Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray (c. 1285  – 20 July 1332) was a soldier and diplomat in the Wars of Scottish Independence, who later served as regent of Scotland.

[5] Following the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Methven, he was taken prisoner by the English, coming under the custody first of Sir Adam Gordon and then of the Earl of Lincoln.

During his confinement, he joined the English cause, and remained attached to them until he was captured by Sir James Douglas in 1307, and persuaded to rejoin the Scottish side.

His defection came to the attention of Edward II of England, who forfeited all his lands, bestowing them on his favourite Hugh le Despencer.

[1] In 1312 King Robert I created him Earl of Moray,[6] and he became ruler of a large swathe of land in the north of Scotland, far exceeding his southern possessions.

He was also made lord of the Isle of Man; according to the reddendo or charter this was in exchange for six ships of 26 oars and money to the value of 100 merks to be paid at Inverness.

At this meeting, Randolph successfully persuaded Pope John to recognise Robert as King of Scots, a major diplomatic coup.

The next year the Pope wrote to Moray declaring his hope and trust in his efforts to make peace between England and Scotland and gave permission for him to visit the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

[1] Moray was again sent to France in 1325, this time to persuade King Charles IV to sign the Treaty of Corbeil renewing the Franco-Scottish alliance, which he did successfully.

Moray performed this role justly and wisely, but died at Musselburgh three years later on 20 July 1332, while on his way to repel an invasion by Edward Balliol and his supporters.

[12] The poet and chronicler John Barbour provides us with a pen portrait of Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, among the first of its kind in Scottish history.

Unlike his pen portrait of James Lord of Douglas, he does not say it was related to him by others, implying that he had known Randolph before his death although Barbour would have been a fairly young man.