Stewart / De Angus Ancestry

Malcolm Canmore (Great Head) was a savage, bestial man who reigned for thirty six years. In 1061 he burned Northumbria, and after the Norman Conquest his attacks, and William of England's harrying, turned the province into a wasteland. He attacked Cumbria with such unremitting ferocity that it was said there was no Scottish household without an English slave. Ironically, this brutal man was married to Margaret, a saintly English woman who did much to encourage cultural influence from the south. She was a beloved patron of the church.

In 1072 William the Conqueror moved north against Malcolm. His army crossed the Forth at Stirling and rode to the Tay, brushing all opposition aside, where they were joined by a fleet. Malcolm, understandably impressed by such a swift and effective campaign, paid homage to the Conqueror and surrendered his eldest son as hostage. It was not clear whether Malcolm was paying homage as Lord of Cumbria and Lothian or as King of Scotland, and this point has served to greatly confuse Anglo-Scottish relations.

Whatever the case, within a few years Malcolm had once again invaded Northumbria, but after the Conqueror's death he was driven out of the province by William Rufus. It was at this time that Anglo-Norman knights began to colonize southern Scotland. This process was aided by the efforts of Margaret, who filled her court with Southerners. Malcolm , who was in awe of his wife's saintliness, tolerated this semi-peaceful invasion.

In 1093, after being insulted by William Rufus, Malcolm led another raid into Northumbria. He was killed outside Alnwick by treachery. After a four year period of strife, he was eventually succeeded by his son Edgar, who defeated Donald Bane, Malcolm's brother.

Notable Dates in Scottish History

Of the three sons of Malcolm Canmore to sit on the throne of Scotland, David was the most heavily influenced by the Normans. He welcomed many Anglo-Normans to his court, giving them land and titles. Three of the most important of these friends of the king were Bernard de Balliol, whose father had served at Hastings; Robert de Brus, who David made Lord of Annandale; and Walter FitzAlan who David appointed hereditary High Steward of Scotland.

David's rule was effective in forcing submission from teh native Celts. When Moray rose in revolt his Norman cavalry destroyed the unarmoured clanmsmen, and burnt the Moray glens. The Angus, the Earl of Moray was killed in battle at the North Esk, and the earldom was placed in forfeit, its lands subdivided.