John de Baliol
John de Baliol - A Famous Scottish King
John de Baliol (1249 - 1315, king 1292 - 1296) was the son of the founder of Baliol College, Oxford. After the death in 1290 of Margaret the Maid of Norway on her way to Scotland to unite the two thrones by marrying Edward I's son, the English king established control over Scotland until the great suit was held before him ar Northam, near Berwick, to decide which of 13 contestants should be king. In November 1292 Baliol was chosen. Forced to do homage to Edward I for his kingdom, Baliol's position was precarious, and seemed impossible when he found himself before an English court to answer the accusations of a Gascon wine merchant. Desperately, Baliol allied with Philip the Fair of France in 1295. In reply, Edward invaded Scotland in 1296, smaothered resistance, confiscated the royal regalia and the coronation stone of Scone, received Baliol's surrender, and then smashed the great seal of Scotland. After three years of imprisonment in England, Baliol spent the remainder of his life in France where hw died in the year after Robert Bruce's victory over Edward II at Bannockburn..
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