Neighbours In Conflict
The year 1286 was a fateful one for the Scots when their King,
Alexander III, a descendent of William the Lion, unexpectedly
died. On a stormy night when riding to his new bride Joleta, he
became separated from his companions and plunged over the cliffs
of Pettycur near Kinghorn. The children of his previous marriage
to Margaret of England having predeceased him, he had two years
earlier named his granddaughter Margaret - the 'Maid of Norway' -
who lived in Norway with her father King Erik, to be his
successor.
Under Alexander's rule the Scots had enjoyed 20 years of peace at
home and abroad with a buoyant export trade. That peace was soon
to be rudely broken. Six Guardians were appointed as regents to
govern Scotland, none of them judged to be serious contenders for
the throne. However, the status quo was held by a treaty between
the magnates of Scotland and King Edward I of England to marry
Edward's 5 year old son, Lord Edward, so that the two dynasties
would be joined, but with a binding understanding that Scotland
would remain an independant state. Thus would peace and
prosperity be maintained and Edward's amitions to unite the two
countries be satisfied.
It was not to be. The child queen was taken ill on the voyage
from Norway and died in Orkney, a sad event which was to bring
Scotland generations of misery, bloodshed and poverty. A fierce
controversy insued about who should succeed to the throne. The
line of William the Lion became extinct with the death of
Margaret, so the descendants of his brother David, who had died
in 1219, were the nearest heirs, giving John Balliol and Robert
Bruce (grandfather of the future King) the strongest claims among
no less than 14 contestors. Within months Bruce had seized the
royal castles of Dumfries and Wigton as well as Balliol's castle
at Buittle. It was a dangerous situation which threatened civil
war.
In the hope that he would act as a fair mediator, the Scottish
nobles invited Edward to adjudicate. He immediately accepted and
called the barrons of the north of England and of Scotland to a
meeting in Berwick in May 1291. There they were peremptorily
informed that before any discussion began he must be recognised
as Lord Paramount of Scotland and fealty be sworn to him by all
under pain of eviction. At the same time he ordered the sheriffs
of York, Northumberland, Lancaster, Cumberland and Westmorland to
send their forces to Berwick.
To their eternal shame the Scottish chiefs caved in, led by
Robert Bruce and John Balliol. There was little oppostion, and
the independence of Scotland was surrendered for the selfish
interests of its nobles, who were afraid of losing not only their
Scottish estates, but also their Engliish estates for which they
owed allegiance to Edward. Having bent the great magnates to his
will, Edward ordered the surrender of all Scottish castles into
his hands to be held until after the succession, which was to be
delayed by many months while Scotland suffered the indignaty of
occupation by the English.
This page created on 17th April, 2000