Issue 9 King Robert & the Governance of Scotland 1309-1320
Key words
Declarations of the Clergy - In February 1310, a general council of the Scottish church
declared their support for the king and his claim to the throne while praising his military
skills in defending the kingdom.
Declaration of Abroath -The Declaration is a letter written in 1320 by the barons and whole
community of the kingdom of Scotland to the pope, asking him to recognise Scotland's
independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country's lawful king.
Feu ferme - a perpetual property granted by a feudal superior to a vassal, on his continuing
to pay a certain stipulated sum annually, in name of feu duty.
Notable people
Abbot Bernard – Bruce’s Chancellor
FACTORS
-Restoration of royal authority
-Statue of disinheritence, Cambuskenneth,1314
-Justification of Bruce’s kingship; Declaratioms of 1309 amd 1320
-Securing the dynasty; the Talizies of 1315 and 1318
-Soules Conspiracy, 1320
Key themes;
1. Restoring/imposing royal authority
2. Justifying his kingship
3. Securing the dynasty
‘Idea of control’ & ‘government’ because securing authority and using ‘that to justify
his kingship and establish a Bruce dynasty was central to how Bruce approached the
governe of the kingdom.
, Possible essay questions;
‘To what extent was King Robert’s governance of Scotland driven by a determination to
justify his kingship and establish his dynasty.’
Background/context
-Bruce made Bernard Abbot of Arbroath
-After Bannockburn, Bernard and his staff stayed in Abroath rather than travelling with the
King, so the Great Seal stayed there, while the privy seal went with the king
-With the return of stability orderly keeping of records: rolls, land grants, charters …
-His council was made up of Randolph, Robert Kieth, Boyd, Mentieth, Seton, LaUder, James
Douglas and Sir William Hay.
-They were men he could trust as military leaders and go control vast regions of his kingdom
Michael Brown suggests that Bruce was virtually creating new nobility, loyal to himself.
“By giving magnate status to bus lieutenants, Douglas and Randolph, and to his
bastardised so , the king was creating a Bruce circle at the head of the nobility.”
Parliament
-at least 19 meetings of parliament were recorded, possibly more
-the issues they decided in were about royal rights, treaty ratifications, talizies and taxation.
-Involvement of burghs were not new , with the 6 seals of Scottish burghs attached to the
ratification of the French treaty 1296
-Burgesses themselves attended the 1326 parliament
-apparently these had actual representation in 1328
-Bishops, abbots, earls, barons, freeholders, and six sufficient persons of the various burgh
communities specifically empowered for the purpose.”
Nature of legislation
-The 1318 Scone parliament set the principles of which Robert’s government was to be based
-‘Freedoms of haly Kirk,’
-Equal justice for rich and poor
Key words
Declarations of the Clergy - In February 1310, a general council of the Scottish church
declared their support for the king and his claim to the throne while praising his military
skills in defending the kingdom.
Declaration of Abroath -The Declaration is a letter written in 1320 by the barons and whole
community of the kingdom of Scotland to the pope, asking him to recognise Scotland's
independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country's lawful king.
Feu ferme - a perpetual property granted by a feudal superior to a vassal, on his continuing
to pay a certain stipulated sum annually, in name of feu duty.
Notable people
Abbot Bernard – Bruce’s Chancellor
FACTORS
-Restoration of royal authority
-Statue of disinheritence, Cambuskenneth,1314
-Justification of Bruce’s kingship; Declaratioms of 1309 amd 1320
-Securing the dynasty; the Talizies of 1315 and 1318
-Soules Conspiracy, 1320
Key themes;
1. Restoring/imposing royal authority
2. Justifying his kingship
3. Securing the dynasty
‘Idea of control’ & ‘government’ because securing authority and using ‘that to justify
his kingship and establish a Bruce dynasty was central to how Bruce approached the
governe of the kingdom.
, Possible essay questions;
‘To what extent was King Robert’s governance of Scotland driven by a determination to
justify his kingship and establish his dynasty.’
Background/context
-Bruce made Bernard Abbot of Arbroath
-After Bannockburn, Bernard and his staff stayed in Abroath rather than travelling with the
King, so the Great Seal stayed there, while the privy seal went with the king
-With the return of stability orderly keeping of records: rolls, land grants, charters …
-His council was made up of Randolph, Robert Kieth, Boyd, Mentieth, Seton, LaUder, James
Douglas and Sir William Hay.
-They were men he could trust as military leaders and go control vast regions of his kingdom
Michael Brown suggests that Bruce was virtually creating new nobility, loyal to himself.
“By giving magnate status to bus lieutenants, Douglas and Randolph, and to his
bastardised so , the king was creating a Bruce circle at the head of the nobility.”
Parliament
-at least 19 meetings of parliament were recorded, possibly more
-the issues they decided in were about royal rights, treaty ratifications, talizies and taxation.
-Involvement of burghs were not new , with the 6 seals of Scottish burghs attached to the
ratification of the French treaty 1296
-Burgesses themselves attended the 1326 parliament
-apparently these had actual representation in 1328
-Bishops, abbots, earls, barons, freeholders, and six sufficient persons of the various burgh
communities specifically empowered for the purpose.”
Nature of legislation
-The 1318 Scone parliament set the principles of which Robert’s government was to be based
-‘Freedoms of haly Kirk,’
-Equal justice for rich and poor
