King David's Hunts Holdings

[castlebob]

Hello All,

I gather that when King David took the Scottish crown in 1124 he took many of his Norman followers from Hunts & Northants north of the border with him.
Do any tecords exist showing his holdings in Hunts, plus names of those who relocated in Scotland?

Cheers,

Bob

[bedfordshire boy]

Is there any evidence that David ever lived in Hunts, Beds or Northants? Did he actually have Norman followers in these counties?  He acquired land in these counties through marriage in 1113 to Maud, daughter and heiress of Waltheof, Earl of Northumberland. I imagine he was more of an absentee landlord.

ODNB says " Probably already while ruler of southern Scotland, during his brother's reign, he established followers from Normandy and England, such as Robert (I) de Brus (d. 1142), Hugh de Morville and Ranulf de Soulles, as lords of substantial portions of the princely demesne of Cumbria" I don't read this as meaning that they actually followed him to Scotland.

Doubtless Victoria County History of Hunts will have details of manors in which he had an interest, but it might be difficult to extract the information as I'm not aware of a facility to search by a name to see what property was owned. It might be easier to research Waltheof to see what lands he owned.

They were my 26xg grandparents.

David

[castlebob]

Thanks David.
I've never seen refs to David living in those counties. I vaguely recall that he granted land to some of his English 'followers', but have never seen any proof of that.
As you say, the term 'followers' may merely mean something looser than literally following him north.
As they were your 26x grandparents, I've bent my knee while typing!
Cheers,
Bob

[castlebob]

Just gone through some old notes & found this ref, David:

'He (David) had been made Earl  & had been given control of lands in Huntingdon. When he went to Scotland he brought many Norman nobles with him & gave lands to Norman families, many of whom had been tenants on his English estate'.

I have this ref as via Dumfries Museum.

Bob