The Rough Wooing (December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the
Anglo-Scottish Wars
The Anglo-Scottish Wars comprise the various battles which continued to be fought between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland from the time of the Wars of Independence in the early 14th century through to the latter years of the ...
of the 16th century. Following its
break with the Roman Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland, partly to break the
Auld Alliance
The Auld Alliance ( Scots for "Old Alliance"; ; ) is an alliance made in 1295 between the kingdoms of Scotland and France against England. The Scots word ''auld'', meaning ''old'', has become a partly affectionate term for the long-lasting a ...
and prevent
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
being used as a springboard for future invasion by
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, partly to weaken Scotland, and partly to force the Scottish Parliament to confirm the existing marriage alliance between
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
(born 8 December 1542), and the English heir apparent
Edward
Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”.
History
The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...
(born 12 October 1537), son of King
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
, under the terms of the
Treaty of Greenwich
The Treaty of Greenwich (also known as the Treaties of Greenwich) contained two agreements both signed on 1 July 1543 in Greenwich between representatives of England and Scotland. The accord, overall, entailed a plan developed by Henry VIII of En ...
of July 1543. An invasion of France was also contemplated. Henry declared war in an attempt to force the Scottish Parliament to agree to the planned marriage between Edward, who was six years old at the start of the war, and the infant queen, thereby creating a new alliance between Scotland and England. Upon Edward's accession to the throne in 1547 at the age of nine, the war continued for a time under the direction of the
Duke of Somerset
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
, before Somerset's removal from power in 1549 and replacement by the
Duke of Northumberland
Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke ...
, who wished for a less costly foreign policy than his predecessor. It was the last major conflict between Scotland and England before the
Union of the Crowns
The Union of the Crowns ( gd, Aonadh nan Crùintean; sco, Union o the Crouns) was the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of the Kingdom of England as James I and the practical unification of some functions (such as overseas dip ...
in 1603.
Etymology
In Scotland, the war was called the "Eight" or "Nine Years' War". The idea of the war as a "
Wooing" was popularised many years later by Sir
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...
, in order to hide the extreme nature of the war, and the phrase "Rough Wooing" appeared in several history books from the 1850s onwards.
The phrase appears to derive from a famous remark attributed to
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly (151428 October 1562) was a Scottish nobleman.
Life
He was the son of John Gordon, Lord Gordon, and Margaret Stewart, daughter of James IV and Margaret Drummond. George Gordon inherited his earldom and estat ...
by
Patrick Abercromby
Patrick Abercromby (1656) was a Scottish people, Scottish physician and antiquarian, noted for being physician to James II of England, King James VII (II of England) and his fervent opposition to the Acts of Union 1707, Act of Union between Sc ...
in his edition of
Jean de Beaugué
Jean de Beaugué, was a French soldier who served in Scotland in the 1540s, during the war of the Rough Wooing. He wrote a memoir of the fighting which, first published in 1556, is still an important source for historians. Much of the book concerns ...
's history of the war: "We liked not the manner of the wooing, and we could not stoop to being bullied into love", or as
William Patten reported, "I lyke not thys wooyng." The historian
William Ferguson William Ferguson may refer to:
Arts
* William Ferguson (tenor), operatic tenor, see '' The Tempest''
* William Gouw Ferguson, Scottish painter of still life
* Will Ferguson (born 1964), Canadian writer
Sportspeople
* Bill Ferguson (American foo ...
contrasted this jocular nickname with the savagery and devastation of the war:
More recently,
Marcus Merriman
Marcus Homer Merriman (1940–2006) was an historian and academic researching Anglo-Scottish relations in the 16th century and their European context.
Background
Merriman was born in Baltimore on 3 May 1940. Educated at Bowdoin College, Maine ...
titled his book ''The Rough Wooings'' to emphasise the division of the conflict into two or three distinct phases.
From Solway Moss to Ancrum
In November 1542, a Scottish army suffered a crushing defeat at the
Battle of Solway Moss
The Battle of Solway Moss took place on Solway Moss near the River Esk on the English side of the Anglo-Scottish border in November 1542 between English and Scottish forces.
The Scottish King James V had refused to break from the Catholic Chu ...
and
James V
James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and duri ...
died soon after. He was succeeded by his six-day old daughter,
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
. A plan for an English marriage for Mary proposed by the
Treaty of Greenwich
The Treaty of Greenwich (also known as the Treaties of Greenwich) contained two agreements both signed on 1 July 1543 in Greenwich between representatives of England and Scotland. The accord, overall, entailed a plan developed by Henry VIII of En ...
was conditionally accepted by the Scottish government led by
Regent Arran
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
. However, Arran was slow to advance the marriage due to strong internal factions favouring an alternative alliance with France and the continuance of the Catholic religion in Scotland. The English diplomat
Ralph Sadler
Sir Ralph Sadler or Sadleir Privy Council of England, PC, Knight banneret (1507 – 30 March 1587) was an English statesman, who served Henry VIII of England, Henry VIII as Privy Council of England, Privy Councillor, Secretary of State (England) ...
reported
Adam Otterburn
Adam Otterburn of Auldhame and Redhall (died 6 July 1548) was a Scottish lawyer and diplomat. He was king's advocate to James V of Scotland and secretary to Mary of Guise and Regent Arran.
The King's lawyer The law brought against the Douglas f ...
's comment on the Scottish opinion of the marriage:
In Scotland civil war ensued with the Regent opposed by the Douglas faction in the east and
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (21 September 1516 – 4 September 1571) was a leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland. He was the paternal grandfather of King James VI of Scotland and I of England. He owned Temple Newsam in Yorkshire, ...
in the west, with a
Battle at Glasgow. The Scots also faced the anger of Henry VIII, after the
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
renounced the Treaty of Greenwich in December 1543. Five days later, on 20 December, war was declared in Edinburgh by the messenger
Henry Ray, Berwick Pursuivant. Henry VIII released some Scottish noblemen who had been captured at the Battle of Solway Moss on licence, hoping they would build consensus for the royal marriage. In March 1544, Henry sent
Richmond Herald
Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms of the College of Arms in England. From 1421 to 1485, Richmond was a herald to John, Duke of Bedford, George, Duke of Clarence, and Henry, Earl of Richmond, all of whom held the Honour ( ...
to the
Privy Council of Scotland
The Privy Council of Scotland ( — 1 May 1708) was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of ...
to demand their return.
Major hostilities began with an
attack on Edinburgh on 3 May 1544, led by the
Earl of Hertford
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
and
Viscount Lisle
The title of Viscount Lisle has been created six times in the Peerage of England. The first creation, on 30 October 1451, was for John Talbot, 1st Baron Lisle. Upon the death of his son Thomas at the Battle of Nibley Green in 1470, the viscoun ...
. Hertford had instructions to burn Edinburgh and issue Henry's proclamation of 24 March 1544, which laid the blame on
Cardinal Beaton's "sinister enticement" of Regent Arran. Hertford considered establishing an English garrison at
Leith
Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world.
The earliest ...
but the English Privy Council vetoed this plan. Henry VIII also asked him to destroy
St Andrews
St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...
, but Hertford pointed out the extra distance would be troublesome. After burning
St Monans
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
on the north side of the
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south.
Name
''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...
and taking fishing boats for landing-craft, the English army landed at
Granton, then occupied Leith. Hertford parleyed with
Adam Otterburn
Adam Otterburn of Auldhame and Redhall (died 6 July 1548) was a Scottish lawyer and diplomat. He was king's advocate to James V of Scotland and secretary to Mary of Guise and Regent Arran.
The King's lawyer The law brought against the Douglas f ...
, the
Provost of Edinburgh
The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city, ex officio the ...
, but he had been instructed not to make terms or accept a surrender. The next day the troops entered Edinburgh's
Canongate
The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town. It began ...
, and set the city on fire.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
was defended by cannon fire commanding the
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...
. Hertford decided not to lay siege but thoroughly burn the city. According to the English contemporary account, all the houses within the suburbs and city walls were burnt including
Holyroodhouse
The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...
and the
Abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conce ...
. The English ships at Leith were loaded with looted goods and sailed with the captured ''Unicorn'' and ''
Salamander
Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten ...
''. The army returned to England by land, burning towns and villages along the way.
Soon after the English force had landed, Regent Arran released the
Earl of Angus
The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish Provinces of Scotland, province of Angus, Scotland, Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is held by the Duke of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldes ...
and
George Douglas of Pittendreich
George Douglas of Pittendreich (died 1552) was a member of the powerful Red Douglas family who struggled for control of the young James V of Scotland in 1528. His second son became James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton and Regent of Scotland. Initi ...
who had been imprisoned in
Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle is a 15th-century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth.
It was built, probably on the site of an earlier fort, by Sir George Crichton in the 1440s. At this time, Blacknes ...
. Although they had been supporters of the English marriage, Arran now needed the support of
Clan Douglas
Clan Douglas is an ancient clan or noble house from the Scottish Lowlands.
Taking their name from Douglas in Lanarkshire, their leaders gained vast territories throughout the Borders, Angus, Lothian, Moray, and also in France and Sweden. The f ...
against an English invasion. Following this attack,
Sir William Eure and Ralph Eure made raids across the border from
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 recor ...
, burning houses and buying the loyalty of Scots who became "assured men".
Against these English invasions, the Scots won a victory at the
Battle of Ancrum Moor in February 1545. Scotland was included in the Treaty of Camp, or Treaty of Ardres, of 6 June 1546, which concluded the
Italian War of 1542–1546
The Italian War of 1542–1546 was a conflict late in the Italian Wars, pitting Francis I of France and Suleiman the Magnificent, Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire against the Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Hen ...
. This brought 18 months of peace between England and Scotland. In May 1546, Fife lairds had murdered the Francophile Cardinal Beaton at
St Andrews Castle
St Andrews Castle is a ruin located in the coastal Royal Burgh of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. The castle sits on a rocky promontory overlooking a small beach called Castle Sands and the adjoining North Sea. There has been a castle standing a ...
. These Protestant lairds became known as the Castilians, and
garrisoned the castle against Regent Arran, hoping for English military support.
Pinkie to the peace
The English established a fort at
Langholm
Langholm , also known colloquially as the "Muckle Toon", is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, southern Scotland. Langholm lies between four hills in the valley of the River Esk in the Southern Uplands.
Location and geography
Langholm sits nort ...
in the Scottish borders. Unable to secure its return by diplomatic leverage, Regent Arran reduced it by force on 17 July 1547 following an unsuccessful attempt in June. At the same time, a French naval force took St Andrews Castle from the Castilians. On 24 July Arran ordered seven signal beacons to be prepared to warn of an expected English invasion by sea. The first was at
St Abb's Head, the second at Dowhill near
Fast Castle, next on the Doun Law near
Spott,
North Berwick Law
North Berwick Law, sometimes abbreviated to Berwick Law, is a conical hill which rises conspicuously from the surrounding landscape (this is the definition of the Lowland Scots word "law"). It overlooks the East Lothian town of North Berwick, ...
, '
Dounprenderlaw', at
Arthur's Seat
Arthur's Seat ( gd, Suidhe Artair, ) is an ancient volcano which is the main peak of the group of hills in Edinburgh, Scotland, which form most of Holyrood Park, described by Robert Louis Stevenson as "a hill for magnitude, a mountain in virtue ...
or Edinburgh Castle, and at '
Binning's Craig' near
Linlithgow
Linlithgow (; gd, Gleann Iucha, sco, Lithgae) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It was historically West Lothian's county town, reflected in the county's historical name of Linlithgowshire. An ancient town, it lies in the Central Belt on a ...
. The keepers of these 'bailes' were instructed to have horsemen ready to carry news of the invasion to the next beacon if it came in daylight. The towns of Lothian, the borders and Forth valley were ordered to ensure that all men between sixty and sixteen living in sight of the beacons were ready to respond to the signal.
An English invasion in September 1547 won a major encounter at the
Battle of Pinkie
The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh ( , ), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Cro ...
close to
Musselburgh
Musselburgh (; sco, Musselburrae; gd, Baile nam Feusgan) is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh city centre. It has a population of .
History
The name Musselburgh is Ol ...
, and put much of southern Scotland under military occupation.
Haddington was occupied, along with
Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle is a historic castle on the banks of the River Tay in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland. It was completed around 1495, although the site was earlier fortified in 1454, when George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, received permission t ...
near Dundee. Beginning on 5 April 1548,
Sir Robert Bowes built a fort at
Lauder
The former Royal Burgh of Lauder (, gd, Labhdar) is a town in the Scottish Borders in the historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies southeast of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills.
Etymo ...
. Increased French military support for the Scots included the services of military engineers like
Migliorino Ubaldini
Ubaldini Migliorino (active 1548), known also as "Captain Mellerin," was an Italian military engineer working in Scotland. He designed new fortifications at the entrances of Edinburgh Castle, Dunbar Castle, and possibly the walled town of Leith.
...
who strengthened Edinburgh Castle and
Dunbar
Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and gave its name to an ecc ...
. An English commander
William Grey, 13th Baron Grey de Wilton
William Grey, 13th Baron Grey de Wilton (1508/1509 – 14 December 1562), was an English baron and military commander serving in France in the 1540s and 1550s, and in the Scottish Wars of the 1540s.
Early life
Grey was the thirteenth Baron ...
burnt Musselburgh on 9 June 1548 and
Dunbar
Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and gave its name to an ecc ...
on 12 June. On 16 June 10,000 French troops arrived at Leith, and besieged Haddington with artillery.
Mary was taken to safety in France in August 1548 and betrothed to the Dauphin, and
Piero Strozzi
Piero (or Pietro) Strozzi (c. 1510 – 21 June 1558) was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of the Strozzi.
Biography
left, Portrait of Piero Strozzi
Born in Florence, Piero Strozzi was the son of Filipp ...
began to fortify Leith with 300 Scottish workmen. Strozzi had been shot in the leg at Haddington and was carried around the works in a chair by four men. By May 1549, the English army on the frontier included 3,200 soldiers with 1,700 German and 500 Spanish and Italian mercenaries. With more financial and military assistance from France brought by
Paul de Thermes
Paul de La Barthe de Thermes or de Termes (1482–1562), also Paul de Terme or Maréchal de Thermes, was a French Army Marshal ("Maréchal").
Reign of Henri II Rough Wooing
In June 1549, de Thermes was sent to Scotland to help in the war agains ...
, the Scots were able to maintain resistance.
André de Montalembert André de Montalembert (1483–1553), Seigneur d' Essé, was a French nobleman and officer of the 16th century. As a young boy he fought in the Italian Wars. He was chosen by Francis I as one of his three brothers-in-arms in 1520 at the Field of the ...
, sieur d'Essé, captured the island of
Inchkeith
Inchkeith (from the gd, Innis Cheith) is an island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, administratively part of the Fife council area.
Inchkeith has had a colourful history as a result of its proximity to Edinburgh and strategic location for u ...
on 19 June 1549.
Treaty of Boulogne
The English abandoned Haddington on 19 September 1549. Hostilities ended with Scotland comprehended in the of 24 March 1550, which was primarily between France and England. Peace was declared in England on Saturday 29 March 1550; a week earlier the
Privy Council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
had sent secret orders to English commanders telling them not to move cannon that would be abandoned to the Scots. There were conditions to return prisoners and dismantle border fortifications. As part of the treaty six French and English hostages were to be exchanged on 7 April. These were, for France: Mary of Guise's brother, the
Marquis de Mayenne;
Louis de la Trémoille Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis (d ...
;
Jean de Bourbon, Comte d'Enghien;
François de Montmorency
François de Montmorency, Duc de Montmorency (17 July 1530 – 6 May 1579) was a French soldier, diplomat and peer who served as governor of Paris. He was Duke of Montmorency, Count of Dammartin, Baron of Châteaubriant and Lord of L'Isle-Adam ...
;
Jean d'Annebaut, son of the Admiral of France;
François de Vendôme, Vidame de Chartres
François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis.
People with the given name
* Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters"
* Francis II of France, Kin ...
, were sent to London. For England:
Henry Brandon;
Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford
Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Baron Beauchamp, KG (22 May 1539 – 6 April 1621), of Wulfhall and Totnam Lodge in Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire, of Hatch Beauchamp in Somerset, of Netley Abbey, Hampshire, and of Hertford House, Cannon R ...
;
George Talbot;
John Bourchier, 5th Baron FitzWarren;
Henry Fitzalan;
Henry Stanley.
Francois de Seguenville-Fumel, sieur de Thors, brought the peace treaty and ratifications to Scotland in April 1550. Mary of Guise and Regent Arran gave De Thors a gold chain, made by the Edinburgh goldsmith
John Mosman.
The hostages at both courts were well entertained and most had returned home by August 1550. In France,
Henry II organised a triumphal entry to
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
on 1 October 1550. Mary of Guise and Mary, Queen of Scots took part. There were banners depicting the French victories in Scotland; and a herald recited:
Voila Dondy, Edimpton, Portugray,
Où Termes prist & Essé le degrè,
Pour devenir chevalier de ton ordre.
Sire, voyez ceste Ysle de Chevaulx,
Voyez aussy le fort chasteau de Fargues,
O quants assaulx, escarmouches & cargues,
Voila aussi le fort pres de Donglass,
Et plus deca ou est assis ce bourg,
Est le chasteau conquis de Rossebourg.
Here are Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
, Haddington, Broughty Craig,
Where de Thermes, with d'Essé,
became knights of your order.
Sire, see Inchkeith
Inchkeith (from the gd, Innis Cheith) is an island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, administratively part of the Fife council area.
Inchkeith has had a colourful history as a result of its proximity to Edinburgh and strategic location for u ...
,
Also see strong Fast Castle,
So much assault, skirmish and hassle,
Here also close to Dunglass
Dunglass is a hamlet in East Lothian, Scotland, lying east of the Lammermuir Hills on the North Sea coast, within the parish of Oldhamstocks. It has a 15th-century collegiate church, now in the care of Historic Scotland. Dunglass is the birthpla ...
,
Further the side where sits the burgh
the castle conquered is Roxburgh
Roxburgh () is a civil parish and formerly a royal burgh, in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland. In the Middle Ages it had at leas ...
.
A separate peace negotiation between Scotland and the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
was required, chiefly so that trade and piracy disputes could be resolved. In August 1550, Regent Arran taxed forty of the chief trading burghs of Scotland to fund an embassy to
Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infan ...
. This treaty was concluded in Antwerp by Thomas, Master of Erskine on 1 May 1551. The Treaty of Norham in 1551 formally ended the war and the English military presence withdrew from Scotland. By October 1551, Mary of Guise herself was welcomed in England and she travelled from Portsmouth to meet Edward VI in London.
Treaty of Norham
The peace concluded at
Norham Castle
Norham Castle (sometimes Nornam) is a castle in Northumberland, England, overlooking the River Tweed, on the border between England and Scotland. It is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The castle saw much action during ...
and church on 10 June 1551 was negotiated by Thomas Erskine, Master of Erskine, Lord Maxwell, Sir
Robert Carnegie of
Kinnaird, and
Robert Reid,
Bishop of Orkney
The Bishop of Orkney was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Orkney, one of thirteen medieval bishoprics of Scotland. It included both Orkney and Shetland. It was based for almost all of its history at St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall.
The bi ...
with Louis St Gelais, Seigneur de Lansac, representing
Henry II of France
Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...
. The English delegation included
Sir Robert Bowes, Sir Leonard Beckwith,
Sir Thomas Challoner and
Richard Sampson
Richard Sampson (died 25 September 1554) was an English clergyman and composer of sacred music, who was Anglican bishop of Chichester and subsequently of Coventry and Lichfield.
Biography
He was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, the Paris S ...
, Bishop of
Lichfield and Coventry. The terms included: the English abandoning their holdings in Scotland; the border and
Debatable Lands
The Debatable Lands, also known as debatable ground, batable ground or threip lands,. lay between Scotland and England. It was formerly in question as to which it belonged when they were distinct kingdoms. The name either signifies litigious or ...
to revert to original lines and usage;
Edrington
Edrington is a medieval estate occupying the lower part of Mordington parish in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, Scotland, west of Berwick-upon-Tweed. From probably the 14th century, if not earlier, a castle occupied the steep hill above the ...
and fishing rights on the Tweed returned to Scotland; all captives, pledges, and hostages to be returned. Edward VI ratified the treaty on 30 June and Mary on 14 August 1551.
Propaganda war
The English objective to forward a union between Scotland and England had wavering support among some sectors of the Scots population. These Scots may not have relished French domination of Scottish affairs or may have seen the alliance with England as furthering the Protestant cause. A number of books and pamphlets were published in England as
propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
to encourage such feelings. They focused on three aspects of the conflict: long-standing debates about the rights of the English crown in Scotland, the perceived injustice of the Scottish rejection of the Treaty of Greenwich and the merit of the Protestant religion. The English commander at Broughty,
Andrew Dudley
Sir Andrew Dudley, KG (c. 1507 – 1559) was an English soldier, courtier, and diplomat. A younger brother of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, he served in Henry VIII's navy and obtained court offices under Edward VI. In 1547 ...
, hoped to distribute Bibles printed in English, which were not freely available in Scotland. Scotland countered the English propaganda with the ''
Complaynt of Scotland'', probably printed in France in 1549. Another work, ''Ane Resonyng'' by
William Lamb, did not make it to the press.
The first English work was written before the Battle of Solway Moss: ''A Declaration, conteyning the iust causes and consyderations, of this present warre with the Scottis, wherein alsoo appereth the trewe & right title, that the kings most royall maiesty hath to the soveraynitie of Scotlande''. A journal of Hertford's raid on Edinburgh of 1544 was printed as ''The Late expedicion of the Earl of Hertford into Scotland''. A contribution by a Scot in England,
John Elder, remained unpublished. It was intended to preface a detailed description and map of Scotland. Elder claimed that the northern lords of Scotland, who were 'red-shanks' of Irish descent would be loyal to Henry VIII, and reject the French culture imposed by Cardinal Beaton and the Scottish court. (Elder later became the tutor of
Lord Darnley
Lord Darnley is a noble title associated with a Scottish Lordship of Parliament, first created in 1356 for the family of Stewart of Darnley and tracing a descent to the Dukedom of Richmond in England. The title's name refers to Darnley in Scot ...
.)
Somerset began a new round in 1547 shortly before the Battle of Pinkie by publishing the Scot
James Henrisoun's ''An Exhortacion to the Scottes to conforme themselfes to the honourable, Expedient & godly Union betweene the two realmes of Englande & Scotland''. It was followed by Somerset's printed ''Proclamation'' of 4 September 1547, and the ''Epistle or Exhortation'' of February 1548. The Pinkie campaign was described by
William Patten in ''The Expedition into Scotland of the most worthy Prince, Edward Duke of Somerset''. A Welshman, Nicholas Bodrugan, added his ''Epitome of the title of the kynges majestie of Englande'', which looks back to
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth ( la, Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, cy, Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy; 1095 – 1155) was a British cleric from Monmouth, Wales and one of the major figures in the development of British historiograph ...
to justify English claims and seeks to reassure Scottish fears that the civil law of England was harsher than Scots law.
David Lindsay's poem ''The Tragedy of the Cardinal'' was published in London with an account of the death of George Wishart, with a preface encouraging religious reform by
Robert Burrant. In October 1548,
Sir John Mason and other clerks were rewarded £20 for their archival researches into "records of matters of Scotland" for these tracts.
Lord Methven
Lord Methven was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created on 17 July 1528 by King James V of Scotland for his stepfather Henry Stewart. The title became extinct on the death of the grantee's grandson in the 1580s. The title takes its n ...
understood the effect of the English propaganda and raised his concern with Mary of Guise in June 1548. The Protestant Fife lairds who had killed David Beaton and held the Regent's son,
James Hamilton hostage at St Andrews Castle gambled on English assistance. In
East Lothian
East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In 1975, the histo ...
, three friends of the Protestant preacher
George Wishart
George Wishart (also Wisehart; c. 15131 March 1546) was a Scottish Protestant Reformer and one of the early Protestant martyrs burned at the stake as a heretic.
George Wishart was the son of James and brother of Sir John of Pitarrow, ...
,
John Cockburn of Ormiston
John Cockburn, (d. 1583) laird of Ormiston, East Lothian, Scotland, was an early supporter of the Scottish Reformation. He was the eldest son of William Cockburn of Ormiston and Janet Somerville. John was usually called "Ormiston." During his lif ...
,
Ninian Cockburn
Ninian Cockburn (died 6 May 1579) was a Scottish soldier and officer of the Garde Écossaise, a company which guarded the French king. He had an ambiguous role in political relations between Scotland, France and England during the war of the Rough ...
, and
Alexander Crichton of Brunstane
Alexander Crichton of Brunstane, (died before December 1558), was a Scottish Protestant laird who advocated the murder of Cardinal David Beaton and supported the plan for the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots and Prince Edward of England. In contem ...
lent their support to England.
Lord Gray
Lord Gray is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. The Barony of Gray was created circa July 1445 for the Scottish diplomat and politician Sir Andrew Gray. The first Lord Gray was a hostage in England for the good conduct of James I of Scotland ...
and the
Master of Ruthven
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
* Grandmaster (chess), National Maste ...
were also happy to deal with the English.
Other Scots were induced to sign bonds and take payments from the English and became "assured men". A sample bond for assurance was drafted by a Scot,
Henry Balnaves
Henry Balnaves (1512? – February 1570) was a Scottish politician, Lord Justice Clerk, and religious reformer.
Biography
Born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, around 1512, he was educated at the University of St Andrews and on the continent, where he ado ...
, at St Andrews Castle in December 1546.
That mostly happened in the war zones of the border and around English garrisons. After the war ended, many Scots were accused of assurance or collaboration as a crime; 192 citizens of Dundee were acquitted in 1553, and the whole town of Dumfries received a pardon. In July 1549 with English losses in France the assurance system ceased. Henrisoun, observing recent developments, questioned "Whether it were better to conquer hearts without charges, or burn, and build forts at great charges, which will never conquer Scotland?"
At the end of the war, the French celebrated their successful intervention at
fête
In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments.
Village fêtes
Village f� ...
s like the entry to Rouen. The details of these events were published in illustrated festival books. In England a number of the English commanders had their portraits painted celebrating their martial prowess, including
John Luttrell,
James Wilford
Sir James Wilsford (about 1516–1550) was an English soldier and politician, who was commander at the Siege of Haddington in the war known as the Rough Wooing and also sat as Member of Parliament for Barnstaple.
Origins
James Wilsford was bo ...
,
Thomas Wyndham, and a picture (now lost) was made to commemorate Edward Shelley who was
killed in action at Pinkie.
Lionel Cust
Sir Lionel Henry Cust (25 January 1859 – 12 October 1929) was a British art historian, courtier and museum director. He was director of the National Portrait Gallery from 1895 to 1909 and co-edited ''The Burlington Magazine'' from 1909 to 191 ...
, 'The Painter HE', ''2nd Annual Volume of the Walpole Society'' (Oxford, 1913). Exploits during the siege of Haddington were later celebrated by the Elizabethan author
Ulpian Fulwell
Ulpian Fulwell (1545/6 – before 1586) was an English Renaissance theatre playwright, satirist and poet. Later as a Gloucestershire parish priest, he appears to have neglected his duties.
Church, stage and satire
Born one of the two sons of a l ...
in 1575.
Footnotes
References
Primary
*Anonymous
''C'est la Deduction du Sumpteaux Spectacles, ... par les citoiens de Rouen'' Rouen (1551)
*Anonymous, ''The late expedition in Scotland under the conduct of the Earl of Hertford'', Reynold Wolf, London (1544), reprinte
in ''Tudor Tracts'', (1903)*
Beaugué, Jean de, ''Histoire de la guerre d'Écosse pendant les campagnes 1548 et 1549'', Maitland Club, Edinburgh (1830)*Beaugué, Jean de, trans. by
Patrick Abercromby
Patrick Abercromby (1656) was a Scottish people, Scottish physician and antiquarian, noted for being physician to James II of England, King James VII (II of England) and his fervent opposition to the Acts of Union 1707, Act of Union between Sc ...
''History of the Campaigns of 1548 and 1549'', (1707)''Calendar of the State Papers relating to Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots 1547–1603'', H.M. General Register House Edinburgh, vol. 1, ed. J. Bain, (1898)*''Calendar of State Papers of Edward VI, 1547–1553'', ed. C. S. Knighton, (1992).
''Calendar of State Papers, Foreign series, Edward'' VI, ed. W. B. Turnbull, Longman (1861)*Historical Manuscripts Commission, ''12th Report and Appendix, Part IV, Duke of Rutland'', vol. 1 (1888), p. 33–56.
*''Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of King Henry VIII'', ed. J. S. Brewer & R. H. Brodie, 1965 reprint.
''Correspondance Politique de Odet de Selve'', (1888) French Ambassador in London
Elder, John, 'A Proposal for uniting Scotland and England' (1827), Bannatyne Miscellany, vol.1, (1827), p. 1–18*Fullwell, Ulpian, ''The Flower of Fame, with a discourse of the worthie service that was done at Haddington in Scotlande the second yere of the raigne of King Edward the Sixe'', William Hoskins, London (1575)
Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton, ed., ''A commentary of the services and charges of William Lord Grey of Wilton, by his son Arthur Grey'', Camden Society (1847)Bain, JS., ed., ''The Hamilton Papers'', 2 vols, Edinburgh, (1890–2)*
Haynes, Samuel, ed.
''A Collection of State Papers'', vol. 1, London (1740)*Henrisoun (Harryson), James, ''An Exhortation to the Scottes'',
Richard Grafton
Richard Grafton (c. 1506/7 or 1511 – 1573) was King's Printer under Henry VIII and Edward VI. He was a member of the Grocers' Company and MP for Coventry elected 1562-63.
Under Henry VIII
With Edward Whitchurch, a member of the Haberdashers ...
, London (1547)
*
Patten, William, ''The Expedition into Scotland of Edward Duke of Somerset'',
Richard Grafton
Richard Grafton (c. 1506/7 or 1511 – 1573) was King's Printer under Henry VIII and Edward VI. He was a member of the Grocers' Company and MP for Coventry elected 1562-63.
Under Henry VIII
With Edward Whitchurch, a member of the Haberdashers ...
, London, (1548), reprinte
in ''Tudor Tracts'', (1903), 53–157Clifford, Arthur, ed., ''Sadler State Papers'', vol. 1, Edinburgh (1809)Clifford, Arthur, ed., ''Sadler State Papers'', vol. 2, Edinburgh (1809)''State Papers of Henry VIII'' – part iv – ''Scotland and the Borders'', vol. 5, (1836)''The Complaynt of Scotland'', 1549, Early English Text Society, (1872)*Jordan, WK ed., ''The Chronicle and Political Papers of King Edward'' VI, George Allen (1966).
*Lamb, William, ed. Lyall, R. J., ''Ane Resonyng'', AUP (1985)
Secondary
*
Balfour Paul, J., "Edinburgh in 1544 and Hertford's Invasion", in ''Scottish Historical Review'', vol. 8, 1911.
* Bonner, Elizabeth A. "The Genesis of Henry VIII's 'Rough Wooing' of the Scots". ''Northern History'' 33.1 (1997): 36–53.
*Bonner, Elizabeth, "The recovery of St. Andrews Castle in 1547, French diplomacy in the British Isles", ''English Historical Review,'' June 1996, 578–598
*Bush, M. L., ''The Government Policy of Protector Somerset'', 1975.
*Donaldson, G., ''Scotland: James V to James VII'', 1965.
*Ferguson, J., "1547: The Rough Wooing", in ''Blackwood's Magazine'', vol. 258, 1947.
*Hale, John Rigby
"Tudor Fortifications, 1485–1558" in ''Renaissance War Studies'', Hambledon (1983) pp. 63–98
*Head, D. M. ''Henry VIII's Scottish Policy: A Reassessment'', in the ''Scottish Historical Review'', vol. 61, 1981–2.
*
Mackie, J. D., "Henry VIII and Scotland", in ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'', fourth series, vol 29, 1947.
*
Merriman, M., "The Assured Scots: Scottish Collaboration with England during the Rough Wooing", in the ''Scottish Historical Review'', vol. 47, 1968.
*Merriman, M
"War and Propaganda during the 'Rough Wooing ''International Review of Scottish Studies'', Vol 10 (1980)
*Merriman, M. & Summerson, J., ''The History of King's Works'', part 8, vol. 4 part iv, HMS0 (1982)
*Merriman, M., ''The Rough Wooings, Mary Queen of Scots'', 1542–1551, Tuckwell (2000)
*
*Pollard, A. F.
"The Protector Somerset and Scotland" in ''The English Historical Review'', vol. 13, 1898. . .
*Ritchie, Pamela E., ''Mary of Guise in Scotland 1548–1560'', Tuckwell (2002),
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rough Wooing
16th century in England
16th century in Scotland
Wars involving Scotland
Wars involving England
England–Scotland relations
1540s conflicts
1550s conflicts
Wars involving France