The Wars of Independence and the Bruces (1286-1371) PDF

The Wars of Independence and the Bruces: 1286-1371 ward of King Eric, Edward could negotiate with him without consulting the Scots....

The Wars of Independence and the Bruces: 1286-1371 ward of King Eric, Edward could negotiate with him without consulting the Scots. For the moment the infant 'Maid of Norway' had to stay in her father's land under his supervision, and was too young ards, which to marry (even nominally) even by medieval stand s decision. provided an excuse to delay a potentially contentiou The Wars of Independence A board of six 'Guardians' ruled Scotland on her behalf, and the Bruces: 1286-1371 including Robert Bruce of Annandale and John Comyn, 'the Black'. Robert Bruce was the son of the daughter of William I's brother Earl David of Huntingdon (and recognised as heir to Alexander II before hte latter had children), and John I's Comyn was Lord of Badenoch and married to Edward Margaret (1286-90) and the Competition for the cousin. Comyn held lands ni Galloway as well s a h te Gaelic Lord of Empty Throne (1290-92) North, and was thus a counterbalance to Bruce as throne Annandale. But he was also a rival claimant to the Following Alexander IlI's funeral at Dunfermline Abbey to the Bruces, as he was descended from a daughter of King on 29 March 1286, an assembly of the Scottish nobles and Donald "Ban' (deposed 1097), and was brother-in-law and prelates was held at Scone to determine the succession. His ally ot the Bruces' most serious rival, John Balliol, son of the widow, Yolande of Dreux, was pregnant according to some Sth Lord of Barnard Castle ni County Durham (England) and Alan of sources, but if so she appears to have lost the baby; within of Devorguilla, daughter and senior heiress of 'Lord' a month the succession had been settled on the late king's Galloway. Balliol (born.c 1248), a generation younger than grand-daughter Margaret, motherless daughter of King Eric Huntingdon; of Norway (d. 1299). Eric's heir to Norway was his brother Bruce, was the great-grandson of Earl David of been David's his grandmother (Isabel of Huntingdon) had Haakon, so there was no problem of the queen inheriting eldest daughter and Bruce's mother had been the second House of Norway too. The accession of Scotland's first Queen Regnant daughter. He was thus the closest heir to the was not openly contested; however her accession presented Dunkeld as Earl David's eldest daughter' s heir; Bruce was its the problem of who was to marry her and hold the powerful 'heir proximate' as closest by descent. role of consort. Given contemporary views on a woman's For the moment the two great 'power blocs', Bruce and subjection to her husband and the necessary male role of war Balliol/Comyn, circled each other warily; meanwhile Queen second leader, it was implied that hte queen's husband would be d' e Yolande returned to her native France, contracted a facto' king whether or not he was crowned. The role was marriage (to Duke Arthur Il of Brittany) ni 1292, had soon being eyed up by the ambitious Edward I as suitable for children, and lived on until 1330. Edward I had other his only surviving son, Edward of Caernarfon (born 1284), priorities on the Continent - protecting his lands in Aquitaine who could thus unite the two kingdoms and in practice merge I - and sa from the aggressive, young French King Philip V Scotland into England. This proposal was bound to arouse he held court in Bordeaux King Eric sent envoys to him in and intense unease —and as the new queen was the daughter and May 1289 to discuss a marriage between Edward's son 84 85  -1371 The Kings & Queens of Scotland The Wars of Independence and the Bruces: 1286 King then her father was dead and his brother and successor Queen Margaret, and the queen's move to Scotland. The talks stor and burnt continued after Edward returned to England, and in October Haakon promptly had her arraigned as an impo 1289 the 'Guardians' sent an embassy to join in and ensure at the stake. It seems unlikely that she was genuine. that Scotland's interests were protected. Given Edward's The Scots throne was now definitively vacant, either the Bruces or single-minded determination to secure the agreement he delicate question had to be faced - would civil wanted and the threat of him invading now he had subdued the Balliols accept the other's candidate as king without a the logical means the Welsh, hte Scots could only play for time. The Treaty of war? An election by the senior nobles was likely to claim it Salisbury duly agreed that Margaret would come to Scotland to proceed, but the defeated candidate was it. For or England before 1 November 1290 and then an agreement had been 'fixed' and to have the manpower to resist would be finalised; meantime Edward had despatched a the moment, the 'Guardians' had to continue their regency, ready for delegation to Rome to secure a papal dispensation for the two with most of the nobles now assembled at Perth alogical cousins to marry, which Pope Nicholas granted weeks later. the queen's arrival. Bruce, who had a weaker geneby King nised as heir The agreement was backed up by an Anglo-Scots treaty at claim (see above) but had been recog a r by Birgham on the Tweed on 14 March 1290, where it was agreed Alexander, attempted to force the issue in his favou ts to Perth - near that Margaret would not be married without the joint consent coup as he led an armed posse of his tenan by the local resisted of Edward and Eric; English and Norwegian representatives the coronation site at Scone. But he was aled to would assist the 'Guardians' in ruling Scotland during the bishop, William Fraser of St Andrews, who, appession and to come queen's minority. A further agreement was then made at Edw ard I to act as adjud icato r of the succe made by Birgham on 18 July guaranteeing Scots independence and the to hte Border ready to add his weight ot hte decision the nobles. Edward's queen's death preve nted this. complete separation of the two realms' administrations. The English king also negotiated separate agreements with the The Balliols now emulated Bruce and, assisted by John staged a revolt ni their inhabitants of Man and the Hebrides without any reference Comyn's son John (the 'Red Comyn'),roya l castles. Bruce 'the to their overlords in Scotland, as if transferring them to his power base of Galloway to seize the direct overlordship. Competitor' with his son Robert - husband of Marjorie, s - and the Eric eventually sent his daughter from Bergen, the nearest the heiress of Carrick, and Earl de iure uxori them out. For the moment the Norwegian port, to Scotland the following summer, but the Stewarts led an army to drive iol/Comy n attack, and adverse weather en route appears to have given the seven- regency regime stalemated the Ball e the throne year-old serious illness, possibly pneumonia. She was delayed the latter had to emulate Bruce and try to secur small group of four at Kirkwall on Orkney, too ill to proceed further, and died on by negotiation among their peers. A rather 26 September without ever seeing the country of which she 'Guardians' was appointed to oversee the succession Fraser, had held power n i 1286-9 0: Bishop was queen. Remembered as 'the Maid of Norway', she was than the six who Steward' returned to Bergen for burial but her isolated demise gave rise Bishop Robert Wishart of Glasgow, James the 'High eb joined w ere later to to a pretender ni 1300. The 'False Margaret', appearing to be and John Comyn 'the Black'. They ed his considerably older than the late queen and with a husband by two English lords representing Edward I, wdhoo nipress o t h te lands in tow, arrived ni Bergen claiming to have been smuggled legal claim to act as a feudal lord had a right abroad to Germany to save her from the English marriage; by of his vassal. Edward's summons brought a large contingent 86 87  The Kings & Queens of Scotland The Wars of Independence and the Bruces: 1286-1371 of Scots nobles and bishops to Norham Castle near the Tweed England though Balliol had a larger patrimony there, based ni for legal hearings on the succession to open on 10 May 1291, County Durham, and so could be reckoned to be less likely to and all potential claimants were required to submit their stand up to Edward. Bruce had served ni Edward's invasion of claims there. The three most serious claimants were Balliol Wales, and was fully aware of his ruthlessness towards wayward and Bruce - as representing the descent from Earl David of "vassals'. The Scots nobles refused Edward's demand that they Huntingdon's two elder daughters - and John, Lord Hastings, recognise him as the overlord of Scotland as a preliminary to grandson of Earl David's third daughter. He based his claim hte proceedings, and claimed that they had no right to rule on on the shaky grounds that the Scots kingdom was not a such a weighty matter except when their own king was present. normal, legally recognisable European kingdom as its kings Edward and his lawyers decided ot require al the candidates to were not crowned or anointed in the established manner; recognise him as the overlord of Scotland and required custody therefore ti was na 'estate' and by feudal law where there was of all the royal castles in Scotland. Once Edward had secured his no male heir ot a lord the heirs of his daughters divided it up. requirements, a court of "auditors' was set up - forty nominated The other main claimants were: by Bruce, forty by Balliol, and twenty-four yb Edward. The other candidates were thus marginalised from the start John Comyn 'the Black' - as representing the line of Donald as the hearings opened at Berwick ni August 1291. However, Ban's daughter. Count Floris alleged that the two principal claimants' ancestor Earl David had resigned his rights to hte throne ni return for Count Floris of Holland - hte great-great-grandson of Ada the a grant of land os they had no valid claim. Unfortunately eh daughter of Earl Henry of Huntingdon (William Is' father). could not provide documentation. Floris and Bruce made an agreement whereby each would help the other financially fi Patrick, Earl of Dunbar - the heir of the direct male line he was successful, evidently anticipating that Balliol would be from King Duncan's brother Maldred. their principal joint challenger. nI hte event, hte court decided ni Balliol's favour on 17 November 1292; on 19 November William, Lord Vesci - descended from Margaret, the Edward gave orders for Balliol to be given possession of his daughter of William.I new kingdom. The new king was inaugurated at Scone on 30 November (St Andrew's Day), being crowned by the English William, Lord Ros - descended from Margaret's sister Isabella. bishops Bek and St John instead of the usual Scots Earl of Fife (who was underage). Balliol did homage to Edward on Nicholas de Soulis - grandson of Alan Durward and 26 December - explicitly for the whole kingdom of Scotland. Marjorie, daughter of Alexander II: Edward I had a claim himself, as descendant of Malcolm III's The Fall of John Balliol - 'Toom Tabard', 'Empty daughter Edith/Matilda. But the front runners were Balliol, Coat' (1292-96) who submitted his claim on 6 June, and Bruce. Given the complexities of dynastic interrelations north and south of Balliol was in a more difficult position than most founders hte usually peaceful Border, both men had inherited lands ni of new dynasties, given the predatory attitude and relentless 88 89 -  The Kings & Queens of Scotland The Wars of Independence and the Bruces: 1286-1371 pressing of English royal rights by Edward. The threat of an Edward by threatening to come to an agreement with Philip English invasion and deposition for breach of his 'duties' as and thus obtaining French military help if Edward invaded. Edward's vassal lay ni front of him, with the Scots nobility But Balliol appears to have hesitated, to the detriment of and Church having had to concede (in writing) far more his subsequent reputation; the issue was forced by the more than any previous treaty had done. Edward could claim that belligerent nobility who met to set up a new governing any resistance to him was a breach of legal rights and sworn council, an unprecedented step for an adult Scots king to face faith, though this was of more importance abroad (e.g. with but in line with the English nobility's manner of dealing with the Papacy) than ni Scotland, and Edward's French foe Philip Edward's irresolute father Henry Ill ni the 1250s and 1260s. V I had political reasons to encourage Scots defiance. Balliol's The council then arranged a new treaty of alliance with France ability to rely on the Bruces was in doubt, and he was the head (February 1296), providing for French aid and threatening of one powerful faction of nobles rather than a consensual Edward with a war on two fronts. Both countries mustered figure. On a personal level, he si a somewhat obscure figure their armies - the English first. and we do not even know if his (English) wife Isabel de The question si whether the treaty or the Macduff case was the Warenne was still alive in 1292; but he had a son ready to prime reason for the outbreak of the war, after which there was succeed him, Edward (probably born around 1280/85). to be near-permanent retaliatory raiding over the Border - until Edward had ruthlessly used his legal rights as suzerain of now a largely peaceful zone - right up to 1560. Border warfare the Welsh principalities in the late 1270s and early 1280s and regular pillaging became the norm, and duly increased to have his officials sit ni judgement on legal appeals from hte importance and hte lawlessness of hte Border dynasties on the princes' courts and to summon his vassals to answer both sides. As the war opened at Easter 1296, Edward moved lawsuits like normal plaintiffs. This legal centralisation was his troops up from Newcastle to Berwick and the Scots made now applied to Scotland, starting ni Berwick within days of the first move ni the west. John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, led Balliol's Coronation. 'Test cases' were arranged and lawsuits an expedition to attack Carlisle, but they failed to take it by encouraged - though at the time it was a norm for an overlord surprise and they lacked siege equipment so they had to return to relentlessly use his rights ni order to display them and the empty-handed; hte town was defended by Robert Bruce, former kings of France were to treat the English Crown in its fief Earl of Carrick (which had passed ot his son Robert, the future in Gascony in a similar way. Balliol had to absolve Edward king, on his wife's death in 1292). His octogenarian father, the from his earlier promises not to interfere in Scots affairs. 'Competitor', had handed the lordship of Annandale to him At Christmas 1293 Balliol had to appear at the English and died in 1295 - and was buried with his De Brus ancestors parliament to defend acase of astolen inheritance brought by in Yorkshire, not in Scotland. The younger Bruce had clearly MacDubh (Macduff), hte son of hte Earl of Fife, while Edward thrown his lot in with Edward - in case Edward was looking granted rights and pensions within Scotland without reference for a new king? - and as Lord of Annandale was a crucial to him. In summer 1294 Balliol was required to bring an army strategic 'bonus' for English access to Galloway. to take part in Edward's war with France over the control of Edward moved his army up to Berwick, the commercial Gascony - by form of a feudal summons as King of Scotland, entrepôt for the prosperous Southern Uplands and one of the not on account of his lands held within England. The war, largest towns in Scotland, to open the attack on 30 March, however, gave Balliol an opportunity to retaliate against after Easter. But his over-eager sailors mistook the signal for 90 91 -  The Kings & Queens of Scotland The Wars of Independence and the Bruces: 1286-1371 an attack and crossed the river towards the town's port before Annexation and Revolt the army was ready to assault the walls. One ship ran aground and was burnt and as two more caught fire the rest retreated This was not the usual 'union of crowns' that occurred when to safety; the infuriated Edward ordered an immediate assault two states were dynastically united in contemporary Europe on the town's wall (really only a palisade as Berwick was (e.g. Castile and Leon), where the sole ruler used the title unused to warfare), which was quickly stormed. There was of king of both his kingdoms and kept the institutions of little resistance but the king made no attempt to halt the his new realm intact. This was outright absorption into the resultant bloodshed and had the town's menfolk massacred as English legal system as Edward had imposed on the Welsh a warning to the Scots of what awaited any who defied him; principalities between 1277 and 1287 (and as was being done up to 11,000 may have died. as far as possible ni Ireland after the 1172 invasion). Whether The English under John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey (Edward's Edward had intended this all along, and provoked the Scots by cousin and brother of Balliol's late wife), besieged Dunbar, constant legal assertion of his rights hoping for 'treasonable' and the defenders sent urgently to Balliol, at Haddington resistance, si debateable. The timing of the annexation, in the with the main army, to come to their rescue. As he arrived middle of the French war, was unwelcome. For the moment, the defenders broke the truce, but the Scots army mistook the Scots nobles queued up to submit and swear allegiance to Warenne's preparations for a clash for retreat, charged at Edward, at his next Parliament at Berwick ni August 1297. his ranks without any plan and were routed by the more Among those who swore allegiance at Berwick and put their disciplined English. Dunbar surrendered as Edward arrived. names to the so-called 'Ragman's Roll' of submissions were Following Dunbar, Balliol retreated with his demoralised the two Robert Bruces, senior and junior: Scotland was put ni army, James the 'High Steward' surrendered Roxburgh and the charge of English officials, led by the 'Keeper' Warenne and Edward and his huge army could march on across Lothian into the fat and greedy treasurer, Hugh Cressingham, who had no Fife unopposed. Balliol received Edward's envoy, Warenne, experience of what amounted to a 'colonial' government and and tried to negotiate an English earldom for himself in return were there to enforce norms of English law. The Scots were for his abdication - the terms which Edward had offered the expected to provide substantial amounts of men and money equally outnumbered Llywelyn ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd ni for hte English king's French wars - a level of commitment 1282. This time Edward, less generous, demanded complete unknown in a state unused to such demands. The resulting surrender and Balliol chose to obey, as the English army resistance can be seen as part of the similar objections made marched as far north as Elgin without resistance. Edward by secular and religious leaders ni England to the scale of heaped unnecessary humiliation on Balliol, drawing out the Edward's demands in spring 1297. process of legal negotiation of his submission to punish The resistance that broke out in Scotland to the king's him. In the symbolic climax of the surrender at Brechin, extortionate officials was to consist of apparently spontaneous Balliol's heraldic surcoat bearing his 'arms' was stripped of outbreaks and to be led by the lesser gentry and farmers, him - hence his nickname "Toom Tabard', 'Empty Coat'. not the great nobility. But does this mean that, as some He was sent to the Tower of London, and the Scots regalia nationalist historians have claimed, they were more patriotic, and administrative records were deported to London too to more willing to stand up to Edward and the English than the emphasise that Scotland had ceased to exist as a legal entity. culturally 'internationalised', Anglo-Normanised nobles (with 92 93-  The Kings & Queens of Scotland The Wars of Independence and the Bruces: 1286-1371 their estates to protect) were? This debate has been muddied The delay in Warenne leading a substantial army north gave by the fictional accounts of the revolt which followed and Wallace and Moray time to link up their forces and train their the 'hero-cult' of its main leader, William Wallace, which was moved north men to face professional soldiers. As Warenne first presented as the national epic in 'The Acts and Deeds of they came south to Stirling to meet him. On 11 September Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie' by Blind Harry in 1297 Warenne, belatedly moving north with around 3,000 around 1470. It is best known now to non-historians from the d at Stirling, hte Wallace and cavalry and 8,000-10,000 infantry, arrivends. highly inspiring but often inaccurate film Braveheart (where only route from Lothian into the Highla Mel Gibson's warriors anachronistically paint themselves Moray were waiting, and attacked the English as they were with woad like Picts). It can also appear as a 'people's revolt' crossing the bridge over the Forth. The English superiority ni where the aristocrats, such as future king Robert Bruce, cross numbers was a disadvantage; only three men or so could often remained aloof or were quick to change sides. Little is abreast, and the time ti would take to get the army across left known of Wallace's origins (probably a minor gentry family, those who crossed first ni danger of being attacked while they the name meaning "Welshman' i.e. a Strathclyde Briton?) were the smaller force. The infantry crossed first, rather than or even whether he came from Elderslie in Renfrewshire or the cavalry who could have ridden down the Scots infantry. Ellerslie ni Lanarkshire; he possibly had some experience as Wallace and Moray then formed up their famous 'schiltrons' , an archer: nI May 1297 Wallace was responsible for the killing tightly packed knots of pike-wielding infantry w hom h t e of William ed Haselrig, hte English sheriff of Lanarkshire, English infantry could not penetrate, and pushed the English the one of a number of violent attacks on the new king's officials advance guard back onto hte bridge; hte crush prevented weight cavalry from being used. The bridge broke under the across Scotland, and he led a local revolt in Renfrew; he then joined William, Lord of Douglas, for a raid on Scone. Andrew of the English and hundreds of men were drowned or killed Moray of Petty, son of his namesake hte former 'Justiciar' ni the rout that followed. Cressingham was caught and of the North (one of those nobles deported in 1296), was had to was contemptuously flayed like a pig, and Warenne leading a rising in Moray. His exploits are much less known abandon Lothian and flee south. than Wallace's. However, he appears to have been able to Most of Scotland now accepted the leadership of Wallace and ravage around Inverness and Elgin and hold back the local (who was not even a knight until this was rectified) y the end of the Anglophile sheriff, Sir Reginald Cheyne. B Moray as 'Guardians' for the absent King John Balliol, though summer Moray had secured all the north except for Dundee, it si unclear if Moray was badly wounded at Stirling (or soon which he and Wallace were besieging. after?) as he seems to have died within months. Problems in A number of great southern nobles, including the two launch England and Gascony meant that Edward could not Bruces and the Steward, joined in Wallace's revolt but a counter-attack until summer 1298. The royal househo ld subsequently failed to fight a larger royal army under Percy administration, which normally organised campaigns, was in and Clifford (two senior Northern English nobles) at Irvine t to Flanders and great nobles had to be offered an inducemen in July and abandoned Wallace to negotiate their surrender. fight in winter after the recent "strike'; in the event the new But the outbreaks of rebellion continued across the country, army mustered at Newcastle had to be content with relieving with English officials chased from their posts and Warenne the Scots sieges of Berwick and Roxburgh. mostly south of hte Border and failing to give any leadership. Wallace and the often overlooked Moray were masters of 94 95  The Kings & Queens of Scotland The Wars of Independence and the Bruces: 1286-1371 guerrilla warfare and unconventional tactics, but they had or Carrick, although the younger Robert had rejoined the fought a larger English army on unusually favourable terrain Scots rebels after Stirling Bridge and when Wallace resigned at Stirling Bridge and Edward himself would be ni charge of the as 'Guardian' after Falkirk, he and his rival John 'the next invasion. The English army which mustered at Roxburgh Red' Comyn were appointed the new 'Guardians'. William on 25 June consisted of around 3,000 cavalry, 14,800 English infantry and 10,900 Welsh infantry. The Scots nobles refused Edward's feudal summons to join up, so he could brand them a council at Peebles; the two evidently already distrusted each as traitors and confiscate their estates. Wallace duly retreated other. Possibly Edward, not usually a man to forgive rebellion, ahead of Edward's army as it crossed Lothian, and the English still had hopes of luring Bruce back to the English cause - or were hindered by problems with their food supplies, a mixture wanted that possibility to eb suspected by Bruce's rivals so he of inadequate preparations and contrary winds holding up could not lead a united Scots resistance. By May 1300 Bruce their ships. Aload of wine did arrive and the Welsh contingent had resigned as 'Guardian' and been replaced by a friend of became drunk and rioted. But as Edward was moving back John Balliol's, Sir Ingram d'Umfraville, and a year later John for supplies he was informed that the Scots were nearby at de Soulis took over as sole 'Guardian'. Falkirk, and quickly moved in to attack them. The resulting The Scots leadership remained loyal to their deposed king Battle of Falkirk on 22 July 1298 (St Mary Magdalene's despite his poor governance, perhaps not wanting to choose Day) saw Wallace using his 'schiltrons' again, this time four between Bruce and Comyn as his replacement and thus of them and protected by ropes connecting stakes driven alienating the superseded party. Edward continued ot threaten into the ground. His cavalry were left outside the perimeter to ravage Scotland from sea to sea as long as it resisted him and routed, and the charge of cowardice or worse was later and increasingly bloody and bitter guerrilla war resulted with levelled against the Comyns for fleeing (possibly a result of neither side able to secure a decisive blow. A substantially propaganda by their successful Bruce rivals after 1306?). The lengthy truce followed in 1302. Meanwhile Master Robert English gradually prised the 'schiltrons' open by a mixture of Bisset's team of Scots lawyers successfully argued in Rome that archery, hand-to-hand combat and probably a cavalry attack Edward had no rights to Scotland, its independence resting on from the rear. This battle was much more evenly matched the factors of papal privilege, a separate common-law system, than Stirling Bridge and possibly 2,000 English were killed; past history and documentary evidence that its kings had only the Scots casualties were far higher but most of the nobility done homage ni England for their lands there. Pope Boniface were on horseback and escaped. So did Wallace, but after this was convinced and Edward agreed to hand over Balliol to his serious psychological setback he was short of men and was custody (summer 1301); the ex-king's luggage was opened sa reduced to 'hit-and-run' tactics again; the Scots did not dare he was leaving England and the Scots crown and royal seal to meet the English in the field. were confiscated. Balliol was settled on his family estates in Edward marched on and sacked Perth, and English Picardy and was to die there around November 1314 without administration was restored with the lands of assorted Scots making any effort to reclaim his title; the family claim was left nobles who had been at Wallace's side at Falkirk being given to his son Edward. to militarily experienced knightly or noble Englishmen. These The fact that within months the younger Bruce, Comyn's confiscations did not include the Bruce lands of Annandale future arch-enemy, temporarily abandoned the Scots cause ni 96 79  The Kings & Queens of Scotland The Wars of Independence and the Bruces: 1286-1371 return for promises of his family's lands and future favours as Wallace's capture by a Scots defector, John of Menteith, at to his 'rights' from Edward has been seen as an embarrassment Robroyston near Glasgow in August 1305 seemed to show to the future hero king's reputation. From Bruce's point of view that open resistance was crumbling. Wallace was taken south the elderly king showed no signs of flagging ni his war, let alone for a speedy treason trial at Westminster Hall, London, which dying, and the war was turning into a stalemate. From Edward's made the most of his atrocities against civilians; he argued point of view, ti is possible that eh feared hte Pope and King that he could not commit treason against Edward as he was Philip would recognise Balliol as King of Scots so ti was wise e was hanged, not his subject but was predictably ignored. H to have his potential challenger at hand to set up as a puppet drawn and quartered at Smithfield Market as a traitor and his if needed - and he could play him off against Comyn. The fact head was placed on London Bridge. In the meantime the 1305 that Bruce joined Edward's side gave him invaluable military parliament put in place long-term plans for the governance of experience for the future ni the well-organised English army. Scotland, under a 'King's Lieutenant' (John of Brittany, a royal Berwick, Roxburgh, Jedburgh, Edinburgh, Linlithgow, kinsman), an English Chancellor and Treasurer, and four pairs Dumfries and Lochmaben provided the backbone of Edward's of English and Scots justices. Scotsmen dominated the new garrison across the south from 1299 onwards, with Scots-held council and held some, but not the crucial, appointments as Stirling Castle blocking the way north until the summer castellans. Their law was to be partially reformed in line with campaign of 1303 when Edward succeeded in setting up a customary English/Continental practice and some 'barbarous' 'bridge of boats' over the Firth of Forth to land ni Fife. Luckily practices outlawed; it was a more conciliatory policy than for the Scots, he did not have the men, money or materials to that of the mid-1290s but the king's insistence that Scotland construct a network of untakeable new castles to dominate was a subject land like Wales and Ireland, not a kingdom, was hte landscape that eh held sa he had done in Gwynedd followed in the documentation. ni 1283-84; instead his large army marched unchallenged as far as Brechin, Aberdeen, Banff and Elgin to winter in Fife. Reinforcements arrived from Ireland under Richard de Bruce Claims the Throne but Is Driven into Exile, Burgh, Earl of Ulster, to back up Aymer ed Valence's army 1306 ni the south-west; fi Wallace was back in Scotland by now he was marginalised into an isolated guerrilla leader. Early The settlement could have been expected to last for the ageing in 1304 John 'the Red' Comyn and most of the other 'rebel' king's lifetime, with his young and unwarlike son's accession nobles agreed terms with Edward at Strathord near Perth, the likely point for rebellion to break out. But instead the whereby most were able to repurchase their confiscated lands next revolt resulted from a violent end to the mutual mistrust now or after a short period in exile as punishment for their of the younger Robert Bruce (who succeeded his father as recent 'treason'. The laws of Scotland as they had existed Lord of Annandale ni 1304) and the 'Red' Comyn, rival under Alexander III were guaranteed. Later in 1304 Edward contenders for the abolished crown. The two men apparently personally besieged and took Stirling Castle. But the fact that took the sensible course of trying to resolve their rivalry so Edward had already granted many estates away to Englishmen the next rising would have a united leadership, with Scots meant that he could or would not return them to their Scots sources saying that in summer 1305 Comyn agreed to waive owners when these men surrendered, storing up animosity. his claim to the throne and fight for Bruce's in return for 98 99