John Balliol

John Balliol was king of Scots from 1292 to 1296 after Edward I of England arbitrated the disputed Scottish succession. His acceptance of English overlordship weakened his authority and brought him into conflict with his own nobles.

After Scotland allied with France, Edward invaded, defeated Balliol and forced his abdication. His brief reign helped trigger the Wars of Scottish Independence, while his son Edward later attempted to recover the crown.

In Candace Robb’s The Fire in the Flint, Margaret Kerr remains loyal to the deposed John Balliol while her husband Roger serves Robert the Bruce, placing their marriage on opposite sides of Scotland's divided resistance. In Robert Low’s The Lion Wakes, in 1296, Scotland is divided after the death of Alexander III and Edward I’s imposition of John Balliol as king. Hal Sientcler and his companions are drawn into the resistance as William Wallace rises and Robert the Bruce weighs family ambition against the growing demand for independence. In Nigel Tranter’s The Steps to the Empty Throne, in 1296 Scotland is invaded and its kingship reduced to a prize contested by Edward I of England, the displaced Balliol interest and the country’s rival noble houses.