Alexander of Argyll, also known as Alexander of Lorne, and Alexander MacDougall ( gd, Alasdair MacDubhgaill; died 1310), was a Scottish magnate from the late 13th and early 14th century. Alexander was the son of

Ewen MacDougall Ewen is a male given name, most common throughout Scotland as well as Canada, due to the immigration of Scottish people. It is an anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic name, Eòghann. It is possibly a derivative of the Pictish name, ''Uuen'' (or 'W ...

Lord of Argyll The sovereign or feudal lordship of Argyle was the holding of the senior branch of descendants of Somerled (''Somhairle''), this branch becoming soon known as Clan MacDougall Construction of the Lordship of Argyll-Lorne essentially started with ...

. Although the details of Alexander's early life are largely unknown, he appears to have succeeded to his father's position as Lord of Argyll and Lorne and head of the MacDougall kindred after the latter's death in 1268. Alexander appears to have been named after King

Alexander III of Scotland Alexander III (Medieval ; Modern Gaelic: ; 4 September 1241 – 19 March 1286) was King of Scots from 1249 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of Perth, by which Scotland acquired sovereignty over the Western Isles and the Isle of Man. His ...

. Under the latter's authority, Alexander was involved in the Scottish expedition that quelled a revolt on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

in 1275. In 1284 he joined with other Scottish noblemen who acknowledged Margaret of Norway as the heir of Alexander.''Foedera'', p228 Here he is referred to as "Alexander of Orgadia"

Argyll

As the succession crisis resulting from the unexpected deaths of Alexander III (1286) and then his designated successor Margaret (1290) developed, Argyll took a prominent part in the succession dispute. He was married to the sister of John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, key ally and kinsman of the Balliols. Alexander found himself as a firm Balliol supporter as the Balliol's vied against the Bruces to take the succession. He served as one of

John de Balliol John Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as ''Toom Tabard'' (meaning "empty coat" – coat of arms), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered a ...

's auditors during the

Great Cause When the crown of Scotland became vacant in September 1290 on the death of the seven-year-old Queen Margaret, 13 claimants to the throne came forward. Those with the most credible claims were John Balliol, Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, ...

, and after the latter's accession as King, Alexander was a key ally and helped King John establish his sheriffdoms in the west. The alliance between MacDougall and Balliol developed from and caused an alliance between MacDougall's main regional rival, Alexander Óg MacDonald, and the Bruces. Alexander was captured during the Battle of Dunbar by

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

forces and was imprisoned at

Berwick Castle Berwick Castle is a ruined castle in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England. History The castle was commissioned by the Scottish King David I in the 1120s. It was taken by the English forces under the terms of the Treaty of Falaise in 11 ...

until his release in 1297.Paterson 2008, p19 After the deposition of Balliol in 1296, MacDougall opposed the power of his new overlord

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vas ...

. The failure of Balliol's kingship also helped to fuel conflict between the two west Highland kindreds as part of the civil and international conflict known today as the

First War of Scottish Independence The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between English and Scottish forces. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the ''de jure'' restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty ...

; in 1299 MacDougall killed Alexander Og. MacDougall became reconciled with King Edward and in 1305 became a member of the King's Scottish council. The murder of Alexander's kinsman

John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch John Comyn III of Badenoch, nicknamed the Red (c. 1274 – 10 February 1306), was a leading Scottish baron and magnate who played an important role in the First War of Scottish Independence. He served as Guardian of Scotland after the forced ab ...

in 1306 by

Robert de Brus Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...

Earl of Carrick Earl of Carrick (or Mormaer of Carrick) is the title applied to the ruler of Carrick (now South Ayrshire), subsequently part of the Peerage of Scotland. The position came to be strongly associated with the Scottish crown when Robert the Bruce, ...

, hardened MacDougall's anti-Bruce position, and this became opposition to Robert's kingship as the latter was crowned King of Scots at

Scone A scone is a baked good, usually made of either wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash. The scone is a basic component ...

later in the year. Through 1307 and into 1308 King Robert assaulted the MacDougall-Comyn position in the Western Highlands. After Alexander's seat,

Dunstaffnage Castle Dunstaffnage Castle ( gd, Caisteal Dhùn Stadhainis) is a partially ruined castle in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It lies NNE of Oban, situated on a platform of conglomerate rock on a promontory at the south-west of the entrance to Loc ...

, was captured by Bruce forces in 1308, Alexander entered the King's peace. Although Alexander attended the St Andrews parliament of 1309, by 1310 Alexander and his son had gone into England to join the service of King

Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to t ...

. Alexander died in that year, perhaps in English service in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Alexander's only known wife was a daughter of the John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch. He had many children, including: *

John of Argyll John of Argyll, gd, Eóin MacDubhgaill (medieval), John MacDougall, John of Lorne, Eóin Bacach MacDhùghaillor or Iain MacDhùghaill , was a Scottish nobleman of the early 14th century. He is often known to today as John Bacach, "the Lame", bu ...

, his son and successor * Donnchadh * Christiana, m. Maol Mhuire Lamont Alexander Og's wife, Juliana, may have been a daughter or sister of Alexander. Another of his daughters, unknown by name, married Lachlann Mac Ruaidhrí, son of

Ailéan mac Ruaidhrí Ailéan mac Ruaidhrí (died ×1296) was a leading figure in the thirteenth-century kingdoms of the Isles and the Scotland. He was a son of Ruaidhrí mac Raghnaill, and thus a member of the Clann Ruaidhrí branch of Clann Somhairle. Ailéan w ...

. He had several other sons.

Notes

References

* Macdonald, Donald J. of Castleton, ''Clan Donald'', (London 1978) * McDonald, R. Andrew, ''The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's Western Seaboard, c. 1100-1336'', (Edinburgh, 1997) * Rymer, Thomas,''Foedera Conventiones, Literae et cuiuscunque generis Acta Publica inter Reges Angliae''. London. 1745. (Latin

* Sellar, W. D. H., "Hebridean Sea-Kings: The Successors of Somerled, 1164-1316", in Edward J. Cowan & R. Andrew McDonald (eds.), ''Alba: Celtic Scotland in the Medieval Era'', (Edinburgh, 2000), pp. 187–218 * Sellar, W. D. H., "MacDougall, Alexander, lord of Argyll (d. 1310)", in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 200
, accessed 1 Aug 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander Of Argyll 1310 deaths Clan MacDougall Medieval Gaels from Scotland People from Argyll and Bute Scottish people of the Wars of Scottish Independence Scottish clan chiefs Year of birth unknown