Máel Coluim (son of the king of the Cumbrians) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Máel Coluim
Máel Coluim's name as it appears on folio 13v of British Library Cotton Faustina B IX (the Chronicle of Melrose): "Malcolmum".
Father	possibly Owain Foel

Máel Coluim (who lived around 1054) was an important person in the 11th century. He might have been made king of either Scotland (called Alba back then) or Strathclyde. In 1055, a powerful English earl named Siward, Earl of Northumbria defeated Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, who was the king of Scotland. After this victory, some old writings say that Siward helped Máel Coluim become king. It's not clear if he became king of Scotland or the smaller kingdom of Strathclyde.

Máel Coluim was called the son of a "King of the Cumbrians." This suggests he belonged to the royal family of Strathclyde, which was also known as Cumbria. He might have been a close relative of Owain Foel, King of Strathclyde, who was the last known king of Strathclyde. Máel Coluim's name is Gaelic, which could mean his mother's family was from the Scottish royal family (the Alpínid dynasty). This connection would have given him a claim to the Scottish throne.

We don't know what happened to Máel Coluim. Siward died in 1055, and Mac Bethad stayed in power in Scotland. This makes it seem like Máel Coluim's time as king, if it happened, was very short. Parts of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, especially the southern areas, seem to have been taken over by the English when Siward was powerful. The northern parts of Strathclyde were likely conquered by Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, King of Alba (who became King of Scotland) between 1058 and 1070. It's not certain if an independent Kingdom of Strathclyde still existed by then. Máel Coluim seems to be the last person recorded from the Cumbrian royal family.

Máel Coluim's Family Background

Máel Coluim was likely part of the royal family that ruled the Kingdom of Strathclyde. An old book from the 12th century, called Chronicon ex chronicis, says he was a "son of the king of the Cumbrians." He was probably related to Owain Foel, King of Strathclyde. Owain Foel is known for helping the Scots fight against the Northumbrians in 1018 at the Battle of Carham. We don't know what happened to Owain Foel or the Cumbrian kingdom after this battle.

The Kingdom of Strathclyde and its neighbors in the early 11th century.

Who Was the "Son of the King of the Cumbrians"?

In 1054, Siward, Earl of Northumbria led an invasion into the Kingdom of Alba (Scotland). This event is mentioned in the old Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Other historical books, like Gesta regum Anglorum and Chronicon ex chronicis, say that Siward put Máel Coluim on the throne to challenge Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, King of Alba.

One idea is that this Máel Coluim was actually Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, who later became King of Scotland from 1058 to 1093. If this were true, it would mean that Máel Coluim mac Donnchada's father, Donnchad ua Maíl Choluim (who was King of Scotland from 1034 to 1040), had also been King of Strathclyde. However, there's no other proof that Donnchad was ever a Cumbrian king. Also, if the old books were talking about Donnchad's son, why would they call him the son of a "Cumbrian king" instead of a "Scottish king"? And why wouldn't they just say he was Donnchad's son? There's also no strong evidence that Máel Coluim mac Donnchada was even in Scotland or Northumbria in 1054. Mac Bethad remained King of Scotland until 1057.

Máel Coluim's name and family as it appears in Chronicon ex chronicis.

It's more likely that the events of 1054 refer to the Máel Coluim who was from the Cumbrian royal family, not the Scottish royal family. He could have been a son or grandson of Owain Foel. Another person with the same name had been a Cumbrian king before. If Máel Coluim was indeed from this Cumbrian family, it's possible the Scots had taken away his kingship after Owain Foel died. Then, Siward might have put Máel Coluim back as king of the Cumbrians after his victory against Mac Bethad.

Another idea, suggested by Chronicon ex chronicis and Gesta regum Anglorum, is that Siward made Máel Coluim King of Scotland. Máel Coluim's name could show a family link to the Scottish kings, perhaps through his mother. If he was a grandson of a Scottish king, he would have had a claim to the Scottish throne. Even if he did rule Scotland, he probably would have been a "puppet king" controlled by the English, with little support from the Scottish nobles.

The name and title of Siward as it appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Some historians think that the writers of Chronicon ex chronicis and Gesta regum Anglorum might have confused Máel Coluim (the Cumbrian) with Máel Coluim mac Donnchada (the Scot). This is because Máel Coluim mac Donnchada's son, David, later ruled Cumbria in the 12th century. However, there's evidence that the writer of Gesta regum Anglorum knew these two Máel Coluims were different. For example, this book clearly tells apart the Scottish and Cumbrian kings who met in Chester in 973. The monks of Melrose Abbey, who wrote the Chronicle of Melrose, also seemed to know about Cumbria's history.

The Chronicle of Melrose was first written around 1173–1174. This book's account of Siward's invasion came from another 12th-century book, Historia regum Anglorum. Since Historia regum Anglorum says that Máel Coluim mac Donnchada illegally held Cumbria in 1070, the Melrose writer probably knew that the Scottish king was not the same as the Cumbrian Máel Coluim. This might explain why the Melrose writer didn't copy the phrase "son of the king of the Cumbrians." The Chronicle of Melrose might be the first book to directly connect Máel Coluim mac Donnchada with the events of 1054. Because of this, the Scottish king was shown as someone who only got his throne with English help.

A 13th-century picture of William I, King of Scotland being captured in 1174.

The reason the monks might have changed the story of Siward's invasion could be linked to an English revolt in 1173 and 1174. During this time, the King of Scotland (who was a great-grandson of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada) supported a failed rebellion against the King of England. After the Scottish king was captured, Scotland had to accept English rule in the Treaty of Falaise in 1174. These harsh conditions were put on Scotland at the same time the Melrose writer was working on his account of 1054. It's possible these events inspired the monks to create a story from the 11th century that showed Scottish kings being under English control, to match what was happening in their own time.

The End of the Cumbrian Kingdom

It's not clear if the Kingdom of Strathclyde even existed as an independent kingdom by 1054. There's evidence that Siward and the Northumbrians had a lot of power over the Cumbrian area by the mid-11th century. For example, a 12th-century book, Historia ecclesiae Eboracensis, says that two Bishops of Glasgow (named Johannes and Magsuen) were appointed by Cynesige, Archbishop of York. Their names might suggest they were Cumbrian. Even though we don't know for sure if Glasgow was a bishop's seat back then, an 11th-century stone cross found at Glasgow Cathedral shows Northumbrian style. This suggests the area was becoming more important before the cathedral was built later. This cross might support the idea that Siward and Cynesige were influencing the Cumbrians.

The name of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada as it appears in the Annals of Tigernach.

Another piece of evidence for Northumbrian expansion is an 11th-century document. It talks about a man named Gospatric giving land and rights to others in what became the English county of Cumberland. The document also says Gospatric and Siward would protect these people. Since Siward would only give away land he controlled, and the document says the lands were "once Cumbrian," it suggests that most of the Cumbrian lands south of the Solway Firth were taken by Siward before he died in 1055.

The name of Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria as it appears in Vita Ædwardi Regis.

The English might have gained control of the Solway Plain during Siward's fight against the Scots. Pressure from other groups north of the Solway Firth, like the expanding Gall Gaidheil, might have led the Cumbrian leaders to let the southern lands fall under Siward's control. While these southern lands became English, the northern Cumbrian areas seem to have been conquered by the Scots. For example, in 1070, Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria led an invasion into Scottish-controlled territory to stop Scottish raids into England. According to Historia regum Anglorum, Gospatric attacked Cumbreland, the former Cumbrian lands. This book even claims that Máel Coluim mac Donnchada's rule over these lands was illegal because the Scots had taken them "through violent subjugation."

The political situation after the Kingdom of Strathclyde ended in the 11th century.

The record of bishops Johannes and Magsuen suggests that the Cumbrians were independent of the Scots during Cynesige's time as archbishop (1055–1060), though possibly under Northumbrian influence. However, the evidence from Historia regum Anglorum shows that the northern part of the Cumbrian kingdom had fallen to the Scots by the time of Gospatric's invasion. Although the Scottish takeover isn't recorded in other books, it seems to have happened between Máel Coluim mac Donnchada becoming king in 1058 and Gospatric's invasion in 1070. One idea is that the Scots overthrew Máel Coluim's father. Another is that Máel Coluim and his family were defeated in the power vacuum (a time when no one was clearly in charge) after Siward died in 1055. The fact that Historia regum Anglorum questions if Máel Coluim mac Donnchada's control of Cumbreland was rightful could mean the writer thought the region should belong to Northumbria. In any case, Máel Coluim seems to be the last known person from the Cumbrian royal family.

See also

• David, Prince of the Cumbrians, an important person in the 12th century who was called "prince of the Cumbrians." He had a royal-like status over lands that used to be part of the Kingdom of Strathclyde.