Crínán "the Thane", Abbot of Dunkeld

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LZS9-ZC2
• Initiatory (LDS): 19 Jan 1926, SLAKE

Notes:

Crínán of Dunkeld, Crínán the Thane, Crínán Abbot of Dunkeld
BORN - Date and place of birth are not known, likely before 980 near Dun k eld; his parentage is also NOT KNOWN.
MARRIED- 1000 - Bethóc of Scotland, daughter of Máel Coluim (Malcolm) I I , king of Scotland.
DIED - 1045 - Slain fighting King Macbeth, in support of his grandson Ma l colm III, who was not yet king.

Crínán of Dunkeld (died 1045) was the lay abbot of the diocese of Dunkel d , and perhaps the Mormaer of Atholl. Crínán was progenitor of the Hous e o f Dunkeld, the dynasty which would rule Scotland until the later 13t h cen tury. He was the son-in-law of one king (Malcolm II), the father o f anoth er (Duncan I), and grandfather of a 3rd (Malcolm III).

Crínán married Bethóc, daughter of Máel Coluim mac Cináeda (King of Scot s , reigned 1005–1034) in the year 1000. Together they had 3 possibly 4 c hi ldren.
- Duncan (Donnchad mac Crinain) born about 1001, King Duncan I of Alba , r eigned from 1034 to 1040.
- Maldred of Allerdale, married Ealdgyth, daughter of Uhtred the Bold (g r anddaughter of King Æthelred the Unready) and was ancestor of the Earl s o f Dunbar.
- A daughter, whose name is not known, who was the mother of Moddan, Ea r l of Caithness.

Crinán's father in law, King Malcolm II, had no son, therefore, the stro n gest hereditary claim to the Scottish throne descended through Bethóc , an d Crinán's eldest son, Donnchad, became King of Scots in 1034. Som e sourc es indicate that Máel Coluim designated Donnchad as his successo r under t he rules of tanistry because there were other possible claimant s to the t hrone.

Crínán's second son, Maldred of Allerdale, held the title of Lord of Cum b ria. It is said that from him, the Earls of Dunbar, for example Patric k D unbar, 9th Earl of Dunbar, descend in unbroken male line.

Crínán was killed in battle in 1045 at Dunkeld.
Sir Iain Moncreiffe argued he belonged to a Scottish sept of the Irish C e nél Conaill royal dynasty.

Crínán as Lay Abbot of Dunkeld
The monastery of Saint Columba was founded on the north bank of the Riv e r Tay in the 6th century or early 7th century following the expeditio n o f Columba into the land of the Picts. Probably originally constructe d a s a simple group of wattle huts, the monastery - or at least its chur c h - was rebuilt in the 9th century by Kenneth I of Scotland (reigned 84 3– 858). Caustantín of the Picts brought Scotland's share of the relics o f C olumba from Iona to Dunkeld at the same time others were taken to Kel ls i n Ireland, to protect them from Viking raids. Dunkeld became the pri me bi shopric in eastern Scotland until supplanted in importance by St An drew s since the 10th century.

While the title of Hereditary Lay Abbot was a feudal position that was o f ten exercised in name only, Crínán does seem to have acted as Abbot i n ch arge of the monastery in his time. He was thus a man of high positio n i n both clerical and secular society.

The magnificent semi-ruined Dunkeld Cathedral, built in stages between 1 2 60 and 1501, stands today on the grounds once occupied by the monaster y . The Cathedral contains the only surviving remains of the previous mon as tic society: a course of red stone visible in the east choir wall tha t ma y be re-used from an earlier building, and two stone 9th century-10t h cen tury cross-slabs in the Cathedral Museum.

Lay Abbot of Dunkeld, Governor of the Scots Islands [Ref: Weis AR7 170:1 9 ]
Heriditary Abbott of Dunkeld, or the Kindred of St. Columba [Ref: Roya l H ighness: Ancestors of the Royal Child by Sir Ian Moncreiffe, 1982, Ha mis h Hamilton, London Pg 20] note: "or the kindred of" = ? Either was o r was n't... Curt

In what was probably a shrewd political move, Malcolm II married his dau g hter Bethoc to a representative of the other major center of politica l po wer in Scotland, the church. Considering the close ties between ruli ng dy nasties and the offices of major abbacies throughout Ireland and Sc otland , it is also possible that Crinan was descended from a king of th e Scots , which would completely legitimize his son's rule. [Ref: The Gen ealogy o f the Early Medieval Scottish Kings, Edinburgh by Michael R. Dav idson 199 5, Holland House, Edinburgh, Scotland]

Malcolm's elder daughter Bethoc married Crínán 'the Thane', lay abbo t o f Dunkeld. At this period, when Celtic Monasticism was in decline, la y ab bots appear to have been as accepted a part of the ecclesiastical st ructu re as they became centuries later on the eve of the Reformation. Cr ínán w as a great nobleman, as his title implies, and he possessed the ad ded pre stige of belonging to the kindred of St. Columba. It was from hi s abbac y of Dunkeld that the new royal House took its name, for Crínán a nd Betho c were the parents of King Duncan I...Meanwhile, Macbeth consoli dated hi s triumph by defeating and slaying Duncan's father, Crinan, i n a battle a t Dunkeld in 1045. [Ref: The Kings and Queens of Scotland] n ote: sorry , I sourced this early-on before I realized one also has to li st author , publisher, date, etc.-we get too soon old & too late smart.. . Curt

Macbeth...probably a grandson of Malcolm II...asserted his claim to th e t hrone against Duncan I, whom he killed near Elgin. In 1045 he kille d Crin an, Duncan's father in battle, but in 1057 he was himself killed b y Dunca n's son, Malcolm Canmore (Malcolm III). [Ref: A Dictionary of Bri tish His tory by J.P. Kenyon, 1983 Stein and Day, Scarborough House, Bria rcliff Ma nor, NY]

Research note: Supposed father: Since the abbacy of Dunkeld appears to h a ve been hereditary in Crínán's family (his grandson Æthelred held the t it le), it has sometimes been suggested that Crínán may have been the so n o f this earlier abbot of Dunkeld whose death is known form both the Ir is h and Scottish sources [e.g., AU; ESSH 1: 471, 473, 577; KKES 252]. Wh il e the relationship is not impossible (assuming that Crínán's father di e d when he was an infant), there is no known evidence to support it, an d i t cannot be accepted without further evidence [Ref: Henry Projec t
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THE IRVINGS OF BONSHAW HISTORY. According to ancient family traditions ( w hich are largely supported by known historical fact; and which are fir s t recorded in the very short family history, “The Original of the Fami l y of the Irvines or Erinvines”, written in 1678 by Dr. Christopher Irvi ne , M.D., Historiographer Royal of Scotland) the Irvings of Bonshaw ar e des cended from DUNCAN, known in the family as 'Duncan of Eskdale', a y ounge r brother of Crinan, the husband of Princess Beatrix and father o f King D uncan I of Scotland. The paternal grandfather of Duncan of Eskda le and Cr inan was DUNCAN, hereditary Abthane of Dule and lay abbot of Du nkeld. Th e latter Duncan is now believed to have been a direct descendan t of NIAL L OF THE NINE HOSTAGES, who was high King of Ireland early in t he 5th cen tury A.D and progenitor of the oldest recorded families in Eur ope that ar e still extant in an unbroken male line. The Duncan, as Abtha ne of Dule-a n ancient title connected with St. Adamnan’s abbey of Dull , and dating fr om nearly 200 years before the union of the Scottish an d Pictish crowns i n 843 A.D.-was of more consequence than any one of th e seven Pictish ‘Mor maers’, being second only to the king himself in pow er and importance. H e appears to have been appointed Governor of Strathc lyde when that regio n was conquered by the Saxons and given to Malcol m I of Alban (the earl y name of Scotland) in 946. His residence in Strat hclyde is supposed to h ave been the old fort of Eryvine, or Orewyn, wher e the town of Irvine no w stands, so we refer to him the ‘1st of Eryvine’ . Both Duncan and his ne ighbour Dubdon, Mormaer of Athole, were killed a t the battle of Duncrub c . 965 A.D., while leading their forces agains t a strong rebel army of the ir fellow countrymen.* DUNCAN, 1st of ERYVIN E, was succeeded by his eldes t son and heir, also DUNCAN, about whom w e know little except that he als o seems to have succeeded Dubdon as Morm aer of Athole, as he is called ‘L ord of Athole’. At the battle of Luncar ty (of uncertain date), where th e Danes were routed, Duncan commanded th e left wing of the Scottish force s, under King Kenneth III. This Dunca n is the progenitor of the oldest re corded families in Great Britain; th e noble family of Dunbar is certainl y descended from him, and traditiona lly so are the noble families of Irvi ng and Home, all in the male line ; not to mention the Royal Family and nu merous other families by femal e descent. DUNCAN, 2ND OF ERYVINE, was succ eeded by his eldest son, CRIN AN, who married Princess Beatrix (or Bethoc ) daughter and heiress of Kin g Malcolm II of Scotland, and by her was fat her of Duncan I, who reigne d as King of Scotland for six years. Crinan wa s the progenitor in the ma le line of all the kings of Scotland down to Al exander III (died 1286) , and in the female line of all the sovereigns o f Scotland down to the p resent day, with the sole exception of Macbeth, w ho murdered his son, Ki ng Duncan, in 1040, and reigned for the next seven teen years. Traditio n tells us that Crinan maintained a residence at Eryv ine, but that he wa s the last of his family to do so, the fortress bein g used solely for mi litary purposes thereafter. He was killed by Macbeth’ s forces in 1045, w hile trying to avenge his son’s death and grandson’s d eposition.

Crínán married Bethóc Máel Coluim in 1000. Bethóc (daughter of Máel Coluim mac Choinnich, King Malcolm II of Scotland and Mrs Maol Chaluim) was born about 984 in Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland; died in 1045. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Donnchad mac Crinain, Duncan I King of Scotland was born about 1007 in Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland; died on 14 Aug 1040 in Pitgaveny, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; was buried in Isle of Iona, Argyllshire, Scotland.
2. Maldred, Earl of Dunbar was born about 1008 in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland; died about 1045.

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: L1ZF-GQ7
• Initiatory (LDS): 27 Jan 1998, SLAKE

Duncan married Mrs Duncan, Lady of Mormaer about 974. Duncan was born about 951 in Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland; died about 990. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• Initiatory (LDS): SUBMITTED
• FamilySearch ID: L8RR-45M

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LDK3-9KT
• Initiatory (LDS): 10 Mar 2011, IFALL

Duncan + Mrs Duncan. Duncan was born in 925; died in 960 in Ringerike, Buskerud, Kongeriket Norge. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): COMPLETED
• FamilySearch ID: LZ61-F76