Clan Mar is a

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure recognised ...

of the Scottish Lowlands.Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The

Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is the organisation that represents the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans and Families. It describes itself as "the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System ...

). pp. 266 - 267. It is also officially known as the Tribe of Mar.Tribe of Mar Official Website
Retrieved 21 November 2016. The chiefs of the Clan Mar were the original Earls of Mar, although this title later went via an heiress to the Douglases in the late fourteenth century, and then to the Stewarts before going to the Erskines. The current chief of Clan Mar is Margaret of Mar, Countess.

History

Origins of the Clan

One of the seven ancient provinces or kingdoms of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

that was ruled by a ''

Mormaer In early medieval Scotland, a mormaer was the Gaelic name for a regional or provincial ruler, theoretically second only to the King of Scots, and the senior of a ''Toísech'' (chieftain). Mormaers were equivalent to English earls or Continental c ...

'', which was an ancient

Pictish Pictish is the extinct Brittonic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited number of geographica ...

equivalent of an Earl, was the ''Mormaerdom of Mar''. The territory of the

Earldom of Mar There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. Th ...

was in Aberdeenshire, between the River Dee and the River Don.

Donald Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...

, Mormaer of Mar fought alongside the High King of Ireland,

Brian Boru Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. Br ...

, against the

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

invaders at the

Battle of Clontarf The Battle of Clontarf ( ga, Cath Chluain Tarbh) took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse-Irish alliance comprising the for ...

in 1014. In a charter of 1114, erecting

Scone Abbey Scone Abbey (originally Scone Priory) was a house of Augustinian canons located in Scone, Perthshire (Gowrie), Scotland. Dates given for the establishment of Scone Priory have ranged from 1114 A.D. to 1122 A.D. However, historians have long be ...

, Rothri, Mormaer of Mar is named and is given the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

title ''Comes'' which equates to the modern rank of Earl. Sometime before 1152 Morggán (or Morgund) witnessed a charter to

Dunfermline Abbey Dunfermline Abbey is a Church of Scotland Parish Church in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. The church occupies the site of the ancient chancel and transepts of a large medieval Benedictine abbey, which was sacked in 1560 during the Scottish Reforma ...

. Uilleam (William) was one of the Regents of Scotland and in 1264 he was the Great Chamberlain of the Realm. William's son was Domhnall (Donald) I who was knighted 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 ...

in September 1270 by

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 ...

. Donald witnessed the contract of marriage between Eric II of Norway and Margaret of Scotland. Donald also acknowledged Eric's daughter,

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 lawful heir to the throne. However, Margaret died in Orkney en route to claim her kingdom.

Wars of Scottish Independence

The Earls of Mar supported

Robert the 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 eventual ...

's claim to the throne. Donald's eldest daughter was Isabella of Mar who was the first wife of Robert the Bruce. Isabella's brother was Gartnait (Gratney) who married Bruce's sister,

Christina Bruce Christian or Christina Bruce (c. 1278 – 1356/1357), also known as Christian or Christina de Brus, was a daughter of Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, and her husband, Robert de Brus, ''jure uxoris'' Earl of Carrick, as well as a sister of Robert ...

. Gratney was succeeded by his son, Domhnall (Donald) II. This Donald was captured at the Battle of Methven in 1306. He was then taken as a hostage to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and was not released until after the Scottish victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, when several other hostages including the wife, sister and daughter of Robert the Bruce were exchanged for the

Earl of Hereford The title of Earl of Hereford was created six times in the Peerage of England. Dates indicate the years the person held the title for. Earls of Hereford, First Creation (1043) * Swegen Godwinson (1043–1051) ''earldom forfeit 1051–1052'' Earl ...

. Mar was chosen as Regent of Scotland in 1332 but he only held the title for ten days. On the eve of his election to the post,

Edward Balliol Edward Balliol (; 1283 – January 1364) was a claimant to the Scottish throne during the Second War of Scottish Independence. With English help, he ruled parts of the kingdom from 1332 to 1356. Early life Edward was the eldest son of John ...

marched with his English troops to Perth while Mar gathered his troops to confront the invaders. In the dead of night the English fell upon the Scots army while they were asleep and totally routed them. The Earl of Mar was among those who were killed. Donald's son, the next earl,

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

, died without issue and the title passed to Margaret, Countess of Mar who was his sister. From Margaret the title passed to her daughter,

Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar ( 13601408) was Countess of Mar. Isabel was the sister of the famous James 2nd Earl of Douglas and Earl of Mar, who died leading the Scots to victory at the Battle of Otterburn. He died without any legitimate ch ...

. Isabella's second husband was Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, son of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, the feared ''Wolf of Badenoch''.

15th to 16th Centuries

died without issue and the claim to the Earldom of Mar passed to Robert Erskine, 1st Lord Erskine who was descended from Elyne, daughter of Gartnait (Gratney). Robert Erskine was recognized retrospectively as an Earl of Mar by an 1885 Act of Parliament.

17th century and Civil War

In 1615 Chief John Erskine was appointed governor of Edinburgh Castle. He supported

Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after hi ...

. Lord Erskine fought for the royalists at the Battle of Kilsyth in 1645. The family estates were forfeited for their support of the royalists but were later restored by Charles II of England in 1660.

18th century and Jacobite risings

Chief John Erskine (known as "Bobbing John") supported the

House of Stuart The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter fi ...

and the Jacobite cause during the uprisings. He had his honours forfeited for supporting the Jacobite cause. These honours were restored in 1824 by Act of parliament.

Clan Chief

The current chief of Clan Mar is Margaret, Countess of Mar who descends from the Earls of Mar, first creation (1404) (as deemed by Act of Parliament in 1885). She is chief of the name and arms of Mar. The

Clan Erskine Clan Erskine is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Publishe ...

has a separate chief;

James Erskine, Earl of Mar and Kellie James Thorne Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar and 16th Earl of Kellie, (born 10 March 1949) is a Scottish peer and former Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords. Educated at Eton, he was Page of Honour to Queen Elizabeth II in 1962 and 1963. ...

, who descends from the Earls of Mar, seventh Creation (1565) (as deemed by the House of Lords in 1875). He is chief of the name and arms of Erskine.

Clan Castle

Kildrummy Castle Kildrummy Castle is a ruined castle near Kildrummy, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Though ruined, it is one of the most extensive castles dating from the 13th century to survive in eastern Scotland, and was the seat of the Earls of Mar. It is ow ...

Kildrummy Kildrummy ( gd, Cionn Droma) is a hamlet in Aberdeenshire, Scotland near the River Don, west of Alford. The hamlet's primary school closed in 2003. Its church was built in 1805. Nearby Kildrummy Castle has a long history dating back to at lea ...

, Aberdeenshire was the main strong-hold of the earldom of Mar.Coventry, Martin. (2008). ''Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans''. pp. 555. . It is believed to have been built during the lordships of Uilleam (William) and Domhnall (Donald) I.

References

External links

Tribe of Mar Official Website

Tribe of Mar Society of Canada

by

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

Clan Mar at ScotClans.com
{{Scottish clans

Mar Mar, mar or MAR may refer to: Culture * Mar or Mor, an honorific in Syriac * Earl of Mar, an earldom in Scotland * MAA (singer) (born 1986), Japanese * Marathi language, by ISO 639-2 language code * March, as an abbreviation for the third mon ...

Scottish Lowlands