Gunhilda of Dunbar
Gunhilda of Dunbar | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1120 Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland |
| Died | 12 May 1166 Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland |
| Spouse(s) | Uhtred of Galloway (d. 1174) |
| Father | Waltheof of Allerdale |
| Mother | Sigrid (surname unknown) |
Gunhilda of Dunbar (also spelled Gunnild or Gunhild; c. 1120 – 12 May 1166) was a 12th-century Scottish noblewoman. She was the daughter of Waltheof of Allerdale and married Uhtred of Galloway, becoming the matriarch of a branch that influenced the Anglo-Norman and Gaelic-Norse frontier of medieval Scotland.
Biography
Gunhilda was born around 1120 in Dunbar, the daughter of Waltheof of Allerdale—son of Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria—and his wife Sigrid.[1]
She married Uhtred of Galloway, who became joint Lord of Galloway in 1161. Together, they had at least four children:[1]
- Lochlann (Roland), Lord of Galloway (d. 1200)
- Eve of Galloway, wife of Walter de Berkeley
- Christina of Galloway, wife of William de Brus, 3rd Lord of Annandale
- Fergus (fl. 1196), a knight
Gunhilda died on 12 May 1166 in Dunbar. Her descendants became prominent figures in the Wars of Scottish Independence, including her grandson Robert the Bruce.[2]
Significance
Though few contemporary records survive about Gunhilda's personal actions, her influence rose through marriage and lineage. Her son Lochlann became a powerful regional magnate, and her daughter Christina of Galloway became an ancestor of the Bruce dynasty, linking Gunhilda to the Wars of Scottish Independence and the eventual rise of Robert the Bruce and the Scottish monarchy.[2]
References
- ^ a b Oram, Richard D. (2000). The Lordship of Galloway, c. 1000–c. 1250. John Donald. pp. 117–118. ISBN 9780859765189.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ a b McDonald, R. Andrew (1997). The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's Western Seaboard, c. 1100–c. 1336. Tuckwell Press. pp. 225–227. ISBN 978-1862320352.
Further reading
- Oram, Richard D. (2000). The Lordship of Galloway, c. 1000–c. 1250. John Donald. ISBN 978-0859765189.
- McDonald, R. Andrew (1997). The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's Western Seaboard, c. 1100–c. 1336. Tuckwell Press. ISBN 978-1862320352.
- Paul, James Balfour, ed. (1904). The Scots Peerage. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: David Douglas. pp. 134–135. Available at Archive.org