Muireadhach III, Earl of Menteith (died 11 August 1332) was a Scottish nobleman.

Life

He was the third son of

Alexander, Earl of Menteith Alexander of Menteith (d. bef. 1306), a Scottish nobleman and member of the Stewart family, he was the Earl of Menteith. Life Alexander was the eldest son and heir of Walter Bailloch Stewart and Mary I, Countess of Menteith and was the Mormaer o ...

. Like his father and brothers, his surname was "Menteith" rather than Stewart, even though he could claim

agnatic Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...

descent from the Stewarts. He was the third Earl or

Mormaer of Menteith The Mormaer or Earl of Menteith was the ruler of the province of Menteith in the Middle Ages. The first mormaer is usually regarded as Gille Críst (or Gilchrist), simply because he is the earliest on record. The title was held in a continuous ...

to bear the name "Muireadhach", which occurs in non

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

sources in various corrupt forms, such as Muretach, Murdoc, Murdoch, Murdach, Murdo and even Maurice. He was an uncle of the previous earl, and a nephew of

John de Menteith Sir John Menteith of Ruskie and Knapdale (c. 1275 – c. 1329) was a Scottish nobleman during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is known for his capture of Sir William Wallace in 1305 and later joined with King Robert I of Scotland and rec ...

, an important figure during the

Wars of Scottish Independence The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of ...

most famous for handing

William Wallace Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army ...

over to the English crown. He is first referred to in 1311 as a valet in the service of William Ferrers, 1st Baron Ferrers of Groby in England. He was knighted in early 1317–1318, when he is referred to as "Sir Murdac de Mentethe" in a charter. Menteith returned to Scotland by 1318 where he witnessed a charter of

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 eventuall ...

as Earl. Menteith is alleged to have uncovered the plot of William de Soules and others to depose the Scots King, and in return was granted lands of those then declared forfeit. He was killed at the

Battle of Dupplin Moor The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of King David II of Scotland, the son of King Robert Bruce, and English-backed invaders supporting Edward Balliol, son of King John I of Scotland, on 11 August 1332. It took place a lit ...

.Balfour Paul, vol V
pp135-137
/ref>

Notes

References

* Balfour Paul, Sir James, ''

The Scots Peerage ''The Scots Peerage'' is a nine-volume book series of the Scottish nobility compiled and edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, published in Edinburgh from 1904 to 1914. The full title is ''The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Rober ...

'', IX Vols. Edinburgh, 1909.

External links

History of the Menteith family
Year of birth unknown 1332 deaths Scottish deaths at the Battle of Dupplin Moor Mormaers of Menteith 14th-century Scottish earls {{Scotland-earl-stub