2026/07/22 by Timothy Gordon Barclay
Arts and Humanities · #Medieval Literature and History #Historical Studies of British Isles #Scottish History and National Identity
paper · doi:10.9750/psas.155.1451
Although an ever-growing body of modern discoveries has corrected previous accounts of the ancestry of many medieval families, the Scottish Wars of Independence remain an era rich in historical figures of uncertain descent. In particular, with a better understanding of the important role women played during the long years of imprisonment, forfeiture and minorities that plagued many Scottish families of the era, reassessments of a variety of traditional accounts are now overdue. Isabel Stewart, countess of Mar, is one such individual of the age for whom far too little study has been conducted. The following article carefully reviews the relationships of Isabel and her children and the inheritances to which they succeeded, coupled with an extensive reconstruction of the Barclay family, employing traditional and genetic genealogy to investigate the kinship between them and Isabel’s son, Thomas, earl of Mar. As a result, the position of each as descendants and representatives of the Soules family of Liddesdale is exposed, offering a new perspective on some of the most enduring mysteries of 14th-century Scottish genealogy and history.