[MR] Orkneys and Shetlands to Scotland this day

[Garth Groff]

Noble friends,

Today in 1472 the Orkney and Shetland Islands formally passed from Norse 
to Scottish control. The Danish/Norwegian King Christian I pledged the 
Islands as collatoral on his daughter's dowry to James III of Scotland. 
Christian defaulted on his payments (possibly on purpose), and so the 
islands became Scottish. William Sinclair was at that time Earl/Jarl of 
Orkney. For reasons unclear to me, he was removed from his earldom and 
instead made Earl of Caithness on the mainland.

You can read the histories of both the Orkney and Shetland Islands, 
William Sinclair, plus the confused history of Christian I at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Orkney

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shetland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sinclair,_1st_Earl_of_Caithness

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_I_of_Denmark

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Former Captain of Archers to Sir Oliver Sinclair of 
Roslyn,
And Supporter of Clan Sinclair in All Things
(aka Garth Groff, real-life member of Clan Sinclair NA)