DEATH OF ALEXANDER III - THE TREATY OF NORHAM - BALLIOL'S REVOLT
THE INSURRECTION OF WILLIAM WALLACE - THE RISING OF ROBERT BRUCE -
BANNOCKBURN
[ Lanercost Chronicle ]
The Chronicle of Lanercost annals compiled at the Monastery of Lanercost in Cumberland, or at Carlisle. The authors were honest monks, but naturally had a bias against the Scots.
Alexander III was the last king of Scots in the direct male line from Malcolm Canmore, who was king at the time of the Norman Conquest. He came to the throne while Henry III was king of England. Under his rule and that of his predecessors Scotland prospered but his death ushered in a period of storm and stress his heiress being his youthful grand-daughter Margaret the "Maid of Norway," who followed him to the grave four years later, leaving the question of the succession undecided.The chronicler tells the story of Alexander's death. John Balliol having been awarded the crown of Scotland, Edward enforced his own authority as suzerain. The Scots had never expected that anything beyond a formal recognition of the claim would be required, and they soon forced Balliol to resist Edward's demands. Edward brought Scotland to subjection by force of arms, but left the country under a lieutenant while he occupied himself with a French quarrel William Wallace led a guerrilla warfare against the English and succeeded in driving them out of the country. Edward returned and again conquered the country, and Wallace never ever recovered his own ascendancy. At a later stage he was betrayed to the English and put to death . After the death of Wallace, the Scottish throne being vacant, Robert Bruce, whose hereditary title to the crown stood next to that of the Balliols, began his career as the liberator of Scotland from England domination. Edward marched against him died before he could cross the border.After the death of Edward I, Bruce gradually won back Scotland from the English whose garrisons were overcome, one by one. Edward II. was , meanwhile engaged his quarrels with his baronage. But when Stirling was the only stronghold remaining in English hands, he led an immense force into Scotland to crush Bruce. His expedition resulted in the overwhelming disaster of Bannockburn, which secured the liberty of Scotland.
In the course of that year Alexander, king of Scotland, was carried off by sudden death: having reigned for thirty-six years and nine months. He departed from this world upon the nineteenth day of March being the vigil of St. Cuthbert bishop and Confessor; of whose see he and his had for three years past troubled the liberties. And since the Lord had suffered him to live, but for his chastening took away both his offspring and his wife, yet amended him not, we may perceive that in him was made perfect that prophecy of the Holy Job who saith, "God shall reserve for the sons the trouble of the father and when he hath rendered it then shall he know." Yea, it had been foretold to him by certain just men that "the Lord hath stretched forth his sword against him, he hath bent his bow and made it ready and hath made ready many arrows." Moreover through all that year there went abroad through the province a saying of the Scots that on that day should be the Day of Judgment, whereat many trembled though some mocked.
Moreover in the December next preceding, under the Sign of Capricorn, fearful thunders were heard and lightning's
were seen, which in the opinion of the wise portend the fall of princes, for whose sake it is foretold, that they
might take heed to themselves. Yet since all these warnings and more could not profit him to the chastening of
his spirit, God punished him even through his own handiwork. For it was his wont to heed neither the season nor
the weather, nor perils of waters nor stony rocks, so that by night even as if it had been day when it was his
will, sometimes in changed garments, often with a single companion, he would visit with no good intent the dwelling
of matrons and nuns, maidens and widows. Now on that day, when there was a very great storm, the king was in the
high Maiden's castle, holding counsel with a great number of the lords of the land concerning the answer to the
messengers of the king of England who on the third day were to be at Norham with Thomas of Galloway in bodily presence,
whose freeing from prison was then desired by the Lord John Balliol, the younger.
When they were come to dine, while they were eating and drink, he with a cheerful countenance sent a portion of
fish to one of the barons, bidding him by the squire enjoy his dinner and he should know this was the Day of .Judgment.
He, returning thanks, made answer merrily to the king, "If this be the Day of. Judgment we shall rise with
full stomachs." Now when after a long time the feasting was over and the evening was drawing on, he would
not be withheld by the violence of the storm, nor would he hearken to the persuasions of others but made haste
forthwith to Queen's Ferry; being bent on visiting his bride, the daughter of the count of Drew, whom he had but
lately brought from parts over-seas, whose name was Yoleta to his own grief and the lasting woe of the state. For
it is generally affirmed that before the contract she had already taken the veil in a nunnery, but had looked back,
moved by feminine fickleness and the desire to be a queen.
Now as he came to a village which was hard by the ferry, there met him one of his officers who warned him of danger
and urged him to go back whereupon the king asking whether he feared to abide with him " Nay my lord, "
quoth lie, "it beseems me well to meet my doom beside your father's son ". He came therefore in mirk
darkness to the borough of Inverkineyn, being accompanied only by three esquires where, recognising his voice,
there met him his fishmaster, a married man and an inhabitant of the place. "My lord," quoth he, what
do you here at such time and in this black darkness? I have often urged you that you will have no profit of your
late journeying; stay with us; we will provide you with what is needful ; accept our hospitality until the morning."
Then said he, laughing, "There is no need but let me have two of your folk on foot to shew the way."
So when they had gone some two miles. by reason of the darkness they could none of them in anywise recognise the
way, except that the horses by natural instinct kept track of the trodden way. While they thus became separated
one after the other, the esquires picking the path, the king at last, to cut short the story, was thrown from his
horse and bade farewell to his kingdom, in the sleep of Sisera. So it befell him according to the proverb of Solomon,
"Woe unto him that is alone, because when he hath fallen he hath none to sustain him."
Edward I of England was invited by the Scottish
magnates to arbitrate between the various magnates who claimed the Scottish crown, on the death of the Maid of
Norway. Edward first demanded his own recognition as "suzerain" of Scotland, a title which, his predecessors
had habitually claimed and the Scotland had regularly repudiated. Historians still differ as to which was technically
in the right. The magnates however accepted Edward's conditions. The Chronicler, it must be remembered, is a north-country
Englishman with a violent bias against the Scots though he is not intentionally dishonest.
Now when the Holy Pentecost was past after the feast of the holy Trinity, when, by the citing of many and various
chronicles of Scotland as well as of England [ Edward ] had manifestly shewn what rights he and his ancestors possessed
towards Scotland, he was accepted by universal consent of the Scottish nobles as overlord of all Scotland, homage
being rendered to him by all, and the writing thereof was confirmed by the seals of all ......
In the same year for the purpose of enquiring upon whom the crown of Scotland ought by hereditary right to devolve,
King Edward IV, ( Edward the Elder, Edward the Martyr, and Edward the Confessor were the three earlier Edward's.
) the son of Henry III, gave order that whosoever claimed the said kingdom by hereditary right should set forth
the grounds shewing the justice of his claim.
Now there had been a certain earl of Chester whose name was Ranulph. This earl had a sister named Matilda who had
been wedded to David, the brother of the king of Scotland. This Matilda bore to David one Son who was called John,
and three daughters the eldest Margaret, the second Isabella and the third and youngest Aldith. Margaret was afterwards
wedded to Alan the earl of Galloway, to whom the said Margaret bore one daughter named Dervorgilla, who in turn
was wedded to John Balliol whose son was the lord John Balliol who claimed and obtained the crown of Scotland because
his mother's mother was the elder daughter of the Prince David, who left no male offspring surviving. Isabella
the second daughter of Prince David was given in marriage to the earl of Carrick whose name was Robert the Bruce,
who also claimed the crown of Scotland on account of his wife who was the second daughter of Prince David. Aldith
the third and youngest daughter of the aforesaid prince was given in marriage to Henry Hasting, of whom was born
John Hasting who claimed the kingdom in right of his mother. Now the aforesaid king Edward, when this was reported
to him, caused to be chosen forty discreet persons of either kingdom, that is of England and of Scotland, twenty
of one and twenty of the other, and gave order that they should examine the aforesaid cause and other documents
and should determine which of the aforesaid claimants had the better right to the crown of Scotland. And that they
might do this the better and with the more security, he gave them time to deliberate from the feast of St. John
the Baptist until the feast of St. Michael. They then, coming together, decided that the lord John Balliol had
the better right to the crown of Scotland and that he was the rightful claimant. Which when he heard, the lord
Edward with the common consent of the greater and more discreet folk conferred the kingdom of Scotland upon John
Balliol, who did homage to the said king at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the castle of the said town.
In the same year after Easter, Edward, king of England, held a parliament at Norham upon the state of the Scottish
kingdom, in the nineteenth year of his reign, when the over lordship of Scotland was to him adjudicated and granted
by common consent, by all the magnates of the said kingdom appointed for this matter
In that same year the Scots chose twelve peers by
whose advice the kingdom was to be ruled. The Scots devising craftily against their lord Edward king of England
sent envoys, namely William bishop of St. Andrews, and Matthew bishop of Dunkeld, and John de Soulis, and Ingram
de Unfraville, knights, to the king of France, to treat with the said king and kingdom against the king and kingdom
of England the said envoys seeking to stir up war, and taking with them a procurator. Now when these tidings came
to the ears of the king of England, he was naturally angry and sent to the king of Scotland repeatedly, bidding
him come to his parliament as he was lawfully bound to do, both for the kingdom of Scotland and for other fiefs
held in the English kingdom. But he altogether refused to come, and what is worse gathered together a great army
to resist time king of England and on Monday in Easter week, the lord John Conmyn of Buchan coining into England
with a Scots army, burnt houses and slew men and slaughtered cattle and for two successive days stoutly besieged
the city of Carlisle but being defeated in that design, on the third day retreated. On hearing of this the king
of England on the other side advanced his standards against the other Scots at
Berwick, and in Easter week, namely upon the thirtieth day of March, the said town was captured by the king, and
the citadel thereof on the same day; on which there fell by the sword some seven thousand men.
In the octave of the apostles Peter and Paul the chief men and the prelates and the other nobles of the kingdom
of Scotland gathered together and held a solemn parliament at Stirling where by the general advice it was decreed
that their king should have no power to do anything of himself, but that he should have twelve peers after the
French fashion; whom they there upon elected and appointed. There also they deprived the lord Robert Bruce the
younger, who had fled into England, of his father's inheritance, because he had refused to do homage to them ;
his son also they deprived of the earldom of Carrick with which he had been endowed, because he held by his father.
Earl Warenne the father-in-law of the king of Scots with other envoys from the king of England, they dismissed
indignantly without an answer; nor would they so much as suffer him to enter the fortress, though he was the king's
own kinsman. They were indeed stoutly purposed to rebel, and to break the homage rendered to king Edward, counting
upon the treaty which they had made with the king of France, that he with his ships and they by land should at
once harass England and as they deemed should overthrow it.
THE INSURRECTION OF WILLIAM WALLACE
Scarce six months were passed since the Solemn oath aforesaid whereby the Scots had bound themselves to fealty and submission to the king of England, when the renewed malice of traitors sharpened their wits to new guile. For the head of the church of Glasgow, who by his own surname is called Robert Wishart, being ever the leader in treachery, together with the Seneschal by name James, designed a new deed of insolence and a new title to destruction. Not daring openly to break the promise made the king, they caused a certain man of blood, one William Wallace, who had before been a captain of bandits in Scotland, to use ill against the king and gather the people together to aid him. About the nativity of the Glorious Virgin, they began to shew themselves and to make war; against whom when a great English army had been gathered together, the Seneschal said craftily, "There is need to trouble so great a host for the sake of one knave send with me a few chosen men, and I will render him, to you dead or alive."
But when they had done so and had dismissed great part of the army, the Seneschal led them to the bridge of Stirling;
where on the other side of the water was gathered the Scottish army; who suffered so many of the English as they
hoped to overthrow to cross over the bridge, and when the bridge itself was blocked slew all who had passed over.
Among whom fell the English treasurer Hugh Cressingham; of whose skin from head to heel William Wallace caused
a broad strip to be taken that therefrom he might make a sword-belt for himself. Earl Warenne however hardly made
his escape with a few companions, so fiercely did his enemies pursue after him.
Thereafter the Scots victoriously entered the town of Berwick and slew the few English whom they found there for
at that time the town was not walled, and therefore was easily taken whether by English or Scots, coming in force.
Yet for that time the citadel of the town was not surrendered.. After this the Scots in a body entered Northumberland
and ravaged the whole land, burning and robbing and slaying, and came almost to the town of Newcastle but they
turned aside thence and entered the county of Carlisle and there they did even as in Northumberland, destroying
everything, and afterwards they went back to Northumberland for the more complete wasting of what they had before
passed by and on the feast of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr, they returned to Scotland, yet all this time were
not able to capture any castle either in England or in Scotland.
Before Quadragesima of that year, the earls and barons of England made ready for war against the Scots while the
king was yet absent in Gascony, and came upon them altogether by surprise by the castle of Roxburgh which some
few of them were then besieging. But when they heard of the English coming they fled forthwith the earls however
waited some while at Roxburgh and then departed together to Berwick and took that town. But after the earls had
withdrawn from Roxburgh, the Scots came by night and fired the town, and in like manner the town of Haddington,
and nearly all the towns on this side the Scottish sea, that the English might find no harbourage in Scotland.
But the English army for lack of supplies was quickly compelled to retreat into England, save some few whom they
left to hold the town of Berwick.
But the Scots hearing of their sudden and unlooked for retreat, after Easter set upon those castles in Scotland
which were held by the English, and besieged them with all their forces; and for the lack of food in the castles
got possession of them all except Roxburgh, Edinburgh, Stirling, Berwick and a few others and although when the
castles were surrendered they promised the English their lives and limbs and safe passage to their own country,
William Wallace did not keep faith with them .
Meanwhile truce was made between the king of France and the king of England, and the king returned to England and
understanding in what manner the Scots had risen up during his absence, he gathered an army and turned his steps
towards Scotland, and when he had entered the land marched through a part of it. On the feast of the blessed Mary
Magdalene the Scots met him at Falkirk with all their force, having for their captain that William Wallace afore
named ; trusting chiefly after their manner in the spearmen who were set on foot in the front rank. But the mailed
horsemen of England who formed the greatest part of the army encircling them on all sides overthrew them, and when
all the Scottish horsemen fled there were slain of the spearmen and footmen who stood and fought stoutly sixty
thousand according to others eighty thousand and according to others a hundred thousand nor was there a single
nobleman of the English slain except the Master of the Templars with some five or six men - at - arms who too boldly
and rashly broke into the phalanx of the Scots.
William Wallace was captured by means of a Scot, namely the lord John Menteith and was brought to London by the king. and was condemned to be drawn, hanged, beheaded, disemboweled and quartered, and to have his entrails burnt which was done. and his head was set upon London Bridge, and the right arm on the bridge of Newcastle-on- Tyne, the left arm at Berwick, the right leg at St. .John's town [Perth], and the left leg at Aberdeen.
In the same year On the tenth day of February upon the feast of St. Scholastica the lord Robert Bruce earl of Carrick
seditiously and treacherously sent to the lord John Comyn to come and have speech with him at the Friars Minors
of Dumfries, and when he had come he slew him in the Church of the Friars, and his uncle the lord Robert Comyn
; and thereafter he seized the castles of Scotland and their garrisons and upon the Annunciation of the Blessed
Virgin next following was made king of Scotland at Scone; and many of all ranks joined him. Which when the king
of England had heard he sent horsemen and footmen to Carlisle and to Berwick to guard the marches. But because
they of Galloway would not join in the sedition of the aforesaid Robert, their hands were by him laid waste, and
one of the principal men of Galloway he pursued and besieged in a lake but they of the garrison of Carlisle raised
the siege, and he having burnt the machines and the boats that he had made for the siege took to flight. But they
of the garrison of Berwick at whose head was the lord Aymer de Valence entered into Scotland and received into
the peace of the king of England some who before through fear, had joined in the insurrection of the lord Robert.
But him they drove beyond the Scottish sea, and there close to St. John's town, which otherwise is called Perth,
they joined battle with him and slew many of his companions and at last put him to flight.
Meantime however the king of England gathered an army and sent the lord Edward his son, whom at that time he had
knighted at London, and with him three hundred others, and the earl of Lincoln, by whose counsel the said lord
Edward should act in all things, to pursue the said Robert Bruce who had caused himself to be called King. They
them entered Scotland ; and received many into peace, and proceeding to the furthest confines of Scotland where
the said Robert might be found, did not indeed find him but received all the castles by the strong hand. But those
who had been in the aforesaid conspiracy counsel and alliance to make him king, they hanged; and the more notable
of them they caused to be dragged at the heels of horses first, and thereafter hanged them ; among whom were Christopher
Seaton an Englishman who had married the sister of the said Robert, and John and Humphrey, brothers of the said
Christopher, and many others with them. But the lord Simon Fraser, a Scot, was taken to London, was drawn and thereafter
hanged and thirdly was beheaded, and his head was set upon London Bridge next to the head of William Wallace. But
the bishop of St. Andrews whom the king of England had made guardian of Scotland, who had entered upon compact
of friendship with the said Robert, as was proved by the discovery of letters of his own, together with the bishop
of Glasgow who had been his chief confederate therein, and the abbot of Scone who had supported the said Robert
in taking upon himself the honors of royalty, they brought to England and cast into prison. Meanwhile, however,
Robert Bruce lay in biding in the remote islands of Scotland.
Notwithstanding the stern vengeance taken upon the Scots who fostered the cause of the said Robert Bruce, the number
was increased day by day of those who sought to confirm him in the kingdom. Wherefore the king of England bade
all the magnates of England who owed him service that they together with the foot soldiers of Wales should be at
Carlisle on the fifth day after the Nativity of St. John the Baptist But alas in the meantime, on the feast of
the Translation of Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr, at Burgh-upon Sands, which is distant from Carlisle
to the northward three miles, died that famous and excellent king, who all his days was a man courageous and warlike,
in all things vigorous and renowned, the lord Edward the son of king Henry; in the thirty-sixth year of his reign
and the sixty-seventh of his age leaving not his like for wisdom and valour among all Christian princes: who is
reported before his death to have prayed to the Lord saying, "Have mercy upon me Almighty God, even as in
truth I have worshipped none other save Thee the Lord my God."
On the day following the octave of Easter, Edward Bruce, the brother of Robert, entered England hard by Carlisle with an army, contrary to treaty and abode there three days successively upon the manor of the bishop, namely Rose, and sent a great part of his army to burn on all sides towards the southern and western parts during those three days. And they burnt many towns and two churches and carried off captive both men and women, and seized the flocks in the forest of Inglewood and elsewhere, and thereafter withdrew; but they slew few men, save those who chose to resist.
But towards the Feast of Pentecost the king of England came to the border of Scotland with the earls of Gloucester
and Hereford and Pembroke, and many other barons and knights, and a most splendid and mighty army, had the Lord
been upon their side. But the earl of Lancaster, and the other English earls who were of his party, and their followers,
the terns of service which they owed to the king and his wars, abode at home because the king would still not come
to agreement with them, nor fulfill the he had before made. But whereas the Edward his noble father upon going
to war in Scotland was wont upon his way to visit the shrines of the English saints Thomas of Canterbury, Edmund,
Hugh, William and Cuthbert, and to make offerings to them and commend himself to their prayers, and to bestow charitable
gifts upon monasteries and for the poor he did none of these things but coming with great pomp and circumstance,
he took the goods of monasteries upon his march, and in other sort, as was told, did and said things prejudicial
and injurious to the saints for which reasons with others, small wonder is it that he and his army were put to
confusion and eternal shame as had been prophesied by sundry religious men of England.
So before the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, having gathered his whole army together, the king with pomp aforesaid drew near to time castle of Stirling, to raise the siege and to fight with the Scots who were there gathered in their full strength and upon the eve of the aforesaid Nativity, after diner the king's army came near to the wood of Methven. And having heard that the Scots were in the wood, the king's vanguard, whose captain was the lord Clifford, would have surrounded the wood had not the Scots escaped them by flight. But the Scots suffered them to do this until they had been enticed far from their comrades ; whereupon they shewed themselves and, dividing the king's vanguard from the centre and the rear, charged and slew some of them and turned others to flight; and from that hour fear fell upon the English, and the courage of the Scots was increased.
But upon the morrow which was an evil day for the English, a day of woe and disaster, when both sides were making
ready for the battle, the English archers advanced in front of their lines and the Scottish archers came to meet
them; and on either side were some wounded and some slain; but the archers of the king of England quickly put the
others to rout. But when the two armies had drawn much nearer all the Scots fell upon their knees, and said the
Paternoster and commended themselves to God and prayed for the aid of heaven which done they advanced against the
English boldly. Now they had so ordered their army that two of their battles went in front of the third, one on
the right hand and one on the left so that neither was in advance of the other; and the third followed in which
was king Robert. But when the two armies joined battle and the great war horses of the English charged upon the
Scottish spears, as upon a thick wood, there arose a great and fearful noise of breaking of lances and of horses
wounded to death, and so for a time there was peace made. But the English from behind could not reach to the Scots
because of the front line which was between them, nor could help themselves in any way wherefore nothing was left
them but to take order for flight. Of that rout I have been told by one who may be trusted, who was himself present
and saw it. But in that first line there fell the earl of Gloucester, and the lord Robert Clifford, the lord John
Comyn and many other noblemen, to say nothing of the footmen who fell in great numbers. Moreover another misfortune
befell the English because a short time before, having crossed a great dyke, into which the sea flows, which is
called Bannockburn, and being desirous of returning when they were already put to rout, many nobles and others
in that press fell into it with their horses, and some with great difficulty escaped, and many were never able
to withdraw themselves from that dyke, and therefore for many a year thereafter Englishmen talked of Bannockburn.
