HISTORY

John Balliol DIANE MACLEAN WHEN the last member of the House of Canmore, the Maid of Norway, died on her way to Scotland, the issue of succession was unclear. Six so-called Guardians, representatives of the political community, were elected by a "parliament" at Scone to resolve the dilemma. Balliol was declared king after the end of the reign of the House of Canmore, having vied for the crown with Robert the Bruce. After his reign ended, unrest simmered, culminating in the rise of William Wallace. Of the 13 contenders for the Scottish crown the two strongest were Robert the Bruce (the elder) and John Balliol. Bruce was the son of the second daughter of Earl Henry, t…

Late in the 13thc the second son of a minor landowner rose to prominance as a freedom fighter. William Wallace was his name. Official records don't exist in Scotland of his activities, because throughout his 'active' career, the country was under occupation or threat of re-occupation. The only official records which exist survive in other countries, particularly in England whose occupation he fought against. :yes no: Much has been written about Wallace, most notably by Blind Harry, a minstrel who frequented the Scottish court in the latter half of the 15thc. He collected the stories of Wallace and attempted to put this into some sort of perspective, and praised his hero…

University finds host of forgotten treasures Sat 15 Oct 2005 Scotsman.com CLAIRE SMITH A HOST of hidden works of art, obscure scientific instruments and paintings has been unearthed in a year-long search of Edinburgh University departments, it emerged yesterday. The treasures - including an original Robert Adam drawing and a beautiful reproduction of the altarpiece of Cologne Cathedral - were scattered around the university, and now have been catalogued for the first time. Curators also unearthed a set of illustrations to Tolkein's Lord of the Rings and a mysterious sunshine recording machine, about which very little is known. Edinburgh University is…

NEW ORLEANS By ALLEN G. BREED, Associated Press Writer - In the absence of information and outside assistance, groups of rich and poor banded together in the French Quarter, forming "tribes" and dividing up the labor. As some went down to the river to do the wash, others remained behind to protect property. In a bar, a bartender put near-perfect stitches into the torn ear of a robbery victim. While mold and contagion grew in the muck that engulfed most of the city, something else sprouted in this most decadent of American neighborhoods — humanity. "Some people became animals," Vasilioas Tryphonas said Sunday morning as he sipped a hot beer in Johnny White's Sp…

The Declaration of Arbroath 1320 by John Prebble The Declaration of Arbroath was and has been unequalled in its eloquent plea for the liberty of man. From the darkness of medieval minds it shone a torch upon future struggles which its signatories could not have foreseen or understood.The author of this noble Latin address is unknown, though it is assumed to have been composed by Bernard de Linton, Abbot of Arbroath and Chancellor of Scotland. Above the seals of eight earls and forty-five barons, it asked for the Pope's dispassionate intervention in the bloody quarrel between the Scots and the English, and so that he might understand the difference between the two its pr…

Mons Graupius, where the Romans defeated the Caledonii DIANE MACLEAN AD 83 or 84 The Battle of Mons Graupius - the view of Roman historian Tacitus THE Roman occupation of Scotland was never as comprehensive as the occupation of England. Although they built forts and walls, indigenous tribes, especially in the north, were never very troubled by the might of Rome. The closest Rome came to total domination occurred in around AD83, when the Roman governor, Julius Agricola, was ordered by Emperor Titus to crush the Caledonii tribes. Agricola, governor from AD77 – 83 or 84, was accompanied on his campaign by his son-in-law, the Roman writer Tacitus. His written reco…

Mary, Queen of Scots LIAM PATERSON The Scotsman. com Thu 3 Feb 2005 Promised in marriage to Henry VIII's son, Mary's refusal sparked the 'rough wooing' Fled to France where she married, to return on her husband's death Mary's Catholicism and claim to the English throne led to a lengthy imprisonment Mary was beheaded in 1587 after plotting against Elizabeth I LIAM PATERSON ALONG with Robert the Bruce, Mary is probably the best known of Scotland's monarchs, due to the dramatic and tragic nature of both her life and reign. Mary was born in Linlithgow Palace on December 8th 1542. She became queen at only six days old following the death of her father, James V. T…

Falkirk: site of William Wallace's final defeat O'BRIEN 22 July 1298 Up to 80,000 of Edward I's troops faced 30,000 Scots volunteers under William Wallace Scots, betrayed by John Comyn, whose cavalry fled the field of battle, handing Edward victory, Wallace escaped to the Continent, resigning as Guardian of Scotland BRENDAN William Wallace The Guardian of Scotland, William Wallace, was a key figure in Scotland's fight for survival. THE battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 was a personal triumph for William Wallace, who was appointed Guardian of Scotland. Edward I, distracted by affairs on the Continent, returned to England to find the Scots campaign continuin…

A few more reasons the US Constitution is based on The Declaration of Arbroath Scotland's signature role in America's independence WILL SPRINGER MOST Americans take advantage of the Fourth of July holiday to enjoy a long weekend at the beach or in the mountains, munching on burgers and hot dogs or taking in a parade and fireworks display. They will tell you that the last thing on their minds is the significance behind this day in US history. The original Declaration of Indepedence, a copy of which is on display in Washington's National Archives building, has faded over the years. Approved on 4 July, 1776, the document was signed a month later It has been written…