The KINGS of SCOTLAND (7)

MARGARET 4 ' the Maid of Norway,' born within a year
previous to 9 April 1283 : acknowledged heir to the Scottish
throne by the magnates of Scotland in Parliament at Scone,
5 February 1283-4, succeeded her grandfather Alexander III ;
was betrothed to Edward, Prince of England, 6 November 1289 ;
left Norway for Scotland in the autumn of 1290, and
died at Orkney about 26 September 1290.

 A 'False Margaret ' who claimed to be the princess
was burned at Nordness, Bergen, in 1301.

After an interregnum from 26 September 1290 the Crown
 of Scotland was awarded by Edward I. of England, who had
 been called in to adjudicate, to JOHN BALIOL, eldest son of
 John de Baliol, of Barnard Castle by his wife Devorgilla,
third daughter of Alan, Lord of Galloway, and Margaret,
daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon(see ante p. 4). Born
 about 1250, he married before February 1280-1 Isabella,
daughter of John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey. He was
 awarded the Crown of Scotland 17 November 1292,
and after a short reign abdicated 10 July 1296. After being
 a prisoner in England for three years he retired to France,
 where he died in April 1313
He left two sons :

1.EDWARD, afterwards declared King of Scotland by
 the English in September 1332, but fled from the
kingdom after a reign of eleven weeks. He is said to
have died s. p. 1363, but a letter by King Edward III,
of date 20 May 1370, seems to imply that he was then
 alive.
2.Henry, slain at Annan 16 December 1332 s. p.
After a turbulent interregnum of upwards of nine
 years the Crown was seized by

ROBERT I., de Brus, or 4 The Bruce,' Earl of Carrick and
Lord of Annandale (see these titles) : born at Writtle, near
Chelmsford, 11 July 1274 : chosen one of the guardians of the
kingdom 19 August 1299 : assumed the sovereignty and was
crowned at Scone 27 March 1306. He finally achieved the
independence of Scotland, and after an eventful reign of
twenty-three years died at Cardross 7 June 1329, and was
buried at Dunfermline. He married, first, about 1295,
Isabella*, daughter of Donald, tenth Earl of Mar, by whom
he had an only child....


more to follow............