n.
known as Robert the Bruce
born July 11, 1274
died June 7, 1329, Cardross, Dumbartonshire, Scot.
King of Scotland (130629).
Though Robert was of Anglo-Norman ancestry and held lands in both England and Scotland, he sided with the Scots against England and supported the rebel William Wallace . He gained the Scottish throne in 1306 after stabbing a rival to death in a quarrel. Twice defeated by Edward I (1306), he became a fugitive, hiding on a remote island off the Irish coast. Within a year, Robert returned to Scotland and began gathering supporters, and in 1314 he defeated Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn . Edward III finally recognized him and confirmed Scottish independence in 1328.