[ Return to Index ] [ Read Prev Msg ] [ Read Next Msg ] People of Note - Obituaries GenealogyBuff.com - Robert the Bruce, Scottish King Posted By: GenealogyBuff.com Date: Sunday, 4 September 2016, at 7:14 p.m. System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC! Robert the Bruce, Scottish King Bruce was descended from ancestors in Brix, in Flanders. In 1124, King David I granted the massive estates of Annandale to his follower, Robert de Brus, in order to secure the border. The name, Robert, was very common in the family. Born in 1274, Bruce was the grandson of another Robert Bruce, the failed claimant of the Scottish crown in 1290/2, and the son of yet another Robert Bruce. His mother, Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, brought him an ancient Gaelic lineage. Descended from the Gaelic Earls of Carrick, she was a formidable operator who apparently held Bruce’s father captive after he returned from crusade, refusing to release him until he agreed to marry her. Brought up at Turnberry Castle, Bruce was a product of his lineage, speaking Gaelic, Scots and Norman French. In 1295 he became Earl of Carrick and was no doubt convinced of his families entitlement to Scotland’s crown. Robert Bruce’s struggle for the Scottish crown wasn’t entirely an enterprise born of patriotism, and, although no doubt his attitude changed over the years, Bruce’s motives do appear to be slightly more self-serving than that. The ascension of his family to royalty seemed more central to his long-term plans than Scottish liberation from English rule. Both Bruce and his father supported Edward I’s invasion of Scotland in 1296, hoping to gain the crown after Balliol’s fall. They were understandably disappointed when Edward proceeded to install himself as king. Through war and finally politics, Bruce succeeded in his goal of becoming King of Scotland. He turned out to be a natural guerrilla commander, winning victories against the English at Glen Trool and Loudon Hill. In 1308 he defeated the Comyn faction at Inverurie and took Aberdeen, establishing control over the Kingdom north of Perth and Dundee. Other military victories followed. On the diplomatic front, the Scots appealed to the papacy through the famous 'Declaration of Arbroath', but to no avail. The papacy ignored the Declaration and English recognition wasn’t forthcoming. Bruce, by now quite ill with a form of leprosy, accepted a 13 year truce with Edward II in the knowledge he would surely die before its end. However, in 1328 England fell into crisis after the deposition and murder of Edward II. Seizing the moment, Bruce launched an invasion of northern England, threatening to annex it to Scotland. His challenge couldn’t be ignored and the Edward III’s government was forced to recognise Bruce’s kingship and Scotland’s independence. A year later, Bruce died at age 53. USA Yearbooks by State and County [ Return to Index ] [ Read Prev Msg ] [ Read Next Msg ] People of Note - Obituaries is maintained by GenealogyBuff with WebBBS 5.12.

United States Newspaper Directory Counties of the United States Cities of the United States