"Some Where In Time" Presents—


THE ANCESTORS & DESCENDANTS OF
DORIS TORRANCE COLEMAN

KING ROBERT THE BRUCE
FAMILY TREE

About the life of Robert the Bruce

• Son of Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick and Annandale, and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick.
• Born in 1274, was 31 when he became king, he died in 1329 in Cardross.
• Married Isabella of Mar and then Elizabeth de Burgh. Their son was King David II.
• King Edward I of England regarded him as a traitor.
• Edward's commander in Scotland, the Earl of Pembroke defeated him in 1306 at Methven near Perth and he hid amongst the hills and forests. At this time, when all seemed hopeless he saw a spider constantly remaking its web in a cave in which he was hiding. This was the moment at which he vowed to keep trying to free Scotland from the English.
• Three of his brothers were executed by Edward.
• With the help of Edward Bruce, Thomas Randolph and Sir James Douglas (the famous "Black Douglas" whose name was used by English mothers to threaten discipline to their children. Thus: "If you dont do such and such, the wicked Black Douglas will come and get you") he gradually and courageously recaptured Scottish castles and land from the English.
• Edward II advanced on Bruce's army with 20,000 soldiers.
• At Bannockburn, near Stirling, on the 24 June 1314, Bruce's army defeated the English who then fled south of the border.
• When he died in 1329 his body was buried at Dunfermline. His heart was removed and taken on the Crusades by the Black Douglas (Sir James), who, just before he was killed in Moorish Spain, had hurled it at the enemy.
• The heart was recovered and taken back to Melrose Abbey where the new king, David II (Bruce's son), had asked for it to be buried.

Melrose Abbey and the mystery of Robert the Bruce's heart

The 1996 summer archeological excavations of the Chapter House floor of Melrose Abbey undertaken by Historic Scotland were designed to increase knowledge of this important medieval building.
The team from Historic Scotland investigated the lead container said to contain King Robert the Bruce's heart which had been removed from beneath the Chapter House floor.

Under laboratory conditions a small hole was drilled into the casket and the interior investigated by a fibre-optic cable. This larger casket was then carefully opened: inside was another small conical lead casket, and an engraved copper plaque inscribed;

"The enclosed leaden casket containing a heart was found beneath Chapter House floor, March 1921, by His Majesty's Office of Works"
The smaller conical casket is about 10 inches high and 4 inches in diameter at the base tapering to a flat top about one and a half inches in diameter. Despite being pitted with age it was in remarkably good condition.

Richard Welander, one of the investigating team from Historic Scotland, said that although it was not possible to prove absolutely that it is Bruce's heart, "We can say that it is reasonable to assume that it is". There are no records of anyone else's heart being buried at Melrose.

The casket containing the heart was not opened, and remained in Edinburgh until it was buried again during a private ceremony at Melrose Abbey on 22 June 1998. On the 24th June, coinciding with the anniversary of the victory of Bruce's army over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the Scottish Secretary of State, Donald Dewar, unveiled a plinth over the place in the abbey grounds where the heart is now buried.

ROBERT THE BRUCE, FIRST KING OF SCOTLAND is my 20th Great Grandfather.
I am a descendant of his through my MCREYNOLDS FAMILY—specifically
through my Great Great Great Grandmother LUCINDA MCREYNOLDS MCNEW. LUCINDA was married to the REVEREND JULIUS CONNOR MCNEW, and their daughter MARY married THOMAS FARRIS JR.—they were my Great Great Grandparents.
Their son TRIGG married MARY ELIZABETH OWENS, and their daughter (one of
12 children) MAGGIE married JOSEPH ALVIN TORRANCE. They were my
grandparents, and their son was THOMAS FRANKLIN (FRANK),. He married
BERNICE ANNA ANDREAS. They were my Dad & Mom.

My ancestors from LUCINDA MCREYNOLDS are written below. She was married to the REVEREND JULIUS CONNOR MCNEW, and they were my great great great grandparents

JAMES MCREYNOLDS & LUCINDA FLEMING were my great great great great
grandparents.

ROBERT MCREYNOLDS & MARTHA RICH were my great great great great great
grandparents.

JOSEPH MCREYNOLDS & SARAH DIXON were my great great great great great
great grandparents.

JOHN MCREYNOLDS & ELIZABETH SHEPHERD were my Seventh Great Grandparents.

ELIZABETH and their four children came to America, but JOHN stayed in Scotland. He was 79 years old, and not in very good health.

JOHN MCREYNOLDS leads directly to ROBERT THE BRUCE FIRST KING OF
SCOTLAND.

JOHN (JOHNE) was born in Keppoch, Highlands of Scotland at Stewartstown, County Tyrone, Ireland.

His parents were JOHNE MACRANNALD (MCREYNOLDS) and CATHERINE MCSTALKER.

JOHN JR. married MARY PRESTON. They had three children. MARY died July 15, 1713

JOHN'S second wife was ELIZABETH SHEPPARD.

JOHN, my seventh great grandfather, was a descendant of the following—

ALEXANDER DE INSULUS & PRINCESS MARGARET STEWART. MARJORY is the daughter of DAVID II and grandaughter of KING ROBERT THE BRUCE. MARGARET is a descendant of England's Royal Family.

From this information, how do I connect to KING ROBERT? It wasn't easy, in fact—it was a monster to do Don't ask—it gets complicated. Are you confused yet? If not, you should be!

I know most of this by heart, but I even have confusing moments, and today just may be my day for confusion!

ALEXANDER and MARGARET are my 17th great grandparents.

Now, to go back in time to KING ROBERT, That still is a long journey!!

It is, at least, ten more generations—and that will be thousands of ancestors—which I don't have the room to put here, and it looks like there is no room available to put KING ROBERT'S (mine too) ancestors, either—and they go way back to 9 A.D. Awesome!!

ROBERT THE BRUCE, FIRST KING OF SCOTLAND, was born July 11, 1274, and
died June 7, 1329. My mother died on June 7th too, but in 1993.

His first wife was ISABELL OF MAR. She was born in 1278, and died in 1320

They had one child—MARJORY. This line becomes the STEWARTS. Her children marry into many other noble Scottish families.

KING ROBERT'S second wife was ELIZABETH de BURGH. She was born in 1281,
and died October 26, 1327.

They had 10 children—

MARGARET—this Line becomes the SUTHERLANDS.

MATILDA—this Line becomes the de ISAACS

DAVID II. He became the KING OF SCOTLAND. He never had any descendants. BRUCE'S nephew ROBERT II succeeded DAVID. He was the first King of the HOUSE STEWART/STUART.

JOHN died young, and had no descendants.

ROBERT BRUCE of Liddesdale was killed in 1332, and had no descendants.

SIR NEIL BRUCE OF CARRICK, died in 1346. No descendants.

WALTER BRUCE of ODISTOUN—doubted association.

CHRISTINA of CARRICK—no descendants

MARGARET—this Line becomes the GLENS.

ELIZABETH—this LINE BECOMES the OLIPHANTS.

If you love History, you will love this-----
The STUART/STEWART KINGS were descended from KING ROBERT THE BRUCE directly, and so too are the present ROYAL FAMILY, who are descended from the daughter of KING JAMES VI of Scotland. (JAMES I of England.

Here is a list of KINGS (and one QUEEN) of Scotland in the period leading up to KING ROBERT THE BRUCE.

*DUNCAN I (1034-1040)
*MACBETH (1040-1057)
*MALCOLM III, (CANMORE), son of DUNCAN I (1057-1093)
*DONALD BANE, second son of DUNCAN I (1093-1094)
*DUNCAN II, son of MALCOLM CANMORE, (1094-1094)
*DONALD BANE, second reign (1094-1097)
*EDGAR, son of MALCOLM CANMORE (1097-1107)
*ALEXANDER I, brother of EDGAR and son of MALCOLM CANMORE (1107-1124)
*DAVID I, brother of EDGAR and ALEXANDER, and son of MALCOLM CANMORE (1124-1153)
*MALCOLM IV, grandson of DAVID I (1153-1165)
*WILLIAM THE LION, brother of MALCOLM IV (1165-1214)
*ALEXANDER II, son of WILLIAM THE LION (1214-1249)
*ALEXANDER III, son of ALEXANDER II (1249-1286)
*MARGARET, MAID OF NORWAY, (1286-1290)
FIRST INTERREGNUM, English Occupation of Scotland (1290-1292)
*JOHN BALLIOL, descendant of DAVID I (1292-1296)
SECOND INTERREGNUM, English Occupation of Scotland (1296-1306)
*ROBERT I THE BRUCE, descendant of DAVID I (1306-1329)

The present clan chief of the BRUCES, is the Rt. Hon. EARL OF ELGIN and KINCARDINE. According to Who's Who, the EARL'S full name is ANDREW DOUGLAS ALEXANDER THOMAS BRUCE. He's the 37th CHIEF OF THE NAME OF BRUCE, the 11th EARL of ELGIN.

KING ROBERT'S Father—

ROBERT BRUCE, EARL OF CARRICK—Died: 1304, Interred: Abbey of Holm Cultram
Father: BRUCE, ROBERT i.e., LORD OF ANNANDALE. Born: 1210
Mother: de CLARE, ISABEL. Born November 8, 1226.
Married: 1271, Turnberry Castle, to MARJORIE OF CARRICK, COUNTESS OF
CARRICK

Child I—Mary
Child 2—Robert, born July 11, 1274. FIRST KING OF SCOTLAND
Child 3—EDWARD, KING OF IRELAND
Child 4—SIR THOMAS
Child 5—ALEXANDER, DEAN OF GLASSGOW
Child 6—NIGEL
Child 7—ISABEL, born in 1275
Child 8—CHRISTINA
Child 9—MARGARET
Child 10—MAUD
Child 11—BRUCE

Married after 1292 to ELEANOR

ROBERT THE BRUCE, FIRST KING OF SCOTLAND—

Born: July 11, 1274, Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex
Acceded: March 27, 1306, Scone Abbey, Perthshire
Died: June 7, 1329, Cardoss Castle, Firth of Clyde, Scotland
Interred: Dunfermline Abbey, Fife, Scotland
He married twice.
1. to Isabella, daughter of the Earl of Mar by whom he had a daughter, Marjory.
2. Elizabeth de Burgh, daughter of the Earl of Ulster by whom he had a son, who became David II of Scotland (r.1329-1371). This David didn't have any children of his first marriage to Joanna, sister of Edward III of England, or of his second marriage to Margaret Drummond.
Marjory Bruce married Walter Stewart, the hereditary High Steward of Scotland (hence the surname). Their son became Robert II of Scotland, and from him came the Stewart Kings and Queens of Scotland, and later England.

NOTES:
Victor of Bannockburn, 1314, Scotland's Liberator and Epic Hero
Assumed the Crown and Royal Dignity of Scotland, thus bringing to an end, the Second Interregnum, in defiance of EDWARD I of England.
Father: ROBERT BRUCE, EARL OF CARRICK
Mother: MARJORIE OF CARRICK, COUNTESS OF CARRICK
Married: 1296, to ISOBEL OF MAR
Child 1: MARJORIE, PRINCESS, born 1297
Married: 1302, to ELIZABETH de BURGH
Child 2: MARGARET
Child 3: MATILDA
Child 4: DAVID II, SECOND KING OF SCOTLAND. Born: 1323
Child 5: JOHN
Child 6: ROBERT OF LIDDESDALE
Child 7: SIR NEILL OF CARRICK
Child 8: WALTER OF ODISTOUN
Child 9: CHRISTINA OF CARRICK
Child 10: MARGARET
Child 11: ELIZABETH

FOOTNOTE:
Way back when—in 1946—when I was in high school, my history class studied the life of ROBERT THE BRUCE, FIRST KING OF SCOTLAND. Almost from the beginning, I developed a huge crush on this man. He inspired me so much, because of his great love for the people of Scotland, and because he gave so much of himself to finally bring peace to his country. Little did I know then, that 54 years later, i would discover that I am a descendant of KING ROBERT.
He not only was Scotland's Hero, but he was also mine. I am so proud that my Hero ROBERT THE BRUCE, FIRST KING OF SCOTLAND, turned out to be my 20th Great Grandfather. AWESOME!

KING ROBERT'S FINAL VICTORY OF THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN IN 1314. KING BRUCE PREPARED WELL IN ADVANCE FOR THIS BATTLE AND DELIBERATELY DREW THE ENGLISH ARMY TO HIM. HE DID NOT JUST DECIDE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT.

KING ROBERT IS REMEMBERED FOR FINISHING THE 30 YEAR WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, BY FINALLY DRIVING THE ENGLISH OUT OF SCOTLAND.

Doris Torrance Coleman
February 10, 2002