Appendix I.

CHRONOLOGY OF ORCADIAN HISTORY TO THE END OF THE EARLDOM, WITH RELATED CONTEMPORARY EVENTS.

Certain historians assign earlier dates than those given below to the events before 933. The chronology adopted here is that which harmonizes best with the dates of events in other lands during that period. Approximate dates are marked “c” (circa); events not directly connected with the Earldom are in square brackets, and their dates in lighter type.

A.D. =78= (c.) Agricola’s visit to Orkney. 563. [Columba in Scotland.] =580= (c.) Cormac’s missionary journey to Orkney. 597. [Augustine in England.] 787. [First recorded appearance of Vikings in England.] 800 (c.) [First period of Norse colonization begins.] 841. [Rouen taken by the Norsemen.] 852. [Norse kingdom established in Dublin.] 862. [Rurik founds the Norse line in Russia.] 871. [Alfred the Great King of England.] 885. [Siege of Paris by the Norsemen.] =900.= Battle of Harfursfirth—Second period of Norse colonization begins. — [Iceland colonized by Norsemen.] =901= (c.) Harald Fairhair in Orkney—Earldom established. — Sigurd I. earl. =905= (c.) Battle with Maelbrigda of Ross—Sigurd’s death. — Guttorm, Sigurd’s son, earl. =907= (c.) Hallad, son of Rognvald, Earl of Moeri, earl. =910.= Einar I. (Torf Einar), Rognvald’s son, earl. 912. [Rolf or Rollo, Rognvald’s son, Duke of Normandy.] =933.= Arnkell, Erlend I., and Thorfinn I., Einar’s sons, joint-earls. 950. [King Eric (Bloody axe) expelled from Norway.] =954.= Eric and Earls Arnkell and Erlend fall at battle of Stainsmoor. =963.= Arnfinn, Havard, Ljot, and Hlodve, Thorfinn’s sons, joint-earls. =980.= Sigurd II. (the Stout), Hlodve’s son, earl. 980. [Discovery of Greenland by the Norsemen.] 986. [Discovery of America (Vinland) by the Norsemen.] =995.= Conversion of Sigurd to Christianity by Olaf Tryggvason. 998. [Olaf Tryggvason, King of Norway.] =1014.= Battle of Clontarf—Death of Earl Sigurd. — Sumarlid, Einar II., Brusi, and (later) Thorfinn II., Sigurd’s sons, joint-earls. 1015. [Olaf the Saint King of Norway.] =1015.= Death of Earl Sumarlid. 1017. [Knut (Canute) King of England.] =1020.= Murder of Einar II. 1027. [Norse kingdom established in Southern Italy.] 1030. [Battle of Sticklestad—Death of St. Olaf.] =1031.= Death of Earl Brusi—Thorfinn II. sole earl. — Rognvald, Brusi’s son, claims a share of the earldom. =1045.= Battle in the Pentland Firth between Rognvald and Thorfinn. =1046.= Murder of Rognvald in Papa Stronsay. 1056. [Malcolm Canmore King of Scotland.] =1057.= Christ’s Kirk in Birsay founded. =1064.= Death of Thorfinn; his sons Paul I. and Erlend II. joint-earls. =1066.= Harald Hardradi visits Orkney. — Harold, Godwin’s son, King of England. — Battle of Stamford Bridge. — Invasion of Duke William of Normandy—Battle of Hastings. 1087. [Moorish Empire established in Spain.] 1096. [First Crusade.] =1098.= Magnus (Barefoot), King of Norway, sends the Orkney earls to Norway, and makes his son Sigurd “King” of Orkney. 1103. [Death of Magnus—Sigurd King of Norway.] =1103.= Hakon, Paul’s son, and Magnus, Erlend’s son, joint-earls. =1115.= Murder of Earl Magnus (St. Magnus) in Egilsay. =1122.= Death of Earl Hakon; his sons Harald I. and Paul II. joint-earls. =1127.= Death of Harald—Paul sole earl. =1129.= Rognvald II. (Kali) appointed joint-earl by King Sigurd. =1135.= Rognvald’s first expedition to claim the earldom. — St. Magnus Church, Egilsay, founded. =1136.= Rognvald’s second expedition—Earl Paul kidnapped by Sweyn Asleifson. =1137.= St. Magnus Cathedral founded. =1139.= Harald II. (Maddadson) joint-earl. =1151.= Crusaders winter in Orkney. =1152.= Earl Rognvald’s Crusade to Jerusalem. =1154.= Erlend III. joint-earl. =1156.= Death of Erlend III. =1158.= Earl Rognvald killed. =1171.= Sweyn Asleifson’s last cruise and death at Dublin. 1171. [English invasion of Ireland.] =1175.= Abbot Laurentius transferred from Orkney (Eynhallow) to Melrose. 1194. [Battle of Floravoe, near Bergen; defeat of the “Island-beardies.”] =1196.= Shetland separated from the Orkney earldom. =1197.= Harald III. (the Young), grandson of Rognvald, joint-earl. =1198.= Death of Harald the Young. =1206.= Death of Earl Harald II. (Maddadson); his sons David and John joint-earls. =1214.= Death of Earl David. 1214. [Alexander II. King of Scotland.] 1215. [Magna Charta granted in England.] =1222.= Burning of Bishop Adam in Caithness. — Death of Bjarne, the poet-bishop of Orkney. =1231.= Death of John, the last earl of the Norse line. =1232.= Magnus II., the first of the Angus line, earl. — Loss of ship carrying the chief men of the Isles from Norway. =1239.= Gilbride I. earl. ? Gilbride II. earl. 1249. [Alexander III. King of Scotland.] =1256.= Magnus III. earl. =1263.= King Hakon’s expedition—Battle of Largs—Death of Hakon at Kirkwall. =1266.= Treaty of Perth—“Annual of Norway” established. =1276.= Magnus IV. earl. =1284.= John II. earl. 1286. [Death of Alexander III. of Scotland—Margaret of Norway heiress to the crown.] 1292. [Death of Margaret the “Maid of Norway.”] 1306. [Robert Bruce King of Scotland. According to a tradition, the credibility of which is supported by various lines of evidence, Bruce passed the winter of 1306-7 in Orkney, not in the island of Rathlin.] =1310.= Magnus V. earl. 1312. [Treaty of Perth confirmed at Inverness.] 1314. [Battle of Bannockburn.] =1325.= Death of Earl Magnus V.; end of the Angus line. — Malise of Stratherne earl. =1353.= Erngisl earl. =1379.= Death of Earl Erngisl; end of the Stratherne line. — Henry I. (St. Clair) earl—Shetland restored to the earldom. — Union of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark (Union of Calmar). =1400.= Henry II. (St. Clair) earl. 1406. [Prince James of Scotland captured by the English when on his way to France.] =1420.= Bishop William Tulloch, commissioner in Orkney for the Crown of Norway. =1423.= David Menzies of Wemyss commissioner. =1434.= William St. Clair earl, the last earl under Norse rule. 1453. [Constantinople taken by the Turks.] =1468.= Orkney and Shetland pledged to the Scottish Crown. — Marriage of James III. of Scotland to Margaret of Denmark. =1471.= Lands and revenues of Earl William purchased by the Scottish Crown. =1472.= Bishop William Tulloch appointed to collect Crown revenues. =1485.= Henry St. Clair representative of the Crown. 1492. [First voyage of Columbus.] 1497. [Voyage of Cabot to Labrador.] =1513.= Battle of Flodden—Death of Henry St. Clair. 1524. [Union of Calmar dissolved.] =1529.= Battle of Summerdale. =1540.= James V. of Scotland visits Orkney. 1542. [Mary Queen of Scots born.] =1565.= Lord Robert Stewart obtains a feu charter of Orkney and Shetland. 1567. [Mary Queen of Scots deposed—James VI. proclaimed—Flight of Bothwell to Orkney and Shetland.] =1568.= The Islands resumed by the Crown of Scotland. =1581.= Lord Robert Stewart earl. 1588. [The Armada.] =1592.= Earl Patrick Stewart obtains the Islands. 1603. [Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England.] =1614.= Execution of Earl Patrick.