Lady Isabella Matilda of Mar, Countess of Carrick

When I started this journey many years ago, I never knew where it would take me. I met many cousins in the different areas of the United States and sent them numerous e-mails to stay in touch. But the most amazing fact that I found was a King. I had studed this person in History and had seen Braveheart many times but I thought that my line was no where near related to Royalty. One cousin who contacted me sent me knowledge that a distant cousin had traced our line through the Magruders back to Robert the Bruce. Well I did some googleing and started with Verlinda Magruder. She was the great grandmother of Martha Peyton Beall and Gen. Frederick Beall who are my third great grandparents. Verlinda was the daughter of Samuel Magruder and Sarah Beall. So this family of Bealls and Magruders married in the families for many generations.

     Verlinda's great grandmother was Lady Margaret Campbell of Perthshire, Scotland. Margaret's great grandmother was Lady Isabel Elizabeth Stewart, Countess of Argyll. The Stewart line traces back to Sir Walter Stewart III of Scotland and Princess Margaret Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce. There are a lot more interesting facts between these generations. But one thing that I read about was Lady Isabella Matilda of Mar, Countess of Carrick. She was born in the year 1277 and died in 1296. Her Scottish Gaelic spelling is Iseabail. She was the first wife of Robert the Bruce and the grandmother of Robert II of Scotland, founder of the royal House of Stuart. She died before Robert was crowned King of Scots and never became queen. Robert mourned her death for over 5 years.

     She was the daughter of Domhnall I, Earl of Mar and Helen (or Ellen) of Wales (1246-1295), the illegitimate daughter of Llymelyn ab Lorwerth ("the Great")Prince of Wales; she had previously been the wife of Maol Cholouim II Earl of Fife. She was a wealthy woman in her own right. Her lands were most of the northeastern section of Inverness. Isabella spoke Gaelic and High English. She was an educated lady of medieval time. Her father was one of the seven guardians of Scotland who believed Robert Bruce to be the rightful King of Scotland. Despite the considerable risks, the Earl of Mar could foresee the advantage of the two families joining in marriage and bearing an heir to the throne, and the marriage of Isabella and Robert was arranged. Mar was the first to sign over the estates of his family to the Bruce.

     Isabella was married to Robert at the age of 18 and legend has it that they were much in love. Shortly after their marriage Isabella became pregnant. She had a healthy pregnancy but she died soon after giving birth to a daughter, Marjorie Bruce in 1296. Isabella is buried at Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire.

     Robert married his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh six years later. Isabella's daughter, Princess Marjorie (died 1316) married Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and their son became Robert II of Scotland. From him descend the monarchs of the House of Stewart and the later royal families of the United Kingdom.

     Any reference to Isabella being taken prisoner by the English in 1306 I think is false. Robert's marriage to Elizabeth took place in 1302 so she is probably the one taken prisoner. Robert was born in 1274 and died in 1329.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_of_Mar