Ada, Countess of Atholl (c. 1221–25 December 1266), was the daughter and heir of
Forbhlaith, Countess of Atholl and her husband,
David de Hastings
David de Hastings (or David Hastings) ( – 1247 or 1269), jure uxoris
''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo ...
. Ada's mother, Forbhlaith, was herself heir of the
highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
mormaerdom of
Atholl
Atholl or Athole () is a district in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, bordering (in clockwise order, from north-east) Marr, Gowrie, Perth, Strathearn, Breadalbane, Lochaber, and Badenoch. Historically it was a Pictish kingdom, becoming ...
, Scotland. Ada was Countess of Atholl
suo jure
''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...
, she held the title in her own right, and not through her husband. She inherited the title from her mother, who was also suo jure Countess of Atholl. Upon her death the title went to her son,
David of Strathbogie. David was the first of the Earls of Atholl to be named Strathbogie. David's father John was able to use the title of Earl but held it only by right of his wife, Ada, he was
jure uxoris
''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could beco ...
Earl of Atholl, as Ada's father had been.
Ada's husband, John de
Strathbogie, was the son of David of Strathbogie and grandson of
Duncan II,
Earl of Fife
The Earl of Fife or Mormaer of Fife was the ruler of the province of Fife in medieval Scotland, which encompassed the modern counties of Fife and Kinross. Due to their royal ancestry, the earls of Fife were the highest ranking nobles in the re ...
. Together they were the progenitors of the Strathbogie dynasty of
Atholl Earls, beginning with their son
David of Strathbogie, 8th Earl of Atholl.
[Burke's Peerage]
She died some time before 25 December 1266.
See also
*
Scotland in the High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages of Scotland encompass Scotland in the era between the death of Donald II of Scotland, Domnall II in 900 AD and the death of King Alexander III of Scotland, Alexander III in 1286, which was an indirect cause of the Wars of S ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atholl, Ada, Countess of
1264 deaths
Hereditary women peers
Medieval Gaels from Scotland
Nobility from Perth and Kinross
Scoto-Normans
Year of birth unknown
Year of birth uncertain
Mormaers of Atholl
13th-century Scottish women
13th-century mormaers