“Yet, as William of Normandy was being crowned as King of England, another monumental event in European history was occuring. The beginning of the ascendancy of the Atholl family, it is believed by most historians, can be traced back to Boxing Day 1066, with the Council of the Atholls held in Galloway in Scotland. The Council was of course the meeting of several noblemen of the Atholl family, prominently among them Maldred, Duke of Galloway, and Gospatrick, Count of Berwick.
“To this day, we do not know the exact details of several agreements came to; sections were never recorded, possibly out of a fear of retribution from their liege and cousin, King Malcolm III, a man of great paranoia. The main result of the Council was a document, signed on behalf of all Atholl nobility by Gospatrick and Maldred, agreeing to protect and promote the Atholl dynasty for every generation to come; this document, known as the Galloway Charter, became part of the family lore, signed by every known descendant of Gospatrick for hundreds of years as part of their coming of age. Also agreed upon was the granting of the lands of Cumberland to Gospatrick of Dunbar, a Saxon noble who had fled upon the victory of William at Battle.
“Outside of this treatise, it is generally accepted by historians that at the council Duke Maldred agreed never to marry or give birth to any child who could constitute a possible inheritor to his title; succession laws ensured that this would mean the county of Berwick and the counties of Galloway and Carrick would be consolidated under a single ruler hence after his death, assisting the quest for sufficient power to protect the Atholl dynasty against the Dunkelds.
“With this simple convening of a mere handful of minor nobles, although they knew it not at the time, the history of Europe was to be changed.”
--"The British Isles After Godwinson", Professor Cedric Rowson, 1978
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Well, then, let's begin. This is my first AAR quite obviously (if the post count didn't tip you off, there truly is no hope for you
), although I've been lurking reading AARs for a while. I'm mostly writing this one because honestly I just need something to do P), and if it turns out someone reads it, well, all the better.
I'll try and update this regularly, and eventually play this all the way through to 1453 - maybe even into a megacampaign. But let's not contemplate now, because knowing the typical beginner AAR writer's reliability this won't get past four or so posts.
Well, now the formalities are dealt with, let's get on with this probably-not-very-good-all-things-considered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“The history of the Atholl dynasty can be traced back to Donald of Atholl, the lay abbot of Atholl in the late tenth century. At his death in 998, his position was inhereited by his only son, Crinan. A favourite of the house of Alpin, Crinan was given the hand of Bethoc, the eldest daughter of Malcolm of Alpin, who would go on to become King Malcolm II, who after his ascension to the throne rewarded Crinan with the Duchy of Albany and County of Atholl.
“Crinan and Bethoc would have two sons. The elder son was Duncan, who took the family name of MacDuff, while the younger was Maldred of Atholl. Duncan would achieve the greater status of the two; due to King Malcolm II's lack of a son, his titles hence passed down to his eldest daughter's son - that was to be Duncan, son of Bethoc. Hence, upon Malcolm's death in 1034, Duncan was crowned as King Duncan I.
“His reign was to be short-lived. His unsuccessful campaign into Durham in 1039 was followed by another into Moray in 1040, where he was murdered by his own men, led by Macbeth, one of his own Dukes. Following Macbeth's ascendancy to the throne, many relatives of the late King were forced into exile, and most of those who remained were forced to flee or killed by the 1045 uprising against Macbeth's rule, among them Crinan himself.
“Macbeth would go on to rule for many years, until he was finally killed by 1057, by Malcolm Dunkeld, son of Donald I. The stepson of Macbeth, by name of Lulach, was crowned King, but was too killed by Malcolm the following years, who hence inherited the throne of King of the Scots.
“Upon Malcolm's ascendancy to the throne, it was not his uncle Maldred who would be returned to the title held by his grandfather, but instead his bastard brother, Maelmuir. The Atholl dynasty were by way of compensation given the lowlands of the counties of Carrick, Galloway, Berwick and Cumberland, and to Maldred the title of Duke of Galloway was given.
"Maldred took the hand in marriage Ealdgyth, a Saxon of a noble Northumberland family who would give unto him two children - Maldred the Younger and Gospatrick. Upon Maldred's death in 1060, his title as Duke was awarded to Maldred the Younger, alongside the counties of Galloway, Carrick and Cumberland. To his younger son, Gospatrick, was given the county of Berwick.”
--"The Ascent of the Atholls", Elric O'Brein, 1956
The Kings of Scotland since 1005, as of Boxing Day 1066.
The leading members of the Atholls and allies as of Boxing Day 1066.
The situation in the British Isles on Boxing Day 1066, with Kingdoms and independent/Norwegian Duchies indicated.
The dynastic makeup of Scotland, Boxing Day 1066
“To this day, we do not know the exact details of several agreements came to; sections were never recorded, possibly out of a fear of retribution from their liege and cousin, King Malcolm III, a man of great paranoia. The main result of the Council was a document, signed on behalf of all Atholl nobility by Gospatrick and Maldred, agreeing to protect and promote the Atholl dynasty for every generation to come; this document, known as the Galloway Charter, became part of the family lore, signed by every known descendant of Gospatrick for hundreds of years as part of their coming of age. Also agreed upon was the granting of the lands of Cumberland to Gospatrick of Dunbar, a Saxon noble who had fled upon the victory of William at Battle.
“Outside of this treatise, it is generally accepted by historians that at the council Duke Maldred agreed never to marry or give birth to any child who could constitute a possible inheritor to his title; succession laws ensured that this would mean the county of Berwick and the counties of Galloway and Carrick would be consolidated under a single ruler hence after his death, assisting the quest for sufficient power to protect the Atholl dynasty against the Dunkelds.
“With this simple convening of a mere handful of minor nobles, although they knew it not at the time, the history of Europe was to be changed.”
--"The British Isles After Godwinson", Professor Cedric Rowson, 1978
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, then, let's begin. This is my first AAR quite obviously (if the post count didn't tip you off, there truly is no hope for you
), although I've been lurking reading AARs for a while. I'm mostly writing this one because honestly I just need something to do P), and if it turns out someone reads it, well, all the better. I'll try and update this regularly, and eventually play this all the way through to 1453 - maybe even into a megacampaign. But let's not contemplate now, because knowing the typical beginner AAR writer's reliability this won't get past four or so posts.
Well, now the formalities are dealt with, let's get on with this probably-not-very-good-all-things-considered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“The history of the Atholl dynasty can be traced back to Donald of Atholl, the lay abbot of Atholl in the late tenth century. At his death in 998, his position was inhereited by his only son, Crinan. A favourite of the house of Alpin, Crinan was given the hand of Bethoc, the eldest daughter of Malcolm of Alpin, who would go on to become King Malcolm II, who after his ascension to the throne rewarded Crinan with the Duchy of Albany and County of Atholl.
“Crinan and Bethoc would have two sons. The elder son was Duncan, who took the family name of MacDuff, while the younger was Maldred of Atholl. Duncan would achieve the greater status of the two; due to King Malcolm II's lack of a son, his titles hence passed down to his eldest daughter's son - that was to be Duncan, son of Bethoc. Hence, upon Malcolm's death in 1034, Duncan was crowned as King Duncan I.
“His reign was to be short-lived. His unsuccessful campaign into Durham in 1039 was followed by another into Moray in 1040, where he was murdered by his own men, led by Macbeth, one of his own Dukes. Following Macbeth's ascendancy to the throne, many relatives of the late King were forced into exile, and most of those who remained were forced to flee or killed by the 1045 uprising against Macbeth's rule, among them Crinan himself.
“Macbeth would go on to rule for many years, until he was finally killed by 1057, by Malcolm Dunkeld, son of Donald I. The stepson of Macbeth, by name of Lulach, was crowned King, but was too killed by Malcolm the following years, who hence inherited the throne of King of the Scots.
“Upon Malcolm's ascendancy to the throne, it was not his uncle Maldred who would be returned to the title held by his grandfather, but instead his bastard brother, Maelmuir. The Atholl dynasty were by way of compensation given the lowlands of the counties of Carrick, Galloway, Berwick and Cumberland, and to Maldred the title of Duke of Galloway was given.
"Maldred took the hand in marriage Ealdgyth, a Saxon of a noble Northumberland family who would give unto him two children - Maldred the Younger and Gospatrick. Upon Maldred's death in 1060, his title as Duke was awarded to Maldred the Younger, alongside the counties of Galloway, Carrick and Cumberland. To his younger son, Gospatrick, was given the county of Berwick.”
--"The Ascent of the Atholls", Elric O'Brein, 1956
The Kings of Scotland since 1005, as of Boxing Day 1066.
The leading members of the Atholls and allies as of Boxing Day 1066.
The situation in the British Isles on Boxing Day 1066, with Kingdoms and independent/Norwegian Duchies indicated.
The dynastic makeup of Scotland, Boxing Day 1066
