OUR HISTORY

OUR HISTORY - The whole story of our creation that recorded history left out!

The House of Newland (New-Land) originates from Prince John de Moravia, The Master of Sutherland (b 1346, d 1389) son of William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (c 1312, d 1370) and his wife Princess Margaret Bruce; daughter of Robert the Bruce, King Robert I of Scotland (b 1274, d 1329) and his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh (c 1284, d 1327).

Elizabeth probably met Robert the Bruce, who was at the time the Earl of Carrick, at the English court, and they married in 1302 at Writtle, near Chelmsford, Essex, England. They had four children, Margaret, (c 1321, d 1346); Matilda sometimes called Maud, (c 1323, d 1353); David (b 1324, d 1371);  and  John (b 1324, dc 1327) who was the younger twin of David.

The young David II and Joan meeting
King Philip VI of France in 1334.

A BARREN MARRIAGE

In accordance with the Treaty of Northampton, when Prince David was just four-years-old he married on 17th July 1328, the seven-year-old Princess Joan of the Tower (b 1321, d 1362); daughter of King Edward II of England (b 1284, d 1327); and sister to Prince Edward (b 1312, d 1377) who in 1327 became King Edward III of England. When King Robert I died on 7th June 1329 David became King David II of Scotland. A series of guardians ruled while he was a minor, and he and Joan were sent to France for safety while pretender Edward Balliol (c 1283, dc 1367), son of John Balliol (c 1249, d 1314), was trying to reclaim the throne. They arrived at Boulogne-sur-Mer in May 1334, where they were received by Joan's cousin, King Philip VI of France, the young couple resided at Château Gaillard at Les Andelys during their stay. Edward Balliol was eventually deposed in 1336, and when David and Joan returned to Scotland in June 1341 David was reinstated as sovereign. Though David and Joan were married for thirty-four years they never had any children, which meant succession would fall to his half-blood nephew Robert Stewart (b 1316, d 1390), the son of Walter Stewart 6th High Stewart of Scotland (c 1296, d 1327) and Princess Marjorie Bruce (b 1296, d 1316) daughter of King Robert I by his first wife, Isabella of Mar (c 1277, d 1296). To avoid this prospect David proposed a marriage contract between his sister, Princess Margaret and William 5th Earl of Sutherland who was a loyal supporter of David in the wars against England. A papal dispensation was needed and was issued in December 1342.

TRANSLATION OF THE PAPAL DISPENSATION FOR THE MARRIAGE OF EARL WILLIAM AND PRINCESS MARGARET:

Clement, etc., to a venerable brother; Bishop of Caithness, greeting, etc. A petition, shown to us on behalf of a beloved son, a noble man, William, Earl of Sutherland, of the diocese of Caithness, and a beloved daughter in Christ, a noble woman, Margaret, sister-german of our very dear son in Christ, the illustrious David, King of Scots, sets forth that between the said earl and Margaret and their forefathers and friends, by the wicked means of the old enemy, there have arisen wars, disputes, and many offences, on which account murders, burnings, depredations, forays and other evils have frequently happened and cease not to happen continually, and many churches of these parts have suffered no small damages, and greater troubles are expected unless prevented by an immediate remedy. Wherefore, with the consent and will of the king, the said William and Margaret, who are related to each other in the fourth degree of consanguinity, descending from the same stock, wishing to prevent so many and so great dangers, desire to contract each other in marriage, and thus it is believed it may be possible to prevent these periols; and the foresaid king, William, and Margaret have humbly petitioned us that for the good of peace we would deign to provide the said William and Margaret with the benefit of a fitting dispensation. We, therefore, who freely furnish the benefits of peace to the faithful in Christ, desiring to prevent these perils so far as we can in teh Lord, having yielded to their prayers, commit and command by apostolic writs to your fraternity, in which we have full confidence, that if it be so with the said William and Margaret, you may by our authority dispense, notwithstanding the impediment arising from their consanguinity, that they may lawfully contract marriage together, declaring the issue to be born of such marriage to be lawful. Given at Avignon the Kalends of December in the first year of our pontificate.

Dated 1st December 1342.

THE SUTHERLAND REGALITY

Princess Margaret and Earl William married 3rd August 1345, and that same year David by charter raised the Earldom of Sutherland into a regality, - a jurisdiction with quasi-regal powers or mini kingdom; making Earl William and Princess Margaret a King and Queen.

CHARTER OF 1345:

Willie mi comiti de Sutherland, et Margaretae sponsae suae, sorori nostrae carissimae, et haeredibus inter ipsos legitime procreat.seu procreand. totum comitatum Sutherlandiae, in liberam regalitatem in perpetuum. Dated at Lanerk the 10th November 1345.

TRANSLATED AS:

My William Earl of Sutherland, and Margaret spouse of his own, for our sister, that is most dear, and between the heirs of which she gives birth to lawfully. Do create, the whole county Sutherland, free royalty forever. Dated at Lanerk the 10th November 1345.

                                                                                                                                                         

Earl William (King William Sutherland) and Queen Margaret had lands in Angus, Kincardine and Aberdeen and also had in 1346 the crag of Dunnottar in Angus, with license to build a fortalice. 

HEIR TO THE THRONE OF SCOTLAND

On 30th March 1346 William and Margaret had issue, a son named John de Moravia, styled 'The Master of Sutherland', but the birth was difficult and Margaret died soon after. By royal descent through his mother, Prince John was named by King David II heir to the throne of Scotland in preference to the High Stewart Robert, thus revoking the statute made in 1326 at Cambuskenneth Abbey, at Stirling, by King Robert I, in favour of Robert Stewart. All the whole nobility of Scotland, together with the rest of parliament, were sworn to observe and keep this proclamation. To bolster David's proclamation Earl William made grants of land in the shires of Inverness and Aberdeen to various powerful individuals, whose goodwill and support was desired to secure John's claim to the throne.

The Battle of Neville's Cross 1346.

BATTLE OF NEVILLE'S CROSS

When King Edward III of England won the Battle of Crécy in France in August 1346, King David II was obliged to invade England in support of his ally France, according to the terms of the Auld Alliance from 1295. Earl William accompanied King David II in his unfortunate expedition into England, and fought along side him at the embarrassing defeat of the Battle of Neville’s Cross which took place during the Second War of Scottish Independence on 17th October 1346, half a mile to the west of Durham, within sight of Durham Cathedral. An invading Scottish army of 12,000 well armed men led by King David II was defeated with heavy losses by an English army of approximately 6,000-7,000 men led by Lord Ralph Neville. During the battle David was twice shot in the face with arrows. Later attempts to remove the arrows were partly successful but one arrow tip remained lodged in his face, rendering him prone to headaches for the rest of his life. The main cause for the defeat was blamed on David's nephew Robert Stewart who sounded the retreat too soon, at the persuasion Patrick Dunbar the 9th Earl of March (c 1285, d 1369). King David II was captured hiding under a bridge by Sir John de Coupland; but not before David had knocked out two of Coupland's teeth. Earl William Sutherland along with William Douglas,the 'Knight of Liddesdale', their most skilled guerrilla fighter, plus three other prominent Earls and many brave Scots were also taken prisoner. Earl William is, however, not named in any official list of the magnates taken at Durham, nor in any other notice of the Scottish captives, and it is probably that he fell into the hands of someone who speedily put him to ransom or let him escape.

King David II meeting King Edward III.

All of the Scottish captives were ordered to London, to the disgust of their captors who had a legal right to ransom them. David was kept in the Tower of London, but was transferred to Windsor Castle upon the return of King Edward III from France. David was kept in captivity for the next eleven years, spending some time in Odiham Castle in Hampshire and a great deal of time at Hertford Castle in Hertfordshire.

ROBERT STEWART PLOTS AGAINST PRINCE JOHN 

Robert Stewart.

While David was in English custody, Robert Stewart despite having fled the battlefield without ever fighting was appointed Lord Guardian to act on David's behalf. Getting David released however was the last thing on his mind, for his goal was to seize back succession from his half-cousin Prince John and slowly but surely he began to gather support for his claim to retake succession and eventually the throne. In 1347 he took the important step of ensuring the legitimation of his four sons and six daughters by petitioning Pope Clement VI to allow a canon law marriage to Elizabeth Mure (b 1320, d 1355). Among other things he also gave John MacDonald Lord of the Isles (b 1319, d 1386) his daughter, Margaret Stewart (c 1337, dc 1410) in marriage 14th June 1350, and also gave him Knapdale and Kintyre as a dowry. However, Robert was the senior partner, and John MacDonald had to divorce his previous wife Amie, the sister of Ruairidh Mac Ruairidh Lord of Garmoran; his sons by Amie were to be passed over in the succession in favour of any children by the marriage with Margaret. Robert and John MacDonald worked together taking control of the huge Earldom of Moray, bringing MacDonald power into Lochaber and Stewart power into Badenoch.

EARL WILLIAM'S SECOND MARRIAGE

Upon Earl William's return to Scotland in 1346/7 he married Joanna Menteith of Moray (b 1314, d 1367), daughter of Sir John Menteith of Ruskie, (c 1275, dc 1329). Earl William had by Joanna three more sons. Robert   (b 1347, d 1427) who succeeded William as Earl of Sutherland; Kenneth (b 1352, d ?) from whom are descended all the Lairds Forse; and John Beg (c 1355, d ?).

NOTE: It was Joanna's forth marriage, first marrying at about nine years of age in 1323 to Malise IV Earl of Strathearn, (c 1290, dc 1329) who was a loyal supporter of King Robert the Bruce and fought along side him at the siege of Perth Castle in 1312. Joanna married, secondly, John Campbell, 1st and last Earl of Atholl, son of Sir Neil Campbell of Lochow and Lady Mary Bruce, about 1329. As a result of this marriage, Joan Menteith was styled as Countess of Atholl between 1329 to 1333, but when John Campbell was killed at the battle of Halidon Hill, 19th July 1333, leaving no issue the Earldom became extinct. Joanna married, thirdly, Morice Moray, 1st Earl of Strathearn, (b 1276, d 1346) son of Sir John Moray, It appears that John Campbell and Maurice Moray were related and therefore an obstacle to this third marriage, therefore a papal dispensation dated 11th July 1339 was required for it to be recognized by the Catholic Church. When Morice Moray was killed at the Battle of Neville's Cross, she married Earl William. Later in 1363 she had a safe conduct granted by King Edward III for Johanna countess of Sutherland to go to England, with ten servants in her retinue to visit her husband Earl William who was being confined there and that December she and Earl William with also Earl Patrick Dunbar received permission to visit the shrine of St. Thomas at Canterbury.

Earl William makes no appearance in Scottish records for the next few years, and his name does not occur in connection with the negotiations in 1348 and 1349 for King David's ransom.

THE RANSOM OF KING DAVID II

King David II of Scotland. 1324 - 1371

In June 1351, Earl William was, by the estates of the nation, appointed one of the ambassadors extraordinary to treat with the English commissioners at Newcastle about King David's liberty, and at the same time, Prince John, Master of Sutherland was one of the noble Scottish heirs proposed as hostages. In September of the same year Earl William received permission, as one of a party, to escort King David II into Scotland, there to remain for a few months, while the five-year-old John and other hostages, were given in the king's stead.

In May 1352 the paroled David attended a Parliament to present to Robert Stewart and the members of the Three Estates the conditions for his release. These contained no ransom demand, but required the Scots to name the English Prince John of Gaunt (b 1340, d 1399) as heir presumptive. The Council rejected these terms and David had no option but to return to captivity in London and the hostages were released.

In June 1354 the Earl was again one of the Scottish commissioners to treat for ransom, but does not appear to have been present at the completion of the treaty signed at Newcastle on 13th July of that year when the terms of the king's release were arranged; a straight ransom payment of 90,000 marks to be repaid over nine years, guaranteed by the provision of twenty high-ranking hostages that included Prince John, was the agreement, yet this understanding was destroyed by Robert Stewart when he bound the Scots to a French action against the English in 1355. The capture of Berwick together with the presence of the French on English soil jolted King Edward III into moving against the Scots and in January 1356 Edward led his forces into the south-east of Scotland and burned Edinburgh and Haddington and much of the Lothians in a campaign that became known as the 'Burnt Candlemas'. After Edward's victory over France in September, the Scots resumed negotiations for David's release.

At the beginning of 1357, King David II was conveyed to Berwick. Earl William Sutherland, with Patrick Dunbar 9th Earl of March and Thomas Stewart 2nd Earl of Angus, were named as the Scottish commissioners to treat with the English and on 17th January they got a safe conduct from King Edward III, for themselves and sixty horses in their retinue to treat at Berwick where the English now demanded 100,000 marks spread out over ten equal instalments for King David's ransom. In August that same year a Parliament was held in Edinburgh and the 100,000 marks were agreed to. The ransom was to be paid over a ten-year span on 24th June (St. John the Baptist's Day) each year, during which an Anglo-Scottish truce prohibited any Scottish citizen from bearing arms against King Edward III or any of his men. This truce proved to be effective for three decades and marked the end of the Second War of Scottish Independence.

TREATY OF BERWICK

On 26th September, the Treaty of Berwick was made and was signed on the 3rd October and two days later Earl William and the other plenipotentiaries ratified the document. That November both Earl William and the eleven-year-old Prince John, along with the other eighteen young men of the first families of Scotland, gave themselves up as hostages for the ransom, and entered themselves prisoners in England upon which King David II officially obtained his liberty. Upon David's release he proposed to Parliament that King Edward III would lower the ransom to £40,000 if Edward's, third son Prince Lionel of Antwerp (b 1338, d 1368) was named heir to the throne of Scotland, but the proposal was rejected. David's return to Scotland was a bitter one for his wife Joan for he had brought with him his lover, Katherine Mortimer who had made his acquaintance during his imprisonment. This proved to be the last straw for David's and Joan's loveless marriage and shortly afterwards Joan left David and returned to live in England to care for her mother, Queen Isabella (b 1295, d 1358) who was the daughter of King Philip IV of France.

NOTE: The first instalment of the ransom was paid early on 21st December 1357 (St. Thomas Day) in person by David's wife Joan of the Tower, the second was late, and after that no more could be paid. Taxation was increased in order to pay the ransom, but David began to embezzle from his own ransom fund, causing widespread resentment, culminating in the ransom protest of 1363.This failure to honour the conditions of the Berwick treaty allowed King Edward III to continue to press for a Plantagenet successor to David - terms that were totally rejected by the Scottish Council. One last payment was paid in 1366 but no more after that was ever made.

Prince John attended the the Great Tournament of 1358.

The hostages were under the care of the Chancellor of England, William Edington (b ? d 1366) and were all treated with much good hospitality befitting their noble rank, being less regarded as hostages and more like guests. Over time Earl William and especially John became on good terms with Edward III who treated John as a son admitting him into the royal household. John was given a good education at the English Court where he developed respect for English methods and of governance and attended as a guest, the Great Tournament held at Windsor on St. Georges Day 1358. Even Earl William, was often allowed to return to Scotland getting safe conducts in the years 1359, 1360 and 1362, but other hostages were always given in his place while he was away. In 1359 William obtained for John, for his thirteenth birthday, from King David II, a charter of the lands and the barony of Urquhart, in Inverness-shire and the castle there overlooking Loch Ness. The charter is dated at Scone the last day of February 1359. About this time rumours and threats of a future power struggle between John's claim of succession and his cousin's Robert Stewart began to emerge.

THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

Earl William went without official leave to Scotland in September 1360 and granted a charter to John of Tarale or Terrell of six davochs of land in Strathfleet, confirmed by King David II in 1363. Plus he granted a charter to his brother Nicholas, the dating of which would imply he was then at Aberdeen; and also on this visit he sort and obtained a marriage contract, for Prince John to marry one of the daughters of Sir Patrick Dunbar of Cockburn and Stranith (c 1304, d 1357); Agnes Dunbar (b 1335, d 1378) or Elizabeth Dunbar (c 1346, dc 1402); a marriage that would have secured John's claim of succession with power and riches.

NOTE: The proposed marriage would have been made beforehand, made between Earl William and his fellow hostage Patrick Dunbar 9th Earl of March; he being the girls' first cousin twice removed and ward due to his first cousin once removed Sir Patrick (the girls' father) having died in 1357 at Candia, Crete, Greece, en rout to the Holy Land. The oldest girl Agnes is said to have firstly married a man named Robert, however later in about 1369 she became a mistress of King David II with plans to marry him but David unexpectedly died on the eve of his wedding on 22nd February 1371. Agnes, after being the mistress of King David ll, married on 21st November 1372, Sir James Douglas, Lord of Dalkeith, from whom were descended the first three Earls of Morton. Elizabeth, the younger ward of Earl Patrick Dunbar, married  about 1369 to John Maitland of Thirlestane and Lethington, ancestor of the Duke of Lauderdale, whose second title was Marquess of March.

Prince John secretly married the Lily Maid Mabella.
Mabella: Old French meaning Lovely; To Love; My Beautiful One.
The variant Amabel was used frequently during the Middle Ages
and briefly in the 19th century. A variant of the diminutive Mabel.

THE SECRET ROYAL WEDDING

However, John had misgivings about the betrothal for not only had King David II not authorised it, but more so because John had fallen for another, the Lily Maiden Mabella, (c 1348, dc 1411) whom it's thought was the daughter of an ordinary Man-at-arms, of English or French origin, and possibly of a distant illegitimate line of the House of Plantagenet. For what little we know about her it seems that John had met her during his time as a hostage in England. Moreover, John and Mabella were in love and therefore John would not commit himself to the arranged marriage. In February 1361 when King David II found out about the proposed marriage contract which he had not consented to, he pronounced the Earl Dunbar a rebel and had his lands forfeited. Relations between John and Earl William took a turn for the worst and more heated arguments ensued but still John would not yield to his father's demands. About this time Mabella told John she was carrying his child and John torn between his truelove and duty chose love, and so disregarding the arranged marriage contract he secretly exchanged vowels with Mabella; probably at Windsor Castle or Hertford Castle; with the help of Mabella's brother Alexander (c 1341, d 1361) making all the clandestine arrangements.

NOTE: The Catholic canon law of the time allowed females over twelve years of age and males over fourteen to marry without their parents' approval, even if their marriage was made clandestinely.

                                                                                                                                               

THE QUARREL

When news of John's marriage to Mabella broke it sent Earl William instantly into a rage. With William's and Earl Dunbar's plotting falling apart, there followed one almighty terrible quarrel between John and his father in which John threatened to renounce his claim to the throne if he could not keep his bride. William became so infuriated in the exchange that he succumbed to a fit of blind rage and in the heat of the moment he disowned and disinherited John; a statement that would eventually cause John to lose the throne of Scotland and the Earldom of Sutherland thus making him destitute and ‘poor in want’.

NOTE: William claimed John was not his legitimate son because Margaret had not carried John for the full nine months thus putting suspicion on to Margaret, yet many babies born a month early can survive healthy without problems, even in the fourteenth century, and it is therefore entirely reasonable that John was born a month early.

William's outrageous declaration and also the fact that he would not accept the marriage caused no end of problems and by the summer of 1361 relations between John and William became so seriously compromised that John and William were separated. With William trying to make arrangements to have the marriage annulled, John was removed to Lincoln Castle along with Mabella's brother Alexander.

A Medieval depiction of the Black Death which entered
England via the port of Weymouth  in June 1348.

THE PRINCE AND THE PLAGUE

A second outbreak of the Black Death had occurred in the spring of that year and was rife in the City of Lincoln. At the end of August Prince John was given leave, without official permission to visit Mabella as she was soon to give birth. About which time Alexander who was acting as a hostage for John, contracted plague and about a week later he died, but due to his terribly disfigured plague ridden face, black with acral gangrene, and his body bloated with buboes and smothered in lenticulae, (black blemishes consistent of freckles) Alexander's identity somehow became mixed-up with John's, hence it was incorrectly announced on 8th September that John had died of the plague: A significant date as it was the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, the birth of Mary mother of Jesus, which fell upon the autumn equinox of the Julian Calendar; and at about this time Mabella gave birth to John's son and heir Robert.

NOTE: The seventeenth century historian Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun, (b 1580, d 1656) the fourth son of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland; in his 'Genealogical History of the Noble House of Sutherland', correctly states that it was Alexander and not John who died of the plague. However, Robert Gordon being unaware that John actually married Mabella in 1361, he therefore mistakenly came to the conclusion that Alexander was the older brother of John, where in fact Alexander was John's older brother-in-law.

Prince John of Gaunt.

If anyone knew of John's true whereabouts they were not telling or were too fearful to say and while everyone back at the Royal Court believed John to be dead he was actually alive and well with Mabella and their newborn son. The mistaken identity worked to John's advantage. John chose to hide out knowing that Earl William, thinking he was dead, would cease arrangements to have the marriage annulled. (It is thought that Prince John of Gaunt, forth son of King Edward III, being John's friend, had a hand in keeping John in hiding, possibly at Leicester Castle). How long John remained in hiding is though to have been anything from a few weeks to a few months, in which time the unintentional fake news had spread to Scotland and Robert Stewart who on receiving the news rejoiced! 

FAKE NEWS WRITTEN INTO HISTORY

The first written account of John's phoney death was by Scottish chronicler Andrew of Wyntoun (c 1350, d 1425) who in error mistook the false news of John's death as true and included it in his historic work the Orygynale Cronkil of Scotland. His erroneous account was later subsequently used by another Scottish historian Walter Bower (c 1385, d 1449), and added to his chronical Scotichronicon, stating that John 'died of the plague'. These two erroneous accounts, have been used ever since as a means to remove any of John's heirs and descendants from political influence and to put an end to the persisting rumors that Prince John's bloodline continued, which of course it still does to this day!

THE FAKE ACCOUNT OF JOHN'S PHONEY DEATH BY WYNTOUN

Of the ostagis bydand thare

For the King Dawy dede than ware:

The Erlys son of Suthirland

In that Ded deit in Yngland:

TRANSLATED AS:

Of the hostages by and there

For the King David. there were:

The Earl's son of Sutherland

In that He died in England:

THE FAKE ACCOUNT OF JOHN'S PHONEY DEATH BY BOWER

Eodem etiam anno 1361, praemifsa mortalitate nimium praeva-lente, mortui funt quidam de melioribus et natu Scotiae nobilioribus, obfides pro Rege fuo David, viz.

Johannes de Sutherland, unicus filius Comitis ejufdem, nepos Regis, a-pud Linconiam, circa feftum Nativitatis nostrae Dominae.

TRANSLATED AS:

The same year, 1361, the premise was too powerful too much mortality, the dead are some of the best of the ancients, and the lords of Scotland, to David his hostages for the King, to which. John de Sutherland, Fifth Earl, William's only child, a nephew of the King, at Lincoln. Around the Feast of the Nativity of our Lady.

NOTE: Walter Bower was a continuator of the work of John of Fordun (c 1360, d 1384). Bower began the work in 1440 at the request of, Sir David Stewart of Rosyth, (c 1400, d 1444) the son of Robert Stewart, 1st Lord of Lorn, (b 1379, d 1449) who was a Commissioner to England for the release for King James I in 1421, and who between 1424 and 1429 was one of the hostages for the payment of King James's ransom. For his services he was created 1st Lord Lorn, before 5th September 1439. He lived at Innermeath, Scotland. Sir David Stewart of Rosyth was a loyal supporter to King James I but after James's assignation on 21st February 1437 and the removal of his wife Queen Joan Beaufort in 1439, he wished to assert his loyalties to the governors by quelling the constant nagging rumours that Prince John Sutherland's bloodline survived, rumours that at the time unnerved the Governors. It is therefore highly probable that Sir David made sure Bower included the phoney passage that states John 'died of the plague'. This erroneous statement has been slavishly copied by other writers ever since; moreover it has come to mean by the Lord's Newland: the loss of John's original birthright as the rightful heir of King David II and also heir to the Earldom of Sutherland. Bower has in recent times been described as a less competent chronicler than Fordun, with one commenter calling him "garrulous, irrelevant and inaccurate" and noting that he "makes every important occurrence an excuse for a long-winded moral discourse".

Pope Innocent VI 

PRINCE JOHN DECLARED THE TRUE HEIR

When Prince John finally surfaced and it became apparent that he was not dead after all, it caused no end of problems. His mistaken death combined with the doubts sown by Earl William that John was not his heir caused many problems. These problems were eventually resolved in John's favour in 1362 by Avignon Pope Innocent VI who stated that John was still the true heir to the throne for he alone possessed the sacred spirit which God had put into him though his mother Margaret; as portrayed in the Taymouth Hours. John's morganatic marriage to Mabella, both being of age was also considered legitimate and therefore the infant Robert was legitimized as John's heir.

Top: Margaret receiving the sacred spirit.
Bottom: Margaret and Joan with a servant.

NOTE: The Taymouth Hours is an illuminated Book of Hours produced in England during the rein of King Edward III which is thought was commissioned by Joan of the Tower, as a possible wedding gift for her sister-in-law Princess Margaret Bruce. Princess Margaret appears several times in the manuscript. She is first seen at an oreison avaunt (prayer before Mass) kneeling before an altar where a priest is officiating. She wears a crown and is dressed in a pink robe lined with vair, the heraldic fur with a distinctive plain shield shape. She appears again, this time in the company of Earl William robed in blue. Somewhat obscurely tucked away at the end of the Compline, (prayers at the end of the day) both figures are shown crowned and kneeling. Finally, at the beginning of the Fifteen Gradual Psalms, she is seen for the last time, a tiny figure kneeling like a child presented by the Virgin Mary, before an enthroned Christ receiving the sacred spirit. Margaret and Joan both appear together in some of the hunting scenes and are also seen together walking ahead of a servant lady holding Margaret's train with its plain shield pattern. The Taymouth Hours is so named because after being acquired by an Earl of Breadalbane in the seventeenth or eighteenth century, it was kept at Taymouth Castle in the village of Kenmore, Perth and Kinross, Scotland.

FREE ROYALTY FOREVER

Earl William in 1362 was once again given leave to return to Scotland. He granted the chapel of St. John the Baptist at Helmsdale to the monks of the abbey of Kinloss in Moray and also had the un-envying task to convey the embarrassing news to King David II that Prince John was not dead after all. Yet the damage had already been done and after much deliberation and communication with the new Avignon Pope Urban V, it was decided to bar John from inheriting the throne and return Robert Stewart as heir presumptive. However, due to David's Charter of 1345 stating that any lawful heirs from the marriage of Princess Margaret and Earl William would be 'Free Royalty Forever', John and his heirs thereafter would keep this privilege and thus remain Royal Kings (Sovereign Lords) Princes and Princesses, all unto themselves, as an independent domain/kingdom/sovereign entity forever.

ROBERT STEWART REBELS

While all these continuing arrangements for John were being made, in 1363 the impatient rebellious Robert Stewart who did not know that John was still alive, joined a rebellion protesting against David's embezzlement of ransom funds but soon submitted to him following a threat to his right of succession after it was revealed to him that John was still alive in England, married with a son and heir. David immediately had Robert Stewart and his sons imprisoned, where they remained for seven years only being released shortly before David's death.


The fact that John was alive with a legitimate heir haunted Robert Stewart. He knew that he would have to eliminate John and his bloodline to fully secure his claim to the throne. While John remained in England he and his son were safe from Robert's plotting. Yet King David II had never forgiven Robert for deserting him at the battle of Neville's Cross and he disliked him so much that in 1364, perhaps with John's son Robert in mind, King David II presented another proposal to Parliament that would cancel the remaining ransom debt if it was agreed that a Plantagenet heir would inherit the Scottish throne should he die without issue. This new proposal was once again rejected and Robert Stewart remained as heir presumptive eventually succeeding to the throne at fifty-five years of age following David's unexpected suspicious death on 22nd February 1371.

NOTE: King David II was buried at Holyrood Abbey and almost immediately an armed protest by William, 1st Earl of Douglas (c 1323, d 1384) delayed Robert Stewarts's coronation until 26th March 1371. The reasons for the incident involved a dispute regarding Robert's right of succession. Earl Douglas was a loyal supporter to Prince John Sutherland's claim to the throne and believed that the prince's heir Robert should be crowned king. However, the artful Robert Stewart soon got round Earl Douglas and resolved the dispute by giving his daughter  Isabella (b 1348, d 1410) in marriage to Douglas's son, James (c 1358, d 1388) and made the Earl Douglas Justiciar south of the Forth.

THE BIRTH OF THE ROYAL HOUSE AND KINGDOM OF NEWLAND

In December 1364 Earl William was given safe conduct into Scotland which by extensions lasted until all the arrangements for Prince John, between the Papacy in Avignon, Edward III and David II were negotiated and finalised. In 1367, Edward III King of England, created by Letters Patent, a new surname and hereditary title for John. A certified document dated 28th January 1367 mentions John as 'William Murrir', son of the Earl William, who is made a domain of protection and states John/William as a 'New Land' to be made letters patent. Thus implying that John had already changed his name to William and was in the process of changing his Royal House name to New-Land; henceforth the ‘Suther’ of Sutherland was replaced by ‘New’ to form Newland. It is likely that John chose the name 'William' for his new first name to maintain a birth link to his father. In other words, if John could not keep Moravia or the clan name Sutherland then he would keep William. John also changed his date of birth to 9th September 1361, to symbolise his new birth as William Newland. Hence John now reborn as William Newland became the first King of the independent ‘Royal House of Newland’. As a free independent King and Sovereign Land in his own right, thus meaning; 'the Land and the King are One' he and his heirs were brought into the protection of England.

NOTE: The name Newland is an ancient Anglo-Scottish surname that means: 'Dweller in the newly acquired cleared land'. Though the Royal House of Newland was founded in 1367, yet the English Newland surname itself is much older and widespread. It is generally considered to be of locational origin from the places called Newland in at least six English counties ranging from Cornwall to Cumbria. Early examples of recordings include William atte Niwelond, in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327, whilst Geoffrey de Neuland is recorded in the Hundred rolls of landowners of Lincoln in 1273. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Samson de la Niwelande. This was dated 1188, in the Pipe Rolls of Kent, during the reign of King Henry II of England. (b 1133, d 1189). The many variations of the surname Newland are: Newlan, Newlen, Newlin, Newling, Newlon, Newlun, Newlyn, Nuland, Newlund, Nowlan, Nowland  and  Nowlin. The Newland surname is also found in Scandinavia as Nyland and also Germany  as Neuland and Nieland. 

Portrait of King Edward III who in 1367
made Letters Patent for
Prince John/William  thus making him
a protection of the English Crown.

CERTIFIED DOCUMENT FROM THE TOWER RECORDS.

Rotulus Scotiae de anno regni Regis Edwardi Tertii quadragefimo primo. D. Conductu.

Edwardus, Dei gra. Rex Angl. Dus Hibn. & Aquit. omoibz. ballivis et fidelibz. fuis, ad quos psentes Lre pvenint, faltm. Sciatis qd fufcepimus in pteccoem et defenfionem nram, necnon in falvu. et fecuru. conductu. nrm Willm de Murrir, fil. Willi Comitis Sutherland de Scot. qui in Angl. morat. acres et bona sua quecumq: : Et ideo vob. man-damus, qu eidem Willo, in psona, bonis, aut rebz. suis pdeis non inferatis, seu quantum in vob. eft, ab aliis inferri pmittatis injuriam, moleftiam, dampnu. violenciam, im-pedimentum, seu gravamen ; et si quid eis foris fcm. fuerit, id eis fine dilone debite corrigi et reformari fac. In cujus rei teftimoniu. has Iras nvas fieri fecimus patentes p. gefimo primo. Dated 28th January 1367.      

TRANSLATED AS:

Roll Scotland of the one and fortieth year of the reign of King Edward the Third. The Mercenaries. Edward, by the grace of God. King of the English. Take steps and acquit bailiffs to which the parties present. This means that you may have taken for protection and defense before, as well as in favour and security. Heir. William of Murrir, son of William Earl Sutherland of Scotland, that in England. without delay. bestow his goods and shackles, and therefore we keep in the manna to which William is accustomed to as the same, as he has none of his own. This same person is to be a domain from other permitted injury, trouble, loss and damage. violence, and impediment, or grievance, and if any thing to them happens, let it be duly corrected and reformed at once. In testimony of a witness. These new land's to be made letters patent first. Dated 28th January 1367.

END OF CAPTIVITY 

Earl William was officially released not long after and he returned home to Scotland. After he obtained his liberty, he got a charter under the great seal from King David II.

EARL WILLIAM'S CHARTER OF 1366

totam willam medietatem thanagii nostri de Fer martine, cum pertinen. jacen. in vicecomitatu de Aberdeen, dated at Dundee the penult day of July 1366.

ROUGHLY TRANSLATED AS:

William is hereby granted in total half the entire king's land of Berwick, with appurtenances, in the Sheriffdom of Aberdeen. Dated at Dundee, the last day of July 1366.

PRINCE JOHN AS KING WILLIAM NEWLAND

And so it was done. John was written out of history to lead a new life living in obscurity as King William Newland the 1st Sovereign Lord of Newland, (Sovereign Lord of Scotland). He continued to live in England under the protection of the Crown with his family. While his father Earl William was still living William (John) knew any attempt to reclaim his succession to the Earldom of Sutherland was futile and that his father would never accept his son Robert as his heir; and furthermore when hence Robert Stewart became king it would not be safe for him and his family to return to Scotland. William Newland therefore remained in England and had three more sons, Nicholas, Hector and Alexander.

His father Earl William is thought to have died at some point between 27th February 1370 and 27th March 1371; thought murdered either on the orders of Robert Stewart, settling old scores between them and thereby eliminating any opposition of his right to rule; or in revenge for his part in the killing at Dingwall Castle of Iye Mackay, Chief of the Clan, and Donald his son, by his brother Nicholas Sutherland; (c 1314, d 1363). Earl William's body lay undiscovered for several months before it was found and buried at Dornoch Cathedral. William's death appears to be corroborated by the facts that neither he nor his son Robert were among the nobles who swore fealty to the new King Robert II on 27th March 1371 and that the castle of Urquhart, which had been forfeited to him when John became Lord William Newland, was in the hands of the Crown by 19th June 1371.

Earl William never healing the rift between himself and his son William (John), and also the fact that William (John) continued to live in England after Earl William's death, the succession of the Earldom therefore went to his second son Robert de Moravia, 6th Earl of Sutherland.

THE RETURN TO SCOTLAND

In 1384 William Newland on hearing the news that King Robert II had lost control of Scotland to his eldest son, John, Earl of Carrick, (c 1337, d 1406); afterwards known as King Robert III; returned with his family to his homeland and joined up with the Sutherland clan. The Sutherland clan received him as their honouree chief and respectfully dubbed him 'de comitis' (the Earl).

NOTE: William Newland's name hence appears in succession after his father William the 5th Earl in the Peerage of Scotland, but named as John. Yet the Complete Peerage correctly inserts John's new name as William in succession before his half-brother Robert 6th Earl of Sutherland. However, the official Sutherland family tree does not acknowledge this William (John) as Earl because he is of course King/Lord Newland.

'Honouree Earl' William re-entered history that year as the William, mentioned by the chronicler Jean Froissart (c 1337, dc 1405), at the 'Surprise of Berwick', where the Scots took the castle of Berwick by surprise against the will of the King of England, King Richard II (b 1367, d 1400); son of Edward The Black Prince (b 1330, d 1376).

Historian: Sir Robert Gordon 
1st Baronet of Gordonstoun.
1621 portrait.

NOTE: According to the historian, Sir Robert Gordon 1st Baronet of Gordonstoun, who's research was used by his Great Grand son Sir Robert Gordon the 4th Baronet in a notorious dispute* about the succession of the Sutherland Earldom; on William Newland's return; who Robert Gordon called John Sutherland for he did not know of John's change of name; he succeeded as Earl and married Lady Mabella Dunbar, who Robert Gordon states was the daughter of Patrick Dunbar 10th Earl of March. But Robert Gordon's information is partly wrong as he did not know that William/John was already married to Mabella and had been so since 1361. Robert Gordon's information on the Dunbar family is also wrong. The Patrick Dunbar who he speaks of was not the 10th Earl, but the 9th Earl and he did not have any children. The 10th Earl was George Dunbar (b 1338, d 1420) who succeeded his first cousin once removed Earl Patrick in his honours and estates, and appears in a charter dated 28th June 1363; and is second witness, styled 'cousin of Sir Patrick', the Earl having been demoted by King David II in February 1361; the Earl Patrick, finally resigning the title over to him on 25th July 1368.

According to the Scottish chronicler Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie (c 1532, d 1580), George's father was John de Dunbar of Derchester and Birkynside (b 1296, d ?) who was the Earl Patrick's first cousin. Robert Gordon in this instance has got his research muddled and understandably so. It is hardly surprising that many genealogists have made a complete mess of this part of the Dunbar family tree often placing in error John de Dunbar of Derchester and Birkynside as a son of Patrick de Dunbar, 8th Earl of March (b 1242, d 1308) where in fact he was the son of Alexander de Dunbar (b 1244, d ?), the younger brother of Patrick the 8th Earl.

The Dunbar family tree showing the relationship of the 9th Earl to his wards Agnes and Elizabeth Dunbar. 

The Official Earls of Sutherland Family Tree.

However this said, neither of Earls Patrick or any of their cousins or relations were named Mabella. The Scots Peerage has even entered in error that Mabella was the  daughter  of  John  Dunbar  1st  Earl of  Moray (c 1340, d 1391) who was the younger brother of George the 10th Earl, and states she married Robert 9th Earl of Sutherland. Yet the official Sutherland family tree does not acknowledge this marriage; Earl Robert who was actually the 6th Earl of Sutherland and not the 9th, only ever married once in November 1389 to Margaret Stewart, (c 1373, dc 1439), the illegitimate daughter of Margaret Atheyn (b 1356, d 1408) who was the mistress/wife of Alexander Stewart 1st Earl of Buchan, (b 1343, d 1394), son of King Robert II of Scotland. Furthermore Robert Gordon not knowing the full account behind William's/John's betrothal by Patrick 9th Earl of one of his first cousins twice removed (Agnes and Elizabeth - the daughters of Earl Patrick's first cousin once removed, Sir Patrick Dunbar of Cockburn and Stranith) and the subsequent marriage of William/John to Mabella, Robert has thus mistaken Mabella as one of the betrothed daughters of Sir Patrick Dunbar who in turn Robert has also mistaken for Earl Patrick. Regrettably the Peerage of Scotland stating Mabella as a daughter of John Dunbar 1st Earl of Moray, has only muddled the error further. However, Robert Gordon must be given credit where it's due as he did discover the first name of William's/John's wife and also the names of their sons; and establish the fact that it was Alexander (William's/John's brother-in-law) who died of the plague and not John; and furthermore that William/John fought in the Battle of Otterburn. Yet it is probably Robert 6th Earl of Sutherland and not William/John who figures in the pages of Jean Froissart as one of those earls and nobles who in 1384 welcomed Sir Geoffrey Charney and his companions as visitors to Scotland, and for their pleasure organised a raid into England. Robert the 6th Earl was also one of those who in the following year greeted Sir John de Vienne and his company who came as an expedition from France to wage war against England from the Scottish frontier. He was present when the barons of France waited on the King of Scots, and may have been among those who 'were much rejoiced' when an invasion of England was resolved upon.

*Upon the death of William Gordon, 18th Earl of Sutherland in 1766, Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun, (4th Baronet) a descendant of the Gordon Earls of Sutherland, and George Sutherland of Forse, who was a direct male descendant of the original de Moravia/Sutherland Earls of Sutherland both made claims over the succession of the chiefdom against Lady Elizabeth Sutherland who had ostensibly inherited the Earldom through her deceased father. The resulting challenge brought about much research into the history and succession of the Earldom of Sutherland. The hearing was held at the House of Lords on 21st March 1771 and the case was settled in favour of five-year-old Elizabeth: the only surviving daughter of the 18th Earl.

Battle of Otterburn 1388.

THE BATTLE OF OTTERBURN AND THE DEATH OF A KING

Honoree Earl William in 1388 joined along with Robert 6th Earl of Sutherland, who is named by Froissart as a leader of the Scots invading into the West of England; and fought along side him and other prominent Scots in the Battle of Otterburn, 14th August 1388, in which the Scots were victorious. Henry Percy, popularly known as 'Hotspur', and Ralph Percy, two sons of the Earl of Northumberland, with many others, were taken prisoner. James, Earl of Douglas and Mar was among the slain, and his tragic death was long mourned both in prose and poetry by the Scots as that of their greatest leader.

William died shortly after the battle probably succumbing to his battle wounds and was buried at Dornoch Cathedral in the sepulchre of his fathers at the beginning of 1389. William was succeeded by his son Robert.

SONS OF WILLIAM (JOHN) AND MABELLA NEWLAND

1. Robert: (b 1361, d 1389) - 2nd Lord Newland: Heir of William but according to the Peerage of Scotland he died soon thereafter without issue, his estate and honours therefore devolved upon his brother Nicholas.

2. Nicholas: (c 1368, d 1399) - 3rd Lord Newland: It is not known if Nicholas fought at the battle of Otterburn but he probably did, perhaps also with his other brothers Robert and Hector. According to the Peerage of Scotland upon succeeding as Lord he married Lady Elizabeth MacDonald (c 1377, d 1416) the daughter of John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, and Margaret Stewart, the daughter of  King Robert II of Scotland and Elizabeth O'Rowallan (Mure); and by Elizabeth he had a son named Robert (c 1390, d ?). The Peerage of Scotland states, probably in error, that Nicholas had two more sons, Kenneth and John-Beg, yet, these are now considered to be the sons of William 5th Earl of Sutherland and his second wife Joanna, and are therefore entered in the official Sutherland family tree as so. Nicholas like his father was treated by the Sutherland Clan as an honouree Earl and even the Peerage of Scotland states he was the Earl of Sutherland. Nicholas died in 1399 and was buried at Dornoch and was succeeded by his son Robert.

NOTE: Nicholas's wife Elizabeth and Robert 6th Earl's wife Margaret Stewart were cousins and it is therefore believed they married at about the same time, possibly even as a joint wedding.

3. Hector, (c 1370, d ?) had several 'love interests' whom he had several illegitimate children. According to the Peerage of Scotland, Hector is the ancestor of the Sutherlands of Dalrid, of whom are descended most of the gentlemen of the name of Sutherland, in the county of Sutherland. Hector not being married to any of the mothers of his children; his descendants therefore took on the clan name rather than the surname Newland.

4. Alexander (c 1374, d ?). Little is known about Alexander.

The coronation of Henry IV of England.

ROBERT NEWLAND SON OF NICHOLAS

Robert: (c 1390, d ?) 4th Lord Newland: Lord Robert de Novus Terra, (the New-Land) the first Sovereign Knight-errant of the Golden Shield. After the death of his father, Robert returned with his grandmother Mabella and mother Elizabeth and possibly his uncle Alexander to England to seek favour with John of Gaunt. However, John of Gaunt died in February 1399 and therefore it is unlikely that they met backup with him, but it is possible to deduce that his widow Katherine Swynford (c 1350, d 1403) took them in. That same year on 13th October they attended as guests the coronation of John of Gaunt's son, Henry Bolingbroke, King Henry IV (b 1367, d 1413) who had on 19th August deposed King Richard II.

A few years after the 1402 comets of ill omen, Robert began training as a Knight. It is thought he met with the uncrowned King James I of Scotland, (b 1394, d 1437) who was being held for ransom in the Tower of London after being captured in 1406 by English pirates and turned over to the English; and possibly also met with Murdac Stewart, (b 1362, d 1425) son of Robert Stewart  the  Duke  of  Albany (b 1340, d 1420) (the second son of Robert II); who ruled as Governor of Scotland in place of James. Murdac had been caught in 1402 at the Battle of Homildon Hill and was released in 1414. Murdac later became Duke of Albany after his father's death and ruled as Regent of Scotland from 1420 until James's £40,000 ransom was paid and his return to be King of Scotland in 1424.

NOTE: In the year 1402 two comets appeared, one about the middle of February, the other in June, both of which were visible while the sun was above the horizon. One was of such magnitude and brilliancy that the nucleus and even the tail could be seen at midday. Jacobus Angelus of Ulm (b 1360, d 1410) wrote an extensive treatise on one of these (known today as C/1402 D1). 

THE QUEST KNIGHT

Mabella died about 1411 shortly after which Robert went questing, possible in France. Also about this time his mother Elizabeth returned to Scotland and married secondly in about 1412 Angus Du Mackay, of Strathnaver, 7th chief of the Clan Mackay (c 1375, d 1433) and had by him a  son Neil  Vass  Mackay (c 1412, dc 1455) who spent much of his early life a prisoner at Bass Rock..

Robert eventually returned to England and married the damsel Sexta de Collis (c 1405 d ?), and had with her at least two children, the eldest William? (c 1420 d ?) and a daughter, Margaret The Maid of Newland (c 1430 d ?). It is thought that Lord Robert Newland was a guest at the wedding of King James I and Joan Beaufort, (c 1379, d 1440), which was held 2nd February 1424 at St Mary Overie Church in Southwark, London. Joan was the daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, (b 1373, d 1410) son of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford.

Lord Robert from whom are descended all the English Sovereign Lords of the House of  Newland, died in the year ? and was succeeded by his son William. Nothing more is recorded to British history after, but the Royal bloodline of succession continued to the present day Sovereign Lord Newland.

THE ANCIENT NEWLAND FAMILY TREE

Below is the convoluted Royal Newland family tree of the 14th century showing  how the Royal and noble families of Scotland are related.

LOST IN TIME - THE HOUSE OF NEWLAND.

With no further prominent involvement in either English or Scottish affairs, the House of Newland understandably fell into obscurity and became lost in time. Andrew of Wyntoun's and Walter Bower's erroneous accounts stating John the Master of Sutherland died in England of the plague, made sure that the House of Newland was excluded from its continuation in British history. However, the Sovereign Lords Newland continued to live in England eventually settling in Hampshire before moving on to London at the turn of the nineteenth century. Somehow they managed to eke out a living and survive the power struggles, political feuds and wars that the ruling English and Scottish Royal families of the time succumbed to. Yet the bittersweet story of how the young Prince John was rejected and cast out by his bullying plotting father for marrying a lowly maiden and his subsequent loss of the throne of Scotland and the Earldom of Sutherland was such a monumental incident within the Newland Royal family, it was thus firmly embedded and impressed into successive generations of the heirs of the House of Newland that it continued and endured through the centuries. Overtime the story fragmented but the facts of the case remained. 

THE RESTORATION - THE HOUSE OF NEWLAND.

For well over a hundred years (maybe more) successive Chiefs of the House of Newland set to work to reestablish the truth and facts surrounding the Instrument of Creation, Title, Letters Patent and Newland family history. But due to everyday commitments, the intervening World Wars, poverty, bad luck, illness, plus the sheer lack or resources and a lack of forthcoming commitment of the ruling establishment, (Buckingham Palace etc) slow intermittent progress was made. The information learned was dutifully passed on to each heir in succession to continue the work until finally against all the odds the concealed enigma was concluded. In the Spring of 2019, H.R.H. Lord Robert Newland, The Sovereign Lord of Scotland reaffirmed himself as the rightful just heir of the honours to the estate of the Ancient Dynastic Royal House of Newland, unto Queen Elizabeth II, The College of Arms, The Court of Lord Lyon, the UK Government, and the Vatican State (Holy See), thus by historical, lawful and legal means claimed his birthright as a Independent Sovereign (Free Royalty) and a Free Independent Sovereign Entity of State. This lost historic information has now been recorded here on this website for the first time ever! The royal skeleton is well and truly out of the cupboard!

ROYAL NEWLAND ANCESTRY

THE ROYAL HOUSE OF NEWLAND

SUCCESSION 1367 - PRESENT

The Dynastic Line of Honour as logged on record at

the College of Arms and the Court of Lord Lyon.

1st LORD: PRINCE JOHN, MASTER of SUTHERLAND aka WILLIAM NEWLAND - KING WILLIAM I

William was born 1346 in Scotland. In 1361 while a hostage in England, for his uncle King David II of Scotland, Prince John married The Lily Maid Mabella 1348-1411 and had issue:  Robert 1361-1389, Nicholas 1368-1399, Hector 1370-?, and Alexander 1374-?. In 1367 he became the first Sovereign Lord of the Royal House of Newland, changing his name to William Newland. He died in 1389 and was succeeded by his son Robert.

2nd LORD: ROBERT NEWLAND - KING ROBERT I

Robert was born in 1361 in England and died in 1389 in Scotland. He was succeeded by his brother Nicholas. 

3rd LORD: NICHOLAS NEWLAND - KING NICHOLAS I

Nicholas was born 1368 in England. He married Lady Elizabeth Macdonald 1377-1416 and had issue:  Robert. c1390-? Nicholas died in 1399 and was succeeded by his son Robert. 

4th LORD: ROBERT NEWLAND - KING ROBERT II

Robert was born c1390 in Scotland. He married the damsel Sexta de Collis c1405-? and had issue: William c1420-? and a daughter, Margaret The Maid of Newland, c1430-? who married an unknown gentleman and had issue: John c1455-? and possibly other children. Robert died in unknown year and was succeeded by his son William. 

5th LORD: WILLIAM NEWLAND - KING WILLIAM II

William was born c1420. He married an unknown lady and has issue: John c1455-?. William died in unknown year and was succeeded by his nephew John. 

6th LORD: JOHN NEWLAND - KING JOHN I

John was born c1455 in England. He married an unknown lady and had issue:  William c1485-1557 and possibly other children. John died in unknown year and was succeeded by his son William. 

7th LORD: WILLIAM NEWLAND - KING WILLIAM III

William was born c1485 in England. He married an unknown lady and had issue: John 1511-1590, Richard* 1517-1577 and possibly other children. William died in 1557 and was succeeded by his son John. 

*THE MAYFLOWER CONNECTION

Through DNA matching and research it is now evident that the pilgrim pioneering family of William Henry Newland, who set sail from England on either the Fortune in 1621, or the Anne in 1623, and settled in Sandwich, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA were members of the House of Newland. It is now believed William Henry Newland was the son of William I Newland 1557-1580 and Elizabeth Humphrey 1558-1625; and grandson of Richard Newland 1517-1577 and Elinor Kingswell 1527-1584. William Henry Newland was born in Canterbury, Kent, England, in 1578 and married Agnes Ann Greenway on 1st March 1602. They had three known children:

Issue 1: William Newland 1605-1690 who married firstly Elizabeth Smith but had no children. He married secondly Rose Allen and had three daughters, Mercy (Mary) 1649-1674; Rose 1651-1683; and Elizabeth 1653-1658.

Issue 2: John Newland 1610-1690 who married Elizabeth of unknown surname. They had no known children.

Issue 3: Mary Sarah Newland c1612-1674, who married Henry Howland Jr and had eight or more children. These were: Abigail 1628-1692, Zoeth 1636-1676, Samuel 1638-1716, John 1641-1687, Mary 1643-1699, Elizabeth 1645-1712, Sarah 1645-1712, and Joseph 1649-1692. Henry Howland Jr was the brother of Mayflower passenger John Howland who notoriously fell overboard in mid Atlantic during a storm, yet managed to grab hold of a rope and be hauled back aboard; hence the House of Newland's connection to the Mayflower.  

8th LORD: JOHN WILLIAM NEWLAND - KING JOHN II 

John was born  c1511 in England. He married Agnes of unknown surname c1516-? and had issue: John 1531-1610, and William 1550-1593. John died in 1590 and was succeeded by his son John. 

9th LORD: JOHN NEWLAND - KING JOHN III 

John was born in 1531 at Gowley, Priors Dean, Hampshire. He married Elizabeth Goter 1541-1593 and had issue: Richard 1563-1620, Thomas c1565-1624 and Adam c1570-?. He died in 1610 and was succeeded by his son Richard.

10th LORD: RICHARD NICHOLAS NEWLAND - KING RICHARD I

Richard was born in 1563 in Hampshire. He married Jane Greenwood 1567-1638 and had issue: John 1588-1653, Jane 1596-?, Alice c1598-?, Mary c1600-?, Thomas c1602-?, Elizabeth c1605-? and Robert c1610-?. He died in 1622 and was succeeded by his son John.

11th LORD: JOHN NEWLAND - KING JOHN IV 

John was born in 1588 at Slindon, West Sussex. He married Ann Vaggar 1610-1688 and had issue: Richard 1632-1701, Joan 1638-1658, Jane 1636-1658, Ann 1640-1665 and John 1642-1645. He died in 1653 and was succeeded by his son Richard.

12th LORD: RICHARD ABRAHAM NEWLAND - KING RICHARD II 

Richard was born in 1632 at Slindon, West Sussex. He married 1653 to Elizabeth Chambers 1632-1672. and had issue: Thomas 1655-1731, Frances 1857-?, Richard 1658-1731, Elizabeth 1661-1672, Joan 1661-?, Margaret 1664-?, John 1665-1714, Ann 1669-? and Joan 1672-1672. He died in 1701 and was succeeded by his son Thomas.

13th LORD: THOMAS NEWLAND - KING THOMAS I 

Thomas was born in 1655 at Hawkley, Hampshire. He married Elizabeth Heath 1658-? and had issue: Jane 1763-1770 and Thomas 1691-1738. He died in 1731 and was succeeded by his son Thomas.

14th LORD: THOMAS NEWLAND - KING THOMAS II 
Thomas was born about 1691 in Hampshire. He married firstly Mary Sharp 1695-1715 and had issue: Mary 1714-?. He married secondly Ann Pocock 1693-? and had issue: Richard 1717-1787, Elizabeth 1719-? and John 1724-1767. He died in 1738 and was succeeded by his son Richard.

15th LORD: RICHARD NEWLAND - KING RICHARD III 
Richard was born in 1717 at Froxfield, Hampshire. He married in 1740  Mary Linney 1719-1757 and had issue: Richard 1741-1822, William 1742-1826 and Thomas 1754-1754. He died about 1787 and was succeeded by his son Richard.

16th LORD: RICHARD NEWLAND - KING RICHARD IV

Richard was born in 1741 at East Meon, Hapmshire. He married in 1766 Rebecca Chase 1746-1840 and had issue: William 1766-1850, Olive 1768-1831, Hannah 1769-1852, Maria 1771-1857, Sarah 1774-1841, Martha 1776-1851, Frances 1778-?, Joseph 1778-1844, Jane 1780-1831, James 1781-1834 and Elizabeth 1785-?. He died in 1822 and was succeeded by his son William.

17th LORD: WILLIAM NEWLAND - KING WILLIAM IV

William was born in 1766 at East Meon, Hampshire. He married in 1787 Elizabeth Abigail 1766-1846 and had issue: William 1787-1854, Hannah 1786-?, George 1789-1864, Martha 1790-1849, James 1792-1858, Joseph 1794-1812, Ann 1796-?, Maria 1797-?, Thomas 1798-1821, Hannah 1799-?, Olive 1800-1868, Benjamin 1802-1869, Jane 1804-1867, Ann 1807-1876, Sophia 1808-1853 and Louisa 1811-1891. He died in 1850 and by forfeit under the law of Abandonment of office by William's abdicated heirs, he was succeeded by his grandson William.

18th LORD: WILLIAM NEWLAND - KING WILLIAM V

William was born in 1815 at Lambeth, Surrey. (He was the son of Prince Thomas Newland 1798-1821 who in 1811 married Honor Ansell of Surrey, 1793-? and had issue: Sarah Eleanor 1813-?, William 1815-1864, and Elizabeth Ann 1818-?). William married in 1837 Sarah Topping 1817-1861 and had issue: Emma 1844-1921, Harry 1846-1907, Thomas 1849-1849, William 1850-1933, Unnamed Male Infant 1851-1851, George 1856-1912 and Edward 1857-1926. He died in 1864 and was succeeded by his son Harry.

19th LORD: HARRY NEWLAND - KING HARRY I

Harry was born in 1846 at Cowley Hall, Uxbridge, London. He married in 1868 to Jane Henrietta Simmonds 1849-1912 and had issue: Harry 1868-1883, Sarah 1872-?, William 1876-1938, Harry 1879-1933, Henrietta 1885-1944, Edith 1887-?, Ellen 1891-? and Nellie 1892-?. He died in 1907 and by forfeit under the law of Abandonment of office by Harry's abdicated heirs, he was succeeded by his brother William.

20th LORD: WILLIAM JAMES NEWLAND - KING WILLIAM VI

William was born in 1851 at Cowley Hall, Uxbridge, London. He married in 1871 to Elizabeth Ann Bolt 1850-1915 and had issue: Maude 1871-1931, Lucy 1873-1878, Albert 1875-1940, Arthur 1877-1878, Ernest 1879-1943, Gordon 1855-1955, Dora 1886-1937, Frederick 1890-?, Arthur 1892-1916 (Killed at the battle of the Somme), Frank 1895-1968 and Ivy 1899-1980. He established links to Buckingham Palace communicating with King George V who took him under his protection. He died in 1933 and was succeeded by his son Albert.

21st LORD: ALBERT WILLIAM NEWLAND - KING ALBERT I

Albert was born in 1875 at Acton, London. He married in 1895 Alice Jane Hammond 1873-1916 and had issue: Lillan 1896-1994, Dorothy 1898-1983, Alice 1900-1997, Nellie 1901-?, Albert 1907-1972 and Violet 1908-?. Having no heirs interested in taking on the duty of office, Albert abdicated in about 1936/7 thus relinquishing all complete authority, honours and dignities of the Sovereign Lordship and the privilege of sovereignty (Act of State) and was succeeded by his brother Ernest. Albert died in 1940.

22nd LORD: ERNEST WILLIAM NEWLAND - KING ERNEST I

Ernest was born in 1879 at Acton, London. He married in 1898 Ada Clara Clarke 1878-1939. After succeeding to the Sovereign Lordship he called a meeting of his heirs to explain the title and the Arms/Instrument of Creation. He had issue: Ada 1899-1984, Henrietta 1901-1924, Charles 1902-1969, William 1904-1968, Grace 1906-1907, George 1908-1964, Dorothy 1911-1998, John 1916-1979 and Kathleen 1921-?. He died in 1943 and was succeeded by his son Charles.

23rd LORD: CHARLES ERNEST NEWLAND - KING CHARLES I

Charles was born in 1902 at Middlesex, London. He married in 1922 Alice Lydia Rogers 1900-1984. After the Second World War he began his own investigations into the Sovereign Lordship and the history of its origins, concluding the Arms/Instrument of Creations as authentic. He had Issue: Hazel 1930-2004 and Raymond 1937-1996. He died in 1969 and was succeeded by his son Raymond.

24th LORD: RAYMOND CHARLES ERNEST NEWLAND - KING RAYMOND I

Raymond was born in 1932 at Middlesex, London. He married in 1959 Christine Hilda Pettitt 1937-2008. In 1981 Raymond began further investigations into the meanings and complexities of the Arms/Instrument of Creation and his birthright. After a visitation to the College of Arms on 12th May 1986 by appointment with P L Gwynn-Jones the Lancaster Herald, he was informed that the Arms/Instrument of Creation and the Letters Patent was genuine and that he should make himself known to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which he did by Letter in December 1987. He corresponded with Queen Elizabeth II in Letters showing the complex workings of the Letters Patent, and the heraldic meanings of the Arms/Instrument of Creation. He had Issue: Caroline 1963, Stephen 1964 and Robert 1969. He died in 1996 and was succeeded by his son Stephen.

25th LORD: STEPHEN CHARLES NEWLAND - KING STEPHEN I

Stephen was born in 1964 at Middlesex, London. He married in 1996 Heather Joan Cribbet, born 1970. In 1996 he passed the responsibility of the Arms/Instrument of Creation over to his brother Robert and by 2008 decided to relinquish by renunciation all complete authority, honours and dignities of the Sovereign Lordship and the privilege of sovereignty (Act of State). He was succeeded by his brother Robert.

26th LORD: ROBERT JAMES NEWLAND - KING ROBERT III

Robert was born in 1969 at Middlesex, London and was so named in honour of his 22x Great Grandfather - King Robert the Bruce of Scotland. He is the present Sovereign Lord Newland, Sovereign Lord of Scotland. Through a common shared ancestor in Robert II King of Scots, he is the 21st cousin once removed of His Majesty King Charles III. When Lord Robert Newland's father died in 1996, Robert as Regent Lord made himself known to Queen Elizabeth II and also the Vatican. In 2008 when he succeed to office, he continued intermittently further research and investigations into the Sovereign Lordship and the House of Newland genealogy and continued vigorously to petition Queen Elizabeth II and also the Government. Concluding in the spring of 2019: he reaffirmed himself as Sovereign Lord Newland, The Sovereign Lord of Scotland, unto Queen Elizabeth II, The Garter, King of Arms of The College of Arms, Lord Lyon of The Court of Lord Lyon, the UK Government, and the Holy See (Vatican State), thus historically and legally claiming his birthright as a Independent Sovereign (Free Royalty) of the Ancient Dynastic Sovereign House of Newland and a Free Independent Sovereign Living Man of State. In 2019 he founded the 'Order of the Unicorn', - the House of Newland's noble order of chivalry; which aims to bring genuine honorific titles to the reach of all people. In 2022 he petitioned the UK parliament with his proposal to Restore the Aral Sea but due to the Ukraine-Russo conflict it was abandoned.  In 2023 as part of the Order of the Unicorn's third year celebrations he proposed that the full moon of April to be hence forth called a 'Unicorn Moon', which was passed by unanimous vote by the elite knights and ladies of the Order of the Unicorn.   

H.R.H. Sovereign Lord Robert Newland has acquired a number of titles over the years reflecting his rank, office and duties.
3rd August 1969: H.R.H. Lord Robert (Prince of the Royal House of Newland).
3rd August 1990: H.R.H. Baron Newland.

6th January 1996: The Master of Newland. (Heir Presumptive). 

23rd March 1996: Regent Lord Newland. (Guardian of the Arms).
1st January 2000: Chief Commander of the Free Sovereign State of Newland (Sovereign Knight of the Golden Shield).
3rd August 2008: H.R.H. Sovereign Lord Newland - The Sovereign Lord of Scotland. Attorney General, Keeper of the Keys.
28th January 2020: Supreme Grand Knight of the Order of the Unicorn. SGKU

Lord Newland's full official title and style of address is: His Royal Highness Sovereign Lord Robert James Newland of the Royal House and Kingdom of Newland, the Sovereign Lord of Scotland, Baron Newland, Chief Commander of State, S.G.K.U.  Keeper of the Keys, Attorney General.

Lord Newland's unofficial style is: Sir Robert James, or Robert Newland Esq or Mr Robert.

NOTE: While every effort has been made in researching the pedigree of the Royal House of Newland, occasionally errors among genealogy web sources and conflicting records can arise, this compounded by the fact that the further back in time one goes, the fewer records exist, therefore names and dates etc are subject to change. As to date we believe the information and line of succession of the Royal House of Newland, is correct. Any errors that may subsequently arise, though unfortunate, yet in our case do not actually matter because we hold the genuine Heraldic Instrument of Creation - the Letters Patent, which by the knowledge of 'unlocking' proves our historic authority and legitimate claim of origin as heir to the honours of the estate and line of succession as Sovereign of the Royal House of Newland. 

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