ROBERT I., "THE BRUCE" (1274-1329), king of Scot land, the son of Robert de Bruce VII., earl of Carrick by right of his wife Marjorie, was a direct descendant of a Norman baron who accompanied William I. to England. He was probably born at Turnberry, Ayrshire, on July II, 1274, and is said to have spent his youth at the court of Edward I., where he must have watched the progress of the suit for the crown of Scotland. After the death of Margaret, the "maid of Norway," Bruce's grandfather claimed the crown by right of his descent from David I. ; but John de Balliol, grandson of Margaret, being preferred by the com missioners of Edward I., he resigned his estates to Bruce's father, who assumed the title of Lord of Annandale (1295). In 1292, Bruce became earl of Carrick, by which title he is often known. Some four years later Bruce and his father swore fealty to Edward I., but when Sir William Wallace raised his standard, Bruce followed the popular leader and harried the forces of John de Warenne, Edward's general. In July, 1297, however, he was forced to sign the capitulation of Irvine, whereby the Scottish lords were pardoned in return for their allegiance.
Bruce thus took no part in the momentary triumph and final defeat of Wallace, who continued the struggle almost unaided. Soon after Bruce again appears to have sided with his country men, but he was not yet regarded as an open enemy of the English, for his estates were left intact, and in 1299 he was appointed co-regent of Scotland, together with William Lam berton, bishop of St. Andrews, and John Comyn the younger. For the next four years he remained passive, and in 1304 even supported Edward I. in the capture of Stirling, but secretly he entered into a bond with Lamberton which bound him to the patriotic cause.
The second period of his life, which was occupied by the contest for the kingdom, now began. After the execution of Wallace in 1305, Edward sought to conciliate the Scottish nobles by granting a liberal constitution to Scotland. Bruce is reputed to have been one of the advisers, but his fidelity was already suspected and in 1306 he returned to Scotland secretly. In the same year he
murdered his old enemy Comyn, and was thenceforward definitely committed to the Scottish cause. Collecting his adherents, Bruce marched to Scone where he was crowned on March 27, 1306, and a few days later was placed on the throne according to an ancient Celtic ceremony, by the Macduffs, earls of Fife. He then set out to win his kingdom, but after being defeated at Methven and at Dalry in Strathfillan, he fled almost alone to the island of Rathlin. Proclaimed an outlaw, excommunicated by the pope, his wife and daughter in the hands of the English, and his brother executed, Bruce's cause seemed hopeless, but on July 7, 1307, Edward I. died, and Bruce was opposed only by his incompetent son Edward II. In the winter of 1307 and in 1308, hurrying to Aberdeenshire, he harried the lands of the earl of Buchan, whom he defeated near Inverurie on May 22, 1308, while his brother Edward reduced Galloway. He then crossed to Argyllshire, took the pass of Brander (1309), captured Dunstaffnage, and in March held his first parliament at St. Andrews.
A truce having been effected by Pope Clement V. in 1309, Bruce was recognized as king by the clergy of Scotland in Feb. 1310, in spite of his excommunication; and with this backing he set out to reduce the strongholds still held by the English. Linlithgow fell towards the end of 1310, Dumbarton in Oct. 1311, Perth in Jan. 1312, two raids into the north of England were also suc cessful in March 1313, Roxburgh and Edinburgh were captured and in May the Isle of Man was subdued. By the end of 1313, Stirling, Bothwell and Berwick alone remained English and these Edward II. made a determined effort to save. He reached Fal kirk on June 22, 1314, and two days later the battle of Bannock burn was f ought, in which the defeat of the English determined the independence of Scotland and confirmed the title of Bruce. On April 26, 1315, at the parliament of Ayr, the succession was unanimously settled on Bruce and his heirs.