Lulach MacGilleomgain (MacRory) King of Scots (abt. 1032 - 1058)

Born about 1032 in Morayshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 17 Mar 1058 at about age 26 in Essie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

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Biography

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”Rí Alban," "Luthlach,” “Lulag,” “Lahoulan,” “Dulach,” “Gulak,” “The Simple,” “Chief King of Alban,” “King of Scotia,” “Tairbith, the Unfortunate,” “Fatuus, the Simple-minded,” “The Foolish,” “Mormaer of Moray”

House of Moray

Lulach MacGilleomgain was born abt 1032, son of Gilleomgain MacMaelbrighte and his wife, Gruoch, daughter of Boete (Bodhe) McAlpin, granddaughter of Kenneth III "King of Scots" MacAlpin. He was also the step-son of Macbeth “King of Scots” MacFinnlaech ^[1][2][3]

Wife and Children

He married, uncertain, Finnghuala "Fimmghuala ingen Sinhill”, the daughter of Sinill, Mormaer of Angus, and there were 2 children.

1. Mèl Snechtai "Malsnechtai" MacLulaich, Mormaer of Moray, 1078; monk aft.1078; d. 1085 ^[1][4][5][6]
2. Unknown Daughter, m. Æthelred "Aedh, Eth, Heth" Abbot of Dunkeld, and had children: 1) Unknown; m. William FitzDuncan "Earl of Moray” Dunkeld, Lord of Egremont 2) Angus "Oenghus mac inghine Lulaich, ri Moréb", Mormaer of Moray, d. 1130, “slain with four thousand of his men by Edward, son of Earl Siward, at Strakathro in Forfarshire, in 1130.” ^[1][4][5][6]

King of Scots

He reigned from 1057 to 1057. ^[7] History describes him as “simple,” ^[1] or “stupid,” ^[6] and worse. ^[8][9] Despite this possible incapacity and likely in hopes of avoiding a succession crisis, the “people of Alba’” quickly set him up as Mormaer of Moray on 15 Aug 1057 at the death of Macbeth. He was probably living at Loch Deabhra (Lochan Lùnn Dà-bhrà) in Lochaber. “St. Berchan says of him, 'And at Loch Deabhra his habitation.'" ^[10] They further crowned him King of Scots that same month on the Coronation Stone ^[11] at Scone Abbey. ^{[1][5][12][13]} After coronation, he was pursued by the forces of his distant cousin, Malcolm, the son of Duncan I.

Death

Unfortunately, after a reign of only 7 months, he was killed in battle on 17 Mar 1058 at Essie in Strathbogie at the hand of this cousin, who succeeded him as Malcolm III, King of Scots. He was buried on the Isle of Iona, near Macbeth. ^{[1][14][15][16][17][18][8][19][20]} A “standing stone is said to mark the place where Lulach, stepson of Macbeth, was overtaken and killed after his father's defeat and death at Lumphanan (15th August 1057).” ^[21]

Research Notes

1. His length of reign is reported differently in various sources, "The unfortunate Lulach was king for three months..." ^[22] Or "four month and a half." ^[23]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Dunbar, Archibald Hamilton, Sir. Scottish kings; a revised chronology of Scottish history, 1005-1625. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1899), pps. 22-24.
2. ↑ Hunt, William. LULACH, LUTHLACH, LULAG, LAHOULAN, DULACH, or GULAK. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press (2004), citing, “LULACH, LUTHLACH, LULAG, LAHOULAN, DULACH, or GULAK(d 1058), king of Scots, was son of Gilcomgan, mormaer of Moray. His mother, a daughter of Boedhe, of the house of Kenneth I [q.v.], was probably Gruoch, the wife, after Gilcomgan's death, of Macbeth [q.v.]. Lulach was the representative of the house of Kenneth, and was brought up under Macbeth's guardianship.” ODNB
3. ↑ Robertson, Eben William. Scotland under her early kings: a history of the kingdom to the close of the thirteenth century. Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas (1862), citing, “Boedhe…left a daughter, Gruoch, who, by her marriage with Gilcomgain, the son of Malbride MacRory, carried the claims of the line of Duff, after the death of her brother, into the family of the Moray Mormaors... Three years later the Mormaor was surprised and burnt in his Rath or fortress, with fifty of his immediate followers, leaving an infant son, Lulach…Gruoch, the widow of Gilcomgain, was married eventually to Macbeth MacFinlay, who had succeeded her late husband and his own cousin in the Mormaorship of Moray, when, as the husband of Gruoch and the guardian of the infant Lulach, Macbeth became the representative during the minority of the latter of his claims upon the crown of Scotland.”p. 110
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Hunt, William. LULACH, LUTHLACH, LULAG, LAHOULAN, DULACH, or GULAK. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press (2004), citing, “He left a son named Maelsnechta, who succeeded him as mormaer of Moray, and died in 1085, and a daughter, whose son Angus succeeded his uncle as mormaer, or, as it was then called, earl, of Moray, rebelled against David of Scotland, and was slain in 1130.” ODNB
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Cawley, Charles Medieval Lands: a Prosopography of Medieval European Noble and Royal Families. Hereford, UK: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy (2006), chap. 6.A.2.b.)I.) LULACH.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Ross, Alasdair. The Kings of Alba: c.1000 - c.1130. Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd (2011), pps. 182-184, https://a.co/1IDp9vf
7. ↑ Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 280
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Oram, Richard. The Kings & Queens of Scotland. Gloucestershire,UK: The History Press (2001,2004), pps. 66-67, https://a.co/3yrgmjq.
9. ↑ Bower, Walter. A History Book for Scots: Selections from the Scotichronicon. Edinburgh, Birlinn, Ltd, (1998, 2012), p. 45, https://a.co/hcYII6W
10. ↑ Skene, William Forbes. Celtic Scotland: A History of Ancient Alban. Volume I. History and Ethnology, Edinburgh: David Douglas (1886), This edition Paisley PA: Grian Press (2014), loc. 9766, https://a.co/bIK3xwj
11. ↑ Skene, William F. The Coronation Stone. Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas (1869), p. 38.
12. ↑ Rampini, Charles. A history of Moray and Nairn. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood And Sons (MDCCXCVII), citing, “This did not, however, end the struggle. Macbeth's friends immediately proclaimed Lulach, son of Gillacomgan, his successor….he inherited nothing of his predecessor's character. The poor half-witted creature was as little fitted to hold the reins of government as Richard Cromwell. He was slain at Eassie, in Strathbogie, seven months afterwards," [https://archive.org/details/historyofmorayna00rampuoft/page/39/mode/1up?q=Lulach p. 39.
13. ↑ Skene, William Forbes. Celtic Scotland: A History of Ancient Alban. Volume I. History and Ethnology, Edinburgh: David Douglas (1886), This edition Paisley PA: Grian Press (2014), loc. 9766, https://a.co/0IZI497
14. ↑ Maguire, Cathay Mac Magnusa. Annals of Ulster… Dublin: A. Thomas & co. (limited) (1887), citing, “Lulach son of Gilla Comgain, over-king of Scotland was killed in battle by Mael Coluim son of Donnchad" in 1058, p. 565.
15. ↑ Hudson, Benjamin T. Prophecy of Berchán: Irish and Scottish High-kings of the Early Middle Ages. United Kingdom: Greenwood Press (1996), citing, “Máel Coluim…would succeed to the high-kingship when he defeated Lulach at the battle of Essie (in Strathbolgie.“ p. 227.
16. ↑ Anderson, Allan Orr. Early Sources of Scottish History A.D 500 to 1286. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd (1922), vol. 1, citing, "1058, Tigernach Annals; Revue Celtique, vol. xvii, p. 398; s.a. 1058," p. 604
17. ↑ Hunt, William. LULACH, LUTHLACH, LULAG, LAHOULAN, DULACH, or GULAK. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press (2004), citing, “…and after a nominal reign, said to have begun on 8 Sept., was slain by craft by a son of Malcolm, son of Duncan, at Essy in Strathbolgy, on the border of the present Aberdeenshire, on 17 March 1058, and was buried in Iona.” ODNB
18. ↑ Barrow, G. W. S. Kingship and Unity: Scotland 1000-1306. (Edinburgh Classic Editions) Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (1981, 2003, 2015), loc. 547, https://a.co/hHGZVjv
19. ↑ Lynch, Michael, editor. The Oxford Companion to Scottish History. Macbeth. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press (2011), p. 402.
20. ↑ Pinkerton, John. An Enqiry into the History of Scotland Preceding the Reign of Malcolm III. or the Year 1056. London: John Nichols (1776), vol. 2, citing, “1055. Lulach quatuor menses et dimidium regnavit. Mensibus infelix Lulach tribus extiterat Rex: Armis ejusdem Malcolomi cecidit. Fata viri fuerant in Stratbolgin, apud Esseg: Heu sic incaute Rex miser occubuit! Hos in pace viros tenet insula Iona sepultos, In tumulo Regum Judicis usque diem.” p. 333.
21. ↑ Simpson, W. 1926. Notes on Lulach’s Stone, Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire; a Symbol Stone Recently Found in Mortlach Churchyard, Banffshire; And Other Antiquities. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 60 (1926), pps. 273-80.
22. ↑ Anderson, Allan Orr. Early Sources of Scottish History A.D 500 to 1286. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd (1922), vol. 1, citing, "Chronicle of Melrose, p. 227; s.a. 1055," p. 604
23. ↑ Anderson, Allan Orr. Early Sources of Scottish History A.D 500 to 1286. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd (1922), vol. 1, citing, "Chronicle of the Kings of Scotland, version E; Skene's Picts and Scots, p. 131," p. 603

See also:

• Goodey, Emma, Lulach (r. 1057-1058), The Royal Family, (London: The Royal Household, 2016), LULACH.
• Weir, Alison. Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. Kindle edition, (London: Vintage, 1989), 183-184. [Kindle].
• Wikipedia: Lulach
• Wikipedia: House of Moray