Ayrshire > Volume 2

THE MONTGOMERIES OF EGLINTON 45
The eldest son of the first Earl of Shrewsbury lived
a stormy and eventful life. Succeeding his mother in
her Norman honours and estates in 1082, he forthwith
began a turbulent career that kept Normandj' in a
condition of civil war for years. Duke Robert imprisoned
him in 1088, but by the influence of his father he was
released. Two years later he took up arms again, and
resumed his old courses, but in 1091, when William Rufus
visited Normandy, he disbanded the forces of the rival
barons. He does not, however, seem to have reduced
the proud spirit of Montgomerie, who remained
constantly at war with his neighbours. On his father's
death in England the English estates passed to Hugh,
the second son. The Welsh called him " Hugh Goch,"
because he was red-headed. He took part in the civil
wars that arose over the succession between the sons of
William the Conqueror ; and when William Rufus
prevailed, he pardoned him, on payment of a fine of
£3000. He did not long survive. In 1103, when
Magnus, King of Norway, appeared as an invader off
the coast of Anglesey, Earl Hugh was very active in
resisting his landing. He rode into the sea to encounter
the foe, and was shot with an arrow in the eye, and his
body carried out by the ebbing tide. Seventeen days
later it was recovered, taken to Shrewsbury, and buried
beside that of his father with great lamentation. His
vassals deeply sorrowed for his death. A Norse saga
thus tells how he died : —
On the armour arrows rattle,
Where our Norse King stands in battle ;
From the helmets blood streams flow,
Where our Norse King draws his bow ;
His bowstring twangs — its biting wail
Rattles against the ring-linked mail ;
Up in the land, in deadly strife,
Our Norse King took Lord Hugo's life.
The death of Earl Hugh was followed by the accession
of his turbulent brother Robert from Normandy. From
the first he was a dangerous subject, and broke out in