Famous Scots

[Catriona]

I thought it might be interesting to start a thread about famous Scots. For such a small country we have certainly contributed to the modern world, in many ways.

The following is from www.bbc.co.uk

Macbeth (c.1005 - 1057)

Shakespeare's portrait of a great tragic hero, whose fate was linked to black magic and fuelled by the fire of greed and ambition, bears little resemblance to the historical figure. Duncan (1034-40) was not Shakespeare's venerable, elderly monarch, but a young king who was killed in battle, possibly by Macbeth, although this is not certain. We do know that Duncan was not murdered in the home of a so-called host.

Macbeth, King of Moray, was elected King of Scotland in place of Duncan's son Malcolm, who was only a child, and for 14 years Macbeth is believed to have ruled equably, imposing law and order and encouraging devout Christianity. In 1050 he is known to have travelled to Rome for a Papal Jubilee. He was also a brave leader and made successful forays over the border into Northumbria, England.

In 1054, Macbeth was challenged by Siward, Earl of Northumbria, who was attempting to return Malcolm (later Malcolm III) to the throne. It was not until 1057 that Macbeth was killed and not by MacDuff but in battle at Lumphanan. The battle of Dunsinane and the encampment in Birnam Wood referred to in Shakespeare's tragedy are both earlier events. The final battle was probably not between armies, but between two champions - Macbeth, who was middle-aged or even elderly, and Malcolm, still a young man. The two fought in a stone circle near Lumphanan where Malcolm triumphed. It was Malcolm, not Macduff, who beheaded Macbeth.

Macbeth's stepson, Lulach (1057-8), was proclaimed king and, up until his death at Essie in Aberdeenshire, he continued to challenge Malcolm III (1057-93).

[Catriona]

Robert the Bruce (1274 - 1329)

Robert Bruce was the heroic King of Scots who, despite set-backs, secured Scotland's independence from England. Bruce was distantly related to the Scottish royal family and always had ambitions to be king.

He took his chance in 1306, when Edward was ailing, by arranging a secret meeting, in Greyfriars Kirk, Dumfries, with Balliol's agent in Scotland, Comyn. The meeting ended in disaster because the two men quarrelled and Bruce stabbed Comyn to death. Thus, he made enemies of King Edward, the Comyns and the Church for committing murder in a holy place. Bruce was crowned at Scone in March 1306. Shortly afterwards, he was defeated by the English and then by the Comyns. After that, Edward captured Bruce's wife and family and put some of them in cages as a punishment.

Legend says Bruce spent that winter alone, sheltering in a cave on a deserted island, watching a spider trying to spin a web. When it failed, it simply started all over again. Bruce took that as a lesson. He returned to inflict a series of minor defeats on the English which won him fame and brought him more supporters. Then, he turned on the Balliols and Comyns and destroyed them because they would not accept him as king.

Finally, Bruce attacked the English bases in Scotland and demolished them because he did not have troops to garrison them. His attempts to capture Stirling Castle led to his famous victory at Bannockburn in 1314. Although Bruce had undisputed control over Scotland after Bannockburn, the King of England did not agree that he was King of an independent country until 1328. By that time, Bruce was an old man who died a year later. His body lies in Dunfermline Abbey but his heart is buried in Melrose Abbey.



www.bbc.co.uk

[Catriona]

The Union of the Crowns

James I, King of England, VI of Scotland (1566 - 1625)

James was offspring of the doomed match between Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley, who was murdered early in 1567 before James was one year old. Mary was forced to abdicate in favour of her son when he was only 13 months, and the infant king took up the Scottish throne. John Knox, Reformation leader, preached the sermon at James' coronation. James' childhood was turbulent, marred by a long and troubled minority which saw a succession of regents as well as civil war. A more positive influence came in the form of George Buchanan, who imparted intellectual curiosity in the young king that was to stay with him for life.

James became the first Stuart king of England in 1603 under the terms of the Treaty of Berwick which he had signed with Elizabeth I in 1586. The Treaty pledged allegiance between the two countries and promised mutual help against invasion, thus protecting England from France. And so James acquiesced to his mother's execution and remained neutral when the Spanish Armada threatened English shores.

As Scottish king he consented to an act of parliament establishing Presbyterianism in Scotland and with support he subdued the Roman Catholic earls. He married Anne of Denmark whom he loved and together they had nine children.

The move to England came with the death of Elizabeth. On arrival he realised that he was considered an alien and his strong opinions about the divine right of kings earned him a reputation for narrow-mindedness and intellectual bullying. His tract Basilicon Doron (meaning 'the kingly gift') was intended as an instruction manual to his eldest son, Prince Henry, should the father die - after all, frequent attempts were made on James' life - but the text was leaked and used as an example of James' dogma.

Yet despite his critics, James is considered a highly successful king. He made it clear that he intended to radically change the Elizabethan church, heralding his cause with the slogan, 'No bishop, no king!' Although this prompted Catholic reaction, such as the failed Gunpowder plot, James was able to make a lasting impression on church history, commissioning a version of the Bible that was to become the standard text for more than 250 years - the King James Bible. His run-ins with Parliament, which led for example to the Addled Parliament in 1614, did not lead to serious rebellion. And in foreign policy he was an arbitrator: he made peace with Spain and aspired to achieve even greater stability throughout Europe, but his efforts were thwarted by Protestant opinion in Britain and Spanish resistance. Further abroad, he reigned over the beginning of Empire and authorized the Evangelistic Grant Charter to settle the Colony of Virginia.

As well as numerous attempts on his life, James I (VI of Scotland) suffered from ill-health and depression after the early death of Prince Henry in 1612. He was particularly distraught at the loss of his beloved wife in 1619. The King himself passed away on March 27th, 1625, and is buried in Westminster

[greenldydragon]

Always nice to read some history about great people.