Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time; or, The Jarls and The FreskynsGray, James
History
Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time; or, The Jarls and The Freskyns
Gray, James
Caithness (Scotland) -- History; Freskin family; Sutherland (Scotland) -- History
Harold Maddadson's children by his first wife, namely Henry of Ross,
Hakon, Helena and Margaret would, in 1165, all be born, but would be
well under twenty-one, while of his second family, if Gormflaith was
born by 1135, which is unlikely, his eldest son, Thorfinn could have
been born, and some of the others. Thorfinn is mentioned by name in
a grant[33] of a silver mark per annum to the Church of Scone issuing
out of Harold's lands, of which the date is after 1166, but no one can
say how much before the 30th December 1184, the date of the death of
one of its witnesses, Andrew, Bishop of Caithness.
If the union with Gormflaith took place after 1174, no child of that
union would exist until 1175. That this is in fact true is rendered
more probable because their union is not mentioned in the _Flatey
Book_ until after the death of Sweyn in 1171. But the passage is of
doubtful authenticity, (see Rolls Edition p. 224), and inconclusive
even if genuine. From the various allusions to Harold's union with
Gormflaith, it would seem that Harold lived with her before he married
her for many years, but married her legally after his first wife
Afreka's death after 1198 when William the Lion stipulated that he
should take Afreka back, and the subsequent legal marriage might
in those days, under the Canon and Roman law, suffice to make
Gormflaith's children, though born in adultery, legitimate and capable
of succeeding to the earldom (see Dalrymple's Collections, p. 221).
In 1165 Sweyn Asleifarson, the great Viking, would be cruising on the
northern and western coasts with Harold's son, Hakon, on board, until
their deaths in Dublin in 1171.
As for those in authority, Harold Maddadson would have as
contemporaries, Freskyn of Duffus till his death between 1166 and
1171, and his son William till his death near the end of the 12th
century, when Hugo, son of William, would succeed to the Morayshire
estates, though probably he had previously obtained a grant of the
land then known as Sudrland or Sutherland, which is defined above.
Hugo probably received this grant after William the Lion's first
conquest of Sutherland and Caithness in 1196, shortly before the time
when, as we shall see, Harald Ungi obtained in right of his mother a
grant of half Orkney from the Norse king, and another from the king of
Scotland of half Caithness, and probably a confirmation of his title
to the Moddan lands in Strathnaver and in Halkirk and Latheron, to
which he was heir in right of his father and grandmother Audhild of
the Moddan line. But this half of Caithness would be conferred on
Harald Ungi subject to the prior grant of Sudrland to Hugo Freskyn.
For Harold Maddadson must, in the opinion of so eminent an authority
as Lord Hailes, have been forfeited in 1196, if not earlier, for
both he and his son Thorfinn were then in open rebellion against the
Scottish Crown.[34]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account