2006 marks the 700th anniversary of two events in the life of King Robert I of
Scotland (Robert the Bruce). On 10 February 1306 Robert Bruce, earl of Carrick,
murdered Sir John Comyn, lord of Badenoch at the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries.
This unexpected act set Bruce on the path towards seizing the vacant Scottish
throne. The English king, Edward I, viewed himself as superior lord of Scotland
after his conquest of Scotland in 1296 had culminated in the enforced abdication
of its king, John Balliol. Balliol was still alive in 1306, but not in a position
to reclaim the throne even if that had been practicable.
The deaths of
King Alexander III in 1286 and of his daughter Margaret, the Maid of Norway in
1290 had left no-one with a clear right to the Scottish throne. Robert Bruce's
grandfather had been one of the claimants to the throne in 1292 (as had John Comyn's
father), but Balliol's claim had been preferred. His kingship was brief, and overshadowed
by Edward I. Despite military campaigns involving Sir William Wallace and other
Scots, Edward I was too powerful an enemy to be withstood and his officials sought
the means to govern Scotland on his behalf.
Bruce must have been increasingly
considering his and his country's future in the months before the Comyn murder.
It is possible that Bruce suggested to Comyn that Bruce take the throne and allow
Comyn to have his lands. When Comyn refused, Bruce was so driven by anger that
he attacked Comyn, helped by his followers. Amongst them was Roger Kirkpatrick,
who when Comyn was thought to have been killed supposedly said "I mak siccar"
[I'll make sure] before finishing the deed.
But the Comyn murder was not
itself enough to make Bruce king. In the subsequent weeks his actions sufficiently
cowed Comyn's supporters and English officials in Scotland that he was able to
have himself crowned king of Scots on 25 March 1306 at Scone, using as many symbols
of Scottish kingship as possible.
Even then his kingship was not secure.
The next months and years were spent establishing himself as king in Scotland,
and battling to have Edward I and his son and successor Edward II recognise him
as king. The victory at Bannockburn in June 1314 was especially significant. Few
in Scotland, let alone elsewhere, could doubt that Bruce was now king in fact
and in deed.
The strength of his position was emphasised by the act of
the Parliament which met at Cambuskenneth in November 1314, the document featured
here. The meaning of the act was that those who held land in both England and
Scotland (not altogether uncommon at the time) would have to choose to which king
they would give their allegiance. Those who decided to remain loyal to the English
king would lose their lands. This may seem a very sensible step, but would lead
to the possibility of disinherited people later returning to submit clams to their
lands which had meantime been granted out to others. Interestingly, this has a
modern parallel. After the Second World War, many people fled or moved westwards
of the Iron Curtain, leaving behind property which was given to those who stayed.
After the collapse of communist regimes some of the descendants of those who had
fled attempted to submit claims to property which they said had been seized from
them without compensation.
An interesting feature of the document, which is held by the National
Archives of Scotland (ref SP13/6), is that it has slits for 52 tags and seals
(the seals have unfortunately long been lost), underlining its public record nature,
and its parallel in this respect to the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath. A translation
of the document appears below.
View an education
resource about Robert I of Scotland and the Wars of Independence. Buy a colour
poster or limited edition print of the Declaration
of Arbroath.
Translation of the act of Parliament, 6 November 1314
(NAS ref: SP13/6)In the year of grace 1314 on the 6th November, with the
most excellent prince lord Robert by the grace of God illustrious king of Scots
holding his parliament in the monastery of Cambuskenneth, it was agreed, finally
adjudged and decided upon this with the counsel and assent of the bishops and
the rest of the prelates, the earls, barons and other nobles of the kingdom of
Scotland and also of the whole community of the aforesaid realm, that all who
died in battle or elsewhere against the faith and peace of the said lord king,
or who had not come on the said day into his peace and faith although they were
very often summoned and lawfully awaited, be perpetually disinherited from lands
and tenements and all other estate within the kingdom of Scotland; and they be
held henceforth as enemies of the king and kingdom, forbidden for them and their
heirs in perpetuity from all claim of hereditary right or any other right in the
future. Therefore in the perpetual memory of this and manifest proof of this judgement
and statute the seals of the bishops and other prelates, and also of the earls,
barons and the rest of the nobles of the said realm are appended to the present
ordinance, judgement and statute.
Translated from the Latin text, as printed
in A A M Duncan (ed.), 'Regesta Regum Scottorum: The Acts of Robert I King of
Scots 1306-1329' (Edinburgh, 1988), no. 41; and C Innes (ed.), 'The Acts of the
Parliaments of Scotland Vol. 1' (1844), p. 464. |
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