General Notes

Name Suffix:<NSFX> II of Scotland
Name Prefix:<NPFX> King
Ancestral File Number:<AFN> 9FJ7-ZS
King II of Scotland
Was in command of the second division of the Scots Army atHilidon Hill
and was one of the few who escaped the carnage.  Had 8 other illegitimate
children.
The International Encylopaedia, 1912, NY, Vol XVII, pg.184
Data of Miriam Bertelson, Fremont, CA
He became King of Scotland upon the death of his Uncle, David II.  He was
one of the most prominent of the patriotic nobles of Scotland who
supported his uncle David II.
As the 7th High Steward of England he inaugurated The Stewart ( Steward)
Dynasty. This by lawof succession adopted by The Council of Estates in
1318.
His 1st son's givenname was John, but John changed it to Robert upon
becoming king.  in 1389 his eldest son was made guardian of his estates,
and he was in practicality, deposed.
Scots Peerage, 1904, by J.B. Paul, Pgs. 448
Edited and Compiled by John and Verna Saint Hollowell, Fort Benton, MT.
OCCUPATION: King of Scots 1371-1390; succeeded his uncle, King David II,
22 Feb 1370/1.
MISC: Robert was theson of Robert I's daughter Marjorie and her husband
Walter the Steward. He took Stewart as his surname, and so became the
first monarch of the Royal House of Stewart. When he was in his 20s he
ruled Scotland as Regent for his muchyounger uncle, David II, during
David's minority and again after the king'scapture at the Battle of
Neville's Cross, west of Durham. When he finally succeeded his nephew in
1371, at the age of 54, he was an old man by medieval standards and had
difficulty controlling his nobles, who were eager to renew the war with
England. At 70, he was described as having 'eyes the colour of
sandalwood, which clearly showed he was no valiant man but one who would
rather remain at home than march the field'. Robert married twice and
produced 21children (eight were illegitimate), and the fact that his
first wife's children were born outside the marriage created
long-standing bitterness as RobertIII's reign was to show. During Robert
II's final years, his two eldest sonsacted as his lieutenants. He died
in 1390.
Young Robert was well thought ofwith one chronicler describing him to be
'for the innate sweetness of his disposition generally beloved by
true-hearted Scotsmen'. Although he was a powerful figure in Scotland
Robert did not attain the throne until he was 54 yearsold but he was the
first of the Stewart dynasty which has fascinated every generation down
to the present day. The Stewarts were just one of many strongbaronial
families and had originally come from a Breton family called Flaald
before finding favour in early medieval England. They then moved to
Scotland to become hereditary Royal Stewards. Robert's father, Walter
FitzAlan, wasthe sixth Steward, and it is from this title that the
family took their name.
He was in command of the second division of the Scotch Army at Halidon
Hill, and was one of the few who escaped the carnage of that disastrous
day in 1333. (Europisch Stammtafeln Bund II tafel 69). He shared the
regency from 1338to 1341 until David II returned from France. It has
been suggested that at the Battle of Neville's Cross Robert could have
done more to try to save Davidfrom capture. Following the capture of the
king Robert became Guardian of the kingdom until 1357 when David was
released. He was probably resentful at having to return power to David
and he was involved in an unsuccessful rebellion with the Earls of
Douglas and March. Robert eventually succeeded to the throne on 22nd
February 1371 on David's death. He was already old when he came to power
and in the following nineteen years he suffered increasing health
problems. It seems that the machinery of government was allowed to
stagnate with Robert using honours as a way of controlling the more
powerful barons. Therule of law was also weakened and crimes went
unpunished. Direct taxation lapsed and barons an