William_Oliphant,_Lord_of_Aberdalgie
Sir William Oliphant (died 1329), Lord of Aberdalgie and Dupplin,[lower-alpha 1] was a Scottish magnate, knight and leader during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Sir William Oliphant | |
---|---|
Lord of Aberdalgie | |
Died | 1329 |
Noble family | Clan Oliphant |
Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Bruce |
Father | William Oliphant |
Oliphant fought at the Battle of Dunbar in 1296, where the Scots, under their king John Balliol, were defeated by the invading English.[1] Following the battle he was captured and taken to Rochester Castle in England where he was imprisoned.[2] He was released after agreeing to serve King Edward I of England overseas.[2] He returned to Scotland where he was second in command of Stirling Castle under his cousin of the same name, Sir William Oliphant.[lower-alpha 2][3] During the siege of 1304, when the castle was attacked by the forces of Edward I of England, the garrison eventually surrendered to the English.[4] He was captured once again, this time being imprisoned at Wallingford Castle[2] while his cousin the commander was imprisoned in the Tower of London.[5] In this same year all of Scotland with the exception of William Wallace had sworn fealty to Edward I.[6]
For 110 shillings, as "William Olyfaunt, Knight",[lower-alpha 3] he was bonded by Hugh le Despenser, the elder and remained in England until 1313.[2] He had a safe conduct to return to Scotland on 21 October of that year and was a witness to a charter of King Robert the Bruce in February 1314–15.[7] He was one of the signatories to the Declaration of Arbroath on 6 April 1320 and his seal is still visible.[lower-alpha 4][8]
Sir William's tomb is in Aberdalgie Churchyard, in Perthshire, within the site of the original church.[9] The effigy is made from "Tournai marble" from northern France or Flanders.[10] The grave lies at the furthest corner of the churchyard close to a small stream.
He left his estates to his son Walter. These included Dupplin, Hedderwick and Cranshaws which he inherited from his Oliphant predecessors; Aberdalgie, Turin, Glensaugh, Pitkerie and Gallery which apparently came into the family from a Wishart heiress; Gasknes, Newtyle, Kinpurnie, Auchtertyre, Balcrais, Muirhouse and Hazelhead acquired as gifts from the King.[11]
The name of Sir William's wife is Isabel Douglas, they had a son:
- Sir Walter Oliphant (Olifaunt) of Aberdalgie and Dupplin, he married Elizabeth, the youngest daughter of King Robert I (Bruce) de Brus.[12] Their descendant, Sir Laurence Oliphant of Aberdalgie, was created Lord Oliphant in 1456.[13]
- In the list of defenders his cousin is called Domini Williellmus Olyfard [lord William Oliphant] while he is listed secondly as Willielmus de Dupplyn, milites [William of Dupplin, knight]. See John Donald Carrick, Life of Sir William Wallace of Elderslie, Volume 2 (Edinburgh: Constable & Co., 1830), p. 137.
- Archibald Hamilton Dunbar, Scottish kings: a revised chronology of Scottish history, 1005-1625, Second Edition (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1906), p. 116
- The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, Vol. VI, Ed. James Balfour Paul (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909), p. 533
- Alexander Hastie Millar, The historical castles and mansions of Scotland: Perthshire and Forfarshire (London: Alexander Gardner, 1890), p. 127
- Ronald McNair Scott, Robert the Bruce, King of Scots (New York: Carrol & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1992), p. 64
- The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, Vol. VI, Ed. James Balfour Paul (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909), p. 532
- John of Fordun's Chronicle of the Scottish Nation, Ed. William F. Skene (Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas, 1872), p. 329
- The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, Vol. VI, Ed. James Balfour Paul (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909), pp. 533-4
- Bruce A. McAndrew, Scotland's Historic Heraldry (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2006). p. 144
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Aberdalgie and Dupplin Parish Church (Category B Listed Building) (LB5859)". Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- John Gifford, Perth and Kinross: The Buildings of Scotland (New Haven & London: The Yale University Press, 2007), p. 134
- The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, Vol. VI, Ed. James Balfour Paul (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909), p. 534
- The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, Vol. VI, Ed. James Balfour Paul (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909), pp. 536-7
- George Edward Cokayne, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or Dormant, Vol VI, (London: George Bell & Sons, 1895), p. 120