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Scotland and England are two nations divided by their experience of
history. That divide was never wider than during the Wars of
Independence in the 13th and 14th centuries when a chance event brought
an era of relative friendship to an end in violent conflict.
Douglas and the wars of independence.
There has always been conflict between the peoples of modern day
Scotland and England but, when Alexander III became King of Scots he
reigned over a long period of peace and stability and Scotland was
prosperous. When he died, in a freak riding accident at Kinghorn in Fife
1286, his granddaughter, the seven year old maid of Norway died in
Orkney on her way to take the throne 1290.
Edward Longshanks was asked to preside over the selection of a rightful
successor to the Scottish throne. Edward, seeing an opportunity, chose
John Balliol as King in 1292 but, he had to pledge fealty to the English
King. Balliol later renounce this subjugation and entered into a treaty
with France (The Auld Alliance). Edward enraged, invaded Scotland,
deposed Balliol and stole the Stone of Destiny.
In the absence of a crowned King of Scots, William Wallace took the
fight for independence to the English oppressors. William `le Hardi`
Douglas, having fallen foul of King Edward on several occasions, was the
first noble to side with Wallace. Robert the Bruce changed sides when in
Douglas Castle to arrest Douglas on Edwards orders. Douglas was captured
by the English at a later date and imprisoned in the Tower of London
where he later died 1298. His son, the Good Sir
James Douglas (the Black
Douglas to the oppressors) was to become the `Hammer of the English`.
The Anglo-Scottish Wars (or Wars of Scottish Independence)
Timeline
1286 The death of King Alexander III of Scotland left his granddaughter
Margaret, aged just 4 (the Maid of Norway), heir to the Scottish throne.
1290 On the way to her new kingdom and
shortly after landing on the Orkney Islands, Margaret died creating a
succession crisis.
With 13 potential rivals for the throne and fearing civil war, the
Guardians of Scotland (leading men of the time) invited King Edward I of
England to select the new ruler.
1292 On 17th November at Berwick-on-Tweed, John Balliol was named as the
new king of Scots. He was crowned some days later at Scone Abbey, and on
26th December at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, King John of Scotland swore homage
to King Edward of England.
1294 Opposed to Balliol’s deference to Edward, a Scottish Council of War
was convened to advise King John. The twelve member council, comprising
four bishops, four earls and four barons, sent a delegation to negotiate
terms with King Philip IV of France.
1295 In what would later be known as the Auld Alliance, a treaty was
agreed that the Scots would invade England if the English invaded
France, and in return the French would support the Scots.
1296 Learning of the secret Franco-Scottish treaty, Edward invaded
Scotland and defeated the Scots at the
Battle of Dunbar on 27th April.
John Balliol abdicated in July. After relocating the Stone of Destiny to
London on 28th August, Edward convened a parliament at Berwick, where
Scottish nobles paid homage to him as King of England.
1297 Following the killing of an English sheriff by William Wallace,
revolts broke out in Scotland and on 11th September at the
Battle of
Stirling Bridge, Wallace defeated English forces led by John de Warenne.
The following month the Scots raided northern England.
1298 Wallace was appointed Guardian of Scotland in March; however in
July Edward invaded again and defeated the Scottish army, led by Wallace
at the Battle of Falkirk. Following the battle Wallace went into hiding.
1302 Further campaigns by Edward in 1300 and 1301, led to a truce
between the Scots and English.
1304 In February the last major Scottish held stronghold of
Stirling
Castle fell to the English; most Scottish nobles now paid homage to
Edward.
1305 Wallace evaded capture until 5th August, when John de Mentieth, a
Scottish knight, turned him over to the English. Following his trial, he
was dragged naked through the streets of London behind a horse, before
being hanged, drawn and quartered.
1306 On the 10th February before the high altar of Greyfriars Kirk in
Dumfries, the two surviving claimants for the Scottish throne
quarrelled; it ended with Robert the Bruce killing John Comyn. Five
weeks later Bruce was crowned Robert I, King of Scots at Scone.
To avenge Comyn’s murder, Edward dispatched an army to destroy Bruce. On
19th June at the Battle of Methven Park, Bruce and his army were taken
by surprise and routed by the English. Bruce barely escaped with his
life and went into hiding as an outlaw.
1307 On Palm Sunday, the 19th of March 1307, with barbarities excessive
even in those days, in an event known as the”
Douglas
Larder.” Douglas routed Sir John de Mowbray at Ederford Bridge, near
Kilmarnock, and was entrusted with the conduct of the war in the south,
while Bruce turned to the Highlands.
Bruce returned from hiding and on the 10th May defeated English
forces at the Battle of Loudon Hill. On 7th July, Edward I, ‘The Hammer
of the Scots’, died aged 68 whilst making his way north to deal with the
Scots yet again. Encouraged by the news of Edwards death, Scottish
forces grew ever stronger behind Bruce.
1307-08 Bruce established rule in north and west Scotland.
1308 Bruce and Douglas sprang the trap defeating the Macdougals at the
Pass of Brander, before turning south
to successfully assault the castle of
Rutherglen near Glasgow, and then going on to a further campaign in Galloway.
1308-14 Bruce captured many English-held towns and castles in Scotland.
1312 The Scots, under Sir James Douglas, (as a pay-back) penetrated to
Hartlepool carrying off much spoil, and many prisoners of both
sexes...” Two years later they again ravaged the county plundering
and destroying villages. The frightened inhabitants of Hartlepool
took to the sea in ships for safety.
1314 Through the capture of Roxburgh
Castle in 1314 by stratagem, the assailants being disguised as black
oxen, James Douglas secured Teviotdale
The Scots inflicted a heavy defeat on the English army, led by
Edward II, as they were attempting to relieve besieged forces at
Stirling Castle, at the tles/Bannockburn.htm">Battle of Bannockburn on 24th June.
1320 Scottish nobles sent the Declaration of Arbroath to Pope John XXII,
affirming Scottish independence from England.
1322 An English army led by Edward II raided the Scottish lowlands. At
the Battle of Byland the English were routed by the Scots.
1323 Edward II agreed a 13-year truce.
1327 The incompetent and much despised Edward II was deposed and killed
at Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire. He was succeeded by his fourteen
year old son Edward III.
On the night of 3–4 August, Douglas led a
night attack on the English camp.
Douglas reached Edward III's tent which was collapsed with him inside
and nearly captured the English king.
1328 A peace agreement known as the
Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton was
signed; this recognised the independence of Scotland with Robert the
Bruce as king. The treaty brought an end to the First War of Scottish
Independence.
1329 Following the death of Robert the Bruce on 7th June, he is
succeeded by his son King David II, aged 4.
1332 On 12th August, Edward Balliol, son of the former King John Balliol
and leading a group of Scottish nobles, known as the ‘Disinherited’,
invaded Scotland by sea, landing in Fife.
At the Battle of Dupplin Moor, Edward Balliol’s army defeated a much
larger Scottish force; Balliol was crowned king at Scone on 24th
September.
Scots loyal to King David II attacked Balliol at Annan; most of
Balliol’s troops were killed, Balliol himself escaped and fled naked on
a horse to England.
1333 In April, Edward III and Balliol, together with a large English
army laid siege to Berwick.
On the 19th July, Scottish forces attempting to relieve the town were
defeated at the Battle of Halidon Hill; the English captured Berwick.
Much of Scotland was now under English occupation.
1334 Philip VI of France offered David II and his court asylum; they
arrived in Normandy in May.
1337 Edward III made a formal claim to the French Throne, starting the
Hundred Years’ War with France.
1338 With Edward III distracted with his new war in France, the Scots
started to regain control of their own lands, with the likes of Black
Agnes hurling abuse and defiance down on the besieging English from the
walls of her castle at Dunbar.
1341 After years of fighting during which many of Scotland’s finest
nobles had perished, King David II returned home to once again take
charge of his kingdom. Edward Balliol moved to England. True to his ally
Philip VI, David led raids into England, forcing Edward III to reinforce
his borders.
1346 At the request of Philip VI, King David invaded England and led his
army southwards to capture Durham. On 17th October, at the
Battle of
Neville’s Cross, David’s forces are defeated by an English army which
had been hastily organised by the Archbishop of York. The Scots suffered
heavy losses and King David was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of
London. In command of a small force, Edward Balliol returned in an
attempt to recover Scotland.
1356 Having enjoyed very little success in his endeavours, Balliol
finally relinquished his claim to the Scottish throne; he died childless
nine years later.
1357 The General Council of Scotland ratified the Treaty of Berwick,
agreeing to pay a ransom of 100,000 merks (approx. £16 million today)
for the release of King David II. Heavy taxation was imposed on the
country in order to pay the first instalment of the ransom. Scotland’s
economy, already reeling with the costs of the wars as well as the
devastation caused by the arrival of the Black Death, was now in
tatters.
1363 On a visit to London to re-negotiate the terms of his ransom, David
agreed that should he die childless, the Scottish Crown would pass to
Edward III. The Scottish parliament rejected such an arrangement,
preferring to continue to pay the ransom.
1371 Having lost much of his popularity and the respect of his nobles,
David died on 22nd February. David was succeeded by his cousin Robert
II, grandson of Robert the Bruce and the first Stewart (Stuart) ruler of
Scotland. Scotland would retain its independence until 1707, when the
Treaty of Union would create the single Kingdom of Great Britain.
1377 When Edward III died on 21st June, there were still 24,000 merks
outstanding on the ransom payment for King David; the debt appears to
have been buried with Edward.
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