Issue 2 - Balliol & Edward

Question 1

Problems Faced By Balliol When He Became King

Answer 1

• He was an inexperience politician and was unprepared for his role as King
• Scotland had not had a King for 6 years and the administrative system was weak.
• Many of the nobles, especially in the Western Isles and in Robert Bruce’s lands, did not support him as king - these areas would be difficult to assert authrity over.

Question 2

How Edward Humiliates Balliol
Homage

Answer 2

Edward made Balliol pay homage to him which meant Edward was able to control him. He insisted that King John paid homage to him on steerage occasions thereby assertion his dominance.

Question 3

How Edward Humiliates Balliol
Overlordship

Answer 3

This issues of Edward’s overlordship was at the heart of the relationship between Balliol and Edward I. Balliol and Edward had different views on the precise meaning of the overlordship which has been granted in 1292. Balliol no doubt hoped that his submission to Edward would be temporary. Edward however was determined to establish what his newly won overlordship meant in practice.

Question 4

How Edward Humiliates Balliol
Inauguration

Answer 4

John Balliol’s status as a sovereign King was undermined by the attendance of the English officials at his inauguration at Scone. This emphasised the new subjection of the Scottish King to England.

Question 5

How Edward Humiliates Balliol
Treaty of Birgham

Answer 5

Edward I made Balliol agree that the TOB was void as the marriage had not taken place. This implied that Scotland was not free. Edward went further and forced Balliol to recognise that the safeguards protecting Scotland’s independence in the treaty and those given to the guardians before Nrogan, weren’t binding.

Question 6

How Edward Humiliates Balliol
Scottish Courts

Answer 6

Edward wanted to humiliate Balliol by hearing appeals against decisions made in Scottish courts e.g in November 1293. Edward heard an appeal lodged by MacDuff following a decision by the Scottish crown to imprison him. Edward supported the complaint and ordered Balliol to appear in person before the English parliament to explain his decision.

Question 7

How Edward Humiliates Balliol
Scottish Castles

Answer 7

When Balliol complained about Edward’s interference in Scottish courts, Edward threatened to arrest him and seize Scottish castles. In 1293 John was declared in contempt of court and sentenced to surrender 3 royal castles.

Question 8

How Edward Humiliates Balliol
War With France

Answer 8

The unequal relationship between King John and Edward I was demonstrated in 1294 when Edward demanded feudal military service from the Scot’s in his war with France. Edward used his claim to superior lordship over Scotland to demand Scottish troops. This was an insult to Balliol’s kingly rank.

Question 9

How Edward Humiliated Balliol
Ceremonies

Answer 9

He expected John to attend royal ceremonies and appear in person as a witness at the hearing of appeals in England which stressed England’s importance over Scotland. Such treatment of a King was unprecedented and compromised Balliol’s royal status.

Question 10

How Edward Humiliated Balliol
Guardians

Answer 10

John does attempt to assert his own Kingly authority and status by defying Edward in this war with France. 12 Guardians are appointed, the council of Twelve, who guide John to make an alliance with France in 1295 (Auld Alliance)

Question 11

How Edward Humiliated Balliol
Administrators

Answer 11

Edward’s interference in the administration of Scotland undermined Balliol’s status as King of Scotland. John had to agree to a Yorkshire Man Master Thomas of Hunsingore as his new chancellor and to changes being made to the traditional Scottish customs of taxations.

Question 12

The Auld Alliance

Answer 12

A new group of 12 Guardians of the Realm was formed to take action, assuming that King John would do nothing against Edward.

The Guardians decided to send an envoy to France (led by Bishop William Fraser) to try to negotiate a peace treaty between Scotland and France.

In February 1296, an agreement was made between France and Scotland called the ‘Auld Alliance’ The treaty stated that if France was attacked, Scottish forces would come to their aid. The French agreed to do the same if the situation was reversed.

When Edward found out that his ‘vassel’ had sided with his enemy he was furious. In March of 1296 the Scots attacked England. To Edward this confirmed Balliol as an enemy and a traitor. Edward marched north to Berwick and crossed the River Tweed on 12 March 1296.

Question 13

The Siege of Berwick, 1296
When and Where

Answer 13

On the 12th of March 1296, Edward crossed the River Tweed with around 30,000 men and besieged the Scottish town of Berwick.

Question 14

The Siege of Berwick, 1296
Why Berwick?

Answer 14

Edward I decided to strike Scotland where it would really hurt. In 1296, Berwick was Scotland’s most important port; it was also the centre of the Scottish Wool trade. Berwick was also the biggest Burgh in Scotland.

Question 15

The Siege of Berwick, 1296
How Scotland Prepared

Answer 15

Berwick had prepared itself for an English attack and had built a new wooden wall around the town. Soldiers from Fife came to help defend it and women and children were moved out of town.

Question 16

The Siege of Berwick, 1296
What Happened

Answer 16

When the English arrived, Edward gave the people of Berwick three days to surrender the Scots refused Edward’s requests that it should surrender and for 3 days insults were hurled at the English.

Edward ordered his troops to attack. Edward stormed the town on the 30th of March and destroyed it. He had ordered his men to kill all souls of both sexes and make the mills”flow with the flow of their blood.” The blooshed lasted 3 days while every hiding place was searched and all those found were brutally murdered (about 17,000 although numbers vary based on the source)

Over 30 Flemish tradesmen who were staying in Berwick tried to defend a building known as the Red House from the English to help their hosts. All were burnt to death inside the building. For days, blood ran through the streets from the bodies of those who had been killed.

Question 17

The Siege of Berwick, 1296
What Did Edward Hope to Achieve

Answer 17

The sacking of Berwick was a deliberately brutal and cruel act by Edward he ordered the massacre as an example to the rest of Scotland of what to expect should resistance to him being overlord continue. This was the sort of act that earned Edward the nickname of ‘Hammer of the Scots.’ This was merely the start of Edward’s tyranny. In revenge, the Scots burned towns in the north of England.

Question 18

The Battle of Dunbar 1296
English Troops

Answer 18

• The English were led by the 7th Earl of Surret - Earl Warenne.
• They had more troops than the Scots and were exceptionally well trained.
• John Balliol’s father in law was on their side.
• The Earl of Dunbar, Cospatrick, was also allied with the English and had left his wife, Marjory Comyn, in charge of Dunbar castle with instructions to han it over to the English.

Question 19

The Battle of Dunbar 1296
Scottish Troops

Answer 19

• The Scots were led by John Balliol and the Earl of Buchan - Alexander Comyn and his son
• Alexander Comyn was Marjory’s father
• Marjory gave them access to the castle and therefore disobeyed her husband.
• The Scots met the English at Lummermours before Dunbar Castle.

Question 20

The Battle of Dunbar
April 27th 1296

Answer 20

The Scots had the high ground. To meet them, Surrey’s cavalry had to cross a ditch divided by a burn. As they crossed the burn, their ranks broke up and the Scots thought the English were retreating. They gave up their strong position and charged downhill in disorder. They then found that the English had reformed and were advancing on them in perfect order. The English destroyed the disorganised Scots in a single charge.

Around 130 Scots were taken prisoner. The next day, King Edward appeared in person and ordered Dunbar Castle to be taken.

Question 21

The Battle of Dunbar, 1296
The Outcome

Answer 21

• Edward followed the fleeing army of King John, destroying Roxburgh, Jedburgh, Edinburgh castles as he went.
• Following the battle, many Guardians and nobles were captured. Scotland was left withouth an effective leadership.
• There was a signficant drop in morale - other commanders decided that the conflict was ove rbefore it had properly begun.
• Scotland had a divided front - many nobles focused on protecting their own territory and lives, along with that of their tennants, from the English.

Question 22

Surrender of John Balliol

Answer 22

Balliol confessed to rebellion/surrendered on the 2nd of July 1296 and prayed for forgiveness. He abandoned the treaty with the French.

In Montrose on July 8th there was a ceremony to remove King John of his titles:
* He was forced to remove his royal clothing.
* His title of King of Scots was removed and the red and gold arms of Scotladn was removed from his coat - This earned him the nick-name ‘Toom Tabard’ (empy coat)

He was sent to the tower of London

Question 23

Edward Takes Items of Scottish Heritage From Scotland
July 1296

Answer 23

All documents relating to the kingdom of Scotland were taken onboard a ship bound for London. The Stone of Destiny, the stone on which all Scottish kings had been inaugurated, was removed by Edward and sent to Westminster along with the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Black Rood of St. Margaret. These were highly symbolic gestures which showed the full extent of Edward’s subjugation of Scotland.

Question 24

Ragman Roll
28th August 1296

Answer 24

In August 1296, Edward made leading Scottish nobles and other important Scottish figures swear a personal oath to him as their king. The document they signed/added their seals to became known as the Ragman’s Roll. The large number of names on this document show how fully Edward had taken over Scottish politics and therefore the country as a whole.

Edward replaced Scottish offciials with English ones e.g the treasurer. Edward appointed English Governors to administer major Scottish towns.