Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray
| The Earl of Moray | |
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Memorial to the Earl of Moray at Edinburgh Castle
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| Spouse(s) | Isabel Stewart of Bonkyll |
| Issue | |
| Father | Sir Thomas Randolph |
| Mother | Isobel Bruce (?) |
| Born | c. 1278 |
| Died | 20 July 1332 Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland |
Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray (c. 1278 – 20 July 1332) was an important soldier and diplomat in the Wars of Scottish Independence, who later served as regent of Scotland.
Thomas was the son of another Thomas, who was Chamberlain of Scotland and Sheriff of Roxburgh, and the grandson of the Randulf or Ranulf who gave the family their surname. It is known that the younger Thomas was the nephew of King Robert the Bruce, but it is uncertain which of Robert's sisters was his mother. The traditional view is that she was of the first marriage of Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, who was mother of Robert by her second marriage. However it is now believed that the King's father Robert married again after Marjorie's death and had with his second wife a daughter, Isabel, who married the elder Thomas.
Thomas supported Robert in his attempt to take the throne, and was present at his uncle's coronation in 1306. He was probably knighted by the king then or shortly after. After the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Methven, he was taken prisoner by the English, coming first under the custody of Sir Adam Gordon and then the Earl of Linoln. During his confinement he joined the English cause, and remained attached to them until he was captured by Sir James Douglas in 1308, and persuaded to rejoin the Scottish side. His defection came to the attention of Edward II of England, who forfeited all his lands, bestowing them on his favourite Hugh le Despencer.
In 1312 Robert created him Earl of Moray, and he became ruler of a large swathe of land in the north of Scotland, far exceeding his southern possessions. He was also made lord of the Isle of Man, in exchange for a reddendo of six ships of 26 oars and 100 silver marks, to be paid at Inverness. Around this time he became one of Robert's most trusted lieutenants, and he seems to have accompanied him on most of his campaigns. His most famous achievement took place on 14 March 1314 when he carried out a daring attack on Edinburgh Castle. This was one of a handful of castles in Scotland still in English hands, and stood on top of an apparently unscalable rock. Amongst Moray's men was William Francis, the son of a former governor of the castle, who knew of a secret path up the rock. Moray used this path to reach the castle, and successfully retook it for the Scots.
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