▁ 1 3 2 0 ▁if ▁the ▁record ▁of ▁his ▁age ▁in ▁ 1 3 7 5 ▁as ▁ 5 5 ▁is ▁correct . ▁His ▁birth place ▁is ▁not ▁known , ▁though ▁Aber de ens hire ▁and ▁Gall ow ay ▁have ▁made ▁rival ▁claims . ▁ ▁Bar bour ' s ▁first ▁appearance ▁in ▁the ▁historical ▁record ▁comes ▁in ▁ 1 3 5 6 ▁with ▁promotion ▁to ▁the ▁arch de acon ry ▁of ▁Aber de en ▁from ▁a ▁post ▁he ▁had ▁held ▁for ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁year ▁in ▁D unk eld ▁C athedral . ▁It ▁is ▁infer red ▁from ▁this ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁present ▁in ▁Av ignon ▁in ▁ 1 3 5 5 . ▁In ▁ 1 3 5 7 , ▁when ▁David ▁II ▁returned ▁to ▁Scotland ▁from ▁ex ile ▁and ▁was ▁restored ▁to ▁active ▁king ship , ▁Bar bour ▁received ▁a ▁letter ▁of ▁safe - con duct ▁to ▁travel ▁through ▁England ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oxford . ▁He ▁subsequently ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁left ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁other ▁years ▁coinc ident al ▁with ▁periods ▁when ▁David ▁II ▁was ▁active ▁king . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁David ▁II ▁in ▁ 1 3 7 1 , ▁Bar bour ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁royal ▁court ▁of ▁Robert ▁II ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁capac ities . ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁that ▁he ▁composed , ▁The ▁Br us , ▁receiving ▁for ▁this ▁in ▁ 1 3 7 7 ▁the ▁gift ▁of ▁ten ▁pounds ▁Sc ots , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 3 7 8 ▁a ▁life - p