History of Scotland

Our ongoing history of Scotland that chronicles the events in Scotland over the past million years with a special focus on the last thousand as you might expect. We have also digitised a copy of Patrick Tytler's History of Scotland which is an eccentric but wonderfully written history of the the mediaeval years in Scotland. The project of chronicling Scotland's history is ongoing, as is the process of organising and structuring and linking the pages together.

The King of France's efforts to bring about peace

It is now necessary to allude to an attempt at a pacification between Edward and the Scots, which some time previous to this had been made by Philip of France; as the negotiations which then took place conduct us to the termination of Baliol's career, and throw a strong light on the character of the King of England.

John Baliol, whom the Scots still acknowledged as their rightful monarch, had remained a prisoner in England since 1296. On the conclusion of a truce between the Kings of France and England in 1297, the articles of which afterwards formed the basis of the negotiations at Montreuil, and of the important peace of Paris.J Philip demanded the liberation of Baliol, as his ally, from the tower. He required, also, that the prelates, barons, knights, and other nobles, along with the towns and communities, and all the inhabitants of Scotland, of what rank and condition soever, should be included in the truce, and that not only Baliol, but all the other Scottish prisoners, should "be liberated, on the delivery of hostages. These demands were made by special messengers, sent for this purpose by Philip to the King of England ;§ and it is probable that John Comyn the younger, the Earl of Athole, and other Scottish barons, who had left Edward on his embarkation at Hardenburgh in Flanders, and repaired to the Court of France, prevailed upon Philip to be thus urgent in his endeavours to include them and their country in the articles of pacification. Edward, however, had not the slightest intention of allowing the truce to be extended to the Scots. He was highly exasperated against them, and was then busy in collecting and organizing an army for the purpose of reducing their country. He did not, at first, however, give a direct refusal, but observed, that the request touching the king, the realm, and nobles of Scotland, was so new and foreign to the other articles of truce, that it would require his most serious deliberation before he could reply.Immediately after this, he marched, as we have seen, at the head of an overwhelming army into Scotland; and, after the battle of Falkirk, found leisure to send his answer to Philip, refusing peremptorily to deliver up Baliol, or to include the Scottish nobles in the truce, on the ground, that at the time when the articles of truce were drawn up, Philip did not consider the Scots as his allies, nor was there any mention of Baliol or his subjects at that time. "If," said Edward, "any alliance ever existed between Baliol and the French king, it had been deliberately and freely renounced.'' To this Philip replied, "That as far as the King of Scots, and the other Scottish nobles who were EdwardV prisoners, were concerned, the renunciation of the French alliance had been made through the influence of force and fear, on which account it ought to be considered of no avail; that it was they alone whom he considered as included in the truce; and if any Scottish nobles had afterwards, of their own free will, submitted to Edward, and sworn homage to him, as had been done by Patrick earl of Dunbar, Gilbert earl of Angus, and their sons, the King of France would not interfere in that matter.

Edward, however, who, at the time he made this reply, had defeated Wallace at Falkirk, and dispersed the only army which stood between him and his ambition, continued firm, notwithstanding the earnest remonstrances of Philip. The mediation of the pope was next employed; and at the earnest request of Boniface, the king consented to deliver Baliol from his imprisonment, and to place him in the hands of the papal legate, the Bishop of Vicenza. "I will send him to the pope," said Edward, "as a false seducer of the people, and a perjured man."Accordingly, Sir Robert Burghersh, the Constable of Dover, conveyed the dethroned king, with his goods and private property, to Whitsand, near Calais. Before embarking, his trunks were searched, and a crown of gold, the Great Seal of Scotland, many vessels of gold and silver, with a considerable sum of money, were found in them. The crown was seized by Edward, and hung up in the shrine of St Thomas the Martyr; the Great Seal was also retained, but the money was permitted to remain in his coffers. On meeting the legate at Whitsand, Burghersh formally delivered to this prelate the person of the ex-king, to be at the sole disposal of his Holiness ; but a material condition was added, in the proviso "that the pope should not ordain or direct anything in the kingdom of Scotland concerning the people or inhabitants, or anything appertaining to the same kingdom, in behalf of John Baliol or his heirs." Edward obsequiousness to the Roman See even went farther, for he conferred on the pope the power of disposing of BalioFs English estates.

These estates were many and extensive. They were situated in nine different counties, and gave a commanding feudal influence to their possessor. But the king had not the slightest intention of paying anything more than an empty compliment to Boniface; for he retained the whole of Baliol's lands and manors in his own hand, and, some years afterwards, bestowed them upon his nephew, John of Bretagne.

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Baliol Retires to France

The dethroned King of Scotland was conveyed by the messengers of the pope to his lands and castle of Bailleul, in France, where he passed the remaining years of his life in quiet obscurity.

The restless activity of Edward's mind, and the unshaken determination with which he pursued the objects of his ambition, are strikingly marked by his conduct at this time. He was embroiled in serious disputes with his barons; some of the most valuable prerogatives of his crown were being wrested from his hands; he was deeply engaged with his negotiations with France; he was on the eve of his marriage; but nothing could divert him from the meditated war. He held a council of his nobility at Westminster, concerning the Scottish expedition. At midsummer he took a journey to St Albans, for the purpose of imploring the assistance of that saint. In September he was married at Canterbury, to the sister of the King of France; and on the seventh day after his marriage, he directed his letters to Edmund earl of Cornwall, to meet him with horse and arms at York, on the 10th of November. He commanded public prayers to be made for the success of his arms in all the churches of the kingdom, and enjoined the Friars Predicant to employ themselves in the same pious office.

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Edward assembles an army

Aware of these great preparations, the Scottish Regents, whose army was encamped in the Torwood, near Stirling, directed a letter to Edward, acquainting him that information of the late truce had been sent them by Philip king of France; and that they were willing to desist from all aggression, during the period which was stipulated, provided the King of England would follow their example. Edward did not deign to reply to this communication; but having assembled his parliament at York, in the beginning of November, he communicated to them his intentions as to the continuance of the war; and in the face of the approaching severity of the winter, marched with his army to Berwick-on-Tweed, where he had appointed a body of fifteen thousand foot soldiers, with a large reinforcement from the diocese of York,and the whole military strength of his greater barons, to meet him. So intent was he on assembling the bravest knights and most hardy soldiers to accompany him, that he forbade, by public proclamation, all tournaments and plays of arms, so long as war lasted between him and his enemies; and interdicted every knight, esquire, or soldier, from attending such exhibitions, or going in search of adventures, without his special permission.

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The Scottish Regents Become Masters of Stirling

The object of the king was to march immediately into Scotland, to raise the siege of Stirling, then invested by the regents, and to reduce that great division of Scotland beyond the Firth of Forth, which, along with the powerful district of Galloway, still remained independent. But after all his great preparations, his hopes were cruelly disappointed. His barons, with their military vassals, refused to go farther than Berwick. They alleged that the early severity of the winter, the impassable and marshy ground through which they would be compelled to march, with the scarcity of forage and provisions, rendered any military expedition against Scotland impracticable and desperate. The nobles, besides this, had other and deeper causes of discontent. The great charter, and the perambulation of the forests, had not been duly observed, according to promise; and withT out waiting remonstrance, they withdrew to their estates. Edward, in extreme anger, marched forward, with a small force, "and seemed determined to risk a battle; but being informed of the strong position of the Scottish army, and of the resolute spirit with which they awaited his advance, the king submitted to the necessity of the case, and retreated to England.

Meanwhile the English, who were beleaguered in Stirling, after making a brave and obstinate defence, had begun to suffer the extremities of famine; upon which the king, finding it impossible to raise the siege, commanded them to capitulate; and the castle was delivered to Sir John de Soulis, one of the regents. The Scots garrisoned it, and committed it to the keeping of Sir William Olifant.

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Edward invades Scotland

In the course of the following year, Edward, indefatigable in the prosecution of his great object, again invaded Scotland, and found that the enemy, profiting by experience, had adopted that protracted warfare, which was their best security—avoiding a battle, and cutting off his supplies. Encamping in Annandale, he besieged and took Lochmaben, and afterwards sat down before the castle of Caerlaverock, strongly situated on the coast of the Solway Firth. After some resistance, this castle was likewise taken and garrisoned, and the king marched into Galloway, where he had an interview with the bishop of that diocese, who, having in vain attempted to mediate a peace, the Earl of Buchan and John Comyn of Badenoch repaired personally to Edward, and had a violent interview with the king. They demanded that Baliol, their lawful king, should be permitted peaceably to reign over them; and that their estates, which had been unjustly bestowed upon his English nobles, should be restored to their lords. Edward treated these propositions, which he considered as coming from rebels, with an unceremonious refusal; and after declaring that they would defend themselves to the uttermost, the king and the Scottish barons parted in wrath.

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His Difficulties

After this the king marched to Irvine, a seaport town situated on a river of the same name, and remained there encamped for eight days, until provisions were brought up from the ships which lay on the coast.

During this time the Scottish army showed itself on the opposite side of the river; but on being successively attacked by the Earl of Surrey, the Prince of Wales, and the king himself, they rapidly retreated to their morasses and mountains. Through this rough and difficult ground, the heavy-armed English soldiers could not penetrate; and the Welsh, whose familiarity with rocky passes rendered them well fitted for a warfare of this kind, obstinately refused to act. Thus baffled in his attempts at pursuit, Edward stationed his head-quarters at Dumfries, and employed himself in taking possession of the different towns and castles of Galloway, and in receiving the submission of the inhabitants of that district.

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A Truce

Here he remained till the end of October; and having spent five months on an expedition which led to no important success, he was at last compelled, by the approach of winter, to delay till another season all his hopes of the entire subjugation of Scotland. Affecting, therefore, now when it suited his convenience, to be moved by the representations of the plenipotentiaries sent from the King of France, he granted a truce to the Scots, and artfully gave to a measure of necessity the appearance of an act of mercy. Edward, however, cautiously added, that he acceded to the wishes of Philip, out of favour to him as his friend and relative, not as the ally of Scotland; nor would he give his consent to the cessation of arms, until the ambassadors of France agreed to consider it in this light: so careful was he lest any too hasty concession should interrupt his meditated vengeance, when a less refractory army and a milder season should allow him to proceed against his enemies.

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The Pope claims Scotland as belonging to the Church of Rome

The king was induced, by another important event, to grant this truce to the Scots. This was no less than an extraordinary interposition upon the part of the pope, commanding him, as he reverenced his sacred authority, to desist from all hostilities; and asserting that the kingddm of Scotland now belonged to the Holy See, and from the most remote antiquity had done so. The arguments by which the Roman church supported this singular claim, were, no doubt, suggested by certain Scottish Commissioners whom Soulis the regent, in a former part of this year, had sent on a mission to Rome, to complain of the grievous injuries inflicted by Edward upon Scotland, and to request the pope's interposition in behalf of their afflicted country.

Boniface, accordingly, influenced, as is asserted, by Scottish gold,! directed an admonitory bull to Edward, and commanded Winchelsea archbishop of Canterbury to deliver it to the king, who was then with his army in the wilds of Galloway. This prelate, with much personal risk, owing to the unlicensed state of the country, and the danger of being seized by the bands of Scottish robbers, who roamed about, thirsting, as he tells us, for the blood of the English, travelled witfi his suite of clerks and learned dignitaries as far as Kirkcudbright; and having passed the dangerous sands of the Solway with his chariots and horses, found the king encamped near the castle of Caerlaverock, and delivered to him the papal bull. Its arguments, as far as concerned the right of the King of England to the feudal superiority of Scotland, were sufficiently sound and judicious; but, as was to be expected, the grounds on which he could rest his own claim far less satisfactory. "Your royal highness," he observed, "may have heard, and we doubt not but the truth is locked in the book of your memory, that of old the kingdom of Scotland did and doth still belong in full right to the Church of Rome, and that neither your ancestors, kings of England, nor yourself, enjoyed over it any feudal superiority. Your father Henry, king of England, of glorious memory, when, in the wars between him and Simon de Montfort, he requested the assistance of Alexander III. king of Scotland, did, by his letters-patent, acknowledge that he received such assistance, not as due to him, but as a special favour. When you yourself requested the presence of the same King Alexander at the solemnity of your coronation, you, in like manner, by your letters-patent, entreated it as a matter of favour and not of right. Moreover, when the King of Scotland did homage to you for his lands in Tynedale and Penrith, he publicly protested that hia homage was paid, not for his kingdom of Scotland, but for his lands in England;—that as King of Scotland he was independent, and owed no fealty; which homage, so restricted, you did accordingly receive. Again, when Alexander III. died, leaving as heiress to the crown a grand-daughter in her minority, the wardship of this infant was not conferred upon you,, which it would have been had you been lord superior, but was given to certain nobles of the kingdom chosen for that office." The bull proceeded to notice the projected marriage between the Prince of Wales and the Maiden of Norway; the acknowledgment of the freedom and independence of Scotland contained in the preliminary negotiations; the confusions which followed the death of the young queen; the fatal choice of Edward as arbiter in the contest for the crown; the express declaration of the King of England to the Scottish nobility, who repaired to his court during the controversy, that he received this attendance as a matter of favour, not as having any right to command it; and, lastly, it asserted, that if, after all this, any innovations had been made upon the ancient rights and liberties of Scotland, with consent of a divided nobility, who wanted their kingly head; or of that person to whom Edward had committed the charge of the kingdom, these ought not in justice to subsist, as having been violently extorted by force and fear.

After such arguments, the pope went on to exhort the king in the name of God, to discharge out of prison and restore to their former liberty all bishops, clerks, and other ecclesiastical persons whom he had incarcerated, and to remove all officers, whom by force and fear he had appointed to govern the nation under him; and he concluded by directing him, if he still pretended any right to the kingdom of Scotland, or to any part thereof, not to omit the sending commissioners to him fully instructed, and that within six months after the receipt of these letters, he being ever ready to do him justice as his beloved son, and inviolably to preserve his right.

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Edward's Indignation

In presenting this dignified and imperious mandate, the archbishop, in presence of the English nobles and the Prince of Wales, added his own admonitions on the duty of a reverent obedience to so sacred an authority, observing that Jerusalem would not fail to protect her citizens, and to cherish, like Mount Sion, those who trusted in the Lord. Edward, on hearing this, broke into a paroxysm of wrath, and swearing a great oath, cried out—" I will not be silent or at rest, either for Mount Sion or for Jerusalem; but, as long as there is breath in my nostrils, will defend what all the world knows to be my right." But the papal interference was in those days, even to so powerful a monarch as Edward, no matter of slight importance; and, returning to his calmer mind, he requested the archbishop to retire until he had consulted with his nobility.

On Winchelsea's readmission, the king, in a milder and more dignified mood, thus addressed him:—" My Lord Archbishop, you have delivered me, on the part of my superior, and reverend father, the pope, a certain admonition touching the state and realm of Scotland. Since, however, it is the custom of England, that in such matters as relate to the state of that kingdom, advice should be had with all whom they may concern, and since the present business not only affects the state of Scotland, but the rights of England; and since many prelates, earls, barons, and great men, are now absent from my army, without whose advice I am unwilling, finally, to reply to my Holy Father, it is my purpose, as soon as possible, to hold a council with my nobility, and" by their joint advice arid determination, to transmit an answer to his Holiness by messengers of my own.

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