Robert the Bruce was one of Scotland’s finest warriors. He led the army of Scots at Bannockburn in 1314 – the last victory of a Scottish army over their English neighbours. His remains are buried underneath the pulpit of the New Abbey church, after being accidentally discovered while digging the foundations for the new church in 1818.
The architect redesigned the tower to read ‘King Robert the Bruce’. A great example of early marketing! How many churches have signs over a metre tall as an advert for what you can discover inside?
Bruce was a huge fan of Dunfermline and specified his desire to be buried in Dunfermline Abbey, due to the illustrious royalty already resting there.
Could you be related to the Bruce line or perhaps a royal ancestor?
Mathematically, it can be shown that in the UK, roughly 26 generations – with some conditions/assumptions – is enough to trace back to a most recent common ancestor like Robert the Bruce. King Edward III would be a similar equivalent in England.
For example, recent royal duchesses Meghan and Kate are both related to Edward III, as is Ellen Degeneres. Twenty six generations is roughly 800 to 900 years. To see the maths behind it, watch the YouTube link below.
To find an identical ancestor for everyone in Britain, we’d need to go back 46 generations – estimated to around 1,300 years ago, around the time of Charlemagne.
If you want to explore more about your possible ancestors or links with Dunfermline, why not visit the Local Studies section at Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries? Who knows what you might discover?
Weblinks:
Every Baby Is A Royal Baby – Youtube