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- [S3] Ancestry Family Trees, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Tree (Reliability: 0).
- [S500014] WikiTree, (MyHeritage) (Reliability: 4).
Robert Robert I The Bruce, King of Scotland Bruce<br>Gender: Male<br>Birth: July 11 1274 - Writtle, Essex, England<br>Marriage: 1295 - Kyle, Ayrshire, , Scotland<br>Marriage: 1302<br>Death: June 7 1329 - Cardross, Dunbartonshire, Scotland<br>Father: Sir Robert Earl of Carrick, 6th Lord of Annadale, Lord of Hartness, Writtle and Hatfield Broad Oak Bruce<br>Mother: Marjorie Countess of Carrick Bruce (born Carrick de Bruce)<br>Spouses: Isabell of Carrick Isabella nic Domhnail Bruce (born Mar DeBruce, Brewes, Brus)Elizabeth de Burgh (born Burgh)Mrs Robert Concubine Of SCOTLAND<br>Children: Princess Marjorie Stewart (born Bruce)Margaret BruceMatilda Maud BruceJohn BruceDavid David II King of Scots de Brus (born Bruce)<br>Siblings: Elizabeth Bruce Brewes, de BrusMary Fraser (born Bruce Campbell, de Brus)Edward Earl of Carrick de Brus (born Brus Bruce)Thomas Thomas (born Brus Bruce, Brewes)Alexander de Brus (born Brus Bruce, Brewes)Nigel de Brus (born Brus Bruce)Matilda Maud Countess of Ross, Mary de Brus (born Brus Bruce)Margaret Carlyle (born Brus de Brus, Bruce)Isabel Isobella Bruce (born Brus)Christina Murray (born Bruce de Bruce, Seton, de Moray, de Mar)<br>Photos:
- [S500009] FamilySearch Family Tree, (MyHeritage) (Reliability: 4).
Robert the Bruce , King of Scotland<br>Birth name: Robert the Bruce<br>Also known as: King Robert I of ScotlandRobert Bruce , King of Scots<br>Gender: Male<br>Birth: July 11 1274 - Turnberry Castle, Turnberry, Ayr, Scotland<br>Christening: From July 11 1274 - Dundee, Angus, Scotland<br>Military Service: Scottish Army, Commander, First War of Scottish Independence - 1315 - Scotland<br>Marriage: Spouse: Isabella of Mar, Countess of Carrick - 1295 - Scotland<br>Marriage: Spouse: Elizabeth de Burgh - 1302 - Writtle, Essex, England<br>Death: June 7 1329 - Cardross, Dunbarton, Scotland<br>Burial: June 14 1329 - Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland<br>Occupation: Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland (Regent) - Between 1298 and 1300<br>Title of Nobility: "Knighted" - 1290<br>Title of Nobility: King of Scotland - Mar 25 1306 - Perth, Perthshire, Scotland<br>There seems to be an issue with this person's relatives. View this person on FamilySearch to see this information.<br> Additional information: RoberttheBrucedidnothaveLeprosy:Robert the Bruce died suddenly and was believed to have a debilitating disease. Many have claimed that disease was Leprosy, but now it has been proven he did not have Leprosy.Affiliation:House of BruceTitleOfNobility:King of Scotland, Guardian of Scotland, Earl of Carrick, 7th Lord of AnnandaleLifeSketch:Robert I of Scotland, better known as Robert the Bruce, reigned as King of Scotland from 1306 to 1329. For his role in achieving independence from England, Robert the Bruce has long been regarded as a national hero and one of Scotland's greatest ever monarchs. Robert succeeded John Balliol (r. 1292-1296) after a tumultuous decade of side-switching and military ups and downs against English armies led by Edward I of England and those of rival Scottish barons. The 1314 victory over the English at Bannockburn cemented Robert's claim as the rightful king of Scotland and his skillful diplomacy brought recognition of Scotland's full independence both from the Pope and Edward III of England. Robert was succeeded by his son David II of Scotland (r. 1329-1371). Robert Bruce (VII) was born 11 July 1274 at Turnberry Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland. His father was Robert Bruce (VI) (d. 1304) and his mother Marjorie, Countess of Carrick. The Bruce family had been the lords of Annandale since the 1120s, and claimed descent from Earl David, younger brother of King William I of Scotland. Robert spent a period of his youth in either the Western Isles or Ulster. The family had estates and properties in England, so he spent time in Carlisle Castle and London also. In 1292 Robert inherited the earldom of Carrick from his mother. Around 1295 Robert married Isabel of Mar (d. c. 1296), daughter of Donald, earl of Mar, and then, in 1302, Elizabeth de Burgh (d. 1327), the daughter of Richard de Burgh, earl of Ulster. With Isabel, Robert had a daughter Marjorie (b. c. 1295) and with Elizabeth, he had two daughters - Matilda and Margaret - and two sons - David (b. 1324) and John (possibly the twin of David but he died as a child). The Great Cause Alexander III of Scotland died in 1286, his only heir his granddaughter who died in 1290. Scotland was plunged into political crisis. The royal houses of England & Scotland had been tied via several marriages but Edward I of England considered the Scottish king his vassal. Edward arbitrated over a host of successor candidates in a process known as the Great Cause and chose John Balliol in November 1292. The main challenger to Balliol had been Robert Bruce(V) (b. 1210), the grandfather of his more famous namesake and future king. The Bruces did not accept Edward's decision and continued to press their own claim for the throne. Balliol won because he was a closer descendant of Earl David but, more importantly, Edward I believed Balliol was a weaker candidate and could be more easily manipulated. Balliol's reign lasted 4 years! Scottish nobles tired of his ineffective resistance to the overbearing Edward and the rise in taxes imposed to pay for the English king's war with France. In late 1295, a regency council of 12 discontented nobles established a new government, entirely independent of John. This council, and Scotland, formally allied itself with Philip IV of France in February 1296, in what became known as the 'Auld Alliance'. King John renounced his fealty to Edward I in April 1296. The Bruces did not support this rebellion against Edward I's overlordship, and Robert even joined the English force that attacked Scotland in 1296. Edward repeatedly attack Scotland, thousands of innocents were massacred at Berwick. Edward took key Scottish castles, defeated the Scottish army at the Battle of Dunbar on 27 April 1296. John Balliol was stripped of his title and put in the Tower of London. War of Independence Rebellions sprang up. William Wallace and Sir Andrew Moray of Bothwell won a famous victory in September 1297 at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. A ruling council was established consisting of Wallace, John Comyn, and then Bishop Lamberton. The Bruces did not support this group, for the Comyns were supporters of their rivals the Balliols. The Bruces bided their time. By 1298 Robert the Bruce was clearly on the Scottish side of independence and was involved in the attack on English-held Ayr Castle. In 1302 Robert's marriage to Elizabeth, daughter of an ally of Edward I, coupled with the release of John Balliol from the Tower of London meant that Robert once again sided with the English lest Balliol's Scottish allies succeed in reinstating the ex-king. Edward responded to the defeat at Stirling Bridge by leading his army in person and winning another victory in July 1298 at the Battle of Falkirk, where 20,000 Scots were killed. In 1305, Wallace was captured and executed as a traitor in London. Wallace became a national hero and an example to follow for others, notably Robert the Bruce, who by 1305 began to have serious misgivings concerning his support for the English Crown. It now seemed highly unlikely that Edward I would ever make Robert king of Scotland. Steadily over the next year - and probably largely in secret - Robert began to work on gaining allies from key Scottish barons. February 1306, the Scots rallied around their new figurehead, Robert the Bruce, who denounced John Balliol as a puppet of Edward I. On 10 February, Robert or his followers assassinated John Comyn, his chief rival for the throne, by stabbing him in the church of Greyfriars in Dumfries. With the definite support of the northern Scottish barons and the dubious support of others, Robert went for broke and declared himself king. Robert was inaugurated at Scone Abbey on 25 March 1306. There followed two defeats to an English army at Methven on 19 June and to a Scottish army led by John Macdougall of Argyll at Dalry on 11 July. Robert was obliged to flee to Rathlin Island on the coast of Ireland. The English, unable to get their hands on the king, went for the next best thing and hunted down his family. Three of Robert's brothers were executed, and his sister Mary was kept in an iron cage dangling from the walls of Roxburgh Castle, a fate she suffered for four years. Robert's wife Elizabeth was confined in a manor house at Burstwick. Edward I died in July 1307, he was succeeded by his son Edward II of England. Political anarchy and civil war in England gave Scotland breathing space. Robert returned to Scotland, where he and his brother Edward fought a sustained guerrilla war against English troops and Balliol supporters. By mid-1308, Robert smashed the Comyns, taken their key castles, razed them to the ground, and taken possession of Aberdeen. Autumn 1309 at the Battle of the Pass of Brander, the Macdougalls were decisively defeated, too. Now Robert offered truces to any Scots willing to follow him. In March 1309, a parliament at St. Andrews declared that the people of Scotland supported Robert the Bruce as their king. An embassy from France similarly declared that Robert was the rightful king of Scotland. Several key castles remained in English hands, including Berwick, Roxburgh, Edinburgh, and Stirling. Over the next 4 years, Robert set about getting them back, often leading the attacks in person. Bannockburn & Independence Edward II's preoccupation with internal troubles meant Robert could pick off English-held castles one by one (and destroy them to prevent reuse by the enemy). In 1314 Edward II led an army to Scotland, the motivation being the siege of the English-held Stirling Castle. Edward's force greatly outnumbered the Scots led by Robert the Bruce (15-20,000 v. 10,000 men), but this advantage and the mobility of Edward's 2,000 heavy cavalry were negated by Robert's choice of a narrow, boggy ford as the battle site near Bannockburn village. The two armies clashed on 23 and 24 June, and was a disastrous defeat for the English. The English king narrowly escaped with his own life. Robert showed leadership and bravery in battle. Meeting the challenge of a one-on-one fight with Henry de Bohun - Robert split his opponent's head with a mighty blow of his battle-axe. After the battle, Stirling Castle surrendered. Robert negotiated the release of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Marjorie. He confiscated the lands of those Scottish lords who had supported Edward. In a 3 year campaign Bruce grabbed Ulster and installed his brother Edward as the King of Ireland in 1316. Edward Bruce was killed in battle in 1318. On 6 April 1320 a letter was sent to the Pope requesting a withdrawal of Robert's excommunication and the placing of Scotland under an interdict, applied because Robert had refused to sign a truce with England in 1317. The letter called the Declaration of Arbroath stated that Scotland was a free and independent kingdom and the English Crown had no rights whatsoever there. This document, festooned with the seals of 8 earls and 38 barons, still survives today. A 13-year truce was agreed to between England & Scotland in 1323. The Treaty of Corbeil (1328) established an alliance of mutual assistance between Scotland & France (including a clause whereby a French attack on England obliged Scotland to also attack). Scotland's independence and Robert's right to the throne were recognised by the English Crown in the 1328 Treaty of Edinburgh/Northampton, which was sealed with Robert handing over £20,000 and the betrothal of Robert's son David to Joan (b. 1321 CE), the sister of the new king, Edward III of England. In 1329 the Pope decreed Scottish monarchs could to officially receive a crown and holy anointment during their coronations. Robert the Bruce died on 7 June 1329 CE at his manor house at Cardross in Dumbartonshire. The king had been ill for two years. Robert was buried at Dunfermline Abbey. He had long wished to go on a Crusade to the Holy Land and requested that Sir James Douglas take his heart there. Douglas was killed in a battle in Spain, but legend has it Robert's embalmed heart was taken back to Scotland and buried at Melrose Abbey. Robert was succeeded by his son who became David II of Scotland. The new king was only five years old. from https://www.worldhistory.org/Robert_the_Bruce/ by Mark Cartwright
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1274 - 1329 (54 years)
