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James
V was little more than a year old when his father died at Flodden in
1513. The following 12 years Scotland witnessed the turmoil of the
regency of Albany and the political in fighting that left the kingdom at
the mercy of the English and their followers north of the border.
Those who held the king held the power
and it was Archibald Douglas
of the Red Douglases who aspired to be the kings guardian and in effect,
his jailor. Margaret the Queen dowager fought a constant political battle
to free her son, raising support among the nobles for armed forays
Two such rescue attempts ended at
Linlithgow. The Earl of Arran attempted the first in January 1526. He
raised 5000 men and mustered them at the Peel but was obliged to disperse
when the Queens party led by Earl of Moray was delayed in arriving and the
Douglases advanced in force from Edinburgh with the King in attendance.
Arran fled but Moray arriving too late to stop the rout declared for the
King and promptly swapped sides.
Eight months later the Queen dowager
persuaded John Earl of Lennox, Earl of Glencairn and Cardinal Beaton to
support her cause. This time Lennox raised an army over 10,000 and marched
on Edinburgh. By this time Archibald Douglas had won over the Earls of
Arran and Angus who were sent out to delay the march. Much to his credit
Arran arrayed his followers at the strategically important Linlithgow
Bridge. He must only had a small force composed mainly of the local
Hamilton family) but Lennox seeing the defensive position had to rethink
his plans
Lennox
looked to out flank and destroy Arran before Douglas and Moray could
arrive from Edinburgh. Down stream proved impassable but up stream his
scouts found a ford at Manuel Convent. Lennox forced the crossing and
advanced on Arran’s flank. Arran saw the threat and arrayed his troops
facing south along what is now Telford View. Lennox’s attack was across
the Avon, over boggy ground and finally up hill, but he so nearly
succeeded in dislodging Arran’s outnumbered men. However time ran out for
Lennox as Douglas arrived with the much reluctant King. It is said the
King dithered and made so many excuses that George Douglas, the King’s
minder for that day declared ‘Before the enemy shall take thee from us, if
thy body be torn to pieces , we shall have a part’
Douglas’s line of advance must have been
along Mains Road from the West Port passed the Rugby club and they would
have ploughed into the flank of the hard pressed rebels. Many were killed
either on the ridge on in the valley along the river. Glencairn was
captured and Lennox surrendered to the Laird Of Pardovan, but in a wonton
act of rage, James Hamilton of Finnart murdered Lennox.
The location of
this murder is commemorated with a cairn that now stands on the entrance
to the Kettlestoun estate. (Strangely enough it appears to be marked
‘1528’)
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