History of the earldoms of Strathern, Monteith, and Airth

THE EARLDOM OF STRATHERN. 15
Scotland, still, so lately as the fourteenth century, i^^*'» Earl
•^ ^ ^ _ •'of Strathern
neither the place nor period of his birth, the and Caithness.
name of his wife, the time of his marriage, nor
even the date of his death can be ascertained.'
David Earl of Strathern was, however, mar-
*ried, and left issue, an only child,
EuPHEMiA Stewart ^, who succeeded her Euphemia
PI • 1T111 PCI 1 i/-i'i Countess or
rather in the harldoms oi otrathern and Caith- Strathern.
ness, and became Countess Palatine of Stra-
thern AND Caithness. The time both of her
birth and marriage is unknown ^ j but it would
1 This appears to be the more extraordinary since the
names of the wives, and dates of the deaths of all the other
sons of King Robert the Second, are known ; and it maj^
therefore be supposed, that many documents relating to
David Earl of Strathern were destroyed in 1633, M'hen the
service of his heir, William Earl of Monteith, was reduced.
The Earl of Traquair, writing to the Earl of Morton on the
16th of March in that year, says, " It has been madness to
have attempted such things, but, seeing they have been once
moved, I wish some such course may be taken as may secure
our Master's interest, whatever it be. Reduction upon the
summons libelled, nor yet certification upon not-production
in the improbation is not sufficient, except some way be
found for cancelling/ and destroying of all writs that may
concern this business." (Vide Appendix, No. XL)
2 Her baptismal name was evidently derived from her
grandmother, Euphemia Queen of Scotland, second wife of
King Robert the Second.
3 Nesbit states, that he had " seen the Seat of Euphemia
Countess of Strathern appended to a Charter of the date of
1389, wherein she is designed "Eupham. Senescal. Comi-
TissA PALATiNA DE Strathern," on which Seal was the
picture of a woman at length, holding by each hand a shield ;