Alexander Abernethy (abt. 1273 - bef. 1315)

Born about 1273 in Abernethy, Perthshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Menteith) Abernethy — married about 1295 in Abernethy, Perthshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died before 1315 before about age 42 in Abernethy, Perthshire, Scotland

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Biography

Alexander de Abernethy (died c.1315) was a Scottish baron. He was a descendant of lay abbots of Abernethy^[1] his grandfather Laurence, being the last to hold the title to Lay Abbot of Abernethy when the King denuded him of all his revenues as Abbot, and handed them over to the monks of the recently founded Abbey of Arbroath. Laurence retained title to Lord of Abernethy, a property that sits on the border of Perthshire and Fife (now Perthshire, originally Fife).

He was born likely shortly after 1272. Balfour Paul^[2] provides that it was his mother that was summoned to declare whether she knew anything to prevent Alexander, son of Hugh de Abernethy from obtaining possession of the lands of Ballintray and others and, in the same Parliament his lands were provided in ward to Alexander de Menteith. Thus he was not of age in 1292. However he did swear fealty to Edward I, at St. Andrews, on 19 July 1291.

He became liegeman to Edward I., remaining loyal to the English throne through the Wars of Independence. He was favoured and trusted by Edward and to whose interests, and later those of his son, Edward II., he supported.

Between 1301 and 1303 he was appointed warden of Scotland between the Forth and the Mounth. He lost the office in King Edward's ordinances of 1305 but supported Balliol's claims over Bruce's. He was ordered to join the expedition of John of Brittany to defend Galloway against Robert Bruce and was absent from King Robert's first parliament in 1309. In June 1308 he was appointed warden of Scotland between the Forth and Orkney in June 1308 together with Edward Hastings; and in July 1310 - warden between the Forth and the mountains. He was also contracted to serve from September in Berwick and Perthshire under the command of Sir John de Segrave. He received Clackmannan in Stirlingshire from Edward II in 1310, was keeper of Dundee at least in mid-1311 and led the unsuccessful defence of the town against Edward Bruce in 1312. In 1313 he was at the Papal Court in some capacity on behalf of Edward II.

When Robert the Bruce succeeded in establishing his authority as Scottish King, the possessions of Sir Alexander Abernethy were declared to be forfeited, and he became to all intents an Englishman. He served as an English Ambassador to France between 1310 and 1315.

He died after 1315, when he witnesses a Charter by the Countess of Atholl and 1317. Balfour Paul states that his wife is unknown although he had two daughters. He is thought to have married Margaret de Menteith, daughter of Alexander, Earl of Menteith, previously his guardian^[3]. There is a 'lady Margaret de Abrenythy' noted as a lady of the court of Isabella of France, Queen of England, 1311/12, presumably when Alexander was Ambassador. This might be his wife or his daughter.

His Arms, now retained through the arms of his daughters, were or, a lion rampant gules, debruised by a ribbon sable. The eldest male line of the Lords of Abernethy having thus become extinct, the succession opened to the descendants of the third son of his grandfather, Sir Laurence Abernethy.

They had issue:

• Margaret. Balfour Paul notes^[4] that she was betrothed to Roger de Moubray, and dispensation sought, in 1311 suggesting she may have been young then. She resided in England as late as 30 Jan 1324/5, when a record in the Patent Rolls dated at Langley stated, ' 860. The K. signifies that he has granted leave to Margaret de Abernethy to visit Scotland, to treat with her friends there as to recovery of her hereditary lands. Langley.' She married, papal dispensation 24 October 1328, John Stewart, Earl of Angus. She lived until about 1370, surviving both her husband and her son.

• Mary, wife of (1) Sir Andrew de Leslie, and (2) Sir David de Lindsay.

Sources

1. ↑ #S-1 Balfour Paul; Vol 7, page 401
2. ↑ #S-1 Balfour Paul; Vol 7, page 401
3. ↑ Wikipedia provides: J. Ravilious, The Earls of Menteith: Alexander, Earl of Menteith and Sir Alexander de Abernethy, The Scottish Genealogist (September 2010), Vol. LVII, No. 3, pp. 130–139. This has not been confirmed in original but seems feasible. The marriage is likely to have occurred around 1296. Wikipedia is incorrect however in regards to the passage from England as this was for her daughter.
4. ↑ #S-1 Balfour Paul; Vol 7, page 402

• Joseph Bain (ed.) Calendar of documents relating to Scotland, volume 3; C. A. McGladdery, ‘Abernethy family (per. c.1260–c.1465)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, OUP (2004); Cal. Patent Rolls, 18 Edw. II. p. 2, p. 87, m. 32. Bain, Cal. Docs. Scotland III:157, no. 860. J. Ravilious, The Earls of Menteith: Alexander, Earl of Menteith and Sir Alexander de Abernethy, The Scottish Genealogist (September 2010), Vol. LVII, No. 3, pp. 130–139.

• Source S-1Sir James Balfour Paul, Editor. The Scots peerage, founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom. Vol. VII. Edinburgh: D Douglas, 1904. Open Library