Undweyn of Macuswell

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/maxtone.html

The earliest mention of the name “Maccus” is in 973 when he, as “King of very many Islands”, along with seven other regional Kings including Kenneth II of Scotland, swore fealty to the English King Edgar at Chester. (Scottish Annals from English Chroniclers, p.76, citing other chronicles). It has been suggested (ibid, index) that Magnus may be the same name, re-occurring in 1066/7 as another Norse King Magnus II, 2nd cousin to the Scots King Duncan II.

The name reappears two generations later, when “Maccus, son of Undewyn” witnessed several charters, including the founding of Selkirk Abbey c. 1120, the ‘Inquisito’ of 1124, Melrose Abbey 1136, 1143/4 (Melrose, Lawrie ESC, RSS i). In Melrose # 88 Maccus is ‘Prepositus’ i.e. Provost, witnessing a grant of ½ ploughgate of land in Lessudwyn (Lessudden) by Richard/Robert of London to Melrose Abbey. Lessudwyn, just NW of Maxton, bears an uncanny resemblance to Undwyn, and may have been (a minor, i.e. Less) part of his lands in the generation before Maccus. The family certainly held some Lessudden lands just after Maccus’ time (see below). Early witness lists to these charters contain many other Norse or Saxon sounding first names, usually described as ‘A’ son of ‘B’ (Uchtred, Liulf, Osolf, Sioth, Cospatrick, Orm, Eilas), with Norman surnames becoming more numerous later, after the ascent of David I, (de Brus, de Lindesay, de Umfraville, Olifard, Corbet?, Ridel, de Sumerville, de Morevile). It would appear therefore, that Maccus was associated with other Norse or Saxon Lords, all of whom had some importance under Alexander I and that he continued to enjoy royal favour after 1124. The de Moreville family, in particular, would appear to have been early overlords of the St Boswells/Mertoun/Dryburgh area, in addition to Lauderdale.

Maxton, Lindsay and Oliphant all continued to associate, before and after migration to Perthshire  in early 14th cent. 

Other Norman families known to have migrated north with David I, generally from his “Honour of Huntingdon”, include Herries, Graham and Lockhart, who although not mentioned in Roxburgh, occur later in Maxtone history, usually in Perthshire, together with Haldane and Roger/Rodgie. (see AAM Duncan, Ed. Hist. Scot, Vol 1, pp 134-149 for general Norman/Feudal influence)

Maccus died c. 1150, after which charters were then witnessed by “Liolf, son of Maccus” (c. 1153-1170s), and/or Robert his brother, (c. 1160-1200) (Melrose, pp56/7, 75-81). He seemingly left his name to the Barony and village of Maccus’toun, or Maxton, and to a pool on the Tweed below the present Kelso Bridge, Maccus’weil, or Maxwheel, around which grew the village of Maxwellheugh. An Edmund de Macheswel is recorded c.1147x 1152 (Lawrie ESC 196), Herbert de Macchuswel in 1159 (RRS i, #131), and the lands + church of Maxton are named in a charter of 1189x93 (RSS ii,#342), so it would seem that the placenames were established during Maccus’ lifetime, and he was condidered important enough for them to be retained after his death. His heirs, however, used the terminolgy “son of Maccus”, rather than “of” Maxton or Maxwell. In the founding Charter of Kelso Abbey in 1159, (RRS i, #131, above) witnesses include Ughtred of Mow, Liulf son of Maccus, Ferteth Earl of Strathearn, David Olifard and Herbert of Maxwell. It is surely likely that Herbert would also be styled ‘son of Maccus’ if he was Liulf’s brother.

http://leroy-quebec.weebly.com/leroys-scotland-1055-1090.html LeRoys of Scotland 1055 - 1090 De Norseman, Undewyn Marcus Birth: 1055 Blair Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland Death: Blair Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland De Norseman, LeRoy Birth: 1090 Blair Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland Death: 1150 Normandie, France

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https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/2159410-the-patricians-... There are a number of genealogical studies that show Undewyn as a son of Macbeth and Bethoc of Atholl. His son Maccus, primogenitor of Clan Maxwell, apparently had two sons - Marcus and Leroy (called "Leroy the Norseman"). Leroy appears to have immigrated from Norse Scotland to resettle himself in Bretagne during the middle of the 12th century. A few of his Le Roy descendants immigrated to Quebec, Canada, during the early 17th century.

Another candidate as the father of Undewyn is Maccus of Man. He was direct a descendant of Ragnarr Loðbrók. Perhaps not so ironically, as a result, he was the cousin of Macbeth, Duncan and Thorfinn.