The Chronicle of Huntingdon is a medieval

chronicle A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events ...

of events in Scotland compiled at the Priory of Huntingdon in 1291. It is currently in London in the Treasury of His Majesty's Exchequer It is based in part upon the Chronicle of Melrose Abbey.

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by John, King of England, King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver C ...

, despite being in Cambridgeshire in eastern England, had a Scottish connection because King

David I David I may refer to: * David I, Caucasian Albanian Catholicos c. 399 * David I of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenia (728–741) * David I Kuropalates of Georgia (died 881) * David I Anhoghin, king of Lori (ruled 989–1048) * David I of Scotland ...

of Scotland married

Maud, Countess of Huntingdon Maud, Countess of Huntingdon ( 1074–1130) or Matilda, was Queen of Alba as the wife of King David I. She was the great-niece of William the Conqueror and the granddaughter of Earl Siward. Biography Maud was the daughter of Waltheof, th ...

, in 1113, becoming the

Earl of Huntingdon Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The medieval title (1065 creation) was associated with the ruling house of Scotland ( David of Scotland). The seventh and most recent creation dates t ...

. The title was inherited by his son

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

in 1136, so it is believed that the earlier part of this chronicle, prior to

Malcolm Canmore Malcolm III (; ; –13 November 1093) was King of Alba from 1058 to 1093. He was later nicknamed "Canmore" (, , understood as "great chief"). Malcolm's long reign of 35 years preceded the beginning of the Scoto-Norman age. Henry I of England ...

, was derived from a Scottish source. In 1290,

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

of England with little advance notice commanded English cathedrals and large monasteries, including Huntingdon, to compile historical data on relations between English and Scottish kings."The returns made to these writs, which are still extant, contain numerous extracts and fragments of chronicles, which are printed by

Sir Francis Palgrave Sir Francis Palgrave, (; born Francis Ephraim Cohen, July 1788 – 6 July 1861) was an English archivist and historian. He was Deputy Keeper (chief executive) of the Public Record Office from its foundation in 1838 until his death; and he is ...

in his ''Documents and Records illustrative of the History of Scotland'' published by the Record Commission." From Skene In response, the chronicle was compiled by the

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

s in Huntingdon in the spring of 1291. The chronicle is a Latin list of Scottish kings, beginning with

Kenneth mac Alpin Kenneth MacAlpin (; ; 810 – 13 February 858) or Kenneth I was King of Dál Riada (841–850), and King of the Picts (848–858), of likely Gaelic origin. According to the traditional account, he inherited the throne of Dál Riada from his ...

and ending at the beginning of the reign of Alexander III in 1249. The chronicle commences with a battle between the

Picts The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...

and

Alpín mac Echdach Alpín mac Echdach was a supposed king of Dál Riata, an ancient kingdom that included parts of Ireland and Scotland. Alpín was included in a pedigree chart created in the 10th century to connect the kings of Alba (Scotland) to legendary Dál R ...

, king of the Scots, in 834; and a marginal note claims that the Scots had possessed the country for 456 years from Alpin, the addition of which figure to 834 suggests that the chronicle may have been begun in 1290. Over time the manuscript deteriorated, with many words in the narrative of the reigns of Alpin and his son

Kenneth MacAlpin Kenneth MacAlpin (; ; 810 – 13 February 858) or Kenneth I was King of Dál Riada (841–850), and King of the Picts (848–858), of likely Gaelic origin. According to the traditional account, he inherited the throne of Dál Riada from his fa ...

becoming illegible, although the text of these

lacuna Lacuna (plural lacunas or lacunae) may refer to: Related to the meaning "gap" * Lacuna (manuscripts), a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or musical work **Great Lacuna, a lacuna of eight leaves in the ''Codex Regius'' where there ...

e can usually be supplied by referring to the '' Chronica Gentis Scotorum'' of

John of Fordun John of Fordun (before 1360 – c. 1384) was a Scottish chronicler. It is generally stated that he was born at Fordoun, Mearns. It is certain that he was a secular priest, and that he composed his history in the latter part of the 14th ...

, who used the chronicle as a source.

References

{{reflist English chronicles 9th century in Scotland Huntingdon Manuscripts about Scotland Collection of the National Archives (United Kingdom) 13th-century manuscripts