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Battle of Myton
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The Battle of Myton, nicknamed the Chapter of Myton or The White
Battle because of the number of clergy involved, was a major engagement
in the First Scottish
War of Independence, fought in Yorkshire on 20 September 1319.
Massacre of the innocents:The battle of Myton on Swale.
In April 1318, Berwick-upon-Tweed,
the last Scottish-claimed stronghold still in the hands of the English,
was captured by Sir James Douglas
and Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, two of King Robert Bruce's most able
commanders. Ever since his defeat at
Bannockburn in 1314, Edward II had been preoccupied by an ongoing
political struggle with his senior barons, headed by Thomas, Earl of
Lancaster. Repeated Scottish raids deep into the north of England had
effectively been ignored: but the loss of Berwick was something
different. Once the most important port in Scotland, it had been in
English hands since 1296; during which time its defences had been
greatly strengthened. News of its capture had a sobering effect on
Edward and his magnates. Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, managed to
arrange a temporary reconciliation between the king and Lancaster. In a
spirit of artificial harmony, they came north together with a sizeable
army in the summer of 1319. Queen Isabella accompanied the king as far
as York, where she took up residence.
Vigorous assaults were made on Berwick by land and sea, but Walter, the
High Stewart of Scotland, ably assisted by John Crabb, a military
engineer, conducted an effective defence, beating back all attacks.
However, he could not be expected to hold out indefinitely. King Robert
had no intention of risking a direct attack on the powerful English army
which, in the words of John Barbour, 'might well turn to folly'.
Instead, Douglas and Moray were ordered on yet another large-scale
diversionary raid into Yorkshire, intended to draw off the besiegers.
They came with a large force of mounted infantry, known as hobelars.
The Scots seemingly had news of the queen's whereabouts, and the rumour
soon spread that one of the aims of their raid was to take her captive.
As King Robert advanced towards York, she was hurriedly taken out of the
city by water, finally gaining refuge further south in Nottingham.
Yorkshire itself was virtually undefended and the raiders had an
uninterrupted passage from place to place. William Melton, the
Archbishop of York, set about mustering an army, which included a large
number of men in holy orders. While the force was led by some men of
standing, including John Hotham, Chancellor of England, and Nicholas
Fleming, Mayor of York, it had very few men-at-arms or professional
fighting men.[4] From the gates of York, Melton's host marched out to
face the battle-hardened schiltrons.
The outcome is described in the Brut or the Chronicles of England, the
fullest contemporary source for the battle;
The Scots went over the water of Solway...and come into England, and
robbed and destroyed all they might and spared no manner of thing until
they come to York. And when the Englishmen at last heard of this thing,
all that might travel-as well as monks and priests and friars and canons
and seculars-come and meet with the Scots at Myton-on-Swale, the 12th
day of October. Alas! What sorrow for the English husbandmen that knew
nothing of war, they were quelled and drenched in the River Swale. And
their holinesses, Sir William Melton, Archbishop of York, and the Abbot
of Selby and their steeds, fled, and come to York. And that was their
own folly that they had mischance, for they passed the water of Swale;
and the Scots set fire to three stacks of hay; and the smoke of the fire
was so huge that the Englishmen might not see the Scots. And when the
Englishmen were gone over the water, so come the Scots with their wings
in manner of a shield, and come toward the Englishmen in a rush; and the
Englishmen fled, for they lacked any men of arms...and the Scots
hobelars went between the bridge and the Englishmen. And when the great
host had them met, the Englishmen almost all were slain. And he that
might wend over the water was saved; but many were drenched. Alas, for
sorrow! for there was slain many men of religion, and seculars, and also
priests and clerks; and with much sorrow the Archbishop escaped; and
therefore the Scots called it 'the White Battle'...
'My lord Thomas Randolph, earl of Moray and
Sir James of Douglas, not
daring to encounter the king of England and the earl, invaded England
with an army, burning the country and taking captives and booty of
cattle, and so pressed as far as Boroughbridge. When the citizens of
York heard this, without knowledge of the country people and led by my
lord archbishop William de Meltoun and my lord the bishop of Ely, with a
great number of priests and clerics, among whom were sundry religious
men, both beneficed and mendicant, they attacked the Scots one day after
dinner near the town of Myton, about twelve miles north of York; but, as
men unskilled in war, they marched all scattered through the fields and
in no kind of array. When the Scots beheld men rushing to fight against
them, they formed up according to their custom in a single schiltron,
and then uttered together a tremendous shout to terrify the English, who
straightway began to take to their heels at the sound. Then the Scots,
breaking up their schiltron wherein they were massed, mounted their
horses and pursued the English, killing both clergy and laymen, so that
about four thousand were slain, among whom fell the mayor of the town,
and about one thousand, it was said, were drowned in the water of the
Swale. Had not night come on, hardly a single Englishmen would have
escaped. Also many were taken alive, carried off to Scotland and
ransomed at a heavy price'
So many clerics were slain in the encounter that it became known as the
'Chapter of Myton'. Barbour gives the English loss as 1,000 killed,
including 300 priests, but the contemporary English Lanercost Chronicle
says that 4,000 Englishmen were killed by the Scots, while another 1,000
were drowned in the River Swale. Nicholas Fleming was among those
killed.
The Chapter of Myton had the effect that Bruce was looking for. At
Berwick it caused a serious split in the army between those like the
king and the southerners, who wished to continue the siege, and those
like Lancaster and the northerners, who were anxious about their homes
and property. Edward's army effectively split apart: Lancaster refused
to remain and the siege had to be abandoned.
The campaign had been another fiasco, leaving England more divided than
ever. It was widely rumoured that Lancaster was guilty of treason, as
the raiders appeared to exempt his lands from destruction. Hugh
Despenser, the king's new favourite, even alleged that it was Lancaster
who had told the Scots of the queen's presence in York. To make matters
worse, no sooner had the royal army disbanded than Douglas came back
over the border and carried out a destructive raid into Cumberland and
Westmorland. Edward had little choice but to ask Robert for a truce,
which was granted shortly before Christmas.
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Source
Sources for this article include:
Anonimale Chronicle, ed. V. H. Galbraith, 1927.Barbour, John, The Bruce,
trans. A. A. Douglas, 1954.Brut or the Chronicles of England, ed. F.
W D., Brie, 1906
Footnote:Who was A. A. Douglas?
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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