Alexander, Earl of Menteith

Not the husband of Matilda de Arnot

Alexander, Earl of Menteith

Alexander of Menteith (d. bef. 1306), a Scottish nobleman and member of the Stewart family, was the Earl of Menteith.

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (previous version of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander,_Earl_of_Menteith)

Alexander of Menteith (d. 1297 x 1304), son of Mary I, Countess of Menteith and Walter Bailloch Stewart, her husband, was a Mormaer or Earl of Menteith for a most of the 1290s. He is first noted with his brother John de Menteith in a compact between Bruce and the Stewarts on September 20, 1286, at Turnberry, Carrick.[1] In another writ, of uncertain date, granted by their father to Kilwinning Abbey, he and his brother are styled Alexander and John de Menteith.[2] They had therefore dropped the name Stewart for the name Menteith.

Alexander joined with his father in a charter granting the church of Kippen to the Cambuskenneth Abbey to secure themselves a place of burial. This writ is said to be dated in 1286.[3] He was at Norham in 1291, and swore fealty to Edward I, while he also appears in other matters before his succession, the date of which is uncertain, but was probably between 1292 and 1295. In any case he was the Earl of Menteith who with the Earls of Atholl, Ross, and others gathered a force and invaded England in revenge for Edward's savage attack on Berwick. Their army was defeated at the Battle of Dunbar on April 27, 1296, and on that or the following day Menteith and others who had fled to Dunbar Castle were taken captive, and he was committed to the Tower.

He was not, however, detained long as a prisoner, but was liberated either before or shortly after a promise of service made by him to the English King, and dated at Elgin July 27, 1296. He repeated this promise, and swore fealty at Berwick a month later, on 28 August.[4] He then left two of his sons in the King's hands as hostages.[5] Perhaps this fact influenced his future movements, for, excepting some transactions dealing with the estates of Alexander de Abernethy, and also of Alexander of Argyll and his son, of which he was appointed guardian by Edward,[6] he seems to have taken no part in public affairs. At least nothing is recorded about him, except a letter to him from the English King on September 26, 1297,[7] and the date of his death is not known.

He married a lady named Matilda,[8] whose surname has not been discovered, and had the following children: ....

Family

Updated April 2021

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander,_Earl_of_Menteith

He married a lady named Matilda (Maud),[7] a daughter of Robert, Earl of Strathearn,[8] and together they had the following children:

1. Alan, Earl of Menteith, who succeeded his father as Earl.[9]
2. Peter, who in 1296 was a hostage in England with his brother Alan. He accompanied King Edward to Flanders, and took part in the French campaign of 1297, where he may have been killed.[10]
3. Murdach, who became Earl of Menteith.[10]
4. Alexander, styled as brother of Murdach in a charter to Gilbert Drummond.[10]
5. Malise, who had a charter from Robert I of the lands of Ballygillachy.[8]
6. Margaret de Menteith, wife of Alexander de Abernethy.[11]
7. Ellen, recently identified as the wife of William Ferrers, 1st Baron Ferrers of Groby (d. 20 March 1324/5).[8]

Footnotes:

• 7. George Edward Cokayne, The complete peerage; or, A history of the House of lords and all its members from the earliest times, Vol. VIII (London: The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., 1932), p. 664
• 8. J. Ravilious, The Earls of Menteith: Murdoch, Earl of Menteith and the Ferrers family of Groby, The Scottish Genealogist (March 2013), Vol. LX, No. 1, pp. 12-25 PDF
• 9. George Edward Cokayne, The complete peerage; or, A history of the House of lords and all its members from the earliest times, Vol. VIII (London: The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., 1932), p. 665
• 10. The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, ed. James Balfour Paul, Vol VI (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909), p. 134
• 11. J. Ravilious, The Earls of Menteith: Alexander, Earl of Menteith and Sir Alexander de Abernethy, The Scottish Genealogist (September 2010), Vol. LVII, No. 3, pp. 130–139

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http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTTISH%20NOBILITY%20LATER.htm#_To...

Earl Walter & his wife had two children:

1. ALEXANDER Stewart (-[26 Sep 1297/before 1306]). Knighted [13 Jun 1291/Feb 1293]. He succeeded his father in [1295] as Earl of Menteith. The Ragman Roll names "Alexander earl of Menetethe" among those who swore allegiance to Edward I King of England at Elgyn in Moray 27 Jul 1296[89]. He unsuccessfully besieged Carlisle spring 1296, captured and imprisoned at Dunbar, later in the Tower of London. He supported Edward I King of England from 1296[90].

m MATILDA, daughter of ---.

Earl Alexander & his wife had four children:

• a) ALAN de Menteith (-before 13 Mar 1309). m MARJORY, daughter of ---.
• b) PIERS de Menteith . Hostage, with his older brother Alain, for his father's fidelity to Edward I King of England 1296. The Wardrobe Accounts of King Edward I for 1296/97 include payments to "Alano et Petro filiis comitis de Menetethe", dated 23 Jul[96].
• c) MURDOCH de Menteith (-killed in battle Dupplin 12 Aug 1332 or Halidon 19 Jul 1333). He succeeded his brother as Earl of Menteith. John of Fordun’s Scotichronicon (Continuator) records that "…Murdaco comite de Menteith…" were killed at Duplin Moor 11 Aug 1332 fighting Edward Balliol[97]. m [ALICE], daughter of ---.
• d) ALEXANDER .

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References

• The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, ed. James Balfour Paul, Vol VI (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909. Page 132 Archive.Org They had issue two sons named together by their father in a charter : —1. Alexander, who succeeded to the earldom. 2. Sir John, who has achieved an unenviable ....; Page 133 Archive.Org, VI. Alexander, Earl of Menteith, is first noted with his brother John in a compact between Bruce and the Stewarts on 20 September 1286, at Turnberry.^ In another writ, of uncertain date, granted by their father to the Abbey of Kilwinning, he and his brother are styled Alexander and John Menteith. They had therefore changed their family name from Stewart to Menteith. .... Page 134 Archive.Org He married a lady named Matilda,^ whose sur- name has not been discovered, and had issue : — 1. Alan, who succeeded as Earl. 2. Peter, who in 1296 was a hostage in England with his brother Alan. He accompanied King Edward to Flanders, and took part in the French campaign of 1297," where he may have been killed, as nothing further is known of him. In any case he seems to have predeceased his older brother. 3. Sir Murdach, who became Earl of Menteith. 4. Alexander, who is styled ' brother ' by Murdach, Earl of Menteith, in a charter to Gilbert Drummond of half the lands of Boquhappil.^
• History of the Stewart or Stuart family. by Lee, Henry James, 1864- Archive.Org
• http://www.thepeerage.com/p512.htm#i5112 shows wife as Maud de Arnot, daughter of David de Arnot
• http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/ss4tz/stewart01.php# 3. Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith (a 1292) m. Mary, Countess of Menteith (dau of Maurice, 3rd Earl of Menteith). Alexander Stewart, 6th Earl of Menteith (d c1300). m. Maud / Matilda (possibly Matilda de Arnot)