Gille Brigte of Galloway facts for kids

Gille Brigte (died 1185), also known as Gilbert, was an important leader in Galloway, Scotland. He was a Lord of Galloway, sharing power from 1161 and then ruling alone from 1174 until his death in 1185. Gille Brigte was one of two sons of Fergus of Galloway, who was a powerful figure and helped build the "Kingdom" of Galloway.

Family and Early Life

After his father Fergus died, Gille Brigte and his brother Uchtred fought for control. Gille Brigte became the stronger of the two. Galloway was then split, with Gille Brigte ruling the western part. This area was less exposed to attacks from the armies of the Scottish and English kings.

We don't know for sure who Gille Brigte married. Some historians think his main wife might have been a daughter of Donnchad II, who was a very important Scottish lord. This idea comes from the name Donnchad (or Duncan) appearing in Gille Brigte's family later on.

Gille Brigte had two known children:

• Donnchad
• Máel Coluim

The Year 1174 and English Connections

From 1161 to 1174, Gille Brigte and Uchtred shared power in Galloway. Gille Brigte ruled the west, and Uchtred ruled the east. In 1174, King William the Lion of Scotland invaded England. He wanted to get back the land of Northumberland. Both Gille Brigte and Uchtred went with him.

During this invasion, King William was surprised and captured while attacking Alnwick Castle. While the Scottish king was captured, Gille Brigte's son, Máel Coluim, attacked Uchtred in Galloway. Máel Coluim captured Uchtred.

At this time, Gille Brigte tried something that could have changed history. He sent a message to King Henry II of England. Gille Brigte asked Henry to become his direct lord, meaning he would no longer have to answer to the Scottish king. Gille Brigte offered King Henry a large payment of 2000 marks and a yearly payment of 500 cows and 500 pigs. He wanted Henry to "remove them [the people of Galloway] from the service of the king of Scotland."

However, King Henry sent people to investigate. When they found out what had happened to Uchtred, who was King Henry's cousin, they refused Gille Brigte's offer. This event stopped any deal from happening.

Later that year, King Henry and King William signed a peace agreement called the Treaty of Falaise. This forced Gille Brigte to make peace with both kings. In 1176, Gille Brigte traveled to England. King Henry fined him 1000 marks and took Gille Brigte's son, Donnchad, as a hostage. This was to make sure Gille Brigte behaved well in the future.

Gille Brigte's Rule

Gille Brigte's time as lord was marked by a lot of disagreement with the Scottish kings. Unlike his brother Uchtred, Gille Brigte did not like the new Norman settlers coming into the area. He preferred to keep his traditional Gaelic followers. This made him popular with the people of Galloway. However, it also made him unpopular with the Scottish kings, Máel Coluim IV and later William.

King William supported Uchtred's son, Lochlann (also known as Roland). William used Lochlann as a way to gain more control over Galloway. In the 1180s, there was a lot of tension between Gille Brigte and King William. Gille Brigte often led raids into the eastern part of Galloway, which was controlled by the Scottish king.

When Gille Brigte died in 1185, he was still in conflict with King William. Because Gille Brigte's son Donnchad was still a hostage with King Henry II, it was easier for King William to make Lochlann Gille Brigte's successor.