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History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America:

 

Volume I

 

Front Cover

Inside Front Cover

The Motive

Thanks

Illustrations

Contents

 

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Appendix I

 

Volume II

 

Volume III

 

 

 

 

 

 

found them both in the possession of the third brother *8 LIOTR, and he lost his life in a vain attempt to wrest, at least the latter, from the more fortunate son of Thorfin. Whilst Liotr was in possession of the earldom, *7 SKULI, one of his surviving brothers, presented himself at the court of the Scottish king Kenneth, and obtained from him either a grant of the possession of his maternal ancestor the Mormaor of Caithness, or a promise to support the pretensions he was encouraged to raise upon the island dominions of his brother. Collecting an army in Caithness, Skuli crossed the Pentland Firth to establish his claim upon the Orkneys, but he failed in his attempt and was driven out of the islands; when Liotr, emboldened by success, passed over to the mainland and again defeated his brother in the Dales of Caithness, where Skuli lost his life, continuing to fight bravely after the rout and dispersion of his army. Liotr then subdued the whole of Caithness, a proceeding which aroused the jealousy of his powerful neighbor Malbride MacRory the "Earl," or rather perhaps the "Oirrigh of Moray" and both parties preparing for a contest, Malbride advanced to Skida Moor to drive the intruder from the country. The struggle was obstinate, victory in the end declaring for the Orkneymen, though it was purchased with their leader's life, Liotr dying soon afterwards of a wound he received in the battle. *9 LODVAR, the last surviving son of Thorfin, now succeeded to the earldom, bequeathing it very shortly to his son *10 SIGURD. He was the only member of his family who died a peaceful death, owing perhaps to his marriage with Auda, a daughter of an Irish king Kerval, an alliance through which he was fortunate enough to escape the dangerous fascinations of Ranghilda. His children were: *12. TUR¬FIN, *13. ELLEN. *14. SOMERLID, *15. BRUSEE, *16. EYNOR.

*10. Jarl SIGURD LODVERSON retained forcible possession of Caithness, intrusting it to the charge of his brother-in-law Havard, until intelligence reached him ere long that two Scottish nobles, whom the Saga describes as "Earls," had slain Havard in Threswick and were ravaging his territories on the mainland. The Jarl waited only to collect his followers from the Orkneys, and crossing the Firth was joined by the men of his other earldom, who informed him that the Scottish leaders, to whom the Saga gives the names of Hundi and Malsnechtan, were at that moment in the neighborhood of Duncansby Head. Unlike Sigurd, who was now advancing with his whole force united, the Scots allowed them-selves to be drawn into action before the arrival of an expected reinforcement; and although victory inclined to their side in the early part of the battle, Malsnechtan was slain at the close, and Hundi driven from the field; though any advantage that might have risen from Sigurd's success was neutralized by the approach of "Earl" Malcolm, who appears to have landed during the contest with a considerable force at Dungall's Bay. The Jarl's men, already exhausted by a protracted and hardly contested struggle, were in no condition for a second engagement, with the fresh army advancing under Malcolm, so collecting the trophies of his barren victory, Sigurd retreated to his island fastnesses, and the mainland conquests of the Orkney Jarls reverted to other possessors.

It must have been soon after this battle that Olave Tryggveson, returning from England to Norway, touched at the Orkneys and seizing upon Sigurd, who was totally unprepared for an attack, with all the zeal of a recent convert, offered

 

 

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