The Comyns the final chapter.

As seen in an earlier post the Comyns had prospered in the first three decades of the 13^th century and assumed a dominant position in Scottish affairs which would last until their final defeat by Robert at Barra.  http://barra1308.blogspot.com/2012/04/comyns-3.html

In the coming years this dominance would be challenged by rivals, but the Comyn party would work together to thwart the efforts of their various challengers.

When William the Earl of Buchan died in 1233, his son Walter, Earl of Mentieth and Lord of Badenoch, assumed the leadership and confronted the challenge from their north eastern neighbors, the Bissets and the Durwards.

The suspicious death of Patrick of Atholl in 1242, was the opportunity the Comyns needed to attack their Bisset challengers who had been gaining more influence with the King (Alexander II). Walter and John Bisset were implicated in the death and the Comyns, with the support of other nobles achieved the exile of the pair. Fleeing to England the Bissets encouraged the interference of Henry III in the affairs of Scotland, an unfortunate reality accepted by most in Scotland, but which would lead to disaster before the end of the century.

At the close of the reign of Alexander II, the Durwards rose to be the principle advisers to the king, and on his sudden death they retained control during the minority of Alexander III. The Comyns seized the young king and his queen taking control of the government, forcing out the Durwards. The Durwards sought Henry’s assistance, and again all were forced to accept his intervention. (It should be noted that Alexanders queen was Henry’s daughter, and he did have genuine concerns for her safety).

This is the period in which the later chroniclers paint the Comyns as “over mighty subjects”, but they were by then partisan Bruce/Stewart spin-doctors, and sought to unfairly discredit the Comyns.

For the remainder of Alexander III’s reign the Comyns were prominent in the affairs of the realm, and on his untimely death were instrumental in stabilizing the situation and provided two of the Guardians of the realm during the first interregnum. (John II of Badenoch and Alexander Earl of Buchan).

Following the death of Margaret, the heir to the throne, the Comyns supported the Balliol claim, during the period of the “Great Cause”, in which Edward I was asked to adjudicate the claimants to the throne,

However, the Comyns also had a weak claim to the throne through Richard Comyn’s marriage to Hextilda, the daughter of king Donald Ban. John II of Badenoch also had a claim to the throne due to his marriage to Eleanor the sister of John Balliol, but that claim would always be subservient to that of John Balliol and his descendants.

Edward ruled in favor of John Balliol who became King of Scots, but Edward’s heavy-handed approach eventually lead to war.

The Comyns would consistently support the Scottish side during the war and John Comyn III, co-led the Scottish victory at Roslin in 1303, but about a year later the Comyns and the other Scottish magnates submitted to Edward, and it appeared the war was finally over.

But, two years later Robert the Bruce, murdered John Comyn, in Greyfriars church, the pivotal event that led to Scottish independence and consigned the Comyns to the historical dustbin.

Robert after numerous setbacks, eventually crushed the Earl of Buchan at Barra, and went on to totally destroy Comyn power.

It is somewhat ironic that the Comyn family rose to power by crushing two campaigns, launched from Moray, to seize the Scottish throne, but were themselves destroyed by a third. Also, that the last senior male heir of the family, (John IV) who had for a century defended the Scottish crown should be killed fighting on the English side at Bannockburn.