The Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton 1 May 1328

When was it agreed and by who?  The Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton was agreed by Robert I in Edinburgh Castle in 1328 and by Edward III in Northampton.  Finally Robert Bruce had everything he'd been fighting for - the English had been driven out of Scotland, peace had been achieved and he was recognised as King of Scots.

What the treaty says  In the Treaty, England recognises Scotland's independence, Robert Bruce as King and gives up any claims over superiority over Scotland.  In return, the Scots agreed to pay the English £20,000 to end the war and gave up any claim over the lands of Northumberland.  A marriage was agreed between the two royal families, to seal

Aftermath of treaty  Robert Bruce died just one year after the Treaty was agreed and his five year old son, David, became King of Scots.  Alas, the peace promised by the treaty did not hold. Three years later the Scots were defeated by 'The Disinherited' - the relatives of King John Balliol returning to claim the throne.

Historian’s Opinions  Dr Alan Borthwick, National Archives of Scotland The Treaty was a good deed, easily seen as the reward for Robert I's long struggle. It had been a long time in the making, and its terms certainly favoured the Scots. But were the drawbacks evident even then? Edward III, still a teenager, was under the control of his mother and her lover. In 1327 he was so frustrated at the Scots' army's ability to escape his forces in County Durham that he had apparently started crying! And Robert I's health was declining. Only 40 years after a troubled succession to the Scottish throne, of which England took advantage, another potentially tricky period was likely. The Treaty did not guarantee peace, alas!  John G. Harrison, Historian I would certainly have this item. The treaty was negotiated by the Scottish and English ambassadors and two copies were written out on a single page. That was then cut in two with a wavy line with one copy for each country. The wavy lines act as a check as the two documents should match perfectly. The kings showed their agreement by having their seals fixed to the straps below the document but those were very fragile and have now been lost. This was an important document. It gave Scotland international recognition. It only brought three years of peace - but that's better than three years of war, don't you think?