Mary Bruce
Encyclopedia
Mary Bruce was the younger sister of Robert the Bruce
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...

, King of Scots. During the First War of Scottish Independence
First War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Scottish Independence lasted from the invasion by England in 1296 until the de jure restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328...

, she was captured by the English and imprisoned in a cage at Roxburgh Castle
Roxburgh Castle
Roxburgh Castle was a castle sited near Kelso, in the Borders region of Scotland, in the former Roxburghshire.-History:The castle was founded by King David I. In 1174 it was surrendered to England after the capture of William I at Alnwick, and was often in English hands thereafter. The Scots made...

 for about four years. She was the daughter of Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale, and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick
Marjorie, Countess of Carrick
Marjorie of Carrick was countess of Carrick, Scotland, from 1256 to 1292, and is notable as the mother of Robert the Bruce.-Marriages:...

.

Along with the king's other female relatives (Christina Bruce
Christina Bruce
Christina Bruce the second daughter of Robert de Brus, jure uxoris Earl of Carrick and Marjorie of Carrick, and an older sister of King Robert the Bruce....

, Marjorie Bruce
Marjorie Bruce
Marjorie Bruce or Marjorie de Brus was the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots by his first wife, Isabella of Mar, and the founder of the Stewart dynasty. Her marriage to Walter, High Steward of Scotland gave rise to the House of Stewart...

, his wife Elizabeth de Burgh
Elizabeth de Burgh
Elizabeth de Burgh was the second wife and the only queen consort of King Robert I of Scotland.-Life:She was born in Dunfermline, Fife in Scotland, the daughter of the powerful Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and his wife Margarite de Burgh...

 and supporter Isabella MacDuff
Isabella MacDuff
Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan was a significant figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence.She was the daughter of Donnchadh III, Earl of Fife, and Johanna de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford...

), she was captured and betrayed to the English by the Earl of Ross
Uilleam II, Earl of Ross
Uilleam II of Ross was the second successor of Ferchar mac in tSagairt, as Mormaer of Ross .In 1284 he joined with other Scottish noblemen who acknowledged Margaret of Norway as the heir of Alexander....

. By order of King Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...

, she was then held prisoner in an iron or wooden cage exposed to the public view in Roxburgh Castle
Roxburgh Castle
Roxburgh Castle was a castle sited near Kelso, in the Borders region of Scotland, in the former Roxburghshire.-History:The castle was founded by King David I. In 1174 it was surrendered to England after the capture of William I at Alnwick, and was often in English hands thereafter. The Scots made...

. Isabella MacDuff
Isabella MacDuff
Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan was a significant figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence.She was the daughter of Donnchadh III, Earl of Fife, and Johanna de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford...

 was imprisoned in a similar cage at Berwick Castle
Berwick Castle
Berwick Castle is a ruined castle in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England.The castle was founded in the 12th century by the Scottish King David I. In 1296-8, the English King Edward I had the castle rebuilt and the town fortified, before it was returned to Scotland...

. They were both transferred to better conditions in 1310. This was not necessarily a humane move, it has been suggested that by this stage Bruce was gaining strength, the women were potentially valuable hostages, and the English did not want them dying of exposure.

She was eventually released in exchange for English noblemen captured at the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...

.

She married, firstly, Sir Neil Campbell
Niall mac Cailein
Niall mac Cailein , also known as Sir Neil Campbell, was a nobleman and warrior who spent his life in the service of King Robert I of Scotland, His Gaelic name means "Niall, Colin's son" since he was the son of Cailean Mór...

, one of her brother's loyal supporters, by whom she had John Campbell, Earl of Atholl
John Campbell, Earl of Atholl
John Campbell, Earl of Atholl was a Scottish nobleman.He was the son of Sir Neil Campbell by his wife Mary Bruce. His grandparents were Sir Cailean Mór Campbell, Afraig of Carrick, Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick...

. She married, secondly, Alexander Fraser of Touchfraser and Cowie.
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