PRIMARY SOURCES
Primary sources
1.
The Treaty of Salisbury
This source tells us about the negotiations between the Guardians
and Edward I’s representatives and the King of Norway over the
return of Margaret, Maid of Norway to Scotland.
The King of England faithfully promises that if the lady comes into his
hands of custody free and quit of any contract of marriage and
betrothal then, when the kingdom of Scotland is completely settled and
at peace so that the lady may safely stay there, and when the king of
England is requested to do so by the people of Scotland, the king will
send the lady to Scotland, as free and quit of all contracts…as when he
received her: provided that the good people of Scotland before they
receive the lady give proper and adequate guarantee to the k ing of
England that they will in no sense marry the lady except with his
decree, agreement and advice of her father the king of Norway.
2.
The Treaty of Birgham
A source in which Edward I arranges for the marriage of the Maid
of Norway to his son Edward. The treaty also seems to guarantee
Edward’s neutrality towards Scotland.
We [Edward I] promise…that the kingdom of Scotland shall remain
separate and divided from the kingdom of England by its rightful
boundaries and borders as has been observed up to now and that it
shall be free in itself and independent, reserving always the right of our
lord or whoever which has belonged to him or to anyone in the borders
elsewhere.
WARS OF INDEPENDENCE (H, HISTORY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2009
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PRIMARY SOURCES
3.
The Scots Guardians’ reply to Edward I at Norham
Edward had asked the Scots to accept his demand that he was
overlord of Scotland and that they should swear fealty to him. Their
answer was rather devious…
Sir, to this statement the good people who have sent us here answer that
they do not believe that you would ask such an important ques tion if
you did not consider that you had a genuine right to it. But they know
nothing of this right of yours [overlordship of Scotland]…Therefore
they answer to you as far as in them lies they have no power to reply to
your statement, lacking a king to whom the demand ought to be
addressed and will have the power to answer you.
4.
Edward’s judgement on the Great Cause
The king, the lord superior of the realm of Scotland, declares as a
matter of law and by way of judgement that the realm of Scotland is not
partible (divisible)…Therefore the king declares by way of judgement to
you John Hastings and to you Robert Bruce that by this judgement you
shall receive nothing of the shares in which you demand within the
bounds of the realm of Scotland. But to you John Balliol as the nearest
of Margaret daughter of the king of Norway, lady of Scotland and the
granddaughter of the late Alexander…the king gives you the realm as
your due and puts you in possession of it, with everything belonging to
it within the realm.
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WARS OF INDEPENDENCE (H, HISTORY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2009