History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 60

was the ancestor of the lords Lyle in Scotland. One of his grandsons married Matilda
of Wavrin whose family was also of Lille and who could trace their descent from
Charlemagne by several lines.

INNES
Berowald was in possession of land named after himself at Berowald’s(or Bo’ness,
once the third seaport of Scotland, having a considerable trade with the Low
Countries) in West Lothian in the 1150s. He was a man of considerable rank and
distinction and by a charter of Malcolm IV in 1154, he was given lands in Moray at
Innes and Easter Urquhart. In that charter he is described as Berowaldo Flandrensi Berowald the Fleming. The award was made in recognition of his good services in
putting down the rebellious natives of Moray, and one of the charter witnesses was
William, son of Freskin, the ancestor of the Murrays. Berowald’s arms are symbolically
the same as Freskin’s, with tinctures changed and tressure omitted, as would be
proper for a younger member of the family founding his own dynasty.

LINDSAY
Baldwin of Alost and his younger brother, Gilbert de Ghent, companion of the
Conqueror, were sons of Ralph of Alost and cadets of Guines. Gilbert de Ghent, Earl
of Lincoln, was father of Walter de Lindsay, ancestor of the Scottish family of Lindsay.

MURRAY
All chroniclers agree that Freskin was a Fleming who was in Scotland in the reign of
David I, and was initially allotted estates at Strathbrock in West Lothian. He took part
in quelling the insurrection of 1130 in Moray, and was thereafter given the task of
defending that county and awarded the extensive lands necessary to do so, his
headquarters being at Duffus where he built a mighty fortress. Freskin’s arms, which
have passed to his ultimate descendants, the Murray dukes of both Atholl and
Sutherland, were the colours and devices of a third son of Boulogne - the family of
David’s queen. (The ancient earldom of Atholl bore the colours of Flanders). As a
personal name, Freskin does not appear in Flemish dictionaries. It is presumed to be
a nickname, perhaps meaning “the one with the frizzy hair or curly-headed”.

OLIPHANT
The manor of Lilford, Northamptonshire was held at Domesday by the Countess
Judith, and her under-tenant there was her nephew, Walter the Fleming. The spelling
given in Domesday Book is Lilleford, but the place was also known as Holy Ford. The
first Holyford, Olifard or Oliphant of Lilford of whom we have note was Roger, who
witnessed a charter to St Andrew’s Priory, Norhtampton, for Simon de Senlis, first
husband of Scotland’s Queen Maud. Roger's successor at Lilford was William, and the
David Oliphant born there about 1120 who was godson of Maud’s second husband,
David of Scotland, was William’s son.
The war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud was a difficult one for all
Flemings, but David Oliphant’s dilemma was more acute than most. While fighting for
Stephen at Winchester in 1141, young Oliphant became aware that his royal
godfather, fighting on the other side, was in great peril. At the risk of his own life he
saved the Scottish king and hid him until the way was clear for an escape over the
Border. Although the Oliphants continued to hold Lilford until 1266 (when it passed to
their kinsman, Walter de Mai-ay), David Oliphant followed his godfather to Scotland
and spent the rest of his life there, serving him loyally and wisely as justiciar of
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