Bruce, Robert

Bruce, Robert (1274-1329), King of Scotland, b. probably in Essex, England.

Robert Bruce was crowned King of Scotland at Scone in 1306.

At this time, the armies of Edward I of England were in control of Scotland. They defeated Bruce in battle and he went into hiding. There is a legend about this. Bruce was resting in a cave and saw a spider trying to swing from one place to another. Many times it failed but it kept on trying and, in the end, succeeded. Bruce made up his mind to be like the spider, and he went back to fight the English again and again.

In 1314 he won the Battle of Bannockburn. With a force of only 30,000 men, he defeated the army of Edward II numbering 100,000 men.

The English withdrew from Scotland, and afterwards the Scots raided England. In 1328 Edward III granted Scotland freedom from England with Robert Bruce as king.

A year later, the Bruce died of leprosy. A knight took his heart to be buried in Jerusalem but the knight was killed in Spain. The heart was brought back and buried in Melrose Abbey, Scotland.

See Ronald McNair Scott Robert the Bruce - King of Scotland