Maria de Ergadia (died 1302) was a fourteenth-century Scottish noblewoman. She was Queen consort of Mann and the Isles and Countess of Strathearn.

Multiple marriages

Maria was a daughter of Eóghan Mac Dubhghaill, Lord of Argyll, and thus a member of

Clann Dubhghaill Clan MacDougall is a Highland Scottish clan, historically based in and around Argyll. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in Scotland, issuing new grants of coats of arms, and serving as ...

. She was married four times. Her successive husbands were: Magnús Óláfsson, King of Mann and the Isles,

Maol Íosa II, Earl of Strathearn Máel Ísu or Malise II (Modern Gaelic: ''Maol Íosa''; died 1271) is the fifth known mormaer, or earl, of the Scottish region of Strathearn. He was the son of Robert, 4th Earl of Strathearn. Biography Malise first appears on record in 1244, wh ...

, Hugh,

Lord of Abernethy The Lord of Abernethy was from the 12th century to the 14th century the hereditary holder of the church and lands of the Scottish monastery at Abernethy. It gradually evolved alongside the title Abbot of Abernethy, displacing that term in extant ...

, and William FitzWarin. These unions appear to reveal the remarkable wide-ranging connections enjoyed by Clann Dubhghaill. It is unknown when Maria married her first husband, although the union cannot date later than Magnús' death in 1265. Maria's father last appears on record in 1268, when he witnessed a charter of Maol Íosa. It is possible that this could have been about the time when Maria married him. Within the same year, Maol Íosa is recorded to have owed a debt of £62 to the Scottish Crown, a sum that could have been incurred as a result of the marriage. The Earls of Strathearn were not amongst the Scottish realm's most wealthy magnates, and it is likely that Maol Íosa's marriage to the widow of the

King of Mann and the Isles The Kingdom of the Isles consisted of the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Firth of Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The islands were known to the Norse as the , or "Southern Isles" as distinct from the or North ...

contributed to his wealth and enhanced his prestige. Throughout much of her life, Maria bore the title Countess of Strathearn. Neville (1983a) p. 113. Maria and her third husband, Hugh, had several children. One such child of her and Hugh was

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

. After Hugh's death, Maria was summoned to appear before parliament to answer regarding Alexander's rights to various lands. In 1292, Maria was indebted to Nicholas de Meynell for 200 marks, part of the tocher of a daughter of hers. When Maria rendered homage to Edward I, King of England in 1296, she styled herself "''la Reẏne de Man''". The date of Maria's fourth marriage is unknown, although her fourth husband is known to have died in 1299. Within the year, Maria received her portion of William's poessesions and her dower from Alan, a son of William from an earlier marriage. Part of her dower included the wardship and marriage of John, son of Alan Logan. In 1300, John de Lyndeby, Prior of Holmcultram was appointed as her attorney to receive the portion of her dower in Ireland. In 1302, Maria died in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

amongst her Clann Dubhghaill kin, and was buried along with William in London's Greyfriars church. Higgit (2000) p. 19; Cokayne; White (1953) p. 383; Kingsford (1915) p. 74. An effigy of her second husband, and perhaps Maria herself, lies in

Dunblane Cathedral Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland. The lower half of the tower is pre- Romanesque from the 11th century, and was originally free-standi ...

Citations

References

Primary sources

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Secondary sources

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External links

*{{cite web , url=https://www.poms.ac.uk/record/person/7687/ , title=Mary, Queen of Man/ Countess of Strathearn/ Wife of Hugh Abernethy , website=People of Medieval Scotland, 1093–1371 1302 deaths 13th-century Scottish people 14th-century Scottish people 13th-century Scottish women 14th-century Scottish women Clan MacDougall People of the Kingdom of the Isles People of the Kingdom of England

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 ...