William II de Haya facts for kids

William II de Haya (also known as William II de la Haye or Guillaume de La Haye) was a Norman knight. He is thought to be the ancestor of the Scottish Clan Hay. He was the first person named de Haya recorded in Scotland and was part of the Scottish royal court around 1160.

Early Life and Family

William II de Haya was the son of William I de Haya and Juliana de Soulis. We know this because he mentioned Ranulf de Soulis as his uncle in an old document called a charter. This means Ranulf was his mother's brother. William II was most likely born in the La Haye-Hue (now La Haye-Bellefond) or Soulles area in Cotentin Peninsula, France. We don't know his exact birth date.

As a young man, William II probably joined his uncle, Ranulf I de Soules, at the Scottish court. He married a woman named Eva of Pitmilly. The date of their marriage is also unknown. Eva brought land in Pitmilly into their marriage.

Serving the King

William served as the pincerna, which means a cup bearer or butler, for two Scottish kings: Malcolm IV and William the Lion. He took over this job from his uncle, Ranulf I de Soules. We don't know the exact dates he held this important position. He is mentioned as the butler in some of Malcolm IV's later charters and in William the Lion's early charters. He even called himself "pincerna" in a charter he wrote in 1171.

Between 1173 and 1174, there was a big rebellion against Henry II of England. Three of Henry's sons and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, fought against him. In 1174, King William the Lion thought Henry II was busy with this fight in France. So, William tried to get Northumberland back for Scotland. However, William the Lion was captured at the Second Battle of Alnwick. He was then taken to Henry in Falaise, Normandy.

To get his freedom back, William the Lion had to sign a harsh agreement called the Treaty of Falaise in December 1174. One part of this treaty said that William the Lion had to send twenty-one important people to England as hostages. These hostages would make sure he followed the rules. William de Haya, the king's butler, was one of these hostages. In August 1175, the Treaty of Falaise was officially agreed upon in York. King William the Lion and his brother, David, promised loyalty to Henry II of England for Scotland and Galloway. After this, they were allowed to return to Scotland. William de Haya was also allowed to return home at that time.

Later, in 1199, William was one of the special messengers sent by King William the Lion. They went to the new King of England, John of England, to try and get Northumberland and Cumberland back for Scotland. King William offered to promise loyalty to King John if these lands were returned.

First Baron of Erroll

Around 1178-1180, King William the Lion gave William II de Haya the land of Erroll (also called Herol). This land was on the north side of the Tay estuary. William received it for the service of two knights. This land grant was a "hereditary right," meaning it would pass down through his family. This was the start of the House of Erroll, which still exists today.

Being a baron came with special rights. William could hold a court to judge people and keep the money from fines (sake and soke). He could also collect taxes on goods and hold a market (toll and team). He even had the right to hang thieves caught in the act (infangthief). The original document for this land grant is still kept by the family. The old dirt mound (called a motte) where William II de Haya built his wooden tower in the 1100s was still there in 1967.

Giving Away Lands

In 1171 or 1172, William and his wife, Eva, signed a charter. In this document, they rented out eight "carucates" (a measure of land) in Pitmilly to the Prior of St Andrews. They leased it for 20 years for a yearly payment of half a mark of silver. This land was used for a "hospital," which at the time meant a kind of boarding house for people traveling to St Andrews.

Before 1187, William II de Haya also gave the lands of Ederpolls to Coupar Angus Abbey. He did this for the good of the souls of King Malcolm, his uncle Ranulf de Soulis, and others. King William later confirmed this gift, likely between 1187 and 1195. However, some historians think these dates might be a bit too late. A summary of William II de Haya's charter can be found in the Coupar Angus documents.

Legacy and Family

William II and Eva had six sons: David, William III, John, Thomas, Robert, and Malcolm. William II was still alive in 1201, as shown by a document from that year. However, he likely died soon after.

His son, David, became the Baron of Erroll after him. David married Ethna, the daughter of Gilbert, Earl of Strathearn. Gilbert was one of the three most powerful "Mormaers," who were like Celtic Earls in Scotland. This marriage connected the Hays family to important Celtic noble families. This helped strengthen the Hays' position as a Scoto-Norman family, blending Norman and Celtic traditions.

A Different Idea

The story of William II de Haya above is generally thought to be correct. It is based on a book called The Scots Peerage. However, some old writings suggest there might have been two different William de Hayas in Scotland during the 1100s. In this idea, the first William died around 1170, and his son, also named William, was the one who received the barony of Erroll.

A book called Burke's Peerage from 1930 also mentions the possibility of two Williams, which makes the story a bit confusing. But the 1970 edition of the same book doesn't mention a second William. There's also an unusual old document called the "Hay cartwheel" that shows two Williams. In this document, the first William, the butler, is shown having three sons: William, Robert, and Peter. Then, this second William is shown as the father of the six sons mentioned earlier (David, another William, John, Thomas, Robert, and Malcolm).

However, The Scots Peerage book concludes that the two Williams de Haya in 12th-century Scotland were probably the same person.