Kingdom of England
46-524: John Comyn III of Badenoch , nicknamed the Red ( c. 1274 – 10 February 1306), was a leading Scottish baron and magnate who played an important role in the First War of Scottish Independence . He served as Guardian of Scotland after the forced abdication of his uncle, King John Balliol ( r. 1292–1296), in 1296, and for a time commanded the defence of Scotland against English attacks. Comyn
92-637: A collection of modern illustrations of the Falkirk Roll based on the blazons published in Henry Gough's book, Scotland in 1298. Documents Relating to the Campaign of King Edward the First. The site of the battle is uncertain. There have been three proposed sites: at Campfield, around the modern Central Retail Park; south of Callendar Woods (as depicted in the diagrams above), and; at Mumrills ,
138-401: A great guerilla leader." Barron goes on to say, "Falkirk should never have been fought at all ... it hardly looks as if the brain which conceived the plan of battle at Falkirk was the same as that which conceived the plan at Stirling Bridge." Though Wallace resigned his leadership and guardianship, he still "represented the mass of the people." Hence Edward's determination to "capture at all costs
184-529: A preliminary step, he moved the centre of government to York , where it was to remain for the next six years. A council-of-war was held in the city in April to finalise the details of the invasion. The Scottish magnates were all summoned to attend; when none appeared, they were all declared to be traitors. Edward then ordered his army to assemble at Roxburgh on 25 June. The force counted 2,000 armoured cavalry and about 12,000 infantry receiving wages, though, after
230-687: Is no evidence to suggest Comyn made any effort to fulfil this condition. On 10 February 1306 Robert the Bruce participated in the killing of John Comyn before the high altar of the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries . Legend, possibly apocryphal, says Robert the Bruce called Comyn to a meeting. After Sir Richard Edgar encouraged Robert to slay the Red Comyn, Robert stabbed him and rushed out to tell Roger de Kirkpatrick . Kirkpatrick went in to finish
276-622: The Lanercost Chronicle simply blames the inadequacy of the Scottish cavalry in general. Soon after the defeat, John Comyn and Robert the Bruce were named as joint Guardians of the Realm in place of Wallace. With no independent power base, Wallace, whose prestige had always been based on the success of his army, resigned or was removed as Guardian after Falkirk. In his place an unusual and difficult balancing act: John Comyn and Robert
322-619: The Battle of Stirling Bridge . In March 1298, John was among Scots who deserted the English, finally ending up in Paris, where they appealed for aid to Philip IV of France . The only help they managed to get was a ship back to Scotland, arriving before the summer. Earlier that year William Wallace emerged as Guardian after Moray died at Stirling or shortly after. The main task facing the Guardian
368-468: The Bruce, who had now joined the patriot party. The Scots were still fighting on behalf of the absent King John, so Bruce must have paid lip service to the cause, though his royal ambitions were openly known. The records give little or nothing in the way of insight into the feelings and motives of these men. At a meeting of a council of the magnates at Peebles in August 1299, an argument broke out relative to
414-569: The Bruces and Comyns. Having no siege equipment, the Comyns drew off and subsequently joined the main Scottish host at Haddington , which had been assembled to meet the advance of the English army along the east coast. On 27 April, the Scots were overwhelmed at the Battle of Dunbar , with John being among the many prisoners taken. While his father and cousin retreated north in the company of King John, he
460-470: The English and struck Comyn with a dagger. It is unknown if this account is true. Bruce's companions struck him with their swords. Sir Robert Comyn , rushing to aid his nephew, was killed by a blow to the head by Bruce's brother-in-law, Christopher Seton . Thirteen days after the event, a garbled version of the facts reached the court of Edward I at Winchester , where the murder was reported as "the work of some people who are doing their utmost to trouble
506-508: The English sources portray Robert as a villain who lured Comyn inside a church – taken as a guarantee of safety – to commit a premeditated and sacrilegious murder before the Real Presence . Some sources state that Bruce and Comyn had previously signed a pact, whereby one would take the crown in return for the lands of the other. As they stood before the high altar , Bruce accused Comyn of having betrayed by planning to hand him over to
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#1732773302211552-483: The English." However, for the first time since 1296 Edward was preparing an offensive that would take him deep into the north of Scotland. Unable to mount an effective resistance, and with his main base threatened with destruction, Comyn entered into peace negotiations, which concluded at Strathord near Perth on 9 February 1304. Echoing the Treaty of Birgham , it was stipulated that laws, usages, and customs in place in
598-592: The Scots and Lincoln quickly routed the Scottish cavalry. The Scots bowmen commanded by Sir John Stewart , the younger brother of the High Steward of Scotland , stood their ground but were overrun by the English cavalry. However, the schiltrons held firm, with the knights making little impression on the dense forest of long spears, and 111 horses were killed in the vain attempts. Edward's cavalry fell back as his infantry and archers arrived. Edward's archers, crossbowmen and slingers began raining projectiles on
644-626: The Scots raided the countryside, bringing back the spoils. King Edward learned of the defeat of his northern army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. After concluding a truce with the French king, Philip the Fair , in October 1297, he returned to England on 14 March 1298 to continue the ongoing organising of an army for his second invasion of Scotland which had been in preparation since late 1297. As
690-478: The Scots were at Torwood , near Falkirk , ready to harass his retreat. Edward reportedly said that he "would not trouble them to seek me", and placed his army south of Falkirk on the morning of 22 July. Edward wanted to make camp and feed his men while waiting for his infantry to catch up with his cavalry. His cavalry commanders though, favoured an immediate attack. Reid calculates the Scots could have manned four schiltrons with about 1000 men each, in addition to
736-463: The battlefield only with premeditated treachery in mind – "For, on account of the ill-will, begotten of the sprig of envy, which the Comyns had conceived towards the aforesaid William, they, with their accomplices, forsook the field, and escaped unhurt." This is set alongside a commendation of Robert the Bruce, who, in Fordun's account, fought on the side of the English and "was the means of bringing about
782-451: The cavalry and archers. These men would have come from the sheriffdoms of Fife, Kinross, Midlothian, Haddington, Stirling, Linlithgow, Lanark, Merse and Teviotdale. With that, Wallace supposedly said, "I have browghte yowe to the ryng. Hoppe yef ye canne!" Absent were forces under the Comyns and Robert Bruce. Also absent was Andrew Moray , co-victor with Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, having been mortally wounded in that battle. It
828-467: The earldom of Buchan . On the death of Alexander III , John Comyn's father was appointed to the panel of Guardians to await the arrival of the infant Margaret, Maid of Norway , granddaughter of Alexander III. Her death in 1290 immersed the nation in crisis, finally solved in 1292 when John Balliol emerged as king, with the support of his Comyn kinsmen, a solution that was never accepted by the other main claimant, Robert Bruce of Annandale , grandfather of
874-614: The eve of the Wars of Independence , the Comyns were one of the dominant families of Scotland, with extensive landholdings in both the north and south of the country, and political influence and family connections with the crown. This Anglo-Norman family first made an appearance in Scotland during the reign of David I . In the thirteenth century they acquired the lordship of Badenoch , with extensive landholdings also in Lochaber , as well as
920-404: The future king. The Comyns were supporters of King John as was William Wallace. With the outbreak of war between England and Scotland, Comyn, his father, and his cousin, John Comyn, Earl of Buchan , crossed the border and attacked Carlisle , defended for King Edward by Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick , the father of the future king. The Wars of Scottish Independence thus began in a clash between
966-470: The guardians of the realm in place of Bruce. This was obviously an arrangement that suited Comyn, because Umphraville was a close political associate and a kinsman of King John. With the Guardianship taking Scotland one way Robert Bruce went the other, making his peace with Edward by February 1302 in a document in which he expressed the fear that "the realm of Scotland might be removed from the hands of
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#17327733022111012-502: The inexperienced and poorly-armoured Scottish spearmen. The schiltrons were an easy target: they had no defence and nowhere to hide. Pinned in place by the English cavalry and infantry, unable to retreat or attack, the battle was lost for the Scots almost as soon as the first arrows began to fall. The English waited, this time observing the King's command, until the Scottish ranks were thinned out and disordered enough to allow them to break up
1058-409: The infantry may only have totalled 8,000. Edward left Roxburgh on 3 July and reached Kirkliston in two weeks, where he awaited supplies expected to arrive along the coastal ports, delayed due to weather. In the interim, he dealt with a Welsh mutiny. Finally, on 20 July, he advanced, reaching Linlithgow on 21 July. Edward was on the point of falling back on Edinburgh , when he received intelligence
1104-417: The job uttering: "You doubt! I mak siccar!" ("I make sure!") while Sir Robert Fleming decapitated Comyn, presenting the head to Robert, stating: "Let the deed shaw" ("Let the deed show"). Apart from these bare facts, nothing certain can be gathered from contemporary accounts. While later Scottish sources all try to justify the crime by amplifying earlier accusations of malevolence and treachery against Comyn,
1150-413: The king, which God forbid, and delivered to John Balliol, or to his son." The new triumvirate lasted to May 1301, when John de Soules emerged as senior Guardian, seemingly appointed by Balliol himself pending his return. The following year, with Soules leaving for France on a diplomatic mission, Comyn (who may have resigned the guardianship during Soules's tenure in 1301–2) became sole Guardian, occupying
1196-534: The lordship was taken into royal hands, although it was still claimed by his son John. The Lordship was included in the vast Earldom of Moray when it was resurrected for Thomas Randolph . The following figures were Lords of Badenoch: Battle of Falkirk Sir William Wallace Sir John Stewart † Macduff of Fife † c. 6,000 men c. 15,000 men The Battle of Falkirk ( Scottish Gaelic : Blàr na h-Eaglaise Brice ; Scots : Battle o Fawkirk ), on 22 July 1298,
1242-434: The man who was in himself the embodiment of that popular hostility, and who was in addition, a warrior of skill and daring and a leader who had won the heart and the imagination of the people." The Falkirk Roll is a collection of the arms of the English bannerets and noblemen present at the battle of Falkirk. It is the oldest known English occasional roll of arms, and contains 111 names and blazoned shields. Following are
1288-539: The manner of medieval armies there would have been many more serving without pay either as a statement of personal independence, forgiveness of debts to the crown, criminal pardons or just for adventure. Stuart Reid estimates Edward's force at 214 knights with 900 troopers, 1000 cavalry supplied by the Earls, 500 mercenary crossbowmen , 2000 archers with billmen from the Lancashire and Cheshire feudal levies , though
1334-408: The peace and quiet of the realm of Scotland." Once the picture became clear, Edward reacted in fury, authorising Aymer de Valence , Comyn's brother-in-law, to take extraordinary action against Bruce and his adherents by granting no quarter to them. King Edward also emphasised his blood relationship with the Comyns by ordering his cousin, Joan, to send John's young son and namesake to England, where he
1380-485: The position for the next two years. Comyn became Lord of Badenoch following his father's death that same year. There was a certain inevitability to the Comyn domination of Scottish government in the years before 1304: they were the most powerful of the noble families, having more military resources and more control, particularly in the north, than any other family. English invasions in 1298, 1300, and 1301 had been confined to
1426-517: The property of Wallace, who was then in France. Comyn is said to have seized Bruce by the throat. William Lamberton , Bishop of St. Andrews, was appointed as a third Guardian. Lamberton was a personal friend of both Wallace and Bruce. Bruce resigned before May 1300, when the restoration of King John was looking increasingly likely, leaving only Comyn and Lamberton. When parliament assembled at Rutherglen it elected Sir Ingram d'Umphraville to be one of
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1472-500: The rear. On Tuesday 22 July, the English cavalry, divided into four battles , advanced in echelon . The vanguard , led by the Earl of Lincoln , moved to the left to avoid a marshy area, followed by the battle of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey . The battle of Anthony Bek , Bishop of Durham , followed by the King's battle, moved around the marshy area to the right, toward the Scottish left flank. Lincoln's and Bek's battles charged
1518-501: The schiltrons. The English cavalry and infantry then attacked the wavering Scottish spearmen, and the schiltrons broke and scattered. Edward occupied Stirling and raided Perth , St. Andrews and Ayrshire . Yet, he retreated to Carlisle by 9 September. Edward invaded again in the summer of 1300. Casualties among the Scottish leaders were not particularly heavy, but did include Wallace's second-in-command, Sir John de Graham , as well as Sir John Stewart , and Macduff of Fife . In
1564-458: The south of the country, leaving the north as the chief recruiting ground, and supply base, of the Scottish army. The Guardian's prestige increased still further when he and Sir Simon Fraser defeated an English reconnaissance force at the Battle of Roslin in February 1303. Politically, however, the outlook was bleak. Philip of France entered into a final peace with Edward, from which Scotland
1610-513: The time of Alexander III should be retained. Comyn insisted that there should be no reprisals or disinheritance, which Edward accepted, with notable exceptions. Edward maintained his particular hatred for one former Guardian. Comyn was thus obliged to adhere to a condition in which he and other named individuals were to "capture Sir William Wallace and hand him over to the king, who will watch to see how each of them conducts himself so that he can do most favour to whoever shall capture Wallace..." There
1656-500: The victory." This is contested as no Bruce appears on the Falkirk roll of nobles present in the English army, and ignoring Blind Harry's 15th claim that Wallace burned Ayr Castle in 1297, two 19th-century antiquarians, Alexander Murison and George Chalmers, stated that Bruce did not participate in the battle and the following month decided to burn Ayr Castle to prevent it being garrisoned by the English. The contemporary English record of
1702-426: The words of Reid, "while unquestionably a good partisan leader, William Wallace's military abilities were simply not up to the job of organizing, training and leading a conventional military force." At Falkirk, Wallace "simply drew up his army in an open field and froze." In the words of Evan Macleod Barron, it was Moray who "possessed military genius and military training", while Wallace possessed qualities that "make
1748-401: Was Moray who used the schiltrons offensively. The Scots army, again made up chiefly of spearmen as at Stirling Bridge, was arranged in four great "hedgehogs" known as schiltrons . The long spears ( pikes ) pointing outwards at various heights gave these formations a formidable and impenetrable appearance. The gaps between the schiltrons were filled with archers, with 500 mounted knights at
1794-535: Was a magnate who ruled the lordship of Badenoch in the 13th century and early 14th century. The lordship may have been created out of the territory of the Meic Uilleim , after William Comyn, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan , Justiciar of Scotia and Warden of Moray defeated Gille Escoib MacUilleim. However, there is no evidence that the Meic Uilleim held lands in this area. After the death of John III in 1306,
1840-472: Was excluded. John Balliol, whose star had risen briefly above the horizon, now sank into the twilight of history. In a mood of desperation the Scottish diplomats in Paris, who included Comyn's cousin Buchan, wrote words of encouragement; "For God's sake do not despair...it would gladden your hearts if you would know how much your honour has increased in every part of the world as a result of your recent battle with
1886-450: Was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence . Led by King Edward I of England , the English army defeated the Scots , led by William Wallace . Shortly after the battle Wallace resigned as Guardian of Scotland . After the Battle of Stirling Bridge , from November 1297 until January 1298 Wallace led a Scottish army south. From Newcastle upon Tyne to Carlisle ,
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1932-492: Was placed in the care of Sir John Weston, guardian of the royal children. John IV Comyn grew to manhood in England, not returning to Scotland until 1314, when he was killed at the Battle of Bannockburn . The assassination of his father plunged Scotland into a brief but bloody civil war, largely concluded by 1308, but with political reverberations that were to last for decades. Lord of Badenoch The Lord of Badenoch
1978-417: Was present at the battle, though the evidence is far from conclusive. The main Scottish sources, the chronicles of John Fordun and John Barbour , were composed decades after the event, long after the Comyns had been expelled from Scotland, and had a specific agenda, namely to magnify the later King, Robert the Bruce , and diminish John Comyn. According to Fordun, John and his kin hated Wallace and appeared on
2024-516: Was sent south, to be imprisoned in the Tower of London . John remained in prison for some months; but with the war in Scotland seemingly over he was finally released on condition that he take up service with Edward in Flanders , the main theatre of operations in his war against the French. While there he learned of the rising of William Wallace and Andrew Moray and their victory over the English at
2070-645: Was stabbed to death by Robert the Bruce before the altar at the church of the Greyfriars at Dumfries . His father, John Comyn II , known as the Black Comyn, had been one of the competitors for the Crown of Scotland , claiming his descent from King Donald III . His mother was Eleanor Balliol, sister of King John Balliol . He had, moreover, links with the royal house of England : in the early 1290s, he married Joan de Valence, cousin of King Edward I . On
2116-417: Was to gather a national army to meet an invasion by Edward, anxious to reverse the victory of Stirling Bridge. For cavalry, by far the weakest element of the Scottish host, Wallace depended on the Comyns and the other noble families. On 22 July Wallace's army was destroyed at the Battle of Falkirk , the light horse being driven off at an early stage by the heavy English cavalry. It is possible that John Comyn
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