KEYPOINT REVISION: INTERMEDIATE HISTORY

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1 KEY POINTS FOR LEARNING THE REIGN OF KING ROBERT I KP10 QUESTION ANSWER NOTES How did the defeat at Bannockburn affect Edward II and English attitudes to Scotland? What actions did Bruce take to try to force Edward to recognise him as the rightful King of Scotland? What was the Declaration of Arbroath? Why did the English agree to make peace with Scotland in 1328? What agreement did the Scots and the English make in 1328?

2 THE SCOTTISH SUCCESSION KP1 In 1286 King Alexander III of Scotland died after he fell from his horse at the cliffs near Kinghorn in Fife. The unexpected death of the King created a serious problem in the government of Scotland. King Alexander s last surviving son had died two years earlier in 1284 and there was no other male relative to take his place. Before he died the king had named his granddaughter, Princess Margaret the Maid of Norway as his successor. The Great Council of powerful noblemen who advised the King and helped him to rule Scotland agreed this. However the Maid of Norway was only three years old when Alexander died and Scotland had to be governed until she was old enough to rule in her own right. Soon after the funeral of Alexander III the Great Council met and appointed six Guardians (2 Bishops and 4 powerful noblemen) to govern Scotland. Each of the Guardians swore an oath to protect the rights of Princess Margaret. They also decided to ask Edward I of England for his support as he was the brother in law of the Alexander III and the grand Uncle of Princess Margaret. Edward agreed but only if the Guardians would accept him as Overlord of Scotland and agree to a marriage between Princes Margaret and his son Edward the Prince of Wales. The Guardians were willing to agree to the marriage of Princess Margaret and Prince Edward but they would not accept Edward as Overlord. Edward I was prepared to let the matter rest. He believed that the marriage of his son to the Maid would eventually lead to Scotland and England becoming one kingdom with his son as king. In 1290 the Treaty of Brigham was signed. It stated that Princess Margaret would marry Prince Edward and that Scotland would remain separate from England as an independent kingdom with its own laws, customs and parliament. Both sides seemed to have got what they wanted and it looked like Scotland and England would live in peace. In August 1290 the eight-year-old Maid of Norway left Norway for Scotland on a ship provided at great expense by Edward I. During the voyage the Maid developed a fever and her ship had to stop at Orkney where she died. Scotland now had no obvious successor to the throne. King Edward s plans for a peaceful take over of Scotland were now in ruins but he did not give up his intention to rule the whole of the British Isles. He ordered his officials to begin a search for any documents that might prove that he had the right to claim to be Overlord of Scotland. In Scotland the death of the Maid led to serous problems. There was no clear way of choosing a new king and some of the leading Scottish noblemen claimed the throne. Most powerful among them were the Comyns and the Bruces who began to gather their armies in support of their claims. Other noblemen began to take sides and it seemed that there would be a civil war. To prevent bloodshed and destruction the Bishop of St Andrew s wrote to Edward I asking him to help choose a new king. The Scots needed an independent judge to help them decide who should be king. Edward was seen as a wise king and an expert on legal matters. He had been both a friend and brother in law to Alexander III and had not tied to take advantage of Scotland s difficulties. He was a powerful king and the claimants would accept his judgement.

3 THE GREAT CAUSE KP2 When King Edward received the request from the Scots to help them choose a new king he replied stating that he would be prepared to assist in order to maintain peace in Scotland and friendship between the two countries. Secretly he planned to press his claim to be Overlord of Scotland. For centuries Scottish kings had held land and titles in England and under feudal law they owed homage to the King of England for these lands. After the English defeated him in 1174, William the Lion was forced to accept Henry II of England as his overlord but this was cancelled under an agreement at Canterbury in Edward now intended to revive the English claim to overlordship He invited the claimants to the Scottish throne (the Competitors), to meet him at Norham Castle on the English side of the River Tweed. The Scots were told that they should only bring a few unarmed followers and that Edward would listen to their advice and judge every claim fairly. When the Scots arrived at Norham they found Edward waiting with a large army. English ships were also ready to blockade Scottish ports. Thirteen Competitors claimed the throne of Scotland and nine of them went to Norham to have their claims judged by Edward I. Edward demanded that all claimants had to accept him as the Overlord of Scotland. Only those who accepted Edward, as Overlord would have their claims considered. The Scots refused and said only a king could agree to Edwards demands he did not accept this and held the Scots as prisoners until at last they all agreed. Scottish castles were to be placed under English control and Edward promised they would be handed back to the new king. The Guardians of Scotland had to resign and were replaced men chosen by king Edward. Edward decided that only two Competitors had a strong claim based on royal descent - John Balliol and Robert Bruce. Both Balliol and Bruce were descended from David Earl of Huntingdon (brother of King William the Lion ). Balliol was the grandson of David s oldest daughter. Bruce was the son of David s youngest daughter. Bruce and Balliol were allowed to choose forty commissioners each and Edward nominated another twenty-four. In 1292 Edward decided that Balliol had the best claim and awarded the throne to him. Edward s judgment was based on primogeniture rather than proximity. Bruce was the grandson of the Earl of Huntington and Balliol was the great grandson. Edward decided that the royal line was through Balliol s grandmother who was the eldest daughter In law Edward s judgement was correct but he may have chosen Balliol because he believed him to be weak and easier to control than Bruce. Although Bruce had no choice but to accept Edward's decision he still believed he should be king. Balliol was crowned King of Scotland on November He then did homage to Edward for the kingdom of Scotland. Edward now considered Scotland part of his domain and felt free to interfere in the running of the country as and when he thought it necessary.

4 THE REIGN OF JOHN BALLIOL KP3 The reign of John Balliol was short and troubled. In Scotland Balliol was supported by the powerful Comyn family who were his relatives but the Bruce family and their supporters opposed him. Balliol was not able to do much to secure his position in Scotland. From the start Edward made it clear that he expected Balliol to do as he was told. Less than a month after he was crowned King Edward summoned him to Newcastle to do homage. Edward who allowed Scots to complain against Balliol in the English court did not treat Balliol like a king. Balliol was forced to go to the English parliament to answer complaints against him. Edward would not listen to Balliol s requests to allow him to send a representative. Many Scots nobles were angry at the way Balliol was treated by the English. Edward also forced Balliol to end the Treaty of Brigham, which guaranteed Scottish independence and tried to stop Scots making contact with other countries without his permission. In 1294 England went to war with France and Edward demanded soldiers and knights from Scotland to fight in his army. He also forced Welshmen to fight for him and this provoked an uprising in Wales. With Edward fighting against the French and the Welsh the time seemed right for the Scots to make a stand against Edward. The Scottish parliament forced Balliol to refuse Edward s demand to send soldiers to France. John Balliol declared that he would no longer do homage to Edward and in 1295 the Scots made an alliance with France against England. The Scots army led by John Comyn invaded Northern England and began to attack castles and towns. The Bruce family and their supporters stayed loyal to Edward and Robert Bruce (son of the Competitor) organised the defence of Carlisle against the Scots. In 1296 Edward marched north with a large army determined to punish the Scots. He ignored the Scottish army that was attacking his northern towns and crossed the border unopposed at Berwick, the largest and wealthiest burgh in Scotland. The English army laid siege to Berwick and English ships entered the harbour. Edward offered the townspeople a chance to surrender and waited three days for their answer. Instead of the surrender Edward expected the people attacked English ships and insulted Edward. Edward ordered his army to attack. Berwick was protected by only a wooden stockade, which the English broke through easily. To make an example of the burgh and to deter further resistance Berwick was burned to the ground and between 8,000 and 16,000 towns people were slaughtered. King John led a Scots force to Dunbar where Edward was now besieging the castle. His army was no match for the English who had many more soldiers and knights, better weapons and more experience. The Scots army was crushed and Balliol fled from the battlefield. Edward marched his army to Elgin, further north than any English army had been before. Every important town and castle surrendered to Edward without a fight and noblemen were forced to swear loyalty to Edward. On July 22, 1296 John Balliol surrendered to Edward at Kincardine. He was stripped of his Royal authority and forced to write a letter admitting that he had broken his oath to Edward his rightful overlord. Balliol was imprisoned in England and later exiled to France where he died in 1313.

5 EDWARD I AND THE OCCUPATION OF SCOTLAND KP4 With John Balliol in captivity Scotland had no king. Robert Bruce asked Edward to make him king because of his loyalty but Edward refused. Edward could not simply make Scotland part of his kingdom as he had done with Wales. However it did seem that this was what he intended to do eventually. He removed the royal crown and the Stone of Destiny on which Scottish Kings were crowned. This would make it difficult for the Scots to make a new king in the future. Hundreds of official documents and legal records were also taken to London. Englishmen were appointed to govern Scotland John de Warrenne was placed in overall command; Hugh Cressingham was appointed Treasurer and William Ormsby Chief Justiciar. All Scottish castles were placed under English control. In the winter of 1296 Edward returned to England taking most of his army with him. He believed that Scots resistance was at an end. Many Scottish nobles held lands in England and quickly submitted to King Edward. They swore an oath swore an oath of loyalty to him and signed the Ragman Roll as Edward demanded. Edward took the relatives of important nobles to England as hostages. Many Scottish nobles were put in prison. Anyone who refused to swear loyalty to Edward lost their lands or was executed. John de Warrenne, who Edward appointed to govern Scotland, returned to his estates in England claiming that the climate was bad for his health. Hugh Cressingham was left in charge. Edward began to appoint Englishmen to important posts in the Scottish church and Church leaders were worried that Edward was trying to take over the Scottish church and take away their power. English officials were greedy and corrupt Cressingham was particularly hated. English soldiers were arrogant, brutal and treated the Scots people badly. Many Scots wanted John Balliol back on the throne of Scotland. The Scots were forced to pay heavy taxes and Edward was still demanding that Scots should fight in his war against France. Within a short time Scots resentment of their English rulers began to turn into open revolt. Many nobles secretly encouraged resistance to English rule -John Comyn, James the Steward and the Bishop of Glasgow were suspected by the English. The success of local revolts by leaders such as Wallace and Murray encouraged more Scots to defy English rule and attack English soldiers and officials. In July 1297 Cressingham wrote to Edward complaining that it was impossible to collect taxes and that most parts of Scotland were in rebellion. English officials had been murdered and most had fled in fear and would not return. By the summer of 1297, Scots were in open rebellion and many noblemen were renouncing their oaths of loyalty to Edward. The English simply did not have enough soldiers and lost control of most of Scotland.

6 WILLIAM WALLACE: THE BATTLE OF STIRLING BRIDGE KP5 Many of the Scots nobles were unwilling to risk open revolt against Edward but there is evidence that they supported the resistance to English rule. The main opposition to the English was led by William Wallace in the south and Andrew Murray in the north. There is very little evidence about Wallace s early life and much of our information comes from Blind Harry s poem written more than 100 years after the death of Wallace. Wallace is thought to have been born in Elderslie around the year He was the son of Sir Alan Wallace a minor landowner. There are many stories about Wallace, which mention his size and strength, but there is little hard factual evidence about him. What seems likely is that he must have been a capable leader who men were prepared to follow otherwise he could not have risen from such a lowly position to lead his country in the struggle against the English. Wallace refused to swear an oath of loyalty to Edward and did not sign the Ragman Roll. He was declared an outlaw and in May 1297 he killed Sir William Hazelrig the English Sheriff of Lanark who was responsible for the death of his wife. Wallace went on to lead a growing band of followers attacking the English where and when they could. In the north Andrew Murray was also driving the English out. Between them Wallace and Murray made it impossible for English officials to collect taxes or govern Scotland and most had left the country fearing for their lives. In the summer of 1297 the Earl of Surrey, John de Warrene assembled army of some 12,000 men ready march north to crush the treacherous Scots. On September 10 the English army reached Stirling. The Scots led by Wallace and Murray had taken up a defensive position on high ground on the opposite bank of the River Forth. The Scots army of 8,000 was made up of mostly spearmen in schiltrons formation. The English army led by Cressingham had over 12,000 men including 2,000 cavalry and a similar number of archers. The English had to cross the narrow bridge over the Forth. This could only be done slowly, two at a time. The English commanders were over-confidant and ignored the dangers of crossing a narrow bridge. They did not listen to advice to cross at a ford further upstream. The English expected to be allowed to cross and meet the Scots in open battle. They thought their much larger more experienced army would easily defeat the Scots. Wallace and Murray had chosen a good defensive position for a quick attack. The Scots attacked when only half of the English had crossed and split their army in two. The English knights who crossed the bridge were trapped on a small area of marshy land. The Scots spearmen attacked downhill and slaughtered the English who were unable to manoeuvre their heavy horses on the marshy ground. The Scots cut timber supports causing the bridge to collapse many English knights drowned or were trapped in mud. The English army on the other side of the river was unable to cross and could only watch. Wallace sent troops to attack the English on the other side of the river and they fled in panic. The English commander the Earl of Surrey fled the battlefield and Hugh de Cressingham was killed. After the battle the last English officials and soldiers fled from Scotland in fear for their lives. Scottish castles and towns returned to the control of Scots. Wallace and Murray were national heroes and became Guardians. Wallace was knighted and appointed Commander of the Scottish army. Within a few months Murray died from the wounds he had received at Stirling.

7 WILLIAM WALLACE: THE BATTLE OF FALKIRK KP6 Following his appointment as a Guardian and Commander of the Scottish army Wallace invaded the north of England burning, looting and killing. Most Scottish noblemen supported him because of his success and his popularity with the common people. However many were jealous that a commoner had risen to such a high position. During his time as Guardian Wallace fought for the return of John Balliol to the throne of Scotland. The Comyns also wanted Balliol back on the throne but the powerful Bruce family were opposed to this. Wallace also began to establish trade links with Europe and made it known that Scotland was now free from English rule. Meanwhile Edward I had returned from the war in France and was preparing to invade Scotland. He crossed the border in July 1298 but was unable to find Wallace and his army. Berwickshire and the Lothians had been burned and deserted, and Edward s supply ships were delayed at sea. The English army was running short of food and supplies when news arrived that the Scottish army had been sighted at the Torwood near Falkirk. Unable to avoid the English, Wallace prepared his men as best he could for battle. On the 22 July the Scottish and English armies faced each other at Falkirk. Wallace had only 8,000 men 500 cavalry (contributed by the Comyns and others) and 500 archers. The English army had 14,000 men including 2,000 mounted knights and 2,000 archers. Wallace positioned his army on a hill with a small loch in front, and trees behind. The Scots army of mostly spearmen was arranged into four schiltrons with spears pointing outwards. The Scottish archers were placed in the gaps between each schiltrons. Around the schiltrons wooden stakes, roped together, had been driven into the ground. The battle opened when the English cavalry charged. They circled the small loch some to the west and some to the east. The Scottish cavalry panicked and deserted without putting up a fight some writers claim that the Comyns deliberately betrayed Wallace. The English then attacked the archers between the schiltrons, killing almost all of them, including their commander Sir John the Stewart. The Scots schiltrons were now separated and open to attack. The spearmen stood firm against the charges of the English cavalry but the schiltrons were unable to move and became an easy target for Edward s archers whom he now ordered into action. Soon hundreds of Scottish spearmen began to fall under a hail of arrows and stones. There were not enough replacements to move out from the center; the English cavalry charged into the gaps and slaughtered the Scots, killing thousands. Wallace was forced to retreat into Torwood forest. He reached Stirling but didn't have enough men left to defend the site and had to go into hiding. Although Edward won an important victory at Falkirk he was not able to complete the conquest of Scotland. He was forced to return to England, as he did not have enough food and other supplies for a long campaign. Sir William Wallace s leading role in the struggle against the English came to an end. He had risen to power because of his success at Stirling Bridge. After his defeat at Falkirk Wallace lost the backing of many of the powerful noblemen whose support he needed.

8 WILLIAM WALLACE: TRIAL AND EXECUTION KP7 After his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk Wallace resigned from his position as Guardian. It is unclear whether he was forced to do this because he no longer had the support of the Scottish nobles, or whether he gave up in disgust at the treachery of his noble supporters and decided to fight alongside the common people whom he could trust. When Edward I returned to England Robert Bruce and John Comyn were appointed as Guardians. They continued to act in the name of King John (Balliol). Wallace left Scotland for Europe where it is known that he visited France and possibly Rome to seek support for Scottish independence. Bruce and Comyn were enemies and could not work together; Bruce resigned and was replaced by Bishop Lamberton. In 1302 Bruce submitted to King Edward. Edward was fighting a war against France and Scotland and was finding it increasingly difficult to do so. There were several campaigns in Scotland, which achieved nothing except the starvation of the invading army. However in 1302 Edward defeated the French army at the Battle of Courtrai. Edward made peace in 1303 with Philip of France. Edward was now free to invade Scotland once again The Scots prepared for the English attack and Lamberton wrote to Wallace asking for his help. In May 1303 King Edward crossed the Border with his army. He had arranged supplies to be brought by sea and massive siege engines were built to attack and pull down the walls of castles no one was in any doubt that he planned a long campaign. By the winter of 1303 large areas of Scotland fell to the English. Edward spent the winter months in Dunfermline before resuming his attacks in February. By the spring of 1304 most Scots nobles surrendered and were only lightly punished for their rebellion. Wallace who had been fighting the English in the south of Scotland refused to surrender and Edward ordered that no offer of peace was to be made to Wallace who was to be treated as a traitor and a common outlaw. Edward wanted Wallace captured and offered a large reward for him. In 1305, Sir John Menteith, a Scot, captured Wallace near Glasgow he was quickly taken to London where he was put on trial for treason murder and many other crimes. Wallace was unfairly charged with treason although he had never sworn loyalty to Edward. He was not allowed to speak or give evidence in his own defence and the English court was ordered by Edward I to find Wallace guilty. The court sentenced Wallace to a traitor s death. He was to be hanged, drawn and quartered. His genitals and internal organs were to be cut out and he was then beheaded. Wallace s head was stuck on a spike at the Tower of London. Edward also ordered Wallace s body parts to be displayed at Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling and Perth to serve as a warning to others. Although Wallace failed in his efforts to drive the English out of Scotland he did keep the idea of Scotland as an independent kingdom alive when most of the Scots nobles were falling at Edward s feet. Wallace also revived the idea of Guardians ruling Scotland and proved that the Scots could defeat an English army.

9 ROBERT BRUCE: THE REBEL KING KP8 When John Balliol was chosen by Edward I to be King of Scotland his rival, Robert Bruce did not give up his claim to the throne, instead he passed his claim down to his son who was also named Robert. When the Scots rebelled in 1295, the Bruce family remained loyal to Edward and expected to be rewarded with the Scottish crown. However, when the rebellion was crushed Edward refused to grant Bruce s request. After the defeat of Wallace at Falkirk Robert Bruce and John Comyn were elected as the Guardians of Scotland in The two men were bitter enemies and in May 1300 Bruce resigned. In 1302 Bruce once again switched sides and became a supporter of King Edward. By 1304 Edward was once again in control of Scotland and in the same year Robert Bruce died leaving his claim to the Scotish throne to his son Robert, Earl of Carrick. Like his father and grandfather he was convinced of his right to the throne of Scotland and began to plan a rebellion against king Edward I who was now old and unlikely to live much longer. In February 1306 Bruce met with John Comyn at Greyfriars Church in Dumfries. Bruce accused Comyn of treachery and struck him with his sword. Bruce s followers then stabbed Comyn to death. The Church condemned Comyn s murder and Bruce was excommunicated, Edward I ordered that Bruce was to be captured and executed and the powerful relatives and supporters of Comyn were determined to get revenge. Bruce realised that the only hope for him and his family was to seize the throne and drive the English out of Scotland. In March 1306 the Countess of Buchan crowned Bruce king. He had the support of the Scottish Bishops who pardoned him for the murder of Comyn. He also had the backing of the Earls of Atholl, Lennox and Menteith and some lesser nobleman such as Sir James Douglas. Bruce s campaign did not begin well. In June 1306 he was defeated by the English at Methven and by Comyn s relatives, the MacDougalls at Dalry. His wife and children were taken prisoner and three of his brothers were beheaded for treason. In the winter of 1306 Bruce went into hiding in an unknown location in the highlands and islands. In February 1307 Bruce landed at Carrick in Ayrshire where he was attacked by a large English force. His brothers Thomas and Nigel were captured and executed. Bruce decided to avoid open battle with the English. Instead he fought a guerrilla war using ambush, surprise attacks and forced the English to fight on ground that was unsuitable for heavy cavalry. At Glen Trool in Bruce ambushed and defeated a large company of English soldiers. At Loudon Hill in May 1307 Bruce forced the English to fight in a narrow area where their cavalry could not move. In July 1307 Edward I died and his son Edward II. He was not a good general or a strong leader and had too many problems in England to pay much attention to Scotland. The English were driven out of Perth, Linlithgow, Edinburgh and Roxburgh Castles using night attacks and surprise. Bruce destroyed castles because he did not have enough men to occupy them and did not want them to fall back into the hands of the English. In 1308 Bruce attacked Comyn Lands - the Herschip of Galloway and the Herschip of Buchan. The Comyns were finally defeated at Inverurie and their lands and property destroyed. Most Scottish nobles now accepted Bruce as king. In 1310 the Scottish parliament met and declared Robert Bruce to be the lawful king of Scotland.

10 ROBERT BRUCE: THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN KP9 By the summer of 1314 only Bothwell Castle and Stirling Castle remained under English control. King Robert s brother Edward had been laying siege to Stirling for some months when the governor of the castle, Sir Phillip Mowbray made a deal with Edward Bruce he agreed to surrender the castle if a relief force had not reached Stirling by Midsummer Day. King Robert had not given permission for such a deal and was said to be furious with his brother. He knew that Edward could not ignore such a challenge and would march to Scotland with a large force to relieve the castle. Bruce decided to fight to prevent the English reaching Stirling. He began to make plans for what would be the greatest Scottish victory against the English. As Bruce expected Edward II assembled a large army and prepared to invade Scotland. The English had 16,000 infantry 2,000 archers and 2,500 mounted knights, The Scots had only 6,000 spearmen, a few archers, and about 500 cavalry. The Battle of Bannockburn took place over the June Bruce knew the English army would have to approach Stirling by the old Roman road. He planned to force the English to fight on marshy land where their heavy horses would have difficulty. Bruce chose a good position for his army on high ground with woodlands to give his troops some protection from English arrows. Calthorps and stake-pits were dug to disable English horses and make movement difficult. Scottish troops led by Randolph were in position to prevent English forces from the castle linking up with Edward s army. Bruce trained his schiltrons to move in tight formation and reinforced them with heavily armed men. If it seemed the battle could not be won a plan of retreat was prepared. On the first day of the Battle (23 June) the English cavalry charged and almost captured King Robert but he killed Sir Henry de Bohun and they were driven back with heavy losses. Scottish spearmen led by Sir Thomas Randolph prevented a large force of English knights from reaching Stirling Castle. The English army had not trained together and were badly organised. They had no time to rest or feed men and horses after their long march north and were forced to spend the night on marshy ground. They went into battle on the 24 June tired and demoralized. The English army was trapped on a narrow strip of land between the Bannockburn and the Pelstream Burn. The English heavy cavalry were unable to manoeuvre on the marshy ground. Scots cavalry scattered the English archers allowing Bruce to order his schiltrons to attack. Thousands of English soldiers and knights were killed. The English army panicked and fled when Bruce gave the order for his reserve of sma folk to attack. Edward II fled from the battlefield to Stirling where he was refused entry to the castle and then to Dunbar where he boarded a ship for England. When Edward left the English army fled - thousands were killed in the retreat or drowned in the River Forth.

11 THE REIGN OF KING ROBERT I KP10 Although Bruce had won a crushing victory at Bannockburn, Edward II still refused to recognise him as king and would not give up his claim to be overlord of Scotland. However there was little Edward could do about it. The English were humiliated by their defeat at Bannockburn and blamed their king. Edward lost the support of the leading English nobles. After such heavy losses the English were not willing to send another army to Scotland and Edward II was facing rebellion against his rule by some of the most powerful English noblemen. Scots armies raided as far as York showing that Edward II could not protect his people. Towns in the North of England had to pay money to the Scots to stop the attacks. Some nobles in the North made peace treaties with the Scots without Edward II s permission. In Scotland Bruce had the support of the whole country. He had defeated the Comyns who were his main rivals. They lost their Scottish lands and titles and were forced to flee to England. Those who had supported the Comyns were pardoned provided they swore an oath of loyalty to King Robert. Bruce gave lands and power to his most trusted and loyal supporters. Scottish nobles were forced to give up their estates in England so that they would have no obligations to the English king. In 1315 Edward Bruce took an army to Ireland where Edward also claimed to be overlord. Bruce attacked and regained the Isle of Man in Scots ambassadors were sent to European countries to get support. In 1316 the Pope excommunicated Bruce and all who supported him, including the four Scottish Bishops. In effect this meant that the whole of Scotland was no longer part of the Catholic Church In 1320 the Declaration of Arbroath was drawn up. This was a letter to the Pope asking him to recognize Scotland as an independent kingdom and to end the excommunication of Bruce and all those who supported him. Thirty-nine Scottish Earls and Barons and eleven other noblemen signed it. The Declaration outlined the wrongs done to Scotland by the English and tried persuade the Pope to accept Bruce as the rightful king of Scotland and reject Edward II s claim to be overlord of Scotland. It intended to show that Bruce had the support of the Scottish people and that they had the right to remove him if he betrayed them to the English In 1327 Edward II was murdered and his son Edward III became king. He was too young to rule and his mother Isabella and Mortimer, Duke of Lancaster became Regents. Bruce ordered his armies to carry out attacks on the north of England to force the English to make peace. In 1328 the Treaty of Edinburgh (Northampton) was agreed between Scotland and England. Bruce was recognised as King of Scots and a marriage between Bruce s son David and the sister of Edward III. All Scottish government records were to be returned together with the Stone of Destiny (this was not done) and the Scots were to pay 20,000 pounds to England. King Robert died on 7 June 1329 at the age of fifty-five. Only a few weeks later the Pope removed the order of excommunication on Bruce. Bruce was buried at Dunfermline Abbey. In accordance with his wishes his heart was removed and taken on a Crusade by his most trusted supporter Sir James Douglas.