This led to the Battle of Bannockburn on 23–24 June 1314, where he commanded a Scottish schiltrom. It was he who made a possibly ill-judged pact with the English governor of Stirling Castle, which led to the English sending a large army to relieve the castle. He played an important role capturing and slighting English-held castles in south-west Scotland, including Rutherglen Castle which he successfully recaptured from the English in 1313. The three younger Bruce brothers Nigel, Thomas and Alexander were all captured and executed by the English during this period, but Edward survived. This was a common Scottish and Irish cultural practice, and would tie in with, and perhaps explain, parts of his later life.Įdward fought alongside Robert throughout his struggle for the Scottish throne, including his desperate period on the run and as a guerrilla. The Irish medievalist Seán Duffy suggests that he was probably fostered in Ireland as a child, likely by the O'Neills of Ulster, while Archie Duncan suggests some period of time spent with the Bissetts of the Glens of Antrim. His date of birth is unknown, but it was probably not very long after Robert was born in 1274 he was old enough to be fighting in 1307 and to be given an independent command not long after. Robert the Bruce was the eldest in the past there was some dispute over whether Edward was second, or third behind Nigel, but one recent account has him fourth behind Nigel and Alexander. Edward was one of five sons of Robert de Brus and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, but the order is uncertain.
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