BRUCE
1. ROBERT De BRUSI-
m. EMMA, daughter of Alain, Count of Brittany
Robert built the castle
of La Brusee now called
Brix in the diocese of Coutanse near Volagnes.
Issue-
· I. Alain- Lord of Brusee Castle,
m. Agnes, daughter of Simon Montfort, Earl of Evreux
· 2II. ROBERT- m.
AGNES, daughter of Waldonius, Count of St. Clair
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880- Vol. I, p. 401
2II. ROBERT (ROBERT
1)
m. AGNES, daughter of Waldonius, Count of St. Clair (Sinclair)
Robert accompanied William the Conqueror to England, but he died soon after.
Issue-
· I. William- Had large possessions in Sussex, Surrey and Dorset.
· 3II. ADAM- m. EMMA
RAMSAY, d. 1098
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880- Vol. I, p. 401
3II. ADAM (ROBERT
1, ROBERT 2)
m. EMMA, daughter of Sir William Ramsay
d. 1098
Adam owned the barony of Shelton in Cleveland and at his death he left his son Robert 43 Lordships
in East and West Ridings and 51 in North Riding including Guisburn in Cleveland.
Issue-
· 4I. ROBERT-
m.1. Agnes Paynell, 2. Countess of ANNANDALE,
d. 11 May 1141
· II. William- Prior of Guisburn
· III. Duncan-
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880- Vol. I, p. 401
Dugdale's Baronage- Vol.I, p.447
4I. ROBERT (ROBERT
1, ROBERT 2, ADAM 3)
m.1. Agnes, daughter of Fulk Paynell
2. Countess of ANNANDALE
d. 11 May 1141
Sir Robert was a companion of Prince David, afterwards David I, during the
conquest. Robert founded the monastery of Guisburn or Guisborough in Yorkshire in 1119. By his first wife Agnes he received
the manor of Carleton in Yorkshire and by his
second wife he was given the Lordship of Annandale.
Guisborough
Monastery
In 1138 during the war between King Stephen and Matilda the rightful
heiress, neice of the King of Scots, Robert was sent by the barons of northern England to
negociate with David who entered the war on behalf of his neice. At the
beginning of the war Robert renounced his allegiance to David and gave his
lands in Annandale
to his son Robert. He stated that the English had repeatedly restored the
Scottish kings to power when they had outrages done by the native Scots and
said that the Yorkshire barons would continue
to resist. Robert said: "It wrings my heart to see my dearest master, my
patron, my benefactor, my friend, my companion in arms, in whose service I am
grown old, thus exposed to the danger of battle or to the dishonour of flight".
David, however, maintained his position to protect his neice's right to the
throne. At the battle of the Standard 11 Aug. 1138 King David was defeated and
Robert took his own son Robert de Brus as a prisoner.
Issue- first child by Agnes
· I. Adam- inherited his father's English
estates.
· 5II. ROBERT- m.
EUPHEMIA ______
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880- Vol. I, p. 401
5II. ROBERT (ROBERT
1, ROBERT 2, ADAM 3,
ROBERT 4)
m. EUPHEMIA ______
Sir Robert inherited Annandale from his
mother and was given the Lordship of Hert and the territory of Hertness
in the Bishopric of Durham from his father. After the battle of the Standard
Robert was sent as a prisoner to King Stephen who ordered him released. Robert
returned to Scotland and
gave Guisburn monastery, which his father had founded, the churches of Annand,
Lochmaben, Kirkpatrick, Cummertrees, Rampatrick and Gretenhou (Gretna). Upon becoming a Scot, Robert
abandonned his father's coat of arms and assumed the coat of Annandale. King William the Lion conferred on
him the grant of Annandale
made to his father by David I.
Issue-
· I. Robert- m. 1183 Isabella, daughter of
William the Lion (m.2. Robert de Ros), d.s.p. before 1191
· 6II. WILLIAM-
m. BEATRICE de TEYDEN, d. between 1203 & 1213
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
6II. WILLIAM (ROBERT
1, ROBERT 2, ADAM 3,
ROBERT 4, ROBERT 5)
m. BEATRICE de TEYDEN, d. of Paul de Teyden and Beatrice de Evermure
(d. of Walter de Evermure)
d. between 1203 & 1213
William de Brus was Lord of Annandale.
Issue-
· 7I. ROBERT- m. ISOBEL,
daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon, d. 1245
Ref:
The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and
the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed- G.E. Cokayne;
with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord
Howard de Walden, editors- Vol. IX, p. 483
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
7I. ROBERT (ROBERT
1, ROBERT 2, ADAM 3,
ROBERT 4, ROBERT 5,
WILLIAM 6)
m. ISOBEL, daughter of DAVID, Earl of Huntingdon & Chester
d. 1245
bur. Guisburn Abbey, Cleveland
By his marriage to Isobel he obtained the manors of Writtle and Hatfield in Essex and half of the hundred of Hatfield as well as
Kildrummie castle, the Lordship of Garioch, Aberdeenshire and the manors of
Connington, Huntingdonshire and Exton, Rutlandshire.
Kildrummy Castle
In 1215-16 he obtained from King John a confirmation of a grant of a market
and fair at Hartlepool. He was a witness at York in 1221 of Alexander
II's charter of jointure to his wife Joanna, sister of Henry III. During this
reign his own great estate and royal connection by marriage made the lord of Annandale one of the chief barons of southern Scotland. Like
his ancestors he was liberal to the church, confirming and increasing their
grants.
Issue-
· I. Bernard- m. Constantia de Morteyn, IPM 5
Aug. 1266
·
II. m. Aug. 1254 Hugh de Neville, d.
before July 1273
· 8I. ROBERT-
b.c.1210, m. ISABEL CLARE, d. 31 Mar. 1295
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the
United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed- G.E. Cokayne; with
Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard
de Walden, editors- Vol. IX, p. 483
Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy- Alison Weir, The
Bodley Head, London, 1999, p. 193
Dictionary of National Biography- Leslie Stephen, ed., Smith,
Elder & Co., London, 1908, Vol. III, pp.115
8I. ROBERT (ROBERT 1, ROBERT 2, ADAM 3, ROBERT 4, ROBERT 5, WILLIAM 6, ROBERT 7)
b.c.1210
m.1. 12 May 1240 ISABEL (b. 2 Nov. 1226, d. after 1264), daughter of GILBERT
De CLARE, Earl of Gloucester
2. 3 May 1273 Hoddam, Glasgow, Christina de Ireby d. 31 Mar. 1295 Lochmaben
castle
bur. 17 Apr. 1295 Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire
Bruce "the Competitor" in 1238 when Alexander II was going on an
expedition against the Western Isles was acknowledged as being heir to the
throne by the King and his barons, but upon the birth of a son in 1241 Robert's
hopes of succession disappeared.
In 1252 upon the death of his mother Princess Isobel he paid homage to Henry
III as heir to her lands in England.
In 1255 he was made sheriff of Cumberland,
constable of the castle
of Carlisle and one of
the 15 Regents of the Kingdom. In 1264 during the struggle of King Henry III
with Simon de Montfort, John Comyn and John de Baliol, Robert led the Scottish
army to the assistance of the English but was defeated at the battle of Lewes
14 May 1264 and Robert, Henry and his son Prince Edward were taken prisoner.
After winning the battle of Evesham 5 Aug. 1265 Robert was set free and
reinstated as Governor of Carlisle castle.
In 1268 Robert was appointed Capitalis Justiciarius, being the first Chief
Justice of England with a salary of 100 marks. Upon the accession of Edward I
he was not reappointed to the bench and appears to have returned to Scotland.
Upon the death of Alexander III in 1286 the Parliament at Scone
11 Apr. appointed six Regents and the contest for the sucession to the crown
between Brus and Baliol began. A powerful party of nobles met at Turnberry Castle,
belonging to his son Robert, earl of Carrick, in right of his wife, and pledged
themselves to support each other and vindicate the claims of whoever should
gain the kingdom by right of blood, according to the ancient customs of Scotland. They
assumed as allies Richard de Burgh, earl of Ulster, and Thomas de Clare, to
whom authority was given to proceed with arms against any one who broke the
conditions of the bond, 20 Sept. 1286. The nobles who joined in this league
were Patrick, earl of Dunbar, his three sons, and his son-in-law James the
Steward of Scotland, and his brother John, Walter Stewart earl of Menteith, Angus,
son of Donald lord of the Isles, his son Alexander, and the two Bruces, the
lord of Annandale, and his son, the Earl of Carrick. They united the chief
influence of the south and west of Scotland
against the party of John de Baliol, lord of Galloway,
and the Comyns. A period of civil war ensued, during which Robert de Bruce,
lord of Annandale,
asserted his title to the crown. For two years after the King's death the two
parties fought and ravaged the countryside. Brus was allied with England and
Baliol's party were supporters of Scottish independent interests. Unable to
secure his aim, Bruce took part in the negotiations at Salisbury,
which resulted in the treaty of Brigham in 1290, with the view of uniting Scotland to England, subject to guarantees for
its independence by the marriage of Margaret to Prince Edward. To settle the
question King Edward summoned the nobility and clergy of Scotland to a
meeting at Norham 10 May 1291, but he required the competitors to acknowledge
him as Lord Paramount of the Kingdom and granted them three weeks for
deliberation. On 2 June they met again at Upsettlington and eight claimants to
the crown were present, Robert De Brus, Lord of Annandale; Florence, Count of Holland; John de Hastings;
Patrick de Dunbar, Earl of March; William de Ros; William de Vesey; Robert de
Pinckeny and Nicholas de Soulis. John de Baliol, Lord of Galloway
came the following day. After all taking allegience to the King, Edward
investigated all the claims and on 17 Nov. 1292 he ruled in favor of Baliol.
The Lordship of Annandale was held by tenure of military service so to avoid
paying homage to his rival Robert gave it to his son Robert and retained the
English estates for himself: "I am Baliol's sovereign, not Baliol mine and
rather than consent to such a homage, I resign my lands in Annandale to my son,
the Earl of Carrick." He lived in retirement until he died at Lochmaben
castle on Good Friday, 1295 age 85.
His character is well drawn in Walter of Hemingburgh: Toto tempore vitæ suæ
gloriosus extitit; facetus, dives, et largus, et habundavit in omnibus in vita
et in morte.
Issue-
· 9I. ROBERT- m.
1271 MARTHA, daughter of Nigel, Earl of CARRICK,
d. 1304
· II. Barnard
· III. John-
· IV.
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
"Documents Illustrative of Scottish History"- Sir Francis Palgrave,
1837, pp.21,23-9,80-1,92-3
"History of Scotland"- Tytler, Vol.1, p.56
The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the
United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed- G.E. Cokayne; with
Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard
de Walden, editors- Vol. II, p. 358-9
Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy- Alison Weir, The
Bodley Head, London, 1999, p. 68
Dictionary of National Biography- Leslie Stephen, ed., Smith,
Elder & Co., London, 1908, Vol. III, pp.115-6
9I. ROBERT (ROBERT 1, ROBERT 2, ADAM
3, ROBERT 4, ROBERT 5, WILLIAM 6, ROBERT 7, ROBERT 8)
b. July 1243
m.1. 1271 MARTHA/MARGARET, daughter of NIGEL, Earl of CARRICK, (m.1. Adam de Kilconath, d. before 27 Oct.
1292)
2. after 1292 Alianore
d. 4 Apr. 1304
bur. Abbey of Holm Cultram
Sir Robert accompanied King Edward I on the Crusade to Palestine in 1269. By his marriage to Martha
he became the Earl of Carrick. Robert evidently knew Martha's first husband
while in the holy land where he was killed and decided to marry his widow as
she was young, beautiful, had a title and extensive estates. The story goes
that in 1271 the widowed Countess of Carrick happened to meet Robert who was
hunting in her domains and she became enamoured with his personal charms and
with some violence led him to her castle
of Turnberry where they
were married in a few days without the knowledge of their relatives or the
consent of the King. Alexander III instantly seized her castle and estates, but
she afterwards atoned for her delinquency by a fine. This story was probably an
invention to excuse his marriage with a Royal ward without the king's consent.
A Reconstruction of Turnberry Castle
Turnberry Lighthouse- on the site
of the old castle
Robert, shortly after Martha's death, gave his son Robert the Earldom of
Carrick and retired to England
leaving the administration of the family estates in young Robert's hands.
In 1278 he did homage to Edward on behalf of Alexander III for his English
fiefs. In 1281 he borrowed 40l. from his old comrade Edward I, a debt which
played a part in the fortunes of his son. He was present at Scone
in 1284, when the right of succession of the Maid of Norway was recognised, but
took part with his father and the other nobles in the league of Turnberry, on
20 Sept. 1286, intended to defeat it. Like his father, however, he joined in
the treaty of Brigham (14 March 1290), rendered abortive by Margaret's death.
The agreement between Florence, count of Holland, and his father
on 14 June 1292, to which the earl was a party, shows that Bruce anticipated an
adverse decision. About this time he went to Norway with his eldest daughter
Isabel, possibly on account of her marriage to King Eirik, the widower of
Margaret, the daughter of Alexander III, which took place on 15 Nov. 1293, but
also perhaps to avoid attendance at Baliol's parliament, to which he was
summoned.
On the death of his father he did homage to Edward for his English fiefs on
4 June 1295. On 6 Oct. following he was given the custody of the castle of
Carlisle during the king's pleasure, and three days after he took before the
bishop of Durham and barons of the exchequer an oath to hold it faithfully and
render it to no one but the king. In 1296 Baliol revolted against the English
yoke assisted by the Comyns. Robert as the next heir to the throne hoped for
the overthrow of Baliol and so supported Edward on his expedition into Scotland.
Baliol therefore seized the Lordship of Annandale and gave it to John Comyn,
Earl of Buchan who took possesion of Lochmaben castle. After the battle of Dunbar 28 Apr. 1296 when the Scots were defeated Baliol
surrendered, but Robert was not made King. The answer, in Norman-French, of
Edward, as given by Wyntoun and Fordun, though it has been doubted, suits his
character:—Ne avons ren autres chos a fereQue a vous reamgs (ie. reaulines)
ganere. Hawe I nought ellys to do noweBut wyn a kynryk to gyve yhowe?
After the refusal of Edward to place the crown in Robert's hands the elder
Bruce retired to his English estates.
Issue-
· 10I. ROBERT-
b. 11 July 1274, Lochmaben castle, m.1. ISABELLA, daughter of Donald, Earl of
Mar, 2. 1302 Elizabeth, daughter of Aymer de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, (d. 26 Oct.
1327), d. 7 June 1329
· II. Edward- King of Ireland, m.1.
after 1 June 1317 Eleanor de Ross, 2. Isabella de Strathbogie, d. 14 Oct. 1318
Battle of Dundalk
· III. Thomas- m. Helen Erskine, executed by
Edward I 9 Feb. 1307 Carlisle
· IV. Alexander- executed by Edward I 9 Feb.
1307 Carlisle
·
V. Niel- beheaded Sept. 1306 Berwick
· 11VI. ISABEL-
b.c.1275, m.1. Sir THOMAS RANDOLPH of
Strathdon, 2. Earl of Athol, 3. Alexander Bruce
· 12VII. MARY-
m.1. c. 1312, Sir Niel Campbell of Lochaw, 2. c.1316 Sir ALEXANDER FRASER, d. before 22 Sept. 1323
· 13VIII.
CHRISTIAN- m.1. c.1292, Gratney/Gartnait, Earl of Marr, 2. c.1305, Sir
CHRISTOPHER SETON of Seton (executed 1306), 3.
after 12 Oct. 1325 Sir Andrew Moray of Bothwell, d.c.1356
· IX. Matilda- m.c.1308, Hugh, Earl of Ross,
d.c.1325, bur. Fearn
· X. Margaret- m. Sir William Carlyle
· XI.? Elizabeth-
m. Sir William Dishington
· XII.? ______- m. Sir David De Brechin
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
Lowe's Edinburgh Magazine- March 1848, p.345
The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the
United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed- G.E. Cokayne; with
Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard
de Walden, editors- Vol. II, p. 358-9
Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy- Alison Weir, The
Bodley Head, London, 1999, p. 68
Dictionary of National Biography- Leslie Stephen, ed., Smith,
Elder & Co., London, 1908, Vol. III, pp.115-6
10I. ROBERT "THE BRUCE", King
of Scotland
(ROBERT 1, ROBERT 2, ADAM 3, ROBERT 4, ROBERT 5, WILLIAM 6, ROBERT 7, ROBERT 8,
ROBERT 9)
b. 11 July 1274 Lochmaben castle or perhaps Writtle, Essex
m.1. ISABELLA, daughter of DONALD, Earl of MAR
2. 1302 Elizabeth, daughter of Aymer de Burgh, Earl of Ulster (d. 26 Oct. 1327)
d. 7 June 1329 Cardoss Castle, Argyllshire
bur. Dunfermline Abbey
Loch Maben Castle- traditional
birthplace of Robert the Bruce
Sir Robert was educated at the household of King Edward of England. In
1293 he was made Earl of Carrick and received his mother's land and he paid
homage to Baliol at Parliament at Stirling in Aug. and Sept. 1293 and was given
the administration of his lands in Annandale.
In 1294 at the outbreak of war Robert was summoned to serve in person by
King Edward. During the invasion of Scotland
in 1296 he took Edward's side and also during the revolt of Baliol when
Robert's castle of Lochmaben in Annandale
was temporarily seized by Comyn, Earl of Buchan Robert aided the English King.
After the battle of Dunbar 28 Apr. 1296 he
received the oaths of allegience to Edward from his men of Carrick. Robert took
his oath of allegience at Parliament Aug. 1296 in Berwick. In 1297 Wallace
attacked the English and Robert who had taken another oath of allegience at Carlisle upon the sword of Thomas a Becket assisted
Edward against the Scots attacking William, Lord Douglas and carrying off his
children to his castle at Turnberry.
No sooner was the danger over then Robert, realizing that Edward was not
about to make him King of Scotland and that the revolt against English rule had
become so widespread and that his own safety would be threatened and his claim
to the throne ignored, he claimed himself King of Scotland. England was
more concerned at the time with Wallace as a follower of Baliol since he had
control of the army. When Edward marched into Scotland
in 1298 Robert stayed in his castle
of Ayr and maintained a
doubtful neutrality. After Wallace was defeated at Falkirk Edward turned to Ayr, but Robert, dreading the consequences, razed it to
the ground and went into the recesses of Carrick.
In 1298 when Wallace resigned, John Comyn and Sir John Soulis were chosen
Regents with Lamberton, Bishop of St. Andrews and Robert joining their ranks
the next year. Comyn was looking forward to possessing the throne of Scotland also.
At a conference at Stirling Robert made this proposal to Comyn: "Support
my title to the throne and I will give you all my lands or bestow on me your
lands and I shall support your claim." Comyn waived his own claims, an
agreement was drawn up and signed and Robert returned to London. At this point Comyn, who was anxious
to regain the favor of Edward, betrayed Robert and sent the King the signed
agreement. Edward would have seized Robert had he not told his nobles the plan
and that night the Earl of Gloucester sent Robert a purse of money and a pair
of gilded spurs, a hint for Robert to leave the country. Robert then escaped to
Scotland
and intercepted Comyn's messenger and found further proof of Comyn's treachery
accompanied by a recommendation to Edward to execute him. Robert requested a
private interview with Comyn on 4 Feb. 1305 in the church of the Minorite
Friars in Dumfries. At first the meeting was
friendly, but Robert accused him of betrayal to which Comyn replied: "It
is a falsehood you utter". Robert then drew his dagger, stabbed him in the
heart and ran out of the church where he told his followers: "I doubt I
have slain the Red Comyn". "You doubt!" said Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick,
"Is that a matter to be left to doubt? I'se mak siccar (I will make
sure)". He rushed into the church with Sir James Lindsay and Sir
Christopher Seton and killed the wounded man and his uncle Robert Comyn. This
account of Comyn's murder although interesting is probably not true as shortly
thereafter Edward said that he had complete confidence in Robert. It was
probably the result of a hasty quarrel and the zeal of Robert's followers
aggravated the affair and gave the whole situation the appearance of a
premeditated assassination.
King Robert the Bruce and
Elizabeth de Burgh
On 27 March 1305 Robert was crowned King at Scone
by the Bishop of St. Andrews. Upon hearing of Comyn's murder Edward vowed not
ot rest until his death was avenged. Robert with his followers challelnged the
Earl of Pembroke at Perth
to come out and fight, but he would not until the next day. While Robert and
his men were camped at Methven they were attacked by Pembroke's army and forced
to retreat to Athol where he and his followers led the lives of outlaws.
Robert's youngest brother Nigel arrived with the Queen at Aberdeen and Robert proceeded there and
escorted them to safety in the Breadalbane mountains. The Lord of Lorn,
Alexander, Chief of the MacDougalls attacked King Robert at Dalry near the head
of Loch Tay and the Bruce was forced to retreat. At Craigrostan on the western
side of Ben Lomond is a cave in which
tradition says Robert and his men found shelter after their defeat by
MacDougall.
With his cause becoming more desperate he sent the Queen to Kildrummie
castle with his brother Nigel and the Earl of Athol while he and his remaining
200 followers went to Kintyre and then to Ireland. After crossing Loch Lomond they met Malcolm, Earl of Lennox who was
hiding there from the English and who gave them provisions enough to reach
Dunaverty castle in Kintyre where they were received by Angus of Isla, Lord of
Kintyre. The King then sailed in a storm to the island
of Rachrine off the north coast of Ireland where
they spent the winter.
Meanwhile King Edward raged through Scotland and captured Kildrummie
castle carrying Nigel Bruce and others in chains to Berwick where they were
hanged. The Queen and her daughter Marjory took sanctuary at St. Duthac in Ross
and were seized by the Earl of Ross and put into prison as were two of Robert's
sisters. The Countess of Buchan was suspended in an iron and wood cage from one
of the turrets of Berwick castle for four years. Robert's estates were confiscated
and he and his followers were excommunicated by the Pope's legate at Carlisle.
Robert the Bruce and Elizabeth de
Burgh from the Seton Armorial in the National Library of Scotland
In the spring of 1307 King Robert set sail for the island
of Arran with 33 galleys and 300 men
and then attacked his castle
of Turnberry which was
occupied by Lord Henry Percy. He then ravaged through the countryside, but an
army from England
arrived in Ayrshire and Robert retreated to the mountains in Carrick. His
brothers Alexander and Thomas with 700 men were attacked by Duncan MacDowall
and almost all killed. Thomas and Alexander were taken prisoner to Carlisle and executed. English reinforcements poured into
Scotland
and Robert was left with only 60 men, the others having deserted him thinking
his cause hopeless. He however did have a victory against the men from Galloway. After joining forces with Sir James Douglas he
was attacked by the Earl of Pembroke, John of Lorn, the English army and the
savage Highlanders. Robert's party fled in all directions, but regathered at a
predetermined rendezvous point and that night they surprized the English and
forced the Earl of Pembroke back to Carlisle.
King Robert then attacked Kyle, Carrick and Cunningham districts. Pembroke with
3,000 English reinforcements advanced to Ayrshire and met Robert and his 600
men at Loudon Hill 10 May 1307 and the English were totally defeated. Three
days later Robert defeated Ralph Monthermer, Earl of Gloucester. These
victories caused the Scots to rally to the King's standard from all parts of
the country.
Statue of King Robert at Stirling Castle
King Edward gathered all of his forces together and advanced only six miles
before he died at Burgh-upon-Sands on the border 7 July 1307. The new King
Edward II marched to Cummock, Ayrshire and appointed Pembroke guardian of the Kingdom
and hurried back to London.
King Robert conquered Argyle and took Inverness, Forfar and Brechin and then
wasted Buchan, the land of the Comyns before he stormed and deomolished Aberdeen castle and its
English garrison. Sir James Douglas recaptured his castle of Douglas
and took Selkirk, Douglasdale and Jedburgh. King Robert then defeated the Lord
of Lorn at Brandir and took refuge in Dunstaffnage castle which was besieged
and then surrendered.
In Feb. 1309 the clergy met at Dundee and
declared Robert the Bruce king. Edward II found it necessary to agree to a
truce which although short lived enabled Robert to consolidate his power. Upon
expiration of the truce Robert advanced on Durham and destroyed everything. The same
year Edward invaded Scotland
and proceeded to Edinburgh
but was forced to retreat to Berwick because of the approaching winter. After
this the Scots regularly raided England.
Edward sent the Earl of Cornwall with an army into Scotland, but he was defeated. The
English garrison at Perth
was soon afterwards stormed, the King himself being the first person who scaled
the walls. Robert invaded England
again in 1312 and burned the towns of Hexham and Corbrigg. He consented to a
truce only on the payment of a huge sum by the people of Durham,
Northumberland, Cumberland
and Werstmorland. The castles of Linlithgow, Roxburgh, Edinburgh and nearly all
other fortresses held by the English were recaptured by the Scots. Robert led
an expedition against the Isle of Man and
expelled the MacDowalls.
On his return in 1313 he learned that his brother Edward Bruce had laid
seige to Stirling castle and agreed to a
treaty with its occupant Sir Philip Mowbray who would surrender if he was not
relieved by 24 June 1314. Although Robert was displeased by it he resolved to
abide by the agreement. King Edward summoned all his forces to gather at
Berwick 11 June 1314. King Robert chose his field at Bannockburn,
four miles from Stirling where he dug trenches
one foot wide and three feet deep with sharp stakes in them and covered with
sod as traps for the 100,000 English troops. On 24 June 1314 Robert, his
brother Edward, his nephew Randolf, Walter Stewart and James Douglas led their
force of 60,000 into battle. The English were thrown into confusion (and into
the pits) and when Robert's camp-followers appeared in formation upon
Gilleshill with their sheets and blankets fastened to poles like military
banners the English were so intimidated by this "new army" that they
fled in all directions. Thirty thousand English were killed and so great was
the psychological effect of the battle that according to the contemporary
English historian Walsingham a hundred Englishmen would have fled before the
face of two or three Scotsmen. The next day Stirling
castle surrendered.
Depiction of the Battle
of Bannockburn
from the Holkham Bible- 1327-1335
Map of the Battle of Bannockburn- Day 1
Map of the Battle of Bannockburn- Day 2
Monument at Bannockburn
During the year the Scots raided England
three times and then Robert and his brother Edward went over to Ireland and
defeated the Anglo-Irish under the Baron of Clare. Robert returned home and
Edward remained and was killed in the battle of Dundalk
in 1318.
Edward II foiled in all his attempts against the Scots procured from Pope
John XXII a bull commanding a truce for two years. The two cardinals sent on
the mission had authority to excommunicate Robert if necessary. The cardinals
once in England
sent a messenger to Robert with letters addressed to "Robert Bruce,
Governor of Scotland" to which Robert replied: "These epistles I may
not open or read. Among my barons there are many of the name of Robert Bruce
and some of them may have a share in the government of Scotland. These
letters may possibly be intended for one of them, they cannot be for me, for I
am King of Scotland!" The messenger replied that: "the Holy Church
was not wont, during the dependence of a controversy, to say or do aught which
might prejudice the claims of either contending party." The king replied:
"Since then my spiritual father and my holy mother would not prejudice the
cause of my adversary by bestowing on me the title of King during the
dependence of the controversy, they ought not to have prejudiced my cause by
withdrawing that tile from me. It seems that my parents are partial to their
English son! Had you presumed to present letters with such an address to any
other sovereign prince, you might perhaps have been answered more harshly, but
I reverence you as the messenger of the Holy See." The messengers returned
to England
and the cardinals then sent a priest, Adam Newton to deliver the notice to
Robert. Newton
found the King camped with his army near Old Cambus preparing for the attack on
Berwick which remained in English hands. On demanding to see the king he was
oredered to give the letters to his steward, but the king seeing that the
letters were addressed as before were returned and Robert said that "he
would listen to no bulls until he was treated as king of Scotland and had made
himself master of Berwick." The monk was refused a safe conduct home and
was attacked by four outlaws who took all his belongings and left him to find
his way as best he could.
Berwick was conquered by King Robert and in 1318 he invaded Northumberland
and took several castles. Edward was determined to recover Berwick, but was
unsuccessful in his attack of 24 July 1319. On 20 Sept. 1319 Douglas
created a diversion by attacking the Archbishop of York and his army of monks
at Mitton on the Swale. Because of this Edward was obliged to stop the seige of
Berwick and tried to intercept the Scottish army on its way home but failed.
Robert was excommunicated by the Pope and the Estates 6 Apr. 1320 sent a
manifesto to his Holiness which led the Pope to recommend to Edward peaceful
measures but he would not listen and he invaded Scotland, but as Robert had
laid waste the country to the Firth of Forth Edward's soldiers were in danger
of starving so Edward had to retreat and in revenge his half starved soldiers
burned the monasteries of Dryburgh and Melrose and killed the monks. Robert
then invaded England and
after beseiging Norham castle he defeated Edward at Biland Abbey, Yorkshire. A truce was then signed at Berwick 7 June
1323.
In 1327 on the accession of Edward III hostilities broke out again and again
the English lost and again a treaty was signed 4 March 1328 at Northampton. In this treaty Scotland's
independence, Robert's right to the throne and the marriage of Edward's sister
Joanna to Robert's son David were acknowledged. Robert then retired to Cardross
castle where he devoted his time to building ships, fishing, and hawking. It is
also known that he kept a pet lion.
Before his death he was still troubled by the fact that he was still under
the excommunication of the church and he commissioned Sir James Douglas to
carry his heart to Palestine
and bury it in the holy city. He died 7 June 1329 and his heart was embalmed
and given to Douglas who was killed fighting against the Moors in Spain and the relic of Bruce and Douglas' body
were returned home and buried in the Melrose
monastery. The body of King Robert the Bruce was buried in the Abbey church of Dunfermline where in 1818 while
rebuilding, his bones were discovered.
Dunfermline
Abbey
The Medieval Nave- built in c.1150
Robert the Bruce's Grave at Dunfermline Abbey
Issue-first child by Isabella, next four by Elizabeth
· 14I. MARJORY-
m. 1315 WALTER STEWART (b.1292, d.1326), d. 21
Mar. 1315/6 Paisley, Renfrewshire, bur.
Paisley Abbey
· II. David- b. 5 Mar. 1323/4 Dunfermline,
m.1. 17 July 1328 Joanna, d. of Edward II (d. 14 Aug. 1362), 2. c.20 Feb.
1363/4 Margaret, d. of Sir Malcolm Drummond (m.1. Sir John Logie, d. after Jan.
1374/5), King of Scots, d.s.p. 22 Feb. 1370/1, bur. Holyrood.
· III. Margaret- m. 1343 William de Moravia,
Earl of Sutherland, d. 1358
· IV. Matilda- m. Thomas Issac, d. 20 July 1353
Aberdeen, bur. Dunfermline
Abbey
· V. John- b. Oct. 1327, d.s.p., bur. Restennet
Priory, Angus
· VI. Elizabeth-
m. before 1365 Sir Walter Oliphant of Aberdalgy
· VII. Robert- d. 12 Aug. 1332 Battle of
Dupplin. Robert was the Baron of Liddesdale
· VIII. Nigel- killed at the battle of Durham 17 Oct. 1346
· IX. Christian- of Carrick
· X. Margaret- m. Robert Glenn, alive 29 Feb.
1363/4
· XI. Walter- of Odistoun
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
Palgrave Documents
Foedera- Vol.II, p.938
The Scots Peerage- Vol.I, pp7-8
The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the
United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed- G.E. Cokayne; with
Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard
de Walden, editors- Vol. II, p. 360
Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy- Alison Weir, The
Bodley Head, London, 1999, p. 209-10
Dictionary of National Biography- Leslie Stephen, ed., Smith,
Elder & Co., London, 1908, Vol. II, pp.117-28
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