The siege of Berwick was an event in the
First War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between English and Scottish forces. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the ''de jure'' restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty ...
which took place in April 1318. Sir
James Douglas, Lord of Douglas
Sir James Douglas (also known as Good Sir James and the Black Douglas; – 1330) was a Scottish knight and feudal lord. He was one of the chief commanders during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Early life
He was the eldest son of Sir W ...
took the town and castle of
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census reco ...
from the English, who had controlled the town since 1296.
Fall of Berwick
Following the decisive Scots victory at the
Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the Scots had recovered all their strongholds, with the exception of Berwick. In September 1317, King
Robert Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...
attempted a siege of Berwick, which lasted until November before he withdrew.
[Brown, p.150] The following April, Peter Spalding helped followers of Robert the Bruce enter and seize the town of Berwick from the English. He was English and a burgess of the town, but he was married to a cousin of Sir Robert Keith, Great Marischal of Scotland. The raiding party, led by Sir James Douglas, and possibly the
Earl of Dunbar
The title Earl of Dunbar, also called Earl of Lothian or Earl of March, was the head of a comital lordship in south-eastern Scotland between the early 12th century and the early 15th century. The first man to use the title of Earl in this earldom ...
, took the town after a fight. The castle was warned when they lost control of their men, who began to
plunder and failed to capture the castle. King Robert soon arrived with an army, and after an eleven-week siege, the castle garrison capitulated due to a lack of supplies.
[Brown, p.151] The English
burgesses were expelled, and King Robert re-established Berwick as a Scottish trading port, installing his son-in-law
Walter Stewart as Keeper.
[
]
Aftermath
The retaking of Berwick was a significant victory for the Scots. Historian Michael Brown notes that "symbolically, the capture of town and then castle marked the completion of King Robert's realm and kingship."[ However, Berwick would change hands several more times in the years to come, before permanently becoming part of England when the town was captured in 1482.
]
References
Notes
Primary
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Berwick, Capture Of
Battles of the Wars of Scottish Independence
Battles between England and Scotland
Sieges involving England
Sieges involving Scotland
Conflicts in 1318
1318 in Scotland
1318 in England
1318 in Europe
Capture