Robert the Bruce by Penman Michael

Author:Penman Michael
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780300148725
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 2016-12-20T05:00:00+00:00

Robert may have been happy to stoke this English fear of a two-front attack to see what peace concessions from Edward it might shake loose: he was in touch with Charles IV through Sir Henry Sully and other French captives from Old Byland whose release he had arranged without ransom.101 But overall the Scots’ commitment to truce, further diplomatic entreaties to Avignon and the prospect of peace talks with England held fast throughout 1324, surely now affirmed as the correct course after the birth of twin boys had given the Bruce dynasty promise of longevity. Indeed, all four of Robert's children by Elizabeth de Burgh held out possibilities to contract a range of strategic marriage alliances across the British Isles and Europe.

On 15 July Edward II granted safe conducts for Bishop Lamberton and Moray (with the latter to come from France) to attend peace talks in England.102 However, once Edward's own emergency embassy to Paris proved unsuccessful and actual war broke out in Aquitaine in August, Anglo-Scottish negotiations would be postponed. Edward had already attempted to bring Edward Balliol back to England once more from Picardy before hostilities erupted; on 23 September a second (and now joint) passport for Lamberton and Moray (back in Scotland by late July) would be issued.103 In the meantime, Robert can be located at the episcopal burgh of Glasgow around 10–12 June, probably for an exchequer audit. Most of the surviving royal grants issued about this time relate to this process, a number in particular touching on the temporality resources and diocesenal churches of the Glasgow see.104 However, of greater moment was a royal act of 13 June granting to the ‘captains and men of Galloway’ the right under the laws of that county to judgment by a ‘good and faithful assize’ of their neighbours and thus exemption from the summary exactions of royal officers – namely surdit de sergeaunt, presumably the seizure of goods and chattels to cover obligations and debts alongside ‘other burdens, aids, prises, tallages and contributions’.105 This is surely a sign of a strong negative reaction on the ground to enforcement of justice and collection of revenues in this former Balliol lordship by Sir James Douglas and other officers but, crucially, one that did see the community of that region appeal for redress directly to Robert as king (just as it had appealed to Edward I's Westminster parliament in 1305); Robert responded sympathetically.106

Robert can be found at Stirling by 27 August 1324 and, perhaps, Arbroath by 6 September. On the latter date, his confirmation of Alexander II's grant of the church of Kilbride in Lorn (dedicated to St Brigit of Larne) to the diocese of Argyll may represent an attempt to win over Andrew, bishop of that see since 1300, hitherto in English allegiance but now named as present at Arbroath as grantee.107 This undoubtedly sought to complement the extension of royal lordship into Argyll and the inner Hebrides through the Campbells and their allies. More generally, it was important that

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