Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 3.djvu/347

FIELD — FIFE, 345 1813 ; Barrister (Inner Temple) 1850, going the middle circuit ; Queen's Counsel, and Bencher, 1864. Juatice of the Queen's Bench, Feb to Nov. 1875, and of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench division) since Nov. 1875. He m, 1864 Louisa, da. of John Smith. She d. 24 May 1880, at Southsea, Hants. Principal Residence. Bakeham, near Englefield Green, Surrey. FIENES, FIENNES, &c. See "Say and Sele" Barony (Fienes or Fenys) cr. 1447. See "Dacke" Barony (Dacre), cr. 1341, the word "Fenys," or " Fienes " being in many of the writs issued, 1459—1534. FIFE. [Observations. The Earldom of Fife with Forfchreve (both of which now constitute the county of Fife) was one of the seven original Earldoms [Mormaer- ships] of Scotland,( a ) the holders of which, who in the 10th century were styled " Mormaers," were early in the 12th century known as Satis; indeed "from the earliest period the territory of Fife comes prominently forward as the leading province of Scotland and its Earls occupied the first place amoug the seven Earls. "( b ) Three especial privileges belonged to it, of which (1) the placing the King on the coronation stone and (2) the heading the van of the army were probably attached to the province of Fife and not to any particular tribe from which its Earls might be derived, while (3) the third privilege, " the law of Macduff" (whereby unpremeditated homicide was pardoned by fine) was probably tribal.( b ) The Earldom of Fife appears among these seven Earldoms (of which we hear the last in 1297) as late as 1244.] Earldom [S.] 1, Beth, who, under the designation of " Beth, Gomes," I 1115 was witness to the charter of Scone in 1115 may not improbably be considered as EARL OF FIFE [S.], tho' possibly as Earl of Moray [S.] There appears also to have been one " Ed. [Edelrad ?] Comes or " Head, Comes," in charters temp. King David I. [S.], who probably was Edelrad (eon of King Malcolm III. [S.]) who was Abbot of Dunkeld, and, according to some accounts, EARL OF FIFE [S.] This "Ed. Comes" was contemporary with Earl Beth and with Earl Constantine his successor.( c ) II. 1120 ? Constantine, Eaul op Fife [S.], was contemporary with " Ed. Comes " above mentioned, who, however, was possibly Earl of Forthreve [S.] only, while it is certain that Constantine was connected with Kirkcaldy in Fife. He d. 1127 or 1129. ( a ) See vol. i, p. 88, sub "Angus," for fuller account of these seven Earldoms. ( b ) Skene's "Celtic Scotland" (1880), vol. iii, pp. 304-306. According to Riddell's " Scotch Peerage Lata " (1833), p. 153, " with us [Scots] the privilege of sanctuary was by no means so common as has been apprehended," there being, according to Wintouu, but three persons (i.e., two others besides the old Earls of Fife), who were originally partakers in such a right ; ' That is yc blak Prest of Weddale, The Thane of Fyfc and ye thryd syne Quhaewyre be Lord of Abbyrnethyne ' which last refers to "tho family of Abernethy or Abernithin, one of the oldest in Scotland." (<=) Skene's "Celtic Scotland" (1880), pp. 61-62, and note 36.