Back to Fiona's Finding Service
Back to Index | Previous page | Next page

ST.ROGNVALD III "THE CRUSADER", 27TH EARL, 1136-1158

CONTEMPORARY PRINCES
NORWAY: 1136 Sigurd; 1155 Eystein II; 1157 Inge I
SCOTLAND: 1124 David I; 1153 Malcolm IV; 1165 William the Lion
ENGLAND: 1135 Stephen; 1154 Henry II
ROME: 1130 Innocent II; 1143 Celestin II; 1144 Lucius II; 1145 Eugenius III; 1153 Anastasius IV; 1154 Adrian IV
PRELATES
ORKNEY: 1102 William I the Old [See Historiettes]
CAITHNESS: 1153 Andrew to 1185 [See Historiettes]

ROGNVALD now - 1136 - having undisputed sway proceeded, in fulfilment of his vow, to erect the stone minster to St.Magnus, and entrusted the superintendence of the work to his father, who is also credited with having been the architect. The work was proceeded with till 1137, when the Earl's resources became strained and he had recourse to the heritable Odallers for assistance. The Cathedral of St.Magnus is incontestably the most glorious monument of the time of the Norwegian dominion in Scotland. It is one of the two cathedral churches in Scotland remaining entire, and is therefore a national monument, interesting from its antiquity, its beauty, and the rarity of such relics in that part of the empire. Nothing conveys to the mind of the stranger visiting Kirkwall a more vivid impression of the ancient importance of this quaint little town which has been the capital of Orcadia for a millenium, than the grandeur of its cathedral and the imposing aspect of the ruins of the palaces of the Bishops and Earls of Orkney.

Some two years after Rognvald’s accession, Bishop John of Atholl was commissioned by Earl Maddad to go to Orkney and negotiate as to the interests of Harald of Atholl. When the bishop and his party arrived none of the Orcadians were able to tell who they were, but one Hrolf, the Earl's chaplain, alone knew him, and told the Earl that it was Bishop John from Atholl. The matter was discussed by the Earl and the Bishops of Orkney and Atholl, and it was arranged that Harald was entitled to half the Isles, but that Rognvald should have supreme rule even after Harald reached his majority.

Back to Fiona's Finding Service
Back to Index | Previous page | Next page


e-mail to:fnsnclr@gmail.com