Home > Earl of Carrick

In Scotland, the first creation came circa 1186, when Duncan of Galloway became Earl of Carrick. The principal lands of the Earldom lay in Ayrshire.

Duncan's granddaughter Margaret, who later held the title in her own right, married Robert de Bruce, who later became 6th Lord of Annandale. Their son, also named Robert and known as "Robert the Bruce", would later rule Scotland as King Robert I, causing the earldom to merge into the Crown. Robert also held the title of Baron Bruce of Annandale (1295). Thereafter, successive Kings of Scots re-created the Earldom several times, but made it non-heritable, specifying that the earldom would revert to the Crown upon the death of the holder. Thus several creations ended with a reversion to the crown or with the holder becoming King.

In 1469, the Scottish Parliament passed an Act declaring that the eldest son of the King and heir to the throne would hold the Earldom, along with the Dukedom of Rothesay. After the Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England, the Dukedom and Earldom have been held by the eldest son and heir of the Kings of England and Scotland, later the Kings of Great Britain, and finally the Kings of the United Kingdom. Compare the Duchy of Cornwall.

In 1628, James VI and I created the Earldom of "Carrick in Orkney" for John Stuart, but the title became extinct at his death.

King George II set up the Irish Earldom in 1748 for Somerset Butler. The Earl also holds the Irish subsidiary title of Viscount Ikerrin, of Ikerrin in the County of Tipperary (created 1629), and Baron Butler, of Mount Juliet in the County of Kilkenny (1748).

1 Earls of Carrick, First Creation (c. 1186)

• Duncan, 1st Earl of Carrick (d. 1250)
• Neil, 2nd Earl of Carrick (d. 1256)
• Margaret de Bruce, 3rd Countess of Carrick (d. 1292)
• Robert de Bruce, 4th Earl of Carrick ( 1274- 1329 (became King in 1306)

2 Earls of Carrick, Second Creation (c. 1314Events June 24 Battle of Bannockburn. Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce beat Edward II of England. Scotland regains its independence. The Mappa Mundi (Map of the World) is made. It showed Jerusalem at the centre, as decreed in the Bible. Births Deat)

• Edward de Bruce, Earl of CarrickEdward Bruce (died October 14, 1318) was the younger brother of Robert the Bruce. He supported his brother in the struggle for the crown of Scotland, then pursued a claim in Ireland. Edward's date of birth is unknown. He was the son of Robert Le Brus and (d. 1318Events Pope John XXII declares the doctrines of the Franciscans advocating ecclesiastical poverty erroneous End of the reign of Emperor Hanazono of Japan Emperor Go-Daigo ascends to the throne of Japan Births Pope Urban VI Deaths 1318.)

3 Earls of Carrick, Third Creation ( 1328Events May 1 Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton England recognises Scotland as an independent nation after the Wars of Scottish Independence May 12 Nicholas V is consecrated at St Peter's Basilica in Rome by the bishop of Venice. May 26 William of Ockham sec)

• David de Bruce, Earl of CarrickDavid II ( March 5, 1324- February 22, 1371) king of Scotland, son of King Robert the Bruce by his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh (d. 1327), was born at Dunfermline Palace, Fife. In accordance with the terms of the treaty of Northampton he was married in ( 1324Events Publication of Defensor pacis by Marsilius of Padua Mansa Kankan Musa I, ruler of the Mali Empire arrives in Cairo on his hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. With an entourage numbering in the thousands, and so generous with his gold that the the price of- 1371Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan, fourth of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Start of the reign of Emperor Go-En'yu of Japan, fifth and last of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Births May 28 John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy (+ 1419)) (became King David II of Scotland in 1329)