Freskin de Moravia of Duffus

feudal lord of Duffus

Burke's Peerage entry-

FRESKIN, allegedly of Flemish origins, granted large estates by DAVID I, including Strabrock, W Lothian, and Duffus, Moray; confirmed in these by roy charter 1166–71; died by 1172, leaving:

WILLIAM; of age by 1160; seems to have died in or after 1204, having had, with two younger sons (William de Moravia (i.e., ‘of Moray') living 1195, died by 1226, alleged ancestor of the MORAYs OF BOTHWELL; Andrew, Parson Duffus 1203

• HUGH FRESKIN or MORAY, feudal Lord of Duffus; had large estates in Sutherland by 1211; granted Skelbo and other lands to St Gilbert Moray (possibly his nephew), Archdeacon Moray and from 1223 Bp Caithness; died between 1214 and 1222, having had, with two younger sons (Walter, feudal Lord of

Duffus, married Eupheme, daughter of Ferquhard Mac Taggart, 1st Earl of Ross, and died 1263, having had issue; Andrew, Bp Moray 1222, died 1242):

• *WILLIAM MORAY later (between 1229 and 1232) SUTHERLAND, 1st Earl of Sutherland, so cr c1235; died allegedly 1248,

---

According to The Heraldry of the Murrays Pages 3 - (1b) & 5 - (No. 13)

Hugh was the second son of Freskin, died about 1214. He obtained the lands of Sutherland. He was succeeded by his son William, Lord of Sutherland.

1) Freskin died before 1171

• 1(a) William (2)
• 1(b) Hugh (13)
• 1(c) Andrew - probably Bishop of Moray 1184-85

BUT Burke's Peerage places him as Page 3 2a, son of William, son of Freskin

Other sources

Hugh, son of William, son of Freskin, styled also Hugh Freskin and Hugh de Moravia, appears under the first designation in various charters from 1195, frequently along with his brother William, who also in a charter about 1200, already cited, styles him lord and brother. He inherited the lands of Duffus and Strabrock, and Brice, Bishop of Moray, granted to him, as Lord of Duffus (between 1203 and 1214), a free chapel in his castle of Duffus.[1] Some time before 1211 he had acquired, by grant or otherwise, a large tract of land in Sutherland. How extensive that was does not appear, but it included Skelbo, in Dornoch parish, on one side, and the greater portion of Creich parish on the other, and perhaps was identical with the later earldom. In any case he granted Skelbo, and the lands of Invershin and Fernebucklyn to Gilbert de Moravia, Archdeacon of Moray, who afterwards gave them to his own brother Richard. Hugh Freskin died possibly before 1214, but certainly before 1222, at which date his son William had succeeded, and he was buried in the church of Duffus. He is called, perhaps on account of his benefactions to the Church, the blessed Hugh, and seems to have been honoured with canonisation. The name of his wife is not known, but he had three sons:--

• 1. William, son and heir, who became Lord and Earl of Sutherland.
• 2. Walter, who succeeded to the lands of Duffus, and married Euphemia, daughter of Ferquhard, Earl of Ross. He died about 1263, and was buried at Duffus. His line ended in two heiresses, and his estates finally passed to the Keiths of Inverugie and Sutherlands of Duffus.
• 3. Andrew, designed son of Hugh de Moravia in the charter already cited, of the chaplainry of Duffus, between 1203 and 1214. He was then parson of Duffus, and in 1222 he was elected Bishop of Moray. In his time the cathedral of Moray was removed to Elgin, and he may have built, or at least commenced the erection of, the cathedral church. He died in 1242.

[1] Reg. Moraviense, No. 211.

Sources: Balfour Paul, J. (1911) The Scots Peerage, vol. 8. Edinburgh: David Douglas.

More at https://sites.google.com/site/fivegateways/alphabetical-index-s/sut...

Battle of John o' Groats; Chief Hugh de Moravia, grandson of progenitor Freskin de Moravia is said to have strengthened the family's royal favor by ridding the north of a ferocious band of robbers led by Harold Chisholm. Among the crimes, a number of Sutherland churchmen were tortured by nailing horseshoes to their feet and making them dance to entertain the followers before putting them savagely to death. On hearing of this outrage, King William I of Scotland (William the Lion) ordered chief Hugh of Sutherland to pursue Chisolm to the death and a great fight ensued near John o' Groats. All of the robbers were either killed or captured. Harold Chisolm and the other leaders were given a punishment to fit the crime, horse shoeing and hanging. The rest were gelded to prevent any offspring from men who were so detestable. This seems to have been a frequent punishment of the time. In 1198 an entire sept of the Sinclairs were castrated for the killing of the Bishop of Caithness.

Rebellion of the Sinclairs 1222; The trouble was over tithes imposed by the Bishop of Caithness whose seat was at Dornoch. The Clan Sinclair Earls of Caithness had long resented the fact that the bishopric was under Sutherland control and decided to exploit the discontent over tithes to get rid of the bishop and have the seat moved. There was soon a riot, said to be incited by Sinclair gold. The unfortunate bishop was roasted alive and his cathedral was set on fire. The rioters then headed north to join up with their Sinclair allies. Once again the Lord of Sutherland was given responsibility by the crown for restoring law and order, and for punishing Sinclair for his instigation of the incident. The Clan Sutherland force was gathered and the far northeast was laid waste in a campaign of revenge and repression. Wick and Thorso were burned and the Sinclair stronghold razed to the ground. Eighty men were tried at a summer court session at Golspie and there was strict punishment for the rioters. Four of the ringleaders were roasted and then fed to the town dogs for good measure.

Hugh, Lord of Duffus, the son of William and grandson of Freskin, was the heir to Duffus and Strabrock. He is referred to as Hugh Freskin and Hugh de Moravia in documents from 1195 onward. The Bishop of Moray gave him a free chapel in Duffus Castle between 1203 and 1214. By 1211 he also had Skelbo and other land in Sutherland. Hugh Freskin died before 1222 and was buried in the church of Duffus leaving three sons, William, Walter and Andrew.

of Sutherland

Hugh Freskin or Moray, Lord of Duffus and Stradbrock, acquired land in Sutherland before 1211, died between 1214 and 1222.

http://www26.us.archive.org/stream/heraldryofmurray00john#page/n21/... Page 3 - (2) - a

Freskin, a person of unknown descent, but who is believed to be of Flemish origin, upon whom King David I., in pursuance, it is said, of a colonising policy, bestowed wide landed possessions. These included Strabrock (Uphall and Broxburn), in West Lothian, and the lands of Duffus, Roseisle, Inchkeil, Macher, and Kintray, forming the larger part of the parish of Duffus and a portion of the modern parish of Spynie, between Elgin and the Moray Firth. At least Freskin is said to have held these lands of King David I., for Freskin himself is named only once, in a charter granted to his son William, between 1166 and 1171, by King William the Lion, which confirms the lands named as having been held by Freskin.[1] Freskin therefore must have died before 1166. According to the editor of the Registrum Moraviense, followed by Sir William Fraser in his Sutherland Book, he had three sons, Hugh, who was the ancestor of the Sutherland family, William of Duffus, and Andrew, a churchman. But Hugh, son of Freskin, is only named once, in a writ dated between 1147 and 1150, and that in such circumstances as to make the evidence untrustworthy,[2] while Andrew is clearly identical with a namesake of a later date. The weight of testimony rather points to the probability that Freskin had only one son, a view already adopted by Lord Hailes and George Chalmers.[3] Shaw, in his History of Moray, also assigns to Freskin only one son, William.

In conflict with -

http://www26.us.archive.org/stream/heraldryofmurray00john#page/4/mo... Page 5 - (No. 13)

Hugh, second son of Freskin, died about 1214. He obtained the lands of Sutherland. He was succeeded by his son William, Lord of Sutherland.

Also at -

https://sites.google.com/site/fivegateways/alphabetical-index-s/sut...

Hugh was son and heir. of William, son of Freskin (alleged to be of Flemish origin), named only in a charter granted between 1166 and 1171, confirming his lands to William (Scots Peerage, vol. viii, p. 319). This proves that Freskin d. before 1172, not before 1166, as the Scots Peerage strangely assumed. William was probably living in 1204 (Idem, p. 320). As regards the alleged Flemish origin of Freskin, the Editor is indebted to Professor F. L. Ganshof ofr kindly obtaining and translating the following opinion on this name from Mr. Gÿsseling, Rÿksarchief in Ghent; "The name Freskin, Fressekin, seems to be old-flemish, but there does not seem to be any evidence for it... It is a diminutive, of the type Adalkinus, Boykinus, Dudekinus, Levekin, Onekinus, etc., which is formed with the suffix -ke(n), which is still in life in our language. THe first element in the name seems to be found in Freshertus, which is mentioned in the Ratio de Villa Hatingem [in: Liber Traditionum] and is to be found back also in the place name Fresingahem, now Fersinghem (France, Pas-de-Calais, arrt. Saint-Omer)."

https://sites.google.com/site/fivegateways/alphabetical-index-s/sut...

Hugh, son of William, son of Freskin, styled also Hugh Freskin and Hugh de Moravia, appears under the first designation in various charters from 1195, frequently along with his brother William, who also in a charter about 1200, already cited, styles him lord and brother. He inherited the lands of Duffus and Strabrock, and Brice, Bishop of Moray, granted to him, as Lord of Duffus (between 1203 and 1214), a free chapel in his castle of Duffus. Some time before 1211 he had acquired, by grant or otherwise, a large tract of land in Sutherland. How extensive that was does not appear, but it included Skelbo, in Dornoch parish, on one side, and the greater portion of Creich parish on the other, and perhaps was identical with the later earldom. In any case he granted Skelbo, and the lands of Invershin and Fernebucklyn to Gilbert de Moravia, Archdeacon of Moray, who afterwards gave them to his own brother Richard. Hugh Freskin died possibly before 1214, but certainly before 1222, at which date his son William had succeeded, and he was buried in the church of Duffus. He is called, perhaps on account of his benefactions to the Church, the blessed Hugh, and seems to have been honoured with canonisation. The name of his wife is not known, but he had three sons:--

• 1. William, son and heir, who became Lord and Earl of Sutherland.
• 2. Walter, who succeeded to the lands of Duffus, and married Euphemia, daughter of Ferquhard, Earl of Ross. He died about 1263, and was buried at Duffus. His line ended in two heiresses, and his estates finally passed to the Keiths of Inverugie and Sutherlands of Duffus.
• 3. Andrew, designed son of Hugh de Moravia in the charter already cited, of the chaplainry of Duffus, between 1203 and 1214. He was then parson of Duffus, and in 1222 he was elected Bishop of Moray. In his time the cathedral of Moray was removed to Elgin, and he may have built, or at least commenced the erection of, the cathedral church. He died in 1242.

Extract from Burke's Peerage until document can be added -

Lineage (of Sutherland): FRESKIN, allegedly of Flemish origins, granted large estates by DAVID I, including Strabrock, W Lothian, and Duffus, Moray; confirmed in these by roy charter 1166–71; died by 1172, leaving:

WILLIAM; of age by 1160; seems to have died in or after 1204, having had, with two younger sons (William de Moravia (i.e., ‘of Moray') living 1195, died by 1226, alleged ancestor of the MORAYs OF BOTHWELL; Andrew, Parson Duffus 1203):

HUGH FRESKIN or MORAY, feudal Lord of Duffus; had large estates in Sutherland by 1211; granted Skelbo and other lands to St Gilbert Moray (possibly his nephew), Archdeacon Moray and from 1223 Bp Caithness; died between 1214 and 1222, having had, with two younger sons (Walter, feudal Lord of Duffus, married Eupheme, daughter of Ferquhard Mac Taggart, 1st Earl of Ross, and died 1263, having had issue; Andrew, Bp Moray 1222, died 1242):

• WILLIAM MORAY later (between 1229 and 1232) SUTHERLAND, 1st Earl of Sutherland, so cr c1235; died allegedly 1248, leaving:

• WILLIAM SUTHERLAND, 2nd Earl of Sutherland; supporter of EDWARD I's overlordship of Scotland; died probably by 7 July 1307, leaving:
  

• 1a WILLIAM SUTHERLAND, 3rd Earl of Sutherland; supported ROBERT I (1306–29) against the English attempt at maintaining overlordship; died by Dec 1330
  
• 2a KENNETH SUTHERLAND, 4th Earl of Sutherland; allegedly married Marjory/Mary, widow of John de Strathbogie, 9th Earl of Atholl of the created deemed to have been effected by 1115 (seeSTRABOLGI), and daughter of 6th Earl of Mar (qv), and was killed at the Scottish defeat by the English of Halidon Hill 19 July 1333, leaving:
  

• 1b WILLIAM, 5th Earl
  
• 2b Nicholas; ancestor of the SUTHERLANDs OF DUFFUS (see DUNBAR OF HEMPRIGGS, Bt)
  
• 1b Eustachia; married 1330 Gilbert Moray of Culbin and had issue
  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Sutherland