Maria de Ergadia (died 1302) was a fourteenth-century Scottish noblewoman. She was Queen consort of Mann and the Isles and Countess of Strathearn.

Multiple marriages

Maria was a daughter of Eóghan Mac Dubhghaill, Lord of Argyll, and thus a member of

Clann Dubhghaill Clan MacDougall is a Highland Scottish clan, historically based in and around Argyll. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in Scotland, issuing new grants of coats of arms, and serving as ...

. She was married four times. Her successive husbands were: Magnús Óláfsson, King of Mann and the Isles,

Maol Íosa II, Earl of Strathearn Máel Ísu or Malise II (Modern Gaelic: ''Maol Íosa''; died 1271) is the fifth known mormaer, or earl, of the Scotland, Scottish region of Strathearn. He was the son of Robert, Earl of Strathearn, Robert, 4th Earl of Strathearn. Biography Malise ...

, Hugh,

Lord of Abernethy The Lord of Abernethy was from the 12th century to the 14th century the hereditary holder of the church and lands of the Scottish monastery at Abernethy. It gradually evolved alongside the title Abbot of Abernethy, displacing that term in extan ...

, and William FitzWarin. These unions appear to reveal the remarkable wide-ranging connections enjoyed by

. It is unknown when Maria married her first husband, although the union cannot date later than Magnús' death in 1265. Maria's father last appears on record in 1268, when he witnessed a charter of Maol Íosa. It is possible that this could have been about the time when Maria married him. Within the same year, Maol Íosa is recorded to have owed a debt of £62 to the Scottish Crown, a sum that could have been incurred as a result of the marriage. The Earls of Strathearn were not amongst the Scottish realm's most wealthy magnates, and it is likely that Maol Íosa's marriage to the widow of the

King of Mann and the Isles The Kingdom of the Isles, also known as Sodor, was a Norse–Gaelic kingdom comprising the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries. The islands were known in Old Norse as the , or "Southern I ...

contributed to his wealth and enhanced his prestige. Throughout much of her life, Maria bore the title Countess of Strathearn. Neville (1983a) p. 113. Maria and her third husband, Hugh, had several children. One such child of her and Hugh was

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

. After Hugh's death, Maria was summoned to appear before parliament to answer regarding Alexander's rights to various lands. In 1292, Maria was indebted to Nicholas de Meynell for 200 marks, part of the tocher of a daughter of hers. When Maria rendered homage to Edward I, King of England in 1296, she styled herself "''la Reẏne de Man''". The date of Maria's fourth marriage is unknown, although her fourth husband is known to have died in 1299. Within the year, Maria received her portion of William's poessesions and her dower from Alan, a son of William from an earlier marriage. Part of her dower included the wardship and marriage of John, son of Alan Logan. In 1300, John de Lyndeby, Prior of Holmcultram was appointed as her attorney to receive the portion of her dower in Ireland. In 1302, Maria died in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

amongst her

kin, and was buried along with William in London's Greyfriars church. Higgit (2000) p. 19; Cokayne; White (1953) p. 383; Kingsford (1915) p. 74. An

effigy An effigy is a sculptural representation, often life-size, of a specific person or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain ...

of her second husband, and perhaps Maria herself, lies in

Dunblane Cathedral Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland. The lower half of the tower is pre- Romanesque from the 11th century, and was originally free-stan ...

Citations

References

Primary sources

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Secondary sources

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria de Ergadia 1302 deaths Nobility from Argyll and Bute People from the Kingdom of the Isles 13th-century Scottish people 14th-century Scottish people 13th-century Scottish women 14th-century Scottish women 13th-century Scottish nobility 14th-century Scottish nobility Clan MacDougall

Strathearn Strathearn or Strath Earn (), also the Earn Valley, is the strath of the River Earn, which flows from Loch Earn to meet the River Tay in the east of Scotland. The area covers the stretch of the river, containing a number of settlements in ...