Thomas Fleming, Earl of Wigtown facts for kids

Thomas Fleming, Earl of Wigtown (died around 1382) was an important Scottish noble. He was the second person to hold the title of earl of Wigtown. An earl was a powerful leader who managed a large area of land for the king.

Thomas was the grandson of the first earl, Sir Malcolm Fleming. His father was John, who passed away in 1351. Thomas's mother was a woman named Marjorie.

Early Life and Challenges

Becoming an Earl's Heir

Thomas became the person who would inherit the earldom when his father died in 1351. This meant he was next in line to become the Earl of Wigtown.

Held as a Hostage

During the time when King David II of Scotland was captured and held in England, Thomas was often used as a hostage. A hostage is someone held by one side to make the other side agree to something. Thomas spent many years held captive, especially after a peace agreement called the Treaty of Berwick in 1357.

Money Troubles

Being a hostage caused Thomas a lot of money problems. He likely had to pay a large sum of money, called a ransom, to the English king to be set free. This made it very hard for him financially.

Changes to the Earldom

Getting the Title Back

In 1367, Thomas was given his earldom back. However, he did not get all the special powers his grandfather had. His grandfather had enjoyed "rights of regality," which meant he had almost king-like authority in his own territory. Thomas lost these special powers.

Selling the Earldom

By 1372, Thomas decided to sell his earldom. He sold it to a powerful noble named Archibald the Grim. Archibald was also the Lord of Galloway and the Earl of Douglas.

Why the Sale Happened

The sale of the earldom made sense for a few reasons. In 1369, Archibald the Grim had already been given the title of Lord of Galloway. This area included much of the land that was part of the Wigtown earldom. Also, Archibald's family, the Douglases, were much better at keeping control and stopping rebellions in the southwest of Scotland.

Later Life

A Change in Status

Thomas Fleming had an unusual experience. He went from being a very important noble, called a "magnate," to a less powerful one, known as a "baron." This meant he lost much of his influence and land.

Giving Away Lands

After selling the earldom, Thomas seemed to give away almost all the land he had left. He passed away without having any children, sometime in or before 1382.