Clan Mar
Encyclopedia
Clan Mar is a Scottish clan
from the Grampian Highlands, sometimes referred to as the Tribe of Mar. The chiefs of the clan held the position of Mormaer of Mar
from the 1130s to the early 15th century as the original Earls of Mar. The position was later taken over by chiefs of the Clan Erskine
in the 15th century who held the title as Earl of Mar
and became chiefs of Clan Mar.
, the rulers of this kingdom were known as 'Mormaer' which was an ancient Pictish equivalent of an Earl. The Earldom of Mar
lies in Aberdeenshire
between the rivers Dee and Don. It is because Mar was one of the ancient tribes of Scotland, that it is referred to a the "Tribe of Mar."
Donald Mormaer of Mar fought alongside the Irish High King
Brian Boru
against the Norse
Viking
invaders in 1014. Rothri (Ruadrí), a later Mormaer is named in the charter erecting the Abbey
of Scone
in 1114.
Uilleam, Earl of Mar
(William), the 5th Earl of Mar, was also a regent of Scotland and Great Chamberlain of the Realm in 1264. He was a witness to the marriage of Princess Margaret and King Eric II of Norway, 1280–99, whose daughter Margaret the "Maid of Norway" died in 1290 on her voyage to claim the throne of Scotland, throwing the country into a great period of unrest.
the Clan Mar led by chief Domhnall I, Earl of Mar
supported King Robert the Bruce of Scotland
in fighting the English. He died in 1302. His son, Gartnait, Earl of Mar
took over as chief but died just three years later in 1305. Gartnait's son, Domhnall II, Earl of Mar
took over as chief of the clan. He was taken prisoner by the English and only released after the Battle of Bannockburn
in 1314. He led the Clan Mar at the Battle of Dupplin Moor
against the English where he was killed in 1332. Thomas, 10th Earl of Mar
died without heir and the Earldom passed to his sister, Margaret, Countess of Mar
and then to her daughter Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar
. Isabel later married Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, known as the Wolf of Badenoch. A rather shady character who had almost certainly been involved in the death of her first husband and who’s ‘wooing’ technique involved a prolonged siege! Isabel died with no children so title passed back to a descendant of Domhnall I, Earl of Mar
, the 7th Earl of Mar.
passed to the chief of Clan Erskine
, Robert Erskine, 1st Lord Erskine de jure 12th Earl of Mar. King James II of Scotland
intervened in later successions and claimed the Earldom for the crown through Alexander Stewart and so the Earldom passed into Stewart family. This unlawful succession was finally interrupted by Mary, Queen of Scots, who saw that the rightful heir John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar
was restored.
was governor of Edinburgh Castle
and supported King Charles I more by default than through any great allegiance and had his estates forfeited until the restoration of Charles II for his son John Erskine, 19th Earl of Mar.
John, Lord Erskine and Earl of Mar, took up arms in the Royalist
cause. The earl entertained James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
in 1645 in his castle at Alloa. He led the Clan Mar and Clan Erskine at the Battle of Kilsyth
where they were victorious in August 1645.
supported the House of Stuart
and the Jacobite cause during the uprisings. His son John 23rd Earl and Duke of Mar had his honours forfeited for supporting the Jacobite cause. These honours were restored in 1824 by Act of parliament.
The Clan Erskine
has a separate chief; James Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar
who descends from the Earls of Mar, seventh Creation (1565) (as deemed by the House of Lords in 1875)
of the Clan Mar include:
Marr, Marrs, Mair, Mairs, Morren, Strachan
, Tough.
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
from the Grampian Highlands, sometimes referred to as the Tribe of Mar. The chiefs of the clan held the position of Mormaer of Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
from the 1130s to the early 15th century as the original Earls of Mar. The position was later taken over by chiefs of the Clan Erskine
Clan Erskine
-Origins of the Name:The surname Erskine is derived from the name of Erskine, an area to the south of the River Clyde and ten miles to the west of Glasgow...
in the 15th century who held the title as Earl of Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
and became chiefs of Clan Mar.
Origins of the Clan
One of the seven ancient kingdoms (or tribes) of ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the rulers of this kingdom were known as 'Mormaer' which was an ancient Pictish equivalent of an Earl. The Earldom of Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
lies in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
between the rivers Dee and Don. It is because Mar was one of the ancient tribes of Scotland, that it is referred to a the "Tribe of Mar."
Donald Mormaer of Mar fought alongside the Irish High King
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
Brian Boru
Brian Boru
Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, , , was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated...
against the Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
invaders in 1014. Rothri (Ruadrí), a later Mormaer is named in the charter erecting the Abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of 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...
in 1114.
Uilleam, Earl of Mar
Uilleam, Earl of Mar
Uilleam of Mar - Uilleam mac Dhonnchaidh - was perhaps the greatest of the Mar mormaers, ruling Mar from 1244 to 1276....
(William), the 5th Earl of Mar, was also a regent of Scotland and Great Chamberlain of the Realm in 1264. He was a witness to the marriage of Princess Margaret and King Eric II of Norway, 1280–99, whose daughter Margaret the "Maid of Norway" died in 1290 on her voyage to claim the throne of Scotland, throwing the country into a great period of unrest.
14th century & Wars of Scottish Independence
In the 14th century during the Wars of Scottish IndependenceWars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
the Clan Mar led by chief Domhnall I, Earl of Mar
Domhnall I, Earl of Mar
Domhnall I Earl of Mar - Domhnall mac Uilleim - was the seventh known Mormaer of Mar, ruling from 1276 until his death somewhere between 1297 and 1302....
supported King Robert the Bruce of Scotland
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
in fighting the English. He died in 1302. His son, Gartnait, Earl of Mar
Gartnait, Earl of Mar
Gartnait of Mar - Gartnait mac Domhnaill - was the eighth known Mormaer of Mar, ruling from somewhere around 1301, perhaps as early as 1297, until his death in 1305...
took over as chief but died just three years later in 1305. Gartnait's son, Domhnall II, Earl of Mar
Domhnall II, Earl of Mar
Domhnall II of Mar was Regent of Scotland for just over a week during the minority of David II....
took over as chief of the clan. He was taken prisoner by the English and only released after the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
in 1314. He led the Clan Mar at the Battle of Dupplin Moor
Battle of Dupplin Moor
The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of the infant David II, the son of Robert the Bruce, and rebels supporting the Balliol claim in 1332. It was a significant battle of the Second War of Scottish Independence.-Background:...
against the English where he was killed in 1332. Thomas, 10th Earl of Mar
Thomas, Earl of Mar
Thomas of Mar was a 14th century Mormaer of Mar . He was a son of Domhnall II of Mar.Thomas became Earl of Mar whilst still a child living in the Kingdom of England, and it took several years for Thomas to return to the Kingdom of Scotland and take charge of his inheritance...
died without heir and the Earldom passed to his sister, Margaret, Countess of Mar
Margaret, Countess of Mar
Margaret of Mar was Countess of Mar, an ancient Earldom in Scotland, in her own right.She was a daughter of Domhnall II of Mar and after the death of her childless brother Thomas became Countess of Mar...
and then to her daughter Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar
Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar
Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar was Countess of Mar.Isabel was the sister of the famous James 2nd Earl of Douglas and Earl of Mar, who died leading the Scots to victory at the Battle of Otterburn. He died without any legitimate children and his sister Isabel inherited most of his property,...
. Isabel later married Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, known as the Wolf of Badenoch. A rather shady character who had almost certainly been involved in the death of her first husband and who’s ‘wooing’ technique involved a prolonged siege! Isabel died with no children so title passed back to a descendant of Domhnall I, Earl of Mar
Domhnall I, Earl of Mar
Domhnall I Earl of Mar - Domhnall mac Uilleim - was the seventh known Mormaer of Mar, ruling from 1276 until his death somewhere between 1297 and 1302....
, the 7th Earl of Mar.
15th to 16th Centuries
In the mid 15th century the Earldom of MarEarl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
passed to the chief of Clan Erskine
Clan Erskine
-Origins of the Name:The surname Erskine is derived from the name of Erskine, an area to the south of the River Clyde and ten miles to the west of Glasgow...
, Robert Erskine, 1st Lord Erskine de jure 12th Earl of Mar. King James II of Scotland
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
intervened in later successions and claimed the Earldom for the crown through Alexander Stewart and so the Earldom passed into Stewart family. This unlawful succession was finally interrupted by Mary, Queen of Scots, who saw that the rightful heir John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar , regent of Scotland, was a son of John, 5th Lord Erskine, who was guardian of King James V, and afterwards of Mary, Queen of Scots....
was restored.
17th century & Civil War
Chief John Erskine, 18th Earl of MarJohn Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar was a Scottish politician, the only son of John Erskine, 1st Earl of Mar. Together with King James VI of Scotland he was educated by George Buchanan...
was governor of Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
and supported King Charles I more by default than through any great allegiance and had his estates forfeited until the restoration of Charles II for his son John Erskine, 19th Earl of Mar.
John, Lord Erskine and Earl of Mar, took up arms in the Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
cause. The earl entertained James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
in 1645 in his castle at Alloa. He led the Clan Mar and Clan Erskine at the Battle of Kilsyth
Battle of Kilsyth
The Battle of Kilsyth was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms which took place on 15 August 1645 at Kilsyth. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the battle was another victory for Royalist forces over the Covenanters, and marked the end of William Baillie's pursuit of the...
where they were victorious in August 1645.
18th century & Jacobite Uprisings
Chief John Erskine, 22nd Earl of MarJohn Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 22nd and de jure 6th Earl of Mar, KT , Scottish Jacobite, was the eldest son of the 21st Earl of Mar , from whom he inherited estates that were heavily loaded with debt. By modern reckoning he was 22nd Earl of Mar of the first creation and de jure 6th Earl of Mar of the seventh...
supported the House of Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
and the Jacobite cause during the uprisings. His son John 23rd Earl and Duke of Mar had his honours forfeited for supporting the Jacobite cause. These honours were restored in 1824 by Act of parliament.
Clan Chief
The current chief of Clan Mar is Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar who descends from the Earls of Mar, first Creation.The Clan Erskine
Clan Erskine
-Origins of the Name:The surname Erskine is derived from the name of Erskine, an area to the south of the River Clyde and ten miles to the west of Glasgow...
has a separate chief; James Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar
James Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar
James Thorne Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar and 16th Earl of Kellie, DL is a British peer and Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords....
who descends from the Earls of Mar, seventh Creation (1565) (as deemed by the House of Lords in 1875)
Clan Septs
SeptsSept (social)
A sept is an English word for a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. The word might have its origin from Latin saeptum "enclosure, fold", or it can be an alteration of sect.The term is found in both Ireland and Scotland...
of the Clan Mar include:
Marr, Marrs, Mair, Mairs, Morren, Strachan
Clan Strachan
Clan Strachan is a Scottish clan originating from Aberdeenshire. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is treated as an Armigerous clan.The Clan Strachan warcry–slogan is Clachnaben!- Highland Clan :...
, Tough.