General Notes

Duncan I (d. Aug. 1, 1040, near Elgin, Moray, Scot.), king of the Scots from 1034 to 1040. Duncan was the grandson of King Malcolm II (ruled 1005-34), who irregularly made him ruler of Strathclyde when that region was absorbed into the Scottish kingdom (probably shortly before 1034). Malcolm violated the established system of succession whereby the kingship alternated between two branches of the royal family. Upon Malcolm's death, Duncan succeeded peacefully, but he soon faced the rivalry of Macbeth, Mormaor (subking) of Moray, who probably had a better claim to the throne. Duncan besieged Durham unsuccessfully in 1039 and in the following year was murdered by Macbeth. Duncan's elder son later killed Macbeth and ruled as King Malcolm III Canmore (1058-93).

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The following information was given in a post-em by Curt Hofemann, curt_hofemann@@yahoo.com:

FWIW:

1034-1040: King of Scots [Ref: Tapsell p180, Weis AR7 170:20]
King of Scots [Ref: Moncreiffe p20]
1018-1034: King of Strathclyde [Ref: Paget p153]
1034: King of Scots [Ref: Paget p153]
1034: Duncan, the son of Crinan, abbot of Dunkeld, and Bethoc, daughter of Malcolm, the son of Kenneth, reigned six years [Ref: Weis AR 170:20]

1038 or 1039: Ealdred, Earl of Northumbria, invaded Strathclyde, perhaps in an attempt to wrest it from the Scots. Duncan responded in 1040 with an attack on Durham. Like his grandfather's attack in 1006, it ended in disaster, with Scottish forces fleeing, and Scottish heads decorating the Durham marketplace. This defeat seems to hae weakened his authority so severely that Macbeth of the Cenel Loairn was able to defeat and kill him in battle near Elgin [Ref: Davidson 1995]

Donnchad mac CrÌn·in (Duncan I), king of Scotland (Alba), 1034-1040. Duncan I succeeded his maternal grandfather Malcolm II as king in 1034, and was made famous in literature as the victim of Shakespeare's Macbeth, based on the historical king Mac Bethad mac Findl·ech, who killed Duncan in battle in 1040. [Ref: Henry Project]

Duncan I (c. 1010-1040).  King of Scots (1034-40), succeeding his grandfather Malcolm II.  At his accession Duncan was already king of Stratyclyde, which thus became united to Scotia.  In 1040 Duncan unsuccessfully besieged Durham and was twice defeated by Thorfinn, earl of Orkney, before being killed by Macbeth. [Ref: Dict of Brit History]

Duncan, who was not a good old king but a headstrong young one, succeeded in 1034, but, having prejudiced his position by a failure against Durham (1039) was killed by his rival in 1040. [A History of Scotland by J.D. Mackie]

Malcolm II's grandson Duncan became King of Strathclyde, as one of a line of Scottish sub-Kings of the small neighboring kingdom.  When Malcolm died in 1034, Duncan succeeded him, and thus the kingdoms of Scotia, Lothian and Strathclyde were at last united.

ÖDuncan was quite young, probably about thirty-three, when he succeeded his grandfather.  At the time of his death in 1040 his two sons, Malcolm and Donald Ban (or Donaldbain), were small children.

Macbeth, who was slightly younger than his cousing the King, had, according to the rule of tanistry (any mature male of the royal kindred was eligible for the kingship if he were rigdomnae - 'the stuff of kings'), an equally good claim to the throne by right of birth, though Duncan had apparently succeeded as their grandfather's chosen heir.  In 1040 Macbeth asserted his claim by force of arms, slew Duncan in battle and made himself king. [The Kings and Queens of Scotland]

Marriage to Sibyla, a relative of Earl Siward of Northumbria, provided Duncan's son Malcolm a valuable ally in his efforts to wrest the Scottish kingship from Macbeth [Ref: Davidson 1995]

Duncan, son of Bethoc or Beatrice, daughter of Malcolm II, succeeded his grandfather in the year 1033. "In the extreme north, dominions more extensive than any Jarl of the Orkneys had hitherto acquired, were united under the rule of Thorfinn, Sigurd's son, whose character and appearance have been thus described: - 'He was stout and strong, but very ugly, severe and cruel, but a very clever man'. The extensive districts then dependant upon the Moray Maormors were in possession of the celebrated Macbeth". Duncan, in 1033, desiring to extend his dominions southwards, attacked Durham, but was forced to retire with considerable loss. His principal struggles, however, were with his powerful kinsman, Thorfinn, whose success was so great that he extended his conquests as far as the Tay. "His men spread over the whole conquered country", says the Orkneyinga Saga, "and burnt every hamlet and farm, so that not a cot remained. Every man that they found they slew; but the old men and women fled to the deserts and woods, and filled the country with lamentation. Some were driven before the Norwegians and made slaves. After the Earl Thorfinn returned to his ships, subjugating the country everywhere in his progress". Duncan's last battle, in which he was defeated, was in the neighbourhood of Burghead, near the Moray Firth; and shortly after this, on the 14th August, 1040, he was assassinated in Bothgowanan, - which in Gaelic, is said to mean "the smith's hut", - by his kinsman the Maormor Macbeda or Macbeth. Duncan had reigned only five years when he was assassinated by Macbeth, leaving two infant sons, Malcolm and Donal, by a sister of Siward, the Earl of Northumberland. The former fled to Cumberland, and the latter took refuge in the Hebrides, on the death of their father.  [Ref: 110 Electric Scotland]

Electric Scotand can be found at (URL may  have  changed):
http://www.electricscotland.com/index.htmhttp://www.electricscotland.com/index.htm

Jim, should you require further definition of my refs, let me know & I will  oblige.

Regards,
Curt