Robert de Brus, 2nd Lord of Annandale

Who was Robert de Brus, 2nd Lord of Annandale?

Robert II de Brus, le Meschin, was a 12th-century Norman noble and 2nd Lord of Annandale. He was the son, perhaps the second son, of Robert de Brus, 1st Lord of Annandale.

The elder de Brus' allegiances were compromised when David I invaded England in the later 1130s, and he had renounced his fealty to David before the Battle of the Standard in 1138. The younger Robert however remained loyal and took over his father's land in Scotland, whilst the English territories remained with the elder Robert and passed to the latter's elder son Adam. Bruce family tradition has it that Robert II was captured by his father at the battle and given over to King Stephen of England.

A legend tells that in the 1140s, Robert II was visited at Annan by St Malachy. St Malachy asked Robert to pardon a thief, but Robert hung him anyway, and for this the River Annan destroyed part of his castle and the de Brus line received a curse from the holy man. Robert made Lochmaben the centre of his lordship and constructed a new caput there.

He married Euphemia de Crosebi or Crosbj of Aumale, daughter of Sir Adam de Crosebi or Crosbj. They had five known children:

Robert, eldest son.