Robert II Keith, Marischal of Scotland
| Sir Robert Keith | |
|---|---|
| Died |
12 August 1332 Dupplin Moor, Scotland |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Scotland |
| Commands held | Scottish cavalry at Bannockburn |
| Battles/wars |
Battle of Inverurie Battle of Bannockburn Battle of Dupplin Moor |
| Other work | Diplomat, again soldier |
Sir Robert Keith (died 11 August 1332) was a Scottish knight, diplomat, and hereditary Marischal of Scotland who commanded forces loyal to Robert Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn.
”Sir Robert Keith II, Keith Earl Marischals married Elizabeth STRACHAN, and had a son, Sir Robert Keith III (d. 1346) who married Elizabeth, the daughter of John CUMMING (aka Comyn), a potent man.” [1]
Service before Bannockburn
Under Malcolm IV, the title Marischal of Scotland had been bestowed on Keith's ancestors, a title which became hereditary and was passed on from one Keith to the next. Robert Keith was the great-great-grandson of Hervey de Keith, great-grandson of Philip de Keith (d. c. 1225), the grandson of ... de Keith and the son of William de Keith (d. c. 1293), all his predecessors as Marischals. He took up a military career as a young man, but was also considered by other Scottish barons to be something of a leader, being appointed justiciary of the lands beyond the River Forth.[2]
He was captured by the English in a skirmish near the River Cree in 1300, but was back in Scotland by 1308 and in March 1309 was present at Robert I of Scotland's first parliament at St Andrews.
Bannockburn
Keith served as a relatively senior general with Bruce's army throughout the war, and, prior to the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, was appointed co-leader of a reconnoitering force sent out to gather information about the army of King Edward II of England. During the battle itself, he commanded about 500 Scottish cavalry,[3] although, like other Scottish knights, he may have fought dismounted.
Keith's force was drawn into combat with the English archers,[4] who had in the past and would in later battles inflict heavy losses among the Scottish infantry. Keith and his men, however, flanked the archers and routed them.
The battle was a decisive victory for the Scots, following which Bruce had undisputed military control of Scotland, excepting the Royal Burgh of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Later years
Keith was among the Scottish magnates[5] who in 1320 signed a letter to the Pope vindicating Scottish independence. Afterward, he was given several diplomatic assignments, serving as a peace commissioner to England in 1323. He was also among the dignitaries who ratified the Treaty of Corbeil (1326) with the King of France.
He was killed fighting for King David II of Scotland at the Battle of Dupplin Moor.
Ancestors and descendants
Sir Robert Keith was the great-grandson of Philip Keith, the first Earl Marischal.
Keith's grandson and successor as Marischal, also named Robert Keith, was killed during the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346. Keith's indirect descendants, eventually known as the Earls Marischal, held that title for several centuries to come. During the English Civil War, one of his descendants fought as a Royalist officer, and was imprisoned under Oliver Cromwell's regime.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Keith |
Marischal of Scotland | Succeeded by Robert Keith |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by John Comyn, Earl of Buchan |
Justiciar of Scotia c. 1305–1306 with Reginald Cheyne (c. 1305–1306) John de Vaux (c. 1305–1306) William Inge (c. 1305–1306) |
Succeeded by Uncertain, next known was Robert Lauder of Quarrelwood |
External links
- article on Keith family
References
Freedom's Sword, Peter Traquair
- ↑ Nisbit, "System of Heraldry" Appendix pg. 2.
- ↑ Burke's Peerage & Gentry and The Origins Network, Extract from The Great Historic Families of Scotland (1887)], by James Taylor
- ↑ Armstrong, Pete-Bannockburn 1314, Osprey Publishing 2002
- ↑ http://www.burkespeerage.com/articles/scotland/esnews/es0502a.aspx|THE KEITHS
- ↑ http://www.burkespeerage.com/articles/scotland/esnews/es0502a.aspx