General Notes

REFN: 2702AN
Alias:<ALIA> Robert I "The /Bruce"/
REFN: P2703
Robert the Bruce, 2nd Earl of Carrick and grandson of the old Competitor
had supported Edward I against Ba lliol but, when Wallace renounced the
guardianship of Scotland Bruce and Ball iol's nephew, John "Red" Comyn
replaced him as joint guardians. After a quarr el with Comyn he returned
to Edward's camp and obtained a pardon. Bruce, seek ing a reconciliation
with Comyn, impulsively stabbed him at Dumfries in a chu rch. He was again
outlawed by Edward and excommunicated. Bruce claimed the Sc ottish throne
as great-great-grandson of David I and was crowned at Scone in 1306. He
went into hiding in a cave on an island off Ireland after he killed Red
Comyn. This is where we get the legend of Bruce and the spider. We do not
know if this is a true story but it makes a good legend. He watched the
sp ider spinning its web and attempting to fix the web to the ceiling. At
last t he spider succeeded. According to the legend, this inspired Bruce
to overcome his many hardships and persevere until he had won back
Scotland. He made pla ns to take back his original home, Turnberry Castle.
As they made their way t o the castle, the plan was that if all was well,
a light would be showing at the castle wall. They did see the light but
upon nearing the castle, discover ed that it was an enemy fire.
Nonetheless, Bruce attacked and by this surpris e attack gained food,
armour and horses.  He learned that three of his brothe rs and his wife,
daughter and two sisters had been imprisoned by the English. Although he
was now King, he was not well supported by the nobles and so Sco ttish
lands and castles remained in the hands of the English. He knew that he
would have to fight castle by castle in order to regain Scotland and
drive the English out.  Through his perseverance, by 1324 all castles in
Scotland except Stirling were in Scottish hands.  By this time Edward II
was on the th rone of England and was much more ineffectual than his
father.
Bruce's much smaller force spectacularly defeated Edward II's 20,000
strong army at Bannoc kburn.
The Declaration of Arbroath, an affirmation of Scottish independence, w as
sent to the Pope but the Pope did not recognize Bruce for four years as
the rightful king of Scotland. After Edward III ascended to the throne,
Bruce 's army harassed the English so much that Edward III was forced to
acknowledg e his sovereignty and Scotland's freedom.
Not long after the peace Bruce died. He was buried in Dunfermline Abbey.
He had always wanted to go on a crusade. When he died his heart was
placed in a silver casket and kept by Sir James D ouglas who planned to
take it on a crusaDe to the Holy Lands.  Douglas joined the army of the
King of Spain and while fighting a battle was killed. But be fore he died,
he threw the casket in the midst of the battle crying, "Now go before,
brave heart, as you always did, and I shall follow you or die." The
casket was recovered
and returned to Scotland.
At the end of Bruce's life, h e had achieved what he had fought for years
to accomplish. Scotland was once again an independent kingdom. Scotland
remembers him as "Good King Robert" an d his triumph at Bannockburn is a
rallying cry to Scots everywhere. Scotland would never again be
conquered. Bruce's final legacy was to confirm "Scotland as separate and
distinct, not just as a kingdom but as a community, a people and
ultimately a nation."
ROBERT THE BRUCE - THE PATRIOT KING
The turn of the 14th century was a time of change and turmoil in
Scotland. The English ki ng Edward I, the "Hammer of the Scots", had
reduced Scotland to a vassal stat e. In 1297 William Wallace had defeated
the English army at the battle of Sti rling Bridge, and became Guardian of
Scotland, but not for long. The Battle o f Falkirk on 22nd July saw
Wallace defeated by Edwards army, and he fled unDe rground, after
resigning the position of Guardi