David (Dunkeld) King of Scots (bef. 1085 - 1153)

Born before 1085 in Fordoun, Kincardineshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 24 May 1153 after age 68 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Scotland Project WikiTree [send private message] and Paul Lee [send private message]

David I (Dunkeld) King of Scots was a member of Scottish Nobility. Join: Scotland Project Discuss: Scotland

Biography

"Rí Alban," "David I, The Saint"

House of Dunkeld

Family and Early Life

David was the youngest son of Malcolm III, King of Scots, by his (second) wife, Margaret, daughter of Edward the Ætheling and Agatha, kinswoman of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor.^[1][2][3] He had five older brothers: Edward; Edmund, prince of Cumbria and later a monk; Ethelred, earl of Fife and Abbot of Dunkeld; Edgar, king of Scots; and Alexander I, king of Scots; and two sisters: Maud, m. Henry I of England; and Mary, m. Eustace III, count of Boulogne and Lens. He also had three half-brothers from his father's first marriage: Duncan II, king of Scots; Malcolm; and Donald. The exact date of his birth is unknown but thought to have been between 1080^[2][4] and 1085.^[1][5]

David lost both of his parents in 1093 (when he was still a young boy) and he was sent, along with his siblings, to England for safety where the children stayed with their aunt Christina, a nun who lived in Ramsey.^[6] When in 1100 his older sister Maud became the queen-consort of Henry I, King of England, she took David under her wing and he spent the rest of his youth at the king's court.^[6] He was educated and later knighted by King Henry,^[7] and granted a small estate in western Normandy where Henry held lands.^[5] Late in 1113, Henry arranged for David's marriage to a very wealthy and highly born heiress who brought with her lands stretching from south Yorkshire to Middlesex, which immediately elevated David to the status of a major land-owner.^[5]

Marriage and Children

David married Maud Huntingdon, the widow of Simon de Senlis, earl of Huntingdon and Northampton, and a daughter of Waltheof Huntingdon, earl of Northumberland, and Judith de Boulogne.^[1][8] Maud had two sons by her first marriage and was most likely in her early forties, almost ten years older than David.^[5][1] There were four children from this marriage:

• Malcolm Dunkeld; eldest son and heir, strangled (possibly at two years of age)^[9] [see research notes]

• Clarice Dunkeld; died unmarried^[10][11][12]

• Hodierna Dunkeld; died unmarried^[10][12][13]

• Henry Dunkeld, earl of Huntingdon and Northumberland; b. c.1114;^[14] m. 1139 Ada de Warenne;^[14][15] d. 12 Jun 1152^[16][17]

Queen Maud predeceased her husband, dying in 1131.^[18][19][20]

The Honour of Huntingdon

When his brother Edgar died in 1107, his will directed that the kingdom be divided in two and its rulership split between his two younger brothers Alexander and David, with David receiving the southern region and Alexander the north.^[6] Alexander, however, was not inclined to share the rulership of Scotland with his younger brother. It was not until David threatened to seize his inheritance by force and the Norman barons in Cumbria threw their support behind him, that Alexander was forced to acknowledge David as the earl (or prince) of Cumbria.^[21]

The lands which David held after his marriage to Maud (which followed within months of his securing Cumbria) were concentrated mainly in Northampton, Huntingon, Cambridge, and Bedford and were commonly known as "Waltheof's earldom" or the "Honour of Huntingdon."^[5][22] Possession of the Honour of Huntingdon was significant for a number of reasons. It made David an extremely wealthy land-owner;^[5] it simultaneously made him an English baron; and it provided a convenient location to recruit Normans (frequently younger sons) willing to move north and settle in Scotland as military tenants of the crown.^[22]

Successfully governing Cumbria and the Honour of Huntingdon, both enormous and strategically important holdings, provided an invaluable apprenticeship for the future king of Scots.^[6]

King of Scots

David succeeded his brother, Alexander I, as king of Scots 25 April 1124.^[23][1] His reign was to last for twenty-nine years^[10] and represented a new era in Scotland's history in a number of ways:

First, King David, who had spent his most formative years growing up in a Norman household, moved immediately to feudalize large areas of Scotland by granting charters to Norman barons and settling them in Scotland.^[24] One of his first charters, granted at Scone probably on the occasion of his enthronement, was to one of the senior Normans in his court, Robert of Brus, giving him the lordship of Annandale (a holding of 200,000 acres adjacent to the English border north of Carlisle).^[24] This was followed by grants to other Normans such as Walter Fitzalan, who became high steward of Scotland; Hugh de Morville; and Ranulf de Soulles until, by the 1140s, most of the southern and western regions of Scotland had been alloted to the king's followers.^[5][25]

Second, he either introduced or greatly developed a number of practices which were new to Scotland at that time. He was the first king of Scots to strike his own coins, silver pennies (or 'sterlings') which were equal to English sterlings;^[24] he established a new type of sheriffdom which was similar to the system used by the Norman kings in England;^[26] he introduced the office of 'justiciar' (also modeled on Norman England);^[26][25]and he established many flourishing trading communities including Berwick, Roxburgh, Edinburgh, Rutherglen, Renfrew, and Irvine.^[26][25]

Third, King David completely transformed the church in Scotland through his unprecedented generousity and support. He founded Tironensian, Cistercian, and Augustinian orders, and enlarged the Benedictine priory of Dunfermline until it was the second richest abbey in Scotland.^[5] He also founded an Augustinian cathedral priory at St Andrews.^[5] He famously created a system by which bishoprics were defined by territory, and encouraged parish churches to be built within these territories, served by priests who were supported by tithes.^[5]

Death

David I, King of Scots, died 24 May 1153 at Carlisle, less than one year after the death of his only surviving son and heir, Henry, earl of Huntingdon and Northumberland.^{[27][16][1][10]} He was about seventy-three years of age.^[10] His body was carried to Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, where he was buried before the high altar in the church of the Holy Trinity, beside his mother and brothers.^[10][28]

David I was succeeded by his grandson, Malcolm IV.

Research Notes

Eldest Son Malcolm

• Several sources attribute Malcolm's murder to Donald III, (ex)King of Scots,^[10][4] but this is not possible as Malcolm could have been born no earlier than 1113 and Donald III died in 1099.^[29]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 4, pp. 578-580 SCOTLAND 2. David I.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 58 .
3. ↑ Oram, Richard. David I: The King Who Made Scotland. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK (2004, 2008), p. 25-6, citing, “…marriage of Maël Coluim and Margaret…their four eldest sons were named Edward, Edmund, Aedelred, and Edgar…and Alexander…and David…”
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scotts Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 1, p. 3.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9} Barrow, G.W.S. David I, King of Scots. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Online Edition (23 Sep 2004) rv 5 Jan 2006, available here by subscription.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Mackay, A.J.G. David I. Dictionary of National Biography (1888).
7. ↑ Barrow, G.W.S. Kingship and Unity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (1965), p. 38.
8. ↑ Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 59 .
9. ↑ Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 4, p. 580 SCOTLAND 2.i. Malcolm of Scotland.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6} Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 64.
11. ↑ Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 4, p. 580 SCOTLAND 2.iii. Clarice of Scotland.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 1, p. 4.
13. ↑ Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 4, p. 580 SCOTLAND 2.iv. Hodierne of Scotland.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 4, pp. 580-583 SCOTLAND 3. Henry of Scotland.
15. ↑ Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 65 .
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Wharton, Henry. Anglia Sacra. London: Richard Chiswel (1691), Chronicon Sanctae Crucis Edinburgensis, sub A.D. 1152: "Obiit Henricus Comes Northanhumborum filius David Regis Scotiae secundo Idus Junii [12 June]." p. 161.
17. ↑ Chron. S. Crucis Edinb., p.31, Bannatyne Club, cited in Norgate, Kate. Dictionary of National Biography Online, vol. 26, Henry of Scotland.
18. ↑ Barrow, G.W.S. Kingship and Unity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (1965), p. 46.
19. ↑ Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), pp. 60-61.
20. ↑ Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 1, pp. 278-280 BEAUMONT 3. Maud of Northumberland.
21. ↑ Duncan, A.A.M. Scotland, The Making of the Kingdom.Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd (1975), Edinburgh History of Scotland, vol. 1, p. 134
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} Barrow, G.W.S. Kingship and Unity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (1965), p. 41.
23. ↑ Stevenson, J. (ed). Chronica de Mailros. Edinburgh: the Societatis Edinburgensis (1835), [A.D. M.C.xxiiij:] "Alexander rex Scottorum obiit vij. Kalendas Maij [Apr 25], cui succeffit frater ejus Dauid." p. 67, yr 1124.
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1 24.2} Barrow, G.W.S. Kingship and Unity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (1965), p. 38.
25. ↑ ^{25.0 25.1 25.2} Ashley, Mike. The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf (1998), p. 404.
26. ↑ ^{26.0 26.1 26.2} Barrow, G.W.S. Kingship and Unity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (1965), p. 39.
27. ↑ Stevenson, J. (ed). Chronica de Mailros. Edinburgh: the Societatis Edinburgensis (1835). Anno M.C.LIIJ:"Obiit Dauid rex Scottorum ix. kal. Junii [24 May]...p. 75.
28. ↑ Barrow, G.W.S. Kingship and Unity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (1965), p. 48.
29. ↑ Weir, Alison. Britain's Royal Families. London: The Bodley Head (1989), p. 192.

See also:

• Barrow, G.W.S. Ango-Norman Era in Scottish History. Oxford: Oxford University Press (1980).

• Barrow, G.W.S. The Kingdom of the Scots. New York: St Martin's Press (1973).

• Birch, Walter de Gray. Catalogue of Seals in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum. London: by the trustees of the museum (1887), p. 3.

• Burns, William. Scottish War of Independence. Glasgow: J. Maclehose (1875), 2 vols.

• Cawley, Charles. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: Medieval Lands Database. David I of Scotland.

• David I and the Early Church, BBC history website.

• Oram, Richard. David, The King Who Made Scotland. Gloucestershire: The History Press (2004).

• Robertson, Eben WIlliam. Scotland Under Her Early Kings. Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas (1862), repr. by Forgotten Books (2018), pp. 187-.

• Skene, William Forbes. Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots, and Other Early Memorials. Edinburg: Her Majesty's General Register House (1867), Chronicle of Huntingdon, pp. 210-211.

• Wikipedia: David I of Scotland

• Wikipedia: House of Dunkeld

• Goodey, Emma. David I (r. 1124-1153). The Royal Family. London: The Royal Household (2016). David I (r. 1124-1153).

• Time Team, Season 11, Episode 12, "The Lost City of Roxburgh" Roxburgh, Scottish Borders