lincluden Priory or Lincluden Abbey, is a ruined religious house, situated in the historic county of Dumfries to the north of the Royal Burgh of Dumfries, Scotland. Situated in a bend of the River Cairn, at its confluence with the River Nith, the ruins are on the site of the Bailey of the very early Lincluden Castle, as are those of the later Lincluden Tower. This religious house was founded circa 1160 and was used for various purposes, until its abandonment around 1700. The remaining ruins are protected as a scheduled monument.

Thomas of Galloway, known in Gaelic sources as Tomás Mac Uchtraigh, was a Gall-Gaidhil prince and adventurer. The son of Lochlann, king of Galloway, Thomas was an active agent of his brother Alan of Galloway as well as the English and Scottish kings. When King John, the English monarch, decided that central and western Ulster were to be added to his dominions, he conscripted Thomas and Alan of Galloway to his aid, offering them much of later counties Antrim, Londonderry and Tyrone as incentive.

The Galloway revolt of 1234–1235 was an uprising in Galloway during 1234–1235, led by Tomás mac Ailein and Gille Ruadh. The uprising was in response to the succession of Alan of Galloway, whereby King Alexander II of Scotland ordered Galloway to be divided the amongst Alan's three heiresses under Norman feudal law. This judgement excluded Alan's illegitimate son Tomás, who believed he was the rightful heir under the Gaelic system of tanistry. Alexander II responded by leading an army into Galloway to crush the rebellion. The Scottish army was almost routed, however was saved by the arrival of Fearchar, Earl of Ross and his forces. Walter Comyn, Lord of Badenoch was left to mop up the revolt, however was forced to abandon the region. Patrick II, Earl of Dunbar led another army in 1235, with Adam, Abbot of Melrose, and Gilbert, Bishop of Galloway and forced the submission of Tomás and Gille.

Events from the 1200s in the Kingdom of Scotland.

References

  1. Scots Peerage, Volume 4, "Ancient Lords of Galloway" p. 138 https://www.electricscotland.com/books/pdf/ScotsPeerageVol4.pdf
  2. Stell (1991) p. 153.
  3. Oram, RD (2004d). "Roland, lord of Galloway (d. 1200)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49361. Retrieved 5 July 2011. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. Oram, RD (2004a). "Alan, Lord of Galloway (b. before 1199, d. 1234)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49362. Retrieved 5 July 2011. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Regnal titles
Preceded by Lords of Galloway Succeeded by