Gilla Brigte (Galloway)

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Gilla Brigte mac Fergusa (also Gille Brighde or Gilbert ) (* around 1126 - † January 1, 1185 ) was a Scottish magnate as Lord of Galloway .

Origin and heritage

Gilla Brigte was believed to be an illegitimate son of Fergus, Lord of Galloway . His father was lord of the Celtic dominion Galloway in south-west Scotland, which was only under loose suzerainty of the Scottish crown. In 1160, his father and other magnates rebelled against King Malcolm IV , but was defeated by him. Thereupon he renounced his rule and entered a monastery, where he died in 1161. Thereupon Gilla Brigte and his older, probably legitimate brother Uhtred divided his rule according to the custom of that time in Galloway. Gilla Brigte's share included the western part up to the Water of Fleet , while Uhtred received the eastern part from Galloway. However, both were under pressure from the Scottish kings who tried to integrate the region more closely into their empire. Nevertheless, Uhtred and Gilla Brigte were rarely at the Scottish royal court.

Rebellion against William of Scotland and murder of his brother

However, when King Wilhelm was captured in the war against King Henry II of England in 1174, Uhtred and Gilla Brigte took the opportunity to shake off Scottish supremacy and to limit Anglo-Norman influence. They had both taken part in the campaign of the Scottish king, but were not captured like this one. They returned to Galloway, captured the royal Dumfries Castle , attacked officials of the Scottish King and killed the Anglo-Norman settlers. Gilla Brigte was probably the driving force behind the uprising. But the revolt turned into a civil war when tensions arose between the brothers in July 1174 and Gilla Brigte announced that he would murder his brother. He had Uhtred besieged on the island of St Mary’s off Kirkcudbright , whereupon he was presumably captured in November. Gilla Brigte had him brutally murdered. In November 1174, Gilla Brigte offered the English King Henry II Galloway as a fief and promised a payment of 200  Merks and an annual tribute to cattle. The English ambassadors learned in Galloway, however, that Uhtred, who had been a cousin of Henry II through his mother, had been murdered. Since William of Scotland had been a vassal of the English king since the Treaty of Falaise and was thus under his protection, Henry II refused to negotiate further with Gilla Brigte. Gilla Brigte was not among the Scottish barons who paid homage to the English king in York in August 1175 , and Henry II commissioned the Scottish king to punish Gilla Brigte for his offenses. Supported by Scottish troops, Roland , Uhtred's eldest son, was believed to have conquered the eastern part of Galloway. In October 1176, however, Gilla Brigte submitted to the Scottish king and was brought to Henry II by him. Gilla Brigte paid homage to the English king , swore his goodwill and promised payment of £ 1,000. To do this, he had to hold his son Duncan fitzGilbert hostage to the English king. Although he continued to be openly hostile to the Scottish king thereafter, he retained control of western Galloway under English protection.

Again rebellion and death

In 1183 or perhaps as early as 1182 Gilla Brigte rebelled again against Wilhelm and attacked his vassals. After his death in early 1185, Roland occupied the part of Galloway that had previously been under Gilla Brige's control. Gilla Brige's son Duncan was still held hostage at the court of Henry II, so that his followers lacked a guide. Heinrich II initially disapproved of the attacks by Roland, but he was eventually allowed to keep control of Galloway. As compensation, Duncan received the Carrick reign north of Galloway.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  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. 181.
  2. ^ Richard D. Oram: A Family Business? Colonization and Settlement in Twelfth- and Thirteenth-Century Galloway , p. 120.
  3. ^ A b 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. 182.
  4. ^ Geoffrey WS Barrow: Scotland and Its Neighbors in the Middle Ages . Hambledon, London 1992, ISBN 1-85285-052-3 , p. 75.
  5. ^ 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. 184.
  6. ^ 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. 184.
personal data
SURNAME Gilla Brigte
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gilla Brigte mac Fergusa; Gille Brighde; Gilbert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Lord or King of Galloway
DATE OF BIRTH around 1126
DATE OF DEATH January 1, 1185