The Bruce Story

Introduction
Whilst the Hamilton & Montgomery story was quite rightly described as “The Dawn of the Ulster-Scots” because it was the first permanent Scottish settlement in Ulster, connections across the North Channel have been going on for thousands of years. One of the most famous of these is exactly 700 years old this year. The story of an Ulster island, a King in exile, a determined spider... and the greatest military triumph in Scotland’s history

PART ONE: The Battle of Bannockburn - it was the moment when Scotland won her independence, led by King Robert the Bruce. Exactly 700 years ago this year, Bruce was in hiding on Rathlin Island before returning to Scotland to do battle with the forces of King Edward “Longshanks” of England. So what is the story of Scotland’s most famous king, and what were his Ulster connections? We’ll be looking at the “Bruce 700” story in this and the next few editions of The Ulster-Scot.

Birth and Background
Robert the Bruce was born on 11th July 1274 at Turnberry Castle in Ayrshire, overlooking the famous Ailsa Craig rock. Turnberry Castle is now the site of a lighthouse (above), just between Girvan and Ayr, and is today better known as the location of one of the world’s finest golf courses.

The Norman Conquest (led by William the Conqueror and his famous victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066) saw the arrival of many Norman families who would have a great impact on Scottish and Ulster history - the de Clares, the de Lacys, the de Burghs, the de Hamiltons and the de Montgomeries.

The Bruces - or de Brus - came to Britain from a small town near Cherbourg. The first of their line arrived in Scotland with King David I in 1124 and was given the lands of Annandale in Dumfries and Galloway. Here is a timetable of key dates and events:

1172: The Normans arrive in Ireland and Ulster
Lord Richard “Strongbow” de Clare arrived near Dublin in 1172 with an army of Welsh and Norman soldiers. He was soon followed by King Henry II of England, who declared himself Lord of Ireland. John de Courcy stormed Ulster in 1177, and built Carrickfergus Castle as his fortress. Then in 1205, Hugh de Lacy founded the Earldom of Ulster (essentially Antrim and Down, with part of Co Louth around Carlingford Lough and east of Co Londonderry).

1263: The Vikings are defeated in Scotland
The Mull of Kintyre and the surrounding islands had been under Norwegian control since the 1100s. King Haakon IV of Norway refused King Alexander III of Scotland’s (also of Norman descent) attempts to buy the territory. A Scottish army invaded the Isle of Skye, and the Norwegians responded by sending 20 ships and 20,000 men.

An army of Scottish knights defeated the Vikings at Largs on the Ayrshire coast. The Treaty of Perth in 1266 returned all of the territories back to Scotland, except the Orkneys. You can find out more about this historic victory at the “Vikingar” family visitor centre in Largs.

1264: Walter de Burgh, the first Earl of Ulster
Walter de Burgh succeeded Hugh de Lacy to become the first Earl of Ulster in 1264. Walter was in turn succeeded by his son Richard de Burgh, known as “The Red Earl” in 1271, only 12 years old. Richard de Burgh later built the spectacular Dunluce Castle near Portrush in Co. Antrim.

1272: Edward I becomes King of England
Edward I, also known as “Longshanks” and “Hammer of the Scots” became King of England, aged 35. His wife and Richard de Burgh’s wife were cousins! This connection would complicate Bruce’s plans in later life.

1274: Robert the Bruce is born
On the 11th July, Robert the Bruce was born at Turnberry Castle on the Ayrshire coast.

1286: Scottish Throne becomes Vacant; the “Maid of Norway” dies.
King Alexander III of Scotland died aged 44, and only 23 years after his mighty victory against the Vikings at Largs - but all of his children were already dead. He had one surviving grandchild, Margaret, the daughter and namesake of his own daughter Margaret. The daughter of King Alexander III had married the grandson of his arch-enemy King Haakon IV to become Queen of Norway, but she died in childbirth.

King Alexander III summoned the nobles of Scotland to a meeting in Scone where they agreed to recognise the 8 year old Margaret - “The Maid of Norway” - as Alexander’s successor. However, when Alexander died, Margaret died en route to Scotland. She had neither been inaugurated or crowned and had never set foot in Scotland. Scotland was a nation without a monarch, and a nation in crisis.

1289: Elizabeth de Burgh is born
Elizabeth de Burgh, daugher of Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, was born in Dunfermline.

Two Claims to the Scottish Crown
The throne of Scotland was available, and two prime claimants emerged - John Balliol and Robert the Bruce, 5th Lord Annandale (King Robert the Bruce’s grandfather, also known as “The Competitor) - both claiming to be descendants of King David I (1124 - 1153) the first Anglo-Norman King of Scotland.

“Longshanks” was invited by some Scottish magnates to be an independent arbiter in the dispute (he had been close to King Alexander III). Edward arbitrated among as many as 13 claimants or “competitors” for the throne; he held a great Court at Berwick-upon-Tweed where he demanded the loyalty of the Scottish Lords (including Bruce), and then declared his support for John Balliol.

Balliol was the last King of Scotland to be crowned upon the infamous Stone of Destiny (also know as the Stone of Scone, the Coronation Stone or Jacob’s Pillow) in 1292.

However Balliol rebelled against Edward in March 1296 and revoked his pledge of loyalty. Edward retaliated by sacking the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed and then advanced to Dunbar in April where he defeated the Scots. Balliol was forced to abdicate in July.

Edward then seized the coveted Stone of Destiny from Scone Palace and had it taken to Westminster Abbey in London.

1297: The Rise of William Wallace
Bruce now began to play a clever political game, “riding two horses” - patriotism and personal ambition. However it’s important to point out that at this stage in history, loyalty was to the family, not the country, and our modern notions of “nationhood” either did not exist or were only beginning to develop.

Bruce would have been obliged to follow his father’s instructions, who as 6th Lord Annandale (and by marriage also Earl of Carrick in Ayrshire) was the head of the family, and he sided with Longshanks. Bruce swore allegiance to Longshanks at Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1296, but joined the Scottish revolt in Ayrshire in 1297. In the summer of 1297 he once again swore allegiance to Longshanks, this time at Irvine. After William Wallace (of Braveheart fame) won a spectacular victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge on September 11th 1297, Wallace was knighted, possibly by Robert the Bruce, and was named “Guardian of Scotland”.

Yet the following year, Wallace was defeated by Longshanks at the Battle of Falkirk on 22 July 1298, he resigned as Guardian, and was replaced by Robert the Bruce and Bruce’s cousin Sir John Comyn “the Red Comyn”, who was also the nephew of the abdicated Balliol. Wallace left Scotland to visit King Philip IV of France, to appeal to him to support Scotland’s quest for independence.

Bruce and Comyn, the new Guardians of Scotland
However, Robert the Bruce and John Comyn were long-standing enemies. Some years earlier at a parliament in Peebles Comyn had to be dragged away from Bruce after seizing him by the throat in an argument over Sir William Wallace’s lands. Their personal differences were too great to overcome, and Bruce resigned.

The English attacks continued, but in January 1302 a nine month truce was agreed between England and Scotland, amid rumours that Balliol was to be restored as King of Scotland.

1302: Bruce marries Elizabeth de Burgh, daughter of the Earl of Ulster
Late in 1302, the Ulster-Scots connection was strengthened when Robert the Bruce married Elizabeth de Burgh at Writtle near Chelmsford in Essex. Through his marriage, Bruce may have been able to claim the title “Earl of Ulster” (as his father had done when he married the daughter of the Earl of Carrick), but there is no evidence that he ever did so.

Scotland in Turmoil
King Edward I of England invaded Scotland again and again, and set about absorbing Scotland into England by setting up a puppet parliament. Sir William Wallace was finally captured in 1305 and was executed on August 23rd at Westminster. The following year, 1306, brought events that would shake Scotland and would change the country’s history for ever.

What is The Stone of Destiny?
The Stone of Destiny is also known as the Coronation Stone or Jacob’s Pillow. Its origins are uncertain and are surrounded in much myth and legend. Some ancient accounts claim that it was the stone which Jacob used as his pillow in the Old Testament. Another account claims that it later became the travelling altar of St Columba during his missionary work in Scotland.

It is said to have been kept at the ancient seat of the Kings of Ireland, the Hill of Tara, for around 300 years. It was taken from Ireland to Scotland about 847 AD and was described in Andrew of Wynton’s Chronykil of Scotland as “...a gret stane... broucht thie stane wyhtt-in Scotland...”. From then it was used to crown the Kings of Scotland from Fergus I to John Balliol in 1292.

When King Edward I of England siezed it in 1296, it was taken to Westminster Abbey and was placed below St Edward’s Chair, where English monarchs were crowned. It was stolen by four Scottish students in 1950, but it was returned in 1951. When the UK Government arranged for the Stone to be returned to Scotland (to Edinburgh Castle) on St Andrew’s Day in 1996, tens of thousands of people lined the route. It is now on public display in the Castle. A replica of the stone can be seen at Scone Palace, and a commemorative stone is at the site of the Hill of Tara. At any future Coronation, the Stone will be brought to Westminster Abbey for the ceremony.