Malcolm MacDuff

MALCOLM Macduff (-1266). John of Fordun’s Scotichronicon (Continuator) records the death in 1228 of "Malcolmus comes de Fyfe" and the succession of "Malcolmus nepos eius, filius…fratris eius"[338]. He succeeded his uncle in 1230 as Earl of Fife.

He was one of the Guardians of the Realm in 1255[348]. A charter dated 1316 records an inquiry into the homage sworn by the earls of Fife to Dunfermline monastery and names "predecessores dni Duncani tunc comitis de Fif" as "dñs Malcolm…comitis de Fif…dñs Colban comes de Fif filius et heres predicti dni Malcolmi…Dunc comes de Fyf fil predicti dni Colbani"[349]. m [firstly] as her first husband, --- of Wales, [illegitimate] daughter of LLEWELYN ap Iorwerth Fawr ("the Great") Prince of North Wales & [his mistress ---] (before [1230]-). John of Fordun’s Scotichronicon (Continuator) records the death in 1228 of "Malcolmus comes de Fyfe" and the succession of "Malcolmus nepos eius, filius…fratris eius", adding that the latter later married "filiam Leulini regis Walliæ"[350]. The Chronicle of Melrose records the death in 1230 of "Malcolm earl of Fife" and the succession of "his nephew Malcolm, the son of his brother", adding that the latter "afterwards married the daughter of Leulin"[351]. The Chronicle of Lanercost records the death in 1229 of "comes de Fif, Malcolmus", the succession of "nepos eiusdem…Malcolmus", adding that the latter married "filia Leulini senioris domini Walliæ"[352]. The last source is the only one of the three which does not state that the new earl’s marriage was later than his succession. Her birth date is estimated from her having given birth to her known son in [1244/46], which suggests that the couple married at least ten years after Malcolm became earl. It is assumed that she was illegitimate. If she had been her father’s legitimate daughter, the absence in the sources of any reference to her descent from John King of England would be surprising. [m secondly HELEN, daughter of --- (-after 16 Feb 1295). This marriage of the widow of Malcolm Earl of Fife is confirmed by the documents under which "Elenæ comitissæ de Marre" accounted for payment of "xl s pro parte dotis suæ" in the accounts of lands formerly belonging to Duncan Earl of Fife 20 Nov 1293 and 16 Feb 1294[353]. It is not certain that this widow of Earl Malcolm was the same person as his wife who was the daughter of Prince Llywelyn. The birth of Earl Malcolm’s son Colban is estimated to [1244/46]. However, Earl Malcolm’s widow had four known children by her second husband. This would mean that she gave birth to children over an approximately thirty year span, which although not impossible would be unusual. In addition, it seems unlikely that Earl Donald would have married, as his first marriage, a woman who would have been more than 35 years old. She married secondly Donald Earl of Mar.] Earl Malcolm & his [first?] wife had one child: 1. COLBAN Macduff ([1244/46]-1270).