ALPIN ( -bef839)

1 ALPIN^1,2,3 ( -bef839) [14572]. Died btw 0836 and 0839.

from Ireland in Early Mediaeval Europe edited by Dorothy Whitelock, Rosamond McKitterick and D. N. Dumville, 1982.

"As to Eoganan's eligibility for Pictish kingship, his case is parallel to that of his cousin, Drest son of Constantine; however we explain it, it seems to require some weakening in matrilineal custom. The fact that Eoganan was strong enough to reunite the two kingships in his own person suggests that, had he livedm he might have become the founder of a permanent patrilineal dynasty of a united kingdom. The possibility, if it was one, was extingujished in the disastrous battle of 839. With his death and that of his brother the partilineal descendants of Fergus of Dalriada came to an end, so far as we knowm and the Daldrian kingship appartnely passed to Eoganan's second cousinm Kenneth's father, Alpin son of Eochaid son of Aed Find. At the same time the Pictish kingship passed to a man with a Pictish-seeming name and patronymic, Uurad (Ferat(h) in hibernicized texts) son of Bargoit. At the end of his three year's reign (839-42) Alpin's son Kenneth, in the words of the Scottisn Chronicle, came to Pictavia'. This source makes it clear that Kenneth's reign in Pictavia was counted from 842, sixteen years before he died, and a sixteen-year reign is supported by the evidence of regnal lists. The Scottish Chronicle adds that before he came to Pictavia he had held the Dalriete regnum for two years (840-2)."

from Caledonia: or, A Historical and
Topographical Account of North Britain by George Chalmers, 1887.

"Alpin probably derived his name, which has obscured history and misled inquiry, from his mother Urgusia, a Pictish princess. Over the Pidts reighen contemporary with Alpin, Drest the son of Constantin, his cousin, and Talargan, who disputed Constantin's authority. Alpin would naturally support his relation, who appears to have prevailed over his antagonist. The sagacity of Alpin seems to have perceived the weakness of his neighbors beyond the Clyde, and his ambition appears to have propted a desire to reign over richer people and more extensive domains. In 836 he set sail from Kintyre, and landed on the coast of Kyle within the bay of Ayr. According to the odious practice of a savage age, he laid waste the country between the Ayr and Doon, before the people and their chiefs could meet him in conflict. Following the course of these rivers he penetrated to teh ridge which separates Kyle from Galloway, and here he met his appropriate fate, during a sharp struggle, from the obscure weapon of an enraged chief near the site of Laicht castle, which derived its singular name from the stone of Alpin. His grave stone was still known and recognized three centuried and a half after he had finished his career, and left his claims to his more fortunate successor. Yet is Alpin supposed by Scottish history, to have fallen in asserting his title to the Pictish throne after the death of his cousin Uven, in right of his mother Urgusia. But this supposition is inconsistent with events, and is rejected by chronology. The succession to Uven did not open to Alpin, as he fell in 839, three years before the demise of Uven in 839 A.D.".

2 EOCHAID^4,5,6,7 ( -826) [14574]. Died 0826.⁵ Buried Icolmkill, Scotland (Island of Iona) also Hyona.^3,7

From The American Historical Magazine, Publishing Society of New York, 1908.

"Eocha-Annunie [Eochaid], another son of Aodh-fin [Aed Find], reestablished the line of the Gauran branch. This Eocha IV. is the Archains of the Latin annalists, His reign began in a period of civil war, but he held himself firmly in power and strengthened the royal position of his family. He died in 826 after a prosperous reign of thirty years. He married Urgusia, daughter of Urgusia and sister of Constantin who ruled the Piets from 791 to 821 and of Ungas who ruled the same tribes in 821-30. By this marriage he laid the foundations for the alliance of the Scots and Picts that was realized when Kenneth McAlpin, his grandson, rose to power."

From The History of Scotland by James Carruthers, 1826.

"Achains, renowned afar and beloved at home, died in the thirty-second year of his reign, and was intered in Hyona; his friend Charlemagne died four yreas before him, having reigned over the Franks forty-seven years, and been emperor of the Romans fourteen.".

4 Aed FIND^4,5,8,9 (725-778) [14575]. Born 0725.¹⁰ Died 0778.¹⁰

From The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens by Mike Ashley, 2012.

"AED FIND (the FAIR) ruled Dal Riata, 750-78. The name Aed is of ancient Celtic origin. It is derived from Aodh, the Celtic sun god, and means "fire". Aed Find was the son of EOCHAID (III) and was probably a child when his father died in 733, and when ANGUS, king of the Picts, defeated the ruling families of Dal Riata and claimed overlordship in 736. In the subsequent fourteen years there were several skirmishes between the Scots and the Picts, in one of which it is suggested that the sons of FIANNAMAIL were killed. By 750, however, we may presume that Aed was in his twenties. In that year Angus was defeated by ITUDEBUR of Strathclyde. Aed seized the opportunity and re-established himself in Dal Riata. His claim seems to have gone unchallenged, as Angus had enough problems to contend with. Eventually, in 768, Aed led an army against Angus's successor, CINIOD. Although the battle at Fortriu was inconclusive it resulted in acceptance by Ciniod of Aed's authority in Dal Riata. He established a period of stability amongst the Scots that had been unknown since the reigns of AEDAN and EOCHAID BUIDE over a hundred and fifty years before. This enabled Aed to govern his kingdom and establish a set of laws which were incorporated as the laws of Alba by DONALD (I) a hundred years later. In addition to his nickname "the Fair", Aed was known as Aed Airechtech, "of the assemblers".

8 EOCHAID III^5,8,9,10,11 ( -733) [14578]. Died 0733.^5,9,10,11

From Caledonia, Or an Account, Historical and Topographic, of North Britain by George Chalmers, 1807 .

"Eocha III, the son of Eocha II, who is remembered for his protuberant nose, became King of King of Kintire, as we have seen, on the death of Duncha, the little. Eocha was of the Fergusian race of Gauran. He had to execute the arduous task of maintaining a civil war against such an antagonist as Selvach. These domestic conflicts seem to have been closed, after the battle of Air-Gialla, by a commodious compromise, which the safety of the tribes may have sought., and the interest of the families dictated. It is certain, from the series of the kings, that the two houses of Fergus, and Loarn, furnished a sovereign, for the Dalriadinian kingdom, by a sort of alternate choice, though each several tribe, and individual prince, yielded but a slight obedience to the reigning king. The death of Selvach transferred the government of Loarn to Eocha; and, from this transfer, the whole Scoto-Irish kingdom became again united in the sceptre of Eocha. Eocha III died in 722 A.D., after a reign of nine years over Kintyre, and Argail, and of four years over all the Daldriadinian tribes."

From The American Historical Magazine, Publishing Society of New York, 1908.

"Eocha III, son of Eocha-Rineval asserted his rights to the succession in 720, and finally in 729 was able to overthrow all his rivals, the whole Scottish-Irish Kingdom becoming united under him. After a reign of nine years over Kintyre and Argyle, and four years over all the Daldriadinian tribes, he died in 733. Following his death a contending faction again seized the sceptre and held if for six years.".

3 URGUSIA^2,3,5 ( - ) [14576].

From Caledonia: or, A Historical and Topographical Account of North Britain by George Chalmers, 1887. This tells us that Alpin's mother was Urgusia, a Pictish princess, and that he died in battle near Laicht-castle (which is near Galloway, Scotland) in 839. There is some debate among scholars about this date with some claiming that it occurred in 836.

7 URGUSIA⁵ ( - ) [14577].

Sources

1	"On Some Antiquities in the Neighbourhood of Duncht House Aberdeenshire by George Forrest Browne, 1921".

2	"Caledonia: or, A Historical and Topographical Account of North Britain by George Chalmers, 1887".

3	"Miscellanae Scotica, Volume 1, 1818".

4	"Ireland in Early Mediaeval Europe edited by Dorothy Whitelock, Rosamond McKitterick and D. N. Dumville, 1982".

5	"The American Historical Magazine, Publishing Society of New York, 1908".

6	"Miscellanae Scotica, Volume 1, 1818 ".

7	"The History of Scotland by James Carruthers, 1826".

8	"Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia edited by John T. Koch, 2006".

9	"The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens by Mike Ashley, 2012".

10	"Of Kindred Celtic Origins by Jodie K. Scales, 2001".

11	"Caledonia, Or an Account, Historical and Topographic, of North Britain by George Chalmers, 1807 ".