Scottish History Paper Example question paper

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1 Scottish History Paper Example question paper The Wars of Independence, Study the sources below and answer the questions which follow. Source A: from Michael Brown, The Wars of Scotland (2004). On 29 March 1286 the funeral of Alexander III was held at Dunfermline Abbey, as in 1214 and 1249 the nobles gathered on the news of the king s death. Alexander s sudden death had brought to an end the male line of the royal dynasty that had ruled Scotland for two centuries. His funeral was the setting for the first of a series of meetings during the spring of However, after just two meetings it was agreed to shelve the issue of succession until later in the year. In the absence of a king it was vital to find a basis for government. Therefore in late April 1286 the authority of the community was used to elect six guardians to head the royal government. Despite this, eyes were already turning to the descendants of King David I s line within Scotland. Whether the issue was raised in the April meetings or not, their descent was well known and the rivalry between the Bruce and Balliol families may have added to the uncertainties. Source B: from Michael Prestwich, Edward I (1988) Once judgement was pronounced in favour of John Balliol, the kingdom was handed over to its new ruler. The judgement was immediately followed by a warning that if Balliol did not govern justly, Edward would have to intervene as the right of overlordship was his. When Balliol was crowned at Scone, the ceremony was performed by Anthony Bek and John de St John, the latter was deputising for the infant earl of Fife, whose task this was, but the fact that two English nobles played such a role emphasised the new subjugation of the Scottish king to Edward. If there were any doubts about Balliol s position, they must have been largely resolved on 26 December, when the new king did homage to Edward I. The English king did not live in an age when a man could be content with a mere recognition of his authority: he had to exercise his rights in order to establish them. Source C: from Fiona Watson, Under the Hammer: Edward I and Scotland, (1998) Historians have been aware for some time that Balliol s reputation as king resulted in part from the difficult circumstances of his reign, but more particularly from the effect on that reputation of the propaganda of Robert Bruce, and subsequent pro-bruce writers. Nevertheless, the general impression of the unfortunate John remains that of Toom Tabard, the spineless monarch who did little to save his kingdom from Edward I. The reality of Balliol s reign is rather more successful than will fit at all comfortably with the weak and incompetent SQA 1 of 11

2 stamp usually placed on it. At home, John s style of kingship was fairly indistinguishable from that of previous Scottish kings. However, it would be foolish to ignore the fact that Balliol s reign was overshadowed by English influence from the start. The new chancellor was to be an Englishman, and the king s chamberlain, was described as treasurer, thus following English practice. Then, at the beginning of January 1293, King John was forced to release Edward from any possible implications of the Treaty of Birgham. Source D: from John Barbour Scottish Poet, the Brus, written in the 1370s. The fight at Stirling, before the Bannock or, as it has become best known, at Bannockburn has assumed a central place in accounts of the Scottish wars. The significance given to the battle is natural and Bruce s success is largely deserved as the events of 23 and 24 June 1314 marked a major shift in the military balance. On 23 June one division of the Scottish army under Randolph met and stopped the cavalry vanguard of Edward II s army on its way to relieve Stirling Castle. Persuaded by this success and taking military advice from his loyal supporters, Bruce decided not to withdraw westwards, but to take the initiative. With first light on 24 June the Scottish king s army moved down from the high ground of the New Park, the English were wrong-footed by this attack. Trapped between the river, burn and the Scots, Edward s army disintegrated, thousands dying in the rout. Attempt all of the following questions. 1. How fully does Source A explain the reasons for the succession problem 1286 to 1292? 10 marks Use the source and recalled knowledge. 2. How much do Sources B and C reveal about differing interpretations of Balliol s rule? 10 marks Use the sources and recalled knowledge. 3. Explain the reasons why William Wallace and Andrew Murray were important to Scottish resistance marks 4. Evaluate the usefulness of Source D as evidence of Robert Bruce s victory at Bannockburn in marks In reaching a conclusion you should refer to: the origin and possible purpose of the source; the content of the source; recalled knowledge SQA 2 of 11

3 Scottish History Paper Example answers The Wars of Independence, Question 1 - (How fully ) Source A explains the reasons for the succession problem 1286 to 1292 to a certain extent. (Judgement) Source A mentions that Alexander s sudden death had brought to an end the male line of the royal dynasty that had ruled Scotland for two centuries. This was important as the death of Alexander III left no male heir in Scotland and therefore a crisis in the succession. (Source 1 mark) However Source A has significant omissions in explaining the reasons for the succession problem. (Judgement) Margaret Maid of Norway died on her way to Scotland in This was important as a reason for the succession problem as there was no longer an obvious heir to the kingdom of Scotland. (Recall 1 mark) Question 2 (How much do Sources ) Sources B and C reveal differing interpretations of Balliol s rule. (Process) Source B suggests that Edward I was determined to exercise his right of overlordship during Balliol s kingship in Scotland. (Overall viewpoint 1 mark) In Source B it says If there were any doubts about Balliol s position, they must have been largely resolved on 26 December, when the new king did homage to Edward I. This suggests that Balliol was summoned to King Edward s court in Newcastle to pay homage, establishing Edward s authority over King John. (Source 1 mark) On the other hand Source C suggests that Balliol s rule was weakened not just because of Edward s interference but from the negative propaganda of the Bruce s in Scotland. (Overall viewpoint 1 mark) In Source C it says the general impression of the unfortunate John remains that of Toom Tabard, the spineless monarch who did little to save his kingdom from Edward. This was important as King John was ultimately brought before the English king and stripped of his royal badge of Scotland ending Balliol s rule in The incident humiliated John earning him the title Empty coat or Toom Tabard. (Source 1 mark) However, Sources B and C leave out important points on the differing interpretations of Balliol s rule. The Sources do not mention The Macduff Case which was brought before the court of Edward I in Westminster King John was subjected to a public humiliation and was forced to allow Edward to hear the appeal undermining the rule of the Scottish king. (Recall 1 mark) SQA 3 of 11

4 Question 3 (Explain the reasons ) There are a number of reasons why William Wallace and Andrew Murray were important to Scottish resistance William Wallace murdered the Sheriff of Lanark and as a result of his actions he was one of the first to provide resistance against the English in (Recall 1 mark) William Wallace and Andrew Murray led the Scottish army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge 11 th September 1297 and because of the Scottish victory against the English it established Wallace and Murray as leaders of the army of resistance in Scotland. (Recall 1mark) Question 4 (Evaluate the usefulness ) Source D is useful as evidence of Robert Bruce s victory at Bannockburn in The authorship of Source D is useful because the chronicler John Barbour wrote what is considered to be an important record on the life of Robert the Bruce. The focus of the poem is on Bannockburn and the important role of Bruce in this key Scottish battle. (Authorship 1 mark) The type of source is a historical poem. It contains first-hand accounts from the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and the role of Bruce. The poem is a reflection on Scottish patriotism at the time. (Type of Source 1 mark) The purpose of the source is to persuade Scottish people on the key role of Robert the Bruce as an important military leader in Scottish history. (Purpose 1 mark) The timing of Source D is useful because it was written in the 1370s. It is an important recording of Scottish history in the 14 th century. Although it was written some years after the Battle of Bannockburn 1314, it does benefit from hindsight on the actions of Bruce. (Timing 1 mark) The source mentions that The significance given to the battle is natural and Bruce s success is largely deserved as the events of 23 and 24 June 1314 marked a major shift in the military balance. This makes it useful because it is clear evidence of Bruce s victory at Bannockburn and the importance of a Scottish military victory over the English. (Source 1 mark) However the source does not mention a number important points on Bruce s victory at Bannockburn. Robert the Bruce and the Scottish army prepared the ground and new the battle plan before the Bannockburn allowing Bruce to gain a key victory in (Recall 1 mark) SQA 4 of 11

5 Scottish History Paper Marking Instructions 1. Candidates can be credited in a number of ways up to a maximum of 10 marks. A maximum of 2 marks may be given for answers in which no judgement has been made. Possible points which may be identified in Source D On 29 March 1286 the funeral of Alexander III was held at Dunfermline Abbey, as in 1214 and 1249 the nobles gathered on the news of the king s death. Alexander s sudden death had brought to an end the male line of the royal dynasty that had ruled Scotland for two centuries. Therefore in late April 1286 the authority of the community was used to elect six guardians to head the royal government. Whether this issue was raised in the April meetings or not, their descent was well known and the rivalry between the Bruce and Balliol families may have added to the uncertainties. Possible comment which shows the candidate has interpreted the key point(s) The death of King Alexander III in 1286 resulted in the gathering of the Scottish nobles to discuss succession. The tragic death of Alexander III left no male heir and a crisis in the succession. Six Guardians were appointed in response to the vital need to carry on the day to day running of the government in the absence of a royal leader. As part of the competitive elite in Scotland, the rivalry between the Bruce and Balliol factions was only one part of the succession crisis. Possible points of significant omission may include: Alexander s children had all died before him; Alexander (1284), David (1281) & Margaret (1283). The young child Margaret Maid of Norway was now the only descendant of King Alexander. The Guardians compromised the independence of Scotland by asking Edward I for advice and protection. There was fear of civil war. Bishop Fraser of St Andrews was afraid of violent disorder when Robert Bruce the elder arrived in Perth with an army. Bishop Fraser asked Edward to come to the Scottish border in order to maintain peace. There was uncertainty during the winter of after a rebellion in the South West by the Bruce faction. Robert Bruce seized the Balliol castle of Buittle and the royal castles of Wigtown and Dumfries. Although order was restored by the Guardians, the threat from the Bruce faction created the need to settle securely the question of the succession. There were concerns to maintain the independence of Scotland. The Treaty of Birgham, the marriage of Margaret, Maid of Norway and King Edward s son, Edward, Prince of Wales, appeared to solve the potential threat of civil war and to establish a secure relationship with England through marriage. The Guardians however, were concerned to keep Scotland s separate customs and laws. Although Edward made concessions to the separate identity of Scotland in the Treaty of Birgham, Edward s actions, such as his seizure of the Isle of Man and the appointment of the Bishop of Durham, suggested that Edward wanted to increase his influence over the kingdom of Scotland. SQA 5 of 11

6 A problem arose over the succession after Margaret s death on her way to Scotland in Her death left no obvious heir to the kingdom of Scotland. There was a renewed threat to stability after the death of the Maid of Norway. Tension grew between the two factions i.e. Bruce V Balliol/Comyn. Bishop Fraser s letter to Edward favoured Balliol s claim to the throne while Bruce s claim was put forward in the letter of the seven earls. Following the invitation to be arbiter in the issue of Scottish succession, Edward showed his authority by inviting the Scottish leaders to meet him at his parliament at Norham rather than Edward travelling over the border into Scotland. Edward also showed his strength by ordering his Northern armies to assemble at Norham. In addition, Edward organised his navy for a blockade of Scotland and raised taxes to prepare for a possible war. Edward took advantage of Scotland s weakness. When the Scots leaders travelled to Norham, Roger Brabazon gave a speech on behalf of Edward requiring the Scots to recognise Edward as overlord. Edward put further pressure on the Scots representatives by asking them to prove that he, Edward, was not their overlord. The Scottish leaders replied they could not be asked to prove a negative. The Scottish representatives were granted 3 weeks to reply to Edward s demands. Edward responded to the refusal of the Scots representatives to acknowledge his overlordship by asking the claimants to the throne to accept it instead. In the Award of Norham, nine claimants, fearing they would be left out of the judgement, accepted Edward s overlordship, and in so doing, compromised the independence of the kingdom. The Guardians and other leading Scots eventually took an oath of fealty to Edward. An English baron, Brian fitzallan was appointed by Edward to the Guardians. The task of choosing a new king, known as the Great Cause was a long drawn out process, lasting over 15 months from August 1291 until November Thirteen claimants presented themselves although only three, John Balliol, Robert Bruce and John Hastings, had a strong legal claim. Edward continued to exercise his overlordship over Scotland even after deciding in favour of John Balliol in November Balliol had the strongest legal claim, based on primogeniture, being a descendant of the eldest daughter of Earl David. Balliol however had to swear fealty to Edward. Balliol also did homage to Edward in December 1292 at Newcastle. Edward exercised such authority which created problems for King John s reign. Any other valid point that meets the criteria described in the general marking instructions for this kind of question. SQA 6 of 11

7 2. Candidates can be credited in a number of ways up to a maximum of 10 marks. Point identified in Source B The judgement was immediately followed by a warning that if Balliol did not govern justly, Edward would have to intervene as the right of overlordship was his. When Balliol was crowned at Scone, the ceremony was performed by Anthony Bek and John de St John, the latter was deputising for the infant earl of Fife, whose task this was, but the fact that two English nobles played such a role emphasised the new subjugation of the Scottish king to Edward. If there were any doubts about Balliol s position, they must have been largely resolved on 26 December, when the new king did homage to Edward I. Possible comment which shows the candidate has interpreted the significant view(s) Edward s determination to exercise his authority as overlord undermined and weakened John s authority as king throughout his reign. John s inauguration as king of Scots in 1292 was attended by English officials to publically demonstrate Edward s superiority over the new Scottish King. John Balliol was summoned by Edward to pay homage in December Overall View: Edward was determined to exercise his right of overlordship to the fullest extent during Balliol s rule. Point identified in Source C The general impression of the unfortunate John remains that of Toom Tabard, the spineless monarch who did little or nothing to save his kingdom from Edward I. The new chancellor was to be an Englishman, and the king s chamberlain, was described as treasurer, thus following English practice. Possible comment which shows the candidate has interpreted the significant view(s) John Balliol has been viewed as a king lacking in strength to stand up to Edward I. John was ultimately brought before Edward and ceremoniously stripped of his royal regalia. King John had to agree to some English members of his government and the use of English titles, thus facing English influence at a number of levels during his reign. At the beginning of January 1293, King John was forced to release Edward from any possible implications of the Treaty of Birgham. In 1293 under pressure John released Edward from the terms of the Treaty of Birgham, ending equality between the two kingdoms. Overall view: Some Historians have suggested that Balliol s reputation as a weak king did not just come from Edward s interference, but from the negative propaganda of the Bruce family, and subsequent pro-bruce writers. Possible points of significant omission may include: SQA 7 of 11

8 Balliol recognised the importance of maintaining the support of his powerful allies which included Bishop Fraser, the Comyns of Buchan and Badenoch, and many others in Scotland. Balliol was forced to accept Edward s right to hear appeals as supreme judge from Scottish courts at Westminster, despite the promises made in the Treaty of Birgham- Northampton that Scottish legal cases would not be heard outside Scotland. It was only a week into John s reign when a Burgess of Berwick appealed to Edward, as his Superior Lord, over a court decision made by the Guardians that John had upheld. Edward undermined John s legal authority by overturning one of the verdicts given in the Scottish courts. When the case of Macduff of Fife came before the Court of King Edward at the November parliament, John was subjected to the most public humiliation In June 1294 Balliol agreed to Edward s demand for military service from King John, 10 Scottish barons and 16 Scottish barons for his war with King Philip IV of France. In 1295, twelve new Guardians were elected by the Community of the Realm to help John stand up to Edward I. In 1296 John entered into negotiations with Anthony Bek but was ultimately made to endure a number of humiliations. At Kincardine Castle he was forced to confess his rebellion; on 7th July at Stracathro he was made to formally renounce the treaty with France; finally, on 8 July at Montrose John was made to resign his kingdom to Edward. Any other valid point of explanation that meets the criteria described in the general marking instructions for this kind of question 3. Candidates can be credited up to a maximum of 8 marks. Possible reasons: Key point Wallace killed William Heselrig, the English Sheriff of Lanark. Wallace led a resistance movement amongst commoners in the south-west of Scotland, possibly backed by Scottish nobles. Andrew Murray led resistance against Edward s rule in the North. Murray raised his standard at Avoch, in the Black Isle and led a guerrilla campaign. By August 1297 Murray had succeeded in driving out the English garrison s north of Dundee. William Wallace along with Andrew Murray led the Scottish army to victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, 11th September Explanation Wallace was the first to rebel against English rule and occupation. Wallace organised local resistance and led military campaigns around Selkirk Forest. Andrew Murray of noble birth right, was one of the first to resist against the English in the North East of Scotland. The military results of the Scottish victory against the English established Wallace and Murray as commanders of the army of Scotland. SQA 8 of 11

9 Wallace and Moray as Guardian s resisted by proclaiming Scotland s freedom from English rule in the Lubeck Letter of 11 October Wallace continued to play a part in the Scottish resistance after the defeat at Falkirk, 1298 and the end of his period as Guardian. Wallace rejoined the resistance in 1303 and was involved in further guerrilla activity in Annandale, Liddesdale and Cumberland. Wallace continued his resistance until his death in 1305 for acts of treason against the English king. Wallace and Murray declared Scotland open for business and trade as an act of resistance. The defeat of Wallace s army spelt the end of his political leadership and he resigned his guardianship in the autumn of Although Wallace continued to resist Edward. Wallace resumed his guerrilla campaign against the English around the Scottish borders and into England. Wallace refused to accept the authority of Edward right up until his execution in Any other valid point of explanation that meets the criteria described in the general marking instructions for this kind of question 4. Candidates can be credited in a number of ways up to a maximum of 8 marks. Examples of aspects of the source and relevant comments: Aspect of the source Author: John Barbour Scottish Poet Possible comment Useful as the author was a member of the Scottish king s household (Robert II, grandson of Robert the Bruce). Useful as Barbour was a churchman but is best known for his epic poem the Brus. Type of source: A historical poem Useful as the poem is partly historical (some first-hand accounts were used by Barbour) and in part reflects Scottish patriotism. It may be biased written to celebrate the life of a Scottish hero Bruce in early 14 th century Scottish history. Purpose: A historical account of Robert the Bruce, in particular his role at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 Useful as it focuses on Robert the Bruce and his role at Bannockburn to defeat the English army led by Edward II. SQA 9 of 11

10 Timing: 1370s Useful as this is an important account in recording Scottish history in the 14 th century. It has the benefit of hindsight recording the actions of Bruce throughout his life. Although as it was written some years after Bannockburn and the death of Robert the Bruce in Content The significance given to the battle is natural and Bruce s success is largely deserved as the events of 23 and 24 June 1314 marked a major shift in the military balance. Persuaded by this success and taking military advice from his loyal supporters, Bruce decided not to withdraw westwards, but to take the initiative. On 24 June the Scottish king s army moved down from the high ground of the New Park, the English were wrong-footed by this attack. Trapped between the river, burn and the Scots, Edward s army disintegrated, thousands dying in the rout. Possible comment Useful as it provides insight into the importance of the Battle of Bannockburn. Bruce gained an important military victory in Useful as it shows that Bruce s military success was not only down to the King, but the support of his loyal lieutenants. Useful as it provides evidence of military tactics used by Bruce to defeat the English Army at Bannockburn. Possible points of significant omission may include: Bruce was considered a great military leader who fought on his own terms and developed his army up to Bruce and the Scottish army prepared the ground before the Battle of Bannockburn. Bruce was supported by his able military lieutenants Edward Bruce, James Douglas and Thomas Randolph. Bruce created an army of four infantry divisions. The death of the English knight Sir Henry de Bohun, killed by Bruce, raised Scottish morale on the eve of the battle. Bruce s triumph over a vastly superior English army at the Battle of Bannockburn (23-24 June 1314) completed Bruce s military control of Scotland and gains him increased support thereby securing his position as king of Scots. Shortly after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 raids were made on the north of England. Bruce and his lieutenants led regular raids into England after 1314 to force Edward II to the negotiating table. At a parliament at Cambuskenneth Abbey 1314, Bruce gave the nobles the opportunity to pledge their allegiance and keep their Scottish lands whilst disinheriting those who chose to side with the English king. SQA 10 of 11

11 Any other valid point that meets the criteria described in the general marking instructions for this kind of question. SQA 11 of 11