BRAVEHEART: SOME FACTS

["Michelle Ringo" <Michelle_Ringo@ed.gov>]

          First, I would like to state that I enjoyed Braveheart as a
          nice piece of fiction.  For anyone interested here is a
          timeline of the actual events and an attempt to clarify a
          few of the movie's (many) inaccuracies.

          March 1286  Alexander III, King of Scotland falls off his
          horse and off a cliff in West Fife to his death.

          His three children all died between 1281 and 1283 so he was
          only survived by his granddaughter Margaret, the Maid of
          Norway (daughter of the King of Norway).  A betrothal
          between Edward I's son (Edward II) and the Maid was agreed,
          but she died in 1290 before any of this could come to pass.

          Edward I (r. 1272-1307) was asked to hear the claims of the
          Scottish lords and to arbitrate the decision.  This was from
          1291-1292 and is known as the hearing of the Great Cause.
          The two main claimants were John Balliol and Robert Bruce VI
          (the Competitor).  Both Bruce and Balliol were
          descended from David, Earl of Huntingdon.  Bruce was
          nearer in degree, but Balliol's line was senior.  Edward I
          chose John Balliol on the basis of Feudal Law.  The
          Competitor died in 1295.  Balliol ruled until 1296 at which
          time he was deposed by Edward after he made a
          Franco-Scottish alliance.  Berwick was sacked brutally and
          the Scottish feudal host was routed by the Earl Warenne at
          Dunbar.  The royal arms were stripped from Balliol's surcoat
          in a humiliating ceremony and a system of direct English
          rule under Earl Warenne was set up.  The Stone of Destiny
          was removed from Scone and taken to Westminster Abbey at
          this time.

          The Scots revolted in 1297 lead by Robert Bruce (grandson of
          the Competitor) up until then the Bruces had been
          consistently loyal to Edward I.  He and his allies were
          defeated.

          September 1297 William Wallace defeated Earl Warenne at
          Stirling Bridge

          1298  English triumph at Falkirk

          1304   Siege of Stirling Castle by Edward I

          1305   Capture of William Wallace.  August 23, William
          Wallace was sentenced to be hanged, disembowelled, executed,
          to have his innards burned and his body quartered, the
          various punishments reflecting his various crimes of
          robbery, homicide, treason and sacrilege.

           1306 Rebellion and Enthronement of Robert Bruce in
          Scotland

          1307  Death of Edward I

          1308  Marriage of Edward II to Isabella of France (who was
          12!)

          1312  Edward III is born.  Isabella actually had 4 children
          (3 boys and 1 girl)  The daughter Jeanne married  David II,
          King of Scotland (r. 1329-1371) the Son of Robert the Bruce,
          Robert I, King of Scotland (r. 1306 - 1329).

          1312  Actual death of Piers Gaveston.  Who was not thrown
          out the window by Edward I.  The Earl of Warwick captured
          him.  He was tried and convicted on questionable grounds.
          Amid scenes of mob enthusiasm, shouts of joy and blowing of
          horns, he was executed.

          1314  Battle of Bannockburn

          RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

          J. Barbour, The Bruce ed. W.M. Mackenzie (London, 1909) is
          the fullest account from the Scottish side.  For a modern
          account  G.W.S. Barrow, Robert Bruce (London, 1965); R.
          Nicholson, Scotland: the Later Middle Ages (Edinburgh, 1974)
          and finally Michael Prestwich, The Three Edward:  War and
          State in England 1272-1377, (London, 1980).

          To any who actually got this far thanks for reading.

          Sincerely,

          Lady Thalia Paleogina