The Lion Wakes k-1
Page 41
DOUGLAS, James
Son of The Hardy by his first wife, a Stewart, whom he simply sent off to a convent in order to marry his second, Eleanor de Lovaigne. After the death of ‘Le Hardi’, Eleanor and her two sons, James’s stepbrothers, were packed off south to a convent and the Douglas lands given to Clifford. James went to Paris under the auspices of Lamberton, Bishop of St Andrews. He returned as a young man just as Bruce became king and joined him, rising to become one of Robert the Bruce’s most trusted commanders.
DOUGLAS, Sir William
Lord of Douglas Castle in south-west Scotland, father of young James Douglas, later to be known both as The Black Douglas (if you were his enemy and demonising him with foul deeds) and The Good Sir James (if you were a Scot lauding the Kingdom’s darling hero). It is clear nicknames ran in the family – William was known as The Hardy (which simply means Bold) and was a typical warlord noble of Scotland. Sent to defend Berwick against Edward I in the campaign that brought John Balliol to his knees, William Douglas was finally forced to surrender and watch as Edward ravaged the town in a slaughter which became a watchword for the Scots and their later revenge. Douglas agreed to serve Edward I in his French wars, but absconded as soon as possible and joined Wallace’s rebellion. Taken into custody – in chains – after the convention of Irvine, he was imprisoned in the Tower and died of ‘mistreatment’ there not long after.
DUNBAR, Earl Patrick
The most powerful Baron of the Lothians, Dunbar was a staunch supporter of the Plantagenets right up until 1314, when it was clear he had to submit to Bruce or suffer. He is, technically, the lord to whom the Sientclers owe their fealty – and the one they continually defy by joining with the cause of the Scots. Together with Gilbert D’Umfraville, another lord with extensive holdings in Scotland, he brought the news of Wallace’s Falkirk location to Edward just when it seemed that the English would have to give up and retreat.
EDWARD I
King of England. At the time of this novel he has only recently conquered the Welsh and has a vision to become ruler of a united Britain before returning to his first love, a Crusade to free the Holy Land. He sees his chance to take over Scotland when the nobles come to him, as a respected monarch of Christendom, to adjudicate in their attempts to elect a new king of Scots from the many factions in the realm. His subsequent attempts to impose what he sees as his rights inveigle both realms in a long, vicious, expensive and bloody war that lasts for decades. Much maligned by Scots, for obvious reasons, he was beloved by the English, who were mournful about what would happen to their realm under his son, Edward II – and with good reason.
GAVESTON, Piers
Seen here briefly as a young squire at Falkirk, Gaveston was actually picked by Edward I as a suitable companion for his son, in an attempt to give the Prince some sort of benchmark for how to conduct himself with the dignity and honour of his station. This fatal error resulted in an unhealthy relationship between the two men which eventually brought both Edward II and his kingdom to ruin.
KIRKPATRICK, Roger
Fictional character, but based on the real Sir Roger Kirkpatrick of Closeburn, whom I have as kin to the fictional one. This is because my Kirkpatrick is a staunch Bruce supporter from the outset and the real Sir Roger was not – he even fought for Clifford in the English retinue at Falkirk. My Kirkpatrick assumes the mantle of Bruce’s henchman, prepared for any dirty work on behalf of his master’s advancement, including murder.
LAMPRECHT
Fictional character, a pardoner and seller of relics from Cologne, a sometime spy and agent of those who pay most, he becomes involved in the Buchan plot against Hal of Herdmanston.
MALENFAUNT, Sir Robert
Real family, fictional character – a knight of dubious renown who captures Isabel at Stirling Bridge and is then duped into handing her over to what he believes is her husband, the Earl of Buchan, by Bruce and Hal.
MORAY, Sir Andrew
He raised the standard of rebellion in the north of Scotland in 1297, then joined forces with Wallace and, arguably, provided an acceptable commander for the nobility to rally to rather than the ‘brigand’ Wallace. Arguably, too, he provided the military skill of handling an army – but was badly wounded at Stirling Bridge and later died, leaving Wallace to organise subsequent events with disastrous results.
SIENTCLER, Sir Henry of Herdmanston
Known as Hal, he is the son and heir to Herdmanston, a lowly tower owing fealty to their kin, the Sientclers of Roslin. He is typical of the many poor nobles of Lothian who became embroiled in the wars on both sides of the divide – but Hal has fallen in love with Isabel, Countess of Buchan, and their ill-fated affair is shredded by war and her husband’s hatred. Hal himself is torn by doubts as to whom he can trust, even between Wallace and Bruce, in a kingdom riven by family rivalries and betrayals. The Sientclers of Herdmanston are a little-known branch of that family, appearing prominently for one brief moment in fifteenth-century history. Herdmanston is now an anonymous pile of stones in a corner of a ploughed field and any descriptions of it are pure conjecture on my part.
SIENTCLER, Sir Henry of Roslin
In reality, held as a hostage for ransom by the English, with his father, William, also held in the Tower. Here he is grandson of the Auld Templar and eventually ransomed by Hal and Bruce. In reality, he was also ransomed and later fought in the Battle of Roslin Glen alongside Red John Comyn and Sir Simon Fraser and against the English of Segrave and others, a famous victory for the Scots in 1303, when victories were scarce.
SIENTCLER, Sir John of Herdmanston
Fictional character, father of Hal, the Auld Sire of Herdmanston is captured by Sir Marmaduke Thweng fighting at Stirling Bridge and dies before he can be ransomed.
SIENTCLER, Sir William of Roslin (the Auld Templar)
Fictional character – the ‘Auld Templar of Roslin’ has been allowed back to Roslin by his commanderie because both his son and grandson are prisoners of the English. The real Sir William Sientcler (here described as the Auld Templar’s son) is already in the Tower by the opening of this story and destined to die there.
THWENG, Sir Marmaduke
Lord of Kilton in Yorkshire, a noted knight and married to a Lucia de Brus, distant kin to Bruce himself, Sir Marmaduke is the accepted, sensible face of English knighthood. A noted thief-taker – bounty hunter – in his own realm, he was also part of the tourney circuit with the young Robert Bruce. Fought at Stirling Bridge and was one of few to battle their way back to Stirling Castle, where he was eventually taken prisoner. Took part in subsequent campaigns against the Scots including Bannockburn, where, in his sixties, he fought until he could surrender personally to Bruce and was subsequently released without ransom.
WALLACE, William
The legend who led Scottish forces to victory at Stirling Bridge and defeat at Falkirk, was forced to relinquish his Guardianship and eventually betrayed to the English. That at least is the myth, but the man behind it is more elusive – described as a ‘chief of brigands’ at the time of the rebellion, he was barely of the nobility of Scotland and accepted by them unwillingly and only while he was winning. He was, however, the only one of them all who never gave in, or changed sides.
WISHART, Robert, Bishop of Glasgow
One of the original Guardians of Scotland following the death of King Alexander III – and partly responsible for inviting Edward I to preside over subsequent proceedings – Bishop Wishart became the engine of rebellion and a staunch supporter of first Wallace, then Bruce. He and Lamberton, Bishop of St Andrews, were instrumental in bringing support to Bruce even after he murdered his rival, the Red Comyn – Wishart went so far as to absolve Bruce for the affair. The Bishops’ reasons for rebelling were simple – the Scottish church was responsible only to the Pope, who appointed all their senior prelates; they did not want the English version, where the King performed that function, and could maintain that difference only if Scotland remained a distinct and separate realm
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Document creation date: 20.10.2011
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