During a recent short holiday in Seville, I did not
expect to see evidence of 'The good' Sir James Douglas, who passed
through the city when en-route to the Holy Land, in 1330. As a
consequence, I failed to do my research before arriving.
When he was commissioned by the dying King, Robert 'The Bruce', to carry
his heart on crusade to the Holy Land, James Douglas gathered around him
several noble knights and twenty esquires, among them a son of Sir Roger
Kirkpatrick of Closeburn. The chronicler Jean le Bel tells that Bruce
wanted his heart taken to the Holy Land and presented at the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre. The poet John Barbour says merely that Bruce wished
his heart to be carried in battle against 'God's foes.'
The Scots travelled first to Sluys, where they remained for twelve days,
with Douglas holding court on board ship as if the late king himself
were present, and not just his heart. Sir James's main purpose,
according to Le Bel, was to publicise his mission and find out if other
knights were interested in joining the Scots expedition to the Holy
Land. It may be Douglas was awaiting news of the planned crusade against
Granada and on learning that, despite the withdrawal of his allies, King
Alfonso XI still intended to go to war, he finally set sail for Spain.
After a stormy passage, the party arrived at the mouth of the
Guadalquivir, probably sometime in late June, and disembarked upstream
at Seville.
Seville was a busy trading port, and remains so today. Modern Seville is
a bustling tourist city with tavellers and pilgrims arriving from all
parts of Spain and further afield. So, visiting in Holy week was going
to be an exciting time.
Whilst there, I was advised of the Kirkpatrick connection.
Doña María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox y KirkPatrick, 16th
Countess of Teba, 15th Marchioness of Ardales (5 May 1826 – 11 July
1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo, was the last Empress Consort of the
French (1853-71) as the wife of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French.
The last Empress of the French was born in Granada, Spain, to Don
Cipriano de Palafox y Portocarrero (1785–1839), whose titles included
8th Count of Ablitas, 9th Count of Montijo, 15th Count of Teba, 8th
Count of Fuentidueña, 14th Marquess of Ardales, 17th Marquess of Moya
and 13th Marquess of la Algaba and his half-Scottish, quarter-Belgian,
quarter-Spanish wife (whom he married on 15 December 1817), María
Manuela Enriqueta Kirkpatrick de Closbourn y de Grevigné (24 February
1794 – 22 November 1879), a daughter of the Scots-born William
Kirkpatrick of Closbourn (1764–1837), who became United States consul to
Málaga, and later was a wholesale wine merchant.
The title ‘de Teba,’ was conferred on the Comte de Montijo as a second
title, in recognition of his conduct at the siege of Teba in Andalusia,
in 1328, when the place was taken by the Moors. Sir James lost his life
in the same place in 1330. The Kirkpatricks are a sept of Clan Douglas.
The ancient buildings in Seville display a rich history, with many coats
of arms adorning the walls. However, I was unable to locate that of the
Count of Teba - or that of Kirkpatrick.
See also:
• Clan Kirkpatrick |
