The Scottish Wars of Independence, Part 1

After Alexander III’s death a Council of Earls, Barons and Bishops appointed six Guardians to rule Scotland until the Maid of Norway came of age.

In early August 1290 three envoys were sent by the Guardians to King Edward I of England to seek his advice and assistance. They returned before the end of the year with the news that King Edward would only assist if he were recognised as Overlord of Scotland.

Meanwhile in Galloway the Lord of Annandale raised and army to press his own claim to the throne. The trouble was settled without violence yet the family in Annandale served notice of its interest in the Scottish Crown. The Lords of Annandale, or the Bruces as they are better known, were Norman knights with lands in England also who had been brought to Scotland by David I. 

In the summer of 1290 King Edward confirmed plans for the marriage of his son and heir, Prince Edward of Caernarvon to Margaret of Scotland, the Maid of Norway. According to the marriage treaty, as well as renewing his claim to be Overlord of Scotland, King Edward took control of the Isle of Man, at the time ruled by the Scots. However the union in marriage of the two heirs would surely mean a return to peace for Scotland and England.

In October 1290 the Maid left her father in Norway to come home to Scotland to take her place as Queen.  Tragically, the tiny child took ill while at sea and was found to have died as her ship reached the shores of the Orkney Islands.  Now Scotland had no obvious successor and a bitter succession looked likely.

Edward I of England was called upon by the Council to choose the next King of Scotland. When he came to Berwick Castle on the 2^nd of August 1291 he again repeated his claim to be overlord of Scotland and began the process of choosing a King from the thirteen Claimants.

For more than a month in the Great Hall at Berwick Castle Edward talked to the Claimants. Eventually, just two were left in consideration, Robert de Brus of Annadale, the first grandson of the second granddaughter of David I, and John Balliol the second grandson of the first granddaughter of David. (Insert ‘The Disputed Succession’ Mackie p.48)

Edward awarded John Balliol the throne. It is said that Edward had judged he was a weak character; on the following day Balliol did homage before Edward, who warned him to govern justly or the Overlord of Scotland would lend a guiding hand. The message was clear enough; John was a puppet king held firmly in Edwards’s hand.

For four miserable years as King John reigned in Scotland he was humiliated by King Edward’s demands. Scotland was no longer a separate kingdom but a barony under the control of the English Overlord.

 Unrest and anger was growing in at the state of affairs in Scotland. It flared into action when Edward ordered Scotland to provide soldiers to fight France alongside the English.  Instead Scotland joined France in the ‘Auld Alliance’, causing a lasting friend ship between the two countries.

Following the alliance of Scotland and France Edward turned his full fury on Scotland, marching north and, in an unprovoked and callous move, he attacked and burned Berwick mercilessly, killing woman and children. King John had had enough; he withdrew his homage and prepared to face the English war machine.

King John’s small army was no match for England’s larger, better-equipped army, led by knights and cavalry. John’s army was routed at Dunbar a month after the fall of Berwick and castles fell one after the other until finally Edinburgh surrendered after a month’s siege.

On July 2^nd 1296 King John surrendered to Edward at Kincardine Castle confessing his guilt and giving over to Edward his kingdom. He had the shame of having his crown taken from his head, the royal sceptre dragged from his grasp, the ring pulled off his finger and his coat pulled off; he was then taken as a prisoner to the Tower of London.  From this moment John Balliol was known to all as ‘Toom Tabard’, or ‘Empty Jacket’.

Edward carried the Royal standard of England as far north as it had ever been, right to Elgin, capital of Moray, but meeting no further resistance swung back towards Berwick. On the return march he stole the ancient Stone of Destiny, on which all Scottish kings were crowned. He also took any documents that showed there had ever been a separate Kingdom in the north.

Throughout the land Earls, Barons and Bishops were made to sign an oath of loyalty to King Edward of England; the document, thirty-five pages long, contained over 2000 signatures. Because of the ribbons hanging from wax seals it became known as the Ragman Roll.  He failed to see that force could not buy the loyalty of a people. Instead of putting down the Scottish people he had kindled a fire in their heart.

From Pict to Scot, Angle and Briton, Norseman and Norman, and indeed all the peoples that had settled in Scotland since the ice had released the noble land from its frozen grip, all Scots now shared a common hatred of the English judges, tax collectors and occupying soldiers. As a people they desired freedom above all else.  The time was right for the emergence of a People’s leader, William Wallace.