Robert the Bruce

Robert I, also known as Robert the Bruce, was king of Scots from 1306 until 1329 and is best known for being one of the greatest warriors of his generation. He is revered as a national hero in Scotland, mostly because of his involvement in the First War of Scottish Independence against England, where he successfully regained Scottish independence.

Quick Facts:

Born:  11^th July 1274
Died:  7^th June 1329
Reign:  1306-1329
Parents: Robert de Brus, 6^th Lord of Annandale and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick
Predecessor:  John Balliol
Successor: David II
Spouse: Isabella of Mar and Elizabeth de Burgh
Children: Marjorie Bruce; David II of Scotland; Elizabeth Bruce; Robert Bruce, Lord of Liddesdale; Naill Bruce of Carrick
Royal House:  House of Bruce

Robert was the fourth great grandson of King David I and his grandfather, Robert de Brus, was one of the claimants to the Scottish throne following the death of Margaret the Maid of Norway. As the Earl of Carrick, he and William Wallace led the revolt against Edward I and went on to become a Guardian of Scotland, alongside John Comyn, one of his chief rivals for the throne. He resigned in 1300 because of his quarrels with Comryn and the apparent imminent restoration of John Balliol to the Scottish throne. Robert would later inherit his family’s claim to the Scottish throne on his father’s death.

Early life

Very little is known about Robert’s youth, though he was likely brought up under the influence of the Anglo-Norman culture of Northern England. It is likely that he, like the rest of his family, was multi -ingual having been raised to speak both Gaelic (the language of his mother’s birthplace), early Scots (the language of his father) and would have been schooled in the Anglo-Norman language. It is also likely that he would have had a working knowledge of Latin as well, as he was raised a Catholic. He and his brothers certainly would have had a much better education than many of their peers. The young Robert was known to take pleasure in learning and as king, he was known to pay for tutors for his son and would purchase a great many books for him.

Robert and his brothers were also schooled in outdoor pursuits, including horsemanship, swordsmanship, jousting, hunting and other aspects of courtly behavior, including dress, speech, table etiquette, music and dance, all of which would have been learned from the age of 10 while serving as pages in their father and grandfather’s household.

The family were known to move between the castles of Lochmaben Castle and Loch Doon Castle, the two castles of his parent’s ancestral lands. As young men, the brothers would have also spent time training as knights in an English royal household.

Robert’s mother died early in 1292, in November of the same year, Edward I of England, along with a group of guardians, awarded the vacant crown to John Balliol. Almost immediately, Robert de Brus resigned his lordship, handing his claim to the throne to his eldest grandson, Robert the Bruce.

Though history remembers Robert as being a fierce warrior, it was also recorded that he would continually read throughout meetings with his advisors.

John’s reign and the Wars of Independence

Even after John was named king, Edward would continue to assert his authority over the Scottish. The relationship between the two soon soured and the Bruces would side with King Edward against John and Comyn. Robert considered John to be a usurper. Eventually, the Scottish governers would depose John, leading to the Wars of Independence.

The first blow in the war between Scotland and England was an attack on the Bruce family. Seven earls made a surprise attack on the city of Carlisle, which was not so much an attack on England, but on the Bruces at the behest of Comyn, the Earl of Buchan.

King Edward responded to King John’s alliance with France and the attack on Carlisle by invading Scotland, taking the town of Berwick. John was captured and put in the Tower of London, with the English taking control. The Bruces soon regained their territory and they would swear an oath of fealty to King Edward, though the young Robert would join the rebels in a revolt against the English.

Following the defeat at the Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace resigned as a Guardian of Scotland and was succeeded by Robert Bruce and John Comyn as joint guardians. Comyn had a strong claim to the throne as John’s nephew and was a long time enemy of Robert’s. Robert had a complete belief in his right to the throne, his ambition however was thwarted by John Comyn who was working to return John Balliol to the throne. Comyn agreed to forfeit his claim to the throne as long as Robert surrendered his land, the negotiations failed however, ending with Robert attacking Comyn resulting in his death. Robert asserted his claim on the throne and began a campaign by force for the independence of Scotland. He was excommunicated for the murder.

War of Robert the Bruce

Six weeks after Comyn was killed, Robert Bruce was crowned King of the Scots. Shortly after, Edward I marched north, on his way, he granted the Scottish estates of Bruce and his supporters to his own followers. In June, Robert was defeated at the Battle of Methven, his family fled to the protection of his brother, while he went into exile with his most faithful men. It is uncertain where Robert spent the winter of 1306, but he returned to the Scottish mainland in February 1307 in two groups. One led by Bruce and another by his brother, they began a guerrilla war, recapturing territory. On 7^th July 1307, King Edward I died leaving Bruce opposed by his son, Edward II.

Bruce made his way across the country, defeating the Comyn strongholds and by 1310, was recognised as king by a general council. On 1^st October 1310, he wrote to England to attempt a peace treaty but was unsuccessful.

By 1314, Bruce had captured most of the castles in Scotland and was sending raiding parties into northern England, leading to the Battle of Bannockburn. The English found it difficult to operate in the terrain and were crushed by Robert’s forces. Edward II was dragged from the battlefield and was pursued by forces, he eventually made his way to York and Bruce’s forces took Stirling Castle.

Toward the middle of his reign, Bruce would regularly invade northern England and drive back any English forces making their way towards the border. He also attempted to assist the Irish in a fight against the English. His brother, Edward would later be crowned High King of Ireland.

Together, the Irish and Scottish forces would continue to defeat the English, but the Scottish failed to make any significant gains in the southern part of Ireland, eventually Edward Bruce would be killed in battle and Irish writers at the time would describe the defeat of the Bruces by the English as one of the greatest things ever done for the Irish nation.

Later reign

The reign of Robert Bruce saw some significant diplomatic achievements as well as military ones. He particularly strengthened his position after the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton, which recognised Scotland as an independent kingdom and Robert Bruce as its leader.

In 1382, the excommunication against him was lifted and the king’s last journey was noted to be a pilgrimage, possibly in search of a cure for his various ailments or to make peace with God before his death. It was noted that he had been suffering from some kind of illness since at least 1327, though what the ailment was is unclear.

Robert died on 7^th June 1329 at his manor house. His body was embalmed and his heart extracted. This was later interred in the chapel of Saint Serf, the ruins of which can be found in Dumbarton. The king’s funeral was a grand affair, with a tomb that had been imported from Paris, fragments from which can be viewed at the National Museum of Scotland.

Family

Bruce’s descendants include all later Scottish monarchs and all British monarchs since the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

His first wife, Isabella of Mar gave him one child, his daughter Marjorie, who would marry Walter Stewart, with whom she had one son, Robert II of Scotland.

He fathered a further five children with his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh; Margaret, Matilda, Elizabeth and twin sons, David and John. David would go on to succeed his father but would have no children of his own.

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