| Edward Balliol | |
|---|---|
 Edward's seal | |
| ContestedKing of Scots | |
| Reign | 24 September 1332 – 20 January 1356 |
| Contender | David II of Scotland |
| Born | c. 1283 Cavers, Roxburghshire,Kingdom of Scotland |
| Died | January 1364 (aged around 81) Wheatley,Doncaster,Kingdom of England |
| House | Balliol |
| Father | John Balliol |
| Mother | Isabella de Warenne |
Edward Balliol orEdward de Balliol (Scottish Gaelic:Èideard Balliol;[1]c. 1283 – January 1364) was aclaimant to theScottish throne during theSecond War of Scottish Independence. With English help, he ruled parts of the kingdom from 1332 to 1356.
Edward was the eldest son ofJohn Balliol andIsabella de Warenne. When his father negotiatedan alliance with France in 1295, Edward was betrothed toJoan of Valois, the eldest daughter ofCharles, Count of Valois (1271–1325) and his first wife Marguerite of Anjou (1273–1299). When John resigned his title asKing of Scotland in 1296, the betrothal was cancelled.[2]: 240
Following his father's abdication, Balliol was a prisoner in theTower of London until 1299, when he was released into the custody of his grandfatherJohn de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey. Balliol could possibly have been involved in the "Soules Conspiracy", a plot to depose kingRobert I and possibly to install Balliol on the throne led byWilliam II de Soules.[3][2]: 298 Balliol possibly married Margaret of Taranto, daughter ofPhilip I, Prince of Taranto around 1331. If this marriage did take place, it was childless and had been annulled by the time Balliol made his bid for the Scottish crown in 1332.[4]
The death of KingRobert I in June 1329 left his six-year-old sonDavid II as King and one of King Robert's ablest lieutenants,Thomas Randolph, the Earl of Moray, as regent.[5] Around this time, Balliol was recruited by "the disinherited", men whose Scottish lands and titles had been confiscated by Robert I following theBattle of Bannockburn. These men includedHenry de Beaumont,David III Strathbogie, and Gilbert de Umfraville, son ofRobert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus. In 1332 the disinherited and Balliol made plans for an invasion of Scotland, covertly supported byEdward III of England.[6] Following the death of Randolph on 20 July 1332, the disinherited along with several English adventurers such asWalter Manny and Thomas Ughtred invaded. Balliol's forces defeated the new regent,the Earl of Mar, at theBattle of Dupplin Moor inPerthshire on 11 August 1332.[7]
Edward Balliol was crowned atScone on 24 September 1332, but three months later he was forced to flee back to England, following a surprise attack by nobles loyal to David II at theBattle of Annan. On his retreat from Scotland, Balliol sought refuge with theClifford family, land owners inWestmorland, and stayed in their castles atAppleby,Brougham,Brough, andPendragon.[8]
In early 1333, Edward III openly declared his support for Balliol as king. Balliol returned to Scotland with Edward and an English army in the summer,capturing Berwick and defeating the Scottish forces at theBattle of Halidon Hill. Balliol, under theTreaty of Newcastle (1334), then ceded the whole of the district formerly known asLothian to Edward and paid homage to him asliege lord while staying inBlackfriars friary inNewcastle upon Tyne. He was also betrothed to Edward III's sisterJoan of the Tower, who was already married to David II.[2]: 335 Despite David II fleeing Scotland for France, Balliol's position was still not secure, and infighting between his supporters along with frequent fighting from pro-Bruce forces caused Balliol to flee Scotland once again.[2]: 338 In November 1334, Edward III and Balliol invaded again, but unable to bring the Scots to battle, they retreated in February 1335. On 30 November 1335, a pro-Balliol army under the command of Strathbogie was defeated at theBattle of Culblean, which was the effective end of Balliol's attempt to overthrow the King of Scots.[9]
In early 1336, a truce was proposed with intervention fromPhilip VI of France. The truce would have recognized Balliol as king and allowed him to marry princess Joan, and David II would become his heir. David however, rejected the treaty.[2]: 343 Edward III and Balliol returned again in July 1336 with a large English army and advanced through Scotland, first to Glasgow and then to Perth, destroying the surrounding countryside as they went but by late 1336, the Scots had regained control over virtually all of Scotland, and by 1338 the tide had turned against the usurper.[10]
Edward Balliol returned to Scotland after the defeat of King David II at theBattle of Neville's Cross in 1346 and with a small force raised an insurrection inGalloway in a final attempt to gain the crown of Scotland. He only succeeded in gaining control of some of Galloway, with his power diminishing there until 1355.[11]
On 20 January 1356, Balliol surrendered his claim to the Scottish throne to Edward III in exchange for an English pension of £2,000 per annum.[12] He spent the rest of his life living near Yorkshire and died childless in January 1364,[13] at Wheatley,Doncaster. The location of his grave has been speculated to be under a Doncaster Post Office.[14]
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