Balliol Family (continued ...)

His son Bernard was responsible for much building of the family castle in Teesdale. He took a prominent part in local affairs, first being noted in the records around 1167. He was a great benefactor to the church, bestowing lands upon the abbey of St. Mary at York, and upon the monks at Riebault. He took up arms and, joining Robert de Stuteville, proceeded to the relief of Alnwick Castle in 1174. In the course of this forced march to Alnwick, a dense fog was encountered and a halt was recommended. Balliol is reported to have replied: "Let those stay that will, I am resolved to go forward, although none follow me, rather than dishonor myself by tarrying here." In consequence, they all advanced, and the returning light enabled them to decry the battlements of Alnwick Castle. William, the Scottish king, was then in the fields with a slender train of 60 horsemen. At the head of these, however, he instantly charged the newcomers, whose force was much larger. Being overpowered and unhorsed, William was made prisoner by Balliol and sent to the castle of Richmond and afterwards to Falaise in Normandy.

Bernard's daughter, Annabel, became a concubine to Henry II Plantagenet. Bernard's son, Eustace, succeeded him in 1215, the same year that King John made peace with his barons at Runymeade. Eustace had three sons: Hugh, Henry, and Eustace II.

Henry married Lauretta who was one of the co-heiresses of Christian, wife of William de Mandeville, Earl of Essex; and heirs of Peter, lord of the barony of Valoines (Valsques), and lord of Panmure. In 1234, Henry inherited part of the rich English fiefs of the Valoines family. He died in 1245-46, and his widow retained livery of all the lands in Essex, Hertford, and Norfolk which Henry had held of her inheritance. They had two sons: Alexander and Guy Balliol.

Eustace the younger married Hawise, daughter and heiress of Ralph de Boyville de Levyngton, a baron of Northumberland. In 1260-61, the records show Eustace as being sheriff of Cumberland and governor of Carlisle Castle. Nine years later he assumed the cross and accompanied Prince Edward to the Holy Land.

Hugh de Balliol succeeded Eustace as head of the family. He was certified by the Crown to hold the barony of Biwell (paying five knights' fees). He also was required to find 30 soldiers for the guard of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as his ancestors had done since the time of William Rufus. Also, as a gift from Henry II, Hugh was made lord of Hiche in Essex. Later, from King John, he obtained the lands of Richard Unfronville and of Robert de Meisnell in County York -- this for his support of the king in the baronial war. In 1216, Hugh joined with Philip de Hulcotes in defense of the northern border with Scotland. When the Scottish king subjugated the whole of Northumberland for Lewis of France, de Balliol and de Hulcotes firmly held all the fortresses on the line of the Tees. Barnard Castle was particularly notable in this defense. Hugh received King John at Barnard Castle at this time, and for a short while was besieged there by Alexander II of Scotland who wished to "espie whether it was assailable at any side." The castle at that time was apparently too strong to afford an easy conquest.

Hugh was married to Cecily de la Fontaine. Some time around 1228, he was succeeded by his son John who, having been born at Barnard castle about 1216, would have been a meer adolescent at the time.

John became one of the regents of Scotland during the minority of Alexander III. In 1244, when ways and means were required to discharge the debt incurred by the war in Gascony, John de Balliol was one of the committee of 12 chosen to report to Parliament on the subject. The next year, Balliol is reported as having paid L30 for thirty knights' fees which he held towards the levy in aid for marrying the king's daughter. Afterwards he served as sheriff of Cumberland and governor of Carlisle Castle for six years. Subsequently he had a military summons to attend the king at Chester to oppose the Welsh. He was also sheriff of Nottingham and Derby Counties for three years.

During the time that John Balliol was head of the family, relations with the bishops of Durham continued to worsen. This may have reflected the rift between the English bishops and the Crown. Around 1255, the Bishop of Durham excommunicated and, in due course, imprisoned some of Balliol's men. In retaliation, Eustace (John's uncle?) and Jocelyn Balliol waylaid the bishop and threw 4 of his servants into the dungeon. Henry III intervened and brought about an exchange of prisoners.

In the baronial revolt against the king led by Simon de Montfort, Balliol remained loyal to the throne. Along with the king he fell into the hands of the Earl of Leicester at the battle of Lewes in 1264. However, he appears to have effected his escape and to have joined the other loyal barons in raising fresh troops to rescue the monarch.

John Balliol, married Devorguilla, the younger daughter of Alan, Lord of Galloway, a great baron of Scotland. Galloway's wife, Margaret, was sister of John le Scot and one of the heirs of King David. It was from this alliance that the Balliol claim to the throne of Scotland arose. Also, through the marriage to Devorguilla, Balliol acquired the Scottish barony of Galloway. Devorguilla, came to the union with Balliol an equal partner, and her family arms were joined with his.

About 1260, with guidance from the Bishop of Durham, John decided to carry out a substantial act of charity. He did it by renting a house in the suburbs of Oxford, and maintaining in it some poor studnets. The foundation date of the College which grew from this is traditionally reckoned as 1263. After his death in 1268/69, his widow, Devorguilla, put his arrangements on a permanent basis, and she is honored as co-founder with him. She provided a capital endowment, formulated Statutes, and gave the College its first seal, which it still has. Devorguilla and John's union is commemorated in the arms of Balliol College, Oxford.

Their's must have been a true love; when John Balliol died, Devorguilla had his embalmed heart placed in an ivory shrine. This shrine was placed before her at meals, and she would give it's share of every dish to the poor. Later she founded "Sweetheart" Abbey (along with the college). She died in Buittle Castle on 28 January, 1289/90, but was buried in the Abbey with the casket containing John's heart in her arms.

John had three sons, and in 1268 his property came to his eldest son, Hugh Balliol. Hugh died without issue in 1271 and was succeeded by his brother, Alexander. Alexander married Eleanor de Genoure and inherited a barony of more than 25 extensive lordships. Like his older brother, he died without issue in 1278-79 and was succeeded by John Balliol (the younger). John later went on to become king of Scotland (more on that below).

Another branch of the Balliol family which is mentioned in history was descended from Joscelin, son of Guy de Balliol and brother (cousin?) of Bernard. Joscelin's son Ingram (or Ingleram) married Ada, the daughter and heiress of William de Berkeley, lord of Reidcastle in Forfarshire, and chamberlain of Scotland, and by her he had a son Henry, who became chamberlain about 1223.

John Balliol - King of Scotland

Following the death of Margaret of Scotland in 1290, John Balliol was a competitor for the Scottish crown in the so called 'Great Cause', as he was a great-great grandson of King David I through his mother (and therefore one generation further than his main rival Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale, grandfather of the future Robert the Bruce), being senior in genealogical primogeniture but not in proximity of blood. He submitted his claim to the Scottish auditors in an election overseen by Edward I of England at Berwick-upon-Tweed on 3 August 1291. The Scottish auditors' decision in favour of Balliol was pronounced in the Great Hall of the castle at Berwick on 17 November 1292 and he was inaugurated accordingly king of Scotland at Scone, 30th November, 1292, St. Andrew's Day.

Edward I, who had coerced recognizion as Lord Paramount of Scotland, the feudal superior of the realm, steadily undermined the authority of King John. He treated Scotland as a feudal vassal state, and repeatedly humiliated his appointee. Tiring of their deeply compromised king, the direction of affairs was allegedly taken out of his hands by the leading men of the kingdom, who appointed a council of twelve--in practice a new panel of Guardians--at Stirling in July 1295. These men then went on to conclude a treaty of mutual assistance with France, to be known in time as the Auld Alliance.

Edward I then invaded, commencing the Wars of Scottish Independence. The Scots were defeated at Dunbar on 27 April 1296. John abdicated by a Deed signed in Montrose castle on 10 July 1296. Here the arms of Scotland were formally torn from John's surcoat, giving him the abiding name of "Toom Tabard" (empty coat).

John was imprisoned in the Tower of London at first, but eventually released into the custody of Pope Boniface VIII on condition that he remain in a papal residence. He was later released around the summer of 1301 and lived the rest of his life on his family's ancestral estates in Picardy.

However, his abdication had been obtained under considerable duress, and his supporters subsequently argued that he was still the rightful King of Scotland . When the Scots rose in rebellion in 1297 under William Wallace and Andrew de Moray, they claimed that they were acting on behalf of King John. Although rebellions in Scotland continued over the years, this claim looked increasingly tenuous as John's position under house-arrest by the papacy meant that he could not sufficienty campaign for his release and return to Scotland, despite the Scots' diplomatic attempts in Paris and Rome. After 1302, he made no further attempts to extend his personal support to the Scots. Effectively, Scotland was left without a monarch until the accession of Robert the Bruce in 1306.

John died in 1314 at his family's barony at Hélicourt, France. He was survived by his son Edward Balliol, who later revived his family's claim to the Scottish throne, received support from the English, and had some temporary successes.