Malise, 8th Earl of Strathearn

Malise V
Died	c. 1357 1357
Title	Earl of Strathearn
Tenure	1330–1334
Other names	Maol Íosa
Known for	Last of the native Gaelic earls of Strathearn.
Nationality	Scottish
Spouse(s)	Marjory
Issue	Four daughters
Parents	Malise IV

Malise, Earl of Strathearn, Caithness and Orkney (Scottish Gaelic: Maol Íosa; died c. 1357) was the last of the native Gaelic earls of Strathearn.

He succeeded to the earldom of Strathearn in 1329, on the death of his father Malise IV, Earl of Strathearn. After the death of Magnus, Earl of Orkney, he inherited the Norwegian jarldom of Orkney (including Caithness) in right of his great-great-grandfather Earl Gilbert. Despite the similarity of title, and related etymology, a Norwegian Jarl is not the same as a Scottish Earl; the position of Jarl of Orkney was the most senior rank in mediaeval Norway except for the king himself.

In 1330, Edward III of England wrote to King David and his councillors, including Malise, requesting that certain forfeited noblemen have their lands restored. This request was evaded, if not outright refused, and consequently Edward allowed Edward Balliol to march into Scotland with the dispossessed knights. Malise took an active part in opposing the invaders, commanding the third division of the Scots army at the Battle of Halidon Hill, and was referred to as a "notorious rebel" by Edward III. He had his earldom forfeited by Balliol, who bestowed it on John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey. Malise made strenuous efforts to recover Strathearn, but without success, and he went to dwell on his estates in Caithness.

By 1340 Scotland had largely been cleansed of English and Balliol influence, but Malise still did not get back his earldom. During King David's absence in France, he was arraigned before the High Steward and accused of felony and treason, in that he had supposedly resigned the earldom of his own free will by reason of a contract between him and the Earl of Surrey. The jury acquitted him, but the earldom remained in David's hands, who in 1344 bestowed it on Malise's nephew Maurice de Moravia.

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