Strathearn was also the name of an ancient province of the Kingdom of Alba,[2] under the authority of a mormaer and then an Earl. More recently, the name has since been used in a number of titles used by the British Royal Family.
History
The historic province of Strathearn was bounded on the north by Atholl, north west by Breadalbane, south west by Menteith, south east by Fife, and on the east by Perthia.
The earliest attested mormaer of Strathearn is Mael Ísu I, who is recorded fighting alongside David I at the Battle of the Standard in 1138.[3] Unlike some provinces where the holder of the office of mormaer rotated between kin-groups, the mormaership of Strathearn was dominated by a single family, with a Mael Ísu in every generation until the death of Mael Ísu V in the mid 14th century.[3]
Strathearn became a stewartry under the authority of the Earls of Perth and part of Perthshire for administrative purposes, until the abolition of heritable jurisdictions in 1748.[4] It continued to be recognised as one of the ancient divisions of the county, without administrative or judicial function.[5]
MacQueen, Hector L. (2008). "Scotland: Politics, Government and Law". In Rigby, S. H. (ed.). A Companion to Britain in the Later Middle Ages. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 283–308. ISBN978-0470998779.