This picture shows John Balliol accepting Edward as his overlord.
Section B
1. Edward as overlord of Scotland and the Scottish Response
In the middle ages, the position of “overlord” was a very powerful one. The overlord had important rights over his “vassal” (underling). Among these rights were …
• The right of the overlord to receive tribute in return for the lands held by the vassal. This was usually in the form of soldiers and knights to be provided in time of war.
• The right of appeal to the overlord by nobles who felt wronged by the decisions of the vassal King.
Edward made it very clear to John Balliol that he was his overlord and rubbed this in by exercising these rights. Here are some examples:
• Edward made King John attend ceremonies in England. This was meant to show that John was subject to King Edward.
• Edward encouraged Scottish nobles to appeal to him if they did not like decisions made by John Balliol.
• Edward humiliated King John by siding with a French wine merchant who claimed King John owed him £2000 for wine. King John was forced to appear at Edward’s court at Westminster and admit that he was at fault.
The Scottish nobility made life difficult for King John but they also hated Edward’s interference. King John’s powerful Balliol and Comyn relatives especially resented his treatment. The Scottish Bishops were also powerful supporters of King John: the church was much more free to do what it liked in Scotland than in England. The Scottish Bishops were afraid that they would lose this freedom unless King John developed some “backbone”.
On the other hand, the Bruce family and their allies were only too happy to see that their rival for the throne was in trouble. They supported King Edward against King John and the Balliols and Comyns.
So, the Scottish response to Edward was mixed but by 1295, most Scottish nobles were calling on King John to stand up to King Edward.
Watch this video. It covers all the key events up to this point in the topic
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Revision Task B1: Make a list of 5 reasons why, by 1295, trouble had built up between King John and King Edward.
