Christian MENTEITH

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• _UID: DFF7CDA8B2BA4B19B0BA87280830E6BD0F0D

Family/Spouse: Edward Of Synton KEITH. Edward died before 1350. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Janet KEITH and died.

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• _UID: B22F783DE9054EDFB13DC05935204CBA1386

John married Ellen Of MAR. Ellen (daughter of Gratney 7Th Earl De MAR, Sir and Christina Of Carrick BRUCE) was born about 1300; died after 1392. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 1E8B8010E3204973AF7DC13AF2C7BBFB8ED7

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• _UID: 70BC7AF9F5704A4A9BF1D1CED3890FBBE93A

Notes:

Gartney/Gratney, 7th Earl of Mar, Jt Sheriff Aberdeenshire 1297; married Christian Bruce, sister of Robert I who granted her the lands of Garioch for her life, but whereby the Earls of Mar acquired the feudal Lordship of Garioch (not a peerage dignity) and were even latterly styled "Earls of Garioch". [Burke's Peerage]

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Gratney, Earl of Mar, d. before 1305, son of Donald, Earl of Mar, by Helen or Elen, illegitimate daughter of Llewellyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Wales, widow of Malcolm, Earl of Fife. [Magna Charta Sureties]

Gratney married Christina Of Carrick BRUCE. Christina (daughter of Earl Robert de BRUCE, Of Carrick and Countess Marjory (Margaret) CARRICK) was born about 1282; died in 1356. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: MWPJ-7PL
• _UID: 06CD10B8A735430186C25B137407DEF9C3F6

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• FamilySearch ID: GVSM-C5F
• _UID: F2B6359C243345ABBCAE26C526729DB3FD6C

Notes:

Donald (Sir),6th Earl of Mar; knighted 1270; one of the leading Scottish nobles who recognised Alexander III's daughter Margaret as heir to the throne after her father's death Feb 1283/4; following Margaret's death 1290 supported Robert the Bruce but was one of the seven Earls of Scotland who referred a decision in the matter to Edward I of England, to whom he swore fealty as overlord 13 June 1291; nevertheless was a leading participant in the Scottish Uprising against the English shortly afterwards, being captured by them following the Battle of Dunbar 27 April 1296 and renewing his allegiance to Edward I thereafter. [Burke's Peerage]

Donald, Earl of Mar, by his 1st wife Helen, daughter of Llewellyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Wales. [Magna Charta Sureties, Line 41-5]

Donald, Earl of Mar, by Helen or Elen, illegitimate daughter of Llewellyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Wales, widow of Malcolm, Earl of Fife. [Magna Charta Sureties, Line 41b-5]

Donald, Earl of Mar, was knighted 1270, living 25 July 1297, d. shortly thereafter. His wife, and mother of Isabel, was Helen, widow of Malcolm, 7th Earl of Fife, d. 1266, and daughter of Llewellyn, Prince of North Wales. [Ancestral Roots, Line 252-30]



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Donald married Helen Verch LLEWELYN about 1269 in 2ND Husband. Helen (daughter of Llewelyn Ap IORWERTH, Prince Of Wales and Mistress Unknown) was born about 1234 in Caernarvonshire, Walesey, Wales; died after Feb 1294-1295 in Kildrummy Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: GMN1-GP5
• _UID: 059146DAD5C9430398C1B507CD4AC7A532BA
• Alt. Death: Aft 1291; Alt. Death

Notes:

Helen, daughter of Llewellyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Wales. [Magna Charta Sureties, Line 41-5]

Helen or Elen, illegitimate daughter of Llewellyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Wales, widow of Malcolm, Earl of Fife. [Magna Charta Sureties, Line 41b-5]

This Helen was illegitimate and born very late- shortly before Llewellyn's death.

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His [Donald 6th Earl of Mar's] wife, and mother of Isabel, was Helen, widow of Malcolm, 7th Earl of Fife, d. 1266, and daughter of Llewellyn, Prince of North Wales. Helen's first husband must have been an old man when she married him, for he succeeded his uncle in 1228. When he died, his son and heir was Colban, the 8th Earl, then under age, who had been knighted in his teens in 1264. Colban was married in his nonage, for when he died in 1270, when he could not have been more than 24, his heir was his son Duncan, aged 8. (Mr. Balfour Paul believes Colban's wife Alice was one of three daughters and co-heirs of Sir Alan Durward. If so, his issue shared with the Soulis family the descent from Alexander II of Scotland. However, since the line of his heir Duncan has died out, remaining descendants of this line would stem from younger children of Colban and Alice, if there were any.) The Helen, daughter of Llewellyn, who was successively the wife of Malcolm and of Donald, and mother of the children of both, appears clearly the daughter of Llewellyn ap Iorwerth but must not be confused with his daughter Helen, successively the wife of John le Scot, Earl of Chester, and of Robert de Quincy, whose mother was Princess Joan. [Ancestral Roots, Line 252-30]

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He [Malcolm MacDuff 7th Earl of Fife] m. Helen, daughter of Llewellyn, Prince of Wales. He d. 1266. His widow m. Donald, Earl of Mar, who d. about 1292. She was living 1291. [Complete Peerage V:373]

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• FamilySearch ID: L8MB-67G
• Name: Robert
• Name: Robert DE BRUS
• Occupation: ; Governor of Carlisle Castle, Sheriff of Cumberland
• _UID: 9EDCAA8D9D42401387E1F057F2D28AE3C37D
• MADE KEEPER OF CARLISLE: 6 Oct 1295; On 6 October 1295, Bruce swore fealty to King Edward of England and was made Constable and Keeper of Carlisle Castle, a position his father previously held.
• DEFFENDS CARLISLE CASTLE, BEGINNING OF THE WARS FOR SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE: 26 Mar 1296, Carlisle, Cumberland, England; In March 1296 John Comyn, the new Lord of Annandale, crossed the border and attacked Castle Carlisle. Bruce, as Constable and Keeper of Carlisle Castle, repelled them, forcing the raiders to retreat back through Annandale. Therefore, the First War of Scot

Notes:

Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale, Earl of Carrick, Lord of Hartness, Writtle and Hatfield Broad Oak, was born in July 1243, the son and heir of Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale and Lady Isabella de Clare, daughter of the Earl of Gloucester and Hertford. The Bruce family held estates in both Scotland and England, and it is believed Robert was born at the family estate at Writtle, Essex, England.

Robert and his younger brother Richard are believed to have 'taken the cross', that is pledged themselves to be defenders of God on Holy Crusade, along with Lord Edward Longshanks (later King Edward I of England) in 1268. They received letters of protection, in July 1270, to sail with Edward for crusade that August. By October 1271, however, Robert had returned to Scotland.

Legend tells that while on Ninth Crusade, one of Robert's companions-in-arms, Adam de Kilconquhar, fell ill and died in 1270/1271, at Acre. Robert was obliged to travel to tell the sad news to Adam's widow Marjorie, Countess of Carrick. The story continues that Marjorie was so taken with the handsome 27 year old messenger that she had him held captive until he agreed to marry her, which he did at Turnberry Castle in late 1271.
Marjorie and Robert married without Scottish Royal consent, resulting in the temporary loss of Marjorie's Earldom. The lands and title were restored by King Alexander III after the couple paid a large fine.

Robert and Marjorie had 11 children:
- Isabel Bruce (1272? 1358), married King Eric II of Norway.
- Christina Bruce, married, Sir Christopher Seton, then Sir Andrew Murray.
- Robert the Bruce
- Mary Bruce, married Niall Campbell, then Alexander Fraser of Touchfraser and Cowie.
- Niall or Nigel Bruce, executed 1306 in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England.
- Edward Bruce, High King of Ireland.
- Sir Thomas Bruce, executed 1307.
- Alexander Bruce, executed 1307.
- Matilda Bruce, married Hugh, Earl of Ross
- Elizabeth Bruce, married William Dishington
- Margaret Bruce, married Sir William Carlyle. *Margaret's ancestry is sometimes disputed.

Robert was present at the coronation of King Edward I of England (who he had crusaded with in 1270) and would later swear fealty to him as overlord of Scotland. In 1283 he participated in the trial of Dafydd ap Gruffydd.

Robert supported his father's claim to the throne of Scotland, following the death of Queen Margaret I in 1290. The initial civil proceedings, known as The Great Cause, awarded the Crown to his father's 1st cousin once removed, and rival, John Balliol. Robert's father, Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, resigned his Lordship of Annandale, and claim to the throne of Scotland to Robert, allegedly to avoid having to swear fealty to Balliol.

Robert's wife of 21 years, Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, died in 1292 and Robert passed the Earldom of Carrick, to their oldest son Robert.
In 1293 Robert accompanied his oldest daughter Isabel to Norway where he arranged her marriage to King Eric II of Norway, the son in law of the late King Alexander III of Scotland and father of the short-lived Maid of Norway, Queen Margaret I of Scotland.

After the death of his father in 1295 Robert was made Constable and Keeper of Carlisle Castle, a position his father had previously held.

On 19 September 1295 Robert re-married, taking to wife Matilda (FitzAlan) of Clun, widow of Philip Burnell. The marriage did not go well, or perhaps she did not like his politics, for they divorced or annulled the marriage within a year. Many sources do not even record the marriage because it was so short and produced no children. A license however confirms it.

Robert refused a summons to the Scottish host and King John Balliol seized Annandale, and awarded it to John 'The Red' Comyn, Lord of Badenoch. There is evidence that Bruce lived at the Bruce estate in Writtle, Essex, England, during this time.

1296 was eventful for Robert: In January of 1296 Robert was summoned to attend King Edward at Salisbury and in March of the same year John Comyn, the new Lord of Annandale, crossed the border and attacked Castle Carlile. Bruce, as Constable and Keeper of Carlisle Castle, and fighting for King Edward, repelled them. Therefore, the Wars of Scottish Independence began in a clash between the Bruces and Comyns.

In April 1296 he fought for Edward, at the Battle of Dunbar Castle.
King Edward I denied his claim to the throne of Scotland and Robert retired to his estates in Essex. Scotland would be without a king until the accession of Robert's son in 1306.
Robert was denied the throne, but Annandale was restored to him.
And about October 1296 Robert married for a 3rd time, taking to wife Eleanor. They remained married to his death but had no children.

In 1304 Robert de Brus died shortly before Easter, while en route to Annandale.

He was buried at Holm Cultram Abbey in Cumberland.


Birth: July 12 1243;
Annandale District, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Death; June 7 1307;
Scotland, United Kingdom.

Robert married Countess Marjory (Margaret) CARRICK in 1271 in Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland. Marjory (daughter of Neil Of Carrick GALLOWAY and Margaret (Fitzalan) STEWART) was born on 11 Apr 1252 in Turnberry Castle, Carrick, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 27 Oct 1292 in Carrick, Ayrshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: L8MB-67P
• Name: Margaret MACNIALL
• _UID: E5D77BA9424E4007A562E9B414335108FBCC
• Residence: Between 1253 and 1292; Turnberry Castle, ancestral seat of the Earls of Carrick
• Succeeded as 3rd Countess of Carrick, suo jure, her father having no male heirs: 1256, Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland; Upon the death of her father, Marjorie succeeded to become Countess of Carrick; Her cousin Roland became Chief of their clan.

Notes:

Marjorie Mac Niall, Countess of Carrick was the oldest daughter and heiress of Niall Mac Dhonnchad, 2nd Earl of Carrick and his wife Margaret Stewart. She was born about 1252 at Turnberry Castle, in Carrick, Scotland. Marjorie had 3 younger sisters, unfortunately, if recorded, their names have been lost to time. Having no sons, Marjorie's father turned leadership of the clan over to his nephew Roland de Carrick on 12 September 1255. Marjorie's father died in 1256 and Marjorie succeeded him as 3rd Countess of Carrick, suo jure, meaning 'in her own right'. Because Marjorie did not gain the title through marriage but held it by right of inheritance herself, any husband would hold the title of Earl only thru his marriage to her.

Marjorie married Adam of Kilconquhar before 1269 (some records state before October 1266) making Adam jure uxoris Earl of Carrick. Marjorie and Adam had one child, a daughter named Martha born about 1269/1270. Martha was their only child as Adam Kilconquhar died in 1270/1271 at Acre, Palestine, while on crusade.

Marjorie and Adam had one child, a daughter:
Isabel of Kilconquhar, married Sir Thomas Randolph of Strathdon, Chamberlain of Scotland and Sheriff of Roxburg; mother of Thomas Randolph, First Earl of Moray.

A companion of Adam of Kilconquhar, named Robert de Bruce, arrived at Turnberry Castle to inform Marjorie of her husbands death. Legend has it that the young Widow was so taken with him that she had him held captive until he agreed to marry her. Other versions say she encountered him while he was hunting on her lands. They married at Turnberry Castle in 1271. Unfortunately, they did not gain permission to marry from King Alexander III as was required. Learning of their marriage, the king seized her castle and all of her estates. They were only restored to her after paying a large fine in atonement.

Robert de Bruce, already Lord of Annandale, then was confirmed as Jure uxoris Earl of Carrick.
Marjorie and Robert had 11 children together (11 that survived to adulthood):

- Isabel Bruce (1272? 1358), married King Eric II of Norway.
- Christina Bruce, married, Sir Christopher Seton, then Sir Andrew Murray.
- Robert the Bruce, King of Scots
- Mary Bruce, married Niall Campbell, then Alexander Fraser of Touchfraser and Cowie.
- Margaret Bruce, married William Carlyle
- Niall or Nigel Bruce, executed 1306 in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England.
- Edward Bruce, High King of Ireland
- Thomas Bruce, executed 1307.
- Alexander Bruce, executed 1307.
- Matilda Bruce, married Hugh, Earl of Ross
- Elizabeth Bruce, married William Dishington

Marjorie mac Niall de Brus, Countess of Carrick died before November 1292. At that time her husband Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale, and jure uxoris Earl of Carrick, transferred Carrick to their oldest son, Robert.

Marjorie's children lived in a time of much turmoil in Scotland and were embroiled right in the middle of it.

Marjorie's oldest son, famously, lived to become King Robert I of Scotland.

Her daughter Isabel Bruce, married Eric II of Norway and became Queen of Norway.

Her son Edward became High King of Ireland for a time.

Sadly her other sons were executed during the Scottish Wars for Independence.

All of her daughters married well and most had children.

Marjorie's husband of 21 years survived her and married several more times but had no more children. He died in 1304.