Alan Durward

Alan de Lundin
Alan Durward
Alan de Lundin Alan Durward
	Coat of arms: Argent, a chief Gules[1]
Noble family	de Lundin
Spouse(s)	Isabella, Countess of Atholl; Marjorie, daughter of King Alexander II of Scotland
	Issue Ermenguarde de Lundin Anne de Durward
Father	Thomas de Lundin
Mother	daughter of Máel Coluim, Earl of Atholl

Alan Hostarius (or Alan Durward) (Scottish Gaelic: Ailean Dorsair) (died aft. 1264 or in 1275) was the son of Thomas de Lundin, a grandson of Gille Críst, Mormaer of Mar. His mother's name is unknown, but she was almost certainly a daughter of Máel Coluim, Mormaer of Atholl, meaning that Alan was the product of two Gaelic comital families.

Alan was one of the most important political figures of 13th century Scotland, and in fact effectively ruled the country at several points during the minority of Alexander III (Gaelic: Alasdair III mac Alasdair). Through his father Thomas, he inherited the office of hostarius, protector of the king's property. Alan probably participated in the campaign to crush the insurrection of Meic Uilleim (Mac Williams) in 1228-29. By 1233, and probably before, Alan was given control of Urquhart on the shores of Loch Ness. Alan was almost certainly responsible for the earliest motte phase of Urquhart Castle.

At the same point in time, between 1233 and 1235, Alan was styling himself "Count of Atholl". It has often been thought that, after the death of Thomas of Galloway, Earl of Atholl in 1232, Isabella, Countess of Atholl, married Alan. This however, rests solely on the appearance of Alan's styles. However, as Matthew Hammond has shown, this is more likely to refer to fact that Alan, as a grandson of Máel Coluim, Earl of Atholl, probably sought to inherit the province; by January 9, 1234, King Alexander seems to have recognized this style. However, by the time of a charter of July 7, 1235, the style had disappeared and Alan was never called "Count" (Mormaer or Earl) again. Alan, like his father Thomas, would also challenge the rights of the Mormaers of Mar. Alan was descended from Gille Crist, Mormaer of Mar. However, Gille Críst's descendants had been excluded from inheritance by the line of Morggán, Mormaer of Mar, who were monopolizing the comital title. Alan tried and failed to oust Uilleam from his title. It would be the greatest failure of Alan's career that he failed to rise to comital rank.

Alan's illustrious career was marked by intense rivalry with the Comyns. The rivalry was a national phenomenon, and represented a larger factional conflict within the kingdom. There may have been some reconciliation towards the end of his life. Alan was made Justiciar of Scotia along with Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan, and campaigned with the latter in two expeditions against the Norwegians. Alan even witnessed one of Earl Alexander's charters in 1272.

Alan spent many of his later years in England. During the minority of Alexander III, Alan had courted the favor of King Henry III of England in an effort to stay in power. The King of the English even gave Alan his own English manor, Bolsover.

He died in 1275. He was buried in the Abbey of Coupar Angus.

Family

Alan had married Marjory, an illegitimate daughter of King Alexander II, by whom he had three children:

Ermengarde (who married William I de Soules, the royal butler).
Anne Durward (who married first Colbán, Earl of Fife and then Sir William de Ferrers, of Groby, Leicestershire, and of Scotland, who died in 1287. He was the younger son of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby, by his 2nd wife, Margaret de Quincy.)
a daughter whose name is not known (she married John Bisset).

Alan also had at least one illegitimate son, Thomas Durward. None of these children carried on their father's illustrious political career.

Notes

Walford's Roll (C66)

gollark: I think that's new.

gollark: % rs.getSides

gollark: `peripheral.find` returns the wrapped peripheral object directly instead of the name, I mean, which is *generally* what you want.

gollark: Basically, what this does is iterate over all peripheral names, check if they're the type you want, and add them to the table if they are.

gollark: *Why* do you want that, exactly?

References

Barrow, G.W.S., "Badenoch and Strathspey, 1130-1312: 1 Secular and Political" in Northern Scotland, VIII, pp. 1–15
Hammond, Matthew H., "The Durward family in the thirteenth century", in Steve Boardman and Alasdair Ross (eds.), The Exercise of Power in Medieval Scotland, c.1200–1500, (Dublin/Portland, 2003), pp. 118–38

Legal offices
Preceded by Philip de Melville and Robert de Monte Alto	Justiciar of Scotia 1244–1251	Succeeded by Philip de Meldrum and Michael de Monte Alto
Preceded by Philip de Meldrum and Michael de Monte Alto	Justiciar of Scotia 1255–1257	Succeeded by Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan

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[1] Walford's Roll (C66)

Mormaers or Earls of Atholl
[Known] 10th-century mormaers	Dubdon
[Known] Mormaers from the Atholl line	Máel Muire of Atholl Matad of Atholl Máel Coluim of Atholl Henry of Atholl Isabella of Atholl (with 1. Tomás Mac Uchtraigh; 2. Alan Durward) Padraig of Atholl Forbhlaith of Atholl (with David de Hastings) Ada de Hastings (with John of Strathbogie) David I of Strathbogie John of Strathbogie David II of Strathbogie
Appointed between Robert I and James I	John Campbell William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale Robert Stewart David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany Walter Stewart
Stewart of Balveny	John Stewart, 1st Earl John Stewart, 2nd Earl John Stewart, 3rd Earl John Stewart, 4th Earl John Stewart, 5th Earl
Stewart of Innermeath	John Stewart, 1st Earl James Stewart, 2nd Earl