General Notes

REFN: 1731AN
REFN: P1731
John Balliol, the uncle of John ' the Red ' Comyn, was technically king
of Scotland from 1292-1296, but had surrendered Scotland to Edward I in
1292, and with the royal arms stripped from his coat, he became known as
' Toom Tabard' or 'Empty Coat'. He went into exile, and it was also this
man wh o William Wallace was attempting to restore as King of Scotland. So
Robert th e Bruce, after the death of his father in 1304, found himself in
competition for the Scottish throne with the Comyn/Balliol family.
John became one of the regents of Scotland during the minority of
Alexander III. In 1244, when ways and means were required to discharge
the debt incurred by the war in Gascony, John De Baliol was one of the
committee of 12 chosen to report to Parliament on the subject. The next
year, Baliol is reported as having paid £30 for thi rty knights' fees
which he held towards the levy in aid for marrying the king 's daughter.
Afterwards he served as sheriff of Cumberland and governor of Ca rlisle
Castle for six years. Subsequently he had a military summons to attend
the king at Chester to oppose the Welsh. He was also sheriff of
Nottingham and Derby Counties for three years.
During the time that John Baliol was head of the family relations with
the bishops of Durham continued to worsen. This may have reflected the
rift between the English bishops and the Crown. Aroun d 1255, the Bishop
of Durham excommunicated and, in due course, imprisoned so me of Baliol's
men. In retaliation, Eustace (John's uncle?) and Jocelyn Balio l waylaid
the bishop and threw 4 of his servants into the dungeon. Henry III
intervened and brought about an exchange of prisoners.
In the baronial revol t against the king led by Simon De Montfort, Baliol
remained loyal to the thr one. Along with the king he fell into the hands
of the Earl of Leicester at t he battle of Lewes in 1264. However, he
appears to have effected his escape a nd to have joined the other loyal
barons in raising fresh troops to rescue th e monarch.
John Baliol, married Devorguilla, the younger daughter of Alan, Lor d of
Galloway, a great baron of Scotland. Galloway's wife, Margaret, was
si ster of John le Scot and one of the heirs of King David. It was from
this all iance that the Baliol claim to the throne of Scotland arose.
Also, through th e marriage to Devorguilla, Baliol acquired the Scottish
barony of Galloway. D evorguilla, came to the union with Baliol an equal
partner, and her family ar ms were joined with his.
About 1260, with guidance from the Bishop of Durham, John decided to
carry out a substantial act of charity. He did it by renting a house in
the suburbs of Oxford, and maintaining in it some poor studnets. T he
foundation date of the College which grew from this is traditionally
rec koned as 1263. At the very least, the little society which John Baliol
founDe d was in existence by June 1266, when its dependence on him is
mentioned in a royal writ. After his death in 1268/69, his widow,
Devorguilla, put his arra ngements on a permanent basis, and she is
honored as co-founder with him. She provided a capital endowment,
formulated Statutes (1282), and gave the Colle ge its first seal, which it
still has. Devorguilla and John's union is commem orated in the arms of
Baliol College, Oxford.
Their's must have been a true love; when John Baliol died, Devorguilla
had his embalmed heart placed in an ivory shrine. This shrine was placed
before her at meals, and she would give it's share of every dish to the
poor. Later she founded "Sweetheart" Abbey (a long with the college). She
died in Buittle Castle on 28 January, 1289/90, bu t was buried in the
Abbey with the casket containing John's heart in her arms .
John had three sons, and in 1268 his property came to his eldest son,
Hugh Baliol. Hugh died without issue in 1271 and was succeeded by his
brother, Al exander. Alexander married Eleanor De Genoure and