William III, Earl of Ross facts for kids

William (or Uilleam) III, the 5th Earl of Ross, was an important Scottish nobleman. He lived in the 1300s. He was the fifth Earl of Ross from the O’Beolan family. This family line began with Fearchar of Ross, also known as Fearchar MacTaggart.

A Scottish Nobleman's Life

Early Life and Return to Scotland

William was the son of Hugh, Earl of Ross. His mother was Matilda Bruce. She was the daughter of Robert de Bruce, 6th Lord of Annandale. This made William a first cousin to David II, who was the King of Scotland. His mother was also a sister of the famous Robert the Bruce.

In 1333, William's father died at the Battle of Halidon Hill. At that time, William was in Norway. He came back to Scotland in 1336. Then he took over his family's earldom, which was like his family's land and title. Soon after returning, he started rebuilding Fearn Abbey. This abbey was a church building that Fearchar MacTaggart had founded many years before. It was in ruins, so William helped fix it up.

Helping the King

William, Earl of Ross, was very involved in the political and military events of King David II's reign. King David II always worked hard to stop the English from trying to conquer Scotland.

The Siege of Perth

In 1339, the English supported Edward Baliol. Edward Baliol had promised to be loyal to the English king. He also said the English king was the ruler of Scotland. The English held the city of Perth. Earl William played a key role in trying to take Perth back for King David.

The city had a defensive channel of water around it. This made it hard for the Scottish soldiers to get in. Ross and his men were clever. They changed the direction of the water. They filled the ditch with driftwood. This allowed them to reach the city walls. After this, the English soldiers gave up.

In 1342, Ross gave a special paper, called a charter, for some land in Kintail. This land was about 4,160 acres. He gave it to Ronald MacRuari. Ronald was related to John of Islay, who was the Lord of the Isles.

A Difficult Time with the King

In 1346, King David asked his earls and their men to meet in Perth. They were planning to go into England. But before the army left, William had a serious argument with his vassal, Ronald MacRuari. A vassal was someone who held land from the earl and owed him loyalty. Sadly, Ronald MacRuari died during this dispute at the priory of Elcho.

William was worried about what would happen next. So, he went back to the safety of his own lands. Many other lords from the north followed him. King David still went south into England. He was captured at the Battle of Neville's Cross near Durham. He was held captive for eleven years.

While King David was in prison, Earl William did some things that made the king unhappy later. For example, in 1348, court records show he took all the money that belonged to the king's court.

However, in 1349, King David was still in prison. But he still relied on William. William was a "justiciar" for Scotland north of the Forth River. This meant he was like a chief judge. The king asked him to help with a problem. William de Deyn, the Bishop of Aberdeen, had a conflict with William of St. Michael. St. Michael had taken some church property. This case was solved in Aberdeenshire. It happened at one of the courts held at the ancient Stone Circles in northern Scotland.

Even so, William's actions at Elcho priory and in 1348 made the king lose trust in him. By 1355, William was replaced as justiciar.

David II's Ransom and Rebellions

In 1357, Earl William attended a meeting of Parliament. They talked about how to pay for King David II's freedom. On October 3rd, the King of Scotland was finally released. This happened at Berwick. The condition was that a ransom payment had to be guaranteed. Twenty hostages were taken to ensure the payment. Earl William, or possibly his young son, was named as one of six noblemen who would serve as hostages in turns.

When King David returned to Scotland, he made his nobles pay heavy taxes. This was to help pay his ransom. This led to a rebellion by the Highland lords in 1366. William and his half-brother, Hugh de Rarichies, were part of this. In 1368, Ross and the others had to promise to keep the peace.

Who Would Inherit?

Near the end of his life, William had to change who would inherit his earldom. His only son, also named William, was often sick. The earl knew that if his son died without a male heir, the earldom would leave the Mactaggart family. To stop this, he talked with his sister Marjory. She was the Countess of Caithness and Orkney. She agreed that their half-brother, Hugh of Rarichies, could inherit the earldom. This plan happened in 1350. It would have kept the earldom in the Mactaggart family.

Young William was named as a hostage for the king's ransom in 1354. But records show that by August 1357, he was very ill. He must have died soon after. Indeed, young William died in 1357. But fourteen years later, King David made a different decision. He had never liked William because of his earlier bad choices. So, King David took the earldom away from the Mactaggart family line.

The King's Decision

Instead of letting Hugh of Rarichies inherit, the king decided that William's daughter, Euphemia, would get the earldom. Then, the king made her marry Walter de Leslie. Walter de Leslie was a famous Scotsman. He had fought with the King of France, with the Holy Roman Emperors in the Northern Crusades, and with Peter I of Cyprus on his Alexandrian Crusade. King David II wanted to reward Walter for his bravery. He decided to give him an earldom.

So, in Perth on October 23, 1370, King David confirmed William as Earl of Ross and Lord of Skye. But there was a condition William did not like: he had to give his daughter in marriage to Leslie. Ross planned to ask for help from the chancellor, who was a high official. But Walter Leslie's forces stopped him. They attacked his messengers. In 1371, King David died. William then asked Robert II for help. William had fought with Robert II at the Siege of Perth. But it did not help.

William, Earl of Ross, died on February 9, 1372. He died at Denly in Ross-shire. He was the last of the O’Baleon earls of Ross. His daughter Euphemia and her husband Walter de Lesley inherited the title after him.

Family

William, the 5th Earl of Ross, first married Mary (Máire). She was a daughter of Angus Og of Islay. Angus Og was a chief of Clan Donald. William and Mary had one son and two daughters:

• William, who died in 1357.
• Euphemia, Countess of Ross. She married Walter de Lesley, who became Earl of Ross because of her.
• Joanna (or Janet). She married Sir Alexander Fraser of Cowie in 1375. She was an ancestor of the Lords Saltoun from the Fraser family. She died before 1400.