Malcolm III (Canmore), king of Scotland (1054-93), a child when in 1040 his father, King Duncan, was slain by Macbeth. In 1054 he ascended the throne of all Scotland. For a number of years he was free to devote his energies to the consolidation of his kingdom, England being ruled by the peaceful Edward the Confessor. But after 1066 the history of his long reign is one of ceaseless warfare with the Normans. He twice invaded England, but on both occasions counter invasions forced him to surrender. [World Wide Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1935]


Malcolm called Caenn-mor (Canmore) ‘great head’ was a child when his Father was slain by MacBeth in 1040. He spent his youth in Northumbria with his Uncle Siward. Ascended to the throne 17 Mar 1057-8. Under Malcolm III, the provinces which had been acquired by Thorfinn returned to native rule. He harried Northumbria five times and there were counter invasions by William the Conqueror and Prince Robert of Normandy. In 1092, King William Rufus of England wrested from Scotland all Cumbria south of the Solway Firth. The next year Malcolm marched into England, but was entrapped and slain at Alnwick. He left five sons, of whom four succeeded him as Kings of Scots. His reign marked the change of Scotland from the Celtic Church and tribal society to a feudal society using the Roman rite; but much of the change was due to his saintly queen. {Burke’s Peerage and Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary} [GADD.GED]

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