Mormaer
In early Middle Ages, medieval Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, a mormaer was the Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic name for a regional or provincial ruler, theoretically second only to the Kings of Scots, King of Scots, and the senior of a ''Toísech'' (chi ...
Ailín I of Lennox, also Alún or Alwin, ruled
Lennox sometime before 1178. He is an obscure figure, known only in two sources, and remains characterless. It is not certain that he was ever recognized as a
Mormaer of Lennox
The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty.
Ancient earls
The first earl ...
, although one source does call him that. In the 1170s, Lennox was in the nominal possession of
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
, the brother of King
William I
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...
. David was given the territory as a fief of the crown in 1178.
However, the land was restored to a native magnate, Ailin's son
Ailín, and recognized as a Mormaer (''comes''). The reasons for this are unknown. Perhaps the crown had never really controlled it; or perhaps, as Neville suggests (p. 15), the frontier region of Lennox lost its importance after the defeat and death of
Somhairle mac Gille Bhrigdhe. Part of the reason was undoubtedly the promotion of David to the
Earldom of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The medieval title (1065 creation) was associated with the ruling house of Scotland ( David of Scotland).
The seventh and most recent creation dates ...
.
See also
*
Alwyn MacArchill, sometimes confused with Ailín I
Bibliography
*
Neville, Cynthia J., ''Native Lordship in Medieval Scotland: The Earldoms of Strathearn and Lennox, c. 1140-1365'', (Portland & Dublin, 2005)
External links
The origin of the MacGilchrists of Western Scotland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lennox, Ailin 01, Earl Of
People from Stirling
Year of birth unknown
12th-century deaths
Mormaers of Lennox
12th-century mormaers