in qu ished ▁his ▁claim ▁to ▁the ▁Scottish ▁crown ▁to ▁Edward ▁III , ▁who ▁dropped ▁his ▁purs uit ▁of ▁Scotland ▁and ▁released ▁the ▁then - capt ive ▁David ▁II ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁a ▁p ledge ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁mer ks . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁First ▁War ▁began ▁when ▁the ▁English ▁inv aded ▁Scotland ▁in ▁ 1 2 9 6 , ▁forcing ▁the ▁Scottish ▁King ▁John ▁Bal li ol ▁to ▁ab d icate , ▁and ▁ended ▁shortly ▁after ▁Edward ▁II ▁of ▁England ▁was ▁de posed ▁and ▁killed ▁in ▁ 1 3 2 7 . ▁Following ▁Edward ▁II ' s ▁death , ▁Robert ▁the ▁Bruce ▁inv aded ▁Northern ▁England ▁and , ▁on ▁ 1 ▁May ▁ 1 3 2 8 , ▁forced ▁the ▁ad oles cent ▁Edward ▁III ▁of ▁England ▁to ▁sign ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Edinburgh – N orth am pton ▁which ▁recogn ised ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁Scotland ▁with ▁Bruce ▁as ▁King . ▁To ▁further ▁se al ▁the ▁peace , ▁Robert ' s ▁very ▁young ▁son ▁and ▁he ir ▁David ▁married ▁Joan , ▁the ▁like wise ▁youth ful ▁sister ▁of ▁Edward ▁III . ▁When ▁Robert ▁the ▁Bruce ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 3 2 9 , ▁he ▁left ▁his ▁five - year - old ▁son ▁David ▁he ir ▁to ▁his ▁throne . ▁David ▁II ▁was ▁crown ed ▁and ▁an oint ed ▁king ▁of ▁Scotland ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁November ▁ 1 3 3 1 . ▁Until ▁his ▁own ▁sudden ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 3 3 2 , ▁Thomas ▁Rand