Scotland Flashcards
Alexander III and the succession problem: The Guardians (11)
(N/A) The guardians were split between the two dynastic factions in Scotland - the Balliols and the Bruces. Prevented overtaking but also could result in ties.
(1286) Without a king, the Guardians issued their own seal of authority - making the patron saint, Saint Andrew, a representative of the king.
(1286) Guardians chosen to rule the kingdom at parliament of Scone until Margaret came of age.
(1286) The Guardians agreed to swear fealty to the queen.
(1286) The Guardians were to govern Scotland until the rumours surrounding Yolande’s pregnancy were confirmed, but they proved to be false in November.
(1286) the Guardians would govern in the place of Alexander Ill’s granddaughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway. Margaret was a child; a female and a foreigner so lacked the power to do it herself.
(1286) The Guardians sent two Scottish representatives of the church to inform Edward I, Alexander III had died.
(1286) The Bruce and Balliol factions initially threatened the stability of Scotland, this was quickly settled by the Guardians.
(1286 – 87) The Guardians contained the threat of Bruce, maintaining law and order, avoiding a civil war.
(1289) The Guardians negotiated the Treaty of Salisbury, 1289, along with Eric Il of Norway and Edward I, proposing a dynastic union between the Maid and Edward Caernarfon (King Edward’s son) heir to the English throne.
(1290) One of the Guardians, the Earl of Buchan died a natural death (’89). Later, in the year another Guardian, the Earl of Fife was murdered, leaving only four surviving Guardians to govern.
Alexander III and the succession problem: death of Margaret (5)
(1290) There was a problem of succession after the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, as it left no obvious heir in Scotland.
(1290) She died in October on her way to Scotland from Norway. Died on Orkney Island after becoming ill aboard a ship when she was 8 years old.
(1290) The treaty of Birgham was now meaningless, Edward was no longer legally obligated to keep Scotland and England as two separate countries.
(1290) Bishop Fraser of St Andrews informed Edward I that Bruce and the Earls of Atholl and Mar were planning to take power. He asked Edward I for assistance in order to stop a civil war. Bishop Fraser favoured John Balliol and wanted Edward to support his claim.
(1290) Bruce and his followers had also appealed to Edward, in a document called the ‘Appeal of the Seven Earls’. In it, Bruce asked Edward to support his claims to the Scottish throne.
Alexander III and the succession problem: Scottish appeal to Edward I and Norham (6)
(1290) Edward I, King of England was asked to help resolve the succession crisis in Scotland by the guardian Bishop William Fraser in a letter. Soon after, the guardians arranged to meet at norham with Edward.
(1291) Edward arrived with a large army at the Scottish. He forced the Guardians to meet him at Norham Castle, on the English side of the border by refusing to move.
(1291) He told the Guardians that before making a decision on who would become king, the nobles would have to accept him as their overlord. This meant the future king would be controlled by Edward. Scotland’s independence was under threat. This was knwn as the ‘award of norham’.
(1291) The guardians argued that only their king could make that decision and that could only happen once a king was chosen.
(1291) believing that the promise would be forgotten once a king was chosen, 9/13 of the claimants accepted edward’s overlordship as they feared being left out of the judgement.
(1291) Edward wrote to English monasteries asking them to search their archives for legal evidence of English overlordship in Scotland. He also threatened to blockade Scottish ports with his navy and summoned men to form an army.
Alexander III and the succession problem: the Great Cause and Edward’s decision (11)
(1291) Edward insisted on judging the Great Cause rather than arbitrating as a friendly neighbour (as he had originally been asked to do). In the early months, Edward had requested English monasteries to search for evidence of England’s superiority over Scotland.
(1291) Fearing that they would be left out of the judgement, nine of the claimants accepted Edward’s overlordship, and in doing so compromised the independence of the kingdom
(1291) Thirteen claimants, not including Edward himself, presented themselves although only three, John Balliol, Robert Bruce and John Hastings, had a strong legal claim. All three were descendants of the daughters of David Earl of Huntingdon, a descendent of David I of Scotland.
(1291) The court had to deal with two main questions - firstly whether primogeniture was more important than proximity; and secondly whether the Scottish kingdom could be divided
(1291) The court decided to hear the Bruce and Balliol cases then measure the remaining claims against the winner.
(1291) In order to decide which laws and customs should be applied the customs and help judge the claimants, Edward sought expert legal advice from Oxford and Cambridge and from overseas.
(1291 - 92) There was a long adjournment between August ‘91 to June ‘92. During this period, Edward acted as direct lord of Scotland and received oaths of fealty from the Scottish nobility.
(1291 – 92) The task of choosing a new king for the Scottish throne, known as the Great Cause, was a long drawn-out process of discussion, argument and the presentation of evidence in support of the claimants. Some people claim this was intentionally manufactured by Edward to weaken Scotland.
(1291 – 92) Edward also sought recognition of his overlordship from the Scottish Guardians.
(1292 -) The Guardians and other leading Scots eventually took an oath of fealty to Edward.
(1292) Edward’s final judgement was made in favour of John Balliol in November. He was chosen for three main reasons; he was a landholder in Scotland, England, and France so acted as a connection between the countries, he had the strongest claim legally and Edward as an expert in law would have valued this, and his claim was based on primogeniture – legitimate inheritance was always passed down through the eldest line.
John balliol and Edward: balliol’s Rule (5)
(1292) Relatively inexperienced politically as he was the youngest song in the Balliol family and had planned for a life in church. His nobles resented him as Edward was easily able to exploit his niavity.
(1292) Scotland had been without a king for 6 years so administrative systems of the kingdom had weakened
(1292 – 96) Despite his short rule, he managed to summon annual parliaments, and appointed his own justiciars of Scotland.
(1292 – 96) The implications of Edward’s overlordship were not clear at the outset but were soon to become apparent as Edward increasingly interfered in Scottish affairs and undermined John’s kingship. What was significant was the degree of interference to which John was subjected by Edward.
(1292 – 96) many of the nobles, especially in the Western Isles and in the Robert Bruce lands, did not support him as king - these areas would be difficult to assert authority over.
John Balliol and Edward: Edward’s overlordship (7)
(1292) Balliol inauguration as king of Scots in 1292 at Scone was attended by English officials
(1292) John Balliol was summoned to pay homage to Edward at Edward’s court in Newcastle. Such treatment of a king was unprecedented and compromised John’s royal status.
(1292) A burgess of Berwick appealed a legal decision upheld by Balliol before he became king. The burgess took his case to Edward’s Parliament and the English king found in his favour. Balliol was forced to reverse the decision.
(1292) John had to agree to some English members of his government. The new chancellor, master Thomas of Hunsingore, came from Yorkshire. He made changes to the traditional Scottish customs of taxation. The ‘English’ office of Treasurer was also introduced, forcing John to again follow English practice rather than traditional Scottish customs.
(1293) John released Edward from the terms of the treaty of Birgham under pressure. John allowed Edward to interfere in Scottish affairs.
(1293) Macduff, the younger son the Earl of Fife claimed that he had been deprived of his inheritance and imprisoned by Balliol. Edward instructed Balliol to appear before him at Westminster. When Balliol complained to Edward that he did not have any right to hear the case, Edward threatened to charge Balliol with contempt and confiscate Scottish castles.
(1294) Edward demanded military service against the French from John as he saw balliol as a noble. This outraged among many of the Scottish nobility; they believed Scotland was an independent country and Edward had no right to fight for him, war would be expensive and cost the nobles in taxes and nobles, and Scotland had strong economic ties with France.
John Balliol and Edward: the Scottish response (4)
(1294) Balliol refused to provide military support in the English war with France. Many of the Scottish nobility also refused to act in the Anglo-Saxon war.
(1295) a new group of 12 ‘Guardians of the Realm’ was formed to demonstrate their dislike of Edwards overlordship of Scotland. They sent Scottish messages to France to discuss how to deal with their common enemy, Edward I.
(1296) A military and diplomatic alliance was agreed between Scotland and France.
(1296) A treaty was signed which became known as the ‘Auld Alliance’. It stated that if France was attacked, Scottish forces would invade England to help them.
John Balliol and Edward: subjugation of Scotland (13)
(1296) Some argue Edward had been planning the attack for a long time and intentionally weakened the Scottish position by extending the period of the great cause.
(1296) Edward again asserted his overlordship when he invaded Scotland in response to John’s refusal to provide military support for England’s war with France and for John’s refusal to attend court
(1296) Edward I crossed the River Tweed and besieged Berwick. The town was well prepared for conflict - defences were strengthened and the garrison was bolstered with troops added from Lothian and Fife.
(1296) The Scots were able to gather 10,000 men at Berwick. Although many were conscripts, there were also nobles and trained retainers willing to fight. The army’s morale was high.
(1296) He offered the people of Berwick three days to surrender. The town’s leaders did not respond, and Edward heard townspeople making fun of him, which would have been seen as an insult to Edward. Edward ordered his troops to attack, stating that no-one should be spared. Berwick was overrun and ransacked. Roughly 10,000 of the population were killed. The town was then repopulated with English people from Northumbria.
(1296) After the siege of Berwick, Edward captured Roxburgh, Jedburgh, Edinburgh and Stirling. By the middle of the summer, Edward had travelled as far north as Elgin.
(1296) Despite the earl of Dunbar’s loyalty to Edward, his wife was loyal to her family and gave the castle to the Scots to aid them in the battle.
(1296) De Warenne decided to go to battle at Dunbar. The Scottish army mistook Warenne’s vanguard moving into position as an English retreat. This was a crucial mistake. The Scottish forces charged the enemy, but their attack was a failure. Warenne’s men easily saw off the resistance.
(1296) Following the battle, many Guardians and over 100 nobles were captured. Scotland was left without an effective leadership. There was also a significant drop in morale - other commanders decided that the conflict was over before it had properly begun.
(1296) Following another failed attempt to rally any remaining Scottish support at Kincardine Castle, the nobles requested terms from Edward and Balliol officially surrendered to Edward.
(1296) leading Scottish nobles and burgesses swore a personal oath to Edward in the Ragman roll.
(1296) Edward wanted to destroy any remaining symbols or evidence that Scotland was once an independent country to complete the subjugation of Scotland. This included the transportation of important records to London; the stone of destiny and the Scottish Crown Jewels were moved to westminister.
(1296) John was brought before Edward ceremonially and stripped of his royal regalia. Toom tabard. John was forced to renounce his treaty with France, apologise to Edward and was stripped off his throne. The royal badge of Scotland was symbolically ripped from his surcoat by Edward himself thus making it clear to all that John was no longer King of Scots.
William Wallace and Scottish Resistance: Scottish Resistance 1297 - 98 (10)
(1297) The time taken to negotiate with the nobles at Irvine allowed Wallace greater opportunity to assemble and train troops and to establish his will across a wider area of Scotland.
(1297) He killed the English sheriff of Lanark, gaining him lots of support.
(1297) Wallace, accompanied by Sir William Douglas, led an attack on Scone and attempted to kill the English sheriff, William Ormesby.
(1297) Wallace along with Andrew Moray led the Scottish army to victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
(1297) Wallace and Moray were made Guardians in 1297, the official leaders of the Scottish forces.
(1297) There was the rebellion of the McDougal family against the McDonalds (pro-Edward) in the Western Isles as the McDougal clan wanted to control the land, but Edward had appointed the McDonalds as his representatives in the area.
(1297) Andrew Moray led a rising in the northeast of Scotland/resistance against Edward’s rule in the North. Moray captured Elgin, Duffus, Banff and Aberdeen castles. The castles were dismantled – meaning that they could not be recaptured. By August, Moray had succeeded in driving out the English Garrisons north of Dundee.
(1297 – 98) Wallace led a resistance movement amongst commoners in the southwest of Scotland. This included attacking castles and an english army of occupation.
(1297) – 98) Localised resistance to the English administration also involved attacks on English officials. There were rumblings of rebellion against English rule in various parts of Scotland within the months of Edward’s invasion in. especially Sir Hugh de Cressingham’s appointment as Treasurer to raise taxes in Scotland.
(1298) At the Battle of Falkirk, Wallace and the Scottish army resisted Edward I and the English army.
William Wallace and Scottish Resistance: roles of WW and AM (10)
(1297) The time taken to negotiate with the nobles at Irvine allowed Wallace greater opportunity to assemble and train troops and to establish his will across a wider area of Scotland.
(1297) He killed the English sheriff of Lanark, gaining him lots of support.
(1297) Wallace, accompanied by Sir William Douglas, led an attack on Scone and attempted to kill the English sheriff, William Ormesby.
(1297) Wallace along with Andrew Moray led the Scottish army to victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
(1297) Wallace and Moray were made Guardians in 1297, the official leaders of the Scottish forces.
(1297) Andrew Moray led a rising in the northeast of Scotland/resistance against Edward’s rule in the North. Moray captured Elgin, Duffus, Banff and Aberdeen castles. The castles were dismantled – meaning that they could not be recaptured. By August, Moray had succeeded in driving out the English Garrisons north of Dundee.
(1297 – 98) Wallace led a resistance movement amongst commoners in the southwest of Scotland. This included attacking castles and an english army of occupation.
(1298) At the Battle of Falkirk, Wallace and the Scottish army resisted Edward I and the English army.
(1300) Wallace travelled to the court of Philip IV of France and later to Rome on diplomatic missions to plea the Scottish case.
(1305) Wallace resisted the English until his betrayal and death.
William Wallace and Scottish Resistance: victory at Stirling bridge (9)
(1297) The Earl of Surrey was not happy to be there and didn’t see the Scots as worthy opponents. Hugh de Cressingham had very little military experience and should not have had a high level of authority in the battle.
(1297) Cressingham was an extremely unpopular figure amongst the Scots and his presence undoubtedly antagonised the men of Wallace and Moray. They could use the Scots anger to fuel them in battle and encourage them. Cressingham was brutally murdered and skinned.
(1297) The earl of Surrey’s attitude at Stirling was an issue for the English. before fighting began, he had already sent some of his soldiers home, to save paying their wages, he slept late on the morning of the battle, and he was indecisive about how to get his army across the river forth.
(1297) Wallace held the high ground on the north side by the abbey Craig – Wallace and Murray had a clear, unobstructed view of the English army camped on the castle of Stirling. They could use this to consider the best time to attack.
(1297) Wallace and Moray allowed a significant number of the English force to cross before sending in their own troops. The English were trapped between the Scots army and the river.
(1297) Scots used guerrilla warfare tactics and fought in schiltron formations. Spearmen were also very important to their victory; they successfully separated the English cavalry from the rest of the army. They were cut off and unable to retreat, huge numbers of them were killed or drowned.
(1297) Murray was injured badly at the battle and died later from the injury in November.
(1297) Following the victory at Stirling Bridge, the Scottish nobility appointed Wallace and Moray as ‘Guardians of Scotland’. They were in control of Scotland, able to make official decisions and became commanders of the army.
(1297) Following the victory at Stirling, a letter was sent to the merchants of Lubeck and Hamburg in northern Germany, stating that Scotland had ‘recovered from the power of the English’ and inviting them to resume trade.
William Wallace and Scottish Resistance: continued scottish resistance, 1398 - 1305 (10)
(1298) To avoid a pitched battle at Falkirk, Wallace tried to hide his army from the English. He also destroyed crops and buildings in the south of Scotland so that the English army would have to return home when they needed supplies.
(1298) The English army was weakened by Wallace’s ‘scorched earth’ policy - they found food and shelter hard to find. As a result, Edward considered returning to England to reassess the situation. However, changed his mind when he heard Wallace was near Falkirk.
(1298) Many believed that Wallace was compelled to fight. His army may have been tired of hiding and the victory at Stirling would have given them confidence. Making his troops wait may have compromised their loyalty to Wallace.
(1298 – 03) William Wallace continued to play a part in the resistance after the defeat at Falkirk but ended his period as guardian. His reputation was destroyed, especially in the eyes of the nobility.
(1985 – 05) The Guardians governed most of Scotland in the name of King John. Between 1300 and 1303, due to the war with France, Edward campaigned in Scotland only briefly and only succeeded in controlling the southeast of Scotland.
(1300) Wallace travelled to the court of Philip IV of France and later to Rome on diplomatic missions to plea the Scottish case.
(1303) Wallace rejoined resistance and was involved in guerrilla warfare in Annandale, Liddesdale, and Cumberland.
(N/A) Bruce continued until 1302, Comyn continued until 1304.
(1304) By summer most Scottish nobles surrendered to Edward I. This was partly due to the pope shifting his support to Edward I – he wrote to the Scottish bishops blaming them for continuing the war.
(1305) Wallace resisted until his betrayal and death.
The Rise and Triumph of Robert Bruce: Bruce’s conflict with Scottish opponents (10)
(N/A) The Comyns never displayed any outstanding talent in military matters
(N/A) Bruce was blessed with an ability to attract and sustain a close-knit team of military lieutenants such as Edward Bruce, James Douglas and Thomas Randolph. Allowing him to be fighting in multiple places at onc
(1306) Only a few supporters were present at Bruce’s coronation. This emphasised the lack of support Bruce had among Scottish nobles, many of whom were allied to the deceased John Comyn or John Balliol. The threat of civil war loomed once more.
(1306) At Dalry, before he could reach his lands, Bruce’s remaining supporters were virtually wiped out by the Scottish noble, John MacDougall. MacDougall was a supporter of Comyn and was looking to exact revenge for the murder at Greyfriars.
(1307) Early triumphs, such as Loudoun Hill and the defeat of an English patrol in Glen Trool, gave Bruce the confidence and support to turn his attention to the Comyns and other opponents.
(1307) Bruce was fortunate in the timing of the death of Edward I. This removed Bruce’s main military adversary, allowing him to focus on his Scottish opponents – no longer fighting a war on two fronts.
(1307) Edward II did not share his father’s obsession with Scotland, and he lacked his father’s military ability. King Edward II did not lead a major campaign into Scotland for several years which allowed Bruce to concentrate on fighting his Scottish enemies.
(1308) Bruce defeated the earl of Buchan at the battle of Everurie. After the battle, the lands of the earl of Buchan were destroyed and livestock were killed under the Herschip of Buchan. Destroyed the comyn power base.
(1309) Bruce held his first parliament at St Andrews. Here, parliament, he was confirmed king with support from the nobles and a letter from the French king. The Scottish bishops formally recognised this in a document known as the Declaration of the Clergy. Silenced the majority of his critics as they didn’t want to go against the church.
(1314) Bruce destroyed the castles of Edinburgh, Roxburgh, and Stirling. They could no longer be used as tactical points against Bruce by enemies.
The Rise and Triumph of Robert Bruce: Bannockburn (7)
(1314) An English force led by Edward II had arrived just south of Stirling. Bruce’s forces had arrived before them and had chosen a better position.
(1314) On the second day of battle, the Scottish army took up battle in formation, facing the disorganised English forces. The boggy ground was almost impossible for the English cavalry to move on.
(1314) The Scottish Army advanced in three separate ‘schiltron’ formations. The English knights could not counterattack effectively. They continued to struggle on the marshy ground. The Scots slowly pushed them back.
(1314) Robert Bruce triumphed over a vastly superior English army at the Battle of Bannockburn, completing his military control of Scotland.
(1314) At a parliament at Cambuskenneth Abbey, Bruce gave the nobles the opportunity to pledge their allegiance and keep their Scottish lands whilst disinheriting those who chose to side with the English king.
(1314) Shortly after Bannockburn, raids were made on the north of England. Bruce and his loyal lieutenants led regular raids into England to force Edward Il to the negotiating table. The raids on England did not succeed in bringing Edward Il to the negotiating table but did result in war weariness which contributed to a series of truces in the 1320s.
(1314) Shortly after Bannockburn, Bruce sent Scottish armies under his brother Edward to campaign in Ireland and the possibility of a Celtic front to divert English attention and forces from Scotland and weaken English power.
The Rise and Triumph of Robert Bruce: continuing hostilities, 1314 - 1328 (4)
(N/A) Shortly after Bannockburn, raids were made on the north of England (1315, 16, 18). Bruce and his loyal lieutenants led regular raids into England to force Edward Il to the negotiating table. The raids on England did not succeed in bringing Edward Il to the negotiating table but did result in war weariness which contributed to a series of truces in the 1320s.
(1314) Shortly after Bannockburn, Bruce sent Scottish armies under his brother Edward to campaign in Ireland and the possibility of a Celtic front to divert English attention and forces from Scotland and weaken English power.
(1314) At a parliament at Cambuskenneth Abbey, Bruce gave the nobles the opportunity to pledge their allegiance and keep their Scottish lands whilst disinheriting those who chose to side with the English king.
(1318) Bruce’s forces under Sir Robert Keith and James Douglas captured Berwick. This gave Bruce control of the final English outpost in Scotland that was a key trading town and greatly benefited Scotlands economy.
