St Margaret of Scotland: The Duston Link
St
Margaret was the mother of three Scottish kings, including David l, born
c.1080 AD. By David’s marriage in 1113 AD to Matilda, widow of the
Earl of Northampton, he became Earl of Huntingdon. He spent much of his
time in the court of Henry l, Northampton Castle being a main centre. He
would retain an interest here until 1124 AD when he replaced his brother
Alexander as King David l of Scotland.
During David’s period in Northampton, St James’ Abbey
was under construction, clearly visible from the castle cliffs 
overlooking Duston and Dallington, across the one kilometre wide flood plain
of the northern arm of the Nene. The future King David probably founded
St Margaret’s chapel there in memory of his late mother, Queen Margaret,
later Saint Margaret. The precise position of St Margaret’s chapel,
within the abbey site, is not known, but it is likely to have been at the
east end in full view of the castle for obvious reasons. Some historians
describe it as being 'at the east end of the abbey site, but separate
from it'.
The 18th Century manorial estate map illustrates a separate enclosure in
this position named 'Little Bully Acres' (an ancient field name from 13th
Century 'boule hou' - land on which a bull was kept). Today this is just
off St James’ Square, Northampton. The chapel of St Margaret was the
responsibility of St Luke’s church, Duston, 
certainly
by the 14th century. Within the records of the church can be found 'The
vicar [of St. Luke’s] shall also have all the chapel of St. Margaret,
with a house, rendering two marks to the said canons
yearly (St Augustinian canons, black canons, at St. James’s Abbey)
and he shall have his associate, a chaplain, continually ministering in
the said chapel, and he shall pay synodals'. There are also records of offerings
to be made at the altar of St Margaret elsewhere in St Luke’s church
papers.
A Northampton will dated prior to 1520, mentions St
Margaret’s chapel.
What happened to St Margaret’s chapel is unknown, but it was presumably swept away at the dissolution of the monasteries, a fate suffered by all the monasteries within Northampton.
Other Main Characters
Simon De Senlis, founder of Northampton castle, married Matilda (also K/A Maud) daughter of Judith, niece of William the Conqueror. There would be two more Simon De Senlis’ [on the death of Simon (1). David (Prince of Cumbria by 1107) Marries Simon’s widow. By this marriage he also becomes Earl of Huntingdon. On 23rd April 1124 David, 6th son of Margaret, becomes David l of Scotland, following the death of his brother Alexander].
William Peverel Born c 1051/2, son of William the Conqueror by Maud daughter of Ingelric, a Saxon. Maud is married into the Peverel family and William takes the Peverel name by adoption. There are therefore no other blood ties between the king and the Peverels. This would become significant on the accession of Henry II. There were, effectively, two more William Peverels, (discounting one who predeceased his father).
Note: Margaret of Antioch (5th Century). There appears to be nothing quoted on the virtues of this saint that would give rise to a chapel on an Augustinian site in the 12th century. Crick church, Northants, commemorates this saint: one of the 220 churches dedicated to her.
Related Topics
Butler's Lives of the Saints
Northampton 1st 8000 Years Volume 1 - Derek Buchanan
Domes Day Book to Magna Carta 1087 – 1216, Austin Lane Poole, Oxford
Northampton in the Late Middle Ages - E T Jones, J Laughton, P Clark. Centre for Urban History, University of Leicester Working Paper No.10
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk
Article kindly written by local historian Dave Blackburn.