Paal I “Paul” Thorfinnsson , Jarl Of OrkneyAge: 63 years10401103

Name
Paal I “Paul” Thorfinnsson , Jarl Of Orkney
Given names
Paal I "Paul" Thorfinnsson , Jarl Of
Surname
Orkney
Birth about 1040 51 19
MarriageRagnhild HaakonsdatterView this family
yes

Birth of a brotherBardolph Fil Thorfin
1046 (Age 6 years)
Birth of a brotherErland II Thorfinsson Jarl Of Orkney
about 1057 (Age 17 years)
Marriage of a parentMalcolm III (Canmore)(Ceanmor)(Longneck) Macduncan King Of ScotlandIngebiorge Finnsdatter Queen Of ScotlandView this family
about 1059 (Age 19 years)
Death of a fatherThorfin II “The Black” Sigurdsson
1064 (Age 24 years)
Death of a motherIngebiorge Finnsdatter Queen Of Scotland
about 1070 (Age 30 years)

Death 1103 (Age 63 years)
Family with parents - View this family
father
mother
Marriage:
himself
7 years
younger brother
12 years
younger brother
Mother’s family with Malcolm III (Canmore)(Ceanmor)(Longneck) Macduncan King Of Scotland - View this family
step-father
mother
Marriage: about 1059Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland
Family with Ragnhild Haakonsdatter - View this family
himself
wife
Marriage:

  1. Generation 1
    1. Paal I “Paul” Thorfinnsson , Jarl Of Orkney, son of Thorfin II “The Black” Sigurdsson and Ingebiorge Finnsdatter Queen Of Scotland, was born about 1040 in Orkney Islands, Scotland and died in 1103 in Bergen, Bergen, Norway. He married Ragnhild Haakonsdatter. She was born about 1044 in Orkney Islands, Scotland.

Shared note

Note: from Kevin Walters:

See bk&q chart 28, NB21, pp 398, 401-2, 426, 450, 495

p 450 Paul was the elder son of Thorfinn II and inherited the earldom with his brother Erlend II. It is possible that both were installed as earls of Caithness in 1057, prior to Thorfinn's death, suggesting that the earldom may have become regarded as a title for the heir(s) apparent. We do not know for certain when Paul was born, but it was probably about 1038. Already by that date Thorfinn was professing his Christian beliefs by naming his first-born Paul, unless he was not christened until Thorfinn's visit to the pope in 1048. When the brothers inherited the earldom they ruled it jointly and did not divide the lands or revenues between them. It seems they worked well together and generally agreed in all their actions. Soon after their father's death, Harald Hardraada, the king of Norway, arrived in the Orkneys prior to his invasion of England. He raised additional levies from amongst the earldom, which stretched as far as the Western Isles, and when he sailed for England in 1066, he was accompanied by both earls. Although Harald was defeated by Harold II of England at Stamford Bridge in September 1066, the two earls survived and returned to Orkney with Harald's son, Olaf, who remained with them during that winter before returning to establishing himself as king of Norway the following year. It is evident that they did not believe they had authority over all of the Western Isles, since they were not involved in the usurpation of Man by Godred Crovan in 1079. For most of their reign the two earls governed wisely and continued to develop and promote the bishopric of Orkney, but by the year 1090 or so a rift occurred between them over the amtitions of their respective sons, especially Paul's son Haakon. Haakon was eventually banished from Orkney in 1093, and he stayed in Norway and Sweden for the next few years. It was he who encouraged Magnus III of Norway to visit his estates in the western seas and this planted the idea of Magnus installing his son, Sugurd III, as king of the Orkneys, using the islands as an appanage for the heir to the throne. Magnus sailed to the Orkneys in the spring of 1098 and deposed the two earls, despite the care they had shown to his father Olaf. The earls were taken in captivity back to Norway where they both died within the year, Paul at Bergen and Erlend at Nidaros.