Biography of Christina Bruce 1273-1357

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. In the year of our Lord 1306, [her brother] Robert de Brus (age 31), the fifth son of the son of that Robert de Brus who, as mentioned above, disputed with John de Balliol before the King of England over the kingdom of Scotland, and was, as has been shown, judicially dismissed from his claim, relying on wicked counsel, aspired to the kingdom of Scotland. Fearing Lord John Comyn (age 37), Earl of Badenoch, who was a powerful man in that land and loyal to the lord King of England, to whom he had done homage, and knowing that he could be hindered by him, sent to him deceitfully two of his brothers, namely [her brother] Thomas de Brus (age 22) and [her brother] Nigel (age 21), asking that he would deign to come to him at Dumfries to discuss certain matters which concerned them both. Now the justices of the lord King of England were sitting that same day in the castle, namely, on the fourth day before the Ides of February [10th February 1306] Comyn, suspecting no evil, came to him with a few companions, and they exchanged the kiss [of greeting], but not of peace, in the cloister of the Friars Minor [Franciscans] [Map]. When they were speaking together, in words that appeared peaceable, [Bruce] suddenly turned his face, twisted his words, and began to reproach him for his treachery, that he had accused him before the King of England and worsened his position to his harm. Comyn, speaking calmly and making excuses for himself, was not listened to; but Bruce, as he had conspired, struck him with his foot and sword, and stepped back. Then his men, following him, threw Comyn down on the floor of the altar, leaving him for dead. But a certain knight of Comyn's, Lord Robert Comyn, his uncle, ran to bring him aid; yet [her husband] Christopher Seton (age 28), who had married the sister (age 33) of Lord Robert de Brus, met him and struck his head with a sword, and he died. Lord Robert de Brus then went out, and seeing Comyn's fine warhorse, mounted it; his men mounted likewise and they went on to the castle and seized it. When what had happened became known, the Scots flocked to him. The justices, fearing for themselves, shut the doors of the hall in which they sat with the few English who were with them. Hearing this, Bruce ordered fire to be set to it unless they at once surrendered; and they gave themselves up, asking for their lives and safe departure from the land, which he granted. When these things had been done, certain ill-wishers told him that Lord John Comyn was still alive; for the friars had carried him into the vestibule of the altar to tend to him and hear his confession. When he had confessed and was truly penitent, by order of the tyrant he was dragged from the vestibule and killed on the steps of the high altar, so that his blood touched the altar slab and the altar itself. After this Bruce went around the greater part of Scotland, occupying and fortifying castles and plundering the lands of the dead man; and the relatives of the deceased fled from his face, and all the English returned to their own land.

Anno Domini MCCCV Robertus de Brus, quintus filius filii illius Roberti de Brus qui, ut supradictum est, disceptavit cum Johanne de Balliolo coram rege Angliæ circa regnum Scotia, et judicialiter, ut supra patet, a sua petitione absolutus est, perverso fretus consilio ad regnum Scotia aspiravit; timensque dominum Johannem Cumyn, comitem de Badenach, qui erat homo potens in terra illa, et fidelis domino regi Angliæ, cui homagium fecerat; et sciens se impediri posse per eum, misit ad eum in dolo duos ex fratribus suis, Thomam videlicet de Brus et Nigellum, rogans ut dignaretur venire ad se apud Dunfres, super quibusdam negotiis tractaturus cum eo quæ tangebant utrosque. Sedebant enim justitiarii domini regis Angliæ eodem die in castro, IV scilicet idus Februarii. Qui, nihil mali suspicans, venit ad eum cum paucis, et mutuo se receperunt in osculum, sed non pacis, in claustro fratrum Minorum. Cumque mutuo loquerentur ad invicem, verbis, ut videbatur, pacificis, statim convertens faciem, et verba pervertens, cœpit improperare ei de seditione sua, quod eum accusaverat apud regem Angliæ, et suam conditionem deterioraverat in damnum ipsius. Qui cum pacifice loqueretur et excusaret se, noluit exaudire sermonem ejus, sed, ut conspiraverat, percussit eum pede et gladio, et retrorsum abiit. At sui extunc insequentes eum, prostraverunt eum in pavimento altaris, pro mortuo dimittentes. Cucurrit autem quidam miles ex suis, dominus Robertus Comyn avunculus ejus, ut auxilium ferret ei; sed occurrit ei Christoforus de Sethon, qui sororem domini Roberti de Brus duxerat in uxorem, et percussit caput ejus in gladio, et mortuus est. Egressusque est dominus Robertus de Brus, et videns dextrarium domini Johannis elegantem, ascendit in eum; ascenderuntque sui cum eo, et profecti sunt usque in castrum, et ceperunt illud. Cumque divulgaretur quod factum fuerat, cucurrerunt ad eum Scoti. Et justitiarii timentes sibi, clauserunt ostia aulæ in qua sedebant cum paucis Anglicis qui erant cum eis: quod audiens ipse, jussit ignem apponi, nisi confestim redderent eos; at illi dederunt se, vitam postulantes et salvum egressum a terra, quod et ipse concessit eis. Quibus ita gestis, nunciaverunt ei quidam malevoli quod dominus Johannes Comyn adhuc viveret; fratres enim asportaverant eum infra vestibulum altaris, ut medicarentur ei et confiteretur peccata sua. Qui cum confessus esset et vere pœnitens, jussu tyranni extractus est a vestibulo, et in gradibus majoris altaris interfectus, ita quod sanguis ipsius tabulam altaris tetigit, et etiam ipsum altare. Circuivit extunc the principal terram Scotia, occupando et muniendo castra, et deprædando terras mortui, fugeruntque a facie ipsius parentes defuncti, et omnes Anglici reversi sunt in terram suam.

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. [November 1306] The wife [Christina Bruce (age 33)] of [her former husband] Christopher , the king placed in the monastery of Sixhills [Map] in Lindsey, and the daughter [[her niece] Marjorie Bruce (age 10)] of the new king he placed in the monastery of Watton [Map]. The lord king gave to Lord Edmund de Mauley (age 25) the manor of Seaton in Whitby Strand, which had belonged to Christopher, and other lands he had held in Northumberland the king gave to Lord William le Latimer (age 30). The lands of the new king the lord king divided among his magnates in this way: he gave the Valley of Annandale to the Earl of Hereford, who had married the daughter of the king of England; Ayr and Ayrshire he gave to Lord Robert de Clifford (saving, however, the right of the church of Durham); Tothenham, Tothenhamschire, and the manor of Wrothell in the southern parts he gave to other magnates. The earldom of Carrick, which the new king had held by maternal inheritance, the king of England gave to Lord Henry de Percy; and the earldom of Atholl he gave to the Earl of Gloucester (age 36), who had married the king's daughter after the death of Gilbert de Clare, the former earl of Gloucester. Thus he bore the title of earl by right of his wife, not by inheritance, for he had been a mere and unremarkable knight when he married her, by the name of Ralph Monthermer.

Uxorem vero Christofori posuit rex in monasterio de Thyxsel in Lindesay, et filiam novi regis posuit in monasterio de Watton. Deditque dominus rex domino Eadmundo de Malo-lacu manerium de Seton in Wytebystrand, quod erat Christofori, et alias suas terras quas habuit in Northumberland dedit rex domino Willelmo le Latymer. Terras vero novi regis dispersit dominus rex inter magnates suos hoc modo; dedit enim Vallem Anandiæ comiti de Herford, qui filiam regis Angliæ duxerat in uxorem; Hert vero et Herternes dedit domino Roberto de Clifforde, salvo tamen jure ecclesiæ Dunolmensis; Thotenham et Thotenhamschyre et manerium de Wrothell in partibus australibus dedit aliis magnatibus suis; comitatum vero de Karrik, quem ex hæreditate materna habuerat ipse novus rex, dedit rex Angliæ domino Henrico de Percy; comitatum autem de Asechel dedit rex comiti Gloucestriæ, qui filiam regis post mortem Gilberti de Clare quondam comitis Gloucestriæ, duxerat; sicque nomen comitis habebat ab uxore, non ab hæreditate, fuerat enim miles simplex et segnis quando eam duxerat, nomine Radulphus Monhermer.

On 24th June 1314 the Scottish army of [her brother] King Robert the Bruce I of Scotland (age 39) including, James "Black" Douglas (age 28), heavily defeated the English army led by King Edward II of England (age 30) at the Battle of Bannockburn.

Gilbert de Clare 8th Earl Gloucester 7th Earl Hertford (age 23) was killed. Earl Gloucester, Earl Hertford extinct.

John Comyn 4th Lord Baddenoch (age 20), Robert Felton 1st Baron Felton (age 44) and William Vesci were killed.

William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal (age 36) was killed. His son John (age 22) succeeded 2nd Baron Marshal.

Robert Clifford 1st Baron Clifford (age 40) was killed. His son Roger (age 14) succeeded 2nd Baron de Clifford.

John Lovell 2nd Baron Lovel (age 25) was killed. His son John succeeded 3rd Baron Lovel of Titchmarsh.

Henry Bohun was killed by King Robert the Bruce I of Scotland. He was buried in Llanthony Secunda Priory, Gloucestershire [Map].

Walter Fauconberg 2nd Baron Fauconberg (age 50) possilby died although his death is also reported as being on 31 Dec 1318.

Bartholomew Badlesmere 1st Baron Badlesmere (age 38), Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex (age 38), Goronwy ap Tudur Hen Tudor, Henry Beaumont Earl Buchan (age 35), Aymer de Valence 2nd Earl Pembroke (age 39) and Robert Umfraville 8th Earl Angus (age 37) fought.

Pain Tiptoft 1st Baron Tibetot (age 34) was killed. His son John succeeded 2nd Baron Tibetot.

John Montfort 2nd Baron Montfort (age 23) was killed. Peter Montfort 3rd Baron Montfort (age 23) succeeded 3rd Baron Montfort.

Thomas Grey (age 34) undertook a suicidal charge that contributed to the English defeat and subsequently blemished his career.

William Latimer 2nd Baron Latimer of Corby (age 38) was captured.

Michael Poynings (age 44) was killed.