Robert the Bruce was born
in Turnberry, Scotland, in 1274. He inherited
the title Earl of Carrick and in 1296 swore fealty to Edward
I. However, in
1297 he joined the Scottish revolt under William
Wallace and was appointed one of the four guardians of Scotland.
In 1306 Bruce was crowned
king of Scotland. After being defeated by the English army at Methven
in 1306 he was forced to flee to Raithlin Island off the north coast
of Ireland.
Bruce returned to Scotland
and defeated an English army at Loudoun in May 1307. Two years later
Bruce was strong enough to hold his first parliament at St. Andrews.
A series of military victories between 1310 and 1314 won Bruce control
of northern Scotland. He also captured the castles of Edinburgh and
Roxburgh.
In the summer Bruce besieged
Stirling Castle. Stirling was the last castle still left in English
control, and Edward
II decided that
every effort should be made to stop it being captured by Bruce. Edward
therefore decided to take the largest army that had ever left England,
to save the castle.
Scotland's army was not
only outnumbered but lacked the experience of Edward's troops. Edward
also had a large number of armoured knights
and longbowmen, the two most effective
forces in medieval warfare. Bruce, on the other hand, had very few
of either and instead had to rely heavily on spearmen.
Bruce made no attempt
to stop Edward's large army from entering Scotland. He decided that
his best hope was to force the English to fight on territory that
best suited his limited resources. Bruce chose a site only two and
half miles south of Stirling, by a stream called Bannockburn.
The Scots took the high ground and, if the English were to attack,
they had to advance on a narrow front between marshland and a thick
wood.
The English advance guard
arrived at Bannockburn on the 23rd June. Sir Henry Bohun, the leader
of the English party, recognised Robert Bruce. After fixing his lance,
Bohun charged the Scottish king. Bruce darted out of the way of the
lance and killed Bohun with a blow from his axe.
The main English army arrived
on 24th June. Gilbert, 10th Earl de Clare,
who had brought 500 of his own knights with him, advised Edward to
allow the men to rest for a day. Edward disagreed and accused Gilbert
of being afraid of the Scots. Gilbert was stung by these comments
and immediately ordered his men to attack. Gilbert gallantly led the
charge but his horse was cut down and while he was on the ground he
was killed by Scottish spearmen.
However, while the English
knights were assembling, Scottish spearmen, who had been hiding in
the woodland, launched an attack. The English knights, still not organised
into battle order, were forced to retreat.
The English archers were
called forward but before they could take effective action they were
charged by the Scottish knights. After large numbers were killed the
archers were also forced to retreat.
Edward now decided to
use his knights to charge the Scottish position at the top of the
hill. As the English knights were forced to attack on a narrow front,
the Scottish spearmen were able to block their advance. English archers
tried to help, but as both armies were crushed together their arrows
were just as likely to hit their own men as the Scots.
Suddenly, English soldiers
started to turn and run. Others followed and soon the English army
was in retreat. The Scots charged after them. Many of the English
knights were able to escape but those without horses, such as the
spearmen and archers, suffered very heavy casualties.
The battle of Bannockburn
was the worst defeat in English history. While what was left of the
English army tried to get back home, the Scots were able to take Stirling
Castle.
Bruce was now able to launch
attacks on northern England and Berwick was captured in 1318. The
Declaration of Arbroath was issued in 1320 and three years later Pope
John XXII recognised Robert the Bruce as king of Scotland.
Robert the Bruce took advantage
of the accession of the young Edward
III to force
the English monarchy to accept the Treaty of Northampton which secured
Scottish independence. Robert the Bruce died in 1329.
The
Normans: Classroom Activities
(1)
In his book. The Bruce, John Barbour, described how five English
knights attacked Robert Bruce and his squire (c. 1375)
Three of them went at King Robert, and the other two... made
at his man. King Robert met the three and dealt such a blow at the
first that he sheared through ear and cheek and neck to the shoulder...
With that the King Robert glanced aside and saw the other two making
a sturdy attack against his man. He left his own two and leapt on
the other two and smote off the head of one of them... though he had
a struggle. King Robert killed four of his foes.
(2)
John Fordun, Chronicle of the People of Scotland (c. 1383)
Robert Bruce triumphed
single handed over all the ill-luck and numberless problems he had
to face... With the Lord's help, by his own strength and by his human
manhood he cut fearlessly his way into the columns of the enemy...
in the art of fighting... Robert was the best in the world.
(3)
In 1307 a Scottish lord who opposed Robert Bruce, wrote a letter to
the English court.
For the first time it appears
that God is openly for Robert Bruce, for he has destroyed all King
Edward's power... the Scottish people firmly believe that Robert Bruce
will win... Preachers are deceiving the people by their false preachings.
For they have told them that they have found a prophecy of Merlin
that the Scottish people and the Welsh shall band together and have
the power to live together in peace until the end of the world.
(4)
Monk of Malmesbury, King Edward II (c. 1325)
Robert Bruce's men, who
had been concealed in caves and in woodlands, made a heavy attack
on our men... For Robert Bruce, knowing himself unequal to the King
of England in strength/ decided that it would be better to resist
our King by secret warfare rather than in open battle.
(5)
In 1315 Robert Bruce sent envoys with a message to the people of Ireland.
Our people and your people..,
share the same ancestry... We have sent over to you the bearers of
this letter, to negotiate with you about permanently strengthening
and maintaining the special relationship between us and you.
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