Sir Thomas De Brus

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2334

Notes:

Died:
executed as a traitor, beheaded

Thomas — Helen Erskine. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2336

Notes:

Sir Robert VI de Brus (July 1243 - soon bef. 4 March 1304), 6th Lord of Annandale (dominus vallis Anandie), jure uxoris Earl of Carrick (1271-1292), Lord of Hartness, Writtle and Hatfield Broad Oak (Wretele et Hatfeud Regis), was a cross-border lord, and participant of the Second Barons' War, Welsh Wars, and First War of Scottish Independence.

The son and heir of Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale and Lady Isabella de Clare, daughter of the Earl of Gloucester and Hertford, his birth date is generally accepted (July 1243) but there is a ongoing debate as to whether Robert and / or his son King Robert The Bruce, were born on the family estate at Writtle, Essex.

Legend tells that the 27-year-old Robert de Brus was a handsome young man participating in the Ninth Crusade. When Adam de Kilconquhar, one of his companions-in-arms, fell in 1270, at Acre, Robert was obliged to travel to tell the sad news to Adam's widow Marjorie of Carrick. The story continues that Marjorie was so taken with the messenger that she had him held captive until he agreed to marry her, which he did in 1271. However, since the crusade landed in Acre on 9 May 1271, and only started to engage the Muslims in late June, the story and his participation in the Ninth Crusade are generally discounted.

What is recorded, is that in:

1264 He has to ransom his own father, after his capture, along with Henry III, Richard of Cornwall, and Edward I at the Battle of Lewes, Sussex.
1271 He marries, without Scottish Royal consent, Marjory, countess of Carrick. As a result she temporarily loses her castle and estates, regained on payment of a fine.
1274 Jul-Sep He is present, along with Alexander III of Scotland, his Queen Margaret, their children and 100 Scottish lords and knights at the Coronation and accompanying celebrations of Edward I, at the Palace of Westminster.
1278 He swears fealty to Edward I, on behalf of Alexander III at Westminster.
Accompanies Alexander III to Tewkesbury
1281 He is part of the delegation to Guy of Dampierre, Count of Flanders, to arrange the marriage of the Lord Alexander.
1282 He participates and is paid for his services in Edward's Conquest of Wales.
1283 June, he is summoned by writ to Shrewsbury, for the trial of Dafydd ap Gruffydd.
1285 Jun 1 - Earl & Countess, at Turnberry, grant the men of Melrose abbey certain freedoms, according to English law.
1286 He is witness, along with his son Robert, to the grant of the church of Campbeltown to Paisley Abbey.
1290 He is party to the Treaty of Birgham.
He supports his father's claim to the vacant throne of Scotland, left so on the death of Margaret I of Scotland in 1290. The initial civil proceedings, known as The Great Cause, awarded the Crown to his fathers 1st cousin once removed, and rival, John Balliol.
1291 He swears fealty to Edward I as overlord of Scotland.
1292 His wife Marjorie dies.
November, his father, Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale - the unsuccessful claimant - resigns his Lordship of Annandale, and claim to the throne to him, allegedly to avoid having to swear fealty to John. In turn he passes his late wife's Earldom of Carrick, in fee, on to his son Robert.
1293 January 1st - His warrener at Gt. Baddow, a Richard, is caught poaching venison at Northle.
1293 He sets sail for Norway, for the marriage of his daughter Isabel to King Eric II of Norway, the father of the late Queen Margaret I of Scotland, son-in-law of King Alexander III, and a candidate of the Great Cause.
1294/5 He returns to England.
1295 His father dies.
Oct 6, swears fealty to Edward and is made Constable of Carlisle Castle.
Refuses a summons to the Scottish host.
Annandale is seized, by King John Balliol, and given to John 'The Red' Comyn, Lord of Badenoch.
Confirms, to Gisborough Priory, the churches of Annandale and Hart. Witnessed by Walter de Fauconberg and Marmaduke de Thweng.
Exchanges common pasture, for land held by William of Carlisle at Kinmount.
Exchanges land in Estfield, for a field adjacent to the prior of Hatfield Regis's manor at Brunesho End Broomshawbury.
Grants Robert Taper, and his wife Millicent, a messuage in Hatfield Regis, and via a separate grant 5.5 acres (22,000 m2) of arable land 1-acre (4,000 m2) of meadow, in Hatfield Regis, for 16s annual rent.
Grants John de Bledelowe, the former lands / tenement of Richard de Cumbes, in Hatfield Regis, for 1d annual rent.
Alters the terms of a grant to Richard de Fanwreyte, of Folewelleshaleyerde, Montpeliers, Writtle, from services to an annual rent. Witnesses includes two of Roberts Cook's at Writtle.
Alters the terms of a grant to Stephen the Tanner, of Folewelleshaleyerde, Montpeliers, Writtle, from services to an annual rent. Witnesses includes two of Roberts Cook's at Writtle.
Alters the terms of a grant to Willam Mayhew, of the tenement Barrieland, Hatfield Regis, to an annual rent of 5s and some services.
1296 Jan, He is summoned to attend to the King Edward at Salisbury
April 28, he again swears fealty to Edward I and fights for Edward, at the Battle of Dunbar Castle.
August, with his son Robert he renews the pledge of homage and fealty to Edward, at the 'victory parliament’ in Berwick.
Edward I denies his claim to the throne and he retires to his estates in Essex.
August 29 - At Berwick, agrees the dower lands of his widowed step mother, Christina.
Annandale is re-gained.
Marries an Eleanor.
1298
Jan 7 - Transfers a grant of land at Hatfield Regis, from Walter Arnby to his son William.
May 29 - Grants a John Herolff a half virgate of land in Writtle.
1299
February 1 - Rents lands at Hatfield Regis, Essex to a John de Bledelowe, for 4s annual rent.
August 4 - While resident at Writtle, he Rents lands at Hatfield Regis, Essex to a Nicholas de Barenton, for 21s annual rent.
1301 November 26 - Grants, Bunnys in Hatfield Broad Oak and Takeley, to a Edward Thurkyld.
After 1301, Enfeoffments Writtle, in part, to a John de Lovetot and his wife Joan.
1304 Easter, dies on route to Annandale and is buried at Holm Cultram Abbey, Cumberland.
Following his death his Eleanor remarries, before February 8, 1306 (as his 1st wife) Richard Waleys, Lord Waleys, and they had issue. She died shortly before 8 September 1331.

Shortly after the Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297), Annandale was laid waste as retaliation to younger Bruce's actions. Yet, when Edward returned to England after his victory at the Battle of Falkirk, which one source accords to Robert turning the Scottish flank, Annandale and Carrick were excepted from the lordships and lands which he assigned to his followers, the father having not opposed Edward and the son being treated as a waverer whose allegiance might still be retained.

Robert at that time was old and ill, and there are reports that he wished his son to seek peace with Edward. If not his son's actions could jeopardise his own income, which was primarily derived from his holdings south of the border (est. £340 vs £150). The elder Bruce would have seen that, if the rebellion failed and his son was against Edward, the son would lose everything, titles, lands, and probably his life.

It was around this time (1302) that Robert's son submitted to Edward I. The younger Robert had sided with the Scottish nationalists since the capture and exile of Balliol. There are many reasons which may have prompted his return to Edward, not the least of which was that the Bruce family may have found it loathsome to continue sacrificing his followers, family and inheritance for King John. There were rumours that John would return with a French army and regain the Scottish throne. Soulis supported his return as did many other nobles, but this would lead to the Bruces losing any chance of ever gaining the throne themselves. He died in Palestine and was buried at Holm Cultram Abbey.

Family:

His first wife was by all accounts a formidable woman. Marjorie or Margaret (c. 1253 or 1256 - soon bef. 9 November 1292), 3rd Countess of Carrick (1256-1292), was the daughter and heiress of Niall, 2nd Earl of Carrick. Carrick was a Gaelic Earldom in Southern Scotland. Its territories contained much of today's Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire. The couple married at Turnberry Castle in 1271 and held the principal seats of Turnberry Castle and Lochmaben. He had no children from his second wife Eleanor N (died btw 13 April and 8 September 1331).

Their children were:
Isabel, married King Eric II of Norway in 1293, d 1358 in Bergen, Norway
Christina b c 1273, Seton, East Lothian, married 1) Sir Christopher Seton, 2). Gartnait, Earl of Mar, 1292 in Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire 3.) Sir Andrew Moray, 20 September 1305, d. 1356/7 in Scotland {By her second marriage mother of Domhnall II, Earl of Mar}
Robert b 11 July 1274, married 1) Isabella of Mar, 2) Elizabeth de Burgh, d June 7, 1329
Neil (Niall or Nigel), taken prisoner at Kildrummie, hanged, drawn and quartered at Berwick-upon-Tweed in September 1306.
Edward, crowned May 2, 1316, 'King of Ireland'. Killed in battle, October 5, 1318. Possible marriage to Isabel, daughter of John de Strathbogie, 9th Earl of Atholl-parents of Alexander Bruce, Earl of Carrick; Edward obtained a dispensation for a marriage to Isabella of Ross, daughter of Uilleam II, Earl of Ross, on June 1, 1317.
Mary, married (1) Sir. Neil Campbell; (2) Sir. Alexander Fraser of Touchfraser and Cowie.
Sir Thomas, taken prisoner in Galloway, hanged, drawn and quartered 9 February 1307, Carlisle, Cumberland
Alexander, hanged, drawn and quartered 9 February 1307, Carlisle, Cumberland
Elizabeth Bruce, married Sir William Dishington of the Orkney Isles.
Matilda, married Hugh / Aodh, Earl of Ross, in 1308 Orkney Isles, died after September 1323

Bruce in fiction:

He was portrayed (as a leper) by Ian Bannen in the 1995 film Braveheart. Braveheart inaccurately portrays Robert de Brus as being involved in the capture of William Wallace in Edinburgh; as noted above Robert de Brus died in 1304 and William Wallace was captured on August 3, 1305 by Sir John de Menteith in Glasgow. {Menteith was a son-in-law to Gartnait, Earl of Mar and Christina Bruce.}

Buried:
Holm Cultran Abbey

Robert married Margaret of Carrick 1271. Margaret (daughter of Níall of Carrick) was born Abt 1253; died Bef 6 Nov 1292. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 10553

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2337

Notes:

Robert V de Brus (Robert de Brus), 5th Lord of Annandale (ca. 1210 - 31 March or 3 May 1295), was a feudal lord, Justice and Constable of Scotland and England, a Regent of Scotland, and a leading competitor for the Scottish throne in 1290/92 in the Great Cause. His grandson Robert the Bruce eventually became King of Scots.

Early life:

Robert was son of Robert Bruce, 4th Lord of Annandale and Isobel of Huntingdon, the second daughter of David of Scotland, 8th Earl of Huntingdon and Matilda de Kevilloc of Chester. David in turn was the son of Henry of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and Northumberland and Ada de Warenne; Henry's parents were King David I of Scotland and Maud of Northumberland.

In addition to Annandale, Robert was Lord of Hartlepool (otherwise known as Hartness) in county Durham and Writtle and Hatfield Broadoak in Essex, England. His first wife brought to him the village of Ripe, in Sussex, and his second wife the Lordship of Ireby in Cumberland.

His possessions were later increased following the defeat of Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham (1265), via a series of grants that included the estates of the former rebel barons Walter de Fauconberg and John de Melsa. Henry III also re-appointed Robert a Justice, and Constable of Carlisle Castle and keeper of the Castle there in 1267, a position he had been dismissed from in 1255, for his support during the rebellion. Robert probably joined the princes Edward and Edmund on their 1270/74 crusade, as his sons failed to attend.

In 1271, Robert obtained the hand of Marjorie of Carrick, the young widowed heiress of Niall of Carrick, 2nd Earl of Carrick for his son, also called Robert de Brus.

Robert Bruce was Regent of Scotland some time during minority of his second cousin King Alexander III of Scotland (1241-1286) and was occasionally recognised as a Tanist of the Scottish throne. He was the closest surviving male relative to the king: Margaret of Huntingdon's issue were all females up until birth of Hugh Balliol sometime in the 1260s. When Alexander yet was childless, he was officially named as heir-presumptive, but never gained the throne as Alexander managed to beget three children. The succession in the main line of the House of Dunkeld became highly precarious when towards the end of Alexander's reign, all three of his children died within a few years. The middle-aged Alexander III induced in 1284 the Estates to recognise as his heir-presumptive his granddaughter Margaret, called the "Maid of Norway", his only surviving descendant. The need for a male heir led Alexander to contract a second marriage to Yolande de Dreux on 1 November 1285. All this was eventually in vain. Alexander died suddenly, in a fall from his horse, when only 45 years old, in 1286. His death ushered in a time of political upheaval for Scotland. His three-year old granddaughter Margaret, who lived in Norway, was recognised as his successor. However, the then 7-year old heiress Margaret died, travelling towards her kingdom, on the Orkney Islands around 26 September 1290. With her death, the main royal line came to an end and thirteen claimants asserted their rights to the Scottish Throne.

The Great Cause:

After this extinction of the senior line of the Scottish royal house (the line of William I of Scotland) David of Huntingdon's descendants were the primary candidates for the throne. The two most notable claimants to the throne, John Balliol and Robert himself represented descent through David's daughters Margaret and Isobel respectively.

Robert Bruce pleaded tanistry and proximity of blood in the succession dispute. He descended from the second daughter of David of Huntingdon, whereas John Balliol descended from the eldest, and thus had the lineal right. However, Robert was a second cousin of kings of Scotland and descended in 4th generation from King David I of Scotland, whereas John Balliol was a third cousin of kings and descended in 5th generation from King David I, the most recent common ancestor who had been Scottish king. The ensuing 'Great Cause' was concluded in 1292. It gave the Crown of Scotland to his family's great rival, John Balliol. The events took place as follows:

Soon after the death of young queen Margaret, Robert Bruce raised a body of men with the help of the Earls of Mar and Atholl and marched to Perth with a considerable following and uncertain intentions. Bishop Fraser of St. Andrews, worried of the possibility of civil war, wrote to Edward, asking for his assistance in choosing a new monarch.

Edward took this chance to demand sasine of the Scottish royal estate, but agreed to pass judgment in return for recognition of his suzerainty. The guardians of Scotland denied him this, but Robert Bruce was quick to pay homage. All the claimants swore oaths of homage, and John Balliol was the last to do so. The guardians were forced to concede and were thus reinstated by Edward.

Judgment processed slowly. On 3 August 1291 Edward asked both Balliol and Bruce to choose forty auditors while he himself chose twenty-four, to decide the case. After considering all of the arguments, in early November the court decided in favour of John Balliol, having the superior claim in feudal law, not to mention greater support from the kingdom of Scotland. In accordance with this, final judgement was given by Edward on 17 November. On 30 November, John Balliol was crowned as King of Scots at Scone Abbey. On 26 December, at Newcastle upon Tyne, King John swore homage to Edward I for the kingdom of Scotland. Edward soon made it clear that he regarded the country as his vassal state. The Bruce family thus lost what they regarded as their rightful place on the Scottish throne.

Later years:

Robert, 5th Lord of Annandale resigned the lordship of Annandale and his claim to the throne to his eldest son Robert de Brus. Shortly afterwards, in 1292, the younger Robert's wife Marjorie of Carrick died and the earldom of Carrick, which Robert had ruled jure uxoris, devolved upon their eldest son, also called Robert, the future King.

In 1292, Robert V de Brus held a market at Ireby, Cumberland, in right of his wife. The following year he had a market at Hartlepool, county Durham within the liberties of the Bishop of Durham.

Sir Robert de Brus died at Lochmaben Castle and was buried at Guisborough or Gisburn Priory in Cleveland.

Family and children:

He married firstly on 12 May 1240 Lady Isabella de Clare (2 November 1226 - after 10 July 1264), daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford and 5th Earl of Gloucester and Lady Isabel Marshal, with issue:

Isabel de Brus (1249 - c. 1284), married (as his first wife) Sir John FitzMarmaduke, Knt., of Horden, Eighton, Lamesley, Ravensholm, and Silksworth, County Durham, Sheriff of North Durham, and Joint Warden[disambiguation needed] beyond the Scottish Sea between the Firth of Forth and Orkney. He fought on the English side at the Battle of Falkirk, 22 July 1298, and was present at the Siege of Caerlaverock Castle in 1300. In 1307 he was commanded to assist the Earl of Richmond in expelling Robert de Brus and the Scottish rebels from Galloway. In 1309 his armour and provisions in a vessel bound for Perth were arrested off Great Yarmouth. He was governor of St. John's Town (Perth) in 1310 until his death. Isabel was buried at Easington, County Durham.
Robert VI the Bruce, 6th Lord of Annandale, Earl of Carrick (1253-1304)
William de Brus, married Elizabeth de Sully, without issue
Sir Bernard de Bruce, of Connington, married firstly Alicia de Clare and married secondly Constance de Morleyn.
Richard de Brus (died ca. 26 January 1287), unmarried and without issue
Constance de Brus (born 1251, date of death unknown), married Sir William Scot de Calverley and had daughter, Clarissa Scott (m. Sir John Fairfax)

He married, secondly on 3 May 1275 at Hoddam, in the Diocese of Glasgow, Christina (died ca. 1305 or 1305), daughter and heiress of Sir William de Ireby, of Ireby, Cumberland. They had no issue.

From:(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Brus,_5th_Lord_of_Annandale)

Buried:
Gisborough Priory

Died:
Lochmaben Castle

Robert married Isabella De Clare 12 May 1240. Isabella (daughter of Gilbert De Clare, daughter of Gilbert De Clare and Isabel Marshal) was born 2 Nov 1226; died Aft 10 Jul 1264. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Isabel De Clare
• Reference Number: 37203

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37194

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2212

Notes:

Robert IV de Brus, the Noble (ca. 1195 - 1226-1233) was a 13th century 4th Lord of Annandale.

He was the son of William de Brus, 3rd Lord of Annandale and Christina or Beatrice de Teyden.

Robert IV married ca. 1219 Isabella, the second daughter of David of Scotland, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, by which marriage he acquired the manors of Writtle and Hatfield Broadoak, Essex in England. They had his heir and successor, and a daughter:

Robert V de Brus.
Beatrice de Brus, married Hugh de Neville.

He died sometime between 1226 and 1233, and was buried in Gisborough Priory or in Saltre Abbey, near Stilton, Gloucestershire.

From:(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bruce,_4th_Lord_of_Annandale)

Buried:
Gisborough Priory

Robert — Isabella of Huntingdon. Isabella (daughter of David of Scotland and Matilda of Chester) was born Abt 1206; died Abt 1251. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Isobel
• Reference Number: 7644

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37204

Gilbert — Isabel Marshal. Isabel (daughter of William Marshal and Isabel De Clare) was born 9 Oct 1200; died 17 Jan 1240. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 15724