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The House Of Balliol |
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Edward Balliol
1332-1336
On the death of the great Robert the Bruce, his four year old son, David II, succeeded to the Scottish throne. The Regency passed to the two men the Bruce had entrusted with the guardianship of his young son, Sir James Douglas and Thomas Randolph. Douglas died shortly after in a skirmish in Spain and Randolph soon followed him to the grave.
The Regency then passed to the Robert's nephew, Donald, Earl of Mar. Edward Balliol, the son of the deposed King John and Isabella de Warenne, still harboured dreams that he would one day occupy the position he considered to be his by right of birth. He recieved support from Edward III of England and landed on the coast of Fife marching toward Perth. Mar met them in a bloody battle at Dupplin Moor and was killed in the action.
Edward Balliol was duly crowned Edward, King of Scots at Scone, but nobles loyal to the memory of Robert the Bruce drove him back into England. The regency was taken by another Douglas, Archibald, the brother of the previous Earl. Edward III now gave further support to Balliol, he declared the Treaty of Northampton null and void due to border reiving and marched on Berwick.
The Scots met the english invaders at Halidon Hill, were they suffered total defeat. Berwick was forced to surrender and Balliol was restored to the Scottish throne. He paid homage to Edward III for his kingdom, destroying the Scots independence that Robert the Bruce had fought so long for. The young King David was sent to France for safety, where Phillip VI lodged him at Chateau Gaillard.
For twelve years thereafter, anarchy reigned in Scotland. When Edward III declared war on France, Phillip VI sent David Bruce back to Scotland in the hope of creating a diversion. David II entered Edinburgh in triumph, while Balliol fled to England leaving the throne open to his adversary. On 20th January, 1356 he surrendered his claim to the Scottish throne to Edward III, in exchange for an English pension. Edward Balliol died in 1367 at Wheatley, Doncaster, Yorkshire.