Alan fitz Walter (1120 – 1204) was hereditary

High Steward of Scotland Prince and Great Steward of Scotland is one of the titles of the heir apparent to the British throne. The holder since 8 September 2022 is Prince William, who bears the other Scottish titles of Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Is ...

and a crusader.

Life

Alan was the son and heir of

Walter fitz Alan Walter FitzAlan (1177) was a twelfth-century Anglo-Norman baron who became a Scottish magnate and Steward of Scotland. He was a younger son of Alan fitz Flaad and Avelina de Hesdin. In about 1136, Walter entered into the service of David I, K ...

. From 1178, the time of his succession to his father, until he died in 1204, Alan served as

Steward of Scotland Prince and Great Steward of Scotland is one of the titles of the heir apparent to the British throne. The holder since 8 September 2022 is Prince William, who bears the other Scottish titles of Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the ...

('' dapifer'') to William the Lion, King of Scots. It was during Alan's lifetime that his family acquired the

Isle of Bute The Isle of Bute (; or '), known as Bute (), is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault. Formerly a constituent island of the larger County of ...

. He was possibly responsible for the erection of Rothesay Castle on the island. Alan allegedly accompanied

Richard the Lionheart Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...

on the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt led by King Philip II of France, King Richard I of England and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by the Ayyubid sultan Saladin in 1187. F ...

, from which he returned to Scotland in July 1191. None of the references, however, can be traced back to the period.Simpson, David, ''The Genealogical and Chronological History of the Stuarts'', Edinburgh, 1713. A Royal Grant to

Kinloss Abbey Kinloss Abbey is a Cistercian abbey at Kinloss in the county of Moray, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1150 by King David I "in order to extend the benefits of civilisation to the remoter regions under his sway." The legend of its foundi ...

, signed at

Melrose Abbey St Mary's Abbey, Melrose is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of t ...

was made between 1179 and 1183. Amongst the witnesses are the

Abbot of Melrose The Abbot and then Commendator of Melrose was the head of the monastic community of Melrose Abbey, in Melrose in the Borders region of Scotland. The abbots of the earlier Northumbrian foundation from Lindisfarne are not included here. The secon ...

, the Abbot of Newbottle,

Richard de Morville Richard de Morville (died 1189), Lord of Cunninghame succeeded his father, Hugh de Morville (died 1162), as Constable of Scotland and in his Scottish estates and English lands at Bozeat in Northamptonshire, and Rutland, as well as a number ...

Constable of Scotland The Lord High Constable is a hereditary, now ceremonial, office of Scotland. In the order of precedence of Scotland, the office traditionally ranks above all titles except those of the royal family.p60-61, Bruce, Alistair, Keepers of the Kingdo ...

, 'Alan, son of Walter the Steward, and

William de Lauder William de Lawedre (modern spelling: Lauder) ( – 14 June 1425) was Bishop of Glasgow and Lord Chancellor of Scotland. Sometimes given (wrongly) as a son of Alan de Lawedre of Haltoun, he was in fact the son of Sir Robert de Lawedre of Edringt ...

. Alan became a patron of the

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

and is responsible for expanding Templar influence in Scotland. There is no evidence, however, that he joined the Order before his death. He appears as a witness to other charters of

William The Lion William the Lion (), sometimes styled William I (; ) and also known by the nickname ; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Alba from 1165 to 1214. His almost 49 ...

.Burke, Messrs., John and John Bernard, ''The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales'', &c., volume 2, London, 1851, p.xl. He is buried with his father in

Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the River Cart, White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, base ...

Marriage and issue

He married firstly,Burke, Messrs., John and John Bernard, ''The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales'' &c., volume 2, London, 1851, p.xl. Eva, who is usually named as the daughter of Sweyn Thor'sson, although some historians dispute Eva's parentage. They had no known issue. By his second marriage to Alesta of Mar, daughter of

Morggán, Earl of Mar Morggán of Mar is the first Mormaer or Earl of Mar to appear in history as "more than a characterless name in a witness-list.".Oram, "The Earls and Earldom of Mar", p. 47 He is often known as ''Morgrund'' or ''Morgan''. His father was Gille ...

, and Ada, he had: *David, died without issue, before his father *

Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland Walter Steward of Dundonald (died 1246) was 3rd hereditary High Steward of Scotland and Justiciar of Scotia. Life He was the eldest son of Alan fitz Walter, 2nd High Steward of Scotland, by his second wife Alesta of Mar. He was the first mem ...

, married Bethóc or Beatrix, daughter of

Gille Críst, Earl of Angus Gille Críst, Earl of Angus, Mormaer of Angus, ruled until 1206. He was a son of Gille Brigte of Angus and younger brother of Adam of Angus. Life Almost nothing is known of him except that he married Marjorie of Huntingdon, daughter of Henry ...

, and his wife Marjorie of Huntingdon. He died in 1246. *Leonard FitzAlan *Avelina (FitzAlan) ( Paisley, 1171-?), married Donnchadh, Earl of Carrick *Eupheme Stewart

Notes

References

* Mackenzie, A. M., MA., D.Litt., ''The Rise of the Stewarts'', London, 1935, pps.10–11.

External links

Alan Stewart, son of Walter (d.1204) @ People of Medieval Scotland 1093–1371
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walter, Alan fitz, 02 High Steward of Scotland 1120 births 1204 deaths Christians of the Third Crusade Lord high stewards of Scotland

Alan Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Kurdish surname * Alan (given name), an English given name ** List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * ...