BERKELEY, Sir Maurice
Known as the Magnanimous, he was at the Siege of Caerlavrock with his father (see below), was made Warden of Gloucester (1312) and Captain of Berwick (1315). He was Chief Justiciar of South Wales in 1316, then became Seneschal of Aquitaine in 1320. Shortly after his father’s death he joined the Earl of Lancaster’s rebellion against Edward II, was captured and sent to Wallingford Castle (1322) where he died four years later.
BERKELEY, Sir Thomas
Known as Thomas the Wise, he was appointed Vice Constable of England in 1297, fought at Falkirk against Wallace and was at the Siege of Caerlavrock in 1300. At Bannockburn he brought a mesnie (a personal following) of serjeants and mounted archers – I have placed Addaf and his men among them. Sir Thomas was unhorsed and captured; the subsequent ransom was crippling. He died at Berkeley, peacefully, in 1321.
BISSOT, Rossal de
Fictional character, descendant of Geoffrey de Bissot, one of the nine founding knights of the Templar Order. He is trying to rescue what remains of the disbanded Order while, at the same time, aware that the power and arrogance of the Poor Knights of the Temple are what has brought them to the brink. He and de Villers, Widikind von Esbeck and de Grafton are the last of the Templar Knights in Scotland, attempting to barter money and weapons with Bruce for a peaceful resting place for fleeing members who wish to remain as simple Benedictine monks.
BOHUN, Henry de
The Earl of Hereford’s nephew, probably no more than twenty-two in 1314 and one of the new breed of knights excelling in tournoi, the new one-on-one style of knightly combat gaining ascendancy over the old-fashioned mass combat of grande mêlée. Famously, he charged against the lightly mounted and armoured King Robert, only to be killed. The style of fighting described as favoured by Bruce is accurate – the German Method involved avoiding heavily armoured opponents trying to bowl you over and attacking them on a faster, more manoeuvrable mount. In the grande mêlée, when capturing a knight meant a deal of prize, it was a sensible if unchivalric way of fighting, but such combats frequently degenerated into brutal riots with scarcely a trace of chivalry. Here, I use it as it was almost certainly designed: to hit your bigger, stronger, better-armoured opponent from behind.
BOHUN, Humphrey de
The Earl of Hereford in 1314 and Constable of England. As such, he should have been given command of the army, but was out of favour with Edward II over the murder of Piers Gaveston. Command instead went to Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester (see below). At Bannockburn, therefore, Hereford argued with Gloucester constantly over the conduct of the army, making coherence virtually impossible. Following the defeat, Hereford was forced north, taking refuge in the only English-held castle left, Bothwell. However, the commander of Bothwell promptly changed sides and imprisoned him and all the other lords who had escaped with him. Hereford was eventually ransomed for Bruce’s sister and daughter – pointedly, Isabel MacDuff was not included. Historically, this is a good clue that she was probably dead by this time.
A firm opponent of the Despensers, Hereford eventually rebelled against Edward II. At the Battle of Boroughbridge, Hereford led a desperate assault to try and force the said bridge and so avoid being trapped between two armies. In the affray, he was stabbed from below the bridge, up under his armour and into his anus, the soldier allegedly twisting the pike into his intestines; his dying screams helped to panic the army into fleeing.
BRUCE, Edward
King Robert’s sole surviving brother and, in lieu of any other relevant offspring, heir to the throne. History has it that his ill-conceived truce with de Mowbray, English commander of Stirling, enraged Bruce, who then had to fight a pitched battle. While I am sure it did enrage his royal brother, I am also certain Edward knew exactly what he was doing and for the reasons I mention. Rash and ambitious, Edward was given men and means to invade Ireland in 1315, ostensibly to carry the war to England’s supporters. He made himself High King in Ireland but was defeated and captured in the Battle of Faughart (also known as the Battle of Dundalk) on 14 October 1318. He was hanged, drawn and quartered and his head sent to Edward II. Ironically, among the many other Scots lords who died fighting with him that day was a certain Sir Philip de Mowbray, former commander of the garrison at Stirling and reconciled to King Robert’s peace upon the surrender of the fortress following Bannockburn.