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ROBERT BRUCE (1274-1329) was a gallant Scottish king who spent most of his life in the effort to free his country from English rule (Picture, left: the only known portrait of Robert the Bruce and his Queen --and second wife-- Elizabeth deBurgh, purportedly taken from life).An apocryphal story of Robert the Bruce states that one morning during the Scottish struggle for freedom, Bruce was hiding from his enemies. He was lying on a hard bed in a wretched hut. On the roof above him Bruce saw a spider swinging by one of its threads. It was trying to swing itself from one beam to another. It tried six times and failed. Bruce realized he had fought the same number of battles in vain against the English. He decided that if the spider tried a seventh time and succeeded, he also would try again. The spider's seventh attempt was successful. Bruce took heart and went forth to victory.
Early in his career, Bruce, then Earl of Carrick, swore allegiance to Edward I, King of England. He occasionally changed sides and aided the patriot, William Wallace--but he managed to keep friendly relations with Edward until 1306. That year, Bruce was involved in the death of "Red Comyn," who claimed the Scottish throne. Then Bruce managed to have himself crowned king, but the English defeated him.
He dismissed his troops, retired to the Irish coast and let his enemies think he was dead. The following spring, however, he landed in Carrick and defeated the English. Within two years he gained control of almost all Scotland. Then he advanced into England itself, destroying everything as he went. He defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Hostilities continued for years.
Under Edward III, England finally recognized Scotland's independence and the rights of Bruce to the throne, in 1328. But Bruce died about a year later. His son, David, succeeded him.
Disclaimer: This article was copied from the 1956 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia. It is presented here strictly for educational purposes only, in support of the Withrow Renaissance Festival and the Huntsville (Arkansas) Public School System. No infringement of copyright is either implied or intended by its appearance herein. This page will be deleted in its entirety no later than 1 December 1998.
The Historical Robert the Bruce a brief biography of The Bruce, with an overview of the Scottish struggle for independence and various portraits of Robert the Bruce through the centuries.
Robert the Bruce: featuring a year-by-year chronology of his life, with important events of the Scottish War for Independence against the English noted, including several pages devoted exclusively to the decisive Battle of Bannockburn.
King of the Scots - includes a geneology of the House of Bruce and recent news of attempts to reconstruct The Bruce's facial features through forensic science.
Robert the Bruce: The Play. An unusual historical play spanning The Bruce's entire career from his initial rebellion against the English through his final triumph and death as King of Scotland.
A Short History of Robert the Bruce. Although more of a summary of his life, this page provides some obscure facts and a few more details than the more extensive sites, above.
The Heart of Robert the Bruce is buried in Melrose Abbey, Scotland. This article discusses the archeological investigation of that burial, gives a brief history of Robert the Bruce and provides a link to a short descriptive page on the Abbey itself.
The Gathering of the Clans page offers a simple lineage of Robert the Bruce, beginning with the original Brusse, Earl of Caithness and Sunderland, who died in 1031 AD.
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