brought into order, and Alexander, who died in the Isle of Kerrera in the
bay of Oban (1249), well deserved his title of "a King of Peace." He was
buried in Melrose Abbey. In his reign the clergy were allowed to hold
Provincial or Synodal Councils without the presence of a papal Legate
(1225), and the Dominicans and Franciscans appeared in Scotland.



ALEXANDER III.


The term King of Peace was also applied to Alexander III., son of the
second wife of Alexander II., Marie de Coucy. Alexander came to the
throne (1249) at the age of eight. As a child he was taken and held
(like James II., James III., James V., and James VI.) by contending
factions of the nobles, Henry of England intervening. In 1251 he wedded
another child, Margaret, daughter of Henry III. of England, but Henry
neither forced a claim to hold Scotland during the boy's minority (his
right if Scotland were his fief), nor in other respects pressed his
advantage. In February 1261-1262 a girl was born to Alexander at
Windsor; she was Margaret, later wife of Eric of Norway. Her daughter,
on the death of Alexander III. (March 19, 1286), was the sole direct
descendant in the male line.

After the birth of this heiress, Alexander won from Norway the isles of
the western coast of Scotland in which Norse chieftains had long held
sway. They complained to Hakon of Norway concerning raids made on them
by the Earl of Ross, a Celtic potentate. Alexander's envoys to Hakon
were detained, and in 1263, Hakon, with a great fleet, sailed through the
islands. A storm blew most of his Armada to shore near Largs, where his