[MR] Wikipedia: Sir John Comyn

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots:

On this date in 1306 Sir John Comyn, Guardian of Scotland, was stabbed 
to death during an altercation before the altar of the Greyfriars church 
at Dumfries by Robert the Bruce. I have commented on this incident 
before, but would rather talk about Sir John (aka "The Red Comyn).

The Comyn family was one of the most powerful in Scotland at the end of 
the 13th century, holding lands in both the Highlands and Lowlands. 
Comyn's father had been one of the Competitors for the Throne of 
Scotland following the death of the Maid of Norway. The Scottish 
Parliament rather unwisely asked Edward I of England to mediate the 
succession in 1292. Edward chose the pliable John Balliol as king, and 
claimed Scotland as a vassal state. The Red Comyn still had a valid 
claim on the throne by descent from King Donald III.

John Comyn was captured at the disastrous battle of Dunbar in 1296, and 
was held at the Tower of London until he took the King's peace and 
joined Edward's host in Flanders. He deserted the English in 1298 when 
he learned of William Wallace's victory at Stirling Bridge. Returning to 
Scotland, he took up arms against the English. Whether he was actually 
in command of the faithless Scottish cavalry at Falkirk in 1299 is 
possible, but unsupported by history: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Falkirk . Most accounts of the 
battle were written later by supporters of Robert the Bruce, and blaming 
Comyn for the desertion of the small cavalry force was possibly done to 
smear his memory and justify his murder by Bruce. Following the battle, 
Willliam Wallace resigned as Guardian of Scotland. John Comyn and Robert 
the Bruce were appointed as co-guardians.

In 1303, Comyn was the Scottish commander at the little-known Battle of 
Roslin, one of the few Scottish success during this phase of the 
Scottish Wars of Independence: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Roslin . The smaller Scottish 
force mauled three English armies in one day, largely through superb 
generalship by Comyn, coupled with logistical help from Prior Abernathy 
of Mount Lothian Priory. This hardly seems like the actions of a 
deserter and coward.

By 1306, Edward I was in full control of Scotland, and nearly all the 
nobles had taken the King's Peace, Comyn and Bruce included. Both 
continued to intrigue against Edward, and against each other. It is 
possible that Comyn reported Bruce's treason to King Edward.  Their 
meeting in the Greyfriars church was supposed to be a parlay to settle 
their differences. It certainly didn't work out well for Comyn, as he 
and Bruce were said to have drawn their dirks. In the story as usually 
told, Bruce emerged from the church to tell his henchmen, "I have just 
slain the Red Comyn." Roger de Kirpatrick and some others of Bruce's men 
rushed into the church and found Comyn badly wounded, but still alive. 
Kirpatrick and the others finished the job in the approved Scottish 
fashion, with many, many dagger thrusts.

Following Comyn's murder, Robert the Bruce claimed the throne of 
Scotland was crowned at Scone on 25 March and raised again the flag of a 
free Scotland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce . King 
Robert eventually wiped out most of the Comyn family in a bitter civil 
war. The survivors were exiled from Scotland.

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge