The Succession Crisis and Great Cause

Question 1

What century did Alexander III rule Scotland?

Answer 1

Thirteenth.

Question 2

Who was Alexander III married to initially?

Answer 2

Margaret the sister of Edward I, the English King.

Question 3

When was Bruce inaugurated?

Answer 3

1306

Question 4

What family was the most important in Scotland?

Answer 4

Comyn

Question 5

What is the community of the realm?

Answer 5

Bishops, Earls and Barons who were the political elite of the Kingdom.

Question 6

What evidence is there of Alexander’s rule being ‘Golden’?

Answer 6

There is evidence that the economy flourished under Alexander III. Berwick became Scotland’s wealthiest burgh, prospering on the export of wool to Europe. Furthermore new buildings were created such as cathedrals and castles, suggesting growing wealth and prosperity.

Question 7

How many earls were there in Scotland?

Answer 7

13

Question 8

What does overlordship mean?

Answer 8

If a king became overlord of another King then the vassal or inferior King had to pay homage.

Question 9

What are the consequences of being the vassal and having to pay homage to your overlord?

Answer 9

You had to provide service in the army, and swear fealty which is an oath of loyalty.

Question 10

Describe Alexander III’s homage in 1278 to Edward I.

Answer 10

In 1278, Alexander was asked to do homage to Edward I for Tynedale and Penrith, lands he held in England, which he did. Edward then asked him to do homage for the whole of Scotland/His Kingdom and he refused. His response: “No one but God alone has the right to the homage for my Kingdom of Scotland, and I hold it of no one except God alone.”

Question 11

Describe the Tailzie of 1284.

Answer 11

This was to ensure succession. It was a promise from the political community that they would accept Margaret the Maid of Norway as heir. (the daughter of his late daughter Margaret)

Question 12

When did Alexander III’s son’s die?

Answer 12

David died in 1281 and Alexander his other son died in 1283. Neither David nor Alexander had any children.

Question 13

When did Alexander III marry Yolonde?

Answer 13

1285.

Question 14

What were the problems with having the Maid of Norway as the heir to the thrown?

Answer 14

Margaret was young and female, meaning that she would need a regent to rule for her, she could not lead her own army into battle, own land or property and she would eventually a husband. The choice of these men could prove divisive.

Question 15

Where and when did the community of the realm meet to discuss the succession problem?

Answer 15

Scone in April 1286.

Question 16

What happens at Scone 1286?

Answer 16

The political community take an oath to maintain peace. Because there was clearly the prospect of a long minority, with a King or Queen too young to oversee the business of the Kingdom. The political community solution was to elect 6 ‘Guardians’/’wardens’ to govern on behalf of the community of the realm.

Question 17

Why was there tension in 1286?

Answer 17

There was Bruce versus Balliol family tension. Robert Bruce, Lord of Annandale and John Balliol, heir to the lordship of Galloway both had strong claims to the throne, both men were descendants from David the Earl of Huntingdon, who was a grandson of King David I.

Question 18

What happened in September 1286, to do with Robert the Bruce?

Answer 18

Bruce supporters gathered at Turnberry Castle.

Question 19

Why did Bruce gather supporters?

Answer 19

Bruce feared that the guardians were ignoring him and he worried over dominance of the Comyn’s.

Question 20

Who were Robert Bruce’s supporters?

Answer 20

The Earl of Carrick, James the Steward, John Stewart, Earl of Mentieth, the Earl of Dunbar, Angus Macdonald

Question 21

What happens in November 1289?

Answer 21

Robert Bruce was invited to join delegation and travel to Sailsbury to meet with Edward I and a Norwegian delegation to discuss the marriage prospects of the 6 year old Maid of Norway.

Question 22

Describe the Treaty of Sailsbury.

Answer 22

In November 1289 commissioners from Norway, England, and Scotland reached agreement at Salisbury, later confirmed by the Scots at Birgham and ratified at Northampton. The young queen was to be brought to Scotland within a year and was not to be married without Edward I’s consent. But the death of the Maid in September 1290 threw all into confusion. The Treaty of Sailsbury was not an engagement! It was “free of any contract of marriage”. It was simply a promise that Margaret would be sent to Scotland or England by 1st of November 1290. It was hinting at the marriage between the Maid of Norway and Edward I’s son Edward of Caernarfon,

Question 23

What was the outcome of the Treaty of Sailsbury.

Answer 23

The scots gave Edward I a pretext for intervening in Scottish affairs. Scots wanted to guarantee of sovereignty and independence as if Edward of Caernarfon became King of Scots and King of England he may try to rule on united Kingdom.

Question 24

What does papal dispensation mean?

Answer 24

The pope had to give consent on the marriage because the Maid of Norway and Edward of Caernarfon were related.

Question 25

When was the Treaty of Birgham-Northampton?

Answer 25

Summer 1290

Question 26

Describe the events of the Treaty of Birgham Northampton.

Answer 26

18 July and ratified at Northampton on 28 August 1290.
The Treaty of Birgham was an agreement which stated that Edward I’s son, the future Edward II, would marry the Maid of Norway. It also said Scottish independence would be guaranteed. This agreement seemed to offer the solution to solve the succession crisis, as well as stopping any potential threat of a Civil War. However, it must be noted that the Guardians, when negotiating the treaty, were careful to preserve the independence of Scotland. The document stated that Scotland and England would remain independent of each other and Scotland would be, ‘separate, free in itself and without subjection.’ English delegation was led by Anthony Bek.

Question 27

Why did the Bishops of Scotland want Scotland to remain a separate Kingdom?

Answer 27

There were no archbishops in Scotland. The English Archbishops of York and Canterbury continually tried to extend English influence over the Scottish bishops. Keeping Scotland independent was a way of keeping the Scottish bishops from being dominated by English archbishops.

Question 28

Why did the Earls and Barons want Scotland to remain independent?

Answer 28

Many of them owned lands both in England and in Scotland. The Kingdom of Scotland provided many of them with wealth, office and power. For example, James the Steward held the hereditary stewardship of the Kingdom; the Comyn family held offices in central and local government e.g.. as sheriffs, and their influence gave them extensive powers of patronage, distributing jobs to grateful friends.

Question 29

Did Scots resist Edward’s claims to Scotland’s Royal Castles.

Answer 29

YES.

Question 30

The Key Terms of the Treaty of Birgham Northampton.

Answer 30

• ‘law, liberties and customs’ preserved in Scotland
• Scotland to remain free and independent
• No parliament meeting outside Scotland could legislate Scottish concerns
• Free elections of Church of Scotland
• No taxes demanded of Scotland unless to be spend there
• Separate government and seal

BUT EDWARD reserved the right to future discussions.

• Bek was made lieutenant in Scotland to represent Edward of Caernarfon and Maid of Norway - i.e. he was now Guardian of them and ruler over the guardians
• Edward took custody of Isle of Man for Scots debt of £2,000

Question 31

When did the Maid of Norway die?

Answer 31

September 1290

Question 32

Evidence of Alexander’s reign being ‘Golden’ by historians.

Answer 32

Chroniclers and historians have described a period of relative prosperity and a peaceful expansion of the kingdom. There was a steady increase in Wool exported to Flanders and there was an increase in the amount of money in circulation.

Question 33

What signs were there of civil strife in Scotland even during the reign of Alexander?

Answer 33

The Scottish expansion into Skye and the Western Isles was serious enough to rouse the King of Norway Haakon IV. Haakon assembled a significant fleet for his defence of the Western Isles but eventually a great storm wrecked the Norwegian fleet on the breaches of Largs and in October 1263 Haakon was forced to withdraw from a small army of scots.

Question 34

What is the Treaty of Perth 1266?

Answer 34

The ownership of the Western Isles and the Isle of man was officially transferred from the King of Norway to Alexander III the King of Scots.

Question 35

What was the relationship like between Scotland and England before 1286?

Answer 35

Very good, it was one of stability, trade and even friendship.
Previously, William the Lion, a Scottish King was keen to exploit English weakness and used military force or political pressure to exert their claim for lands such as Cumbria and Northumbria.
The instability of the Northern frontier often caused a certain amount of anxiety for English monarchs and the prospect of Scots invasion in the north weakened any French expedition.

Question 36

What two pressing issues continued to linger between the Kingdoms of Scotland and England?

Answer 36

The issue of permanent boarders and overlordship.
-BOARDERS- even when Scots finally gave up their claims to Northumbria and Cumbria in 1247 at the Treaty of York, the threat of an unstable boarder, or the possibility of an alliance between Scotland and France continued to thorn relations between Scotland and England.

Question 37

Alexander’s curt reply to Edward I for asking him to do homage for the whole of the Kingdom of Scotland.

Answer 37

“‘No man has the right to homage for my kingdom for I hold it of God alone”

Question 38

What issues did the Church of Scotland face?

Answer 38

There was a lack of Scottish Archbishops to make appeals directly to the Pope in Rome. The Archbishop of York believed his authority should extend north and cover Scottish bishops however they disagreed.

Question 39

How did the Scottish Bishops manage to circumvent the problem of autonomy of the Church of Scotland?

Answer 39

In 1192 the Scottish bishops had successfully appealed to the Pope to prevent the Archbishop of York affecting their independence. The Pope agreed to allow the Scottish Church special status naming it the ‘Special Daughter’ of Rome. This allowed the Scottish Bishops to make appeals directly to Rome without going the an English Archbishop.

Question 40

Why did the Scottish Church want to remain independent?

Answer 40

Independence would maintain their freedom from the Authority of English Archbishops .

Question 41

What happens in winter 1286/1287

Answer 41

Bruce is on the warpath.

Question 42

When did Alexander die?

Answer 42

March 1286