Bruce, Robert

Robert (1274-1329), a noted king of Scotland. He is associated in the Scottish mind with the independence of Scotland. He is a grandson of the Robert Bruce who contested the Scottish throne with Baliol. His father, also of the same name, remained in England, and accompanied Edward I to Palestine rather than swear allegiance to the house of Baliol. The subject of this sketch cast his lot with Wallace in the fight for freedom from English domination and, after the death of that hero, became the national leader. He was assisted to this resolution by a quarrel between himself and John Comyn, called the Red Comyn, a nephew of Baliol. Bruce stabbed him in the church of Dumfries, March 27, 1306. Bruce was crowned king at Scone.

War with England followed. At times Bruce was so hard pursued by the English and the adherents of the Baliols, that he was obliged to take to the wildest mountains, woods, and caves. Then, as opportunity came, he would arouse a few followers, sally forth, and strike the English a blow and secrete himself again. Finally he gathered strength, took castle after castle, and in 1314 laid siege to the Castle of Stirling, the last stronghold held by the English. In the battle of Bannockburn, fought with an immense host of English marching to the relief of Stirling, 30,000 Englishmen it is claimed were slain. This is no doubt a gross exaggeration, but the defeat was a decisive one. The independence of the Scots was recognized finally by the English Parliament March 4, 1328. Bruce died suffering, it is said, of leprosy, June 7, 1329. His heart was embalmed and sent to be buried at Jerusalem, but Sir James Douglass entrusted with the mission was killed in a fight with the Moors in Spain. The heart was brought back and buried at Melrose. His body was buried at Dunfermline where in 1818 his bones were discovered.

See Wallace; Bannockburn