otes on Robert the Bruce, King
of Scotland: His place of birth uncertain; it is also reportedly Turnberry, Ayshire or in Essex. In 1296, as Earl of Carrick, he swore fealty to Edward I at Berwick. In 1297 he renewed that oath at Carlisle. Shortly afterwards, with his Carrick vassals he joined the Scottish independence fighters under Sir William Wallace. In 1298, after Wallace’s defeat at Falkirk his lands were wasted by the English. One of the four Regents of Scotland in 1299; he rejoined the battle against Edward in 1306. Originally supported by John Comyn, the nephew of John Baliol, they eventually quarrelled and Comyn was killed during the final rising of 1306 by Kirkpatrick. Bruce assembled his forces and two months later was crowned at Scone, but was forced to retreat to Ireland. In 1307, the Bruce landed a force at Turnberry and defeated the English under the Earl of Pembroke at Loudon Hill. After the death of Edward I in 1307, the English were cleared out of Scotland and all of the great castles recovered except Stirling, which the Governor promised to surrender if not relieved before 24 June. This led to the battle of Bannockburn when the English armies of some 100,000 men under King Edward II were totally routed by Robert the Bruce with 30,000. In 1317, Bruce passed over to Ireland to help his brother Edward and defeated the Anglo-Irish at the battle of Slane. Hostilities continued until a truce in 1323 and then resumed in 1327 with a great Scottish inroad into the northern counties. The war at last closed with the Treaty of Northampton (1328) which recognised the independence of Scotland and Bruce’s right to the throne. Bruce died of leprosy at Cardross Castle. His heart was to be carried to Palestine [this was the period of the Crusades] but Douglas who was carrying it was killed fighting the Moors in Spain. Bruce’s heart was returned to Scotland and buried at Melrose Abbey. {Burke’s Peerage and Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary} [GADD.GED]
