House of Balliol

The House of Balliol (de Bailleul) was a Picard and Anglo-Norman family originating from Bailleul who began to rule some estates in England in the reign of William Rufus. In the late 13th and 14th centuries, two members of the house were kings of Scotland.

List of heads of the Balliol estates

• Guy I de Balliol (died before 1130 × 1133), established lordship in northern England in 1090s
• Bernard I de Balliol (died 1154 x 1162), nephew of Guy
• Guy II de Balliol (died early 1160s x 1167), son of Bernard
• Bernard II de Balliol (died c. 1190), brother of above
• Eustace de Balliol (died c. 1209), cousin of above
• Hugh de Balliol (died 1229), son of above
• John I de Balliol (died 1268), son of above, the founder of Balliol College
• John II de Balliol (died 1314), son of above, ruled from 1292 to 1296, and claimed the throne as great-great-great-grandson of David I of Scotland of the House of Dunkeld.
• Edward de Balliol (died 1364), eldest son of John, who ruled from Scotland in name from 1332 to about 1338 in contest with David II of Scotland of the House of Bruce.

Both Balliols had English support for their claims; both were deposed. Edward died without issue, but the Balliol descent continued through his cousin Christine de Lindsay (granddaughter of John II), who married Enguerrand V, Lord of Coucy, to the lords of Coucy and ultimately the Bourbon kings of France and Spain.