King Malcolm IV: Biography on Undiscovered Scotland

Thank you my friend SGT (Join to see) for making us aware that on May 24, 1153, Malcolm IV became King of the Scots.

Malcolm IV of Scotland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBui6Pj0Uxw


Images:
1. King Malcolm IV
2. Peveril Castle, Debbyshire, where Malcom IV did homage to Henry II
3. David I's successor was his 12-year-old grandson Malcolm, known to later medieval writers as 'the Maiden', because of his youthful appearance.
4.


Biographies
1. englishmonarchs.co.uk/dunkeld_8.htm
2. rexfactor.wordpress.com/2016/07/06/malcolm-iv-1153-65

1. Background from {[http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/dunkeld_8.htm]}
Malcolm IV, or Máel Coluim mac Eanric was born around 1141, and was the eldest son of Henry of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and Ada de Warenne, daughter of William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey and Elizabeth de Vermandois.
Malcolm's fther, Earl Henry, the only son of David I, had been seriously ill for a prolonged period and died on 12 June, 1152, but left three sons. As the eldest of these and the new heir to the Scottish throne, his grandfather sent Malcolm on a circuit of the kingdom, accompanied by Donnchad, Mormaer of Fife, who was styled rector, possibly an indication that he was to hold the regency for Malcolm on David's death. As it turned out, Donnchad did not long survive David, holding the regency for a year before his death in 1154.
After the death of his grandfather on 24 May, 1153, Malcolm suceeded to the Scottish throne and was
inaugurated as king on 27 May 1153 at Scone. Aged only eleven when he came to the throne, he was fated to be referred to thereafter as 'the Maiden'. Malcolm bears the distinction of being the last King of Scotland to bear a Gaelic name.
Malcolm inherited the Earldom of Northumbria, which his father and grandfather had gained during the wars during the time of the Anarchy in England when King Stephen and the Empress Matilda had fought for the English crown. Malcolm granted Northumbria to his brother William, retaining Cumbria for himself. While Malcolm delayed doing homage to Henry II of England for his possessions in England, he finally did so in 1157 at Peveril Castle in Derbyshire and later at Chester. Here King Henry refused to allow Malcolm to keep Cumbria, or William to keep Northumbria, but instead granted the Earldom of Huntingdon to Malcolm, for which Malcolm did homage. He later fought with the English King in France and was present at the siege of Toulouse.

Malcolm faced a rebellion lead by the pretender to the Scottish throne, Malcolm Mac Heth. Mac Heth was aided by Somerled, King of the Isles. The uprising errupted in Moray and the town of Glasgow was sacked by Somerled. Somerled, fearing for his own safety, attempted a pre-emptive strike at Renfrew with a large army he had gathered in Ireland, but was betrayed and he and his son murdered. King Malcolm was reconciled with Máel Coluim MacHeth, who was appointed to the Mormaerdom of Ross, which had probably been held by his father

Malcolm never married or had issue. Pious and frail, he is purported to have taken a vow of celibacy. He reigned for only twelve years and died of undefined causes at the age of twenty-four on 9th, December 1165. His premature death may have been hastened by Paget's disease, a chronic disorder that typically results in enlarged and deformed bones. He was buried at Jedburgh Abbey, which had been founded by his grandfather, David I and was succeeded by his more martial younger brother, William the Lion.

2. Background from {[https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/2016/07/06/malcolm-iv-1153-65/]}
Malcolm was born on 23 April 1141, making him just 12 years-old when he became king in 1153. He was the son of Henry (the Earl of Huntingdon and Northumberland) and Ada de Warenne (from powerful Anglo-Norman stock). Malcolm is the last Scottish king to have a traditionally Scottish name, though he is more notable for his dubious epithet “The Maiden”. This was not in general usage before the 15th century but he had a contemporary reputation for chastity (rather than effeminacy). This may have been influenced by his poor health, as it is thought that he may have suffered from Paget’s disease (enlarged or misshapen bones) and it was probably this Malcolm rather than his great-grandfather, Malcolm III, who was originally known as Canmore (literally “big head”).
The death of Malcolm’s father, Henry, in 1152 made him David I’s heir, so he first appears on the record being taken around the country by the Earl of Fife to be proclaimed the heir. When David died the following year, Malcolm was crowned just 3 days after his grandfather’s death, and there was good reason for haste. The concept of primogeniture in the succession was still not fully accepted in Scotland and there were various potential challengers:
 MacAlexanders – the illegitimate descendants of Alexander I
 MacWilliams – descendants of Duncan II
 MacHeths – a family demanding the restoration of the northern earldom of Ross
 Fergus – the Lord of Galloway, effectively ruling an independent territory in what is today south-west Scotland
Sure enough, in 1156 Somerled and the MacAlexanders launched a rebellion in northern Scotland followed by Donald MacHeth in Ross. Thankfully for Malcolm, Somerled was distracted by conflict in Man and MacHeth was captured in 1157, leading to a reconciliation with the family, who were restored to their earldom.

Less fortunate was the arrival on the scene of Henry II of England – a charismatic, energetic and irrepressible force of nature who had restored royal control in England and now had his eye on Northumberland and Cumbria. Despite having made an oath to David I in 1149 that he would recognise these lands as Scottish, in 1157 he decided that it would be better if they were English again, called Malcolm to a meeting at Chester, received Malcolm’s homage and took the northern counties back. All of David I’s territorial gains during the Anarchy had been reversed in an instant.

Warrior
Despite the unpromising “the Maiden” epithet, Malcolm IV does not have too shabby a military record. He faced four rebellions in his relatively short reign but all were put down with relative ease. In Galloway, having faced internal rebellion after Fergus was able to raid into Scotland, Malcolm launched three invasions and succeeded both in removing Fergus and establishing Scotland as dominant in the region. Most impressive was seeing off Somerled, a powerful Gaelic/Viking warlord who at one stage became King of the Isles and was a major regional force. In 1164, he invaded with c. 15,000 troops and 160 ships for a pre-emptive strike on Scotland while Malcolm was raising an army but he was defeated by a local force, struck by a spear, killed by a sword and had his head cut off and handed over to a bishop. Having come to the throne as a child with numerous powerful enemies, Malcolm died with his enemies subdued and the Kingdom of Scotland predominant over its regional rivals.
While Malcolm could not hope to emulate the success of his grandfather by taking on Henry II, there were signs that Malcolm was trying to find a solution to the English problem. Having been forced to give up the northern counties and pay Henry homage, Malcolm turned to diplomacy to improve his hand, marrying his sisters to the counts of Brittany and Holland in 1160 and 1161, allying himself with figures who were either free of ties to Henry II or seeking to become free.
Wimp
Although Malcolm’s record is better than expected, it is only really a partial success. As a child, he would have had little or no role in the two rebellions at the start of his reign, while he ill health from 1163 would have severely limited his ability to provide leadership at the end. On a personal level, it is only really the 1160 campaign in Galloway where we see Malcolm at the forefront of a successful military endeavour.
He may have had a plan to improve his position against Henry II, but the reality is that this was a major and humiliating reversal in fortune after the successes of David I. The Chronicle of Melrose noted in 1157 that Malcolm “became his vassal” when giving up the northern counties while in 1163, Malcolm was forced to do homage again in a display of imperial pageantry by Henry and even gave his younger brother as a hostage. This rather stamped out Malcolm’s marriage diplomacy and reaffirmed who was boss. Indeed, Malcolm actually comes across as rather needy at times, reportedly being distressed when Henry did not knight him in 1158 and then following the English king to campaign in Toulouse the following year, with the Scottish forces in Henry’s armies relegated to the status of “other provinces which are subject to him”. Malcolm received his knighthood, but the rebellion from his earls on his return indicated that the nobles were not impressed.
Still, in Malcolm’s defence, he was very unlucky to be facing Henry II at the peak of his powers – David I had the golden opportunity of the Anarchy, whereas Malcolm was just a child against the most powerful man in Europe. Realistically, he was never going to be able to retain Northumberland and Cumbria if Henry II wanted them back and in terms of Scottish territory, there were no invasions or incursions.
Our Verdict
Having to both follow David I and face off against Henry II was a nigh-on impossible task but Malcolm IV did not do a bad job. Rebellions were put down, Scottish rivals were pacified and Malcolm died secure on his throne. However, apart from 1160 it’s hard to really feel that Malcolm himself was particularly responsible for much of what success there was in this period and it would be left to his successors to finish the job in Galloway and northern Scotland.
Score = 8.5/20
Scandal
Apart from a highly dubious suggestion that Malcolm had the population of Moray relocated across Scotland, there is a distinct lack of activity on the scandal front. William of Newburgh described him as “a terrestrial angel” and it does seem that his “maiden” epithet was appropriate. According to John of Fordun, there was no persuading Malcolm to marry or pursue matters of the flesh:
“He refused to marry, although besought to do so by the earls and all the people of his kingdom, with all manner of entreaties. Before God, he vowed chastity, abiding his whole time in the spotless purity of maidenhood. For though, on the strength of his kingly rank, he could often have transgressed, yet he never did transgress.”
(John of Fordun)
Allegedly, even Malcolm’s mother attempted to place a “beautiful maiden” in his bed and to arrange a marriage for her son, but all to no avail. Chastity was not such an unusual context for medieval knights, with the chaste Sir Galahad of Arthurian legend being something of a contemporary craze, but the scandal bell is a long way from dinging here.
Score = 0.5/20
Subjectivity
Saint
Malcolm showed signs of being a capable ruler, following the example of his grandfather, David I, with religious patronage and extending royal control. He secured the refoundation of Scone as an abbey following a devastating fire, founded a new Cistercian abbey at Coupar Angus and made extensive gifts to Soutra, Scotland’s largest medieval hospital. In matters of state, he created new barons and knights in the Clyde, Fife and Moray (i.e. installing strong and loyal men into difficult areas) and helped to bring Galloway into the fold by giving grants to the sons of Fergus in 1163-64. New sheriffdoms were established at Crail, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Forfar, Lanark and Linlithgow, a new justiciar in Lothian as well as more burghs (i.e. market towns) across the country.
An ongoing dispute in Scotland’s religious affairs was a claim by the Archbishopric of York that they held sovereignty over the Scottish church. In 1164, the Archbishop of York came to Norham to exercise his legation over Scotland but was sent packing by Malcolm, who succeeded in having a new bishop consecrated in St Andrews without having to make any form of concession or homage to York.
Sinner
Malcolm may have done some good things as king, but he was a far from popular king. The dynastic rivalries in Scotland were hardly his fault, but to face 4 rebellions (effectively one every three or four years) is not exactly the steady, stable government that most people would want. Malcolm’s humbling by Henry II lost him a lot of support among his nobles, and even the otherwise relentlessly flattering John of Fordun had to admit that his initial submission caused “stifled murmuring and hatred against their lord the king”. By leaving the country in 1159 to join Henry’s Toulouse campaign (in no way benefiting Scotland) was so unpopular that it provoked a rebellion on Malcolm’s return – perhaps not surprising given that Malcolm seems to have been rather slow to return after the fighting had finished, enjoying the glitz and glamour of Henry’s Angevin court to that of home.
Most chroniclers seem to have concluded that Malcolm was an ineffective ruler. The Verse Chronicle in 1165 concluded that “Firm peace did not yet sufficiently flourish in the kingdom”, a view supported by the Gesta Annalia which stated that Malcolm “quite neglected the care, as well as governance, of his kingdom”. Malcolm failed to provide the strong leadership that was essential in a medieval kingdom and ultimately left very little to boast of in terms of a legacy.

FYICOL Mikel J. Burroughs SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SFC (Join to see) SGT Steve McFarland Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. LTC Greg Henning SGT Gregory Lawritson SP5 Mark Kuzinski CWO3 (Join to see) LTC (Join to see)PFC Richard Hughes SSG (Join to see) PO2 (Join to see)Col Carl Whicker SPC Margaret HigginsTSgt David L.PO1 Robert GeorgeSSG Robert Mark Odom SFC William Farrell

Nice history. Thx for the share!

Great history share.