Northumbria And The Scots



The violence reached a new high during the Scottish wars of independence; an orgy of raid and counter raid, theft and bloodshed, which began in 1296, when John Balloil of Scotland rose against Edward I. It ended, officially, in 1328 when Edward III signed the treaty of Northampton, recognising Scottish independence.

In fact the border region remained in a state of perpetual uproar generated by local bandits who lived by theft and blackmail. It suited both governments to keep the area of no-mans land which developed between the two kingdoms. Nothing material was done to alleviate the situation, indeed with the adoption of the "Leges Marchiarium", - the Border Laws - the violence was virtually institutionalised. England saw the north as a draughty back door, through which enemies tended to step at the most inconvenient moment. Scotland saw the English as a powerful neighbour, whose natural instinct would be to swallow up the entire nation if it were given a chance. The anarchy in the Border region created no-go area patrolled by fully armed professional fighting men, who, if not exactly patriotic, were at least jealous of intrusion into their territory.

It is worth noting that this makeshift defence filtered out all but the most determined of assaults over the following few hundred years.

The Border Law established a series of Marches, each policed by a March Warden who was responsible for maintaining the law in his area and give help to the Wardens of neighbouring areas when the need arose.The laws became adapted to the nature of the area. For example the victim of a theft had the legal right to pursue the suspected perpetrator and exact whatever revenge he felt was suitable. Also, murder was not a capital offence. It was simply to commonplace to merit such a distinction.

The Borderers became an insular breed. Cross-Border marriages were unlawful, but continued anyway, and many of the great families extended on both sides of the line. At the heart of the culture was the raid. A small group of well armed men on horseback, generally at night, in search of livestock, victims for kidnapping, or an act of revenge for a similar previous act by the opposite party. The only defence was to have well protected buildings. Apart from the large castles built (for example Norham, Berwick, Bamburgh, Alnwick and others) there was also the 'peel '- a crude narrow defensive tower - and a 'bastle' - like a two storey defensive farm.

There is insufficient space here to go into all the characters and tales of bloodshed and carnage (try The Steel Bonnets by George MacDonald) but three major battles deserve mention :-

The first was at Nevilles Cross in 1346. King David II of Scotland rode into England to create a diversion for Philip IV of France. (1346 was the first year of the hundred years war) Unfortunately for him he was soundly defeated by an army of northern churchmen and nobels and spent the next 11 years as a prisoner.

In 1388 there was another famous border battle at Otterburn. It took place at night and was a decisive victory for the outnumbered Scots, although their leader, James, Earl of Douglas, was killed.

The most important clash, however, was at Flodden in 1513. The Scots again took to the field to assist the French, and again it went badly for them. The Scots were defeated and the Scottish king, James IV, was killed amidst the general carnage.

The violence was finally stopped by James IV's grandson, James VI of Scotland whose accession to the throne of England allowed him to repeal the border laws and start the task of imposing order. He showed no mercy to the local warlords, most of whom were either hanged, deported, or draughted into his army. Within seven years there was a peace that has lasted to the present day.