#battle of bannockburn

[maypoleman1]

6th April

The Arbroath Declaration

Source: S Buwert/ Shutterstock/ The Conversation website

On this day in 1328, the Treaty of Northampton was signed, confirming the independence of Scotland from England, a full fourteen years after the victory of Robert the Bruce’s army of freedom fighters over the forces of Edward II at Bannockburn in 1314. This was followed by the Declaration of Arbroath, drafted by Bernard de Lington, Chancellor of Scotland and Abbot of Arbroath. It is perhaps the first declaration of independence by a country from an imperial power in history. Its ringing tones of national pride and freedom have a distinctly modern feel, particularly given the national consciousness was a barely acknowledged concept in medieval Europe:-

‘It is not for glory, riches or honour that we fight,

it is for liberty alone,

the liberty which no good man loses

except with his life.’

[scotianostra]

On 24th of June 1314 Scotland rose as a nation to repel the English invaders at The Battle of Bannockburn.

The First War of Scottish Independence had say sporadic fighting since Edward I of England led a force into Scotland in the spring of 1296 to strip King John Balliol of his crown. During the next decade or so the likes of Andrew Moray, William Wallace and Simon Fraser among others had fought a guerrilla war against the English. Some of the nobility, Robert the Bruce and John Comyn included had chosen to fight with Edwards Armies at times, Moray died of his wounds some time after The Battle of Stirling Bridge, Wallace was executed in London after betrayal by he Scottish nobleman Sir John Menteith in the autumn of 1305, Longshanks must have thought the resistance was crushed but a year later The Bruce, after killing John Comyn at Dumfries, seized the Scottish crown, and so began a chain of events that would see a smaller Scottish Army defeat the English Army of Edward II on the fields at Bannockburn near Stirling.

After nearly a decade of fighting, by 1314 Robert the Bruce was in control of most of Scotland. Stirling Castle was the only major castle left in English hands, and so he sent his only surviving brother to Stirling with orders to take the castle.

However, his brother made a deal with the English commander: if the fort wasn’t relieved by mid-summer 1314, the English commander would surrender the castle to the Scots.

So far, Edward II of England had stayed well away from the fighting in Scotland. But even he couldn’t ignore the challenge of relieving Stirling Castle. He marched an army north to Scotland, stopping a couple of miles south of Stirling Castle, near a stream called the Bannockburn.

Meanwhile, Robert the Bruce had gathered together all of his fighting troops, and had arrived at nearby St. Ninian’s before the English. This gave him time to prepare the ground for the mother of all battles.

There are only about four hours of proper darkness at midsummer in Scotland. For the English army crossing the boggy ground beneath the town of Stirling, that was just enough time to feed and water horses and men, clean equipment and wonder what lay ahead of them once the sun rose. Morale was low. The foot soldiers were exhausted, having been forced to march as quickly as they could from Edinburgh 30 miles away in order to meet the midsummer deadline agreed for the relief of the castle.

Yesterday I touched upon the first day of the battle where the English had failed to best their Scottish enemies in a series of encounters including the infamous attempt by Sir Henry de Bohun to kill the Scottish king.

Nevertheless,  Edward II was prepared. What he did not expect was the Scots to fight, for it was their habit to disappear into the hills when confronted by an English army. Preferring to fight on their own terms, the tactics Wallace had used and Bruce also in his battles.

As dawn crept into the sky on June 4th, Edward could see the Scots across the burn, seing them kneel, legend has it that the English KingI, called out “Ha! They kneel for mercy!” misunderstanding their intent. The Scots then stood up and marched in their schiltrons down the hill, straight towards the massing English knights, under cover from their own archers. 

The English archers reacted swiftly, however, and quickly drove the few Scots archers from the field. Beneath a ridge was a line of casualties where the two armies first clashed. The well drilled Scottish lines held at the impact of the poorly organised English cavalry, however, then began driving back the English in a relentless, murderous, crushing slog. The lines were packed so closely together that English support from their archers quickly became impossible.

ThdeEnglish general The Duke of Gloucester had been stung by accusations of cowardice from his own king the day before. Subsequently, upon seeing the Scots’ advance, he hastily formed up the vanguard of the English cavalry and charged without even pausing to don his own surcoat. With great bravery, he charged the Scottish lines but went down under the spears of Edward Bruce’s men. Without his surcoat, he was not recognised as a potentially valuable hostage and was killed by the rampaging Scots.

The English had redeployed their now redundant archers across the Pelstream Burn, on the Scots’ left flank, where they wreaked total havoc amongst the Scotsmen under the command of the Black Douglas and Walter the Steward. But the Bruce had foreseen just such a development and deployed the Scots light cavalry under Sir Robert Keith in a circuitous movement to dispatch them. Unseen by the English, they tracked swiftly through the concealing countryside to take the English archers by surprise and drove them from the field.

 It was at this point that the Bruce deployed his own schiltron, with support from Angus Og MacDonald and his highlanders, who he had previously held in reserve. As they smashed into the thick of the battle, the English began to lose heart. They were being driven back mercilessly and yet most had been unable to reach the front line to strike a blow. They could not manoeuvre effectively in the tight confines and on such broken terrain. Many fell beneath the crush, never to rise again and panic began to surge through their ranks.

English King Edward was persuaded to leave the field by his advisers as order in the English ranks collapsed and he fled for nearby Stirling castle with his escort. Upon seeing the Royal Standard, three golden leopards on a scarlet background, leaving the field, the English collapse became inevitable.

The Scottish archers returned to the field to wreak havoc upon the fleeing English. The “small folk” abandoned their reserve position by Coxet Hill and took to the field. It is unlikely that Robert the Bruce ordered this charge, but its effect was devastating upon the already retreating English forces. Seeing these hundreds of figures rush into battle carrying workmen’s tools as weapons and waving homemade banners, the English mistook them as another Scottish reserve force entering the fray. Subsequently, they totally disintegrated and fled the field, pursued in every direction by vengeful Scots

The English King eventually reached Stirling Castle but was refused entry by the castle commander, Sir Philip Moubray, as this would only have resulted in the King’s ultimate capture. He and his retinue were pursued relentlessly south and east to Dunbar by the Black Douglas, leaving his army to be slaughtered.

[bantarleton]

Bannockburn 1314 - When it became clear that all was lost the Earl of Pembroke and Sir Giles d’Argentan led King Edward II from the field, much against his will, retreating before the rampant Scots. Artwork from CAM 102 Bannockburn 1314: Robert Bruce’s great victory, illustrated by Graham Turner.

[peashooter85]

Battle of Bannockburn, 1314 AD --- First War of Scottish Independence

from HistoryMarche

[olympus-girl]

“The Battle of Bannockburn on 23 and 24 June 1314 was a victory of the army of King of Scots Robert the Bruce over the army of King Edward II of England in the First War of Scottish Independence.” - Wikipedia

Was a bit lazy to go to those fancy websites to explain this battle 🤪 but it’s a pretty good description of what happened. Go Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[burricane]

the english have been sore loser for 707 slutty, slutty years

[inky-duchess]

History Bites: Coolest Battles Part 1

In History Bites, I pick the best moments of history and the antics historical figures in order to give you inspiration for your WIP. Think of History Bites like prompts, only juicer and 90% accurate (results may vary).

So in this History Bites we explore battles which could act as great inspiration for your WIPs. All of these battles are steeped in drama and blood. Let your battles commence.

The Battle of Carrhae 53BC was brought forward by many driving factors no more so than the Roman Statesman Crassus. Crassus was part of the Triumvirate and the richest man in the world. Crassus felt rather at a loss compared to his allies Pompey and Caesar who were military geniuses and his famous victory over Spartacus had been years prior. Eager to show his power, he funded and led the invasion of Parthia, Rome's largest enemy in the east. Crassus entered Parthia unchallenged, increasing his confidence as he march forward. The Parthians were not far behind, appearing before the Romans with such speed that the Romans were taken unawares. Crassus's generals recommended they get into the usual formation (infantry at the centre with cavalry on the wings) but Crassus decided to have the men form a hollow square, twelve cohorts by twelve cohorts which would protect them from being out flanked. The Roman forces march forward to get better ground by a nearby stream, where the generals advised Crassus to wait until morning to attack but Crassus's son, Publius advised they attack then and there. The Parthians played mind games with the Romans, pounding drums to unnerve them and marched with their armour covered with cloth to lull the Romans into confidence... Before revealing the steel to Romans (perhaps the first wig reveal?). The Parthians sent their mounted archers to surround the Romans, which Crassus's calvary tried to defend against but failed to do. The Parthians smashed into the legionnaires firing at them. The Romans were lucky with their large square shields and top of the range armour but the arrows still found their marks though many wounds were non fatal. The Romans quickly tried to advance to combat the range of the archers in their famous turtle formation (shields surrounding them) but they were slowed by this and the Parthians charged, tearing them to pieces. The Romans panicked and broke leading to numerous casualties. Hoping to survive until the Parthians ran out of arrows, Crassus sent his son Publius to attack the Parthian mounted archers to give the legions more breathing space. But the Parthians faced him off and separated him from his father's army, slaughtering his men. Publius did the Roman thing and killed himself rather than be taken prisoner. Crassus did not know this and ordered an advance to save his son but on his arrival he was greeted with the head if Publius set on a spear. Filled with grief, Crassys ordered a retreat. The Romans stumbled into the minor village of Carrhae to rest but the Parthians were not far behind. The Romans left their 4000 wounded behind, leaving them to be slaughtered by the Parthians. In the darkness, cohorts began to go missing as the Parthians harried the Roman army as they retreated. In the morning, the Parthians had had enough fun and offered the Romans a truce. Crassus accepted though he did not wish to meet the Parthians face to face. Crassus gave in and met the Parthians who generously offered him a horse finely arrayed with gilded tack. Crassus wanted to refuse but in the nature of truce he agreed. The Parthians led him up and down their lines so the Parthians could see him defeated and broken. Then the slaughter began. Allegedly, the Parthians wanted to make a joke of Crassus's wealth and poured molted gold down his throat after his death. The remaining legions were captured or killed.

It's 1485 and now comes the final York vs Lancastrian showdown, the Battle of Bosworth . Richard III is King of England and Henry Tudor wants to take over. They meet at Bosworth to face off, the noble Stanley family the key of winning the battle. The Stanleys were two brothers who had a large force between them and often split them in the civil wars. This way, one brother would lose but the family lands are safe. Lord Stanley is close to Richard but also stepfather to Henry. He could go either way. Richard begins the battle by striking first. He takes Lord Stanley's son and sends a message saying that he will kill him unless all of the Stanley forces side with him. Stanley reminded the king that the son held was not his only son. Richard gave the order to execute his captive but his men argued that it would only waste time and the execution could wait. Henry sent word to his stepfather too wanting a clear answer on whether or not he would be joining him or not. He only received very vague answers. Henry would have to face Richard on his own. Henry had seen very little battles so he chose to let the battle-hardened Earl of Oxford take charge. Henry sat in the rear with his forces. Oxford chose to keep his men as a single unit rather than splitting them up in an effort to beat Richard's lines. No Tudor soldier was allowed to stray from their banners. This was a tactic to ensure that they would not be encircled and crushed. The Tudor army was split into tight groups that made up a single unit with their mounted soldiers on the wings. This would protect them from flanking.  Lord Stanley is watching from a ridge, taking neither side. The field is hampered by marsh land. The Tudor army is standing on this marsh when they begin to form up. Oxford commands that they move to better ground. The Tudor army was bombarded by the artillery on the York side while searching for firmer ground.  When the Tudor men escaped to the marshy ground, the York side led by Richard's faithful friend  Sir Robert Brackenbury advanced on them.  While hails of arrows peppered each side, the two sides clashed. Oxford's troops stood their ground while the enemy commanders Brackenbury and The Duke of Norfolk. Several notable men fell on the York side and they were forced to give ground. Richard saw this and decided to send in more men under the command of Northumberland. But Northumberland didn't move an inch. Some think this was an act of betrayal while others claim that the lay of the land prevented a charge. Richard decided to end the battle by killing Henry. Spying him amongst the rearguard of the Tudor lines, Richard led the charge on horseback. Riding with his closest companions, the king raced at the pretenders group of bodyguards aiming to wipe out the leader. Richard, though hampered by scoliosis, fought ably slewing the notable Sir William Brandon, the standard-bearer of Henry and John Cheyne, Richard's brother Edward IV's former standard-bearer.  Henry acted quickly. He dismounted from his horse, concealing himself among the footsoldiers about him. Henry chose not to engage Richard or his men in combat.  William Stanley's men charged down the ridge... to the aid of Henry. Richard's men were now surrounded on all sides and was pushed back from Henry and straight into the marshy part of the field. Richard, ahorse at this moment, was thrown from the saddle as his horse floundered. Now unhorsed and on foot, Richard gathered his remaining guards and slogged on onwards refusing to turn back "God forbid that I retreat one step. I will either win the battle as a king, or die as one."  Richard's loyal man Sir Percival was slain holding his king's banner aloft as he was killed laying legless on the ground. Dozens of Yorkists fell and soon the king was surrounded by Tudor men and slain. When his body was found in 2012, part of his skull was missing and it is generally agreed that Richard had died helmet less. Henry picked up Richard's crown from the mud and placed it on his head.

Battle of Bannockburn 1314. After William Wallace's demise in 1305, Scotland was still labouring under the yoke of the English. But by 1314, a new leader arose to battle for Scottish freedom: Robert the Bruce. Robert led the Scots to numerous guerilla victories over the far superior forces of the English. By 1314, the only outpost of English rule was Stirling Castle. Edward II, the newer and less effective King of England, decided he had best step in. He raised an army and march north to raise the siege on of Stirling Castle. Robert gathered own forces though considerably smaller to head off Edward's advance toward the castle. Around the area Robert chose, thick trees flanked the area which would drive any mounted English forces toward his own heavy infantry and into the trenches his men had dug. Edward sent in his cavalry but the Scottish infantry quickly met his charge holding off the English until reinforcements could arrive to scatter the cavalry. Another English unit charged at the Scottish centre. A young English Knight Henry de Bohun charged for Robert. The two met in the centre of the field, Bohun charged at Bruce with a lance while Robert was armed only with an axe. Robert had the smaller horse and moved his mount aside, countermanding the lance's reach. As Bohun passed him, Robert stood in his stirrups and split Bohun's head open. Robert was later pissed that the strike had broken his favourite axe. He remains the sexiest of all Scottish Kings. On that note, both armies withdrew for the night to fight on the morrow. The English crossed the eponymous stream of Bannockburn and in the night their Scottish ally Alexander Seton defected to Robert. The English panicked and feared attack, staying up all night in formation in the cold marshes. The next day, the Scots formed up on the field. Edward ordered his men to attack, his cavalry avoiding the trenches but they could not shatter the Scots lines. The English kept charging but they were repelled. Robert commanded his infantry forward, pushing the English backwards toward the trenches where multiple mounted soldiers fell in and were crushed. The Scots stopped to pray and Edward took this for a cry for mercy but one sassy English soldier is claimed to have said "For mercy but from God, not you. These men will conquer or die.". The Scottish soon swamped the English lines wherein the Knights around Edward II dragged him to safety. One of his braver Knights, Giles d'Argentan saw Edward to safety before refusing to flee and charged the Scottish, dying shorty after. The English were routed and Edward fled back to England, his army chased from Scotland by soldier and commoners alike.

The Battle of Marathon is perhaps one of the most famous battles in history. In 490 BC, the Ancient Greeks faced off against the Persian invasion led by Darius I. The Greeks were outnumbered and had a terrible track record facing the Persians so far. The Persians really wanted to beat the Greeks, there is even a legend of Darius charging a servant to remind him daily to destroy the Greeks (ancient Post-it's perhaps?). The Greeks were formed of an uneasy alliance of once enemies the Spartans and Athenians, who despite their hatred decided to band together and fight the invaders together. The Persian sailed into the Bay of Marathon which provoked the Athenians to match to Marathon to head them off. They successfully blocked off their exits and waited for the Spartans to join them but the Spartans were having a religious day and could not go. The Athenians had no choice but to shore up for battle, choosing a marshy, mountainous plateau to stop the Persians' cavalry from joining them. The Athenians opened with a missile-heavy move, ensuring their own centre made for a soft target which lured the Persians in only for them to be crushed by the flanks. The Athenians picked off the Persians as they fled back to their ships, shattering them to pieces leaving 6,000 Persians dead. The Athenians lost 200.

Battle of Gaugamela 480BC is probably one of Alexander the Great's finest masterpieces. Gaugamela was the last push of Alexander's strike toward Babylon, the heart of the Persian Empire... The same Persian Empire that supposedly ordered his father's death. Alexander arrived to battle at a disadvantage. The Persians were famed for their warrior chariots with bladed wheels which could mow down infantry, worse still the Persians had time to level and clear the battlefield which stopped any impediment against the wheels. They also had war elephants. The Persian King Darius had arranged his army in an iron scythe of cavalry, both flanks ahorse. Alexander had his army divided in two, himself riding with the cavalry on the right flank. The Macedonians advanced at an angle going the Persians would attack which they did. Darius sent a large cavalry to take out the left flank of Alexander's forces who were under the general Parmenion. While his infantry distracted the Persian in the centre, Alexander himself rode his cavalry all the way around to the furthest reaches of his flank on the right, drawing the Persian cavalry away to leave the Persians fractured. The chariots came at the right flank, the Persians hoping to decimate as many as they could in the wake of Alexander's absence. With clever utilisation of reserves, the Greeks held. Alexander gathered his rearguard and a portion of his phalanxs into a wedge, driving it at the centre of the Persian forces which were weakened by the scattering of their forces. Darius fled the battle in the wake of this, ceding Babylon and his empire to Alexander. Darius was later murdered by his own men for the defeat.

The Battle of Hastings. Its 1066 people and this time, the English are getting invaded. The irony. William the Conqueror has been cheated out of the throne of England by his cousin Edward the Confessor who had promised the throne to him years prior. In 1066, William and his Normans are on their way to claim what they believe is theirs. But before the land, the new King Harrold Godwinson has a little Norse problem. King Harald Hardrada, a Norse claimant to the throne has already invaded in the North. The two Harrolds/Harralds meet at Stamford Bridge ready for a showdown. English Harrold rode up Norse King Harald and basically read him to his face before riding off. The battle begun moments later, the two armies funnelling into the narrow pass of the eponymous bridge. The chronicles say that a Norse axeman singlehandedly held off the English advance, only defeated when an English soldier stabbed him with a spear from below. With the axeman's sacrifice, the Norse had enough time to form a shieldwall to face the English who stormed across the bridge to attack. The Norse had a great disadvantage: they had left their armour on their ships. Despite their enthusiasm and early advantage, they were mown down. Harrald Hardrada was killed by an arrow through the throat. Wear your armour children. English King Harrold has won but he cannot rest, the Normans are on their way. Harrold matches his army South and three weeks later they meet the Normans at Hastings. Harrold had luck surprising one invader and he tried to do the same with William. But the Normans had scouts and were informed of their movements, and were ready. The English lines held strong against the Norman attacks but the Normans pretended to run away so the English would break and persue them, the Normans turning on them and picking them off. King Harold was shot in the eye by an arrow (because karma is a bitch), which was the last straw for the English resistance. William the Conqueror was crowned King of England.

The Battle of Mortimer's Cross is perhaps the most fantastical battle on this list. It's 1461 and young Edward of March is fatherless and at the head of a small army. Months before his father made a bid for the throne of England and failed, his head cut off by order of Queen Margaret who now sought the destruction of Edward's family. Edward was 18 and at a distinct disadvantage. The Queen led an army of Scots and rival Lancastrians. Edward no doubt wished to take the battle to her and avenge his father but he made a stragetic move south into Wales to head off her support there led by Jasper Tudor. They met on the field of Mortimer's Cross, where in the sky three suns had risen with the dawn- a symbol of Edward's House of York and the same number as many sons were left to the family: Edward and his two brothers. Edward and Jasper both split their forces in the traditional way- the vanguard, the centre, and rear each of which would face each other in turn. Jasper was a seasoned commander and lead his men to attack the Yorkist right but the Yorks had hidden archers there to take them out, leading to mass casualties. Jasper's attack was dispersed and now the centres of the armies clashed. Edward like Jasper fought with his men in the thick of it. The Lancastrians charged but were turned away under but the battle was still undecided, each side never ceding an inch of ground. The Yorkists began to cut through the Lancastrians, the rearguarf blanking the nearby river to box them in. Jasper's father Owen Tudor (Wales's greatest love machine) tried to manoeuvre the Yorkists into following him to distract them but it didn't work leading to a retreat, many Lancastrians drowning in the river on their haste and meeting Yorkist reserves on the next bank who cut them down. Jasper Tudor had no choice but to flee leaving victory in the hands of Edward who as was his habit spared any Lancastrian soldier he captured to give them the chance to follow him. Many did.

[womprat99]

The Thing About Today – June 24

The Thing About Today – June 24

June 24, 2020 Day 176 of 366

  June 24th is the 176th day of the year. It is Inti Raymi’rata, which is a traditional religious ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the god Inti (which is Quechua for “sun”), the most venerated deity in Inca religion. It correlates to the celebration of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in terms of the time between sunrise and sunset, and the…

[bookloversofbath]

Bannockburn: Battle for Liberty :: John Sadler

Bannockburn: Battle for Liberty :: John Sadler

Bannockburn: Battle for Liberty :: John Sadler soon to be presented for sale on the brilliant BookLovers of Bath web site!

Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2008, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Contains: Black & white photographs; Maps; References; Glossary; Appendices [5];

From the cover: The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was one of the decisive battles of British history. The bitter hostility between…

[scotianostra]

“Sir, if you ever intend to reconquer Scotland now is the time. The English have lost heart and are discouraged,”

The reported words of  Sir Robert Seton, who had marched north with the English army, but changed sides after the first days action,  making a pledge on his life that if Robert stayed and fought, he would win the battle.

Bannockburn Day two.

With men and horse quickly being gathered from all over the Bannock Burn, Edward and his advisors decided to use the heavy cavalry to once again, smash through the Scottish lines, taking the day in the most chivalric way possible. As the Scottish lines approached slowly, crossing the fields between their old position in the woods towards where the majority of the English had camped, no one in the English camp could decide who should lead such a noble and honourable charge but, eventually the Earl of Gloucester took it upon himself to lead his contingent straight into the right flank of the Scottish spearmen. Gloucester and his knights smashed straight into the schiltrons virtually destroying the Earl and his men on impact, as mass spears almost always beat mass cavalry.

The rest of the English army were still being organised into proper formation when the Scottish archers started to fire at the English and Welsh longbowmen, keeping them pinned down and unable to fire at the Scottish infantry which was now pushing back the English cavalry and infantry that had followed Gloucester. The Scottish advantages were used superbly by King Robert and he was able to use great timing and English arrogance against them, but the day was not over yet. More and more English Knights and men-at-arms joined the melee where for hours, the two armies slogged it out against one and other until both sides were thoroughly exhausted. At the critical moment of the battle, Robert moved up his reserve Schiltrons that were still camped in the woods, using them to prop up the completely mentally and physically depleted army that for hours, had been pushing the mighty English further and further back. By this point, the outcome was all but confirmed and the number one objective of the English, was the get the King to safety. Edward II took flight with several hundred knights, leaving the rest of his army to ether flee themselves or die on the battle field to the Scots.

In total, the Scottish lost between 500 and 1000 of there original 7,000 that had started the previous day but the English lost over 5,000 men, with many important knights and nobles falling in the doomed cavalry attacks, capping of a complete disaster of a campaign into Scotland. Edward quickly ran of with his tail between his legs back to London allowing the Scots to continue their harrowing of the north of England unchecked. The battle of Bannockburn would go down in history as one of England’s greatest defeats but also one of Scotland’s greatest victories, going on to dominate retellings of the story of Edward II, the lacklustre king who was more interested in chasing members of the court than dealing with his problems. Bannockburn would serve as a pivotal moment in the relationship between England and Scotland, virtually finalising the independence of Scotland furthering the already tense relationship between the two kingdoms.

A peace treaty was eventually signed in 1328 that saw an end to the first Scottish war of independence, a war that had been raging since 1296.

[historynavigator]

Battle of Bannockburn and Robert the Bruce (Part 3)

Final part of my series on the First Scottish War of Independence. Read how Robert the Bruce achieved victory at Bannockburn and secured Scottish freedom #history #scotland #quarantine #blog

Part One ( The Great Cause (Part 1) )

Part Two ( William Wallace’s Rebellion (Part 2) )

In 1297, the Robert the Bruce was 22 years old. In part 1 of this series, his grandfather (also named Robert Bruce) was one of the contenders for the Scottish throne but lost to John Balliol. The Bruce family was still one of the most powerful Scottish families and were determined to see their claim to the…

[clancarruthers]

CRUSADERS FROM SCOTLAND

CLAN CARRUTHERS INT SOCIETY CCIS                  PROMPTUS ET FIDELIS

CRUSADERS FROM SCOTLAND

  Despite its position on the northwestern periphery of Christendom, the kingdom of Scotland contributed to all major aspects of the crusading movement from the late eleventh to the early sixteenth centuries, although the nature of its contributions was often affected or even determined by its…

[the-busy-ghost]

The celebrations of Bannockburn aren’t mere political posturing, however: they reflect historical tradition. Bannockburn had major contemporary significance: it secured and symbolised the status of Scotland as an independent kingdom, preserved it from foreign conquest and marked the severing of ties with its southern neighbour. But commemoration is shaped by contemporary events and attitudes. In the 20th century, gatherings held to remember Flodden and Bannockburn had a new meaning in the context of modern war. Rather than as a lament for Flodden, ‘The Flowers of the Forest’ is now played to remember the First World War’s Scottish dead. Unlike Bannockburn, but like the First World War, most people think Flodden’s significance and lessons lie in the numbers who died. This message can’t easily be exploited by politicians or journalists. As a historical reference point for Scots that is largely without meaning for the English, Flodden serves as a reminder that the different countries and regions of these isles are products of diverse and even conflicting histories which define and distinguish us as much as they point to a shared past.

Michael Brown, in the London Review of Books, January 2014 (source)

[deadbeatscumbag]

You have bled with Wallace, now bleed with me.

[mostly-history]

Great Seal of King Edward II of England (reigned 1307 – 1327).

Edward II, son of Edward I, was 23 years old when he ascended the throne.  His father had been a successful military leader, subduing the Welsh and to a great degree the Scots, but Edward II was not cast in the same mold.  He preferred music and enjoyed mixing with the common people to practise their skills, and the fact that he knew how to swim made many people suspicious of him.  However, it was his relationship with Piers Gaveston, an English nobleman of Gascon origin, that would really turn the barons against him.

Edward I had chosen Gaveston as a companion for his son, and the two men soon became very close.  When they went campaigning in Scotland with the king, the chroniclers compared them to David and Jonathan. But when Edward asked his father to make his friend the Count of Ponthieu, the king flew into a rage and banished Gaveston.  Edward delayed the banishment and loaded Gaveston with presents.

As soon as his father was dead, Edward recalled him from exile and made him Earl of Cornwall – a title usually reserved for royalty. He married him to his niece, and gave him a chamber close to his own. When he went to Boulogne to marry Isabella, daughter of Philip IV of France, he made Gaveston regent in his absence.  The barons were shocked at the favouritism, because Gaveston was a foreigner.  They told Edward that they would boycott his coronation ceremony unless he banished Gaveston.

Edward mollifed them by promising to obey the next Parliament.  But during the ceremony, Gaveston was given even greater honours: he wore jewels that Philip IV had given to Edward as part of Isabella's dowry; he was the mostly richly-dressed man in Westminster Abbey, wearing the colour purple; and he carried the queen's jewellery and the sacred crown of Edward the Confessor.  The barons spent the next three years trying to get rid of this ill-mannered, ostentatious upstart.

In 1310, Edward had to submit to a committee of the Lords Ordainers, who imposed restrictions on his powers, and said that Gaveston had “misled and ill advised our lord the king and enticed him to do evil in various deceitful ways.”  The next year Gaveston was exiled to Flanders, but within two months he was back.  He appeared at the king's Christmas court at Windsor.  The Archbishop of Canterbury excommunicated him.  Preparations were made for civil war.  Edward and Gaveston fled north, abandoning the 16-year-old pregnant Queen Isabella.

In 1312, Gaveston surrendered to the Earl of Pembroke with guarantees of safety.  But he was seized by the Earl of Lancaster, who had him beheaded.  Four local cobblers sewed his head back on, and presented the body to some nearby Dominican monks, an order favoured by the king.  Edward was distraught by the murder.

He then tried to reassert his authority by setting off on a campaign against the Scots, following in his father's footsteps.  But it failed drastically – in June 1314, his army was routed by Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn, even though the Scots were far fewer in number.  This victory assured the independence of Scotland for the next 300 years.

Edward now chose new favourites: Hugh le Despenser, the Earl of Warwick; and his son, Hugh le Despenser the Younger.  Edward was always loyal to his friends, as they were to him, but almost everyone else found his friends intolerable.  The Despensers were just as unpopular as Gaveston had been.

Eventually, after many humiliations, Queen Isabella left for France with Roger Mortimer, her lover, with the excuse that “someone has come between my husband and myself.”  In 1326, the two returned to England at the head of the army opposing Edward.  They captured the Despensers, and the two men were hanged, drawn and quartered.

Edward fled, but Isabella handed him over to the Welsh, and he was kept prisoner in Kenilworth Castle.  In 1327, a group of twelve magnates confronted him, demanding that he surrender the throne to his son, Edward III, otherwise they would choose a new king who was not a member of the royal family.  Edward gave in, and handed over his crown, sceptre and other symbols of authority.  Edward III was crowned king on February 2nd, 1327, while his father was still alive.

In April, Edward II was taken to Berkeley Castle.  He was rescued by a group of outlaws in July, but then recaptured.  His death was announced in September, and he was buried in Gloucester Abbey, where his tomb soon became a centre of pilgrimage.  It was rumoured that he had been murdered by having six red-hot spits shoved up his rectum.

[bantarleton]

My boy Sir Neil Campbell (Niall mac Cailein) Battle of Bannockburn, 1314.