CLASS DEBATE - WHO SHOULD BE THE KING OF SCOTS
Class debate
Who should be king of Scots?
Claimant
Strength of case
Claimant
Strength of case
Edward I
Edward needed a temporary
position in the kingdom of
Scotland to effectively
judge the case
Floris V,
Count of
Holland
His claim was weak at
best; he tried to claim that
David, Earl of
Huntingdon gave away
his rights to inherit
He didn’t intend to be a
claimant for the throne, but
wished to use it as a
stepping stone to claim
overlordship
He claimed he had
documents to prove it
Patrick, 7th
Earl of
Dunbar
He claimed to be descended
from an earlier king of
Scots; there was no real
evidence of this
William,
Baron de Ros
Claimed to be descended
from William the Lion
Robert de
Pinkeney
Claimed to be a descendant
from an illegitimate
granddaughter of David I;
there was no written
evidence to prove this, just
hearsay and stories
Nicholas de
Soules
Claimed to be a
descendant of Alexander
II: true, but a distant
cousin
Patrick
Galithly
Claimed to be an
illegitimate son of William
the Lion
Rodger de
Mandeville
Claimed he was the son of
an illegitimate daughter
of William the Lion
No evidence to back this
up, and moreover an
illegitimate son could not
inherit
John
Comyn
Grandson (by marriage) of
William the Lion
John de
Hastings
Grandson of Ada,
youngest daughter of the
Earl of Huntingdon
John
Balliol
Grandson of Margaret,
eldest daughter of David,
Earl of Huntingdon
Robert Bruce
Son of Isabella middle
daughter of David, Earl of
Huntingdon
Eric II,
King of
Norway
He was father to the Maid
of Norway
William de
Vesci Baron
of de Vesci
His mother was one of the
daughters of William the
Lion
WARS OF INDEPENDENCE (H, HISTORY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2009
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CLASS DEBATE - WHO SHOULD BE THE KING OF SCOTS?
There were 14 claimants (assuming you count Edward I) to the throne of
Scotland. The table shows who the claimants were and what their main
argument was. Each of the contestants believed they have a legitimate claim
to the throne of Scotland. Try a simple role -play experience to give students a
chance to immerse themselves in these roles. They should be allowed to
mingle with other nobles and party guests from around S cotland. Set the party
on the eve of the start of the Great Cause. The claimants should mingle with
the rest of the crowd and try to convince them of the legitimacy of their
claim. At the end of the role-play, students can then vote on who gave the
most convincing argument.
Alternatively you can reduce the role-playing activity to an encounter
between Bruce, Balliol, Floris and John: these four have the strongest claims
for the throne and all feel that they will win.
Before the role-play it is essential that you do a little research on each of the
competitors. Use the information in the websites to put together some
background information. Make a list of reasons why you think you should be
king.
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WARS OF INDEPENDENCE (H, HISTORY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2009