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IV. THE ST. CLAIR LINE OF THE EARLS OF ORKNEY.
WILLIAM ST. CLAIR of Roslin _m._ Isabella (?), daughter of Malise, Earl of Stratherne. _______________________________|____________ | | David. Henry, made Earl of Orkney 1379; _m._ (1) Elisabeth, daughter of Malise (the younger), Earl of Stratherne, Caithness, and Orkney; (2) Janet, daughter of Walter Haliburton of Dirleton; and _d. circa_ 1400. _________________________________________________|____________________ | | | | Margaret, m. to | Henry, Earl of Orkney, _m._ Egidia Douglas, John. James of Cragy. | daughter of Lord William Douglas; _d._ | _circa_ 1418. | | | Elisabeth, _m._ to | John de Drummond. | | William, Earl of Orkney, exchanged his rights to the Earldom of Orkney for the lands of Ravenscraig, 1471.
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It is said that the Orkney Islands were colonised in the days of Harald the Fairhaired,[223] but previously they were a station for Vikings.[224]
The first Earl of the Orkneys was called Sigurd. He was the son of Eystein Glumra (the loud-talking), and brother of Rögnvald, Earl of Moeri.[225]
After Sigurd his son Guttorm ruled one year.
Torf-Einar,[226] son of Earl Rögnvald, succeeded him. He was a man of great power, and was Earl a long time. Hálfdán Hálegg[227] (high-legs) made an expedition against Torf-Einar, and drove him from the Orkneys. Einar returned, and slew Hálfdán in Rinansey.[228] Thereupon King Harald brought an army over to the Orkneys. Then Einar fled to Scotland. King Harald made the Orkneymen swear oaths of fealty to him for themselves and all their possessions. The Earl and King Harald were afterwards reconciled. He became the King’s man, and held the land as a fief from him. He had, however, no tribute to pay, as there was much predatory warfare then in the islands; but he paid the king sixty marks of gold[229] (once for all). After this, King Harald made a raid on Scotland, as is told in the Glumdrapa.[230]
After Torf-Einar, Arnkell, Erlend, and Thorfinn Hausakliuf (skull-splitter), his sons, succeeded him. In their days Eirik Blódöx[231] (bloody axe) came over from Norway, and the Earls were his vassals. Arnkell and Erlend fell in battle,[232] but Thorfinn governed the land and became an old man. His sons were Arnfid, Hávard, Lödver, Ljót, and Skúli; their mother was Grélaug, daughter of Earl Dungad (Duncan) in Caithness.[233] Her mother was Gróa, daughter of Thorstein the Red.