ANALYSIS of CHIEF/REPRESENTER of CLAN MACDUFF
Compiled by Ted R. McDuffee
Former Convener: Clan MacDuff Society of America, Inc.
ANCIENT HOUSE - Fife Region:
| 1058 - | KING MALCOM CANMORE won the crown and as much of Southern Scotland as he had been able to conquer. |
| ?? - | ETHELRED (AEDH) said son of King Malcolm Canmore is the first "recorded" Earl of Fife. *Note [From several references I feel this Ethelred was not a son of Malcolm but, was the son of DUFF/MACDUFF and named in honor of Malcolm and for meritorious service was honored with the title of Earl of Fife in 1057. (TRMcD)] First Earl of Fife. |
| 1115 - | DUFFAGAN: References indicate a son of Ethelred was named Duffagan, who was MacDuff. Duffagan was witness to a charter at Scone in the year 1115. Date of death ca. 1120-1124. Second Earl of Fife. |
| 1124?- | CONSTANTINE (MacDuff) Earl of Fife in the early days of David's reign (1124-1153). *NOTE [The dates given I believe to be incorrect, records indicate Constantine died in the year 1129. (TRMcD)] Third Earl of Fife. |
| 1129 - | GILLIMICHAEL Mak-duf, Earl of Fife. Gillimichael MacDuff was a younger brother of Constantine who was witness to charter of Holyrood in 1123, also, a charter of Dumfermline, he died in 1139. He was succedded by his eldest son Duncan. Fourth Earl of Fife. |
| 1139 - | DUNCAN, died in 1154. Duncan assisted in 1153 at the coronation of King Malcolm IV, to whom he had been a tutor. Frequently employed as a witness by David I. and Malcolm IV. Fifth Earl of Fife. |
| 1154 - | DUNCAN, eldest son of Duncan, m. Ada, daughter or niece of Malcolm IV. Justiciary of Scotland in the reign of William the Lion. One of the peers who treated for William the Lion's ransom. Ada's tocher (dowery) included lands of Strathmiolo, Falkland, Kettle, Rathdillet in Fife, and Strathbran in Perthshire. Founded the Nunnery of North Berwick. He died in 1203 leaving three sons: Malcolm, Duncan and David. Sixth Earl of Fife. |
| 1203 - | MALCOLM founded the Abby of Culross in 1217, and made a donation to the episcopate of Moray to which his brothers, Duncan and David, were witnesses. He married Matilda, daughter of Gilber, Earl of Strathearn. He died childless in 1229 and was buried in St.Servan's Church, Culross. Seventh Earl of Fife. |
| 1229 - | MALCOLM, nephew of Seventh Earl of Fife, Malcolm. He married Helen, daughter of Llewellyn, Prince of Wales. Appointed to the regency in 1255 by Henry III of England. He died in 1266. Eighth Earl of Fife. |
| 1266 - | COLBAN died in 1270. His younger brother, MacDuff, died fighting under the standard of Wallace at the battle of Falkirk, July 22, 1298. Ninth Earl of Fife. |
| 1270 - | DUNCAN born 1263, was a ward of Alexander, Prince of Scotland, son of Alexander III. He was admitted to possession of his earldom in 1284. Married Johanna de Clare, daughter of the Earl of Gloucester. He was murdered at Petpollock, Sept. 25, 1288, by Sir Patrick Abernethy and Sir Walter Percy. Tenth Earl of Fife. |
| 1288 - | DUNCAN, born in 1285, was only three when his father was killed. Reared at the English Court. Married in 1306 Mary de Monthermer, granddaughter of Edward I. Received from Bruce the Charters of the Earldom of Fife and the baronies of O'Niel in Aberdeenshire, Kinmoul in Perghshire, and Calder in Midlothian. Died in the battle of Hallidown Hill. 1333. Eleventh Earl of Fife. |
| 1333 - | DUNCAN, eldest son of Duncan. There is some controversy about this Duncan as one source states that the above listed 11yh Earl of Fife was not killed at Hallidown Hill, but survived until 1353. From references I feel this was the twelfth Earl of Fife. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Durham and tried for treason. He was pardoned due to his relationship on his mother's side to Edward III. He died without male issue in 1353, but had a daughter, Isabel who succedded his estates. Isabel MacDuff, married four times, died without issue and conveyed the title of the earldom and property to her brother-in-law, Robert, Earl of Menteith, afterwards Duke of Albany, by her second husband, the third son of King Robert II (Stewart). Duncan was the twelfth Earl of Fife and at his death the male line of the MacDuff Celtic Earls of Fife came to an end. |
| 1425 - | ROBERT, Duke of Albany, and his son Murdoch were tried for treachery and found guilty. They were executed in 1425 and the title of Earl of Fife reverted to the Crown. Earldom of Fife became extinct. |
| 1425 - | WEMYSS became Chief of Scotland's senior Clan, although it never reverted to the patronymic of MacDuff.
A letter, dated 19th August 1982, from Lord Lyon, states thet the Earldom of Fife was annexed to the Crown by Act of Parliament on 4 August 1455. |
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MODERN HOUSE - Northern Territory Duffs: | |
| 1401 - | David Duff of Muldavit, in Banffshire, possible descendant of the Earls of Fife. In the northern territories of MacBeth and Gruoch's kingdom, families of Clan DUFF emerged in historical record. In all fairness to the Duff of Muldavit, afterwards, Dukes of Fife, who were landowners in Banff, in the 15th century, their unproved claim to be a branch of the CLAN MACDUFF OF FIFE is not so improbable as it might seem at first sight, when it is remembered that the original MacDuff clan had great estates in Banffshire in the Middle Ages. |
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CHIEF/REPRESENTER --- FROM DUFFD OF MULDAVIT Compiled by Ted McDuffee – January 1996 | |
| 1590 - | ADAM DUFF of Clunybeg, b.1590 d.1674, acquired vast estates in north-eastern Scotland. Married 1st, Murry of Milegan, one child, Margaret; , 2nd, Beatrix Gordon, six sons, one daughter. |
| 1623 - | ALEXANDER DUFF of Keithmore, eldest son of Adam and Beatrix (Gordon) Duff. Born 1623, died 1696, assumed the Chieftainship of Duff. Married in 1650, Helen Grant, daughter of Alexander Grant af Aliachie. They had three sons, Alexander of Braco, 1652-1705, William of Dipple 1653-1722 and Patrick of Craigaton 1655-1731 who had thirtysix known children. |
| 1653 - | WILLIAM DUFF of Dipple, born 1653, died 1722, Married first in 1681, Jean Gordon of Edinglassie, they had nine childrren; six daughters and three sons. Married second, 1703, Jean Dunbar of Durn, they had one son and four daughters. |
| 1697 - | WILLIAM DUFF, Lord Braco. Born 1697, died 1763. He was the only surviving son of William of Dipple. Amember of the British Parliament for the County of Banff from 1727 to 1734. He was created Lord Braco by /King GeorgeII in 1735, and Viscount MacDuff and First Earl Fife in 1759 - (Irish honours). (NOTE: Earl of Fife is Scottish and Earl Fife is Irish, there is a difference). Married , 1719, Janet Ogilvie, she died without issue 25 December 1720. He married second, 1723, Jean Grant, they had fourteen children. |
| 1729 - | JAMES DUFF, born 29 September 1729, died 24 January 1809. Second Earl Fife, Viscount MacDuff, Baron Braco of the Kingdom of Ireland, Baron Fife in Great Britain, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Banff, Colonel of the Banffshire Local Militia, F.R.S. and S.A. He died at age 80 without issue, never marrying. Upon James' death without male issue the English peerage, Baron Fife, became extinct, the title Earl Fife, Irish peerage, was suceeded to his younger brother Alexander. |
| 1809 - | ALEXANDER DUFF, born 18 April 1731, died 17 April 1811. Third Earl Fife and Lord Viscount MacDuff, plus other titles. He succeded his older brother James, as James died without issue. He was the third son of William, first Earl Fife. He married, 17 August 1775, Mary Skene, they had seven children. |
| 1811 - | JAMES DUFF, born 6 October 1776, died 9 March 1857, eldest son of Alexander, succeeded him as fourth Earl Fife, Viscount MacDuff, Baron Braco of Kilbryde plus other titles. Married September 1799 Maria Caroline Manners, she died from hydrophobia, from a scratch from a rabid dog, 20 December 1805. James never remarried and died without issue. He was succeeded by his nephew, James Duff. |
| 1857 - | JAMES DUFF, fifth Earl Fife, the eldest son of General Sir Alexander Duff of Delgaty, was born in 1814, died August 1879. In 1857 he was elected Member of Parliament for Banffshire, and continued for 20years. Married in 1846, Lady Agnes Georgina Elizabeth Hay, second daughter of the sixteenth Earl of Erroll. They had six children. |
| 1879 - | ALEXANDER WILLIAM GEORGE DUFF, born 10 November 1849, died 29 January 1912.Was sixth Earl Fife, Viscount MacDuff and later Duke of Fife. In May 1880 he was made a Privy Councillor, in March 1881 a Knight of the Order of the Thistle, a Knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Captain of the Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and in 1882 a Member of the Council of Duchy of Lancaster. He married 27 July 1889, Her Royal Highness Princess Louise Victoria Alexander Dagmar of Wales, now Princess Royal, and elevation to the Dukedom of Fife and Marquisate of MacDuff; he had already, in 1885, been created an earl of the United Kingdom. On 24 April 1900, he was created afresh Earl of MacDuff and Duke of Fife, with special remainder, in default of male issue, to his first and other daughters. The only son of this marriage was, unfortunately, still-born, 16 June 1890. There were two daughters: Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise Duff, Duchess of Fife, born 17 May 1891. Maud Alexandra Victoria Georgina Bertha Duff, born 3 April 1893. In 1905 King Edward VII declared his two grand-daughters should be called Princesses, and bear the title of Her Highness. |
| 1912 - | CHIEF DUFF OF BRACO, Alexander William George Duff, died 29 January 1912 without male issue. Thus, the Chief representor of MacDuff has been dormant since. His wife Princess Royal Louise in 1931. An heir to Earl Fife was a grandson born to the marriage of Alexandra Victoria and H.R.H. Prince Arthur of Connaught but, he was killed in action in 1944. When the Duchess of Fife, Princess Alexandra died in 1959 her nephew, James Carnegie, Duke of Fife, inherited her title. His son is Earl of MacDuff. His Grace The Duke of Fiffe, James Carnegie, born 1929, states that neither he nor his son, Earl of MacDuff, can be chief of Clan MacDuff in their lifetime because they were born into the Carnegie Clan. The titles merged in the Carnegie branch of the reigning House of Windsor. WEMYSS of WEMYSS LINAGE: A controversy concerning the Chieftainship of MacDuff evolves around this linage. Wemyss of Wemyss, the dirrect line of the ancient house of MacDuff, the Countess of Wemyss, was held by Lord Lyon to be chief of the RACE of MacDuff. A letter dated 19 August 1982 from the Court of the Lord Lyon, Edinburgh, Scotland, states that Alexander W. G. Duff(1849-1912) was representer of the family, Duff of Braco, and not Chief of Clan MacDuff. Chiefship of Clan MacDuff is said to have passed to descendants of a younger son of the 5th Earl of Wemyss who had not changed his name. |