King John I tutorial notes
Background
-He was not born into royalty, nor was he raised to be king, yet he was King of Scots for 4
years.
-He was not even raised to be the head of his family, being the fourth son of Devourgilla and
John Balliol. However his three brothers died prematurely, therefore he became the eldest
brother in the family.
-John did not even become king of the kingdom he grew up in, he was an Englishman, only
inheriting his Scottish estates in 1290 when his mother died.
-He was educated in Durham, possibly initially joining the church before inheriting lands in
France and England and joining the English court, both as a magnate and a paid cleric (civil
servant).
-He succeeded to his father’s lands in November 1278 when his final brother Alexander died,
which ended his career in the church.
-John also gained debt relief from Edward I in part as a favour, john married Edward’s
cousin, Isabella daughter of the earl of Surrey. Giving him an intimate relationship with the
English royal family, although lessened when his wife died between 1290 and 1292. Another
link to the English royal family was that Edward I was the primary godfather to John’s son,
pledging to look after him in times of need, cementing their links by naming their son
Edward.
-As a educated magnet, John was employed at Edward I’s court. John gained a reputation as a
loyal and obedient figure, not someone who would act as an independent political figure.
-His political experience in Scotland would have been limited, but overall, he would be well
versed in the mechanisms of a busy, complex royal government which he experienced and
worked under Edward I.
-Possibly reluctant to join the Great Cause as a candidate, John was backed by his Comyn in-
laws who would have provided him with the insider knowledge of the Scottish political
community and its operating methods which he lacked.
-However, their support became a double-edged sword as the Comyns attempted to control
John, suited for their own ends as they had a lesser claim to the throne themselves.
Re-establishing Scottish Government
John had little experience of the political affairs of Scotland, therefore relied on his Comyn
family was evident throughout his reign – and has subsequently led to many historians
believing that he was a Comyn-puppet.
-However, he did manage to establish royal authority and dealt with a backlog of judicial
complaints which had been too substantial for the guardians to resolve pre-1292.
-He held 7 Parliments under 4 years which was impressive.
-He also attempted to clearly expand royal authority, especially in the west, through his use of
existing sheriffdoms and created three more positions.
The Debate
Background
-He was not born into royalty, nor was he raised to be king, yet he was King of Scots for 4
years.
-He was not even raised to be the head of his family, being the fourth son of Devourgilla and
John Balliol. However his three brothers died prematurely, therefore he became the eldest
brother in the family.
-John did not even become king of the kingdom he grew up in, he was an Englishman, only
inheriting his Scottish estates in 1290 when his mother died.
-He was educated in Durham, possibly initially joining the church before inheriting lands in
France and England and joining the English court, both as a magnate and a paid cleric (civil
servant).
-He succeeded to his father’s lands in November 1278 when his final brother Alexander died,
which ended his career in the church.
-John also gained debt relief from Edward I in part as a favour, john married Edward’s
cousin, Isabella daughter of the earl of Surrey. Giving him an intimate relationship with the
English royal family, although lessened when his wife died between 1290 and 1292. Another
link to the English royal family was that Edward I was the primary godfather to John’s son,
pledging to look after him in times of need, cementing their links by naming their son
Edward.
-As a educated magnet, John was employed at Edward I’s court. John gained a reputation as a
loyal and obedient figure, not someone who would act as an independent political figure.
-His political experience in Scotland would have been limited, but overall, he would be well
versed in the mechanisms of a busy, complex royal government which he experienced and
worked under Edward I.
-Possibly reluctant to join the Great Cause as a candidate, John was backed by his Comyn in-
laws who would have provided him with the insider knowledge of the Scottish political
community and its operating methods which he lacked.
-However, their support became a double-edged sword as the Comyns attempted to control
John, suited for their own ends as they had a lesser claim to the throne themselves.
Re-establishing Scottish Government
John had little experience of the political affairs of Scotland, therefore relied on his Comyn
family was evident throughout his reign – and has subsequently led to many historians
believing that he was a Comyn-puppet.
-However, he did manage to establish royal authority and dealt with a backlog of judicial
complaints which had been too substantial for the guardians to resolve pre-1292.
-He held 7 Parliments under 4 years which was impressive.
-He also attempted to clearly expand royal authority, especially in the west, through his use of
existing sheriffdoms and created three more positions.
The Debate
