Malise III of Strathearn (Gaelic: ''Maol Íosa''; c. 12571312) was a Scottish nobleman, the ruler of the region of

Strathearn Strathearn or Strath Earn (, from gd, Srath Èireann) is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland, extending from Loch Earn in the West to the River Tay in the east.http://www.strathearn.com/st_where.htm Derivation of name Strathearn was on ...

. He was the son of Malise II and his second wife Matilda, daughter of Gilbert, Earl of Orkney and Caithness. He succeeded his father on the latter's death in 1271, though for some reason he does not refer to himself as Earl until 1283, perhaps because he had not been formally infeft in the earldom. Malise helped to keep the

Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland (; , ) was a sovereign state in northwest Europe traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a l ...

stable after the death of King Alexander, and in an example of his behaviour, he is recorded as levying the tenants of the land belonging to

Inchaffray Abbey Inchaffray Abbey was situated by the village of Madderty, midway between Perth and Crieff in Strathearn, Scotland. The only traces now visible are an earth mound and some walls on rising ground which once (before drainage) formed an island where ...

to help preserve the peace. In 1284 he had joined with other Scottish noblemen who acknowledged

Margaret, Maid of Norway Margaret (, ; March or April 1283 – September 1290), known as the Maid of Norway, was the queen-designate of Scotland from 1286 until her death. As she was never inaugurated, her status as monarch is uncertain and has been debated by historian ...

as the heir to Alexander. In the interregnum following Margaret's death, Malise took a prominent part in state affairs, and was involved in most of the political events of the time. Perhaps because of his marriage into the House of Comyn, he took the side of

John 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 an ...

in his competition for the throne with

Robert Bruce 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 ...

, and accompanied John at the Battle of Dunbar in 1296. Later he swore fealty to

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 ...

, and two of his sons were taken as hostages by that king, to ensure their father's good behaviour. In 1297 he took the

Earl of Fife 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 re ...

's uncle as a prisoner for King Edward, along with his two sons. A close friend of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

(later King Edward II), he was invested in 1305 as Lieutenant of the Warden north of the Forth. In 1306 he was ordered to take the sons of the

Steward of Scotland The title of High Steward or Great Steward is that of an officer who controls the domestic affairs of a royal household. In the 12th century King David I of Scotland gave the title to Walter fitz Alan, a nobleman from Brittany, whose descenda ...

and the

Earl of Atholl The Mormaer or Earl of Atholl was the title of the holder of a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl (''Ath Fodhla''), now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is repor ...

as hostages, but before he could complete this task, he was imprisoned in

Rochester Castle Rochester Castle stands on the east bank of the River Medway in Rochester, Kent, South East England. The 12th-century keep or stone tower, which is the castle's most prominent feature, is one of the best preserved in England or France. Situat ...

because of his alleged surrender to King Robert Bruce. According to Malise, King Robert and the Earl of Atholl had marched into Strathearn and deceived and coerced him into paying Robert homage. Notwithstanding this explanation, he remained imprisoned. On petition from the Earl's wife and sons, King Edward ordered an inquiry to be made, but nothing came of this. After having been transferred to

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

in 1307, he was finally acquitted and set free in 1310. Malise was present on the English side when King Robert stormed Perth Castle in 1312. He died later the same year, and was entombed in

, to the right of the high altar.

Marriage and issue

The Earl married a lady named Agnes, likely the second daughter of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan. The Countess Agnes would later be imprisoned for life for conspiring against King Robert with her nephew William Soules. Malise and Agnes had three sons and a daughter: * Malise IV, succeeded as Earl *Gilbert, went with King Edward to Flanders in 1297, and may have died or been killed there *Robert, is recorded as having been imprisoned in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

with other Scottish youths in 1297. Nothing further is known of him *Matilda, married Robert de Toeni, Lord Toeni of Flamsted (1276–1309), son of Ralph de Toeni.

References

*Anderson, Rev'd John, "The Ancient Earls of Strathearn", in Sir James Balfour Paul (ed.
''The Scots Peerage''
Volume VIII, (Edinburgh, 1911), pp. 247–50 * Rymer, Thomas, ''Foedera Conventiones, Literae et cuiuscunque generis Acta Publica inter Reges Angliae''. London. 1745. (Latin

* Neville, Cynthia J., ''Native Lordship in Medieval Scotland: The Earldoms of Strathearn and Lennox, c. 1140-1365'', (Portland & Dublin, 2005)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strathearn, Malise III, Earl of 13th-century births 1317 deaths People from Perth and Kinross Year of birth unknown Place of birth unknown Date of death unknown Place of death unknown Scottish people of the Wars of Scottish Independence Mormaers of Strathearn 13th-century mormaers 14th-century Scottish earls