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CONTEMPORARY PRINCES:
NORWAY: 1207 Hakon V; 1263 Magnus VI; 1280 Eric II
SCOTLAND: 1249 Alexander III
ENGLAND: 1216 Henry III; 1272 Edward I
ROME: 1254 Alex IV; 1261 Urban IV; 1265 Clement IV; 1271 Gregory X; 1276 Innocent V; 1277 Nicholas III; 1281 Martin IV; 1285 Adrian V, Honorius IV, John XXI
PRELATES:
ORKNEY: 1247 Henry; 1270 Peter; 1284 Dolgfinn - [See Historiettes]
CAITHNESS: 1244 William; 1263 Walter; 1274 Archibald; 1279 Alan - [See Historiettes]

MAGNUS III, 35TH EARL, 1256-1273

This earl is mentioned in the Saga of King Hakon as accompanying the ill-fated expedition of that monarch against Scotland in 1263: "With King Hakon from Bergen went Magnus, Earl of Orkney, and the king gave him a good long-ship". The full account of Hakon's disastrous expedition and the pathetic circumstances of his death are dealt with further on.

It is mentioned that Earl Magnus III entered into a contract of privileges with King Magnus VI of Norway. He died in 1273, leaving two sons who successively succeeded him.

NOTE - The first survey of Orkney was made at command of Hakon IV in 1263, who issued orders to divide the whole occupied lands of Orkney and Shetland into Marklands containing eight Eyrislands or Urislands [eighteen penny lands], each of which should find quarters and supplies for a Hofding and a fixed number of men, probably in proportion to the Skatts formerly paid.

MAGNUS IV, 36TH EARL, 1273-1284

was the eldest of these, who, after he had enjoyed his father's fortune for the space of two years, was, on the festival of St. Olaf, formally created an earl by King Magnus of Norway. The Icelandic Annals have the entry under the year 1276: "Magnus, King of Norway, gave to Magnus, son of Earl Magnus of Orkney, the title of earl at Tunsberg". He also appears as Earl of Orkney in the document dated 5th of February 1283, declaring Margaret, the Maiden of Norway, the nearest heir to the Scottish throne. The Annals record, this earl as dying in 1284 along with Bishop Peter of Orkney and Sturla the Lawman. The Diploma states that he died without issue, and was succeeded by his brother John in the earldoms of Orkney and Caithness.

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