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 Continenta ...

Maol Domhnaich (sometimes anglicized as ''Maldoven'') was the son of

Ailín II, and ruled Lennox in 1217–1250.

Biography

Like his predecessor Ailín II, he showed absolutely no interest in extending an inviting hand to oncoming French or English settlers. He has, moreover, gained a reputation amongst modern scholars as being one of the more conservative Gaelic rulers in thirteenth century Scotland. Despite that, he seems to have remained loyal to his royal overlord. There is no evidence that he participated in any of the western-oriented rebellions which were so frequent in the era. The Mormaer even sent his son Maol Choluim with the king's expedition to

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in 1232. He was also a witness to the treaty between King Alexander II of Scotland and his brother-in-law

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in 1237, concerning the much disputed northern counties of England. Nevertheless, in 1238 Alexander distrusted him sufficiently to remove the Castle of

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (historical), Britons') is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ...

from his control, giving the Scottish king an important foothold in the Mormaerdom. As part of the same act, Alexander II regranted the Mormaerdom to Maol Domhnaich as a military fief, indicating perhaps that the Mormaerdom's prior status was ambiguous. He married c. 1230 Elizabeth or Beatrix Stewart (b. c. 1210), the daughter of Walter Stewart, the 3rd

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, and wife Beatrix of Angus, and had two known sons ( Maol Choluim and Donnchadh), and one daughter, Ada of Lennox, wife of Sir Malcolm Beg de Drummond (aft. 1169-1259), 6th (first recorded)

Thane Thane (; previously known as Thana, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city located on the northwestern side of the list of Indian states, state of Maharashtra in India and on ...

of Lennox, Chief of

Clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

Drummond, and mother of Sir Malcolm de Drummond (aft. 1209-1278), Thane of Lennox, in turn father of Sir John Drummond (aft. 1240-1301), Thane of Lennox, who married Elena Stewart, daughter of Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith, and wife Mary I, Countess of Menteith, and had issue.G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume VII, p. 590 Maol Domhnaich's reign came to an end with his death in 1250.

Notes

Bibliography

* Neville, Cynthia J., ''Native Lordship in Medieval Scotland: The Earldoms of Strathearn and Lennox, c. 1140-1365'', (Portland & Dublin, 2005) 1250 deaths Year of birth unknown Nobility from West Dunbartonshire Mormaers of Lennox 13th-century mormaers {{Scotland-earl-stub