Bannockburn by Reese Peter

Author:Reese, Peter
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Canongate Books

Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke (d 1324)

Valence’s biographer, J R S Phillips, was critical of all the English nobles who served under Edward II at this time but, although not judging his subject an Alexander in war, he ‘came to rate him the best of a moderate group and a man essentially faithful to the monarch’.12 Valence was the son of William de Valence, one of Edward I’s marcher lords. With extensive possessions both in Wales and Montignac in Europe, and twice married to French women of distinction, Valence could be expected to take a wider view of affairs than some others of his peers, whose interests were confined to England and Scotland. With such immaculate French connections he was uniquely qualified to conduct relations between England and France and his high level of performance on such missions led Professor Barrow to rate him as the one English noble during the early years of the fourteenth century who displayed qualities of statesmanship. While it is Valence’s military qualities that are of prime concern, his diplomatic talents were not irrelevant to his role as a commander nor, in such troubled times, was the fact that he loyally supported both Edwards until his death in 1324. It needed exceptional stupidity on the part of Edward II to drive Valence into opposition but, although he allied himself with his fellow Ordainers between 1310–12, it is more than likely that at heart he remained loyal to the concept of kingship as opposed to any alignments of rival nobles.

Valence’s military career began in 1296 with Edward I in Flanders and he fought at the battle of Falkirk. From then on, with the exception of besieging Piers Gaveston in Scarborough Castle, he was exclusively concerned with the Scottish wars. Although Valence was the Red Comyn’s brother-in-law and therefore not likely to feel any warmth for Robert Bruce, his appointment by Edward I as his Lieutenant in Scotland at the time of Bruce’s revolt also demonstrated confidence in his military ability. Valence’s success over Bruce at Methven has already been discussed, though his conduct on that occasion was heavily influenced by the Scot, Sir Ingram Umfraville, who also hated Bruce and who advised Valence to ignore accepted practice by moving against Bruce during the night.13

At Edward II’s accession Valence was deprived of his Scottish lieutenancy, apparently on the advice of Piers Gaveston who in an age of universal hatred for Jews also insulted him (and amused Edward II) by nicknaming him ‘Joseph the Jew’ because of his height and pallid complexion. When in 1310 Edward II marched to Scotland with Gaveston, Valence, along with most of his fellow nobles, understandably refused to accompany the king, although he sent his feudal quota of knights, about ten in number.14 As a supporter of the Ordainers he removed Gaveston from Scarborough Castle and imprisoned him in Deddington but it was seemingly without his knowledge that Warwick had the king’s favourite removed and executed. In apparent disgust Valence returned to

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