Robert the Bruce was from Essex, claims new book

He was the King of Scots who led the nation to its most famous victory on the battlefield and sent "proud Edward" and his army home to think again. But although Robert the Bruce defeated the English at Bannockburn in 1314, a new book has bolstered claims that the historic triumph masked a hidden irony. Medieval historian Fiona Watson has claimed he was "almost certainly born in Essex", in the village of Writtle near Chelmsford.

Dr Watson described how one 14th Century chronicler refers to Bruce as "of the nation of England", and there is no contemporary evidence supporting the traditional view he was born in his mother’s castle at Turnberry, Ayrshire. Her latest work, "Traitor, Outlaw, King", is the first in a trilogy about Robert the Bruce, and focuses on his family background, his upbringing and the pivotal years leading to his crowning as King of Scots at Scone in 1306.

Its publication coincides with the release of £85 million Netflix blockbuster Outlaw King, starring US actor Chris Pine as Bruce.

Although there has been speculation he was born in England, previous research had suggested that Writtle was the birthplace of Bruce’s father, also Robert.

But Dr Watson said he was born in 1243, eight years before the family gained the lands from England's King Henry III.

The academic said: "The truth may be unpalatable for some, for a chronicler from Southern England states categorically that Robert belonged to 'the English nation' and, more specifically, that he came into this world surrounded by the pleasant meadows, vineyards, grass and grain of Essex.

"There was a strong tradition in the South that Bruce was born in Essex, while there is no direct evidence he was born in Turnberry. In modern times it has been presumed Bruce would have been born at Turnberry, but the evidence points to Writtle."

She added: "Given that Writtle was Robert’s favourite manor, it is quite believable his son should be born there."

Dr Watson, a former history lecturer at Stirling University, has published several books, including Under the Hammer: Edward I and Scotland; Scotland: A History; and Macbeth: A True Story. She also presented the BBC’s 2001 series In Search Of Scotland.

The Bruce family came to Britain from Normandy and were nobles and landowners on both sides of the Border. As a young nobleman in England, the Bruce was required to pledge loyalty to Edward I.

Dr Watson said it was "highly likely" the 22-year-old Bruce was knighted by Edward, the king who was dubbed Hammer of the Scots.

Bruce and his father even took part in the English invasion of Scotland in 1296, at a time when the family had lost its lands north of the Border.

Dr Watson's book discloses he was fostered by another family, either in the West Highlands or Ireland, as part of a Celtic tradition that also saw his brother Thomas spend years in Ireland and grow to hate the English.

She said: "While Bruce is likely to have been born in Essex, more important in terms of his outlook was the Gaelic influence."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/28/robert-bruce-essex-claims-new-book/