somerled macgillebride – The Patricians Genealogical Research Foundation

Map showing the extent of the Viking Kingdom of Scotland and conquest activity of Thorfinn “the Black”, 18th Jarl of Orkney (1009 – 1064) , Somerled’s agnatic ancestor.

Map showing Somerled’s conquest activity and his possessions by 1156.

Somerled to Donald Dubh, primogenor of Clan MacDonald

Gravestone of Somerled’s son Ragnvold, King of the South Isles (1141 – 1207) – Iona Abbey Museum, Isle of Iona, Scotland

Dunstaffnage Castle Built around 1220 by Somerled’s grandson Duncan MacDougal (1185 – 1245). A private residence is contained within the walls of the delapidated castle.

Clan MacDonald crest

Somerled was a petty king in Kintyre when he married a daughter of Sigurd I Magnusson, King of Norway and Orkney (1089 – 1130). The first Scandinavian king to participate in the Crusades, in 1107 he and his fleet of 80 ships set sail for the Holy Land. On the return voyage four years later, he visited Roger I de Hauetville (1065 – 1108) in Sicily and declared him king of the sovereignty.

In 1156 Somerled’s fleet of 80 ships defeated the naval force of Godfred (IV) V, King of the Isle Of Man ( – 1187) in a devastating battle for both sides. Afterward, a peace pact was negotiated in which Godfred ceded half of his kingdom of the Isles to Somerled.

Two years later, in contravention to the peace agreement, Somerled launched a devastating invasion of the Isle of Man, ostensibly in a bid to wrest the kingship of the island from Godfred whose agnatic lineage held regnal control since 855. This time Somerled took control of the island without any negotiation as Godfred was forced to flee to Norway to plead with the king for protection from him. His wife was his sister so he probably had reason to regard the acquisition of Man as one of his possessions. Miraculously, while the island had been thoroughly plundered, he forbade the ransacking of St. Maughold church that stored the island’s vast treasure, ostensibly out of a sense of Christian respect for the inviolability of hallowed ground.

In 1160 Somerled negotiated a peace agreement with Malcolm IV, 25th King of Scots (1141 – 1165) after a fierce battle between the two. He agreed to cease plundering raids of the interior of Scotland. Four years later, however, in retribution, possibly a pretense, for insulting behavior toward him by the king and his ministers, The King of the Isles sailed up the Clyde with 164 galleys and 15,000 troops to Greenock. He landed at the Bay of St. Lawrence and marched on Renfrew. There are two popular stories about what occurred in Scotland. In one version, a bribed nephew murdered Somerled and the army of the Isles dispersed and went home. In the other version of the story, the battle was joined between the Scots and the men of the Isles, and Somerled was killed. His son Gillecallum, his heir, also died during the battle. Now without a leader, the army from the Isles dispersed and went home. In either case, Somerled died in Scotland in very early 1164.”

Founded by Columba Cilla of Iona, Apostle-Saint (521 – 597) and later plundered and destroyed by Viking raiders in 825, after several furtive attempts to restore Iona Abbey as a Christian faith regional center, Ragnvold, King of the South Isles (1141 – 1207), Somerled’s son, established a Benedictine monastery and an Augustine nunnery at or near the original site of Christian saint’s consecration. His sister, Beathag, founded a monastery and college, known as The Trinity Temple, in North Uist around the year 1200, making it Scotland’s oldest university.

Torf-Einar Ragnvaldsson, Jarl of Orkney (880 – 910) was the first of my agnatic Norwegian lineage to settle in Orkney, Scotland. Born in Of, Maer, More og Romsdal, Norway, he was the brother, or possibly half-brother, of Ganger Hrólf “Rollo” (860 – 930) 1st Duke of Normandy, Count of Rouen. My Collins agnatic cousins of theirs inhabited the Orkney Islands until settling in Donegal, Ireland, during the early 13th century. They returned to Scotland to reside in Collin, Dumfries, for two generations before resettling in Downton, Herefordshire, England, for one generation during the early 15th century. Bramford, Suffolk, then became the ancestral seat of the lineage to this day. The forebears of my branch immigrated to New England during the early 17th century.

Related ancestral blog articles

Collins Agnatic Norse Pedigree

Ganger Hrólf “Rollo” (860 – 930) 1st Duke of Normandy, Count of Rouen

Thorfinn “the Black”, 18th Jarl of Orkney (1009 – 1064)

Robert “Guiscard” de Hauteville, Duke of Apulia and Calabria (1015 – 1085)

William The Conqueror (1028 – 1087) 1st Norman King of England

William V (VI) “Black Will” de Braose, Baron Abergavenny (1200 – 1230)

Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland (1274 – 1329)

William Bardolf, 4th Lord of Wormegay (1349 – 1386)

Robert II Stewart (1316 – 1390) 1st House of Stewart King of Scotland

Crínán of Atholl (980 – 1045) Primogenitor of Dunkeld Dynasty

Malcolm II MacAlpin, 15th King of Scots (954 – 1034)