Ada de Warenne

Ada de Warenne, also known as Adeline de Varenne, was born around 1120 and died in 1178. She was the Anglo-Norman wife of Henry of Scotland, who held the titles of Earl of Northumbria and Earl of Huntingdon. Ada was the daughter of William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey, and Elizabeth of Vermandois, making her a great-granddaughter of Henry I of France. She was the mother to two Scottish monarchs, Malcolm IV and William I, as well as to Margaret, Duchess of Brittany, David, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, Ada, Countess of Holland, and Marjorie, Countess of Angus.

Ada married Henry of Scotland in 1139 and received Haddington as part of her marriage settlement. After the deaths of her husband and father-in-law, King David I, her son Malcolm IV became King of Scots. She later retired to Haddington and focused on philanthropic work, particularly with the Church. Ada founded a convent of Cistercian Nuns and contributed significantly to religious establishments in the region. Her death in 1178 resulted in her dower-lands returning to the Royal domain, and her residence in Haddington later played a role in the birth of her grandson, Alexander II.