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Who was Robert the
Bruce? Scottish Military Leader and King.

Date and Place of
Birth: 11th July, 1274 at Turnberry Castle, Ayrshire,
Scotland.
Family Background:
Was the seventh generation of Bruces originally invited
into Scotland from Normandy by King David the First. His mother
was the Celtic Countess of Carrick.
Education: Received
from his family and retainers particularly in the field of law.
He e also learnt the Knightly acts and became proficient with
the battleaxe.
Chronology:
1295: Death of
Bruce's Grandfather whilst John Balliol was still King of Scotland.
He had been one of the contenders for the throne when Alexander
the Third died but King Edward the First of England was invited
to settle the dispute over the succession and chose Balliol.
1302: Bruce returned
to the fold of King Edward the First of England after supporting
Scotland's freedom fighters. He did not wish to be seen to support
the cause of his rival John Balliol who by this time had been
banished to his estates in France.
1304: Death of
Bruce's father in Cumberland. He was buried in the church at Abbeytown
west of Carlisle.
1305: Execution
of Sir William Wallace in London. Word
reached Bruce that King Edward was terminally ill and he realised
it was the time to try and assume the throne. He arranged to meet
with John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch ("The Red Comyn")
in Dumfries. He was a nephew of John Balliol and one of the largest
landowners in Scotland and could block Bruce's passage to the
throne if he so wished. Bruce offered Comyn all his family's territories
in return for his suppport as King and said that he would support
Comyn's claim to the throne in return for all his lands. Fortunately
Comyn chose the Bruce lands rather than the crown.
1306: Legend has
it that Comyn told King Edward the First of England of Bruce's
desire to become King of Scotland, which was tantamount to treason.
The two met at Greyfriars Monastery in Dumfries on 10th February.
Bruce confronted Comyn and in the ensuing argument Bruce stabbed
Comyn with his dagger in front of the altar which was a major
act of sacrilege. Friends of Bruce killed Comyn with their swords.
The moment had now been forced with the death of Comyn for him
to take the throne and Bruce took his men to seize the English
garrison at Dumfries Castle. Bruce's army moved northwards and
met up with men belonging to James, Lord of Douglas. On 25th March
the crown of Scotland was placed on Bruce's head at Scone in front
of "Four Bishops five Earls and the people of the land".
Traditionally the Earl of Fife performed the ceremony but Duncan
the present Earl was allied to the English. His aunt Isabel performed
the coronation despite the fact that her own husband the Earl
Buchan was also in the pay of the English. Within a few months
however Bruce was defeated at Methven west of Perth and again
Dalrigh south of Tyndrum. Isabel and his sister Mary were imprisoned
in cages and his Queen, Elizabeth and his daughter Marjorie were
put into solitary confinement by the English. Bruce himself then
laid low for several months, probably somewhere in the Western
Isles.
1307: In February
Bruce landed near his birthplace on the Ayrshire coast from the
Isle of Arran. During April Bruce surprised and defeated an English
force at Kloch Trool. On 10th May, he again defeated a superior
English force at Loudoun Hill in North Ayrshire. Edward the First
of England died at Burgh by Sands near Carlisle in July and this
was the signal for many Scots to flock to Bruce's cause. Bruce
set about capturing the remaining castles one by one and began
to deal with the opposition to his crown by the supporters of
John Balliol and "the Red Comyn".
1313: By now most
of the castles had been recaptured largely by stealth as the Scots
were outnumbered by about ten to one and Bruce didn't wish to
provoke outright hostilities. Bruce put the attack on Stirling
Castle in the hands of his impetuous brother Edward but his deal
with the Castle's Captain saying that it would be handed over
to the Scots if a relieving army was not to appear by midsummer
meant that the English would take it as a direct challenge to
recover it. A large English army was mustered and Bruce retired
to Torwood to regroup his followers.
1314: The English
army gathered at Berwick upon Tweed on 10th June and began to
march north. Bruce pulled his men back towards the Bannock Burn
on the old Roman road leading to Stirling Castle. On the 23rd
June the 22,000 strong English army approached the Scots position
and the Battle of Bannockburn began. Bruce's spearmen managed
to hold off the English cavalry. As night fell Bruce had to decide
whether his outnumbered army should retreat or stand and fight
another day. On 24th June not long after 3 a.m. Bruce gave the
order for his men to advance. Edward replied by setting his archers
to fire on them but Bruce had seen Scottish spearmen decimated
a the Battle of Falkirk under Wallace
and sent his cavalry to disperse the archers. Finally Bruce's
reserves entered the battlefield and put the English to rout.
James Douglas pursued English King Edward 60 miles to the castle
at Dunbar.
1315: The English
still refused to negotiate with the Scots and Bruce began taking
trubute money from the northern English counties who did not want
their towns sacked. The Scots then invaded Ireland in an attempt
to gain support from another Celtic land.
1316: Bruce's
brother Edward was made King of Ireland.
1318: Hopes that
Ireland could be annexed by Scotland were dashed when the Scots
were defeated near Dundalk. Edward Bruce here met his death.
1319: The English
began to besiege Berwick upon Tweed but Lord Douglas and Randolph
by-passed them and raided into Yorkshire cutting an army raised
by the Archbishop of York to pieces.
1320: In order
to seek help from the Pope for the Scots cause the "Declaration
of Arbroath" was made. It stated that Bruce was King of Scots
and their defender rather than King of Scotland.
1322: In October
the Scots managed to defeat a force raised by Kind Edward at the
Battle of Old Byland near Thirsk. Various peace treaties were
drawn up and broken.
1327: The two
armies met each other at Stanhope in County Durham. Douglas made
an attack at night and narrowly missed capturing the King. The
Scots held an unwinnable situation and disappeared. Their forces
now began to play cat and mouse with the English, fighting them
wherever they thought they could gain advantage. In October a
delegation from London sought out Bruce as he was besieging Norham
Castle saying that they were ready for peace negotiations.
1328: In March
the Treaty of Edinburgh was signed and Bruce's son David married
Joan of the Tower, the Sister of King Edward the Third of England.
Scotland also agreed to pay £20,000 reparation for war damages.
1329: Bruce had
a house built on the river Leven just north of Dumbarton and spent
his final days in relative tranquility.
(1330): After
his death Douglas took Bruce's heart in a wooden casket to fight
the Moors in southern Spain. Bruce had always wanted to go on
a crusade to the Holy Land. However Douglas was slain and the
overwhelmed Scots came back to their native land with the body
of Douglas and the Casket carrying Bruce's heart.
Marriage:
Isabel, daughter of the Earl of Mar, who died
shortly after the birth of their daughter Marjorie. 1302: To Elizabeth
de Burgh, daughter of the Earl of Ulster.
Places of Interest:
Turnberry Golf Course Ayrshire. The ruins of
the castle where he was born are near the lighthouse.
Kirkoswald Church, Ayrshire. Contains the font
where Bruce was baptised.
Monument at Loch Trool.
Date and Place of
Death: 7th June1329, Dumbarton.
Age at Death:
55.
Site of Grave:
Dunfermline Abbey, Scotland. Heart buried under the floor in the
Chapter House, Melrose Abbey, Scotland.
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