Fergus (Galloway)

Fergus von Galloway ( Gaelic Fearghus , Latin Fergus de Galwedia , * before 1100 - 12 May 1161 ) was ruler of Galloway .

Life

Its origin is unclear. It is first mentioned in a document around 1136. He may have ruled the Galloway region of Scotland since the 1110s or 1120s. Since the end of the Kingdom of Strathclyde in the 11th century, sovereignty over the Galloway region has been claimed by the kings of Scotland . However, actual Scottish royal power in the region was weak. It is controversial among historians whether Fergus usurped a sovereign territory in opposition to the Scottish crown as the "King of Galloway", or as the "Lord of Galloway" with the benevolence of the Scottish crown as its loose vassal took over the administration of the region.

Under pressure from the Scottish King Malcolm IV , who moved with his army to Galloway in 1160, Fergus resigned his rule and entered the monastery of Holyrood as a monk , where he died the following year. Galloway was split between his two sons, whom Malcolm IV recognized as their liege lord .

Marriage and offspring

In 1124 at the latest he married Elisabeth in Carrick , an illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England . He had three at least two sons and one daughter, although it is disputed whether they all come from that marriage:

• Uhtred, Lord of Galloway (around 1121; † 1174);
• Affraic (* around 1122), ⚭ Óláfr Guðrøðarson († 1153), King of the Islands .
• Gilla Brigte (also Anglicized Gilbert , * around 1126, † 1185);

reception

The old French courtly novel Roman de Fergus , written by Guillaume le Clerc in the 13th century , probably refers to the historical figure of Fergus of Galloway .

literature

• Richard D. Oram: Fergus, Galloway and the Scots. In: Richard D. Oram, GP Stell (Ed.): Galloway. Land and Lordship. The Scottish Society for Northern Studies, Edinburgh 1991, ISBN 0-9505994-6-8 , pp. 117-130 ( PDF at ssns.org.uk).
• George Edward Cokayne (Ed.): The Complete Peerage . Volume 3, Alan Sutton Publishing, Gloucester 2000, p. 55.
• Alison Weir: Britain's Royal Families. The Complete Genealogy. The Bodley Head, London 1999, p. 49.

Web links

• Fergus of Galloway in People of Medieval Scotland, 1093-1314 (English)
• Fergus, Lord of Galloway on thepeerage.com