David I (1124-1153)
| David I | |
King of Scotland
| |
| In office April 1124 – May 24, 1153 | |
| Preceded by | Alexander I |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Malcolm IV |
| Born | 1080[1] |
| Died | May 24, 1153 (aged 73) Carlisle, England |
David I (c. 1084 - May 24, 1153) was formerly the 'Prince of Cumbria' (Strathclyde) under Alexander I, and he followed in his brother's footsteps in many ways, namely his piety, which he demonstrated to great extent in allowing religious freedom never seen in other countries at the time. He also introduced the following orders of monks to Scotland: The Cistercians, The Cluniacs and others from mainland Europe.
David I was also the first King of Scotland to create a Scottish currency, although very similar to the English system, it revolutionzed Scotland's status as a financial power. Scottish traders before this time used various other currencies, most traders used English coins, but some traded with Norwegian, French, and Roman coins.
It was only during David's reign that large towns started appearing in Scotland. before around 1150, most Scots lived in the countryside in scattered settlements.
David I also recaptured most of Cumbria, which had been invaded by the English.
