General Notes

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 Engliish 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.