THE HOUSE OF CANMORE (1058-1290) Vaught-Jasper-Trusty-Molloy, Genealogy Tree At the start of the twelfth century, Scotland saw a religious revival and improved administration under David I, the most successful of Malcolm Canmore's sons to become king. He organised the building of the great Border abbeys, the granting of town charters and the first standard coinage. In this period and subsequently, the close relationship of Scottish kings with the English court, often reinforced by marriage, led to the expansion of English as the language of government and the rise of Anglo-Norman aristocracy in Scotland. By the end of the thirteenth century, quarrels among Scottish nobles about who should inherit the Throne after the death of Alexander III led to the aggressive intervention of King Edward I of England and the Wars of Independence. A nobleman from Renfrewshire, William Wallace, led the struggle for Scottish independence from England, winning an important battle against the English at Stirling Bridge in 1297, but he was ultimately executed in London. The conflict with England was not finished yet, and lasted on and off for the next 300 years.

Malcolm III (r.1058-1093) Malcolm married Ingibiorg, daughter of Finn Amasson, widow of Thorlinn, Jarl of Orkney, When she died, he married St. Margaret. One source I have says she was the daughter of Edward Atheling, two others say she was the sister of Edward Atheling. Most likely she was the sister of Atheling and was the great-niece of Edward the Confessor. Duncan II was Malcolm' s son by first marriage. Other sons were Edgar 1098-1107, Alexander 1107-1124 (married an illegitimate daughter of Henry I) and David I (The Saint) 1124-1153. These were children by the second marriage with Margaret. They had six sons in all. David I had a son Henry, the Earl of Huntingdon, who was never on the throne. He and his wife, Ada, had Malcolm IV (The Maiden) who ruled from 1153 to 1165 and William I (The Lion) who ruled from 1165 to 1214. William's son Alexander II (1214-1249 married Joan, the daughter of John, King of England. His son Alexander III ruled from 1249-1286 and married Margaret, the daughter of Henry III, King of England. Their child, Margaret married the King of Norway and had Margaret, the Maid of Norway who was crowned from 1286-1290. The reign of Malcolm III, or Canmore as he was known, began the rule of the house of Canmore. This house continued to preside for over two centuries. Canmore means big head or great chief. After the defeat of his father, Malcolm took refuge with his uncle in Northumbir and acquired Anglo-Sxon attitudes. Margaret, his second wife, had a lot of influence over him and through her he substituted Saxon for Gaelic as the court language. His dream was to expand his kingdom into England but this was not to be as William the Conqueror advanced into Scotland in 1072. He made jeweled bindings for her religious books although he could not read them. Margaret was a much loved and very devout queen. She had travelled widely in Europe and when she came to Scotland she was determined to change the manner of the court both in fashion and standards of behavior. Nobles were forbidden to fight or get drunk at court and she gave each noble his own drinking cup. Margaret was allowed to use her husband's money to help the poor by giving them food, shelter and clothing. She also encouraged trade with foreign merchants. Under her influence, life became more civilized. She also founded many monasteries and tried to bring her Roman Church close together with the Celtic church. Margaret was canonized in 1251. Malcolm's son was taken as hostage to the English court. In later years, 1093, he decided to invade England for the 5th time. Magaret was very ill in Edinburgh Castle and begged him not to got but he would not listen. Soon after the fighting commenced, he was killed. Margaret received the news four days later, and being on her deathbed herself, died almost immediately. Soon after his death, Edinburgh Castle was surrounded by Highlanders employed by Donald Bane, Malcolm III's brother, who planned to capture the castle and thus enable him to become king. His plan was to kill his nephews, Margaret's sons, or to put them in prison. The brothers were trapped. They had to take their mother's body to Dumferline to be buried and didn't know how they were to manage. By good fortune or a freak of nature a heavy white mist descended upon the castle and it was so dense that they were able to sneak past the Highlanders with their mother's body. They then made their escape to France. Malcolm had ruled for 35 years but the stability he had gained for Scotland disappeared after his death. A succession of kings followed. St. Margaret After Malcolm's death, the frontier between Scotland and England for the first time was defined. Malcolm III "Ceanmor (Longneck)" I King of Scotland is the 32nd great grandfather of the Molloys.

Donald Ban (r.1093-1094) Donald Ban or Bane (Fair) was the younger brother of Malcolm III. Donald claimed the crown on the grounds of tanistry at the age of 60, but was deposed a year later by Malcolm's son, Duncan, who was backed by the English King. Donald "Bane" III King of Scotland is the 31st great grand uncle of the Molloys. Their common ancestors are Duncan I King of Scotland and Sibyl Fitzsiward.

Duncan II  (May-November 1094) Duncan II ruled a very short time. He had spent many years as a hostage in England. His position as a English vassal was unpopular in Scotland. His stepbrother Edmund and Donald Ban combined to defeat him and he was killed. However, he granted the earliest surviving Scottish charter. Duncan II, King of Scotland is the 29th great grand uncle of the Molloys.

Donald Ban and Edmund (r.1094-1097) Again Donald Ban became King. After being deposed he had joined forces with his cousin Edmund (note: in looking at the relationships, Donald would be an uncle of Edmund) who was a son of Malcolm and Margaret. They managed to kill Duncan II and together ruled Scotland (Donald in Scotia and Edmund in Lothian). They were opposed by Edmund's brother Edgar who declared himself a vassal of the King of England and with the help of an English army overthrew the pair. Edmund was pardoned and became a monk. Donald Ban was blinded and sentenced to life imprisonment. As a reprisal, Donald strangled his nephew David's eldest son. Donald "Bane" III King of Scotland is the 31st great grand uncle of the Molloys. Their common ancestors are Duncan I King of Scotland and Sibyl Fitzsiward. Edmund Prince of Scotland is the 29th great grand uncle ofof the Molloys. Their common ancestors are Malcolm III "Ceanmor (Longneck)" I King of Scotland and Margaret "Atheling" Queen of Scotland.

Edgar (the Peaceable) (r.1097-1107) Edgar was the fourth son of Malcolm Canmore and Queen Margaret. He was very submissive to England, gifted the Western Isles to King Magnus Barelegs of Norway and encouraged Anglo-Norman immigrants to Scotland. This all earned him the name of the Peaceable but it was a derrogatory term towards him. Edgar did not marry and bequeathed his kingdom to his brothers, Alexander to be monarch and David as king's lieutenant. Edgar King of Scotland is the 29th great grand uncle ofthe Molloys. Their common ancestors are Malcolm III "Ceanmor (Longneck)" I King of cotland and Margaret "Atheling" Queen of Scotland.

Alexander I (the Fierce) (r.1107-1124) Alexander was married to Sybilla, an illegitimate daughter of Henry I. At that time it was called a natural child. Henry I in turn was married to Alexander's sister Maud. Everything was so interrelational by marriage. Henry and Maud had no legitimate children. He was called the Fierce after dealing with an uprising in Moray. Although he was technically an English vassal, he dissuaded Scottish bishops from accepting the authority of York and appointed his mother's biographer Rugot to the see of St. Andrews. He was described as a lettered and godly man but was nicknamed "the Fierce" after dealing ruthlessly with an uprising. He died leaving no issue.   Their common ancestors are Malcolm III "Ceanmor (Longneck)" I King of cotland and Margaret "Atheling" Queen of Scotland.

David I (r. 1124-53)   Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders, one of the great abbeys built during the reign of David I. The original site of the Abbey was 4 miles down the River Tweed, just below Scott's View. Founded by St Aidan in about A.D. 660, it's first prior was St Boisil who was succeeded by St Cuthbert, the apostle of the Borders, who dwelt there until 664 when he became prior of Lindesfarne. Later, when St Cuthbert died, it became one of his resting places before his body was taken to the place where Durham Cathedral was founded. Then in 1131, David I, King of Scots, encouraged the Cistercian monks who had been sent by Bernard of Clairvaux from France to found a new abbey on the present site. It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin on Sunday 28 July 1146. David born about 1080, David was the sixth and youngest son of Malcolm III and St Margaret. He spent his youth at the Court of his brother-in-law Henry I of England and in about 1113-14 married Matilda, daughter of Walthe of, Earl of Huntingdon and widow of Simon de Senlis. As a result of the marriage, he held the Earldom of Northampton and the Honour of Huntingdon, with a legitimate claim to a large part of England. David succeeded his brother Alexander as King of Scots in 1124. He was by then in his mid-40s, and was famous for his piety. Indeed, he was later criticised as being 'a sair sanct for the croun' [too pious to make a successful monarch] but in fact his generosity to the Church and his foundation of many abbeys including Holyrood, Melrose and Dryburgh, and sees such as Caithness, Dunblane and Aberdeen, had sound practical reasons too. The monks improved the country's economy by engaging in sheep farming, coal working and salt making. David issued the first Scottish coinage; he also reorganised civil institutions and founded royal burghs (such as Stirling, Perth and Dunfermline). David extended feudal tenure by granting land to Anglo-Normans in return for feudal services, and appointed them as royal officials such as sheriffs and justiciars. David encouraged Anglo-French immigration. In the 1130s, David met with resistance in Moray and the north; hitherto ruled by an independent dynasty, Moray was annexed and reorganised by David. When Henry I of England died in 1135, and the succession of his daughter Matilda was disputed by King Stephen, David I invaded England, ostensibly on behalf of his niece Matilda. However, he was also taking advantage of the confusion resulting from the civil war in England, and using the opportunity to try to extend his kingdom southwards. Although he was defeated at the Battle of the Standard, near Northallerton in Yorkshire, on 22 August 1138, he continued his campaign until, in 1139, the Treaty of Durham confirmed his possession of Northumberland. In 1149 he persuaded Henry II, Matilda's son, to give him an undertaking that Scotland could retain Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland. David's surviving son Earl Henry (named after Henry I of England) died in 1152. David died at Carlisle, Cumberland on 24 May 1153, aged about 73. He was buried in Dunfermline, where he had extended the church into an abbey in commemoration of his parents. Ailred of Rievaulx wrote 'who can estimate the good done to the world by this gentle, just, chaste and humble ruler, loved for his gentleness, feared for his justice...' Silver penny of David I King of Scotland. David I King of Scotland is the 26th great grandfather of the Molloys. Their common ancestors are Malcolm III "Ceanmor (Longneck)" I King of cotland and Margaret "Atheling" Queen of Scotland.

Malcolm IV (the Maiden) (r. 1153-65) David I and his grandson Malcolm IV Malcolm was known as the Maiden because he never married and maintained a vow of chastity. Malcolm was only 11 years old when he came to the throne. There were several rebellions during his reign because his succession was disputed. However it was during his reign that the first references were made in written charters to the "Kingdom of Scotland." He was forced to renounce his rights to Northumbria when Henry II became king of England. Although this improved Scotland's relationship with England, the Scottish nobles were not pleased.   Malcolm IV "The Maiden" King of Scotland is the 25th great grand uncle of the Molloys. Their common ancestors are Henry Prince of Scotland and Ada De Warenne.

William the Lion Avenel   (r. 1165- 1214) Lowland Scotland and England had been having a series of battles over possession of Northumbria in North England. William the Lion wanted it back, (his predecessor Malcolm IV had returned it to England under threat of invasion), and started the alliance with France leading to a conflict with Anglo-Norman England. He launched a grand invasion of England in 1174 to reclaim Northumbria. Henry II was now King of England and involved in France, so William the Lion invaded. But the enterprise misfired, due to Scots own rashness and to an east coast mist, attributed by both sides to be divine intervention. The Scots were heavily defeated at Alnwick and William the Lion himself, taken prisoner and sent to Normandy. There he was forced to sign the Treaty of Falaise. By this humiliating document, Scotland was placed under feudal subjection to England, the Scottish church put under the jurisdiction of the English Primate (highest order of Bishops), Northumbria confirmed as English territory and the castles of Southern Scotland garrisoned by English troops. William the Lion died in 1214 and was succeeded by his son Alexander II. William the Lion of Scotland is the 24th great grandfather of the Molloys.

Alexander II   (r.1214 - 1249) William the Lion died in 1214 and was succeeded by his son Alexander II, a capable ruler who put to good use the administrative machinery created by David I. The down side of his reign is the inherited domestic Clan problems. There were insurrections in Galloway (again), Argyll, Moray and Caithness in the far north. He died in 1249 while on his way to attempt conquest of the Western Isles whose Lords still chose to give their allegiance to the kings of Norway. (If any was given to anyone). So, next comes Alexander III who took up his father's cause and launched raids at the Hebrides (part of the Western Isles). It wasn't long before old King Hakon of Norway decided to retaliate. Alexander II King of Scotland is the 24th great grand uncle of the Molloys.

Alexander III   (r.1249-1286) Alexander was only 8 when he inherited the kingdom of Scotland from his father. A regent was to be appointed but the nobles could not agree and the country suffered internal turmoil until Alexander came of age. At 10 he married Henry III's daughter, Margaret. During his childhood he established good relations with Edward I, his brother-in-law. At this time Scotland had a population of about 400,000 and was enjoying an age of prosperity. Berwick was growing rich on foreign trade. Wool, fur and fish were exported. The ownership of the Western Isles was the first problem he faced after his coronation. The Earl of Ross had declared war upon King Haakon of Norway to try and regain possession of the Western Isles. This terrified the local people for they could remember the fierce Viking raids which persisted into the 13th century. Haakon sailed from Norway in 1263 with a fleet of over 100 ships. The ships were of solid oak with a golden dragon at the bow and stern, an impressive sight. Astronomers have confirmed that the day after his arrival in the Orkneys there was a total eclipse of the sun. The Norwegian soldiers considered the eclipse to be a bad omen. Haakon, however, continued to advance. Alexander in the meanwhile reinforced all the castles on the shore and gathered a large army at the place where he thought Haakon would come ashore. He waited, knowing that there was a probability of terrible storms during September and October. As it happened a great storm did blow through Haakon's ships. The Norwegians believed that the storm was caused by the magic of Scottish witches. The Scots on the other hand felt that the storm had been sent by St. Margaret to save their country. A battle did take place on land but Haakon's fleet had been so decimated by the storms that he decided to retreat and he returned home. Haakon died shortly after that and Alexander III secured a treaty with his successor, King Magnus. This was the Treaty of Perth whereby Alexander regained the Western Isles by paying 4000 merks to the Norwegians and 100 merks a year for an indefinite period. The yearly payment continued into the 14th century. Orkney and Shetland remained under the control of the Norwegians and it was a long time before they too became a part of Scotland. His wife Margaret, and soon after two of their sons died (one source saying that two sons died and then his wife, Margaret, died). Alexander took a second wife, Yolande in hopes of producing a male heir. He had only been married to Yolande for about 5 months when eager to be with her he rode at night during a storm against advice. His horse stumbled and threw him over a cliff to his death. This left his granddaughter Margaret, Maid of Norway, as heir apparent. Alexander's only daughter, also named Margaret, had married King Eric II of Norway as part of the Treaty of Perth. The daughter died in childbirth, leaving an infant daughter as heir to the Scottish throne. At the time of Alexander's death, the granddaughter was still in Norway. He had made his lords swear to accept Margaret as Queen and they had agreed that until she came of age, the country would be governed by the "Guardians", the wisest and most important of the bishops and barons. Among the six guardians chosen, Robert Bruce the elder was excluded, although he had been recognized as heir in 1238 when Alexander II had lost his first wife without issue. Bruce the elder was the senior male descendant of David I. Because of the events that followed, it would take nearly half a century for Scotland to regain its own monarch and sovereignty. Alexander III King of Scotland is the 20th great grand uncle of the Molloys.