Walter Fitzalan, 3rd High Steward of Scotland

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Walter Fitzalan, 3rd High Steward of Scotland (also Walter fitz Alan or Walter son of Alan ) (* around 1198 , † 1241 ) was a Scottish nobleman .

origin

Walter came from the Stewart family , originally from Brittany . He was the eldest son of Alan Fitz Walter ; his mother's name is not known for certain. He was still a minor when his father died in 1204. He came of age around 1219, inheriting the extensive family estates in Scotland. To this end, he inherited the office of Dapifer the King, choosing the more respected name Senescallus from around 1219 .

Expansion of his holdings in western Scotland

Walter had already inherited extensive estates in western Scotland with Renfrew and Kyle , but he tried to expand his holdings there. However, at this time parts of the west Scottish coast and the Hebrides as the Kingdom of the Islands were under Norwegian suzerainty. Walter allied with Donnchadh, Earl of Carrick and Maol Domhnaich, Earl of Lennox . With their support, he tried to subdue Cowal in the 1220s . Walter's advance west led to war with Norway . A Norwegian fleet appeared off the West Scottish islands in 1230, sacked the Isle of Bute , which was part of Walter's rule, and captured Rothesay Castle there . The Scottish King Alexander II moved with an army to Ayr to support Walter, but it was not until a fleet of Alan, Lord of Galloway appeared, that the Norwegians withdrew. In the next few years Walter could finally subjugate Cowal.

Further political activity

After the end of the war in 1231, the Scottish king continued to support Walter. With the support of the king he was able to build Dunoon Castle and thus consolidate his position in Cowal. In 1231 the king appointed him Justiciar of Scotia , the king's commissioner for the Scottish areas north of the Forth . Walter was evidently one of the king's closest advisers. Although numerous magnates were present during a council meeting in 1236, he was one of the only four named magnates who attested several royal documents.

Walter came into close contact with Robert de Brus, Lord of Annandale . The good relations between the Stewart and Brus families continued into the 14th century. He made generous donations to the Paisley Abbey Family Foundation . At Dalmilling in Ayrshire he founded a Gilbertine priory in the 1220s , which was abandoned after about ten years.

Marriage and offspring

Walter married Beatrix (Bethóc), a daughter of Gilchrist, 3rd Earl of Angus . He had several children with her, including:

His son Alexander became his heir.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 30.
  2. ↑ Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 79.
  3. ↑ Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 33.
  4. ^ 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. 180.
  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. 413.
  6. ↑ The Visitation of Cambridge 1575 and 1619 , ed. JW Clay (Harleian Society, London, 1897)
predecessor Office successor
Alan fitz Walter High Steward of Scotland
1204-1241 		Alexander of Dundonald
personal data
SURNAME Fitzalan, Walter, 3rd High Steward of Scotland
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Walter Fitz Alan; Walter son of Alan
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Scottish nobleman
DATE OF BIRTH around 1198
DATE OF DEATH 1241