Editing David I of Scotland (section)

=== Earl of Huntingdon ===
[[File:Henry1.jpg|thumb|180px|[[King Henry I of England]], drawn by [[Matthew Paris]]. Henry's policy in [[northern Britain]] and the [[Irish Sea]] region essentially made David's political life.]]

In the later part of 1113, King Henry gave David the hand of Matilda of Huntingdon, daughter and heiress of [[Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria]]. The marriage brought with it the "Honour of Huntingdon", a lordship scattered through the shires of [[Northampton]], [[Huntingdon]], and [[Bedford]]. Within a few years, Matilda bore him two sons: Malcolm, who died young, and [[Henry of Scotland|Henry]], whom David named after his patron.<ref name=BarrowODNB>G. W. S. Barrow, "David I (c. 1085–1153)".</ref>

The new territories which David controlled were a valuable supplement to his income and manpower, increasing his status as one of the most powerful magnates in the Kingdom of the English. Moreover, Matilda's father Waltheof had been [[Earl of Northumberland]], a defunct lordship which had covered the far north of England and included [[Cumberland]] and [[Westmorland]], [[Northumberland]]-proper, as well as overlordship of the bishopric of [[Durham, England|Durham]]. After King Henry's death, David revived the claim to this earldom for his son, Henry.<ref>For all this, see Duncan, ''Scotland: The Making of the Kingdom'', pp. 134, 217–218, 223; see also, for Durham and part of the earldom of Northumberland in the eyes of Earl Henry, Paul Dalton, "Scottish Influence on Durham, 1066–1214", in David Rollason, Margaret Harvey & Michael Prestwich (eds.), ''Anglo-Norman Durham, 1093–1193'', pp. 349–351; see also G. W. S. Barrow, "The Kings of Scotland and Durham", in Rollason ''et al.'' (eds.), ''Anglo-Norman Durham'', p. 318.</ref>

David's activities and whereabouts after 1114 are not always easy to trace. He spent much of his time outside his principality, in England and Normandy. Despite the death of his sister on 1 May 1118, David still possessed the favour of King Henry when his brother Alexander died in 1124, leaving Scotland without a king.<ref>Oram, ''David'', pp. 69–72.</ref>