Donnchad mac Crinain, Duncan I King of Scotland

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• FamilySearch ID: K8D7-F5D
• Initiatory (LDS): 1 Jun 1933, SLAKE

Notes:

Reign: 1034-1040

He was the first general ruler of Scotland, and Marmoar of Moray. He w a s slain by MacBeth.


Donnchad mac Crinain (Modern Gaelic: Donnchadh mac Crìonain;[2] anglicis e d as Duncan I, and nicknamed An t-Ilgarach, "the Diseased" or "the Sick "; [3] ca. 1001 – 14 August 1040)[1] was king of Scotland (Alba) from 103 4 t o 1040. He is the historical basis of the "King Duncan" in Shakespear e' s play Macbeth.

He was son of Crínán, hereditary lay abbot of Dunkeld, and Bethoc, daugh t er of king Malcolm II of Scotland (Máel Coluim mac Cináeda).

Unlike the "King Duncan" of Shakespeare's Macbeth, the historical Dunc a n appears to have been a young man. He followed his grandfather Malcol m a s king after the latter's death on 25 November 1034, without apparen t opp osition. He may have been Malcolm's acknowledged successor or tánai se a s the succession appears to have been uneventful.[4] Earlier histori es, f ollowing John of Fordun, supposed that Duncan had been king of Stra thclyd e in his grandfather's lifetime, between 1018 and 1034, ruling th e forme r Kingdom of Strathclyde as an appanage. Modern historians discou nt thi s idea.[5]

An earlier source, a variant of the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba (CK-I ) , gives Duncan's wife the Gaelic name Suthen.[6] Whatever his wife's na m e may have been, Duncan had at least two sons. The eldest, Malcolm II I (M áel Coluim mac Donnchada) was king from 1058 to 1093, the second Don ald I II (Domnall Bán, or "Donalbane") was king afterwards. Máel Muire, E arl o f Atholl is a possible third son of Duncan, although this is uncert ain.[7 ]

The early period of Duncan's reign was apparently uneventful, perhap s a c onsequence of his youth. Macbeth (Mac Bethad mac Findláich) is reco rded a s having been his dux, today rendered as "duke" and meaning nothin g mor e than the rank between prince and marquess, but then still havin g the Ro man meaning of "war leader". In context — "dukes of Francia" ha d half a c entury before replaced the Carolingian kings of the Franks an d in Englan d the over-mighty Godwin of Wessex was called a dux — this su ggests tha t Macbeth may have been the power behind the throne.[8]

In 1039, Duncan led a large Scots army south to besiege Durham, but th e e xpedition ended in disaster. Duncan survived, but the following yea r he l ed an army north into Moray, Macbeth's domain, apparently on a pun itive e xpedition against Moray.[9] There he was killed in action, at Bot hganowan , now Pitgaveny, near Elgin, by the men of Moray led by Macbeth , probabl y on 14 August 1040.[10] He is thought to have been buried at E lgin[11] b efore later relocated to the Isle of Iona.

Donnchad married Suthen in 1030 in Scotland. Suthen was born about 1014 in Northumberland, England; died in 1040 in Isle of Iona, Argyllshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, Malcolm III, King of Scots was born on 26 Mar 1031 in Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland; died on 13 Nov 1093 in Alnwick, Northumberland, England; was buried in Tyne and Wear, England.
2. Domnall "Donald the Fair" mac Donnchada, Donald III King of Scotland was born about 1033 in Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland; died in 1099 in Rescobie, Angus, Scotland; was buried in Isle of Iona, Argyllshire, Scotland.
3. Earl Mael Muire, Earl of Atholl was born about 1038 in Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland; died about 1128.

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• 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]

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• FamilySearch ID: LZ61-F76
• Initiatory (LDS): 15 Mar 1894

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• 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

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• FamilySearch ID: LZ19-924
• Initiatory (LDS): 10 Jun 1938, SLAKE

Notes:

Malcolm (Máel Coluim mac Cináeda) was the son of Kenneth II, King of Alb a . He was born about 954, the name of his mother is not known, she wa s a P rincess of Leinster.

About 983 (or before) Malcolm married an Irishwoman from Ossory, whose n a me was not recorded. They are believed to have had 3 daughters:
- Bethoc b 894 married Crínán of Dunkeld , Abbot of Dunkeld; became moth e r of Duncan I
- Donalda married Finlay MacRory, King of Moray; became mother of MacBeth
- Olith, youngest daughter, married Sigurd, Earl of Orkney

Malcolm succeeded his cousin Malcolm as King of Strathclyde in 990/991 . K enneth III was killed in battle against Malcolm on March 25, 1005 an d Mal colm ascending the throne becoming Malcolm II, King of Alba / Kin g of Sco ts.

Malcolm raided into Northumbria circa 1016 and was defeated by Uhtred t h e Bold at Durham, however, the same year he defeated a force of Englis h a nd Vikings at Carham, to became King of Lothian. With the acquisitio n o f the Kingdom of Lothian, Malcolm became the first effective ruler o f th e whole of Scotland. Scottish rule was extended into Lothian and Nor thumb rian lands down to Berwick.

King Cnut King of England secured the southern part of Northumbria for E n gland in 1032, settling the border between Scotland and northern Englan d .

Having no sons, it is believed that Malcolm tried to insure that his gra n dson Duncan I, son of Bethoc, would inherit the throne by eliminating o th er possible successors. This includes having the grandson of Kenneth I I I murdered.
Malcolm II died on 25 November, 1034 at Glamis Castle, Angus, mortally w o unded by his kinsmen in battle. He was buried on the Isle of Iona. Malc ol m II was the last sovereign of the House of MacAlpine. He was succeede d b y his grandson Duncan as he had intended. Duncan II was in turn kille d an d succeeded by MacBeth, believed to also be the grandson of Malcol m II th rough his middle daughter Donalda .
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http://www.robertson.org/OOTC_Battle_of_Duncrub.html
BATTLE OF DUNCRUB - 965
by James E. Fargo, FSA Scot
Everyone is familiar with William Shakespeare’s play "Macbeth" in whic h t he two protagonists fight for the Scottish throne. Not so clearly kno wn i s that this rivalry began several generations before the events desc ribe d in the play. Our King Duncan was not the kindly old man portraye d but l ived up to what became his clan’s war cry "Fierce When Roused". M acbeth , from the royal house of Moray, had a better claim to the thron e on Kin g Malcolm II death, based on celtic tanistry whereas Malcolm ha d adopte d the English feudal system of primogeniture for his own royal l ine.

In 962 the kingship of Alba (Scotland) was contested between two rival b r anches of the MacAlpin dynasty after the death of King Malcolm I. The t w o princes ruled jointly until a falling out between them led to a batt l e upon a ridge called Duncrub (Dorsum Crup) about seven miles west of P er th in Atholl in 965. King Dub (or Duff) of Cumbria, a prince of the ro ya l house of Alpin, was the son of King Malcolm I. Duff led an army agai ns t Prince Cuilen and his army of Moray men. It was the custom then to a ppo int the heir to the Scots throne, to the sub-kingship of Cumbria as t he p rovince had been given by King Edgar of England in return for homag e fo r that province and to defend it from invading Danes.

Although Duff’s army was victorious at Duncrub, Duncan, hereditary lay a b bot of Duncalden (Dunkeld) and Dubdon the mormaer of Atholl were kille d . At this time in Scotland’s history it was common for senior churchme n t o lead the armed forces of their church estates into combat. This abb ot D uncan (b.920-d.965) was the father of Duncan of Atholl (b.949-d.990 ) wh o became the mormaer of Atholl upon Dubdon’s death in this battle. T his D uncan of Atholl became the father of Crinan (born c.976 and kille d in 104 5) and two younger sons. The second son, Grim (thane of Strathea rn and ba ille of Dull) was killed in 1010 at the battle of Mortlach. Th e younges t son became an ancestor of the Irvine clan according to Burke’ s Peerage.

On King Duff’s death in 967, Prince Cuilen of Moray assumed the kingsh i p until he was killed in 971 during a battle in Lothian with the son o f K ing Dyfnwal of Strathclyde, an ally of Duff’s brother Kenneth. This b roth er, as King Kenneth II assumed the throne and reigned from 971-995 . Kenne th finally killed Cuilen’s brother Olaf in 977 ending the royal h ouse o f Moray’s competition for the throne for that generation. Kennet h II wa s succeeded by his nephew (son of King Dub/Duff) as Kenneth III ( King o f Scots from 997-1005). On the death of Kenneth III, King Malcol m II (so n of Kenneth II) ruled as King of Scots from 1005 to his death i n 1034. M alcolm II made his grandson Duncan the King of Cumbria until h e became Ki ng of the Scots upon Malcolm’s death

Pinkerton, John "An Enquiry Into the History of Scotland Preceding the R e ign of Malcom III, or the Year 1056" Vol. I, 1789, pp 78-99.
Wolff, Alex "From Pictland to Alba 789-1070" 2007, pp 201-202.

Máel married Mrs Maol Chaluim in 983 in Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland. Maol was born in 962 in Scotland; died in 988 in Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: L5TT-LG3
• Initiatory (LDS): 22 Jul 2011, SGEOR

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• 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]

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

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• FamilySearch ID: LZF6-M94
• Initiatory (LDS): 8 Jun 1938, SLAKE

Notes:

Kenneth II (Cináed mac Maíl Coluim) son of Malcolm I became King when Cu l en was killed, but faced a challenge from Culen’s brother Olaf. The cha ll enge was ended when Kenneth had Olaf killed in 977.

Kenneth submitted to King Edgar of England at Chester in 973 and in retu r n was granted kingship of Lothian. He pushed the borders south into ter ri tory previous occupied by the Northumbrians. He was said to be kille d nea r Fettercairn by Fenella, daughter of the Mormar of Angus, in reven ge fo r killing her son.



Kenneth II of Scotland, King of Alba was also known as Cináed mac Maíl C o luim, Coinneach mac Mhaoil Chaluim, Kenneth An Fionnghalach, and Kenne t h the Fratricide; His date of birth is not known, he died in 995). Th e so n of Malcolm I (Máel Coluim mac Domnaill), he succeeded King Cuilé n (Cuil én mac Iduilb) on the latter's death at the hands of Rhydderch a p Dyfnwa l in 971.

In 973 Kenneth II, along with many other kings, acknowledged Edgar, Ki n g of England as his lord in return for recognition that he held Lothia n , which he had seized from the Angles. In about 994, he broke his promi s e and invaded England. He was defeated and lost Lothian again. He kill e d Culen (the prior king's brother)in 977 and was himself killed in a bl oo d feud by Culen's son, Constantine, who became the next king of Scotla nd.

According to John of Fordun (14th century), Kenneth II of Scotland (reig n ed 971-995) attempted to change the succession rules, allowing "the nea re st survivor in blood to the deceased king to succeed", thus securing t h e throne for his own descendants. He reportedly did so to specificall y ex clude Constantine (III) and Kenneth (III), These two conspired again st Ke nneth and succeeded in causing his death.

The name of Kenneth's mother and the name of his wife are not known.

children:
- Malcolm II (Máel Coluim mac Cináeda) later king of Alba; confirmed s o n of Kenneth II
- Dúngal or Gille Coemgáin, possible 2nd son

Sometimes considered sons of Kenneth II but more likely to be the son s o f Kenneth III (Cináed mac Duib)
- Boite mac Cináeda
- Suibne mac Cináeda, a king of the Gall Gaidheil

Cináed married Cinaethqueen in 957 in Scotland. Cinaethqueen was born about 936 in Leinster. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: 273J-TYQ

Notes:

Ancestry and Progeny of Captain James Blount - Inmigrant. by Robert Fred e rick Pfafman p. E- 21.

There is a question at to whether the Daughter of Sigurd(R-3282) is th e M other or Wife of Malcolm II, his daughter married a Sigurd,Earl(Jarl ) o f Orkney. Jarl-is a Cheiftian or Nobleman.