House
of Bruce
1306-1371
Robert
I (The Bruce) - Ruled 1306-1329 Born: c1274 Died: 1329
Marriage I: Isabella Children: Marjory Marriage II: Elizabeth de
Burgh Children David II
Robert de Bruce VIII was born about 1274 in Essex. His claim to the throne was closer by degree that that of
Baliol, but through a female ancestor. The Bruces' claim on their
assertion that Alexander II of Scotland had recognised Robert Bruce (d.1295) the
grandfather of the future king, as his successor in 1238. However, the Comyn
family, who were now guardians and the most powerful Scottish family of the day,
thought different. Their military and political power was sustained by a series
of castles controlling most of the main roads and passes in the north of
Scotland. In 1286, they were virtually unassailable except in the south-west -
the Bruce lands in Carrick,
Ayrshire and Annandale - and it was here that their challenge to the Comyn
control took place. The Bruce family played no part in the Guardianship, the
group in the best position to influence the succession, but the Comyns were
allied through marriage to the Balliol family. The Bruces, however, were backed by the powerful Stewart
clan.
Despite military and legal attacks on the Comyn-Baliol faction between 1286 and
1292, the Bruces had not prevailed, and on 7 November 1292 a court decided in
favour of Balliol. Some typical quick thinking from the Bruces kept their claim
to the throne alive - Robert Bruce the elder resigned his claim to his son and
heir and in turn to his heirs, then two days later his son, Robert Bruce, Earl
of Carrick, surrendered his earldom to his 18 year old son and heir, Robert, the
future King. Both the father and grandfather refused to do homage to Balliol,
but young Robert had to in order for him to be confirmed as Earl of Carrick.
This opportunism and eye for the right tactic was displayed by the young Bruce
many times thereafter. During the chaos
after the removal of John Baliol and the turmoil of direct English rule,
Bruce changed sides no fewer than five
times. King Edward committed on Robert Bruce, Lord of Annandale, Earl of
Carrick and father of the future king, the keeping of the Carlisle Castle on 6
October 1296, which he defended against John (Red) Comyn. Thus, Robert Bruce and
his son submitted for a time to Edward
I. At the same time Edward took back Berwick and continued north taking such key
castle as Roxburgh, Stirling and Edinburgh. Bruce fought against William Wallace in
1297 (to be fair, William Wallace and Bruce had very different aims and Bruce had no wish to back up Baliol's position), but joined the patriots after the victory at Stirling.
Then in 1298 he returned to Edward. In 1299 a council of four Regents
was appointed, with Bruce and his rival Comyn at the head of it. For several
years Bruce kept up the appearance of loyalty to Edward, fought in three more
campaigns and even stayed at his court. But he heard that the English king
had considered having him murdered because of information provided by
Comyn. The death of Robert Bruce senior in 1304 was a turning point in his son's
life. The old Earl was buried at Holm Cultram Abbey, Cumberland, in lands
secured by his father following his marriage to Christine, daughter of William
de Ireby of Cumberland. The younger Bruce was now Earl of Carrick and Lord
Annandale and had a power base of his own. The capture and execution of
Wallace made it easier for Bruce to pursue his claim to the throne.
In 1306 Bruce returned to Scotland, stabbed
Comyn during a quarrel in Dumfries (reputedly following him into Greyfriars church to
finish him off, thus breaking all established rules of Sanctuary, and declaring
"I'll mak siccar" meaning "I'll make sure"). He
gathered his vassals at Lochmaben Castle, claimed the throne and soon after was crowned king at Scone. He was defeated
twice by an English
army and fled to the Rathlin Island, his queen and family being captured and imprisoned.
So disheartened was he by his experiences that he almost gave up. This led
to the story of the spider pinning its web over and over until it was
right and the motto If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
The spider is supposed to have replied "It's not easy with
somebody watching you the whole time" but that doesn't get into
many history books.
Believed dead, Bruce's re-emergence on the Carrick coast in 1307 was a
surprise. The war was renewed with his defeat of the Earl of Pembroke at
Loudon Hill. Edward's death delayed the
decision of the struggle. Bruce twice invaded England, took almost all the
fortresses in Scotland, except Stirling, and in 1314 totally defeated Edward
II. at Bannockburn. It is said that the Monymusk Reliquary, in which Kenneth
MacAlpin had carried St Columba's relics to Iona Abbey, was carried into
battle. It is also said that the decisive factor was the unexpected
appearance of Knights Templar at the battle, on the side of the Scots,
since their order was being persecuted all over Europe and they had found
a safe haven in Scotland, where they established what is now Freemasonry.
Whatever, Bruce and the Scots won, and Bruce himself defeated Edward II's
champion, by almost cutting him in two with a war-axe.
He spent time
fighting in Ireland in support of his brother, Edward Bruce (who had
become king there) but in his absence the English harried the borders
country. In 1318, in retaliation, he took over Berwick and raided into
Northumberland and almost as far as York. At this point 31 Scottish earls
and lords met at Arbroath and wrote a petition to Pope John XXII, the Declaration
of Arbroath, asking
for recognition as a separate, independent state. This is widely regarded
as Scotland's Declaration of Independence.
Hostilities continued until Edward II's army was soundly thrashed at
Byland Abbey in 1323 and a thirteen-year truce declared. However, it was
not honoured and only in 1328 was peace finally made with England. A few months
later Bruce died of leprosy at Cardross Castle, having arranged for his heart to
be taken out and carried on a crusade. Later it was buried at Melrose
Abbey. The rest of him lies in Dunfermline Abbey (see the picture to the
right), where his name, King Robert The Bruce, is carved around the top of
the tower.
His first marriage to Isabella, daughter of the Earl of Mar, produced
Marjory, mother of Robert II, the first
Stewart or Stuart king. His second marriage to Elizabeth, daughter of Aylmer de
Burgh, Earl of Ulster, gave him a son, David II,
who succeeded him
David
II - Ruled 1329-1371 Born 1324 Dunfermline Died 1390
Edinburgh Castle Marriage I: Princess Joan of England Children : none
Marriage II: Margaret Drummond Children: none
David Bruce was the son (by a second marriage) and successor of Robert
Bruce, at whose death, in 1329, he was only five years old. It also his bacd
luck to follow such an outstanding king as his father. He did have many of his
father's best qualities, but he also had to contend with Edward III, a much
greater opponent than the weak Edward II had been to Robert I. At the age of
four he had been married to the seven-year-old Princess Joan, daughter of Edward
III. Despite this, Edward attacked his son-in-law's kingdom. On the invasion
of Scotland by Edward Baliol, son of the deposed "king" John Baliol,
and no more than an English puppet, David was sent to France. Baliol initially
won at the battle of Dupplin Moor (and was even "crowned" at Scone)
and won again at Halidon Hill. His supporters prevailed, after many a bloody contest, and he returned home in
1342 aged 17 and spoiling for a fight. He drove Balliol out of Scotland and made several
successful forays into
England, but was taken prisoner at the battle of Neville's Cross, near Durham in
1346, conveyed
to the Tower of London, and did not recover his liberty for 11 years. His
nephew, Robert (later Robert II)
ruled as regent. He was
released in 1357 as part of the Treaty of Berwick, on promising to pay a heavy
ransom - 100,000 Merks - in annual instalments. This was a substantial sum at
any time, but especially so when a third of his subjects had been wiped out by
the Black Death in 1348. In 1363, after the death of Joan, he offered instead to
leave the Scottish crown to an English heir but his nobles opposed this and the
Scottish Parliament threw out the very idea of a Union of the Crowns. He died in
1371, without either of his wives producing an heir, thus paving the way for his
nephew (Robert Bruce's grandson) Robert II to
become the first Stewart king.
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