Historians, academics, authors, and broadcasters will gather next month for a symposium on one of the most important historic families of the Cleveland area

THE de Brus family were powerful Norman nobles, who arrived with William the Conqueror in 1066 and were granted large tracts of land in northern England and southern Scotland, including the greater part of ancient Cleveland. They chose to make Skelton-in-Cleveland and Guisborough their base and, in 1119, Robert de Brus founded the Augustinian Priory of St Mary at Guisborough, which became the spiritual centre of the family.

This will be the basis of the symposium which is to be held at Prior Pursglove College, Guisborough, on March 5.

Robert de Brus became very friendly with King David I of Scotland, who granted him Annandale castle in Dumfries in 1124, but in 1136, Robert supported King Stephen’s accession to the English throne. This caused David to invade England, leading to the Battle of the Standard, near Northallerton, on August 22, 1138. Before battle commenced, Robert gave a famously impassioned address to his friend urging him to withdraw. When David failed to heed his advice, Robert fought with the English, and defeated the Scottish invader.

But the de Brus family maintained their possessions in Scotland and a descendant, Robert the Bruce, became King of Scotland in 1299.

Historian Ruth Blakely, who is speaking at the symposium, said: “The de Brus were one of the major cross-border families with lands in England and Scotland. While the senior branch remained in Yorkshire, it was the junior one which went up to Scotland and then by advancement became Kings of Scotland by marriage.”

In Cleveland, the family continued in its importance well in to the 14th Century.

Author and broadcaster Alan Young said: “I hope the symposium will achieve a wider understanding of Robert de Brus and his influence not only in Scotland and Bannockburn but in Northern England and Ireland because the story of the de Brus family stems from their development as a frontier family in North Yorkshire. What is often forgotten is that after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the English defences of Northern England were totally open so for at least ten years Yorkshire had Scottish raids which obviously had adverse effects on everyone in the area.”

Event organiser Sheila Atherton said: “The symposium is to bring the de Brus story back to Guisborough and the surrounding areas. It is a history which has by and large been glossed over, but which is extremely important in attracting people to this area through tourism.

“The history of Guisborough is unique. There’s nowhere has a more interesting history and yet most of us don’t know anything about it.”

Other speakers include Peter Appleton, a local historian from Skelton and an expert on the fortress Skelton Castle, which was one of the major centres for the de Brus family when they first came to the area.

Perhaps one of the most enduring mysteries about the family concerns the large cenotaph in St Nicholas’ Church at Guisborough, dating from the 16th Century. It is not a tomb, but more of a memorial erected in the priory, possibly by Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland, wife of James IV of Scotland, daughter of Henry VII and sister of Henry VIII, in memory of the de Brus family of Skelton and Annandale.

It may have marked the 400th anniversary of the priory’s foundation. On one of its side are five statues which represent the English knights of the de Brus family and on the other side, the figures representing the Scottish de Brus – this has led some to suggest that it may be a token of reconciliation.

Further details on the symposium and the de Brus family are available online at www.debrustrail.org.uk. Tickets are £20 and include a full day of interest, free parking, coffee/tea and a light lunch. Registration is from 9am, the programme starts at 10:00 am and runs until 4pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling 01287-633700 or by e-mail to maggie.aitken@ntlworld.com.