…installs his grandson, Duncan, son of the Abbot of Dunkeld and his choice as Tanist, in Carlisle as King of Cumbria this same year.

Malcolm III of Scotland, who had lived in England until the Norman Conquest of 1066, becomes, after 1068, a supporter of the claim of his brother-in-law, the Saxon pretender Edgar the Atheling, to the English throne.

Seeking to take advantage in 1070-71 of the unfixed borders between England and Scotland, he had invaded Northumberland and Cumberland.

William I is temporarily unable to respond, as political problems during the winter of 1071-72 require his presence in Normandy.

Cumberland had formed the core of the Brythonic kingdom of Rheged during the Early Middle Ages.

By the end of the seventh century, most of Cumberland had been incorporated into the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria.

Most of modern-day Cumbria had been ruled by Scotland at the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and thus had been excluded from the Domesday Book survey of 1086.

Cumberland is invaded by William II in 1092 and incorporated into England, thereby establishing the Solway Firth as England’s northern boundary.

William II has ordered the construction of a Norman style motte-and-bailey castle in Carlisle on the site of an old Roman fort on the River Eden, with construction beginning in 1093.

The need for a castle in Carlisle is to keep the northern border of England secured against the threat of invasion from Scotland.

David takes Carlisle, …

Stephen, not wishing to face several forces at once, has to make concessions with the Scottish king.

David's son Henry is given the earldom of Northumberland, which include Carlisle, Cumberland, …

David, as ruler of Cumbria, has taken Anglo-Normans into his service, and during his kingship many others have settled in Scotland, founding important families and intermarrying with the older Scottish aristocracy.

Bruce, Stewart, Comyn, and Oliphant are among the noted names whose bearers had gone from northern France to England during the Norman Conquest in 1066 and now to Scotland in the reign of David.

To these and other French-speaking immigrants, David has granted land in return for specified military service or contributions of money, as had been done in England from the time of the Conquest.

A devoted son of the church, he has also reorganized Scottish Christianity to conform with continental European and English usages and founded many religious communities, mostly for Cistercian monks and Augustinian canons, earning himself the posthumous title of David the Saint (although he has never been formally canonized.

He dies at Carlisle on May 24 1153; …

Alexander II invades northern England again, taking Carlisle in August then marching south to give homage to Prince Louis for his English possessions; John narrowly misses intercepting Alexander along the way.

Scottish nobles launch a coordinated invasion of Northern England in 1402.

Some twelve thousand Scottish troops cross into Cumberland in the initial foray and loot areas near Carlisle.

Henry and Margaret lead an invasion of Carlisle later in 1461 but, lacking money, they are easily repulsed by Edward's men who are rooting out the remaining Lancastrian forces in the northern counties.