Robert II of Scotland
Encyclopedia
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart
, hereditary High Steward of Scotland
and of Marjorie Bruce
, daughter of Robert I
and of his first wife Isabella of Mar
. (The marriage of princess Marjorie took place in 1315, making Robert's probable birth date early in 1316.)
Robert I had made his brother Edward
his heir ahead of Marjorie, but following Edward's death without issue on 3 December 1318 at the Battle of Dundalk in Ireland, Robert Stewart became heir presumptive to his grandfather. His mother Marjorie died in 1317 following a fall from a horse. Robert Stewart's rights as heir to the throne lapsed on the birth of a son, afterwards David II
, to Robert I and his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh
on 5 March 1324.
Robert Stewart became High Steward following his father's death on 9 April 1326, and the parliament held in July 1326 confirmed him as heir presumptive should Prince David die without issue. In 1329 Robert I died and the six year-old David succeeded him on the throne. Sir Thomas Randolph, earl of Moray became the designated Guardian of Scotland, and the young Steward passed into the care of his uncle Sir James Stewart of Durrisdeer.
Edward Balliol
, son of King John Balliol, assisted by English and Scottish nobles disinherited by Robert I, invaded Scotland and he and his supporters inflicted heavy defeats on the Bruce party at Dupplin Moor
on 11 August 1332 and at Halidon Hill
on 10 July 1333. The Steward fought at Halidon, where his uncle, Sir James Stewart, was killed. Following this battle, Balliol provided his supporter David Strathbogie, the titular earl of Atholl, with the Steward's lands and estates in the west, forcing Robert to escape to the fortress of Dumbarton Castle
on the Clyde estuary, which also sheltered David II. In May 1334 David II escaped to France - leaving the Steward and John Randolph
, earl of Moray as joint guardians of the kingdom. The Steward succeeded in regaining his lands, but his relationship with Randolph disintegrated. Randolph was taken prisoner by the English in July 1335 and in September the Steward's possessions were once again targeted by Edward III
's forces. This may have caused the Steward to submit to Edward Balliol and the English king—he certainly was no longer guardian of the kingdom by September 1335. Robert who had lost his position to Sir Andrew Murray
of Bothwell, was once again guardian following Murray's death in 1338 and retained the office until David II returned from France in June 1341. The Steward accompanied David II into battle at Neville's Cross
on 17 October 1346 but he and Patrick Dunbar, earl of March escaped or fled the field while David was taken prisoner.
The Steward married Elizabeth Mure
c.1348, legitimising his four sons and five daughters. His subsequent marriage to Euphemia de Ross
in 1355 produced two sons and two surviving daughters and became the basis of a dispute as to the line of succession.
Robert joined a rebellion against David in 1363, but submitted to him under threat that any further defiance would mean the end of his rights in the line of succession. In 1364 the Scots Parliament dismissed David's proposal to write off the remaining amounts due to England under the terms of his ransom in return for naming a Plantagenet as his heir should he remain childless. On David's unexpected death in 1371, Robert succeeded to the throne at the age of 55. The English still controlled large sectors in the Lothians and in the border country
. Robert II allowed his southern earls to engage in conflicts in the English zones to regain their territories, halted trade with England and renewed treaties with France. By 1384 the Scots had re-taken most of the foreign-occupied lands, but following an Anglo-French truce, Robert proved reluctant to commit Scotland to all-out war and obtained inclusion in the peace talks being conducted by England and France. Following a palace coup in 1384 he lost control of the country, first to his eldest son, John
, Earl of Carrick
, afterwards King Robert III, and then from 1388 to John's younger brother, Robert
, Earl of Fife
, afterwards 1st Duke of Albany
. Robert II died in Dundonald Castle
in 1390 and lies buried at Scone Abbey
.
, Clydeside, and in Renfrew
. In 1315 a parliament passed an entail
which removed Marjorie's right as heir in favour of that of her uncle Edward Bruce. Edward died at the Battle of Faughart
, near Dundalk
on 14 October 1318 resulting in a hastily arranged parliament in December to enact a new entail endowing the right of succession to Marjorie's son should the king die without issue. The birth of a son, afterwards David II
, to Robert I on 5 March 1324 negated Robert Stewart's position as heir presumptive, but a parliament at Cambuskenneth
in July 1326 restored him in the line of succession. This reinstatement of his status as heir was also accompanied by the gift of lands in Argyll, Roxburghshire and the Lothians.
Walter Stewart died on 9 April 1327 and the care for the orphaned 11-year-old Steward passed to his uncle, Sir James Stewart of Durrisdeer. David II, aged 5, came to the throne on 7 June 1329 on the death of his father with Thomas Randolph, earl of Moray, Sir James Stewart of Durrisdeer and William Lindsey, Archdeacon of St Andrews
appointed as joint Guardians of the kingdom. David's accession to the crown kindled the second stage of the fight for independence and threatened the Steward's position as heir should a Balliol
kingship emerge. King Edward III of England
together with "the disinherited", supported Edward Balliol
's claim to the Scottish throne. Balliol's forces delivered heavy defeats on the Bruce supporters at Dupplin Moor
on 11 August 1332 and again at Halidon Hill
on 19 July 1333, at which the 17-year-old Robert the Steward participated. The Steward's estates were overrun by Balliol, who granted them to David Strathbogie, titular earl of Atholl
but Robert evaded capture and sought protection at Dumbarton Castle
where King David was also taking refuge. Very few other strongholds remained in Scottish hands in the winter of 1333—only the castles of Kildrummy
held by Andrew Murray
's wife Christian Bruce, Loch Leven
, Loch Doon
, and Urquhart
held out against the Balliol party.
In May 1334, Scotland's situation looked dire, and David II went into safety in France. Robert the Steward who had been made joint Guardian along with John Randolph, earl of Moray, set about winning his lands back in the west of Scotland. Strathbogie came over to the Bruce interest after coming under pressure from 'the disinherited' but was fervently opposed to Randolph.
This antagonism came to a head at a parliament held at Dairsie Castle in early 1335, at which Strathbogie managed to get the Steward to side with him against Randolph. Strathbogie submitted to the English king in August and was made Warden of Scotland. It seems that Strathbogie may have persuaded Robert the Steward to consider submitting to Edward and Balliol—Sir Thomas Gray
, in his Scalacronica
claimed that he had actually done so—but Robert did relinquish his position as Guardian around this time. The Bruce resistance to Balliol may have been verging on collapse in 1335 but a turn-round in the Scots' fortunes began with the appearance of Andrew Murray
of Bothwell as a potent war leader at the Battle of Culblean
. Murray had been captured in 1332, ransomed himself in 1334 and immediately sped north to lay siege to Dundarg Castle
in Buchan held by Sir Henry de Beaumont
—the castle fell to Murray on 23 December 1334. Murray was appointed Guardian at Dunfermline during the winter of 1335–6 while he was besieging Cupar Castle in Fife. He died at his castle in Avoch
in 1338 and Robert the Steward resumed the Guardianship. Murray's campaign put an end to any chance of Edward III having full lasting control over the south of Scotland and the failure of the six month siege of Dunbar Castle
confirmed this. Balliol lost many of his major supporters to the Bruce side and the main English garrisons began to fall to the Scots—Cupar in the spring or summer of 1339, Perth
taken by the Steward also in 1339 and Edinburgh
by William Douglas in April 1341
John Randolph, released from English custody in a prisoner-exchange in 1341, visited David II in Normandy
before returning to Scotland. Just as Randolph was a favourite of the king, David II mistrusted the Steward with his positions of heir presumptive and Guardian of Scotland. At the beginning of June 1341 the kingdom appeared sufficiently stable to allow the king to return to the country. His return was to a land where his nobles, while fighting for the Bruce cause, had considerably increased their own power bases. On the 17 October 1346, the Steward accompanied David into battle at Neville's Cross
, where many Scottish nobles including Randolph, died—David II was wounded and captured while the Steward and Patrick, earl of March had apparently fled the field.
of his children by petitioning Pope Clement VI
to allow a canon-law
marriage to Elizabeth Mure which was granted on 22 November. Even though an English prisoner, David retained influence in Scotland and Robert had his Guardianship removed by parliament and given jointly to the earls of Mar and Ross and the lord of Douglas—this did not last and the Steward once was again Guardian before the parliament of February 1352. The paroled David II attended this parliament to present to the Steward and the members of the Three Estates the terms for his release. These contained no ransom demand, but required the Scots to name the English prince John of Gaunt as heir presumptive. The Council rejected these terms, with Robert the Steward as a main opponent of the proposal threatening as it did his right of succession. The king had no option but to return to captivity in England. The English chronicler Henry Knighton recorded: By 1354 ongoing negotiations on the king's release reached the stage where a proposal of a straight ransom payment of 90,000 merks to be repaid over nine years, guaranteed by the provision of 20 high-ranking hostages, was agreed—this understanding was destroyed by the Steward when he bound the Scots to a French action against the English in 1355. The capture of Berwick together with the presence of the French on English soil jolted Edward III into moving against the Scots—in January 1356 Edward led his forces into the south-east of Scotland and burned Edinburgh
and Haddington
and much of the Lothians in a campaign that became known as the 'Burnt Candlemas'. After Edward's victory over France in September, the Scots resumed negotiations for David's release ending in October 1357 with the Treaty of Berwick
. Its terms were that in turn for David's freedom, a ransom of 100,000 merks would be paid in annual installments over ten years—only the first two payments were completed initially and nothing further until 1366. This failure to honour the terms of the Berwick treaty allowed Edward to continue to press for a Plantagenet
successor to David—terms that were totally rejected by the Scottish council and probably by the Steward himself. This may have been the cause of a brief rebellion in 1363 by the Steward and the earls of Douglas and March. Later French inducements couldn't bring David to their aid and the country remained at peace with England until he unexpectedly died on 21 February 1371.
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David was buried at Holyrood almost immediately but an armed protest by William
, Earl of Douglas
prevented Robert II's coronation until 26 March 1371. The reasons for the incident remain unclear but may have involved a dispute regarding Robert's right of succession or may have been directed against the southern Justiciar, Robert Erskine and the Dunbar earls. It was resolved by Robert giving his daughter Isabella in marriage to Douglas's son, James and with William replacing Erskine as Justicier south of the Forth. After Robert's accession, there was no mass cull of David II's favourites and appointees but there were casualties—the brothers, Sir Robert and Sir Thomas Erskine and John Dunbar were to lose their Bruce preferments and lesser personages fled into England.
The Stewart lands in the west and in Atholl grew in size: the earldoms of Fife and Menteith went to Robert II's second surviving son Robert, the earldoms of Buchan and Ross (along with the lordship of Badenoch) to his fourth son Alexander and the earldoms of Strathearn and Caithness to the eldest son of his second marriage, David. Importantly, King Robert's sons-in-law were John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, John Dunbar, earl of Moray and James
who would become the 2nd Earl of Douglas
. Robert's own sons, John
, earl of Carrick, the king's heir, and Robert
, earl of Fife, served as the keepers of the castles of Edinburgh
and Stirling
respectively, while Alexander
, Lord of Badenoch and Ross and afterwards Earl of Buchan
, became the king's Justiciar and lieutenant in the north of the Kingdom. This build-up of the Stewart family power did not appear to cause resentment among the senior magnates—the king generally did not threaten their territories or local rule and where titles were transferred to his sons the individuals affected were usually very well rewarded. This style of kingship was very different from his predecessor's—David tried to dominate his nobles whereas Robert's strategy was to delegate authority to his powerful sons and earls and this, on the whole, worked for the first decade of his reign. Robert II was to have influence over eight of the 15 earldoms either through his sons directly or by strategic marriages of his daughters to powerful lords.
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Robert became King of Scots in 1371, and in 1373 he ensured the future security of his Stewart dynasty by having parliament pass succession entailments which defined the manner by which each of his sons could inherit the crown. By 1375, the king had commissioned John Barbour to write the poem, The Brus
, a history intended to bolster the public image of the Stewarts as the genuine heirs of Robert I. It described the patriotic acts of both Sir James, the Black Douglas
and Walter the Steward, the king's father, in their support of Bruce. Robert II's rule during the 1370s saw the country's finances stabilised and greatly improved thanks in part to the flourishing wool trade, reduced calls on the public purse and then by the halting of his predecessor's ransom money on the death of Edward III of England. Robert II—unlike David II whose kingship was predominantly Lothian and therefore lowland based—was to be found following the hunt in many places in the north and west of the kingdom among his Gaelic patricians.
Robert II ruled over a country that continued to have English enclaves within its borders and Scots who gave their allegiance to the king of England—the important castles of Berwick, Jedburgh, Lochmaben and Roxburgh had English garrisons and controlled southern Berwickshire, Teviotdale and large areas in Annandale and Tweeddale. In June 1371 Robert agreed to a defensive treaty with the French, and although there were no outright hostilities during 1372, the English garrisons were reinforced and placed under an increased state of vigilance. Attacks on the English held zones, with the near certain backing of Robert, began in 1373 and accelerated in the years 1375–7 in the period leading up to Edward III's death indicating that a central decision had probably been taken for the escalation of conflict rather than the freebooting actions of the border barons. In 1376 the Earl of March
successfully recovered Annandale but then found himself constrained by the Bruges
Anglo-French truce.
In his dealings with Edward III, Robert blamed his out-of-control border magnates for the attacks on the English zones but regardless of this the Scots retained the recaptured lands, which were often portioned out among minor lords, so securing their interest in preventing English re-possession. Despite Robert's further condemnations of his border lords, all the signs were that Robert backed the growing successful Scottish militancy following Edward III's death in 1377. In a charter dated 25 July 1378 the king decreed that Coldingham Priory
would no longer be a daughter house of the English Durham Priory but was to be attached to Dunfermline Abbey
. Seemingly, the Scots were unaware of an Anglo-French truce agreed on 26 January 1384 and conducted an all-out attack on the English zones early in February winning back Lochmaben Castle and Teviotdale. John of Gaunt led a reciprocal English attack that took him as far as Edinburgh where he was bought off by the burgesses but destroyed Haddington. Carrick and James, earl of Douglas—his father had died in April— wanted a retaliatory strike for the Gaunt raid. Robert II may have concluded that as the French had reneged on a previous agreement to send assistance in 1383 and then having entered into a truce with England, that any military action would have been met with retaliation and exclusion from the forth-coming Boulogne peace talks. On 2 June 1384, Robert resolved to send Walter Wardlaw
, Bishop of Glasgow to the Anglo-French peace talks yet Carrick ignored this and allowed raids into the north of England to take place. Despite this by 26 July the Scots were part of the truce that would expire in October. Robert called a council in September probably for working out how to proceed when the truce concluded and to decide how the war was to proceed thereafter.
John, earl of Carrick, had become the foremost Stewart magnate south of the Forth just as Alexander, earl of Buchan was in the north. Alexander's activities and methods of royal administration, enforced by Gaelic mercenaries, drew criticism from northern earls and bishops and from his half-brother David, earl of Strathearn
. These complaints aired in the general council together with Robert II's seeming inability to curb his son damaged his standing within the council. Robert II's differences with the Carrick affinity regarding the conduct of the war and his inability or unwillingness to deal with Buchan in the north led to the political convulsion of November 1384 when a council removed the king's authority to govern and appointed Carrick as lieutenant of the kingdom—a coup d’état had taken place. With Robert II sidelined, there was now no impediment in the way of war and by June 1385, a force of 1200 French soldiers had joined the Scots in a campaign involving Carrick, Douglas and Robert, earl of Fife. The foray saw small gains but a quarrel between the French and Scottish commanders saw the abandonment of an attack on the important castle of Roxburgh.
The victory of the Scots over the English at the Battle of Otterburn
in Northumberland
in August 1388 set in motion Carrick's fall from power. One of the Scottish casualties was Carrick's close ally James, earl of Douglas. Douglas died without an heir, which led to various claims upon the title and estate—Carrick backed Malcolm Drummond, the husband of Douglas's sister, while Fife sided with the successful appellant, Sir Archibald Douglas, lord of Galloway who possessed an entail on the Douglas estates. Fife, now with his powerful Douglas ally, and those who supported the king ensured a counter-coup at the December council meeting when the guardianship of Scotland passed from Carrick to Fife. Many had also approved of Fife's intention to properly resolve the situation of lawlessness in the north and in particular the activities of his younger brother, Buchan. Fife relieved Buchan of his offices of lieutenant of the north and justiciar north of the Forth—the latter role was given to Fife's son, Murdoch Stewart. Robert II toured the north-east of the kingdom in late January 1390 perhaps to reinforce the changed political scene in the north following Buchan's removal from authority. In March, Robert returned to Dundonald Castle
in Ayrshire where he died on 19 April and was buried at Scone on 25 April.
The direct Stewart line ruled Scotland through to Mary, Queen of Scots. Her son James VI of Scotland was descended in the male line from John Stewart of Bonkyll, second son of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland
, thus uniting the lineages descended from two of Alexander's sons.
Two of Robert II's sons fathered lineages which continue today. Through his son Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, Robert II is the direct ancestor of the Earl Castle Stewart
and Stewart of Balquhidder lineages. Through another son, Sir John Stewart of Bute, he is also the direct ancestor of the Marquess of Bute
line.
and Ranald Nicholson. Donaldson admits to a paucity of knowledge (at the time that he was writing) regarding Robert's reign and accepts that the early chroniclers writing near to his reign found little to criticise. Robert's career before and after he succeeded to the throne is described by Donaldson as "to say the least, undistinguished, and his reign did nothing to add lustre to it." Donaldson goes further and debates the legality of the canon law marriage of Robert and Elizabeth Mure following the papal dispensation but acknowledges that the acts of succession in 1371 and 1372 although sealing the matter in the eyes of parliament did not end the generational feud of the descendants of Elizabeth Mure and of those of Euphemia Ross. Robert's earlier participation in combat at the battles of Halidon and Neville's Cross, according to Donaldson, had made him wary of sanctioning military expeditions against the English and that any such actions by his barons were concealed from him. Similarly, Nicholson described Robert's reign as deficient and that his lack of the skills of governance led to internal strife. Nicholson asserts that the earl of Douglas was bought off following his armed demonstration just before Robert's coronation and associates this with the doubt surrounding the legitimacy of Robert's sons with Elizabeth Mure.
In contrast, the historians Stephen Boardman, Alexander Grant and Michael Lynch give a more even-handed appraisal of Robert II's life. Grant describes Robert II's reign in terms of foreign and domestic policy as being "not so unsuccessful". As far as the Douglas incident is concerned, Grant does not hold to the view that Douglas was in some way demonstrating against Robert's legitimate right to the throne but more an assertion that royal patronage should not continue as in the time of David II—Grant also advocates that the demonstration was aimed at father and son Robert and Thomas Erskine who held the castles of Edinburgh, Stirling and Dumbarton from Robert's predecessor.
Modern historians show a kingdom that had become wealthier and more stable particularly during the first decade of his rule. Boardman explains that Robert II was subjected to negative propaganda while he was High Steward—David II's followers denigrated his conduct during his lieutenancies and described them as "tyranny"—and again later as king when the supporters of his son John, earl of Carrick said that Robert was a king lacking drive and accomplishments, weighed down by age and unfit to govern. Robert II's association with Gaelic Scotland also drew criticism. He grew up in his ancestral lands in the west and was completely at ease with the Gaelic language and culture and possessed a potent relationship with the Gaelic lords in the Hebrides, upper Perthshire and Argyll. Throughout his reign, Robert spent long periods in his Gaelic heartlands and complaints at the time in Lowland Scotland
seem to have been influenced by the view that the king was too much involved in Gaelic concerns. Boardman also asserts that much of the negative views held of Robert II find their origins in the writings of the French chronicler Jean Froissart
who recorded that '[the king] had red bleared eyes, of the colour of sandalwood, which clearly showed that he was no valiant man, but one who would remain at home than march to the field' . Contrary to Froissart's view, Scottish chroniclers—Andrew of Wyntoun
and Walter Bower
(who both utilised a source that was nearly contemporaneous with Robert II) and later 15th and 16th century Scottish chroniclers and poets—showed "Robert II as a Scottish patriotic hero, a defender of the integrity of the Scottish kingdom, and as the direct heir to Robert I".
Grant seriously called into question the dependability of Froissart's writings as an effective source for Robert II's reign. Influential magnate coalitions headed by Carrick, having undermined the king's position, manipulated the council of November 1384 to effectively oust Robert II from any real power. Grant gives little weight to the asserted senility of Robert and suggests that the deposition of Carrick in 1388 and then the resolution to join the Anglo-French truce of 1389 were both at the instigation of Robert II. Yet power was not handed back to Robert II but to Carrick's younger brother, Robert, earl of Fife which once again saw the king at the disposition of one of his sons. Despite this, the now unknown source whom both Wyntoun and Bower relied on made the point that Fife deferred to his father on affairs of state emphasising the difference in styles in the guardianships of his two sons.
Michael Lynch points out that Robert II's reign from 1371 until the lieutenancy of Carrick in 1384 had been one exemplified by continued prosperity and stability and which Abbot Bower described as a period of "tranquility, prosperity and peace". Lynch suggests that the troubles of the 1450s between James II
and the Douglases which have been interpreted by some historians as the legacy of Robert II's policy of encouraging powerful lordships was in fact a continuation of David II's build up of local lords in the marches and Galloway and who was satisfied to leave alone the Douglases and the Stewarts in their fiefdoms. The weakening of government if anything, Lynch suggests, came not before the 1384 coup but after it despite the fact that the coup had at its root Robert II's favouring of his third son, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan (known as the Wolf of Badenoch).
Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland
Walter Stewart was the 6th hereditary High Steward of Scotland. He was also the father of King Robert II of Scotland.-Biography:...
, hereditary High Steward of Scotland
High Steward of Scotland
The title of High Steward or Great Steward was given in the 12th century to Walter Fitzalan, whose descendants became the House of Stewart. In 1371, the last High Steward inherited the throne, and thereafter the title of High Steward of Scotland has been held as a subsidiary title to that of Duke...
and of Marjorie Bruce
Marjorie Bruce
Marjorie Bruce or Marjorie de Brus was the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots by his first wife, Isabella of Mar, and the founder of the Stewart dynasty. Her marriage to Walter, High Steward of Scotland gave rise to the House of Stewart...
, daughter of Robert I
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
and of his first wife Isabella of Mar
Isabella of Mar
Isabella of Mar was the first wife of Robert the Bruce and the grandmother of Robert II of Scotland, founder of the royal House of Stuart...
. (The marriage of princess Marjorie took place in 1315, making Robert's probable birth date early in 1316.)
Robert I had made his brother Edward
Edward Bruce
Edward the Bruce , sometimes modernised Edward of Bruce, was a younger brother of King Robert I of Scotland, who supported his brother in the struggle for the crown of Scotland, then pursued his own claim in Ireland. He was proclaimed High King of Ireland, but was eventually defeated and killed in...
his heir ahead of Marjorie, but following Edward's death without issue on 3 December 1318 at the Battle of Dundalk in Ireland, Robert Stewart became heir presumptive to his grandfather. His mother Marjorie died in 1317 following a fall from a horse. Robert Stewart's rights as heir to the throne lapsed on the birth of a son, afterwards David II
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
, to Robert I and his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh
Elizabeth de Burgh
Elizabeth de Burgh was the second wife and the only queen consort of King Robert I of Scotland.-Life:She was born in Dunfermline, Fife in Scotland, the daughter of the powerful Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and his wife Margarite de Burgh...
on 5 March 1324.
Robert Stewart became High Steward following his father's death on 9 April 1326, and the parliament held in July 1326 confirmed him as heir presumptive should Prince David die without issue. In 1329 Robert I died and the six year-old David succeeded him on the throne. Sir Thomas Randolph, earl of Moray became the designated Guardian of Scotland, and the young Steward passed into the care of his uncle Sir James Stewart of Durrisdeer.
Edward Balliol
Edward Balliol
Edward Balliol was a claimant to the Scottish throne . With English help, he briefly ruled the country from 1332 to 1336.-Life:...
, son of King John Balliol, assisted by English and Scottish nobles disinherited by Robert I, invaded Scotland and he and his supporters inflicted heavy defeats on the Bruce party at Dupplin Moor
Battle of Dupplin Moor
The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of the infant David II, the son of Robert the Bruce, and rebels supporting the Balliol claim in 1332. It was a significant battle of the Second War of Scottish Independence.-Background:...
on 11 August 1332 and at Halidon Hill
Battle of Halidon Hill
The Battle of Halidon Hill was fought during the Second War of Scottish Independence. Scottish forces under Sir Archibald Douglas were heavily defeated on unfavourable terrain while trying to relieve Berwick-upon-Tweed.-The Disinherited:...
on 10 July 1333. The Steward fought at Halidon, where his uncle, Sir James Stewart, was killed. Following this battle, Balliol provided his supporter David Strathbogie, the titular earl of Atholl, with the Steward's lands and estates in the west, forcing Robert to escape to the fortress of Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Great Britain. It overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton, and sits on a plug of volcanic basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high.-Iron Age:...
on the Clyde estuary, which also sheltered David II. In May 1334 David II escaped to France - leaving the Steward and John Randolph
John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray
John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray was an important figure in the reign of David II of Scotland, and was for a time joint Regent of Scotland.-Family:...
, earl of Moray as joint guardians of the kingdom. The Steward succeeded in regaining his lands, but his relationship with Randolph disintegrated. Randolph was taken prisoner by the English in July 1335 and in September the Steward's possessions were once again targeted by Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
's forces. This may have caused the Steward to submit to Edward Balliol and the English king—he certainly was no longer guardian of the kingdom by September 1335. Robert who had lost his position to Sir Andrew Murray
Sir Andrew Murray
Sir Andrew Murray , also known as Sir Andrew Moray or Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell, was a Scottish military leader who commanded resistance forces loyal to David II of Scotland against Edward Balliol and Edward III of England during the Second War of Scottish Independence...
of Bothwell, was once again guardian following Murray's death in 1338 and retained the office until David II returned from France in June 1341. The Steward accompanied David II into battle at Neville's Cross
Battle of Neville's Cross
The Battle of Neville's Cross took place to the west of Durham, England on 17 October 1346.-Background:In 1346, England was embroiled in the Hundred Years' War with France. In order to divert his enemy Philip VI of France appealed to David II of Scotland to attack the English from the north in...
on 17 October 1346 but he and Patrick Dunbar, earl of March escaped or fled the field while David was taken prisoner.
The Steward married Elizabeth Mure
Elizabeth Mure
Elizabeth Mure was mistress and then wife of Robert, High Steward of Scotland, and Guardian of Scotland , who later became King Robert II of Scotland.-History:...
c.1348, legitimising his four sons and five daughters. His subsequent marriage to Euphemia de Ross
Euphemia de Ross
Euphemia de Ross was the second wife and first Queen consort of Robert II of Scotland.She was a daughter of Aodh, Earl of Ross and Margaret de Graham, Hugh's 2nd wife and daughter of Sir David de Graham of Montrose. She first married John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray but the marriage was childless...
in 1355 produced two sons and two surviving daughters and became the basis of a dispute as to the line of succession.
Robert joined a rebellion against David in 1363, but submitted to him under threat that any further defiance would mean the end of his rights in the line of succession. In 1364 the Scots Parliament dismissed David's proposal to write off the remaining amounts due to England under the terms of his ransom in return for naming a Plantagenet as his heir should he remain childless. On David's unexpected death in 1371, Robert succeeded to the throne at the age of 55. The English still controlled large sectors in the Lothians and in the border country
Border Country
Border Country is a novel by Raymond Williams. The book was re-published in December 2005 as one of the first group of titles in the Library of Wales series, having been out of print for several years. Written in English, the novel was first published in 1960.It is set in rural South Wales, close...
. Robert II allowed his southern earls to engage in conflicts in the English zones to regain their territories, halted trade with England and renewed treaties with France. By 1384 the Scots had re-taken most of the foreign-occupied lands, but following an Anglo-French truce, Robert proved reluctant to commit Scotland to all-out war and obtained inclusion in the peace talks being conducted by England and France. Following a palace coup in 1384 he lost control of the country, first to his eldest son, John
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
, Earl of Carrick
Earl of Carrick
The Earl of Carrick was the head of a comital lordship of Carrick in southwestern Scotland. The title emerged in 1186, when Donnchad, son of Gille Brigte, Lord of Galloway, became Mormaer or Earl of Carrick in compensation for exclusion from the whole Lordship of Galloway...
, afterwards King Robert III, and then from 1388 to John's younger brother, Robert
Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany
Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany , a member of the Scottish royal house, served as Regent to three different Scottish monarchs...
, Earl of Fife
Earl of Fife
The Earl of Fife or Mormaer of Fife referred to the Gaelic comital lordship of Fife which existed in Scotland until the early 15th century....
, afterwards 1st Duke of Albany
Duke of Albany
Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the younger sons in the Scottish, and later the British, royal family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover....
. Robert II died in Dundonald Castle
Dundonald Castle
Dundonald Castle is situated on a hill overlooking the village of Dundonald, between Kilmarnock and Troon in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Dundonald Castle is a fortified tower house built for Robert II on his accession to the throne of Scotland in 1371 and it was used as a royal residence by the early...
in 1390 and lies buried at Scone Abbey
Scone Abbey
Scone Abbey was a house of Augustinian canons based at Scone, Perthshire , Scotland. Varying dates for the foundation have been given, but it was certainly founded between 1114 and 1122....
.
Heir presumptive
Robert Stewart, born in 1316, was the only child of Walter Stewart, High Steward of Scotland and King Robert I's daughter Marjorie Bruce, who died (probably in 1317) following a riding accident. He had the upbringing of a west-coast noble on the Stewart lands in ButeIsle of Bute
Bute is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Formerly part of the county of Buteshire, it now constitutes part of the council area of Argyll and Bute. Its resident population was 7,228 in April 2001.-Geography:...
, Clydeside, and in Renfrew
Renfrew
-Local government:The town of Renfrew gave its name to a number of local government areas used at various times:*Renfrew a town to the west of Glasgow*Renfrewshire, the present unitary local council area in which Renfrew is situatated....
. In 1315 a parliament passed an entail
Entail
Entail may refer to:* Fee tail, a term of art in common law describing a limited form of succession....
which removed Marjorie's right as heir in favour of that of her uncle Edward Bruce. Edward died at the Battle of Faughart
Battle of Faughart
The Battle of Faughart was fought on 14 October 1318 between a Hiberno-Norman force led by John de Bermingham and Edmund Butler, and a Scots-Irish army commanded by Edward Bruce, brother of Robert Bruce, king of Scotland. It was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence and more precisely...
, near Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
on 14 October 1318 resulting in a hastily arranged parliament in December to enact a new entail endowing the right of succession to Marjorie's son should the king die without issue. The birth of a son, afterwards David II
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
, to Robert I on 5 March 1324 negated Robert Stewart's position as heir presumptive, but a parliament at Cambuskenneth
Cambuskenneth
Cambuskenneth is a village in the city of Stirling, located in central Scotland. It has a population of 250 and is the site of the historic Cambuskenneth Abbey. It is situated by the River Forth and the only road access to the village is along Ladysneuk Road from Alloa Road in Causewayhead...
in July 1326 restored him in the line of succession. This reinstatement of his status as heir was also accompanied by the gift of lands in Argyll, Roxburghshire and the Lothians.
Renewed war
Archdeacon of St Andrews
The Archdeacon of St Andrews was the head of the Archdeaconry of St Andrews, a sub-division of the Diocese of St Andrews, from the twelfth to the seventeenth century...
appointed as joint Guardians of the kingdom. David's accession to the crown kindled the second stage of the fight for independence and threatened the Steward's position as heir should a Balliol
House of Balliol
The House of Balliol was a Picard and Anglo-Norman family who began to rule some estates in England in the reign of William Rufus. In the late 13th and 14th centuries, two members of the house were kings of Scotland....
kingship emerge. King Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
together with "the disinherited", supported Edward Balliol
Edward Balliol
Edward Balliol was a claimant to the Scottish throne . With English help, he briefly ruled the country from 1332 to 1336.-Life:...
's claim to the Scottish throne. Balliol's forces delivered heavy defeats on the Bruce supporters at Dupplin Moor
Battle of Dupplin Moor
The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of the infant David II, the son of Robert the Bruce, and rebels supporting the Balliol claim in 1332. It was a significant battle of the Second War of Scottish Independence.-Background:...
on 11 August 1332 and again at Halidon Hill
Battle of Halidon Hill
The Battle of Halidon Hill was fought during the Second War of Scottish Independence. Scottish forces under Sir Archibald Douglas were heavily defeated on unfavourable terrain while trying to relieve Berwick-upon-Tweed.-The Disinherited:...
on 19 July 1333, at which the 17-year-old Robert the Steward participated. The Steward's estates were overrun by Balliol, who granted them to David Strathbogie, titular earl of Atholl
David III Strathbogie, titular Earl of Atholl
David of Strathbogie was a 14th century Anglo-Scottish noble. He was born the son and heir of Sir David II Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, Constable of Scotland and Chief Warden of Northumberland, by his spouse Joan, elder daughter of Sir John Comyn of Badenoch, Joint Guardian of Scotland.This David...
but Robert evaded capture and sought protection at Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Great Britain. It overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton, and sits on a plug of volcanic basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high.-Iron Age:...
where King David was also taking refuge. Very few other strongholds remained in Scottish hands in the winter of 1333—only the castles of Kildrummy
Kildrummy Castle
Kildrummy Castle is a ruined castle near Kildrummy, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. Though ruined, it is one of the most extensive castles of 13th century date to survive in eastern Scotland, and was the seat of the Earls of Mar....
held by Andrew Murray
Sir Andrew Murray
Sir Andrew Murray , also known as Sir Andrew Moray or Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell, was a Scottish military leader who commanded resistance forces loyal to David II of Scotland against Edward Balliol and Edward III of England during the Second War of Scottish Independence...
's wife Christian Bruce, Loch Leven
Loch Leven Castle
Loch Leven Castle is a ruined castle on an island in Loch Leven, in the Perth and Kinross local authority area of Scotland. Possibly built around 1300, the castle was the location military action during the Wars of Scottish Independence...
, Loch Doon
Loch Doon
Loch Doon is a body of water, in Carrick, Scotland. The River Doon issues from its northern end, while the loch itself receives waters from Loch Enoch via Eglin Lane....
, and Urquhart
Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle sits beside Loch Ness in Scotland along the A82 road, between Fort William and Inverness. It is close to the village of Drumnadrochit. Though extensively ruined, it was in its day one of the largest strongholds of medieval Scotland, and remains an impressive structure, splendidly...
held out against the Balliol party.
In May 1334, Scotland's situation looked dire, and David II went into safety in France. Robert the Steward who had been made joint Guardian along with John Randolph, earl of Moray, set about winning his lands back in the west of Scotland. Strathbogie came over to the Bruce interest after coming under pressure from 'the disinherited' but was fervently opposed to Randolph.
Thomas Grey (chronicler)
Sir Thomas Grey of Heton , Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, was an English chronicler.-Family:He was a son of the Sir Thomas de Grey of Heaton , who was taken prisoner by the Scots at Bannockburn, and his wife Agnes Sir Thomas Grey of Heton (near Norham), Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland,...
, in his Scalacronica
Scalacronica
Scalacronica is a Scottish chronicle written in Anglo-Norman by the knight Sir Thomas Gray of Heaton in Northumberland, while he was imprisoned by the Scots at Edinburgh after an ambush in 1355...
claimed that he had actually done so—but Robert did relinquish his position as Guardian around this time. The Bruce resistance to Balliol may have been verging on collapse in 1335 but a turn-round in the Scots' fortunes began with the appearance of Andrew Murray
Andrew Murray
Andrew or Andy Murray may refer to: * Andrew Murray, often spelt Andrew Moray, leader of the Scots during the Scottish Wars of Independence...
of Bothwell as a potent war leader at the Battle of Culblean
Battle of Culblean
The Battle of Culblean was fought on 30 November 1335, during the Second War of Scottish Independence. It was a victory for the Scots led by the Guardian, Sir Andrew Murray over an Anglo-Scots force commanded by David III Strathbogie, titular Earl of Atholl, and a leading supporter of Edward...
. Murray had been captured in 1332, ransomed himself in 1334 and immediately sped north to lay siege to Dundarg Castle
Dundarg Castle
Dundarg Castle is a ruined castle about north-northeast of New Aberdour, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was one of the The Nine Castles of Knuckle....
in Buchan held by Sir Henry de Beaumont
Henry de Beaumont
Henry de Beaumont, jure uxoris 4th Earl of Buchan and suo jure 1st Baron Beaumont was a key figure in the Anglo-Scots wars of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, known as the Wars of Scottish Independence.-Life:...
—the castle fell to Murray on 23 December 1334. Murray was appointed Guardian at Dunfermline during the winter of 1335–6 while he was besieging Cupar Castle in Fife. He died at his castle in Avoch
Avoch
Avoch is a harbour-village located on the south-east coast of the Black Isle, on the Moray Firth.Ormond Castle or Avoch Castle was a stronghold built on the site and served as a royal castle to William the Lion; passed on to the Morays of Petty then Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway, upon his...
in 1338 and Robert the Steward resumed the Guardianship. Murray's campaign put an end to any chance of Edward III having full lasting control over the south of Scotland and the failure of the six month siege of Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle is the remnants of one of the most mighty fortresses in Scotland, situated over the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian.-Early history:...
confirmed this. Balliol lost many of his major supporters to the Bruce side and the main English garrisons began to fall to the Scots—Cupar in the spring or summer of 1339, Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
taken by the Steward also in 1339 and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
by William Douglas in April 1341
John Randolph, released from English custody in a prisoner-exchange in 1341, visited David II in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
before returning to Scotland. Just as Randolph was a favourite of the king, David II mistrusted the Steward with his positions of heir presumptive and Guardian of Scotland. At the beginning of June 1341 the kingdom appeared sufficiently stable to allow the king to return to the country. His return was to a land where his nobles, while fighting for the Bruce cause, had considerably increased their own power bases. On the 17 October 1346, the Steward accompanied David into battle at Neville's Cross
Battle of Neville's Cross
The Battle of Neville's Cross took place to the west of Durham, England on 17 October 1346.-Background:In 1346, England was embroiled in the Hundred Years' War with France. In order to divert his enemy Philip VI of France appealed to David II of Scotland to attack the English from the north in...
, where many Scottish nobles including Randolph, died—David II was wounded and captured while the Steward and Patrick, earl of March had apparently fled the field.
King David's captivity
With the king now detained in England and Randolph dead, the Guardianship once again fell to the Steward. In 1347 he took the important step of ensuring the legitimationLegitimation
Legitimation or legitimization is the act of providing legitimacy. Legitimation in the social sciences refers to the process whereby an act, process, or ideology becomes legitimate by its attachment to norms and values within in given society...
of his children by petitioning Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI , bornPierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was pope from May 1342 until his death in December of 1352...
to allow a canon-law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
marriage to Elizabeth Mure which was granted on 22 November. Even though an English prisoner, David retained influence in Scotland and Robert had his Guardianship removed by parliament and given jointly to the earls of Mar and Ross and the lord of Douglas—this did not last and the Steward once was again Guardian before the parliament of February 1352. The paroled David II attended this parliament to present to the Steward and the members of the Three Estates the terms for his release. These contained no ransom demand, but required the Scots to name the English prince John of Gaunt as heir presumptive. The Council rejected these terms, with Robert the Steward as a main opponent of the proposal threatening as it did his right of succession. The king had no option but to return to captivity in England. The English chronicler Henry Knighton recorded: By 1354 ongoing negotiations on the king's release reached the stage where a proposal of a straight ransom payment of 90,000 merks to be repaid over nine years, guaranteed by the provision of 20 high-ranking hostages, was agreed—this understanding was destroyed by the Steward when he bound the Scots to a French action against the English in 1355. The capture of Berwick together with the presence of the French on English soil jolted Edward III into moving against the Scots—in January 1356 Edward led his forces into the south-east of Scotland and burned Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
and much of the Lothians in a campaign that became known as the 'Burnt Candlemas'. After Edward's victory over France in September, the Scots resumed negotiations for David's release ending in October 1357 with the Treaty of Berwick
Treaty of Berwick (1357)
The Treaty of Berwick, signed at Berwick-upon-Tweed, Scotland, in 1357, officially ended the Second War of Scottish Independence. In this second phase of the Wars of Scottish Independence, which began in 1333, King Edward III of England attempted to install Edward Balliol on the Scottish throne, in...
. Its terms were that in turn for David's freedom, a ransom of 100,000 merks would be paid in annual installments over ten years—only the first two payments were completed initially and nothing further until 1366. This failure to honour the terms of the Berwick treaty allowed Edward to continue to press for a Plantagenet
House of Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet , a branch of the Angevins, was a royal house founded by Geoffrey V of Anjou, father of Henry II of England. Plantagenet kings first ruled the Kingdom of England in the 12th century. Their paternal ancestors originated in the French province of Gâtinais and gained the...
successor to David—terms that were totally rejected by the Scottish council and probably by the Steward himself. This may have been the cause of a brief rebellion in 1363 by the Steward and the earls of Douglas and March. Later French inducements couldn't bring David to their aid and the country remained at peace with England until he unexpectedly died on 21 February 1371.
Consolidation of Stewart power
William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas
William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas was a Scottish magnate.-Early Life:William Douglas was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Beatrice Lindsay, and nephew of "Sir James the Good", Robert the Bruce's trusted deputy...
, Earl of Douglas
Earl of Douglas
This page is concerned with the holders of the extinct title Earl of Douglas and the preceding feudal barons of Douglas, South Lanarkshire. The title was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1358 for William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, son of Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of Scotland...
prevented Robert II's coronation until 26 March 1371. The reasons for the incident remain unclear but may have involved a dispute regarding Robert's right of succession or may have been directed against the southern Justiciar, Robert Erskine and the Dunbar earls. It was resolved by Robert giving his daughter Isabella in marriage to Douglas's son, James and with William replacing Erskine as Justicier south of the Forth. After Robert's accession, there was no mass cull of David II's favourites and appointees but there were casualties—the brothers, Sir Robert and Sir Thomas Erskine and John Dunbar were to lose their Bruce preferments and lesser personages fled into England.
The Stewart lands in the west and in Atholl grew in size: the earldoms of Fife and Menteith went to Robert II's second surviving son Robert, the earldoms of Buchan and Ross (along with the lordship of Badenoch) to his fourth son Alexander and the earldoms of Strathearn and Caithness to the eldest son of his second marriage, David. Importantly, King Robert's sons-in-law were John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, John Dunbar, earl of Moray and James
James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas
Sir James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas and Mar was an influential and powerful magnate in the Kingdom of Scotland.-Early life:He was the eldest son and heir of William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas and Margaret, Countess of Mar...
who would become the 2nd Earl of Douglas
Earl of Douglas
This page is concerned with the holders of the extinct title Earl of Douglas and the preceding feudal barons of Douglas, South Lanarkshire. The title was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1358 for William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, son of Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of Scotland...
. Robert's own sons, John
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
, earl of Carrick, the king's heir, and Robert
Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany
Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany , a member of the Scottish royal house, served as Regent to three different Scottish monarchs...
, earl of Fife, served as the keepers of the castles of Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
and Stirling
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
respectively, while Alexander
Alexander Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan
Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, Alasdair Mór mac an Rígh, and called the Wolf of Badenoch , was the third surviving son of King Robert II of Scotland and youngest by his first wife, Elizabeth Mure of Rowallan. He was the first Earl of Buchan since John Comyn, from 1382 until his death...
, Lord of Badenoch and Ross and afterwards Earl of Buchan
Earl of Buchan
The Mormaer or Earl of Buchan was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male line. The earldom had three lines in its history, not counting...
, became the king's Justiciar and lieutenant in the north of the Kingdom. This build-up of the Stewart family power did not appear to cause resentment among the senior magnates—the king generally did not threaten their territories or local rule and where titles were transferred to his sons the individuals affected were usually very well rewarded. This style of kingship was very different from his predecessor's—David tried to dominate his nobles whereas Robert's strategy was to delegate authority to his powerful sons and earls and this, on the whole, worked for the first decade of his reign. Robert II was to have influence over eight of the 15 earldoms either through his sons directly or by strategic marriages of his daughters to powerful lords.
Rule from 1371–1384
The Brus
The Brus is a long narrative poem of just under 14,000 octosyllabic lines composed by John Barbour which gives a historic and chivalric account of the actions of Robert the Bruce and the Black Douglas in the Scottish Wars of Independence during a period from the circumstances leading up the English...
, a history intended to bolster the public image of the Stewarts as the genuine heirs of Robert I. It described the patriotic acts of both Sir James, the Black Douglas
James Douglas, Lord of Douglas
Sir James Douglas , , was a Scottish soldier and knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence.-Early life:...
and Walter the Steward, the king's father, in their support of Bruce. Robert II's rule during the 1370s saw the country's finances stabilised and greatly improved thanks in part to the flourishing wool trade, reduced calls on the public purse and then by the halting of his predecessor's ransom money on the death of Edward III of England. Robert II—unlike David II whose kingship was predominantly Lothian and therefore lowland based—was to be found following the hunt in many places in the north and west of the kingdom among his Gaelic patricians.
Robert II ruled over a country that continued to have English enclaves within its borders and Scots who gave their allegiance to the king of England—the important castles of Berwick, Jedburgh, Lochmaben and Roxburgh had English garrisons and controlled southern Berwickshire, Teviotdale and large areas in Annandale and Tweeddale. In June 1371 Robert agreed to a defensive treaty with the French, and although there were no outright hostilities during 1372, the English garrisons were reinforced and placed under an increased state of vigilance. Attacks on the English held zones, with the near certain backing of Robert, began in 1373 and accelerated in the years 1375–7 in the period leading up to Edward III's death indicating that a central decision had probably been taken for the escalation of conflict rather than the freebooting actions of the border barons. In 1376 the Earl of March
Earl of March
The title The Earl of March has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derived from the "marches" or boundaries between England and either Wales or Scotland , and was held by several great feudal families which owned lands in those border...
successfully recovered Annandale but then found himself constrained by the Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
Anglo-French truce.
Coldingham Priory
Coldingham Priory was a house of Benedictine monks. It lies on the south-east coast of Scotland, in the village of Coldingham, Berwickshire. Coldingham Priory was founded in the reign of David I of Scotland, although his older brother and predecessor King Edgar of Scotland had granted the land of...
would no longer be a daughter house of the English Durham Priory but was to be attached to Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey is as a Church of Scotland Parish Church located in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. In 2002 the congregation had 806 members. The minister is the Reverend Alastair Jessamine...
. Seemingly, the Scots were unaware of an Anglo-French truce agreed on 26 January 1384 and conducted an all-out attack on the English zones early in February winning back Lochmaben Castle and Teviotdale. John of Gaunt led a reciprocal English attack that took him as far as Edinburgh where he was bought off by the burgesses but destroyed Haddington. Carrick and James, earl of Douglas—his father had died in April— wanted a retaliatory strike for the Gaunt raid. Robert II may have concluded that as the French had reneged on a previous agreement to send assistance in 1383 and then having entered into a truce with England, that any military action would have been met with retaliation and exclusion from the forth-coming Boulogne peace talks. On 2 June 1384, Robert resolved to send Walter Wardlaw
Walter Wardlaw
Walter Wardlaw was a 14th century bishop of Glasgow. He was the son of a Sir Henry Wardlaw of Torry, a middling knight of Fife. Before becoming bishop, Walter was a canon of Glasgow, a Master of Theology and archdeacon of Lothian. He was at the University of Paris, and a roll of the year 1349 has...
, Bishop of Glasgow to the Anglo-French peace talks yet Carrick ignored this and allowed raids into the north of England to take place. Despite this by 26 July the Scots were part of the truce that would expire in October. Robert called a council in September probably for working out how to proceed when the truce concluded and to decide how the war was to proceed thereafter.
Loss of authority and death
David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn
David Stewart , Prince of Scotland, was a 14th century Scottish magnate. He was the eldest son of the second marriage of King Robert II of Scotland with Euphemia de Ross...
. These complaints aired in the general council together with Robert II's seeming inability to curb his son damaged his standing within the council. Robert II's differences with the Carrick affinity regarding the conduct of the war and his inability or unwillingness to deal with Buchan in the north led to the political convulsion of November 1384 when a council removed the king's authority to govern and appointed Carrick as lieutenant of the kingdom—a coup d’état had taken place. With Robert II sidelined, there was now no impediment in the way of war and by June 1385, a force of 1200 French soldiers had joined the Scots in a campaign involving Carrick, Douglas and Robert, earl of Fife. The foray saw small gains but a quarrel between the French and Scottish commanders saw the abandonment of an attack on the important castle of Roxburgh.
Battle of Otterburn
The Battle of Otterburn took place on the 5 August 1388, as part of the continuing border skirmishes between the Scottish and English.The best remaining record of the battle is from Jean Froissart's Chronicles in which he claims to have interviewed veterans from both sides of the battle...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
in August 1388 set in motion Carrick's fall from power. One of the Scottish casualties was Carrick's close ally James, earl of Douglas. Douglas died without an heir, which led to various claims upon the title and estate—Carrick backed Malcolm Drummond, the husband of Douglas's sister, while Fife sided with the successful appellant, Sir Archibald Douglas, lord of Galloway who possessed an entail on the Douglas estates. Fife, now with his powerful Douglas ally, and those who supported the king ensured a counter-coup at the December council meeting when the guardianship of Scotland passed from Carrick to Fife. Many had also approved of Fife's intention to properly resolve the situation of lawlessness in the north and in particular the activities of his younger brother, Buchan. Fife relieved Buchan of his offices of lieutenant of the north and justiciar north of the Forth—the latter role was given to Fife's son, Murdoch Stewart. Robert II toured the north-east of the kingdom in late January 1390 perhaps to reinforce the changed political scene in the north following Buchan's removal from authority. In March, Robert returned to Dundonald Castle
Dundonald Castle
Dundonald Castle is situated on a hill overlooking the village of Dundonald, between Kilmarnock and Troon in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Dundonald Castle is a fortified tower house built for Robert II on his accession to the throne of Scotland in 1371 and it was used as a royal residence by the early...
in Ayrshire where he died on 19 April and was buried at Scone on 25 April.
The direct Stewart line ruled Scotland through to Mary, Queen of Scots. Her son James VI of Scotland was descended in the male line from John Stewart of Bonkyll, second son of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland
Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland
Alexander Stewart was 4th hereditary High Steward of Scotland from his father's death in 1246.A son of Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland by his wife Bethóc, daughter of Gille Críst, Earl of Angus, Alexander is said to have accompanied Louis IX of France on the Seventh Crusade...
, thus uniting the lineages descended from two of Alexander's sons.
Two of Robert II's sons fathered lineages which continue today. Through his son Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, Robert II is the direct ancestor of the Earl Castle Stewart
Earl Castle Stewart
Earl Castle Stewart, in the County of Tyrone, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Andrew Stuart, 1st Viscount Castle Stuart. The Stewart family descends from Sir Walter Stewart , younger son of Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, son of Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of...
and Stewart of Balquhidder lineages. Through another son, Sir John Stewart of Bute, he is also the direct ancestor of the Marquess of Bute
Marquess of Bute
Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1796 for John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute.-Family history:...
line.
Historiography
The reign of Robert II has undergone a re-appraisal since the works of historians Gordon DonaldsonGordon Donaldson
Gordon Donaldson CBE, FRHistS, FBA was a Scottish historian.Born in Edinburgh of Shetlander descent, Donaldson attended the Royal High School of Edinburgh, before being awarded a scholarship to study at the University of Edinburgh. He also supplemented his income by undertaking some tutoring...
and Ranald Nicholson. Donaldson admits to a paucity of knowledge (at the time that he was writing) regarding Robert's reign and accepts that the early chroniclers writing near to his reign found little to criticise. Robert's career before and after he succeeded to the throne is described by Donaldson as "to say the least, undistinguished, and his reign did nothing to add lustre to it." Donaldson goes further and debates the legality of the canon law marriage of Robert and Elizabeth Mure following the papal dispensation but acknowledges that the acts of succession in 1371 and 1372 although sealing the matter in the eyes of parliament did not end the generational feud of the descendants of Elizabeth Mure and of those of Euphemia Ross. Robert's earlier participation in combat at the battles of Halidon and Neville's Cross, according to Donaldson, had made him wary of sanctioning military expeditions against the English and that any such actions by his barons were concealed from him. Similarly, Nicholson described Robert's reign as deficient and that his lack of the skills of governance led to internal strife. Nicholson asserts that the earl of Douglas was bought off following his armed demonstration just before Robert's coronation and associates this with the doubt surrounding the legitimacy of Robert's sons with Elizabeth Mure.
In contrast, the historians Stephen Boardman, Alexander Grant and Michael Lynch give a more even-handed appraisal of Robert II's life. Grant describes Robert II's reign in terms of foreign and domestic policy as being "not so unsuccessful". As far as the Douglas incident is concerned, Grant does not hold to the view that Douglas was in some way demonstrating against Robert's legitimate right to the throne but more an assertion that royal patronage should not continue as in the time of David II—Grant also advocates that the demonstration was aimed at father and son Robert and Thomas Erskine who held the castles of Edinburgh, Stirling and Dumbarton from Robert's predecessor.
Modern historians show a kingdom that had become wealthier and more stable particularly during the first decade of his rule. Boardman explains that Robert II was subjected to negative propaganda while he was High Steward—David II's followers denigrated his conduct during his lieutenancies and described them as "tyranny"—and again later as king when the supporters of his son John, earl of Carrick said that Robert was a king lacking drive and accomplishments, weighed down by age and unfit to govern. Robert II's association with Gaelic Scotland also drew criticism. He grew up in his ancestral lands in the west and was completely at ease with the Gaelic language and culture and possessed a potent relationship with the Gaelic lords in the Hebrides, upper Perthshire and Argyll. Throughout his reign, Robert spent long periods in his Gaelic heartlands and complaints at the time in Lowland Scotland
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
seem to have been influenced by the view that the king was too much involved in Gaelic concerns. Boardman also asserts that much of the negative views held of Robert II find their origins in the writings of the French chronicler Jean Froissart
Jean Froissart
Jean Froissart , often referred to in English as John Froissart, was one of the most important chroniclers of medieval France. For centuries, Froissart's Chronicles have been recognized as the chief expression of the chivalric revival of the 14th century Kingdom of England and France...
who recorded that '[the king] had red bleared eyes, of the colour of sandalwood, which clearly showed that he was no valiant man, but one who would remain at home than march to the field' . Contrary to Froissart's view, Scottish chroniclers—Andrew of Wyntoun
Andrew of Wyntoun
Andrew Wyntoun, known as Andrew of Wyntoun was a Scottish poet, a canon and prior of Loch Leven on St Serf's Inch and later, a canon of St...
and Walter Bower
Walter Bower
Walter Bower , Scottish chronicler, was born about 1385 at Haddington, East Lothian.He was abbot of Inchcolm Abbey from 1418, was one of the commissioners for the collection of the ransom of James I, King of Scots, in 1423 and 1424, and in 1433 one of the embassy to Paris on the business of the...
(who both utilised a source that was nearly contemporaneous with Robert II) and later 15th and 16th century Scottish chroniclers and poets—showed "Robert II as a Scottish patriotic hero, a defender of the integrity of the Scottish kingdom, and as the direct heir to Robert I".
Grant seriously called into question the dependability of Froissart's writings as an effective source for Robert II's reign. Influential magnate coalitions headed by Carrick, having undermined the king's position, manipulated the council of November 1384 to effectively oust Robert II from any real power. Grant gives little weight to the asserted senility of Robert and suggests that the deposition of Carrick in 1388 and then the resolution to join the Anglo-French truce of 1389 were both at the instigation of Robert II. Yet power was not handed back to Robert II but to Carrick's younger brother, Robert, earl of Fife which once again saw the king at the disposition of one of his sons. Despite this, the now unknown source whom both Wyntoun and Bower relied on made the point that Fife deferred to his father on affairs of state emphasising the difference in styles in the guardianships of his two sons.
Michael Lynch points out that Robert II's reign from 1371 until the lieutenancy of Carrick in 1384 had been one exemplified by continued prosperity and stability and which Abbot Bower described as a period of "tranquility, prosperity and peace". Lynch suggests that the troubles of the 1450s between James II
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
and the Douglases which have been interpreted by some historians as the legacy of Robert II's policy of encouraging powerful lordships was in fact a continuation of David II's build up of local lords in the marches and Galloway and who was satisfied to leave alone the Douglases and the Stewarts in their fiefdoms. The weakening of government if anything, Lynch suggests, came not before the 1384 coup but after it despite the fact that the coup had at its root Robert II's favouring of his third son, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan (known as the Wolf of Badenoch).
Fictional portrayals
Robert II has been depicted in historical novels. They include:- The Three Perils of Man; or, War, women, and witchcraft (1822) by James HoggJames HoggJames Hogg was a Scottish poet and novelist who wrote in both Scots and English.-Early life:James Hogg was born in a small farm near Ettrick, Scotland in 1770 and was baptized there on 9 December, his actual date of birth having never been recorded...
. The tale takes place in the reign of Robert II whose "country enjoyed happiness and peace, all save a part adjoining to the borders of EnglandKingdom of EnglandThe Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
." Part of the action takes place at Linlithgow PalaceLinlithgow PalaceThe ruins of Linlithgow Palace are situated in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although maintained after Scotland's monarchs left for England in 1603, the...
, where Robert promises to marry his daughter Margaret Stewart "to the knight who shall take that castle of RoxburghRoxburgh CastleRoxburgh Castle was a castle sited near Kelso, in the Borders region of Scotland, in the former Roxburghshire.-History:The castle was founded by King David I. In 1174 it was surrendered to England after the capture of William I at Alnwick, and was often in English hands thereafter. The Scots made...
out of the hands of the English". With Margaret adding her own terms, that "in case of his attempting and failing in the undertaking, he shall forfeit all his lands, castles, towns, and towers to me." In the absence of volunteers, Margaret vows to take the Castle herself, defeating Lord Musgrave and his mistress Jane Howard. - The Lords of Misrule (1976) by Nigel TranterNigel TranterNigel Tranter OBE was a Scottish historian and author.-Early life:Nigel Tranter was born in Glasgow and educated at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh. He trained as an accountant and worked in Scottish National Insurance Company, founded by his uncle. In 1933 he married May Jean Campbell Grieve...
. Covers events from c. 1388 to 1390. Depicting the last years of Robert II and the rise of Robert III of ScotlandRobert III of ScotlandRobert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
to the throne. As the elderly king has grown "feeble, weary and half-blind", his sons, daughters and other nobles campaign for power. An ungoverned Scotland is ravaged by their conflicts. Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany and Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan are prominently featured. - Courting Favour (2000) by Nigel Tranter. Follows the career of John Dunbar, Earl of MorayJohn Dunbar, Earl of MorayJohn Dunbar, Earl of Moray was a Scottish nobleman.He was nephew of the previous Earl of Moray, John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray. However he did not inherit it the earldom automatically...
in the courts of David II of ScotlandDavid II of ScotlandDavid II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
and Robert II. John is a son-in-law to the latter and serves him as a diplomat.