Transcript Scottish Wars of Independence

David I and the
‘Normanisation’ of
Scotland
We will cover …
The nature of 11th century Scottish society
 Previous attempts to introduce Norman ideas to
Scotland before David I
 Changes in government and administration
 How David tackled internal and external
threats
 The growth of the Church under David I
 Assessment of David I
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century Scotland
Still a mainly Celtic country ruled
by Celtic custom
Mormaers – important as royal
stewards, in charge of provinces
with the power to call out the
common army – had a lot of
independence and could be a threat
to the throne
A sort of feudal relationship
existed – dominant warrior class,
land in return for military service,
a subservient peasantry
Celtic law system
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Government was not centralised –
no central taxation, no written
records as such, no hierarchical
administration
Crown did not pass from father to
son, but passed to and fro between
branches of the royal family –
hence the succession was rarely
without trouble
Religious orders from Europe such
as the Benedictines had settled in
Scotland under licence from
Malcolm Canmore’s wife Margaret
(later St. Margaret)
Normanisation before David I
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Introduction of new monastic
orders to Scotland – Benedictines
invited by Margaret before her
death in 1093
Introduction of continental and
Norman English influences at
court – Malcolm invited some
Norman nobles north to settle in
Scotland
Process continued by his son
Alexander I (1107-24) who also
began to build castles, and saw the
introduction of the idea of landholding in return for military
service
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Relations with England were
fractious throughout the period
1066-1107 – perhaps the Scots
kings realised that in order to keep
their independence then they had
to deal with their stronger southern
neighbour, modernising or going
under …
Scots kings
- Malcolm III Canmore (1058-93)
- Donald Ban (1093)
- Duncan II (1093-4) *
- Edgar (1097-1107) *
- Alexander I (1107-24) *
- David I (1124-53) *
* = sons of Malcolm Canmore
Malcolm Canmore (1058-93)
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Initial problems were the internal
pacification of Scotland and
securing his throne, and dealing
with the Viking threat
Initial relations with Saxon
England were good, but after the
Norman conquest things
deteriorated – open hostility
alternated with sullen suspicion
Relations were not improved by
Malcolm’s second marriage to
Margaret (daughter of Edward the
Atheling – claimant of English
throne)
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Malcolm invaded England several
times – 1066, 1070, 1079, 1090
In 1072 William the Conqueror
came as far north as Abernethy,
extracting an oath of homage from
Malcolm and taking his son
Duncan as hostage
In 1092 William Rufus came
north, taking Carlisle and building
a castle there to match Newcastle
1093 – Malcolm and son Edward
were killed at Alnwick on way
back from conference with Rufus –
Queen Margaret died 3 days later
The Canmores, (1093-1124)
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Donald Ban was brother of
Malcolm Canmore
His short and violent reign (1093,
1094-97) was characterised by a
reaction against the Norman
influences introduced under
Malcolm and Margaret – he
expelled the Normans brought to
Scotland in the previous reign
In 1093, Malcolm’s son Duncan
came north, leading an army
supplied by William Rufus, to
overthrow his uncle – following
this victory he was subsequently
murdered in 1094 near Stonehaven
and King Donald was restored
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Donald was again overthrown in
1097 by Edgar, another nephew,
again with an English Norman
army. Donald was captured and
blinded.
Edgar’s reign (1097-1107) was
relatively peaceful, but he was
clearly a vassal of the English
Kings Rufus and Henry I. He died
with no children.
Alexander I (1107-24) did homage
to Henry I of England – built
castles (e.g. Stirling), introduced
idea of landholding for military
service, encouraged immigration
by Normans
David I (1124-1153)
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Born ca. 1080-85, a lot of his early
life was spent at the English court
of Henry I where he saw, at first
hand, the workings of a modern
feudal court, as well as Henry I’s
modernisation of Anglo-Norman
government
He was trained as a knight, taken
to Normandy
He was given lands by Henry in
Normandy and Yorkshire
He was married to the wealthy
heiress Matilda which brought him
the rich lands of Huntingdonshire
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In 1113 he was placed in control of
southern Scotland by his older brother
Alexander I (under pressure from
Henry I), though he was still obliged
to Henry I (his puppet ?)
David began to introduce changes
along Anglo-Norman lines
- granting charters
- re-establishing bishopric of Glasgow
- creating sheriffdom at Roxburgh
- founding new burghs at Berwick and
Roxburgh
- inviting Tironensian monks to found
a monastery at Selkirk
Feudal landholding under David
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When ruler in south Scotland 111324, a number of Anglo-Normans
were invited to settle in
Northumbria, Cumbria and in the
borders, beginning the process of
overlapping layers of AngloNorman settlement that would
characterise his reign as king.
But, he did this gradually, and not
by setting out to overthrow the
previous Celtic system of
landholding … he took advantage of
deaths, forfeitures after uprisings
(e.g. Moray in 1130s), splitting of
royal shires, settling incomers in
areas of sparse population
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It is important to emphasise that the
Celtic earls survived, and that
holding lands by royal charter was a
slow process of introduction
The system was a feudal one
superimposed on the existing celtic,
supplementing it and replacing it
over time, not as in England where
feudalisation was imposed after a
period of conquest – hence an
evolutionary system … ?
Barrow – ‘David I greatly
accelerated the process of
feudalisation …’
Royal government under David
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David developed institutions
alongside existing Celtic ones both
in his own household and in
government generally
Royal Household – centre of
administration, and itinerant
- Chancellor
- Chamberlain
- Constable
- Marischal
- Doorwards
- Rannaire
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Sheriffs were created to cover the
new feudal tenures not covered by
the Celtic administration
Sheriffs appeared in Roxburgh,
Berwick, Perth, Stirling, Haddington,
Aberdeen, Banff and Scone
Sheriffs had a variety of duties …
- collected revenue from royal
demesne lands, feudal laws etc
- organised feudal military service
- raised the common army in areas
where there was no earl (mormaer)
- held local courts
Feudal creations under David
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First Scots king to create his own
coinage – silver pennies (sterlings)
Creation of at least 15 new burghs,
based on existing towns or new
settlements on royal lands, by royal
charter – valuable income derived
from this (rents, tolls from exchange
of trade)
Encouragement of trade with
Scandinavia, Flanders, France etc –
the Church was particularly vital
here
Growth of military feudalism
reflected in economic growth
Royal justice under David I
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With the issuing of royal charters
to barons, nobles could set up
feudal courts and try cases …
Feudal courts dealt with land
disputes, disputes between tenants
and peasants (over abuse of
grazing rights etc)
Similar to former Celtic courts
which the new ‘feudal’ courts
began to replace gradually
King’s court dealt with land
disputes over lands he had granted
– often delegated to justices who
might instigate an inquest
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Sheriff courts were set up to try
cases involving new feudal lords –
both civil and criminal cases
The four ‘pleas of the Crown’ –
rape, murder, arson and robbery –
were reserved to the King as they
were serious crimes that only the
King could prosecute them
The older Celtic system of Brehon
or Judex still operated in some
areas – e.g. penalties for murder
were decided on one’s kindred and
‘blood price’.
Threats to David’s throne
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Risings tended to centre on
opposition to the new AngloNorman nobility and their culture
1130 – Angus earl of Moray
rebelled – crushed by David’s
constable – Moray was ‘colonised’
by Anglo-Normans and Flemish
1134 – Malcolm McHeth claimed
the throne - imprisoned for 28
years
1142 – Wimund, a monk, claimed
the throne – captured and blinded
1150 – 2nd Moray rebellion
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1136 – taking of Carlisle and
Newcastle – Treaty of Durham led
to agreement with Stephen
1137 – 2nd invasion of north of
England – pressuring Stephen on
Northumbrian decision
1138 – David invaded England
again in opposition to Stephen –
defeated at Battle of the Standard
(illustrative of problems of
feudalism – some of David’s
vassals fought on the English side)
English threat pretty limited until
1154 due to civil war there – David
virtually controlled Northumbria
The Church under David I
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New bishoprics were founded in Caithness,
others revived in Glasgow, St Andrews,
Dunkeld, Dunblane, Brechin, Aberdeen,
Moray and Ross
 New parishes were set up corresponding with
new feudal holdings
 Monastic grants of land were made to the
Tironensians (1113 - Selkirk), Benedictines
(1128 - Dunfermline), Cistercians (St
Andrews, Holyrood, Jedburgh, Melrose 1136, Kinloss, Newbattle)
 Parish churches, abbeys and cathedrals not
only showed the power of God, they also
supported David’s authority in outlying areas
of the Kingdom. Abbots and bishops might
sit on the King’s council, fill offices in the
royal household and act as envoys abroad.
David I – Celtic or feudal ?
Some recent essay questions from SQA on David I …
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Did David ‘normanise’ Scottish government and society during his reign ?
Was David a Celtic or an Anglo-Norman king ?
Were the policies that David pursued as King of Scotland revolutionary or
evolutionary ?
How successful was David I in dealing with the problems that faced him as
king ?
How effectively did David strengthen the power of the Crown ?
Do you agree that the development of the Scots economy was David’s main
achievement during his reign ?
Why did David introduce Anglo-Normans and Anglo-Norman ideas into
Scotland during his reign ?
Did David I make Scotland a highly centralised feudal state on the AngloNorman model ?
Assessment …
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G. Barrow – ‘David greatly
accelerated the process of
feudalisation, so that by the end of
his reign a vast area of Scotland …
had been allocated to tenants
holding by military service, who
enjoyed the right to transmit their
estates to their sons …’
Richard Oram – ‘David was a
highly effective king of Gaelic
Scotland … he was accepted by
and could count on the loyalty of
most of the Gaelic nobility.’
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G. Barrow – ‘We ought to see
David MacMalcolm as a man of
two worlds, conscious that the
roots of his own kingship lay far
back in the past of Scotland, but
even more aware that in Norman
England and on the continent there
was being demonstrated a quite
different kind of kingship which he
had to imitate if he and his dynasty
were to survive.’
Richard Oram – ‘David I
drastically reshaped not only his
own kingdom but also the balance
of power within the British Isles.’
Celtic or Anglo-Norman ?
Celtic ?
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No real changes/innovations
Bishoprics were based on Celtic
bishoprics
Many parishes were old units
Sheriffs were based on shires and
thanes
Common army continued
Changes had little impact
Immigrant aristocracy soon lost
their interest in French culture
David simply reacted to changes
and trends elsewhere
Anglo-Norman ?
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New landholders
Growth of monasteries
New coinage
Burghs created
Set up parishes and updated
bishoprics on the pattern of the
western church as part of royal
policy
Sheriffs and sheriff courts
Introduction of primogeniture.
David, moreover, did not like the
Celtic ceremony of enthronement
and its attendant rites
Celtic or Anglo-Norman ?
Impact of the changes made by David I …
 David started policies that others followed
 The economy did benefit from the burghs and from the monasteries
 Immigrant aristocracy left their mark in the language and in links with the
aristocracy of England
 David helped Scotland to benefit from major trends occurring in Europe,
such as growth of population, growth in trade, reform of monasticism, spread
of feudalism and of household government
 Though Historians disagree over the impact of his changes, it seems likely
that David did make a variety of innovations. If he had not reigned, and if
the succession had gone to a more Celtic ruler, these changes would not have
happened and Scotland might not have survived as an independent kingdom.
David started to bring Scotland into line with Europe, rather than with the
Celtic or Scandinavian worlds.
Acknowledgements
Much of the material used for this
Powerpoint has come from the SQA’s
support materials on Medieval
Society for Higher Still (1999).
 Any mistakes that remain in the
above slides are my own.
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