Further usurpation and civil war notes #2
Motives for revolt
-it could be suggested that Bruce stood his family’s royal claim
-especially after his father died in 1304
-Alan Young also stresses Bruce’s disappointment in his treatment by king Edward after 1304
The bid for the throne
-there is plenty of evidence that suggest it was planned;
-The bond Bruce had with Lamberton of mutual assistance strengthened his relations to climb
to the throne
-Chronicles describe strained relations with King Edward I, a clause in Edwards ordinance
calls on Bruce to account for holding Kildummry Castle – as such, perhaps this would be the
best time to stand up for himself and his claim.
-Barrow suggests that Bruce met with Lamberton and Wishart at Melrose in November 1305,
this suggests prior knowledge due to the support he attracted during his climb to the throne.
Support for Bruce
From the names of forfeited by king Edward in 1306 for their part in the rebellion, over 100
nobles had been drawn from all over Scotland, including notably;
-James the Steward, Earls of Lennox, Atholl and Mentieth. Strathearn also joined, but later
was claimed of coercion.
-John De Soules expressed support in exile in France
-The bishops Lamberton, Wishart, Murray and probably Bishop Dunkeld.
-Barrow links this to the English chroniclers talk of “false preachers”
-Many were dissatisfied with the settlement of 1305, for example the young James Douglas
ho claimed lands granted to Sir Robert Clifford.
-Bruce also found support in the isles, especially within the discontented MacDonalds.
-Brown sees most support among those disappointments st missing out on positions offered
by Edward, and sees the return from exile of Bishop Wishart in 1305 as especially significant.
The opposition
-earls were hostile to Bruce such as Sutherland, Buchan, Angus, Dunbar and Ross.
-Young suggests most of those cooperating with Edwards ordinance opposed Bruce
-Only 3 of the 17 sherries were for Bruce.
Coronation Scone 1306
The Guisborough chronicle suggests 4 bishops and 5 earls attended Bruce’s coronation at
Scone in March 1306.
-This coronation was the first without the Stone of Destiny and the royal regalia as they had
been removed by Edward
-But Bishop Wishart provided robes and the Countess of Buchan , sister of the Earl of Fife,
stood in for her brother and placed the crown on Bruce’s head.
-There was a clear effort to run a traditional ceremony.
Defeat 1306 and Recovery 1307
1
, -Bruce had clear success in West and Galloway
-Wishart managed to seize Cupar castle
-However, Edward appointed Aymer de Valence as lieutenant to suppress the revolt.
-Bruce suffered two major defeats that forced him to flee Scotland
-Bruce was cornered again as Valence routed him at Metheven in1306 by pursuing his army
into a woods, consequently his retreating forces were also defeated at Dalry by John
Macdougall of Lorne
-He was last reported at Dunaverty castle before disappearing into the islands, possibly with
the help of the McDonald’s.
Edwards revenge
-Edward striked back with punishments, and as such historians such as Powicke and
Prestwich are taken back by what he exerted;
-the bishop Lamberton and Wishart were imprisoned
-Edward decreed hanging or decapacitation for those taken in arms, and imprisonment for
those who surrendered.
-The Earl of Atholl, Simon Fraser, Bruce’s brother Nigel and Seton his brother in law were
executed in 1306
-His sister and the Countess of Buchan were imprisoned in open cages
-His daughter and wife were kept I’m confinement
Bruce revival
-Bruce spent the winter of 1306-7 in hiding
-Barron suggests Orkney as a possible location as he was never too far from his Carrick
hometown where rents for Martinmas 1306 were collected from him.
-His return to the mainland in 1307 with Irish troops and support from the islands
(MacDonalds) suggests he has been raising support there.
-He later defeated an English force there at Glentrool and then routed Valence at Loudon Hill
in Ayrshire
-within months Bruce gained control of the south-west against English forces led by Valence,
Percy, Clifford and Botetourt and the Earl of Gloucester.
-As well as Scot’s led by Mentieth, Umphraville and Macdougall of Lorne.
Guerrilla War
-Barrow is convinced that Bruce was prepared for guerrilla warfare;
-He continued to recruit and raided the enemy from hilly regions and safe retreats
-Barrow argues this was a ‘revolutionary’ decision for a knight who was trained in traditional
methods and “proof of his genius and imagination.”
-However, he also concedes that Bruce had no other choice.
Victory in the north
-The death of Edward I in 1307, and the replacement of Valence by the less effective John of
Brittany allowed Bruce the opportunity to leave Douglas campaigning in the south-west and
challenge his Comyn enemies in the north.
-He hit at the major castles held by Comyns of Badenoch and Buchan
2
Motives for revolt
-it could be suggested that Bruce stood his family’s royal claim
-especially after his father died in 1304
-Alan Young also stresses Bruce’s disappointment in his treatment by king Edward after 1304
The bid for the throne
-there is plenty of evidence that suggest it was planned;
-The bond Bruce had with Lamberton of mutual assistance strengthened his relations to climb
to the throne
-Chronicles describe strained relations with King Edward I, a clause in Edwards ordinance
calls on Bruce to account for holding Kildummry Castle – as such, perhaps this would be the
best time to stand up for himself and his claim.
-Barrow suggests that Bruce met with Lamberton and Wishart at Melrose in November 1305,
this suggests prior knowledge due to the support he attracted during his climb to the throne.
Support for Bruce
From the names of forfeited by king Edward in 1306 for their part in the rebellion, over 100
nobles had been drawn from all over Scotland, including notably;
-James the Steward, Earls of Lennox, Atholl and Mentieth. Strathearn also joined, but later
was claimed of coercion.
-John De Soules expressed support in exile in France
-The bishops Lamberton, Wishart, Murray and probably Bishop Dunkeld.
-Barrow links this to the English chroniclers talk of “false preachers”
-Many were dissatisfied with the settlement of 1305, for example the young James Douglas
ho claimed lands granted to Sir Robert Clifford.
-Bruce also found support in the isles, especially within the discontented MacDonalds.
-Brown sees most support among those disappointments st missing out on positions offered
by Edward, and sees the return from exile of Bishop Wishart in 1305 as especially significant.
The opposition
-earls were hostile to Bruce such as Sutherland, Buchan, Angus, Dunbar and Ross.
-Young suggests most of those cooperating with Edwards ordinance opposed Bruce
-Only 3 of the 17 sherries were for Bruce.
Coronation Scone 1306
The Guisborough chronicle suggests 4 bishops and 5 earls attended Bruce’s coronation at
Scone in March 1306.
-This coronation was the first without the Stone of Destiny and the royal regalia as they had
been removed by Edward
-But Bishop Wishart provided robes and the Countess of Buchan , sister of the Earl of Fife,
stood in for her brother and placed the crown on Bruce’s head.
-There was a clear effort to run a traditional ceremony.
Defeat 1306 and Recovery 1307
1
, -Bruce had clear success in West and Galloway
-Wishart managed to seize Cupar castle
-However, Edward appointed Aymer de Valence as lieutenant to suppress the revolt.
-Bruce suffered two major defeats that forced him to flee Scotland
-Bruce was cornered again as Valence routed him at Metheven in1306 by pursuing his army
into a woods, consequently his retreating forces were also defeated at Dalry by John
Macdougall of Lorne
-He was last reported at Dunaverty castle before disappearing into the islands, possibly with
the help of the McDonald’s.
Edwards revenge
-Edward striked back with punishments, and as such historians such as Powicke and
Prestwich are taken back by what he exerted;
-the bishop Lamberton and Wishart were imprisoned
-Edward decreed hanging or decapacitation for those taken in arms, and imprisonment for
those who surrendered.
-The Earl of Atholl, Simon Fraser, Bruce’s brother Nigel and Seton his brother in law were
executed in 1306
-His sister and the Countess of Buchan were imprisoned in open cages
-His daughter and wife were kept I’m confinement
Bruce revival
-Bruce spent the winter of 1306-7 in hiding
-Barron suggests Orkney as a possible location as he was never too far from his Carrick
hometown where rents for Martinmas 1306 were collected from him.
-His return to the mainland in 1307 with Irish troops and support from the islands
(MacDonalds) suggests he has been raising support there.
-He later defeated an English force there at Glentrool and then routed Valence at Loudon Hill
in Ayrshire
-within months Bruce gained control of the south-west against English forces led by Valence,
Percy, Clifford and Botetourt and the Earl of Gloucester.
-As well as Scot’s led by Mentieth, Umphraville and Macdougall of Lorne.
Guerrilla War
-Barrow is convinced that Bruce was prepared for guerrilla warfare;
-He continued to recruit and raided the enemy from hilly regions and safe retreats
-Barrow argues this was a ‘revolutionary’ decision for a knight who was trained in traditional
methods and “proof of his genius and imagination.”
-However, he also concedes that Bruce had no other choice.
Victory in the north
-The death of Edward I in 1307, and the replacement of Valence by the less effective John of
Brittany allowed Bruce the opportunity to leave Douglas campaigning in the south-west and
challenge his Comyn enemies in the north.
-He hit at the major castles held by Comyns of Badenoch and Buchan
2
