Sir Andrew Murray

Sir Andrew Murray (1298–1338), also known as Sir Andrew Moray or Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell, was a Scottish military leader who commanded resistance forces loyal to David II of Scotland against Edward Balliol and Edward III of England during the Second War of Scottish Independence. He was twice chosen as Guardian of Scotland, from 1332 to 1333, and again from 1335 until his death in 1338.

Life
Murray was the son of Andrew Moray, William Wallace's companion-in-arms, who died at the Battle of Stirling Bridge shortly before Murray's birth. On 28 August 1297, he received letters of safe-conduct to visit his father, then a prisoner in the Tower of London. In 1297 he was, though still a young man, joined in command with Wallace in the Scottish advance into Northumberland, and in the succeeding raids into Cumberland and Annandale. On 8 November, he and Wallace appear as the grantors of a charter of protection to the monastery of Hexham, which had suffered at the hands of their wild soldiery.

Murray acceded his father to the lordship of Petty and his uncle, Sir William Murray, to the lordship of Bothwell in Lanarkshire. He appears to have been in receipt of an annuity in 1329-1330. Shortly after Edward Baliol was crowned, in 1332, Moray was elected warden or regent by the Scots who adhered to the young king, David II, but he had no opportunity of attempting anything till the following year, when he attacked Baliol at Roxburgh. While endeavouring to rescue Ralph Golding he was taken, and, refusing to be the prisoner of any one but the king of England, was carried to Durham, April 1333.

No sooner was he set at liberty, in 1334, than he raised armed opposition to the English. With Alexander de Mowbray he marched into Buchan, and besieged Henry de Beaumont in his castle of Dundarg, on the Moray Firth (August-November). By cutting the waterpipes he compelled his foe to surrender, but he permitted him to return to England. Moray was present at the futile parliament convened at Dairsie in April 1335, by the steward of Scotland and the returned Earl of Moray, the regents. In the subsequent surrender to Edward, and in the making of the treaty of Perth (18 August 1335), Moray had no part, but chose to go into hiding with the Earl of March and William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale. When the Earl of Athole laid siege to the castle of Kildrummie, in which Moray's wife and children had been placed, the three fugitives came from their fastnesses, and marched against Kildrummie with eleven hundred men. They surprised and slew Athole in the forest of Kilblain or Culbleen.

Moray assembled a parliament at Dunfermline, and was again made warden. Edward marched into Scotland, and vainly endeavoured to bring him to action. During the winter, 1335-6, Moray kept an army in the field, and laid siege to the castles of Cupar-Fife and Lochindorb in Cromdale, in the latter of which was Catherine, Athole's widow. He retired from Lochindorb on the approach of Edward. No sooner had Edward returned to England than he assumed the offensive, captured the castles of Dunnottar, Lauriston, and Kinclevin, and laid waste the lands of Kincardine and Angus. Early in 1337, having received the support of the Earls of March and Fife and William Douglas, he marched through Fife, destroyed the tower of Falkland, took the castle of Leuchars, and, after three weeks' siege, captured and sacked St Andrews Castle (28 February) Cupar still held out, under the ecclesiastic, William Bullock. In March, the Bothwell Castle was reduced, and the way to England cleared.

Moray led his troops as far as Carlisle, then wheeled about on Edinburgh, which he proceeded to invest. The English Marchers rushed to its relief, and met the Scots at Crichton. In the combat Douglas was wounded, and Sir Andrew, though claiming the victory, saw fit to raise the siege.

From this time till his death, in 1338, we have but scanty record of him. In 1337 he is referred to as having been keeper of Berwick Castle. He retired in 1338 to Avoch Castle in Ross, and there died. He was buried in the chapel of Rosemarkie (Rosmarkyne), but his remains were afterwards removed to Dunfermline Abbey.

Family
In 1326 or 1327, he married Lady Christian Bruce, sister of King Robert I, widow of (1) Gartnait, Earl of Mar, and (2) Sir Christopher Seton. Insofar as his wife was probably beyond child bearing years it has been conjectured that his two known sons, were from a previous marriage


 * Sir John Moray (d.1351), married Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith
 * Sir Thomas Moray (d.1361), married Joanna, daughter to Maurice de Moravia, Earl of Strathearn