General Notes

Name Suffix:<NSFX> 2nd Earl of Buchan
Alexander Comyn, second Earl of Buchan (d 1289), constable of Scotland,was the son of William Comyn, earl of Buchan, the founder of Deer Abbey,and of Marjory, his second wife, who brought the title into the Comynfamily. His father's death in 1233, was soon succeeded by that of hismother, which put him into complete possession of the earldom. One of hisearliest acts probably was the confirmation of some grants of his parentsto the canons of St Andrews, to whom they had on several occasions beenbenefactors. He also confirmed grants of theirs to Arbroath. In 1244 hewas in the royal council, and in the same year was one guarantors of thepeace with England. He rose into power with the rise of his brother, theEarl of Menteith, during the minority of Alexander III. He became, likehis father, justiciary of Scotland, and though removed from court withthe rest of his family in 1255, regained power in 1257 as the result ofthe capture of the young king at Kinross. He signed the convention withthe Welsh. In 1258 Menteith's death made him the practical chief of thegreat Comyn family. In 1260 he appears among the parties to the agreementunder which the Queen of Scots visited her father's court for herconfinement. IN 1264 he was sent with Durward and Mar, after the battleof Largs, to reduce the wester islands that had taken sides with Haco,the Norse king. There they 'slew the Norwegian traitors and got greatplunder.' In 1264 the death of his father-in-law, the Earl of Winchester,gave him great additional possessions, both in England and Scotland.Earlier than 1266 he became sheriff of Wigton, so that with the Quincyestates in Galloway he must have been very powerful in southwestScotland. He was also bailiff of Dingwall and Inverary. In 1270 therenunciation of the claims of his elder sister-in-law, Margaret, countessof Derby, made him Winchester's undisputed successor in the office ofconstable of Scotland. In 1281 he took part in negotiating the marriageof Margaret, daughter of King Alexander, with Eric of Norway. In 1282 hewas sent on an important mission to the northern islands, 'propter guædamardua negotia nos et regnum nostrum tangentia.' On this account herequested to be excused from personal service with King Edward in Wales,and sent his son Roger instead with his contingent. King Alexandersupported his request which was doubtless granted. In 1283 he was thefirst mentioned of the grandees who at the parliament of Scone boundthemselves to maintain the succession of the Maid of Norway, and onAlexander's death, in March 1286, he became one of the six regents duringthe absence and minority of the infant queen. He was one of the threeappointed for the government of the north. He and his colleagues aredescribed as 'custodes regni Scotiæ de communi consilio constituti,' andas 'per communitatem regni electi.' He died in the summer of 1289, justbefore the critical times began. His last official signature as regent ison 10 July at Linlithgow; the next document of 5 Aug, only contains thenames of the other regents. He had married Elizabeth, sometimes calledIsabella, the second of three daughters and coheiresses of Roger deQuincy, earl of Winchester, by the sister of Devorguilla and coheiress ofAlan of Galloway. He had a large family, including four sons, namely Johnand Alexander, who successively succeeded him to the title, William andRoger, who fought against Llewelyn in 1282. His five daughters were allmarried to men of position. Wyntoun, however, makes the five ladies, andalso John and Alexander, children of William and grandchildren ofAlexander. Documentary evidence, however, proves John to have been theson of Alexander. [Dictionary of National Biography IV:911]

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Alexander (Comyn), Earl of Buchan, s and h by 2nd husband, one of themost powerful nobles of the time. Justiciar, 1251-55, and 1257-89. Heinherited large estates in Galloway, Fife, and the Lothians, and theoffi