The Real Patriots of Early Scottish Independence

by Alan Young, George Cumming

Overview

The battle of Bannockburn in 1314 gave Scotland a great hero in Robert Bruce but deprived Scotland of three other worthy “patriot heroes.” This book tells the intriguing story of three members of the Comyn family who have been kept from their rightful place in Scottish tradition because of Robert Bruce’s success. Bruce’s ruthless rise to power and his sacrilegious murder of Scotland’s chief political leader, John Comyn III Lord of Badenoch, in Greyfriars’ Church in Dumfries in 1306 had to be spun to paint Bruce in a more favorable light in keeping with his status. Meanwhile, the victim and his family were mercilessly cast as traitors to Bruce and the Scottish cause. The book re-examines the murder and reconstructs the Scottish Independence movement before 1306. The conclusions are surprising—there was already a strong sense of national identity and political independence before the involvement of William Wallace or Robert Bruce—and Walter Comyn Earl of Menteith, Alexander Comyn Earl of Buchan, and John Comyn III Lord of Badenoch were preeminent as pillars of an independent Scottish monarchy, defining and protecting Scotland’s integrity in times of political crisis. The Comyns fittingly led Scotland into the War of Independence in 1296. Offering a fresh analysis of the medieval roots of the Scottish Independence movement, this book takes a controversial look at the murder which helped to bring Robert Bruce to power in Scotland.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781906566654
Publisher:	Birlinn, Limited
Publication date:	07/23/2014
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Alan Young has written biographies of William Wallace and Robert Bruce and is a freelance writer and lecturer. George Cumming is a qualified barrister and is currently a lecturer in European Union law at the London Diplomatic Academy.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Tables vii

Preface and Acknowledgements ix

The Comyn Family Tree xiii

Map of Comyn Properties xv

1 Heroes, Villains and Patriots: Propaganda, Literature and the Retelling of National History 1

2 Real Patriot 1: Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith (d.1258) 25

3 Real Patriot 2: Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan (d.1289) 69

4 Real Patriot 3: John Comyn III, Lord of Badenoch (d. 1306) 113

5 The Murder of John Comyn III, Lord of Badenoch: Analysed from a Medieval Canon Law Perspective G.A. Cumming 179

6 The Comyn Legacy 209

Notes 221

Bibliography 247

Index 255