Robert the Bruce and the Tale of the Brave Heart

 

Robert I, born 11 July 1274 and died 7 June 1329, is one of Scotland’s most iconic kings and a central figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence. He claimed the throne in 1306 amid conflict with England under Edward I and later Edward II. His reign involved years of guerrilla warfare, strategic alliances, and eventual victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, which secured de facto Scottish independence (formally recognized later by the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328).

Our family tree connects us directly to him as our 20th great-grandfather. He was the son of Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale, and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick. He married first Isabella of Mar (mother of Marjorie Bruce) and second Elizabeth de Burgh (mother of, among others, David II of Scotland and Matilda Bruce). Through his daughter Matilda Bruce (born circa 1303, died 1353), our line continues:

• Matilda Bruce → Jonet Isaac → Isabel MacDougall of Lorn → James Stewart (Black Knight of Lorne) → John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl → John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl → Lady Elizabeth Stewart → Elizabeth Mackenzie → Henry Urquhart → Sir Thomas Urquhart → James Urquhart → John Urquhart of Newhall (immigrant) → Margaret Urquhart → Elizabeth Wright → Jacob Weeks → Simon Weeks → Maria (Mariah) Weeks → John Galloway Brown → Abraham Lincoln Brown (our great-grandfather).

This lineage traces Scottish nobility and Highland connections through the Stewarts and Urquharts into colonial America.

The Tale of the Brave Heart

One of the most enduring legends attached to Robert the Bruce concerns his death and a final act of chivalry and atonement. After a long reign, Bruce died at the Manor of Cardross in 1329. His body was buried before the high altar at Dunfermline Abbey (traditional resting place of Scottish kings), marked by an imported Parisian tomb. Per his dying wish, however, his heart was embalmed, placed in a silver casket, and removed to fulfill a crusade vow he had been unable to complete in life—possibly motivated by a desire for atonement after events such as the killing of his rival John Comyn in 1306.

Sir James Douglas ("the Black Douglas"), one of Bruce’s most loyal companions, was entrusted with the heart. In 1330, Douglas set out for the Holy Land. The party joined King Alfonso XI of Castile in the fight against the Moors in Spain. At the Battle of Teba in Andalusia on 25 August 1330, Douglas was killed. In his final moments, he reportedly hurled the silver casket containing Bruce’s heart toward the enemy, crying words to the effect of “Go on brave heart, as you have always done!” (or similar exhortations in various tellings).

Scottish survivors recovered the heart and returned it to Scotland. It was ultimately interred at Melrose Abbey, a Cistercian house favored by Bruce. In 1921, excavations uncovered a lead canister believed to hold the embalmed heart beneath the Chapter House; it was reburied with a commemorative marker now in place.

This story symbolizes courage, loyalty, and redemption—core themes in Scottish national memory. It has inspired literature, folklore, and cultural retellings for centuries, distinct from (though sometimes popularly conflated with) the William Wallace story dramatized in the film Braveheart.

As our 20th great-grandfather, Robert the Bruce’s legacy of resilience and the dramatic “Brave Heart” expedition connect our family’s Scottish roots to one of the most romantic chapters in medieval history. The line from his daughter Matilda through Stewart earls, Urquhart lairds, and American descendants reflects centuries of movement from Scottish nobility and Covenanter-era turmoil to life in the New World.

Sir James Douglas's Role

Sir James Douglas ("the Good Sir James" or "the Black Douglas") (c. 1286 – 25 August 1330) was one of Robert the Bruce’s most trusted companions, fiercest warriors, and closest friends during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He played a pivotal military and personal role in Bruce’s campaign for Scottish independence and became legendary for carrying out the king’s dying wish regarding his heart. 

Our Amazing Discovery: 

Sir James Douglas is also our 19th great-grandfather

Sir James Douglas ("the Good Sir James" / "the Black Douglas") (c. 1286 – 25 August 1330), our 19th great-grandfather

Sir James Douglas stands as one of medieval Scotland’s greatest warriors and most loyal knights. He was Robert the Bruce’s closest companion, a master of guerrilla warfare, and the man who famously carried out the king’s dying wish with the “Brave Heart.”

His Role in Scottish Independence

James Douglas came from a family already committed to resistance against England. His father, Sir William Douglas “le Hardi,” supported William Wallace and died in English captivity. James himself joined Bruce early, witnessing his coronation in 1306. After early defeats, he endured the hardships of Bruce’s fugitive years in the Highlands and then waged a brilliant independent campaign in the Borders and south of Scotland. 

His most famous exploits include:

• The Douglas Larder (1307) — a daring recapture and brutal cleansing of Douglas Castle that became legendary.
• The clever capture of Roxburgh Castle (1313) using stealth and disguise.
• Command at Bannockburn (1314), where his division helped secure one of Scotland’s greatest victories.
• Repeated devastating raids into northern England, which kept English forces on the defensive.

The English feared and demonized him as “the Black Douglas,” while Scots revered him as “the Good Sir James” for his loyalty, chivalry, and effectiveness.

Connection to our Family Line

Through his natural (illegitimate) son Archibald “the Grim” Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas (1328–1400), the Douglas bloodline continued powerfully in Scotland. Archibald consolidated the family’s vast lands and influence. One of his sons, Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale (c. 1370–1391/2), an illegitimate but prominent knight known for his daring exploits (including a famous crusade to Prussia), fathered Egidia (or Giles) Douglas (c. 1375–1438). 

Egidia married Henry Sinclair, and their son William Sinclair became 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney (c. 1404–1484), a major figure who built Rosslyn Chapel and held significant Norse-Scottish titles. The line then proceeds through:

• William II Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Caithness
• Lady Agnes Sinclair
• Lady Jean Hepburn
• John Sinclair of Greenland and Rattar
• Janet Sinclair → Marjory Robertson of Inshes → Jean Mackenzie of Redcastle → Margaret Urquhart (1675–1720)

From Margaret Urquhart, our documented line continues exactly as in the Bruce descent: Elizabeth Wright → Jacob Weeks → Simon Weeks → Maria Weeks → John Galloway Brown → Abraham Lincoln Brown (our great-grandfather).

This makes Sir James Douglas our 19th great-grandfather on this branch, linking us to both the Bruce royal line (via Matilda) and the Douglas warrior line.

Legacy in Our Ancestry

As our 19th great-grandfather, Sir James Douglas represents the martial spirit and unyielding resistance that helped forge Scotland’s independence. His blood flows into our line through the powerful Douglas earls, the noble Sinclairs of Caithness and Orkney (with their Norse and crusading connections), and eventually into the Mackenzie, Urquhart, and American Weeks/Brown families. This dual descent from both Robert the Bruce and his most trusted knight creates a remarkably rich medieval Scottish heritage in our family tree. 

The “Black Douglas” and the “Brave Heart” are not just national legends — they are direct ancestral stories of courage, loyalty, and adventure.

Thank you to Grok xAI for the research assistance and the verifications of ancestry. -- Drifting Cowboy

Captain Donald MacDonald: from the Highlands to the Battlefields of Quebec

 

Captain Donald MacDonald from the Highlands of Scotland to the battlefields of the Seven Years' War, and finally to the red soil of Prince Edward Island.

Our ancestors were part of the Fraser’s Highlanders (78th Regiment of Foot), a unit that was famous for its grit and the fact that many of its men were former Jacobites who transferred their loyalty to the British Crown to prove their honor in the New World.

GEN 1: Captain Donald MacDonald (c. 1720–1757)

• Parents: Son of Alexander 'Mor' MacDonald, 1st of Boisdale (c. 1692/1698–1768) and Margaret MacLean (daughter of Hector MacLean). Alexander was a branch of the Clanranald MacDonalds (from Donald of Benbecula / Clanranald line); he held lands in South Uist (Boisdale/Lochboisdale area). 

• Donald’s connection to Alexander MacDonald, 1st of Boisdale, is significant. The Boisdale line was a branch of the Clanranald MacDonalds. During the 1745 Jacobite Rising, the Boisdale family famously advised Bonnie Prince Charlie to "go home" before the fighting started, showing a pragmatic streak that our family has maintained for centuries.

• The 78th Highlanders: Donald and his brother Hector served in the 78th Regiment of Foot (Fraser’s Highlanders). This regiment was raised specifically for service in North America.
• The Fall of 1757: He was killed in 1757 in America/New France. This coincides with the regiment's arrival in North America. While the major Battle of Quebec wasn't until 1759, the regiment was involved in intense skirmishing and the Siege of Louisbourg.
• Brother Hector: Lieutenant Hector MacDonald survived his brother Donald but fell at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec in 1759. The "brother to Boisdale" label in military records was used to denote their high social standing within the Highland clan hierarchy.
• Donald’s death left young children (including Findlay) who may have been raised with family support in Scotland before later emigration.

GEN 2: Findlay MacDonald (1750–1844)

Findlay represents the "Pioneer" chapter of the MacDonalds. He left Scotland during the Highland Clearances, a time when the old clan way of life was being dismantled.

• The Migration: Findlay and his wife Mary "Jessie" MacKinnon were part of the Selkirk Settlers. They arrived at Point Prim, Prince Edward Island on  the "Dykes", the second of the Lord Selkirk's trio of vessels to arrive on Prince Edward Island in 1803.
• Point Prim, PEI: Point Prim is a rugged, windswept location (home to the oldest lighthouse on the island). For a man from Inverness-shire, the coastal life of PEI would have felt like a familiar but more hopeful version of Scotland.
• Longevity: Dying at age 94 in 1844, Findlay lived through the transition of PEI from a wild outpost to a structured colonial province. He carried the “Family Code" across the Atlantic, trading the broadsword for the plow.

Genealogical Note

Our DNA matches for Findlay and Mary MacKinnon are the "Gold Standard" of proof. In PEI research, because records can be sparse before 1800, DNA is often the only way to confirm these specific Highland origins.

Broader Context: Our family fits the pattern of post-Jacobite / post-Culloden Highland emigration. Many Clanranald and Uist MacDonalds faced pressures from estate changes and sought opportunities in British military service or North American settlements. PEI received significant Scottish Highland immigration, often via ships in the late 1700s/early 1800s. 

Findlay’s long life (nearly a century) would have spanned the American Revolution, War of 1812, and early Canadian confederation eras. 

Thank you to both Gemini and Grok X AI for their research assistance. -- Drifting Cowboy

Cowboy Wisdom: Sometimes Pet Horses Bite?

 

Horses, in my opinion, are some of the kindest, gentlest animals on planet earth. I figure you’re not likely to get hurt by a horse unless it’s in fear of… well almost anything.

When a horse is afraid it will usually RUN as fast as possible away from whatever scares it. But, during the initial bolt it is likely to rear, jump, spin, kick, bite and all of the above as it heads for safer territory.

Having spent roughly 75 years in the company of horses, I’ve been assaulted about every way imaginable by an equine pal.

That said, I’ve only been bitten three times…

First, about 1956, I was bitten by my red dun pal Sandy. You see, I used to ride past an old adobe barn and corrals built more than 70 years earlier. I’d fantasize being an old time vaquero herding some longhorn cattle into those corrals. However, one day I decided to get off Sandy and climb on one of the old fences for a closer look at something. Just as I put my foot on the bottom rail, Sandy grabbed my upper arm and pulled me away. It shocked me and it hurt a bunch. Clearly Sandy wanted no part of the old place and to this day I believe he thought he was protecting me from something.

Years later, I learned part of the function of the old Rancho El Escorpion barn was as a slaughterhouse. I’ve always wondered if Sandy knew that.

Second, about 2007, I had just bought a new, four year-old mare, and brought her to live with us in California. She had previously been in a large pasture on a ranch in Missouri, and she was adjusting to living in her own private stall and run. My habit was to give each of my four horses a cookie when my stall cleaning was finished for the day. I had just given her a cookie and was headed to the next stall when she clamped her teeth onto my back and yanked me back trying to get a second cookie. She was just plumb greedy and had no manners at all. 

That bite hurt for a couple of weeks, and I never turned my back on Hell-Bitch, I mean Kasidy again.

Third, in 2012, about a year before he passed, I was ponying my old pard Sunup behind Joyce’s paint horse Zinger. I was watching the trail ahead when Sunup reached over and bit my arm. It surprised to heck outta me, and since there was nothing to fear and no cookies were involved I figure he was just plain jealous that I was riding Zinger and not him.

The poor old guy didn’t understand that he was retired and wasn’t expected to pack a saddle and me anymore. 

Pet horses sometimes get too comfortable around people and like us they protect, feel greed, and get jealous. Watch your six.

I’m Gonna be a Cowboy When I Grow Up

 

Part 1: Radios, Comics, and the Spirit of the West

When I was six years old, the world was small, simple, and smelled like dust and adventure. In those days, my cowboy heroes didn't have faces—they had voices. They were crackling spirits coming through the speaker of the radio, or ink-stained legends in the Sunday morning funny papers.

The Sound of the West (1945–1949)

Long before TV took over, our living room was a theater of the mind. Our family radio was my portal to the frontier.

• The Red Ryder Comic Strip: If you wanted to know what justice looked like, you looked at the Los Angeles Examiner on Sundays. Stephen Slesinger and Fred Harman weren’t just drawing cartoons; they were drawing my future.
• The Radio Lineup:
• The Roy Rogers Show (1944–45): The "King of the Cowboys" taught me that a cowboy should always have a song ready.
• Melody Ranch: Gene Autry was the soundtrack to my youth.
• Death Valley Days: It wasn't just a show; it was a history lesson in how to survive.
• The Lone Ranger: Because justice, like a good radio broadcast, should be fast and mysterious.
• The Ten Two Four Ranch Show: Sponsored by Dr Pepper and featuring "The Sons of the Pioneers"—the harmonies of the West.

Then, Something Magic Happened in 1950

Dad hauled a Hoffman 10-inch television into our house, and suddenly, the heroes had faces. I could see their horses. I could see the tumbleweeds. It was the birth of the "Spirit of the West."

Shows That Galloped through our Living Room:

• The Lone Ranger (1949): ABC’s first big hit. When that horn played, everything else stopped.
• The Cisco Kid (1950): The first show filmed in color—even if my TV was strictly black and white, I knew the colors were bright.
• The Gene Autry Show (1950): Gene produced it himself. He knew what a cowboy needed.
• The Roy Rogers Show (1951): It was a "Neo-Western." Cars? Telephones? Roy didn't care; he was the King. Do you remember Nellie Belle?
• The Adventures of Cyclone Malone: A local LA marionette gem. Proof that you didn't need real people to have a real adventure.

The San Fernando Valley Was Plumb Full of Cowboys

People talk about Hollywood as if it's far away. But for me? My neighbors were legends. In the late 40s, the Valley was the beating heart of the Western film industry, and it was still rustic enough that you could find a horse around every corner.

The post war Valley was growing so fast it seemed like a new shopping center was popping up every week. One that I remember was Valley Market Town, a prominent new shopping center located at 6127 Sepulveda Boulevard (near Oxnard Street) in Van Nuys. It opened around 1947–1948, and was built on the former ranch of cowboy entertainer Monty Montana, so naturally he and his Western star pals like Ray Crash Corrigan and Chief Thundercloud (who played Tonto in early serials) were frequently featured to draw in the huge crowds to it and other Valley events. 

My Neighborhood Six-Gun Heroes:

• Gene Autry: Had a place in Toluca Lake and the Melody Ranch in Newhall.
• Roy & Dale: The King of the cowboys and Queen of the West lived in Chatsworth. They didn't just have a street; they lived on Trigger Street.
• The Duke (John Wayne): Before he moved to Newport, he was a Valley guy, living on the corner of Louise and Rancho in Encino.
• Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd): He’d ride in local parades like he was born in the saddle.
• Harry Carey: His Reseda ranch, "Valleywood," was the social club for every cowboy actor in the business.

The San Fernando Valley was a weird place to be a cowboy-in-training. One day you’re watching a shopping center go up on Sepulveda, and the next day you’re watching John Wayne trot by on his way to the stables. It was a race between the concrete-pourers and the horse-riders, and I was living in the belly of the Western beast. All I needed now was a horse. But that… that’s a story for the next chapter.

Part 2: Paradise, Montana, and the Itchy Feet (1949–1954)

Dad was a man with a hammer in one hand and a compass in the other. He had 'itchy feet'—a permanent case of wanderlust that kept us moving from one recently built house to the next. By 1950, he finally had a pocketful of dinero from his latest flip—a developed lot in Paradise and a recently sold home in Van Nuys, so he bought us a shiny new Ford, and we hit the road for a six-week, grand tour of the Old West. We saw the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Yellowstone... and finally, we made it to Uncle Lon’s ranch in Montana.

That trip set me on a life long goal to be a Cowboy.

Aunt Olive gave me a pair of cowboy boots with steer heads on them—I felt ten feet tall. Uncle Lon taught me to ride a horse, took me on a pack trip to go trout fishing, and filled my head with stories of cowboys, trappers, and frontiersmen like Lewis and Clark. When we got back to Los Angeles, I wasn't just a kid anymore. I was a boy with a quest.

We bounced around Woodland Hills for a few years until Dad bought an acre of dirt in Walnut Acres. It was perfect. Across the road was the old Rancho El Escorpion, 1,100 acres of rolling wild oats that looked like the set of a John Wayne movie.

As soon as our newest house was finished Dad built the barn. He bought the horses. And a year later, at age 14, my life was complete. I had my own horse—a red dun named Sandy. He was my best pal, my transport to the frontier, and the final piece of the puzzle.

I was a cowboy. And I had the horse to prove it.

I didn’t know it then, but the rest of my life would be spent trying to become a cowboy.

Afterword…

Drifting Cowboy: Legacy Yarns from the Open Range

https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2026/04/drifting-cowboy-legacy-yarns-from-open.html

Thanks to Gemini AI for writing suggestions and research help. -- Drifting Cowboy