GILLEBRIDESON, Lord Somerled b. 1113 Morven, Argyll, Scotland d. 1 Jan 1164 Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland

1113 - 1164 (51 years)

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Name	GILLEBRIDESON, Somerled
Prefix	Lord
Birth	1113	Morven, Argyll, Scotland
Gender	Male
Burial	Jan 1164	Saddell, Argyleshire, Scotland
Death	1 Jan 1164	Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland
WAC	15 Mar 1894
_TAG	Reviewed on FS
Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
Person ID	I50299	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

Father	ADOMNAN, Gillibride Mac Gille , b. 1085, Ireland Irelandd. 1123 (Age 38 years)
Mother	SIGURDSDOTTIR, Ellen , b. 1090, Orkney, Scotland Orkney, Scotlandd. 4 Jun 1164, Kincardineshire, Scotland (Age 74 years)
Family ID	F25473	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Ragnhildis , b. 1117, Isle of Man, Argyll, Scotland Isle of Man, Argyll, Scotland

Marriage 1140 Scotland

Children 5 sons and 1 daughter

	1. Olave , b. Abt 1147, Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland
+	2. GILLEBRIDE, Lord Reginald , b. Abt 1148, Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland Morven, Argyleshire, Scotlandd. Apr 1207, Kintyre, Argyll, Scotland (Age 59 years)
	3. Gal Macsgillen , b. Abt 1149, Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland
	4. IONA, Beatrice , b. Abt 1151, Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland Morven, Argyleshire, Scotlandd. Iona, Argyleshire, Scotland
+	5. SOMERLEDSON, Angus , b. Abt 1145, Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland Morven, Argyleshire, Scotlandd. 1210, Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland (Age 65 years)
	6. SOMERLEDSSON, Dugall Regulus , b. Abt 1153, Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland Morven, Argyleshire, Scotland

Family ID F22262 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 24 Jan 2022

Photos At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

Notes

THE PATRIARCHAL LINE OF EPHRAIM (Descent of the McDanells, McDonalds, McBrides and Somerled - Year 1100 all come from the same original name.) IV. Ragnhildis of Man married Somerled, Lord of the Island, who died in 1164 (Snorre Sturlason: "Heimskringle," pg. 702 James P. Paul: "Scots Peerage," Vol. V, pg. 30.) Somerled or Somhairle Mor MacGillebhride - Somerled drove the Norsemen from Oirthirgael (his mainland--Scottish--territories) to Innsigall (the islands), and assumed the title of Thane or Reglus of Argyll. Somerled married Ragnhildis (RIN7374), daughter of Olave the Red, King of Man and the Isles. Olave's son Godred, ruling tyrannically, his people revolted, and Somerled helping the revolt, defeated Godred on the Night of Epiphany 1156 AD and became Rex Insularum. He advanced against Malcolm IV., "The Maiden" King of Scotland, in 1164, and was treacherously murdered after the Battle of Renfrew which he fought against Malcolm IV, in that year. He is buried in the onastery (now ruined) of Saddell in Kintyre. Somerled Rex Insularum reigned over a kingdom extending from the butt of Lewis to the most southerly point of Man; but after his death Godred reappeared from Norway and regained possession of Man and the Northern Isles. Somerled, whose daughter Bethoc, or Beatrice, became Princess of Iona, left also three sons by Ragnhildis. Clann Cholla (later Clan Donald) successors to Godred, King of Sudereys and Man supplanted by Godred Crovan, 1075 to Sigtrig (Sygtrygg) to Ragnvald MacGofra d. 1004 to Olaf MacSitrio, "Rex Plurinarum Insularum" Killed at Brunanburgh 937 A.D. to Ketil Flatneb, emissary of Harald Haarfagr reg. 890-900. REF: Clan Donald by Donald J. Macdonald of Castleton Macdonald Publishers Loanhead: Midlothian: Scotland. Ref: Martha Thompson has extra generations - 3782 Alma Redding CA 96002 (not proven) -10th Generation John McDaniel Jr b 1720 m Mary Ely 64791/6488 -11th Gen. John McDaniel Sr. b VA 1720 m Ann Pasley 30351/6497 -12th Gen. John McDaniel b of Moyne, Ireland m Joan 38720/38721 -13th Gen. Daniel McDonnell b Antrim Ireland abt 1640 m Miss O'Brien 88719/38727 -14th Gen. Sir Alexander (Alexandera Carragh) McDonald of Kilconway & Moyne d.1634 Pedigree pg. 234 m. d/o Sir Colin Campbell of Carrick 38714 -15th Gen. Sir James of Dunluce 1601 knighted by King James IV of Scotland #38709 m Mary O'Brien (corrected to ONiel pg. 270 Turley) -16th Gen. Sorley Buideh (Sorele Boy) of Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, d 1590 (page 269 Turley) #38654 m. d/o Con Baccach O'Neil -17th Gen. Alexander (Alasdrum) #38642 b Ire/Lord/Route & Glens m Catherine MacCahalan of Derry -18th Gen. John (Eoin, Catanach, Eochaid) hanged 1499 #38644 Last McDonald of the Isles. King of the Hebedries m Cecelia Savage d/o Robert of Ards -19th Gen. John (Eoin) #38640 m Sarah d/o Phelin O'Neil L/Clanaboys #38725 (error) -20th Gen. Donald Ballach #38638, Lord of the Isles d 1423 (Pg. 232 Turley) m #38639 Joan d/o O'Donnell of Tirconnel -21st Gen. Eon OG m Marge #38636 d/o Bissett of the Glens of Antrim (p 227) -22nd Gen. John #24138 (Eoin Mor) m Mary d/o Robert III King/Scotland -23rd Gen. Shane -24th Gen. Randal -25th Gen. Aenos Og -26th Gen. Aongus Aneos m Campbell -27th Gen. Domhnill "World Might" of Hebrides & Cantyre -28th Gen. Alexander -29th Gen. Domhnall -30th Gen. Aongus (Aenas) -31st Gen. Randall s/o Sorley, Lord of Oergeal & Cantyre Founder of Cisterian Monastery and benefactor of the abbey of Pasley -32nd Gen. Somerled, Lord of the Isles. (From RIN 98091) Such is the strange story of a great ancient race. On the Island of Finlagan in Islay are still to be seen the relics of barbaric state amid which the Lords of the Isles for centuries were installed with regal ceremonies, and ruled with regal power. That power has long since passed away, but the blood of Somerled still runs in the veins of these heirs of the great MacDonald name. And that name and blood runs through the veins of many a Cape Breton, and United States lass and laddie. ------------------------------ In two battles in 1156 and 1158, as Lord of Argyll, he defeated the Manx, (Vikings) and added most of the Isles to his lordship Somerled was a descendant of Godfraidh mac Fergus, 'Lord of the Hebrides,' who dies in A.D. 853. Beyond that his ancestry can be traced to an ancient Irish princely family of the line of Colla Uais, high king of Ireland in the fourth century. His family had always been associated with the Scottish Dal Raita, but during the lifetime of his grandfather, Gille Adomnan, the ancestral lands had fallen into the hands of Norse invaders. Somerled's father, Gille Bride, had returned to Ireland to ask for help in winning back his inheritance. But it was Somerled, his 'good son,' who was the hero. Many stories tell of his rising from hiding to drive out the Norse from the western side of Scotland. It was he who was largely responsible for the great revival of Gaeldom in the twelfth century. Through him, Clan Donald could claim its rightful position: 'Ceannas nan Gaidheal' -- the Headship of the Gael. When Irish Celts began to colonize the south-western shores of Scotland they met with resistance from a much older Celtic people--the picts. The Picts were then an integrated mixed race of people--part indigenous, part Celtic incomers. By the fourth century they formed two identificable groups, north and south of the mountains which reached the sea at Aberdeen. For the next four centuries they dominated Scotland from the Forth to Caithness and had settled as far as Orkney and Shetland in then north, and the Uists in the West. Their material culture did not differ greatly from that of the Irish invaders -- both were tribal, kin-based, heroic societies. But Pictish language was a form of Celtic similar to British -- now called P-Celtic, from which Welsh derives--with vestiges of a still older tongue. They practised a non-Celtic matrilineal system of succession, by which descent was reckoned through the material kin group, a system which eventually broke down under Irish-Scottish influence. A succession of warrior kings wrought many devastating defeats on the incoming Irish Scots. For how long the Scots had been voyaging to the southwest is not clear, but by the beginning of the sixth century they had established themselves in Kintyre, Argyll and some of the Inner Isles. They called their kingdom Dal Riata, after the kingdom they still held in Ulster. The written language of both Scotland and Ireland was Classical Gaelic, although spoken Scottish Gaelic began to differ from Irish from the fourteenth century. Their political organization was territorial, ruled by kings and over kings. These were chosen from eligible males with a common great-grandfather, a system fraught with factional disputes, but one which ensured that only those who were truly leaders remained in power. Throughout their first three centuries on Scottish soil, the Dal Riatans attempted to consolidate their territory and expand it eastwards. With them came the exiled Collum Cille (Columba) who founded Iona in A.D. 563 and was to have such a profound influence on Gaelic culture. But the periods when they enjoyed freedom from Pictish domination were short, and by the middle of the eighth century Scottish Dal Riata was once again under Pictish control. Neither had they been able to hold on to their Irish territories: in A.D. 650 these were lost to Irish rivals and the Irish and Scottish Dal Riata went their separate ways, although the bond with Ireland remained strong and persists even today. In the mid-ninth century the tide began to turn for the Scots. A Dal Riadic king, Kenneth mac Alpin, became, in A.D. 850, the first king of Picts and Scots. Whether by virtue of ancestry, or by force of arms, Kenneth was crowned at Scone; the Picts lost forever their separate identity, and the Scots gave their name to a future. The transition from Pictish to Gaelic must have been very gradual, and in much of the country hardly felt at all. Angles, and later Normans, had a much greater impact on the south-east. The north and west were facing a new and powerful invasion from the sea- Norsemen. From late in the eighth century the western coastlands and islands of Scotland were subject to frequent raids from Viking longboats.The celtic churches, which were repositories of wealth and favored island and coastal sites, suffered particularly; Iona was attacked in A.D. 795, 802, 805 and at intervals throughout the ninth and tenth centuries. Settlement followed in the wake of raiding, as it had done earlier in Orkney and Shetland, and was to persist in the Western Isles, or the Southern Isles as they were known to the Vikings, for three centuries. The impact of Norse on the Gaelic speech of the islands was surprisingly little, but Hebridean place names bear witness to Norse occupation. But the most significant legacy the Vikings brought to their island kingdom was a material one --ships. The fast, flexible ships of the Vikings gave the Hebridean lords a new mastery of their sea kingdom, and a potent image for a lordship. A Gaelic aristocracy, some bearing Norse names, began to emerge in the tenth and eleventh centuries; no-longer a land based Dal Riata, but a race of vigorous independent chieftains who could choose to whom they gave their allegiance. Such a man was Somerled. SOMERLED - Somerled 'Bille Bride proceeded with (a party of his Irish Kindred) to Scotland, where they landed. They made frequent onsets and attacks on their enemies during their time of trouble, for their enemies were powerful and numerous at that time. All the islands from Man to the Orkneys, and all the borderland, from Dumbarton to Caithness in the north, were in the possession of the Danes (Norse); and such of the Gael of those lands as remained were protecting themselves in the woods and mountains, and at the end of the time Gille Bride had a good son, who had come to maturity and reknown.' His son was Somerled, the grandfather of Donald, progenitor of Clan Donald. (continued).