The fourteenth century is often seen as a time of incessant warfare between Scotland and England, a period that shaped a Scottish national identity characterized chiefly by anti-English sentiment and rejection of English claims of overlordship. This collection of thirteen essays offers a more nuanced view, pointing out that Anglo-Scottish relations were influenced by times of peace as well as times of war and that allegiances and loyalties often shifted as political circumstances changed. As Anthony Goodman argues, “In medieval society, gens and communitas had multiple embodiments, ranging from the universal to the highly localized, and giving individuals a variety of important identities, whose significance to them might vary in time and space, and which they might either don or put in a press as expedient” (252). These essays look anew at the complexities of fourteenth-century Anglo-Scottish relations and demonstrate that the situation was far from monolithic or unchanging.
A central theme is the influence of monarchs to shape developments—several essays examine previously neglected areas of royal influence. David Caldwell's discussion of the introduction of guns to Scotland argues that the delay in adopting this new technology can be found in David II's lack of interest and therefore the lack of royal resources to pay for it, even though the Scots were familiar with guns. Another discussion of military matters is found in David Simpkin's article that examines the inclusion of both feudal and nonfeudal elements in Edward II's 1310–11 army and suggests that the English army at Bannockburn was perhaps similarly constituted. Michael Penman's analysis of the surprising lack of racialized abuse in the works of John Barbour, John of Fordun, and Andrew Wyntoun (especially when contrasted with contemporary abuse of the Scots in English sources) suggests that a measure of censorship was imposed by the authors on the anti-English sentiments of their original sources, in order to fit the shifting political agendas of their royal patrons and readers. Shedding new light on a neglected ruler, Amanda Beam analyzes Edward Balliol's early career, demonstrating how Edward I and II's refusal to restore his English lands may have been a crucial factor that turned this English lord's attention to his claim to the Scottish throne.
The question of allegiance was a crucial one in this period as English kings claimed overlordship of Scotland, and Bruce and Balliol kings fought for the support of the Scottish people. Michael Brown examines the complex and shifting allegiances of the Anglicati Scots who fought against the Bruce kings, pointing out that support for English forces was often aimed more at a change of dynasty than English overlordship. His article also illustrates the conflicting loyalties found within families. Andrea Ruddick examines two models of identity, an allegiant one based on loyalty to a king and a national one based on place of birth. She shows how the English king and government used both models in their official documents, demonstrating awareness of the complexity of the situation especially for Scots living in England or in English-controlled parts of Scotland. Gwilym Dodd's analysis of Scottish petitions to the English parliament points out that, although many Scots lived under English rule, they were not integrated into the English polity. Indeed despite the many cross-border contacts and cultural similarities (e.g., in the chivalric pursuits discussed by Goodman), the existence of a definitive border had been recognized since the thirteenth century and was emphasized by the different systems of law on either side of it. Border society has often been characterized as a “frontier society” with a weaker sense of national identity, but Andy King argues that by the late fourteenth century those on either side of the border identified themselves strongly as either English or Scots.
The role of the clergy in the First War of Independence has often been emphasized; two essays look at other aspects of church involvement in the politics and wars of the fourteenth century. Sarah Layfield offers a new assessment of Pope John XXII's attitude toward the Scots. He has traditionally been seen as partial to the English, but she argues that his actions suggest that he was in fact more neutral than often portrayed, for example, refusing throughout the 1320s to recognize English overlordship of Scotland and supporting the Scottish church. Richard Oram looks at the changing fortunes of religious houses affected by the wars, especially those which had substantial lands in England, suffered from being sited in major theaters of war, or had to deal with the delicate political situation of existing in English-controlled areas of Scotland.
Although most surviving sources were produced by the elite and largely concerned with the affairs of king, nobility, and church, several contributors offer some assessment of “popular” feeling and hological weapon of warfare illustrates the very real price paid by ordinary people for the conflicts among the elite. The devastation of crops, houses, and lives that accompanied fourteenth-century military campaigns is often seen as an unfortunate consequence of war, but he argues that the destruction was a deliberate tool used to demonstrate superior lordship—a lord's authority came from the ability to punish or protect his people, and targeted destruction was a way to compel allegiance. As this and many other essays in this excellent collection remind us, war and peace were not just the concerns of the country's political leaders but had a very real impact on the lives of all levels of society on both sides of the border.
