Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, was a Scottish soldier, diplomat and regent who lived during the Wars of Scottish Independence. People searching for “Thomas Randolph” find many people with the name, and this page covers the Scottish earl, who is the first result on Wikipedia. Other Thomas Randolphs include an English ambassador, a poet, a Virginia governor and an NFL player, and they are separate people.
Latest Update: October 3, 2026
As of October 3, 2026, no new development about this historical figure has been independently verified. He died on July 20, 1332, and his story rests on medieval chronicles, the Scots Peerage and modern histories. His name is still seen on an inscription at Edinburgh Castle, according to Wikipedia.
Who Was Thomas Randolph?
Randolph was a nephew of King Robert the Bruce, who made him the first Earl of Moray in 1312. He is best known for retaking Edinburgh Castle from the English, for commanding troops at Bannockburn, and for serving as regent of Scotland for the young King David II.
Background / Early Life
His father, also named Thomas, was Chamberlain of Scotland and Sheriff of Roxburgh. His mother, Martha of Kilconquhar, was an older half-sister of Robert the Bruce, according to Wikipedia. Nobody recorded his exact birth date. A historian once guessed 1278, but Wikipedia says that is unlikely and gives about 1285 as more probable, based on the birth dates of his mother and grandmother.
Career Path
Supporting Bruce and Changing Sides
Randolph backed his uncle’s bid for the throne and was present at Robert’s coronation in 1306. After the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Methven, the English captured him. While in custody, he joined the English side. Sir James Douglas captured him in 1307 and persuaded him to rejoin the Scots. King Edward II then took away his lands and gave them to Hugh le Despencer.
Earl of Moray and Lord of the Isle of Man
In 1312, Robert created him Earl of Moray, which gave him rule over a large part of northern Scotland. He was also made lord of the Isle of Man, in exchange for six ships and a sum of money, according to the charter. He became one of Robert’s most trusted lieutenants.
Capture of Edinburgh Castle, 1314
On March 14, 1314, Randolph led a night attack on Edinburgh Castle, one of the few castles in Scotland still held by the English. One of his men, William Francis, the son of a former governor of the castle, knew a secret path up the rock. They climbed it and retook the castle.
Battle of Bannockburn
At Bannockburn, Randolph commanded one of the Scots’ infantry formations, called schiltrons. On the first day, he blocked an English cavalry force trying to reach Stirling Castle. The English could not break his ring of spearmen, and the site became known as Randolph’s Field. The next day he commanded the center of the Scottish line. Some historians, citing the poet John Barbour, say there were four schiltrons, not three.
Ireland and Raids on England
In 1315, he went with Edward Bruce to Ireland and became a principal leader there, returning twice to Scotland for reinforcements. With James Douglas he took the town of Berwick in 1318, and they led a raid deep into northern England the next year, as far as York. They defeated a hastily raised force at the Battle of Myton. In 1322 Randolph shared in the Scottish victory at Old Byland.
Diplomat
His name comes directly after the king’s on the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. In 1323, with Bishop William Lamberton, he helped negotiate a thirteen-year truce with England. In 1324, he went to the papal court in Avignon and persuaded Pope John XXII to recognize Robert as King of Scots, which Wikipedia calls a major diplomatic success. In 1325, he went to France, and the Treaty of Corbeil of 1326 renewed the alliance between France and Scotland. He then commanded Scots forces at the Battle of Stanhope Park, and the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton finally recognized Scottish independence.
Regent of Scotland
Robert named Randolph regent for his five-year-old son, David II. Wikipedia says he governed justly and wisely for three years.
Thomas Randolph Age
Randolph was born around 1285 and died on July 20, 1332, at about age 47. The exact birth year is uncertain, since nobody recorded it.
Death
Randolph died at Musselburgh in East Lothian on July 20, 1332, while on his way to counter an invasion by Edward Balliol and his supporters. At the time, people said the English had poisoned him. Modern historians think a kidney stone is more likely, according to Wikipedia. Donald, Earl of Mar, succeeded him as regent.
Thomas Randolph Family and Parents
His parents were Sir Thomas Randolph and Martha of Kilconquhar. His grandfather’s name, Randulf or Ranulf, gave the family its surname.
Thomas Randolph Wife and Children
He married Isabel, the only daughter of John Stewart of Bonkyll, who was killed at the Battle of Falkirk, and Margaret. They had two sons and two daughters. Thomas became the 2nd Earl of Moray and John became the 3rd. Their daughter Agnes married Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, and had no children. Their daughter Isabel married Sir Patrick Dunbar, and their children included George, Earl of Dunbar, and John, Earl of Moray.
Appearance and Character
The poet John Barbour, who probably knew Randolph, wrote a portrait of him. He described a man of moderate height with a broad, pleasant face, polite and cheerful, who valued loyalty and hated treachery and lies. Barbour wrote a long time after the events he described, so treat it as a friendly contemporary portrait, not a neutral record.
Education, Religion, Height and Net Worth
None of these is documented in the sources I checked, and none can be given as fact for a medieval nobleman. His wealth is better described by his lands: the earldom of Moray and the lordship of the Isle of Man.
Quick Table
| Full Name | Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | About 1285 (exact date not recorded) |
| Date of Death | July 20, 1332, Musselburgh, East Lothian |
| Age at Death | About 47 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Soldier, diplomat and regent of Scotland |
| Known For | Capturing Edinburgh Castle (1314); Bannockburn; Declaration of Arbroath; regency |
| Parents | Sir Thomas Randolph and Martha of Kilconquhar |
| Uncle | King Robert the Bruce |
| Spouse | Isabel Stewart of Bonkyll |
| Children | Thomas, John, Agnes and Isabel |
| Titles | 1st Earl of Moray (from 1312); Lord of the Isle of Man |
| Cause of Death | Disputed: poison rumor at the time; kidney stone more likely per modern historians |
Reader Questions
Who was Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray?
He was a Scottish soldier and diplomat in the Wars of Scottish Independence, a nephew of Robert the Bruce and regent of Scotland after Robert’s death.
What is Thomas Randolph famous for?
He is famous for recapturing Edinburgh Castle in 1314, for his role at Bannockburn, and for his diplomacy that helped win recognition of Scottish independence.
How did Thomas Randolph take Edinburgh Castle?
He led a night attack on March 14, 1314, up a secret path on the castle rock that William Francis, a former governor’s son, knew.
How did Thomas Randolph die?
He died on July 20, 1332, at Musselburgh. People said the English poisoned him, but historians now think a kidney stone is more likely.
How old was Thomas Randolph when he died?
About 47. His birth year is not recorded, and about 1285 is the most likely estimate.
Who was Thomas Randolph married to?
He married Isabel, the only daughter of John Stewart of Bonkyll. They had two sons and two daughters.
Is this the same as other Thomas Randolphs?
No. The English ambassador (1523 to 1590), the poet (1605 to 1635), the Virginia governor Thomas Mann Randolph Jr., and the NFL player born in 1970 are separate people.
Wrap-Up
Randolph’s career moved from a captured young knight who briefly changed sides to one of the chief architects of Scottish independence. He was a battlefield commander and a diplomat who persuaded a pope and a French king, and he led the country through the first years of a child king’s reign.
The details of his birth and death remain uncertain, and the account of his character comes from a poet who wrote for a Scottish audience. What is solid is the sequence of his public acts, from Edinburgh Castle in 1314 to the treaty of 1328.
As of October 3, 2026, the historical record about Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, is unchanged. He died on July 20, 1332, and his sons inherited the earldom.
Disclaimer
This article is based on Wikipedia’s account of Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, and the sources it cites, reviewed on October 3, 2026. Medieval dates and causes of death are uncertain, and disputed points are identified as such.
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