Euphemia de Berkeley

• Preferred Name: Euphemia de Berkeley
  
• Gender: F
  
• Death: 28 AUG 1296 in Fearn, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, United Kingdom at LATI: N7.771 LONG: E3.954
  
• FSID: GN7H-F84
  
• Burial: in Linton Church, Linton, Scottish Borders, Scotland at LATI: N5.5167 LONG: E2.3667
  
• Birth: ABT 1267 in Bernard Castle, Gainford, Durham, England
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  «b»Biography
  Birth«/b»
  Euphemia was the daughter of Sir Hugh de Barclay and an unknown mother. Her date of birth has been estimated, based upon the marriage dispensation of her daughter, Isabella, on 1 June 1317 (see below). Assuming her daughter may have been around 21 at this time and was the fourth born child, with two years between births, the eldest child may have been born around 1288. This roughly places Euphemia's estimated date of birth circa 1267, if she married her husband around age 21 and had a child the following year.
  
  «b»Marriage«/b»
  Euphemia appeared to have married William, third Earl of Ross, before her husband's imprisonment in the Tower of London in 1296 for laying siege to Carlisle and occupying Dunbar Castle. It was at this time that she requested of Edward I that she receive support from the Earl's estates during his detention, which was in fact granted by the king. The date and location of their marriage are not known.
  
  «b»Euphemia and William had the following issue:«/b»
  1.) Hugh, his heir.
  
  2.) Sir John, who married Margaret Comyn, heiress of the Earldom of Buchan.
  
  3.) Sir Walter, who fell at Bannockburn on 23 June 1314.
  
  4.) Isabella, who received a dispensation from Pope John XXII to marry Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick on 1 June 1317. He died the following year at the battle of Dundalk. It is unlikely that this marriage occurred.
  
  5.) Dorothea, said to have married Torquil McLeod, second of Lewis.
  
  «b»Notable Events«/b»
  As William Ross was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1296, along with other members of the elite ruling class in northern Scotland, Euphemia remained a staunch advocate for English policy. On 24 July 1297, John Comyn, Bishop Henry of Aberdeen, and Gartnait, the son of the earl of Mar wrote to Edward I that Euphemia had assisted them in quashing an uprising by Andrew Murray, who had ambushed Urquhart Castle and captured several politically connected notables. With her loyalty still questioned by supporters of Edward, however, and longing for English support in her effort to have her husband released, she then sent her son, likely Hugh, to relieve the garrison of Urquhart. She further demonstrated her loyalty by supplying the Castle with provisions, which enabled the countess's army and the castle garrison to make a successful night attack and vanquish the forces of Andrew Murray. Finally, and thus convinced, Edward I rewarded her loyalty and allowed Hugh safe passage to visit his father 28 August 1297. William, however, remained imprisoned for another six years, but was finally released and given passage to Scotland under armed escort around 29 September 1303.
  
  «b»Death«/b»
  The date and location of Euphemia's death and burial are unknown. No sources have been located that allow for even an estimation of her death year.
  
  «b»Research Notes«/b»
  Notes on Euphemia Graham contend that this profile is correct, and that she is the daughter of Sir Hugh de Barclay.
  
  Alleged daughter, Martha Ross, Lady Foulis, has been detached as a daughter of Euphemia Ross, as no sources have been located that confirm this relationship.

1. William 4th Earl of Ross 2nd Laird of Balnagowan, b. ABT 1275 in Of, Fearn, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland     d. 19 JUL 1333 in Battle/Halidon,Berwick on Tweed,Northumberland,England

1. Hugh Earl of Ross, b. BEF 1297     d. 19 JUL 1333 in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England