General Notes

Name Suffix:<NSFX> Earl of Sutherland
WILLIAM (MORAY, afterwards SUTHERLAND), 1st son and heir of Hugh FRESKINor MORAY, lord of Duffus and Strabrock, who had acquired by grant, orotherwise, a large tract of land in Sutherland before 1211 and died inter1214 and 1222, when William, as "Lord of Sutherland and son and heir ofthe late Hugh Freskin," confirmed his father's grant of lands circa 1211to Gilbert Moray, Archdeacon of Moray. He attests in 1226 as William deMoravia, in 1229 as William de Moravia, Knight, and in September 1232 asWilliam of Sutherland. It is suggested that he was created EARL OFSUTHERLAND in 1235, "though as to the true date of creation there is noevidence whatever, but that he was Earl is proved by a later writ." Thename and parentage of his wife are not recorded. He is said to have diedin 1248 and to have been buried in the Cathedral of Dornoch. [CompletePeerage XII/1:537-8]

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William, son of the preceding, describes himself after his father's deathas Lord of Sutherland, son and heir of the late Hugh Freskin. He wastherefore the eldest son, and took the largest share of his father'spossessions. He confirmed his father's charter of Skelbo and the otherlands to Archdeacon Gilbert, at some date between 1211 and 1222. It isapparently he who is a witness in 1226 and 1299 as William de Moravia andWilliam de Moravia, Knight. In September 1232 he appears as William ofSutherland. This would agree with the suggestion that he was not createdEarl of Sutherland until 1235, though as to the true date of creationthere is no evidence whatever, but that he was Earl is proved by a laterwrit. Sir Robert Gordon, in his history of the family, states that thisEarl William, of whom there is almost no notice in public record, was agreat help to Gilbert, Bishop of Caithness, in the building of thecathedral of Dornoch and in the erection of canonries by appointing themlands and tithes to the Earl's 'great cost and charges.' This iscorroborated by Bishop Gilbert's arrangement of the diocese, stillpreserved at Dunrobin Castle. It is not dated, but was drawn up probablynot long after 1222. The Bishop states that hitherto, owing to thepoverty of the place, and because of frequent hostile commotion, only asingle priest had ministered in the church of Dornoch. He now proposed tobuild a cathedral there at his own expense, and ha appointed ten canons,and for their maintenance and his own he set apart twenty parishchurches, with their emoluments. It is quite clear he would have beenunable to do this without encouragement and aid from the Earl. He and theBishop, however, before the latter's death in 1245, had a dispute as tosome lands. The merits of the quarrel are unknown, but it was not finallysettled for many years afterwards. Sir Robert Gordon describes this Earlas taking part in an encounter with a marauding band of Norsemen, whowere defeated at Embo, and driven back to their ships, the Earl's kinsmanRichard Moray being killed in the fray. Fut the story is doubtful, as SirRichard Moray survived the Earl, and the tradition seems rather to referto an incident of the year 1263. The first Earl is said to have died in1248 and was buried in the south side of the cathedral of Dornoch. [TheScots Peerage VIII:322-323]