Background to the Declaration of Arbroath

This article gives a background to the Declaration of Arbroath in this year 2020. Which marks the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath. Probably the single most important historical document in Scottish history, and one that emerged from the epic struggles to re-establish Scottish Independence. The events provoked by these struggles form part of the background to what is known now as the Declaration of Arbroath. In order to understand the Declaration it is necessary to understand these events themselves..

                                 Wars of Independence

These events took place in what is known collectively as the Wars of Independence. Which began in 1296 with the invasion of King Edward I of England. He quickly won a crushing victory at Dunbar in the same year. The following year of 1297 saw the successful risings of William Wallace and Andrew Moray. Then a continuation of the war until Robert Bruce’s seizure of the crown following the slaying of John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch. This lead to Bruce’s successful campaigns to establish his control over Scotland, culminating in the decisive Battle of Bannockburn in June 1314.

                               The Central Events of the Declaration

The central events began in 1306. These events form the background to the Declaration of Arbroath. Chief among them being the slaying of John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch by Robert Bruce. This took place in the Greyfriars Kirk in Dumfries where a meeting had been arranged between the two. This meeting was to try to re-establish the former agreement that had previously existed between the two leaders. This political agreement would have seen Robert Bruce gain the throne while John Comyn would have received lands in return.  Comyn had proceeded to break this agreement and had attempted to inform Edward I of its existence. Hence the need for the meeting between the two men in Greyfriars Kirk.

                                    The Crowning of Robert Bruce

But as on previous occasion’s the meeting between the two men descended in to violence. With the result that Comyn was stabbed and killed by Robert Bruce. Thrust Into a desperate situation. Bruce gathered his supporters and was duly crowned at Scone five weeks later. This incident in Dumfries led to the excommunication of Bruce by the papacy at the request of Edward I of England. While his coronation at Scone led to Edward I’s renewed invasion of Scotland in an effort to depose the newly crowned Robert Bruce as King of Scots.

                                       The Declaration of Arbroath

The Declaration of Arbroath which was one of three formal letters sent to the papacy in April 1320 was intended to address these two still outstanding issues. It firstly attempted to persuade the Papacy to both lift the church’s excommunication of Robert Bruce. Then secondly it tried to convince the Pope to intervene to pressurise Edward II of England to recognize Robert I as King of Scots. As well as the sovereignty of Scotland as an independent kingdom

                             The Treaty of Edinburgh/Northampton

However despite this the war continued on and off until 1327 when Edward II was deposed and brutally murdered by a faction at the English court. This combined with a Scottish invasion of the North of England, led the new English king Edward III to sign the Treaty of Edinburgh/Northampton in May 1328. This treaty agreed to all of Robert Bruce’s demands with Scotland being recognized as an independent country and Robert Bruce as King of Scots. Robert I’s excommunication was subsequently lifted by the papacy while Robert’s son David Bruce, the future King David II married Edward III’s sister.