alternatehistory.com
1337: Scotland
1337: A PARCEL OF ROGUES
"...With the death of Sir Andrew Murray and in the absence of its young king, the Bruce cause quickly floundered once again. Scotland was without a Guardian, unless one counted the still defiant John Stewart stalking about the hinterlands and waging a war against the English and "the disloyal"--an increasingly broad group of Scots. Despite the rapacious behavior of his men, "John of the Bloody Eyes"[1] was finding his reputation increasingly burnished as the one remaining Scottish commander who had never been defeated by the English. That this was, as Froissart would point out later, because he made certain to never engage them in pitched battle[2] was immaterial--the Scots needed a hero, and the Steward neatly stepped into role.
"The Steward and his allies were only one of several factions of anti-English Scots--another group had gathered around Murray's widow, the formidable Christina Bruce. Youngest sister of King Robert, Sir Andrew was the second husband she had buried, though most likely the dearer of them. Still, her first husband, Sir Christopher Seton, was dear enough for her to have a chapel built at Dumfries for him[3]. It was here that she organized the grand council "to discuss matters of import". It was here that the Murrays and their allies met with the Steward's supporters, as well as representatives of a few of the other minor factions--Alasdair Mac Domhnall, there to speak for the Islay Lord of the Isles[4], several deacons in the service of William Bell, bishop-elect of St. Andrews whose appointment was being blocked by the English[5], and a scattering of clan chieftians. Also there were the Murrays French allies, to pledge their support and offer incentives for the hoped for united front against the English...
"Matters immediately derailed, first over a series of property disputes, and then over the weightier matter of King John's succession. A young man, far from his kingdom, and married to a foreign princess about whom his subjects knew nothing, the chance that John might die abroad with no heir of his body weighed heavily on his partisans. His only remaining legitimate siblings were two sisters--one, Margaret, too young, the other, Matilda likely past child-bearing years, apparently married to an inappropriately minor landowner during the low point of her father's fortunes, and with only young daughters for offspring to boot[6].
"For Christina the answer to all this was simple. Young Margaret would be the heir with her future (and presently unknown) husband serving as king. If King John Bruce should pass before Margaret was of age, or even worse, Margaret should predecease her younger brother, then the throne would pass to the one surviving bastard son of Robert Bruce, Sir Neil of Carrick, who would meanwhile serve as the present Guardian of Scotland. Thus would the crown of Scotland be preserved in 'the Bruce's heroic line'.
"John Stewart would have none of that. Christina's plan was wholly unsuitable, he declared relying on a child completely in the control of Christina's own household[7], and a bastard likewise heavily in her control. The Steward had his own candidate for a potential heir and Guardian, one Thomas Bruce, the most senior male member of the family, who was, as it happened, married to a cousin of his[8]. Despite the fact that Thomas was almost certainly Christina's nephew[9], she was no more enthusiastic about the Steward's plan than he was about hers, holding Thomas to be a "middling man". The general concern seems to have been that the Steward was setting forward a Guardian and potential king who was utterly in his power. The Steward seems to have been aware of these objections and scoffed at them, noting that Thomas was a man grown with children of his own. He went so far as to accuse Christina of plotting a path to the throne for her own children. He may even have been right, but it was hardly the thing to say at that moment. Neither was his suggestion that Neil of Carrick was not actually Robert's son at all, which seems to have lead to the final argument that ended the council. The Scots were not united, and indeed seemed more divided than ever, with Neil of Carrick declaring he would be damned before he followed the Steward's council in anything. John Stewart also seems to have made a poor impression on the Islays who allied with Christina's growing bloc... Still, the Steward seems to have largely advantaged by his attending, as it only added to his burgeoning reputation as a Scot leader of substance..."
--From Crowned Upon the Stone; the Story of Scotland, by Gyth Gythson (1998)
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[1] IOTL John's half-brother Robert was notorious for his bloodshot eyes which appears to have been caused by some congenital defect. As Robert spent much of his later life realizing war with England was a fool's game, they were used to criticize him for weakness--TTL's John's similar defect is taken to show that he is singularly bloody-minded. Medieval time is not a time of
[2] Despite this criticism, this method was historically the Scots' most effective tactic throughout their wars with the English, something John is well aware of.
[3] This is true IOTL as well. Christina was sent to a nunnery by the English after Seton's death, and only got out after her brother's victory. Which she followed by marrying the much younger Andrew Murray.
[4] Alasdair may be Iain mac Aonghais Mac Dhòmhnuil's (aka John of Islay) brother, though it's tough to be sure.
[5] Bell, IOTL and ITTL, was at Avignon around this period, trying to get them to accept his election. He never did, and ultimately resigned his position to allow the Pope's favored candidate in.
[6] Matilda Bruce did not leave much records behind her--however her two daughters and their descendants were apparently never seriously considered as heirs throughout this period.
[7] This seems to have been the case IOTL, where Margaret's husband would be one William de Moravia (aka Murray), Earl of Sutherland.
[8] This was also the case for Thomas IOTL, where he was a firm supporter of Robert Stewart.
[9] Thomas' parentage remains unknown--his most likely father is probably Robert Bruce's brother Thomas who was executed by the English, though Edward Bruce and Robert's bastard Sir Robert Bruce have both been suggested, though are both somewhat unlikely.
"...With the death of Sir Andrew Murray and in the absence of its young king, the Bruce cause quickly floundered once again. Scotland was without a Guardian, unless one counted the still defiant John Stewart stalking about the hinterlands and waging a war against the English and "the disloyal"--an increasingly broad group of Scots. Despite the rapacious behavior of his men, "John of the Bloody Eyes"[1] was finding his reputation increasingly burnished as the one remaining Scottish commander who had never been defeated by the English. That this was, as Froissart would point out later, because he made certain to never engage them in pitched battle[2] was immaterial--the Scots needed a hero, and the Steward neatly stepped into role.
"The Steward and his allies were only one of several factions of anti-English Scots--another group had gathered around Murray's widow, the formidable Christina Bruce. Youngest sister of King Robert, Sir Andrew was the second husband she had buried, though most likely the dearer of them. Still, her first husband, Sir Christopher Seton, was dear enough for her to have a chapel built at Dumfries for him[3]. It was here that she organized the grand council "to discuss matters of import". It was here that the Murrays and their allies met with the Steward's supporters, as well as representatives of a few of the other minor factions--Alasdair Mac Domhnall, there to speak for the Islay Lord of the Isles[4], several deacons in the service of William Bell, bishop-elect of St. Andrews whose appointment was being blocked by the English[5], and a scattering of clan chieftians. Also there were the Murrays French allies, to pledge their support and offer incentives for the hoped for united front against the English...
"Matters immediately derailed, first over a series of property disputes, and then over the weightier matter of King John's succession. A young man, far from his kingdom, and married to a foreign princess about whom his subjects knew nothing, the chance that John might die abroad with no heir of his body weighed heavily on his partisans. His only remaining legitimate siblings were two sisters--one, Margaret, too young, the other, Matilda likely past child-bearing years, apparently married to an inappropriately minor landowner during the low point of her father's fortunes, and with only young daughters for offspring to boot[6].
"For Christina the answer to all this was simple. Young Margaret would be the heir with her future (and presently unknown) husband serving as king. If King John Bruce should pass before Margaret was of age, or even worse, Margaret should predecease her younger brother, then the throne would pass to the one surviving bastard son of Robert Bruce, Sir Neil of Carrick, who would meanwhile serve as the present Guardian of Scotland. Thus would the crown of Scotland be preserved in 'the Bruce's heroic line'.
"John Stewart would have none of that. Christina's plan was wholly unsuitable, he declared relying on a child completely in the control of Christina's own household[7], and a bastard likewise heavily in her control. The Steward had his own candidate for a potential heir and Guardian, one Thomas Bruce, the most senior male member of the family, who was, as it happened, married to a cousin of his[8]. Despite the fact that Thomas was almost certainly Christina's nephew[9], she was no more enthusiastic about the Steward's plan than he was about hers, holding Thomas to be a "middling man". The general concern seems to have been that the Steward was setting forward a Guardian and potential king who was utterly in his power. The Steward seems to have been aware of these objections and scoffed at them, noting that Thomas was a man grown with children of his own. He went so far as to accuse Christina of plotting a path to the throne for her own children. He may even have been right, but it was hardly the thing to say at that moment. Neither was his suggestion that Neil of Carrick was not actually Robert's son at all, which seems to have lead to the final argument that ended the council. The Scots were not united, and indeed seemed more divided than ever, with Neil of Carrick declaring he would be damned before he followed the Steward's council in anything. John Stewart also seems to have made a poor impression on the Islays who allied with Christina's growing bloc... Still, the Steward seems to have largely advantaged by his attending, as it only added to his burgeoning reputation as a Scot leader of substance..."
--From Crowned Upon the Stone; the Story of Scotland, by Gyth Gythson (1998)
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[1] IOTL John's half-brother Robert was notorious for his bloodshot eyes which appears to have been caused by some congenital defect. As Robert spent much of his later life realizing war with England was a fool's game, they were used to criticize him for weakness--TTL's John's similar defect is taken to show that he is singularly bloody-minded. Medieval time is not a time of
[2] Despite this criticism, this method was historically the Scots' most effective tactic throughout their wars with the English, something John is well aware of.
[3] This is true IOTL as well. Christina was sent to a nunnery by the English after Seton's death, and only got out after her brother's victory. Which she followed by marrying the much younger Andrew Murray.
[4] Alasdair may be Iain mac Aonghais Mac Dhòmhnuil's (aka John of Islay) brother, though it's tough to be sure.
[5] Bell, IOTL and ITTL, was at Avignon around this period, trying to get them to accept his election. He never did, and ultimately resigned his position to allow the Pope's favored candidate in.
[6] Matilda Bruce did not leave much records behind her--however her two daughters and their descendants were apparently never seriously considered as heirs throughout this period.
[7] This seems to have been the case IOTL, where Margaret's husband would be one William de Moravia (aka Murray), Earl of Sutherland.
[8] This was also the case for Thomas IOTL, where he was a firm supporter of Robert Stewart.
[9] Thomas' parentage remains unknown--his most likely father is probably Robert Bruce's brother Thomas who was executed by the English, though Edward Bruce and Robert's bastard Sir Robert Bruce have both been suggested, though are both somewhat unlikely.
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