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The Declaration of Arbroath ( la, Declaratio Arbroathis; sco, Declaration o Aiberbrothock; gd, Tiomnadh Bhruis) is the name usually given to a letter, dated 6 April 1320 at Arbroath, written by Scottish barons and addressed to Pope John XXII. It constituted King Robert I's response to his
excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
for disobeying the pope's demand in 1317 for a truce in the First War of Scottish Independence. The letter asserted the antiquity of the independence of the Kingdom of Scotland, denouncing English attempts to subjugate it. Generally believed to have been written in Arbroath Abbey by
Bernard of Kilwinning Bernard (died c. 1331) was a Tironensian abbot, administrator and bishop active in late 13th- and early 14th-century Scotland, during the First War of Scottish Independence. He first appears in the records already established as Abbot of Kilwinn ...
(or of Linton), then
Chancellor of Scotland The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally the Lord High Chancellor, was a Great Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland. Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower st ...
and Abbot of Arbroath, and sealed by fifty-one magnates and
nobles Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...
, the letter is the sole survivor of three created at the time. The others were a letter from the
King of Scots The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thought to have gro ...
, Robert I, and a letter from four Scottish bishops which all made similar points. The ''Declaration'' was intended to assert Scotland's status as an independent, sovereign state and defend
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
's right to use military action when unjustly attacked. Submitted in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
, the ''Declaration'' was little known until the late 17th century, and is unmentioned by any of Scotland's major 16th-century historians. In the 1680s, the Latin text was printed for the first time and translated into English in the wake of the Glorious Revolution, after which time it was sometimes described as a declaration of independence.


Overview

The ''Declaration'' was part of a broader diplomatic campaign, which sought to assert Scotland's position as an independent kingdom, rather than its being a feudal land controlled by England's Norman kings, as well as lift the excommunication of Robert the Bruce. The pope had recognised Edward I of England's claim to
overlordship An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or serjea ...
of Scotland in 1305 and Bruce was excommunicated by the Pope for murdering John Comyn before the
altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in pagan ...
at Greyfriars Church in Dumfries in 1306. This excommunication was lifted in 1308; subsequently the pope threatened Robert with excommunication again if Avignon's demands in 1317 for peace with
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
were ignored. Warfare continued, and in 1320 John XXII again excommunicated Robert I. In reply, the ''Declaration'' was composed and signed and, in response, the papacy rescinded King Robert Bruce's excommunication and thereafter addressed him using his
royal title Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duke ...
. The wars of Scottish independence began as a result of the deaths of King Alexander III of Scotland in 1286 and his heir the " Maid of Norway" in 1290, which left the throne of Scotland vacant and the subsequent succession crisis of 1290-1296 ignited a struggle among the Competitors for the Crown of Scotland, chiefly between the
House of Comyn Clan Cumming ( gd, Na Cuimeinich ), also known as Clan Comyn, is a Scottish clan from the central Highlands that played a major role in the history of 13th-century Scotland and in the Wars of Scottish Independence. The Clan Comyn was once the mo ...
, the
House of Balliol The House of Balliol (de Bailleul) was a noble family originating from the village of Bailleul in Picardy. They held estates in England, granted during the reign of King William Rufus. Through marriage, they had claims to the Throne of Scotl ...
, and the House of Bruce who all claimed the crown. After July 1296's deposition of King John Balliol by Edward of England and then February 1306's killing of John Comyn III, Robert Bruce's rivals to the throne of Scotland were gone, and Robert was crowned king at Scone that year. Edward I, the "Hammer of Scots", died in 1307; his son and successor Edward II did not renew his father's campaigns in Scotland. In 1309 a parliament held at St Andrews acknowledged Robert's right to rule, received emissaries from the
Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...
recognising the Bruce's title, and proclaimed the independence of the kingdom from England. By 1314 only
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
,
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census re ...
, Roxburgh, and Stirling remained in English hands. In June 1314 the Battle of Bannockburn had secured Robert Bruce's position as King of Scots; Stirling, the
Central Belt The Central Belt of Scotland is the area of highest population density within Scotland. Depending on the definition used, it has a population of between 2.4 and 4.2 million (the country's total was around 5.4 million in 2019), including Gre ...
, and much of Lothian came under Robert's control while the defeated Edward II's power on escaping to England via Berwick weakened under the sway of his cousin Henry, Earl of Lancaster. King Robert was thus able to consolidate his power, and sent his brother
Edward Bruce Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick ( Norman French: ; mga, Edubard a Briuis; Modern Scottish Gaelic: gd, Eideard or ; – 14 October 1318), was a younger brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. He supported his brother in the 1306–1314 s ...
to claim the Kingdom of Ireland in 1315 with an army landed in Ulster the previous year with the help of Gaelic lords from the Isles. Edward Bruce died in 1318 without achieving success, but the Scots campaigns in Ireland and in northern England were intended to press for the recognition of Robert's crown by King Edward. At the same time, it undermined the House of Plantagenet's claims to overlordship of the British Isles and halted the Plantagenets' effort to absorb Scotland as had been done in Ireland and Wales. Thus were the Scots nobles confident in their letters to Pope John of the distinct and independent nature of Scotland's kingdom; the ''Declaration of Arbroath'' was one such. According to historian
David Crouch Sir David Lance Crouch (23 June 1919 – 18 February 1998) was a British Conservative politician. Crouch was educated at University College School, London and became a marketing consultant. He contested Leeds West in 1959, and served as Memb ...
, "The two nations were mutually hostile kingdoms and peoples, and the ancient idea of Britain as an informal empire of peoples under the English king's presidency was entirely dead." The text describes the ancient history of Scotland, in particular the '' Scoti'', the
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
forbears of the Scots who the ''Declaration'' claims have origins in ''Scythia Major'' prior to migrating via Spain to
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
"1,200 years from the Israelite people's crossing of the Red Sea". The ''Declaration'' describes how the Scots had "thrown out the Britons and completely destroyed the Picts", resisted the invasions of "the Norse, the Danes and the English", and "held itself ever since, free from all slavery". It then claims that in the Kingdom of Scotland, "one hundred and thirteen kings have reigned of their own Blood Royal, without interruption by foreigners". The text compares Robert Bruce with the Biblical warriors
Judah Maccabee Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabeus, also spelled Machabeus, or Maccabæus, Hebrew: יהודה המכבי, ''Yehudah HaMakabi'') was a Jewish priest (''kohen'') and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleuci ...
and Joshua. The ''Declaration'' made a number of points: that Edward I of England had unjustly attacked Scotland and perpetrated atrocities; that Robert the Bruce had delivered the Scottish nation from this peril; and, most controversially, that the independence of Scotland was the prerogative of the Scottish people, rather than the King of Scots.


Debates

Some have interpreted this last point as an early expression of ' popular sovereignty' – that government is contractual and that kings can be chosen by the community rather than by God alone. It has been considered to be the first statement of the contractual theory of monarchy underlying modern constitutionalism. It has also been argued that the ''Declaration'' was not a statement of popular sovereignty (and that its signatories would have had no such concept) but a statement of royal propaganda supporting Bruce's faction. A justification had to be given for the rejection of King John Balliol in whose name William Wallace and
Andrew de Moray Andrew Moray ( xno, Andreu de Moray; la, Andreas de Moravia), also known as Andrew de Moray, Andrew of Moray, or Andrew Murray, was an esquire, who became one of Scotland's war-leaders during the First Scottish War of Independence. Moray, he ...
had rebelled in 1297. The reason given in the ''Declaration'' is that Bruce was able to defend Scotland from English aggression whereas King John could not. Whatever the true motive, the idea of a contract between King and people was advanced to the Pope as a justification for Bruce's coronation whilst John de Balliol, who had abdicated the Scottish throne, still lived as a Papal prisoner. There is also recent scholarship that suggests that the Declaration was substantially derived from the 1317 Irish Remonstrance, also sent in protest of English actions. There are substantial similarities in content between the 1317 Irish Remonstrance and the Declaration of Arbroath, produced three years later. It is also clear that the drafters of the Declaration of Arbroath would have access to the 1317 Irish Remonstrance, it having been circulated to Scotland in addition to the Pope. It has been suggested therefore that the 1317 Remonstrance was a 'prototype' for the Declaration of Arbroath, suggesting Irish-Scottish cooperation in attempts to protest against English interference.


Text

For the full text in Latin and a translation in English, See Declaration of Arbroath on WikiSource.


Signatories

There are 39 names—eight
earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particu ...
s and thirty-one barons—at the start of the document, all of whom may have had their seals appended, probably over the space of some time, possibly weeks, with nobles sending in their seals to be used. The folded foot of the document shows that at least eleven additional barons and freeholders (who were not noble) who were not listed on the head were associated with the letter. On the extant copy of the ''Declaration'' there are only 19 seals, and of those 19 people only 12 are named within the document. It is thought likely that at least 11 more seals than the original 39 might have been appended. The ''Declaration'' was then taken to the papal court at Avignon by Sir Adam Gordon, Sir Odard de Maubuisson, and Bishop Kininmund who was not yet a bishop and probably included for his scholarship. The Pope heeded the arguments contained in the ''Declaration'', influenced by the offer of support from the Scots for his long-desired crusade if they no longer had to fear English invasion. He exhorted Edward II in a letter to make peace with the Scots. However, it did not lead to his recognising Robert as King of Scots, and the following year was again persuaded by the English to take their side and issued six bulls to that effect. Eight years later, on 1 March 1328, the new English king, Edward III, signed a
peace treaty A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which formally ends a state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice, which is an agreement to stop hostilities; a surre ...
between Scotland and
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton. In this treaty, which was in effect until 1333, Edward renounced all English claims to Scotland. In October 1328, the interdict on Scotland, and the excommunication of its king, were removed by the Pope.


Manuscript

The original copy of the ''Declaration'' that was sent to Avignon is lost. The only existing manuscript copy of the ''Declaration'' survives among Scotland's state papers, measuring 540mm wide by 675mm long (including the seals), it is held by the National Archives of Scotland in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, a part of the National Records of Scotland. The most widely known English language translation was made by Sir James Fergusson, formerly
Keeper of the Records of Scotland The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) is the previous name of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), and are the national archives of Scotland, based in Edinburgh. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europ ...
, from text that he reconstructed using this extant copy and early copies of the original draft. G. W. S. Barrow has shown that one passage in particular, often quoted from the Fergusson translation, was carefully written using different parts of ''
The Conspiracy of Catiline ''Bellum Catilinae'' (''War of Catiline''), also called (''Conspiracy of Catiline''), is the first history published by the Roman historian Sallust. The second historical monograph in Latin literature, it chronicles the attempted overthrow of th ...
'' by the Roman author, Sallust (86–35 BC) as the direct source:


List of signatories

Listed below are the signatories of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. The letter itself is written in Latin. It uses the Latin versions of the signatories' titles, and in some cases, the spelling of names has changed over the years. This list generally uses the titles of the signatories' Wikipedia biographies. * Duncan, Earl of Fife (changed sides in 1332) * Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray (nephew and supporter of King Robert although briefly fought for the English after being captured by them, Guardian of the Realm after Robert the Bruce's death) * Patrick Dunbar, Earl of March (or Earl of Dunbar) (changed sides several times) * Malise, Earl of Strathearn (King Robert loyalist) * Malcolm, Earl of Lennox (King Robert loyalist) * William, Earl of Ross (earlier betrayed King Robert's female relatives to the English) * Magnús Jónsson, Earl of Orkney * William de Moravia, Earl of Sutherland * Walter, High Steward of Scotland (King Robert loyalist) * William de Soules, Lord of Liddesdale and Butler of Scotland (later imprisoned for plotting against the King) * Sir James Douglas, Lord of Douglas (one of King Robert's leading loyalists) * Roger de Mowbray, Lord of Barnbougle and Dalmeny (later imprisoned for plotting against King Robert) *
David, Lord of Brechin Sir David de Brechin (died 1320) was a Scottish knight who fought on both sides during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Life He was the son of Sir William de Brechin by Elena Comyn, daughter of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan and Elizabeth de ...
(later executed for plotting against King Robert) * David de Graham of Kincardine *
Ingram de Umfraville Sir Ingram de Umfraville (''fl.'' 1284–1320) was a Scottish noble who played a particularly chequered role in the Wars of Scottish Independence, changing sides between England and Scotland multiple times, throughout the conflict. Life Ingra ...
(fought on the English side at Bannockburn but then changed sides to support King Robert) *
John de Menteith Sir John Menteith of Ruskie and Knapdale (c. 1275 – c. 1329) was a Scottish nobleman during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is known for his capture of Sir William Wallace in 1305 and later joined with King Robert I of Scotland and rec ...
, guardian of the earldom of Menteith (earlier betrayed William Wallace to the English) * Alexander Fraser of Touchfraser and Cowie * Gilbert de la Hay, Constable of Scotland (King Robert loyalist) * Robert Keith, Marischal of Scotland (King Robert loyalist) * Henry St Clair of Rosslyn * John de Graham, Lord of Dalkeith, Abercorn & Eskdale * David Lindsay of Crawford * William Oliphant, Lord of Aberdalgie and Dupplin (briefly fought for the English) * Patrick de Graham of Lovat * John de Fenton, Lord of Baikie and Beaufort * William de Abernethy of Saltoun * David Wemyss of Wemyss *William Mushet *Fergus of Ardrossan * Eustace Maxwell of Caerlaverock *William Ramsay * William de Monte Alto, Lord of Ferne *Alan Murray * Donald Campbell *John Cameron * Reginald le Chen, Lord of Inverugie and Duffus * Alexander Seton * Andrew de Leslie *Alexander Straiton In addition, the names of the following do not appear in the document's text, but their names are written on seal tags and their seals are present: *Alexander de Lamberton (became a supporter of
Edward Balliol Edward Balliol (; 1283 – January 1364) was a claimant to the Scottish throne during the Second War of Scottish Independence. With English help, he ruled parts of the kingdom from 1332 to 1356. Early life Edward was the eldest son of John B ...
after the
Battle of Dupplin Moor The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of King David II of Scotland, the son of King Robert Bruce, and English-backed invaders supporting Edward Balliol, son of King John I of Scotland, on 11 August 1332. It took place a lit ...
, 1332) * Edward Keith (subsequently
Marischal of Scotland The title of Earl Marischal was created in the Peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland. History The office of Marischal of Scotland (or ''Marascallus Scotie'' or ''Marscallus Scotiae'') had been hereditary, held by ...
; d. 1346) * Arthur Campbell (Bruce loyalist) *Thomas de Menzies (Bruce loyalist) *John de Inchmartin (became a supporter of
Edward Balliol Edward Balliol (; 1283 – January 1364) was a claimant to the Scottish throne during the Second War of Scottish Independence. With English help, he ruled parts of the kingdom from 1332 to 1356. Early life Edward was the eldest son of John B ...
after the
Battle of Dupplin Moor The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of King David II of Scotland, the son of King Robert Bruce, and English-backed invaders supporting Edward Balliol, son of King John I of Scotland, on 11 August 1332. It took place a lit ...
, 1332; d. after 1334) *John Duraunt *Thomas de Morham


Legacy

In 1998 former
majority leader In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.
Trent Lott succeeded in instituting an annual " National Tartan Day" on 6 April by resolution of the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...
. US Senate Resolution 155 of 10 November 1997 states that "the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence, was signed on April 6, 1320 and the American Declaration of Independence was modeled icon that inspirational document". However, although this influence is accepted by some historians, it is disputed by others. In 2016 the Declaration of Arbroath was placed on the UK Memory of the World Register, part of
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
's Memory of the World Programme. 2020 was the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath's composition; an ''Arbroath 2020'' festival was arranged but postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. The
National Museum of Scotland The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum (opene ...
in Edinburgh planned to display the document to the public for the first time in fifteen years.


See also

* Declaration of independence *
Claim of Right 1989 ''A Claim of Right for Scotland'' was a document crafted by the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly in 1988, declaring the sovereignty of the Scottish people. It was signed by all then-serving Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs, with the exception o ...
* Barons' Letter of 1301, refutation of Papal claim to Scottish suzerainty by English barons


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * *


External links

* *
Declaration of Arbroath
on National Archives of Scotland website (includes full Latin text and English translation) {{DEFAULTSORT:Declaration Of Arbroath Arbroath National liberation movements Political history of Scotland 1320 in Scotland Arbroath, Declaration of Scottish independence Avignon Papacy 1320s in law Popular sovereignty 1328 establishments in Scotland 1320 Medieval documents of Scotland Elective monarchy Arbroath