As Edward I conducted his arbitration of the Scottish succession at Berwick, the rival claimants brought armed retinues that created a tense military atmosphere alongside the legal proceedings. The Bruces and Balliols in particular maintained armed supporters who clashed occasionally in minor altercations. Edward I used the armed presence of claimants as a further argument for his own need to control Scottish castles during the process. The legal proceedings were conducted against a background of real military threat.
Political gathering; armed retinues: c.2,000–3,000 total present
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