Earldom of Mar

Earldom of Mar
Name	Earldom of Mar
Creation	c. 12th century (traditional origins c. 1016)
Peerage	Peerage of Scotland
First holder	Bridei mac Cináeda (traditional)
Present holder	disputed
Former seat	Kildrummy Castle, Castle of Cairnton, Allardice Castle
Motto	"Virtute et fide" (variant)

Earldom of Mar is one of the oldest and most contested noble titles in Scottish history, with roots claimed in early medieval mormaerdoms and continued prominence through the High Middle Ages, the Wars of Scottish Independence, and the Jacobite risings. The earldom has been associated with influential families, strategic lordships in Aberdeenshire, and recurrent legal disputes in the Peerage of Scotland and the Court of Session. Its complex succession and territorial changes reflect broader dynamics involving Alba, Strathclyde, Norman influence, and later British constitutional developments.

History

The origins trace to early medieval rulership in Mar and possible links to mormaers recorded in chronicles such as the Annals of Ulster and the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba. By the 12th century the earldom appears in royal charters under King David I of Scotland and contemporaries like Malcolm III of Scotland and Edward of Scotland. During the 13th and 14th centuries holders navigated contested loyalties amid the First War of Scottish Independence, interacting with figures such as William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and Edward I of England. The medieval earldom evolved through feudalization, marriages into houses like Garioch and bishops of Glasgow patronage, and conflicts with neighboring magnates including the Comyns.

In the early modern era, the earldom intersected with events including the Rough Wooing, the Reformation in Scotland, and the Union of the Crowns. The 17th and 18th centuries saw holders involved in the Covenanters movement, the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and the Jacobite risings, connecting the title to actors like James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, John Erskine, Earl of Mar (the 'Bonnie Dundee' era), and later figures implicated in the 1715 Rising. Judicial interventions by the House of Lords and the Court of Session in the 19th and 20th centuries reshaped recognition and precedence.

Titles and Succession Disputes

Succession complexities arose from competing claims based on primogeniture, heirs-general, and ancient customary succession linked to mormaerdoms. Disputes involved petitioners to the House of Lords and rulings referencing statutes like the Peerage Act 1963 procedural legacy and precedents from cases such as Mar Peerage Case decisions. Claimants included branches associated with the Erskine family, the Stewart family, and the Douglas family through marriage settlements and entails. Legal arguments invoked documents preserved in repositories like the National Records of Scotland and adjudications in the Court of Session and at parliamentary committees, often citing precedents from the Treaty of Union negotiations about Scottish titles.

The 19th- and 20th-century resolutions produced dual recognitions and continuing contention over precedence, territorial suffixes, and the right to sit in the House of Lords prior to reforms by the House of Lords Act 1999. Litigations featured genealogists using sources such as Burke's Peerage and testimonies referencing Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland.

Holders of the Earldom

Prominent medieval and early modern holders include figures tied to royal politics, ecclesiastical patronage, and military command: names associated with the earldom intersect with Rognvald, Domnall mac Causantín, William de Mar, Isabella, Countess of Mar, and later the Erskine, Earls of Mar line. Claimants and holders have interacted with statesmen and commanders like John Erskine (the 'Old Pretender' sympathizer), and with peers across Scotland such as the Earl of Buchan, Earl of Marischal, and Earl of Huntly. The title's holders appear frequently in correspondence with monarchs from Alexander II of Scotland through George II of Great Britain and in records of the Privy Council of Scotland.

Lands and Residences

Traditional territorial core lay in the district of Mar in the modern Aberdeenshire region, encompassing estates such as Kildrummy Castle, the medieval stronghold associated with several earls, and residences at Allardice Castle, House of Alford, and Cairnton. Holdings extended through feudal grants into neighboring lordships including parts of Garioch, Bannockburn-era localities, and upland estates bordering Speyside and the Grampian Mountains. Management of the estates intersected with agricultural improvements in the 18th-century and estate reorganizations during the Highland Clearances, creating links to families who served as factors, such as those recorded in estate papers now held by the National Library of Scotland.

Role in Scottish Politics and Warfare

Earls of Mar engaged in national politics and military campaigns from the medieval period through the early modern era. They negotiated allegiances during the Wars of Scottish Independence, provided levies in feudal musters, and participated in conflicts like the Battle of Bannockburn, the Battle of Flodden, and later actions tied to the Jacobite rising of 1715 and the Jacobite rising of 1745. Politically they interfaced with institutions including the Parliament of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland, and royal courts under sovereigns such as James VI and I. Their influence affected regional law and commission appointments, and they frequently served as sheriffs and commissioners for counties like Aberdeenshire and Inverurie.

Heraldry and Symbols

Heraldic bearings associated with the earldom feature traditional Scottish motifs recorded in rolls like the Balliol Roll and registers maintained by the Court of the Lord Lyon. Emblems include variations of the red shields, royal lions linked to the Royal Arms of Scotland, and symbolic charges referencing natural features of Mar and familial alliances with houses such as Erskine, Douglas, and Stewart. Crests, supporters, and mottos were adjusted through marriages and legal grants overseen by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, with surviving examples in monuments at Kildrummy Castle and in manuscript collections at the National Museum of Scotland.

Category:Peerage of Scotland