Morggán of Mar is the firstMormaer orEarl of Mar to appear in history as "more than a characterless name in a witness-list.".[1] He is often known asMorgrund orMorgan. His father wasGille Chlerig.
It is possible that Morggán participated in the so-calledRevolt of the Earls, a protest by some of the native Scottish nobility during KingMáel Coluim IV's trip to France as a vassal of KingHenry II of England.
It is also possible that he became estranged from the French-speaking kingWilliam I, because Morggán's name does not appear in royal acts of the latter king's reign.
He marriedAgnes, a patroness of churches. Agnes was probably related to thede Warenne family - the family who marriedAda de Warenne toHenry of Scotland - and who was mother of KingsMalcolm IV andWilliam the Lion. Morggán and Agnes had at least one son,Donnchad, who eventually succeeded to become a Mormaer of Mar. Morggán had another two sons, Máel Coluim and James, but they may have been illegitimate - that is, the product of an uncanonical marriage acceptable in the Celtic system, but not in the Franco-Roman system that was gaining favour inScotland at the time.
He went on to marry Orabilis FitzNess de Leuchars, divorced wife of SirRobert de Quincy, Justiciar of Lothian, who, with her first husband, was the mother ofSaher de Quincy. Orabilis survived Morggán, and married thirdly Adam of Fife, brother ofDuncan II, Earl of Fife.
His daughter Alesta of Mar was married toAlan Fitzwalter, 2nd High Steward of Scotland and was possibly mother toWalter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland.
He appears in royalcharters dated as early as 1147. He is attested in the documents for the last time in 1178, and was dead by 1183.
| Preceded by | Mormaer of Mar before 1147–before 1183 | Succeeded by |