House of Balliol
The House of Balliol (de Balliol) was a Picard and Anglo-Norman family who began to rule some estates in England in the reign of William Rufus. In the late 13th and 14th centuries, two members of the house were kings of Scotland.
The House of Balliol ruled Scotland from 1292 to 1296 and again held parts of Scotland from 1332 to 1336. The rival House of Bruce also held parts of Scotland at the same time and succeeded in deposing them.
Heads of the Balliol estates
- Guy I de Balliol (died before 1130 × 1133), was a Norman baron who was granted land in northern England in the late eleventh-century. In the 1090s, he was established in the north of England by King William Rufus, as part of King William's carve-up of the forfeited earldom of Northumberland.
- Bernard I de Balliol (died 1154 x 1162), the second known ruling Balliol of his line, was a twelfth-century Anglo-Picard baron based for much of his time in the north of England, as well as at Bailleul-en-Vimeu close to Abbeville in northern France. He was the nephew and next known successor of Guy I de Balliol, the first Balliol in England.
- Guy II de Balliol (died early 1160s x 1167), son of Bernard
- Bernard II de Balliol (died early 1160s x 1167) was probably the second eldest son of Bernard I de Balliol, Lord of Balliol and Barnard Castle. As his older brother Enguerrand predeceased their father, Guy was the one who succeeded when his father died sometime between 1154 and 1162. He died sometime on or before 1167, and was succeeded by his youngest brother Bernard II de Balliol.
- Eustace de Balliol (or Eustace de Helicourt) (died c. 1209) was the cousin and successor of Bernard II de Balliol, lord of Balliol and Barnard Castle. He was the lord of Hélicourt in Picardy, an estate near the chief seat of the main Balliol line at Bailleul-en-Vimeu; after his cousin died childless, in 1190 Eustace de Helicourt took over those estates and remarried.
- Hugh de Balliol (died 1229) was the oldest son and successor of Eustace de Balliol (before 1190 Eustace de Helicourt). Hugh probably succeeded to his father Eustace's lordships by 1209.
- John I de Balliol (died 25 October 1268) was a leading figure of Scottish and Anglo-Norman life of his time. Balliol College, in Oxford, is named after him.
- John II de Balliol (c. 1249 - died 25 November 1314), son of above, ruled from 1292 to 1296, and claimed the throne as great-great-great-grandson of David I of Scotland of the House of Dunkeld. Known as Toom Tabard (Scots for "empty coat"). He was chosen and crowned king at Scone in 1292 King Edward I of England.
- Edward de Balliol (died 1367?), eldest son of John, who ruled from Scotland in name from 1332 to about 1338 in contest with David II of Scotland of the House of Bruce.
Other People connected to the House of Balliol
- Edward Balliol - (c. 1283 – 1367) was a claimant to the Scottish throne (1314–1356). With English help, he briefly ruled the country from 1332 to 1336.
- Edward Balliol 1332-1336
- Dervorguilla of Galloway (c. 1210 – January 28, 1290) was a 'lady of substance' in 13th century Scotland, the wife from 1223 of John, 5th Baron de Balliol, and mother of John I, a future king of Scotland.
- Guy II de Balliol (died early 1160s x 1167) was probably the second eldest son of Bernard I de Balliol, Lord of Balliol and Barnard Castle. As his older brother Enguerrand predeceased their father, Guy was the one who succeeded when his father died sometime between 1154 and 1162. He died sometime on or before 1167, and was succeeded by his youngest brother Bernard II de Balliol
- Henry de Baliol
- Isabella de Warenne (c.1253- before 1292) was Baroness of Bywell by her marriage to John Balliol; there is however doubt that she lived to become his Queen consort when he succeeded to the Scottish throne.
References, Sources and Further Reading
- Scotland - The History of a Nation by Magnus Magnusson.
- A history of Scotland (BBC) by Neil Oliver