Ada of Huntingdon

Ada of Huntingdon (circa 1146 – after 1206) was a Scottish noblewoman and Countess of Holland by marriage.

Ada was born in Scotland, the daughter of Henry of Huntingdon (1114–1152) and Ada de Warenne (died circa 1178). Henry was the son of King David I of Scotland and Maud, Countess of Huntingdon, and Ada's siblings include the Scottish kings Malcolm IV and William the Lion.

In 1162 she was asked for her hand in marriage to Floris III, Count of Holland (circa 1132–1190) by the Abbot of Egmond, Holland. Together, the Abbot and Ada traveled back to Holland, where the wedding ceremony occurred, probably in Egmond, on 28 August 1162. Ada received the County of Ross in the Scottish Highlands as a wedding gift.

Ada was not actively involved in the governance of the County of Holland but was occasionally mentioned in documents. Floris, her husband was a loyal ally of the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, and often went with him into battle. Dutch chronicler Melis Stoke states that she supported her son in the war with William of Cleves during the War of Succession. In addition, Ada is known to have read Latin. Ada died after 1206 and was probably buried in the Abbey of Middelburg, to which she had already made donations of £64.

Ada and Floris had 8 or 10 children, of whom some died young, including the following issue:

  1. Ada (died after 1205), married 1176 Margrave Otto I of Brandenburg
  2. Margaret (died after 1203), married 1182 Count Dietrich IV of Cleves
  3. Dirk VII, Count of Holland
  4. William I, Count of Holland
  5. Floris (died 1210), bishop of Glasgow
  6. Baldwin (died 1204)
  7. Robert
  8. Beatrix
  9. Elisabeth
  10. Hedwig
  11. Agnes (died 1228), Abbess at Rijnsburg

Ancestry

External links