10 Important Points about… 1.
Scotland 1286-96: the succession problem and the Great Cause
How fully…the succession problem in Scotland, 1286-92? 1. The death of Alexander III left Scotland without a male heir. His children, Alexander,
David and Margret had died before him. His second wife Yolande also failed to produce an heir. 2. Alexander’s granddaughter, Margaret Maid of Norway, was the lawful heiress. There
were many problems with this, she was female (lower status), very young (regent ruling on her behalf) and lived in Norway (journey, language and customs). 3. The Nobles and Churchmen were to select the Guardians to rule on behalf of the
Maid. The Guardians were a natural choice without a successor. 4. The Guardians consisted of 2 barons, 2 nobles and 2 bishops. The difficulty in this
was getting them to agree. The Guardians did not include Bruce and Comyn – two of the most powerful nobles. Tension resulted between the families. 5. Edward I had the intention of joining Scotland and England. This can be seen in the
Treaty of Birgham, the marriage contract between Margaret and Edward’s son, the Prince of Wales. Edward I would act as feudal lord of Scotland and rule on his son’s behalf. The marriage contract is void when Margaret dies. 6. The Guardians compromised the independence of their kingdom by inviting
Edward’s mediation. It was Bishop Wishart who appealed to the English King because he feared civil war. 7. The threat of civil war was heightened after the death of the Maid. The Bruce and
Comyn families believed and acted upon their superior claim to the throne. 8. Edward I judged the ‘Great Cause’. The competition to decide the King of Scots
involved 13 competitors but the 2 main claimants were Robert Bruce and John Balliol. Edward encouraged more claimants to take part in the case. 9. Edward I demanded that all claimants accept him as their overlord and pay homage
to him. The Award at Norham was resisted by claimants at first, but eventually they conceded.
10 Important Points about‌ 10. When Edward selected John Balliol as king he continued to control John and exert
power over Scotland.