31. Cowal and Kintyre in the Charters of Paisley Abbey before 1300
by Frances Bickerstaff
Synopsis
The charters produced by the religious house of Paisley give some of the earliest surviving insight into Cowal and Kintyre before 1300. This talk will examine the contents of these charters, and place them into the wider context of the Firth of Clyde in this period. Paisley, which by the mid-thirteenth century had gained abbatial status, had a close but sometimes tempestuous relationship with its founders, the Stewart family. This talk will examine these charters in relation to the growing power of the Stewart family in the Firth of Clyde, alongside other important themes.
Image caption: Walter Stewart, earl of Menteith, confirms the gift of the church of St Colmán Eala in north Kintyre to Paisley Abbey, first made by Dugall mac Suibhne, lord of Skipness (NLS Adv. MS 34.4.14, f. LXXIII)
About the speaker
Frances is a third year PhD student at the University of St Andrews, working on the charters of the religious house of Paisley. Her research focuses therefore largely on south-west Scotland and the Firth of Clyde, extending also to the Western Isles. She works mainly on the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, with a particular interest in landscape history.
How to participate
This talk will begin at 7.30 pm (GMT) and last up to one hour, followed by questions. As the audience for each talk will be limited to 100, please register in plenty of time by e-mailing us (click either on the ‘Register for Events’ button above, or click here click here ). You will then be sent a code to allow you to join the talk.
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