William Sutherland, 2nd Earl of Sutherland

William de Moravia, (William Sutherland) (c. 1235–1307) was a Scottish nobleman, 2nd Earl of Sutherland and chief of the Clan Sutherland, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

Ancestry

William de Moravia, 2nd Earl of Sutherland was the only known son of William de Moravia, 1st Earl of Sutherland who had died in 1248.

Earl of Sutherland

The first historical records mentioning William de Moravia, 2nd Earl of Sutherland are in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1263 and 1266 when the Sheriff of Inverness whose jurisdiction included Sutherland and Caithness was paid a yearly due of £20 to the king from the Earl of Sutherland. Similar fines were paid by the Bishop of Ross and the Earl of Caithness, but what they were for is not clear. They may have been in connection with the Norwegian invasion of 1263. However, 19th-century historian William Fraser says that this is disproved with contemporary documents that had recently been discovered. Fraser states that a letter or petition from William, Earl of Ross to Edward II of England, which although undated, from its contents must have been written in the spring or early part of 1308, stated that William, Earl of Sutherland had died. Fraser goes on to say that other letters confirm that William, Earl of Sutherland died some time between April 1306 and September 1307, and may have even preceded the death of Edward I of England who died in July 1307.

Family

William de Moravia, 2nd Earl of Sutherland had two sons:

William de Moravia, 3rd Earl of Sutherland (heir and successor). Kenneth de Moravia, 4th Earl of Sutherland (who succeeded his brother).