Maol Íosa V, Earl of Strathearn

Maol Íosa V of Strathearn (also Maol Íosa of Orkney) was the last of the native Gaelic family of Strathearn mormaers. He ruled Strathearn as mormaer/earl between 1330 and 1334, and was Earl of Orkney between 1331 and 1350.

His career began promisingly. On the death of his father Maol Íosa IV in 1329, he inherited Strathearn. In 1330, he inherited the title Earldom of Orkney (with the Mormaerdom of Caithness) through his great-grandmother, Earl Gilbert (Gille Brighde)'s daughter Maud, who had married Maol Íosa II.

Maol Íosa's downfall came as a result of a renewed Balliol onslaught which followed the death of King Robert I. Maol Íosa sided with Edward Balliol and the English, and fought for the Balliol side at the Battle of Halidon Hill. However, the Anglo-Balliol alliance turned its back on Maol Íosa, and awarded the Mormaerdom to John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey.

On the return to power of King David II, Maol Íosa was forgiven, but his Mormaerdom was not restored, instead going to Sir Maurice de Moravia. Maol Íosa spent the rest of his days vainly trying to regain it.

Maol Íosa married twice, the second time to Marjory, daughter of Aodh, Earl of Ross. He had four daughters, but no sons.

Maol Íosa died in 1350. Strathearn was never returned to his heirs, who divided or competed over his more northern inheritance. A grandson named Alexander de l'Arde took seat in Caithness, whilst Erengisle Sunesson, the husband of one of his daughters (possibly named Agnes), received the earl's title of Orkney. Ultimately, lands in both of these and the Norse earldom (that by decision of Haakon VI of Norway in 1379) passed to his grandson Henry Sinclair I, Earl of Orkney, son of William Sinclair, Lord of Rosslyn, and Maol Iosa's (youngest) daughter Isobel of Strathearn.

References

• Neville, Cynthia J., Native Lordship in Medieval Scotland: The Earldoms of Strathearn and Lennox, c. 1140-1365, (Portland & Dublin, 2005)