Constantine, 1st Earl of Fife

Constantine, 1st Earl of Fife (also Constantine Macduff or Causantín, Earl of Fife ) († after 1128) was a Scottish magnate .

Constantine probably came from a branch line of the Scottish royal family Alpin . This is indicated by his nickname Macduff , after which he was a descendant of King Dubh , who ruled from 962 to 966 and who was the only known well-known bearer of the name Dubh. Constantine apparently had close ties to the Scottish royal family. He is mentioned for the first time in 1095 as a witness to a document from the later King Edgar and, unlike other nobles, clearly acknowledged King Donald III. Before 1107, the later King Alexander and his brother David confirmed their possession as successor to Æthelred in Fife , where he was referred to as the Earl of Fife . This is why he is also the first documented holder of this title. Constantine is mentioned for the last time in a document issued around 1128. In this document the Culdeer of Loch Leven complain about the knight Robert the Burgundian to Constantine, who also served as a high-ranking Scottish judge together with Mael-Domhnaich , son of Macbethad and Dubgall , son of Mocche . Constantine is referred to as Magnus Judex , whether he presided over a court in this capacity or had a higher position as a judge is unclear. The appointment of judges, however, is an indication that the Norman feudal law prevailed against the traditional Celtic legal system in Scotland.

Constantine's successor as Earl was Gille Micheil Macduff , who was likely not his son but was named as his designated successor in 1128.

Web links

Andrew McDonald: Constantine [Constantine Macduff] earl of Fife (d. In or after 1128). In: Henry Colin Gray Matthew, Brian Harrison (Eds.): Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , from the earliest times to the year 2000 (ODNB). Oxford University Press, Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-861411-X , ( oxforddnb.com license required ), as of 2004

Individual evidence

^ Archibald AM Duncan: Scotland. The Making of the Kingdom (The Edinburgh History of Scotland; Vol. I ). Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh 1975. ISBN 0-05-00203-7-4 , p. 114.
^ Archibald AM Duncan: Scotland. The Making of the Kingdom (The Edinburgh History of Scotland; Vol. I ). Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh 1975. ISBN 0-05-00203-7-4 , p. 126.
^ Archibald AM Duncan: Scotland. The Making of the Kingdom (The Edinburgh History of Scotland; Vol. I ). Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh 1975. ISBN 0-05-00203-7-4 , p. 138.

predecessor	Office	successor
Æthelred	Earl of Fife before 1107 – after 1128	Gille Micheil

personal data
SURNAME	Constantine, 1st Earl of Fife
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Constantine Macduff; Causantín, Earl of Fife
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Scottish magnate
DATE OF BIRTH	11th century
DATE OF DEATH	after 1128

[1] Archibald AM Duncan: Scotland. The Making of the Kingdom (The Edinburgh History of Scotland; Vol. I ). Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh 1975. ISBN 0-05-00203-7-4 , p. 114.

[2] Archibald AM Duncan: Scotland. The Making of the Kingdom (The Edinburgh History of Scotland; Vol. I ). Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh 1975. ISBN 0-05-00203-7-4 , p. 126.

[3] Archibald AM Duncan: Scotland. The Making of the Kingdom (The Edinburgh History of Scotland; Vol. I ). Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh 1975. ISBN 0-05-00203-7-4 , p. 138.