Ada de Warenne
Encyclopedia
Ada de Warenne (c. 1120–1178) was the Anglo-Norman
wife of Henry of Scotland, Earl of Northumbria
and Earl of Huntingdon
. She was the daughter of William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey
by Elizabeth of Vermandois, and a great-granddaughter of Henry I of France
. She became mother to two Kings of Scots, Malcolm the Maiden
and William the Lion
.
As part of her marriage settlement, the new Countess Ada was granted the privileges of Haddington
, amongst others in East Lothian
. Previously the seat of a thanage
Haddington is said to be the first Royal burgh
in Scotland
, created by Countess Ada's father-in-law, David I of Scotland
, who held it along with the church and a mill.
In close succession both her husband and King David died, in 1152 and 1153 respectively. Following the death of Henry, who was buried at Kelso Abbey
, King David arranged for his grandson to succeed him, and at Scone
on 27 May 1153, the twelve year old was declared Malcolm IV
, King of Scots. Following his coronation, Malcolm installed his brother William as Earl of Northumbria
(although this county was "restored" to King Henry II of England
by Malcolm in 1157 ), and the young dowager-Countess retired to her lands at Haddington.
On Thursday 9 December 1165 King Malcolm died at the age of 25 without issue. His mother had at that time been attempting to arrange a marriage between him and Constance, daughter of Conan III, Duke of Brittany
, but Malcolm died before the wedding could be celebrated. One of Ada's daughters, Margaret, was married twice:
Following his brother's death Ada's younger son William became King of Scots at the age of twenty two. William the Lion was to become the longest serving King of Scots until the Union of the Crowns
in 1603.
(who came into Scotland in 1219) and most notably the Church of the Greyfriars
, or Minorites (came into Scotland in the reign of Alexander II), which would become famous as "Lucerna Laudoniae"- The Lamp of Lothian, the toft of land upon which it stands being granted by King David I of Scotland
to the Prior of St. Andrews (to whom the patronage of the church of Haddington belonged). David I also granted to the monks of Dunfermline
"unam mansuram" in Haddington, as well as to the monks of Haddington a full toft "in burgo meo de Hadintun, free of all custom and service."
Ada devoted her time to good works, improving the lot of the Church at Haddington, where she resided. Countess Ada gave lands to the south and west of the River Tyne
near to the only crossing of the river for miles, to found a Convent of Cistercian Nuns
("white nuns" ) dedicated to St. Mary, in what was to become the separate Burgh of Nungate, the extant remains are still to be seen in the ruined parish church of St. Martin
. The nunnery she endowed with the lands of Begbie, at Garvald
and Keith Marischal
amongst other temporal lands. Miller, however, states that she only "founded and richly endowed a nunnery at the Abbey of Haddington" and that "Haddington, as demesne of the Crown, reverted to her son William the Lion upon her death".
. Countess Ada died in 1178 and is thought to be buried locally. Her remaining dower-lands were brought back into the Royal desmesne and William the Lion's wife, Ermengarde de Beaumont
, is said to have taken to her bed in Countess Ada's house to bear the future Alexander II
. Miller states that when the future King was born in Haddington in 1198 it took place "in the palace of Haddington".
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
wife of Henry of Scotland, Earl of Northumbria
Earl of Northumbria
Earl of Northumbria was a title in the Anglo-Danish, late Anglo-Saxon, and early Anglo-Norman period in England. The earldom of Northumbria was the successor of the ealdormanry of Bamburgh, itself the successor of an independent Bernicia. Under the Norse kingdom of York, there were earls of...
and Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
. She was the daughter of William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey was the son of William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey and his first wife Gundred. He is more often referred to as Earl Warenne or Earl of Warenne than as Earl of Surrey....
by Elizabeth of Vermandois, and a great-granddaughter of Henry I of France
Henry I of France
Henry I was King of France from 1031 to his death. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians...
. She became mother to two Kings of Scots, Malcolm the Maiden
Malcolm IV of Scotland
Malcolm IV , nicknamed Virgo, "the Maiden" , King of Scots, was the eldest son of Earl Henry and Ada de Warenne...
and William the Lion
William I of Scotland
William the Lion , sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of the Scots from 1165 to 1214...
.
Marriage and motherhood
Ada and Henry were married in England in 1139. They had six children:- Malcolm IVMalcolm IV of ScotlandMalcolm IV , nicknamed Virgo, "the Maiden" , King of Scots, was the eldest son of Earl Henry and Ada de Warenne...
, King of Scots. - William the Lion, King of Scots
- Margaret of Huntingdon married 1) Conan IV, Duke of BrittanyConan IV, Duke of BrittanyConan IV of Penthièvre , called "the Young", was duke of Brittany, from 1156 to his death. He was son of Alan the Black, 1st Earl of Richmond and Bertha of Brittany. He was his mother's heir as Duke Conan III...
and 2) Humphrey III de BohunHumphrey III de BohunHumphrey III de Bohun was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and general who served Henry II as Constable. He was the son of Humphrey II de Bohun and Margaret of Hereford, the eldest daughter of the erstwhile constable Miles of Gloucester. He had succeeded to his father's fiefs, centred on Trowbridge, by 29...
. - David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon married Mathilda (Maud) of Chester. Through their daughter, IsobelIsobel of HuntingdonIsobel of Huntingdon was the daughter of David of Scotland, 8th Earl of Huntingdon and Matilda of Chester. She married Robert Bruce, 4th Lord of Annandale and through her came the claims firstly of her son in 1290 and later in the beginning of 14th century of her great-grandson Robert Bruce, 7th...
, they were the direct ancestors of the renowned Scottish King, Robert the Bruce. - Matilda of Huntingdon, born and died 1152.
- Marjorie of Huntingdon, married Gille Críst, Earl of AngusGille Críst, Earl of AngusGilla Críst of Angus, ruled until 1206 as Mormaer of Angus. He was a son of Gille Brigte of Angus and younger brother of Adam of Angus.Almost nothing is known of him, except that he married Marjorie of Huntingdon, the daughter of Henry, Earl of Huntingdon and Ada de Warenne, and that he was...
.
As part of her marriage settlement, the new Countess Ada was granted the privileges of Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
, amongst others in East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
. Previously the seat of a thanage
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
Haddington is said to be the first Royal burgh
Royal burgh
A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
in Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
, created by Countess Ada's father-in-law, David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
, who held it along with the church and a mill.
In close succession both her husband and King David died, in 1152 and 1153 respectively. Following the death of Henry, who was buried at Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey is what remains of a Scottish abbey founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Scotland in the reign of Alexander I. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot waters, the site of what was once the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
, King David arranged for his grandson to succeed him, and at Scone
Scone, Scotland
Scone is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The medieval village of Scone, which grew up around the monastery and royal residence, was abandoned in the early 19th century when the residents were removed and a new palace was built on the site by the Earl of Mansfield...
on 27 May 1153, the twelve year old was declared Malcolm IV
Malcolm IV of Scotland
Malcolm IV , nicknamed Virgo, "the Maiden" , King of Scots, was the eldest son of Earl Henry and Ada de Warenne...
, King of Scots. Following his coronation, Malcolm installed his brother William as Earl of Northumbria
Earl of Northumbria
Earl of Northumbria was a title in the Anglo-Danish, late Anglo-Saxon, and early Anglo-Norman period in England. The earldom of Northumbria was the successor of the ealdormanry of Bamburgh, itself the successor of an independent Bernicia. Under the Norse kingdom of York, there were earls of...
(although this county was "restored" to King Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
by Malcolm in 1157 ), and the young dowager-Countess retired to her lands at Haddington.
On Thursday 9 December 1165 King Malcolm died at the age of 25 without issue. His mother had at that time been attempting to arrange a marriage between him and Constance, daughter of Conan III, Duke of Brittany
Conan III, Duke of Brittany
Conan III of Cornwall or the Fat , was duke of Brittany, from 1112 to his death. He was son of Duke Alan IV and Ermengarde of Anjou....
, but Malcolm died before the wedding could be celebrated. One of Ada's daughters, Margaret, was married twice:
- (1) 1160, Conan IV, Duke of BrittanyConan IV, Duke of BrittanyConan IV of Penthièvre , called "the Young", was duke of Brittany, from 1156 to his death. He was son of Alan the Black, 1st Earl of Richmond and Bertha of Brittany. He was his mother's heir as Duke Conan III...
, Earl of Richmond (d.1171) - (2) Humphrey III de BohunHumphrey III de BohunHumphrey III de Bohun was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and general who served Henry II as Constable. He was the son of Humphrey II de Bohun and Margaret of Hereford, the eldest daughter of the erstwhile constable Miles of Gloucester. He had succeeded to his father's fiefs, centred on Trowbridge, by 29...
of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, Hereditary Constable of England.
Following his brother's death Ada's younger son William became King of Scots at the age of twenty two. William the Lion was to become the longest serving King of Scots until the Union of the Crowns
Union of the Crowns
The Union of the Crowns was the accession of James VI, King of Scots, to the throne of England, and the consequential unification of Scotland and England under one monarch. The Union of Crowns followed the death of James' unmarried and childless first cousin twice removed, Queen Elizabeth I of...
in 1603.
Church patroness
Religious houses were established in Haddington at an early date. They came to include the BlackfriarsDominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
(who came into Scotland in 1219) and most notably the Church of the Greyfriars
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
, or Minorites (came into Scotland in the reign of Alexander II), which would become famous as "Lucerna Laudoniae"- The Lamp of Lothian, the toft of land upon which it stands being granted by King David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
to the Prior of St. Andrews (to whom the patronage of the church of Haddington belonged). David I also granted to the monks of Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
"unam mansuram" in Haddington, as well as to the monks of Haddington a full toft "in burgo meo de Hadintun, free of all custom and service."
Ada devoted her time to good works, improving the lot of the Church at Haddington, where she resided. Countess Ada gave lands to the south and west of the River Tyne
River Tyne, Scotland
The River Tyne is a river in Scotland, UK. It rises in the Moorfoot Hills in Midlothian near Tynehead to the south of Edinburgh, at the junction of the B6458 and the B6367. It continues for approx...
near to the only crossing of the river for miles, to found a Convent of Cistercian Nuns
Cistercian nuns
Cistercian nuns are female members of the Cistercian Order, a religious order belonging to the Roman Catholic branch of the Catholic Church.-History:...
("white nuns" ) dedicated to St. Mary, in what was to become the separate Burgh of Nungate, the extant remains are still to be seen in the ruined parish church of St. Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
. The nunnery she endowed with the lands of Begbie, at Garvald
Garvald
Garvald can refer to:* Garvald, East Lothian* Garvald, Scottish Borders* Garvald, South Lanarkshire...
and Keith Marischal
Keith Marischal
Keith Marischal is a Scottish Baronial Country house lying in the parish of Humbie, East Lothian, Scotland. The original building was an "L-shaped" Tower house, built long before 1589 when it was extended into a "U-shaped" courtyard house. In the nineteenth century the courtyard was filled in...
amongst other temporal lands. Miller, however, states that she only "founded and richly endowed a nunnery at the Abbey of Haddington" and that "Haddington, as demesne of the Crown, reverted to her son William the Lion upon her death".
Haddington seat
According to inscriptions within the town of Haddington, Countess Ada's residence was located near the present day County buildings and Sheriff CourtSheriff Court
Sheriff courts provide the local court service in Scotland, with each court serving a sheriff court district within a sheriffdom.Sheriff courts deal with a myriad of legal procedures which include:*Solemn and Summary Criminal cases...
. Countess Ada died in 1178 and is thought to be buried locally. Her remaining dower-lands were brought back into the Royal desmesne and William the Lion's wife, Ermengarde de Beaumont
Ermengarde de Beaumont
Ermengarde de Beaumont , was a Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Scotland.-Life:Ermengarde was born c. 1170 to Richard I, Viscount de Beaumont-le-Vicomte, de Fresnay et de Ste-Suzanne , and wife Lucie de l'Aigle , daughter of Richard II de l'Aigle...
, is said to have taken to her bed in Countess Ada's house to bear the future Alexander II
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
. Miller states that when the future King was born in Haddington in 1198 it took place "in the palace of Haddington".