Otterburn Douglas banner
Extract from Chambers' 1869 The Book of Days.
It will be
learned, not without interest, that certain relics or memorials of
the fight of Otterbourne are
still preserved in Scotland. The story of the battle represents
Douglas as having, in a personal encounter with Percy in front of
Newcastle, taken from him his spear and its pennon or hanging flag,
saying he would carry it home with him, and plant it on his castle
of Dalkeith. The battle itself was an effort of Percy to recover
this valued piece of spoil, which, however, found its way to
Scotland, notwithstanding the death of its captor. One of the two
natural sons of Douglas founded the family of
Douglas of Cavers, in
Roxburghshire, which still exists in credit and renown; and in their
hands are the relics of Otterbourne, now nearly five hundred years
old. It is found, however, that history has somewhat misrepresented
the matter.
The Otterbourne flag proves to be, not a spear-pennon, but a
standard thirteen feet long, bearing the Douglas arms: it evidently
has been Douglas's own banner, which of course his son would be most
anxious to preserve and carry home. The other relic consists of a
pair of, apparently, lady's gauntlets, bearing the white lion of the
Percies in pearls, and fringed with filigree-work in silver. It now
seems most probable that this had been a love-pledge carried by
Percy, hanging from his helmet or his spear, as was the fashion of
those chivalrous times, and that it was the loss of this cherished
memorial which caused the Northumbrian knight to pursue and fight
the Earl of Douglas. We owe the clearing up of this matter to a
paper lately read by Mr. J. A. H. Murray, of Hawick, to the Hawick
Archaeological Society, when the Douglas banner and the Percy
gauntlets were exhibited.
It may be said to indicate a
peculiar and surely very interesting element in British society,
that a family should exist which has preserved such relics as these
for half a thousand years. Let American readers remark, in
particular, the banner was laid up in store at Cavers more than a
hundred years before America was discovered. The writer recalls with
curious feelings having been, a few years ago, at a party in
Edinburgh where were present the Duke of Northumberland,
representative of the Percy of Otterbourne celebrity, and the
younger Laird of Cavers, representative of the Douglas whose name,
even when dead, won that hard-fought field.
The standard said to have been carried by Archibald Douglas of
Cavers at the Battle of Otterburn, 1388 is on display in the
National Museum Of Scotland.
A
banner created in 2021 by 'The Douglas Retinue'.
Note:
• The Percy Gauntlets, reputedly taken from Hotspur
by Douglas before the battle at Newcastle in 1388, are held in the
Fashion and Textiles Collection in the National Museum Of Scotland. According to Jean Froissart – contemporary French chronicler whose Chronicles recorded the happenings of much of the 14th century, and who stated that he had interviewed veterans from the Battle of Otterburn – the first engagement between the two armies took place outside of Newcastle. Reportedly, Douglas and Harry ‘Hotspur’ Percy met in hand-to-hand combat, Douglas defeating and humiliating Percy by taking his pennon as trophy (a ‘pennon’ is a small flag, typically carried on a knight’s lance and decorated by personal heraldry). Douglas then destroyed the castle at Ponteland, before besieging Otterburn Castle (also known as ‘Otterburn Tower’).
See also:
1.
Douglas model2.
Cavers banners
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