Born about 1310 - married
PRINCES CONTEMPORANIOUS:
NORWAY: 1343 Hakon VI
SWEDEN: 1350 Eric IV
ROME: 1352 Innocent VI
PRELATES
ORKNEY: 1328 William IV - [See Historiettes]
CAITHNESS: 1342 Thomas - [See Historiettes]
The 41st Earl of Orkney was a Swedish noble, the son of Sune Jonsson, grandson of Brynjolf, a Norwegian baron who had accompanied King Hakon on his disastrous trip to the West. As early as 1337 we find Erengisle entrusted with the important duties of Lawman of Tisherad, in his native realm.
While his predecessor, the 40th Earl, Malise the Second, was in Norway and Sweden [1333 - 1336], he had effected the marriage of two of his daughters; Erengisle espousing the Lady Annot de Stratherne, and Guttorrn Sperra (whose son Malise hereafter figures as Dominus de Skuldale [Roslyn Chartulary]) espousing her sister.
On the death of Malise the Second, or shortly thereafter, Erengisle claimed his wife's share of the earldom. In the year 1353 we find him executing a deed on the 10th April as plain Erengisle Sunesson, and on the 6th May following his signature appears to a document drawn up at Vagahuus concerning the Queen's dowry, occupying the foremost place among the nobles of Norway, and with the title of the Earl of Orkney. The Diploma informs us that he resided in Orkney, and although it states that he only held his wife's share of the earldom, it is plain from the Vagahuus document that he must have received the title of Earl of the Orcades from the King of Norway;
He soon became involved with the Swedish party in favour of King Eric of Pomerania, and in 1357 King Magnus of Sweden, as Regent of Norway, sequestrated all his Norwegian estates and declared his title to be forfeited.
His right to the earldom would have lapsed with the death of his countess, who died childless before 1360. In that year Erengisle grants certain lands to the monastery of Calmar for the souls of his deceased wives, Meretta and Annot or Agneta, the latter being most probably the daughter and co-heiress of Earl Malise the Second, as the name Annot is not a common one in Sweden. Nevertheless he continued to style himself Earl of Orkney during his lifetime, as appears by a deed bearing date 4th March 1388, in which he is "Comes Orchadensis;" He died in 1392.
After his forfeiture in 1357 there ensued an interval of disputed succession.
[From Orkneyinga Saga and Barry]