Robert I King of Scots: Timeline

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Timeline for Robert I, King of Scots

• October/November 1292 - Earl of Carrick. On the death of Robert's mother,^[1] his father resigned the of Carrick to Robert,^[2] confirmed in the Scottish Parliament in August 1293.^[3][4]

• 1296 - Beginning of the Scots First War of Independence. Robert and his father supported King of England Edward I, who defeated Scottish King John de Balliol in 1296, however they were unhappy that Edward I took the Scottish throne for himself. Although Robert supported William Wallace, aka "Braveheart", and the cause for Scottish independence, Robert was absent at the Scots victory at Stirling Bridge, and he was not present at the Battle of Falkirk, where Wallace was defeated.^[5]

• 19 August 1299 - Robert was chosen as one of the guardians of the Kingdom of Scotland at a Council of Magnates assembled at Peebles,^[3][6] with Sir |John "the Red" Comyn]] of Badenoch, the nephew of King John de Balliol.^[5] At this same council, Robert was assaulted by Comyn, who would be his rival for the Scottish crown.^[1][5]

• 1304 - Robert's father died, putting Robert in line to claim the Scottish throne.^[5] At this same time, Robert may have become Lord Bruce.^[2] Robert succeeded his father as Lord of Annandale,^[1] inheriting lands in Scotland and Durham as well as the Huntingdon estates.^[3] Robert did homage and had livery of his father's lands in England on 14 June 1304.^[3][7][8]

• February 1305/6 - Robert stabbed Sir John Comyn at the church of the convent of the Minorite Friars in Dumfries,^[5] John was "immediately afterwards dispatched by Brus's companions".^[3] The stabbing was done "possibly in self-defence, probably without premeditation"^[1] but this did not prevent Scotland from falling into civil war or the renewed campaigns in the war with England. Robert was attainted, his English estates being confiscated by Edward I.^[3][7] He was also excommunicated, as authorized by Pope Clement V and pronounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury 5 June 1306.^[3]

• 27 March 1306 - Robert I was crowned King of Scotland^[3][7][2][6] having received absolution from Bishop Wishart for his part in the killing of John Comyn^[5] (Richardson states that he was absolved in 1310).^[3] He was crowned by the Countess of Buchan at Scone Abbey and was aged 31 years, 8 months and 17 days.^[1]

• June - September 1306 - Robert's forces were defeated by the Earl of Pembroke at the Battle of Methven on 19 June 1306 and on 11 August 1306, they were defeated at the Battle of Dalry by Alexander of Argyll.^[3][1] On/before 13 September 1306, the Scots, under Robert's brother Neil, were again defeated at Kildrummie Castle in Aberdeen, the English taking the castle.^[3][1]

• November 1306 - Robert's wife, Elizabeth, his daughter Marjory, and two of his sisters had gone into hiding at the sanctuary of St. Duthac in Tain, but they were turned over to the English by the Earl of Ross and imprisoned on 7 November 1306.^[3][1] Isabella, Countess of Buchan, who had crowned Robert as king, was also imprisoned that same day. It is thought that Isabella and perhaps Robert's sisters were imprisoned in cages.^[1]
• 1306-1307 - Robert's brothers were executed by the English, Neil/Nigel at Berwick in September 1306 and Thomas and Alexander at Carlisle on 17 February 1306/7.^[3][1]

• 10 May 1307 - The Scots defeated the English at the Battle of Loudon Hill in Ayrshire.^[1]

• 7 July 1307 - King Edward I died at Burgh in the Sands, near Carlisle.^[1] Edward was succeeded by his son, Edward II.

• 1307 - 1308 - Robert defeated the English at the Rout at Slaines 25 December 1307; at the Battle of Inverurie on 22 May 1308 and at Argyll on 22 August 1308.^[1]

• 24 February 1309/10 - the clergy of Scotland met in a council and swore fealty to Robert I.^[1]

• 24 June 1314 - At the Battle of Bannockburn, Robert totally defeats the English under King Edward II.^[1]

• January 1315 - Robert's wife, Elizabeth was released in exchange for prisoners taken at the Battle of Bannockburn.^[3]

• 1315 -1316 - Robert's brother Edward invaded Ireland on 25 May 1315 and was crowned king on 2 May 1316.^[1][9]

• March 1317 - Robert, "Earl of Carrick", and his brother Edward were excommunicated by Pope John.^[3]

• 1318 - The Scots took Berwick on 28 March 1318 and invaded England in May 1318.^[1]

• 14 October 1318 - Robert's brother, Edward, King of Ireland, was slain at the Tagher, near Dundalk in Ireland.^[1]

• 3 December 1318 - Robert (later King Robert II), son of Robert's sister, Marjory, was declared heir to the crown by Parliament at Scone.^[1]

• 6 April 1320 - The Scottish barons acknowledged Robert I as their king in a letter to Pope John XXII^[1] known as the Declaration of Arbroath. In this set of documents, the Scots declared their independence. However, at that time, the Pope did not recognize Scotland's independence.^[5] That year, a truce with Edward II of England was called and lasted for 13 years.^[5]

• 1326 - In the Treaty of Corbeil, the Franco-Scottish alliance was renewed. Also that year, Robert's son, David, who was born 5 March 1323/4, was recognized by the clergy, nobility and the people of Scotland as the heir to the throne.^[1]

• 1327 - Edward II is deposed and killed and Edward III takes the English throne. Robert invaded northern England, threatening to annex it to Scotland.^[5]

• 17 March 1328 - In the Treaty of Edinburgh, the English government established Robert's title as king, recognizing the independence of Scotland by the English.^[3] This treaty was later repudiated by King Edward III in 1332, but Scotland's independence remained recognized by the papacy, the French and other European rulers.^[3]

• October 1328 - the Pope recognized Scotland's independence and Robert's excommunication was reversed.^[10]

Acknowledgement

Thanks go to Traci Thiessen for compiling this timeline.