General Notes

REFN: 2103AN
REFN: P2103
Richard Comyn (d. c 1179) was a Scottish noble, the son of William de Com
yn (d. before 1140) , of Fonthill, Wiltshire, and Maud Basset. His fath
er was among the Norman landowners who emigrated to Scotland by invitati
on of King David I of Scotland, who also held land in England as Earl of H
untingdon. This Comyn family were direct male descendants of Robert Comin
e, Earl of Northumbria. Richard is known to have had 3 brothers: William (
d. 1142), Osbert (d. 1144) and Walter, who is mentioned in a monastic char
ter from of 1162 or earlier, from Hexham Abbey .
Richard was probably born between 1115 and 1123. In 1144 William Comyn ga
ve him Northallerton Castle, which had had built a few years earlier. T
he following year, Richard was married to Hextilda, the daughter of Uchtre
d, Lord of Tynedale, and his wife Bethoc ingen Domnaill Bain, the daught
er of King Donald III of Scotland.
In Scotland, he acquired the position of Justiciar of Lothian: he witness
ed 6 charters for King Malcolm IV and 33 for King William I. He was captur
ed with King William in 1174 and was a hostage for him in the Treaty of Fa
laise. He gave, with Hextida's consent, lands to the monks at Hexham, Kel
so and Holyrood. He died between 1179 and 1182. Hextilda remarried to Má
el Coluim, Earl of Atholl.
Richard had four sons by Hextilda:
John, dead between 1152 and 1159, and buried at Kelso Abbey.
William, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan.
Odinel (also called Odo), a priest, witness to Richard's charters to relig
ious houses in 1162 and 1166.
Simon, mentioned in the 1166 charter to the Augustinians in Holyrood.
and three daughters:
Idonea
Ada
Christien
His daughters were witnesses to a donation made by Máel Coluim, Earl of At
holl and their mother Hextilda to the Church of St Cuthbert in Durham.