Mairead inghean Eachainn facts for kids

Mairead inghean Eachainn, also known as Mairead nic Eachainn, was a partner of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan. Alexander was also known as the "Wolf of Badenoch." Mairead was the daughter of a man named Eachann. She was the mother of several of Alexander's children, including his son, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar.

Who Was Mairead?

Mairead was the daughter of a man named Eachann. A letter from the Pope's office described her as "a woman of the diocese of Ross." This means she came from the Ross area in Scotland. She spoke Gaelic and was from the Highlands. However, we do not know much about her family or where they lived.

Mairead and Alexander's Relationship

Mairead lived with Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan in the late 1380s and 1390s. Alexander was also married to a woman named Euphemia I, Countess of Ross. But his relationship with Mairead was a traditional Gaelic partnership.

Alexander and Euphemia were married in 1382. This marriage helped Alexander gain control of lands in Ross. He also got control of Euphemia's lands like Lewis, Skye, and Dingwall. Even though he never became the Earl of Ross, Alexander was made the Earl of Buchan by the king. This was because of Euphemia's lands. However, Alexander and Euphemia did not have any children together, and their marriage was not successful.

In 1389, Euphemia complained to church leaders. She said her marriage was not real because Alexander was living with Mairead. Alexander then promised to return to Euphemia as her husband. He also promised not to use his men against her. It seems Alexander agreed because he did not want to lose his claim to Euphemia's lands.

In 1392, the church leader Antipope Clement VII ended Alexander and Euphemia's marriage. He said the marriage had caused "wars, plundering, arson, murders, and many other damages." After the divorce, Euphemia got her lands and titles back.

Mairead was the mother of several of Alexander's children. This included his son, also named Alexander. If she was also the mother of his sons Duncan and Robert, then Mairead and Alexander must have known each other since the 1370s. This was around the time Alexander first became active in Badenoch.

After Alexander's marriage to Euphemia ended, Euphemia's son from an earlier marriage, Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross, was worried about losing his inheritance. The long relationship between Mairead and Alexander, along with the problems in his marriage to Euphemia, might suggest something important. It could mean that Alexander's marriage to Euphemia was mainly for political reasons. This political marriage might have gone against Alexander's existing partnership with Mairead, who was the mother of his children.