Fergus of Galloway

Fergus of Galloway was Lord of Galloway from about 1138 until his death in 1161. He was a noble in the court of King David I of Scotland, and may have been descended from earlier princes of Galloway. He accompanied David to the English court during David's tenure as Prince of Cumbria. His wife's name is unknown, but she may have been an illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England. They had three children:

1. Uchtred of Galloway
2. Gilbert of Galloway
3. Aufrica of Galloway, married King Olaf I of the Isle of Man

Fergus was a prominent noble under King David, and was probably appointed Lord of Galloway after the Battle of the Standard in 1138. He built many religious houses, abbeys, and chapels all across Galloway, and enjoyed a peaceful reign until after King David's death. In 1160 Fergus rebelled against the new king, Malcolm IV of Scotland, and joined Somerled of Argyll in ravaging the west coast. Somerled and Fergus' rebellion was defeated in 1161; Somerled was slain in 1164, but Fergus had retired to the abbey of Holyroodhouse, where he became a canon regular and died shortly thereafter, leaving Galloway to his two sons.

Sources

• Roger of Hoveden
• M'Kerlie, P.H. History of the Lands and Their Owners in Galloway, 1906.