Hi All, Thought you might have an interest in the following information as it pertains to ancient Morayshire and some with names of Calder and Rose in those far off times: The following summarized article was compiled by Bill Caddell – bcadell@charter.net from many sources which are acknowledged in the full article which may be found at http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk At the dawning of civilization in the country of Scotland…………..and during the 11th and 12th centuries, Morayshire included Nairnshire and covered an area extending around the Moray Firth from Ross to Buchan and southwest to Atholl and Lochaber. Moray was a very ancient Pictish Kingdom, one of the seven Celtic earldoms, which was originally separated from the Kingdom of Scotland. Moray was ruled by its own line of Celtic Earls. In 1130, according to the Gaelic Chronicles, “a battle was fought between the men of Scotland and the men of Moray; and in it four thousand men of Moray fell, including their King Angus (Earl of Moray), the great grandson of King Macbeth by Lulach’s daughter.” Their lands were thus forfeited to the Crown. The current Nairnshire and Morayshire are situated just east of Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland. The Moray men lived under direct rule of the King. They held land on condition of giving the King military aid when needed. They were, in fact, a company of the King’s men who owed no loyalty to a feudal superior. They were responsible for garrisoning the Royal castles. Their lands were called “Castle lands.” At the time, the Kingdom of Scotland was ruled by:— King Duncan (1033 – 1039) King Macbeth (1039 – 1057) King Malcolm III (1057 – 1093) King Donald Ban (1093 – 1098) King Edgar (1098 – 1107) King Alexander (1107 - 1124) King David (1124 – 1153) who created Angus’ younger brother as the Earl of Ross. To possibly eliminate further trouble, many of the prominent leaders of Morayshire were” transplanted’ being replaced by loyal Anglo-Normans. In 1153 AD the Celts of Moray again rose up against the Scottish Crown. By 1156 their uprising was quelled and further dependable newcomers settled in Moray. In 1163 King Malcolm IV defeated the men of Moray and Moray was soon absorbed by the kingdom of Scotland. Malcolm drove out the troublemakers (of the men of Moray). Many of those driven out took refuge in the south and west, while others moved northwards into what is now Caithness and Sutherland, still then under Norse rule. The last of the Celtic kings of Scotland was Alexander III (r. 1249 – 1285). Scotland, between 1236 and 1310, was in a state of turmoil and in constant warring with England. The Normans were already part Celtic and readily fitted in with the Scottish Celts. The use of surnames or descriptive names appears to have commenced in France about the year 1000. Such names were introduced into Scotland through the Normans during the next 50 years, and then only occasionally used until they became commonly used in the mid-twelfth century. According to William Stewart in a general council Forfar, Scotland in 1061 AD during the reign of King Malcolm Ceannmor (Canmore), he directed his chief subjects to adopt the use of surnames from their territorial possession after the custom of other nations. It is also known that during the early period after 1066, many Norman Knights acquired vast estates in Scotland through intermarriage with Celtic heiresses. The population of Scotland was very sparse. The majority were Celts, mainly north of the Forth and Clyde and in the southwest. There were Norsemen (Vikings) in Caithness, Sutherland and the Western Isles, Anglo-Saxons in Lothian; and along the east coast in the port cities (actually colonies of foreign merchants) of Inverness, Elgin, Aberdeen, Perth, Montrose, Dundee, Edinburgh and Berwick. The country was wilder, having vast forests of the native Scottish pine in abundance which were dark and impenetrable, where wolves and wild boars roamed and wide wastes of moor and bog, mountain and water covered much of the land. Transport was mostly by pack horse along tracks which were sometimes impassable in winter. The Feudal system was introduced into the Celtic kingdom of Scotland by David I on assuming his throne in 1124. Foe the next 600 years, the Feudal system was in constant conflict with the Clan system that had been developing in the Highlands. Under the Feudal system all land belonged to the King. He governed by leasing large provinces to his leading noblemen in return for their loyalty and, in time of war, armed knights to defend the Crown. These lands were further subdivided to smaller estates leased to knights and gentlemen for the same security and loyalty. These estates were further leased to others with husbandmen and serfs to tend the land and serve their masters and in times of war with shield and spear. The great Celtic landowners, who had previously held their land by tribal custom, had their possessions and privileges confirmed by charters from the Crown. There was orderly transitions – no landlords were deposed and land grants were from estates where native families had died out as well as other estates confiscated by the Crown. The central government was provided through agents of the King – chamberlain, justiciar, and sheriffs. The sheriffs, some 30 in number, were the Kings Royal agents in the local districts into which the kingdom was divided. They were the sinews of the administration, presiding over courts for free men to use, collecting and accounting for royal revenues, and supervising the Royal castles in their sheriffdoms. They were appointed by the King and usually were earls and barons who were already prominent landowners in their areas. In 1295, Donald Calder – 1st recorded Thane of Cawdor, was one at the inquest on the extent for valuation of Lands of Kilravock and Easter Geddes, in the parish of Nairn, the property of his neighbour, Hugh Rose of Kilravock, on the feast of Saint Lawrence. During the late 15th century the family estate (of Calder) was one of the most valuable and extensive in the north of Scotland. In about 1437 under the rule of King James II, the younger male family members (of Calder ) appear to have sought public service in the south of Scotland. Thane William Calder – 7th Thane of Cawdor,… who died in 1503, ….had frequent strife with his neighbour, the Baron of Kilravock, aften at deadly feud. A crisis arose when Thane William seized Kilravock’s eldest son, putting him ward in the Cawdor castle dungeon. Kilravock appealed to the Earl of Huntly, the King’s Lieutenant. A Royal warrant was issued to command Thane William to set young Kilravock at liberty. During the 1490’s, Thane William had several other ‘close scrapes’ with the law. ……….However, the most critical occurred on 26th April 1494, when he …..and others……..were tried and found guilty in the circuit court at Aberdeen for certain acts of alleged criminal actions. They were sentenced to be beheaded. However, on 25 October 1494, King James IV again pardoned him……….. A son of Thane William Calder – 7th of Cawdor was Alexander of Clunas, youngest, who m. Elizabeth Rose on 6 May 1515 at Auldearn. His descendants became tenants of the Hilltown of Raite. John Calder – 8th Thane of Cawdor m. Isabella Rose, daughter of Baron Hugh Rose Jr. of Kilravock by an indenture made on 10 May 1494. John obtained a charter on 2 Nov 1494 for the Cawdor Thanedom. According to Kilravock Castle records, John Calder died in December 1494. a.. A daughter, Jonet was born and soon died. b.. Several months after Thane John’s death, Muriel was born and become sole heir to the Calder estate. Muriel Calder – 9th Thane (Thaness) of Cawdor: According to a Charter in 1573, Muriel, then 79 years old, was born in 1494. When her father John Calder (last of the Calder Thanes) died, the thanedom passed to his infant, Muriel. According to Lord Cawdor (1993), Muriel, the daughter of John and Isobel Rose (of Kilravock Castle) Cadler, inherited the estate and an opulent fortune. Kilravock projected to marry her to his grandson and took her mother and her into his family. Archibald Campbell, 2nd earl of Argyll heard of Kilravock’s plan and contrived to bring her into the family of Argyll. He soon found an opportunity of effecting the union. The younger Kilravock in 1492 joined Duncan, Laird MacIntosh in spoiling the lands of Alexander Urquhart of Cromarty and was criminally prosecuted by Cromarty. Argyll who was Justice General in Scotland got Kilravock assoilzied and discharged with a fine of 800 merks. To obtain this favor Kilravock agreed to deliver Muriel to Argyll. Argyll and Hugh Rose of Kilravock, Muriel’s uncle, were appointed tutors dative and ward of her marriage by King James IV by Royal grant on 16 January 1495. Muriel was kept in the House of Kilravock, and Argyll gave a bond of maintenance and friendship to Kilravock on 1 February 1499. Best regards George F. Rose