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 90 ANGUS. In the early part of the reign of Malcolm IV (1153-116:5) the seven Earls of Scotland consisted of Angus, Atholk, Fifk, Mar, Str.vTHEKNB and Buchan, together with Duniiau from the Lothians. Of the two last named, Buchan, before 1114, had become separated from Mar, and had apparently taken the place of Caithness ; while Dunbar appears to have taken the place of Moray, which Was the first of the Celtic Earldoms to break up (by the defeat and death of Angus, bearing the title of Earl of Moray), in the beginning of the reign [11 "24-53 J of David I. Malcolm IV added two new Earldoms, nr., Ross and MENTEITH ; and continued the policy, inaugurated by David I, " for transforming the old Celtic Kingdom of the Scots into a feudal monarchy. "(•■») He :dso added four new Earldoms, viz., Gauiocb, Lennox, Caruilk, and Caithness. During the reign of Alexander II (1249-S5) " We find the seven Earls of Scotland frequently making their appearance, apparently as a constitutional body, whose privileges were recognised. They first appear at the King's Coronation, and then consisted of the Earls of Fife, Strathehne, AtHOLB, Angus, Menteith, Buchan imd Lothian [i.e. Dunbar]. With the exception of Menteith, which was a more recent Earldom, these are the same Earldoms whose Earls gave their consent to the founda- tion charter of Scone, but .Menteith now comes in the place of Mar, perhaps owing to the controversy as to the rightful possessor of the latter Earldom, and Buchan was now held by a Norman Barou."( a ) The seven Earls again appear in 1237, in the agreement of that date with England. They were, at that time, Dunbah, Stratherse, Angus, Athole, (with) Lennox, Mar and Ross, these last three being in place of Fife, Menteith and Buchan. Again the seven Earls appear, when the agreement was renewed in 1244, and, this time, Fife, Menteith and Buchan re-appear among them, while Angus (which had in 1243 passed to a Norman race), Lennox and Ross were omitted. Thus we see that, " though the number of seven was always retained, the constituent members were not always the same."( a ) It would almost seem from the addition and subtraction of Lennox and Ross, in 1237 and 1244 respectively, that junior Earldoms were added to make up the number to seven, when, from any cause, the senior Earldoms were not available. In 2 Alex. Ill (1251;, a solemn ceremony took place in the presence of the seven Earls, but 30 years later they " were gradually losing their separate corporate existence, and were no longer able to maintain in this reign the functions they exercised in previous reigns, for when the succession to the throne was settled upon the da of Alexander in 12S4, we find them merged in the general Cammunitas, in which the entire body of the Earls, now amounting to thirteen, appear. "(") In 1297, however, the seven Earls, being, at that time, Buchan, Menteith, Stk.vtiif.rxe, Lennox, Ross, ATHOLK, and Mail, (in company with John C'omyn of Badenoch), made a disastrous invasion of England ; but " after this, we hear no more of the seven Earls of Scotland. "(») Earls or J. « Dufugan, Comes," who appears anions the seven CountessesfS.]. Earlfl the charter of 1114 or lll r > (see remarks above) in all probability was Mormaer of Angus, in this charter (possibly for I. U H. the first time) styled Comet, i.e. EARL OF ANGUS [S.] He was probably a descendant of Dubucan, Mormaer of Angus in the tenth century.( b ) pp. 575-591 ; Nov., 18S2) wherein Mr. Hewlett's holding that the most ancient Earldoms [S.] were "in an especial sense territorial," is confuted; his Reviewer very conclusively demonstrating that "exactly the reverse is the case." ( a ) Skene's " Celtic Scotland," vol. iii. See page 88, note (»). ( b ) It is. stated on the contemporary evidence of the " Pictish Chronicle " (a work of the 10th century) that Dubucan, s. of Indrechtaig, was Mormaer of Angus, and d. about 935, being sue. by his s. Maelbrigdi. After him (according to the later chronicles), one Conchar was Mormaer of Angus. He was father of Fynebole, Lady of Fettercairn, by whom King Kenneth McMalcom was treacherously slain, in 995, in revenge for the slaughter of her only son at Dunsinane. See " Chronicles of the Picts and Scots, edited by W. F. Skene, ll.d., pp. 9, 175, 289. The resemblance of the name of Dufugan to that of Dubucan " leads to the supposition that lie may have filled- that [i.e. the same] position, &c.J &c." See Skene's " Celtic Scotland," vol. iii, p. 60.