Battle of Flodden: When kings were killed in battle - BBC News BBC News Battle of Flodden: When kings were killed in battle By Giancarlo Rinaldi South Scotland reporter, BBC Scotland news website 9 September 2013 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption King James IV of Scotland was the last monarch to be killed in battle in Britain, in 1513 The last king to die on the battlefield in Britain was King James IV of Scotland at Flodden 500 years ago. He was the last in a long line of rulers - particularly north of the border - to meet their end in such a manner. It was once an occupational risk which came with ruling a nation. For centuries, a monarch was expected to lead troops into battle. Of course, that meant some of their number were in danger of losing their lives to the enemy. King James IV died at the Battle of Flodden on 9 September 1513. The Scottish king crossed the border with an army of about 30,000 men supported by artillery. His mission was to honour his alliance with France and divert troops from the main English army which was in France under Henry VIII.

Image caption William the Conqueror's forces killed King Harold II before he, in turn, was fatally injured in France Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, gathered an army of about 20,000 to oppose him. The battle began in late afternoon on 9 September but it proved to be one-sided. "By nightfall the Scottish army was annihilated," records the Encyclopaedia Britannica. "James was killed, together with at least 10,000 of his subjects, including high officers of church and state and many nobles. "These losses - and the fact that James left an infant son to succeed him - took Scotland out of international politics for a decade." Dying in battle was, in fact, something of a tradition among the Stuart monarchs. James IV's father, James III, was killed in or shortly after the Battle of Sauchieburn as he tried to quell a rebellion near Stirling in 1488. His own son was part of that uprising. Their ancestor James II was killed during a siege of Roxburgh Castle in 1460. A cannon used in the siege exploded causing his death.

Battle of Flodden Field More key moments in the history of Scotland That run of three Scottish monarchs in a row to meet their end in battle was almost four. James V is thought to have suffered a "mental breakdown" after the Battle of Solway Moss in 1542 but did not die until shortly afterwards. The late 15th and early 16th Century were, indeed, bloody times for rulers on both sides of the border. Richard III was the last English king to die in battle, at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. He was killed by the forces of the Lancastrian contender for the crown, Henry Tudor - the future Henry VII. Of his final moments, the Encyclopaedia Britannica recorded the king "was unhorsed and killed in the bog". The names of many of the kings killed in conflict remain famous to this day. Richard I of England, the Lionheart, died during a siege in France in 1199. Image caption Richard III died at the Battle of Bosworth Field A similar fate was met by William I, the Conqueror, who also suffered fatal injuries while fighting in France.

His predecessor, King Harold II, had been killed at the Battle of Hastings by Norman invaders under William's command in 1066. Seized the throne There were also bloody connections north of the border between Malcolm III, Macbeth and Duncan I. Macbeth took Duncan's life in battle near Elgin in 1040 before he, in turn, was killed by Malcolm in 1057 at the Battle of Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire . Malcolm would later die at the Battle of Alnwick in 1093. A number of other earlier Scottish kings also lost their lives in conflict. Kenneth III was killed in battle in 1005 at Monzievaird, Perthshire, by his kinsman Malcolm, who seized the throne. Scots King Indulf died fighting the Danes in 962, Malcolm I is thought to have been killed at Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, by rebels from Moray in 954 and Constantine I lost his life fighting Norse invaders in Fife in 877.

The long-standing tradition of leading your troops in battle did not die out until quite some time after the last king was killed in conflict. More than 200 years after the Battle of Flodden, George II, at the age of 60, was the last British sovereign to take such a role, at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743 in Germany, against the French. Since then, no British monarch has run the risk of replacing the name of James IV of Scotland in the history books by leading their soldiers in conflict. The sad tale of James IV’s body - BBC News BBC News The sad tale of James IV’s body By Dr Tony Pollard University of Glasgow 9 September 2013 Close share panel Image caption King James IV died at Flodden on 9 September 1513 Scotland's King James IV was killed at the Battle of Flodden 500 years ago. But what became of his body after the massacre? Earlier this year, the discovery of the body of Richard III, killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, beneath a car park in Leicester was front-page news.

The obvious implication, that finding long lost kings was a piece of cake, has led to me being repeatedly asked if I am going to look for the body of James IV. His corpse, disfigured by arrow and bill, was identified after the battle and taken to Berwick, where it was embalmed and placed in a lead coffin before being transported to London. Image caption Dr Pollard is the director of Glasgow University's Centre for Battlefield Archaeology The recipient of this gory package was Catherine of Aragon, wife of Henry VIII, and in charge of the family business while the English king fought in France. She, in turn, sent the dead king's surcoat, blood-stained and slashed, to her husband with the recommendation that he use it as a war banner. Obvious choice As time passed however and Henry returned from France, there was the question of what to do with the troublesome Scottish king's body. Battle of Flodden Field More key moments in the history of Scotland The obvious solution would have been to bury it, with the monastery of Sheen in Richmond upon Thames, where it was residing, being the obvious choice for James's grave.

It wasn't as simple as that though, as prior to Flodden, the Scottish king had been excommunicated from the church as punishment for breaking the Truce of Perpetual Peace, which was signed between Scotland and England in 1502 and strengthened by the marriage of James to Henry VIII's sister, Margaret Tudor. In reality the excommunication was in retaliation for James's support of the French, who were at war with the Papacy of which England was an ally at the time. Under these circumstances a proper burial in consecrated ground was out of the question. So it was that the body of James was left to moulder in the woodshed of Sheen monastery, even after the Pope had granted permission for burial. Eventually, the desiccated corpse was forgotten about and by some act of carelessness the head became detached. The story then goes, for there isn't much hard evidence for some of this, that workmen played football with it, some time after which it was nabbed as a trophy by Elizabeth I's master glazier, who took it home.

It was a sad, ignominious end for one of Scotland's most charismatic warrior kings Dr Tony Pollard It is not hard to imagine his wife growing tired of a musty old head cluttering up the place and insisting he get rid of it. Whatever the reason for disposing of it, the head was taken to Great St Michael's Church in Wood Street in the city of London, where it was dumped into a charnel pit, the last resting place of stray bones and crypt sweepings. The monastery of Sheen was eventually demolished after the Dissolution, and whether the king's headless corpse was buried there we shall probably never know, not least because looking for it would involve digging up a golf course. Nothing lasts forever, and the church in Wood Street was also done away with and today, after several redevelopments, the site is occupied by a pub. It was a sad, ignominious end for one of Scotland's most charismatic warrior kings, but perhaps it is he who will have the last laugh, especially if an archaeologist should be foolhardy enough to go looking for him, as the pub under which his head is said to rest is not called The King's Head, but The Red Herring.

Battle of Flodden Field 1513. Photo: Bamburgh Castle photographed by David Simpson Photo: Hadrian's Wall photographed by David Simpson The Battle of Flodden Field THE `AULD ALLIANCE' The Battle of Flodden Field, was undoubtedly the most famous battle ever fought on Northumbrian soil. It took place eight miles north west of Wooler near the village of Branxton on the 9th September 1513 during the reign of Henry VIII. In 1513 England was at war with France and it was the Queen of that country who persuaded King James IV of Scotland to renew the `auld alliance' and assist the French, by invading northern England. Money and arms were sent to Scotland from France in the following months, enabling King James to build up an army for a large scale invasion of England. In August 1513 the first minor battle took place on Milfield Plain near Wooler , in which an army of Scots under Lord Home, were heavily defeated. The English knew however, that this was only a `warm up' for a greater battle which would inevitably follow.

KING JAMES INVADES On the 22nd August King James of Scotland crossed the River Tweed at Coldstream entering England with an army of between 60,000 to 100,000 men who burned the fortress of Norham on Tweed and the Tillside castles of Ford and Etal. The reason King James gave for the invasion, was revenge for the murder of Robert Kerr, a Warden of the Scottish East March who had been killed in a fray by a Northumbrian called John `the Bastard' Heron in 1508. King James made Ford Castle, (a Northumbrian stronghold of the Heron family ), his battle headquarters, where only the lady of the house Eklizabeth Heron was present. For a number of days the king remained at Ford while his men rested. During this time the king is said to have been fully occupied by the amorous attentions of Lady Heron. Whatever the King's battle intentions may have been at Ford, his actions so far had amounted to little more than a large scale border raid. In fact many of his men had already returned home to Scotland with booty of English goods and livestock.

THE ENGLISH PREPARE FOR WAR Meanwhile, the English were busy preparing for battle further to the south. Thomas Howard, the Earl of Surrey, who had been left in charge of the defence of England, while Henry VIII was away fighting in France mustered forces in London and marched north to Pontefact, where he held a Council of War. Here he was joined by the fighting men of Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire. From here Surrey marched on to Durham where he prayed before the shrine of St Cuthbert in the Cathedral and collected the sacred banner of the saint, which was always good for morale in time of war. Surrey then continued north to Newcastle , where he was joined by the men of Northumberland and Durham, including the retainers of Percy, Lord Dacre, the Bishop of Durham and of William Bulmer of Brancepeth. Henry Percy, `the Magnificent' Fifth Earl of Northumberland, (a descendant of Hotspur), did not take part in the battle, since he was away in France helping the king with the siege of Therouenne and Tournay, but the Earl's brothers, Lionel and William Percy did join up with Surrey's men.

Other additions to the English army included a crack regiment of archers under Sir Edward Stanley and the men of the Lord Admiral, Thomas Howard, who was Surrey's eldest son. He in turn was supported by his younger brother Edmund. Marching north Surrey's men stopped first at Alnwick and then continued north to Wooler , where they began to prepare for battle. A CAMP ON FLODDEN HILL By this time King James had moved from his headquarters at Ford Castle and had crossed to the western side of the River Till where he set up camp on the top of Flodden Hill. To here the English sent a messenger challenging the Scots to meet them in battle on Milfield Plain north of Wooler , but the Scots refused as they were not willing to vacate their advantageous lofty position for the flat levels of Milfield. For the time being at least, they remained where they were. By this stage the English and Scottish forces were roughly equal, with around 30,000 men each. THE DAY OF THE BATTLE On the following drizzly morning of Friday 9th September, 1513 the English began assembled for battle and in two parties made their way north, along the eastern flank of the River Till .

The rearguard crossed the river by a ford at Heaton Castle (now gone), the vanguard crossed further north at Twizell Bridge. All this took place in full view of King James. Sir Walter Scott sets the scene; From Flodden ridge, The Scots beheld the English host Leave Barmoor Wood, their evening post And headful watched them as they crossed The Till by Twizell Bridge. High sight it is, and haughty, while They dive into the deep defile; Beneath the cavern'd cliff they fall, Beneath the castle's airy wall. By rock, by oak, by Hawthorn tree, Troop after troop are disappearing; Troop after troop their banners rearing Upon the eastern bank you see. Still pouring down the rocky glen, Where flows the sullen Till, And rising from the dim-wood glen, Standards on standards, men on men, In slow procession still, And sweeping o'er the Gothic arch, And pressing on in ceaseless march, To gain the opposing hill. Although king James could clearly see the movements of the English as they crossed the River Till , for some reason he decided against attacking them at this early stage, when the enemy was at its most vulnerable.

Instead James ordered the burning of camp refuse, creating a dense wall of smoke, which temporarily blocked out the English view of his movements. When the smoke finally cleared the entire Scottish army had moved their position northward from Flodden Hill to the adjacent Branxton Hill. It is worth noting that the Battle of Flodden, was in fact known for many centuries as the `Battle of Branxton'. It was an important move by James, since the English could well have planned to occupy Branxton Hill as Sir Walter Scott suggests in the poem, but now all that lay between them and he Scots was flatter land. This meant that when the English attacked they would have to fight their way up hill, the Scots had the advantage of being able to charge down the slope against their enemy. Before the English could contemplate battle and get anywhere near the Scots they had to cross one major obstacle, a large marshy area formed by the Pallinsburn, a tributary of the River Till . James thought this would hold the English up and tire them out but he was mistaken, the English had men with knowledge of the local countryside and the mossy area was quickly negotiated by means of the Branxton Bridge, a feature unknown to King James.

The English began to assemble in a field at the foot of Branxton Hill with the awesome sight of the Scots looking down upon them. THE BATTLE COMMENCES : A BORDER FRAY The time was four o' clock in the afternoon, when the Scots opened fire on the English, who looked so vulnerable down below. The battle commenced. Almost immediately the inexperience of the Scottish gunmen became apparent. Unable to handle their cumbersome artillery the Scots were missing their targets while the English fired back with much greater precission, until gradually the Scottish guns and gunmen, were blown to pieces. James was quick to react, he noticed a weakness in the right wing of the English army, a section of mainly Lancashire and Cheshire men under Edmund Howard, whose men looked rather disorganised, hungry and a long way from home. Edmund's men were supposed to have been backed up by a reserve of English borderers under Lord Dacre, but these men seemed to have fled the battle scene. James ordered the Scottish left wing, composed mainly of Scottish borderers, under the leadership of Lord Home , to attack this English `Achilles Heal'.

Home's men gladly obliged and went charging down the hill towards the English right wing, causing most of Edmund's men to flee. The brave who remained were quickly slaughtrered. Fortunately for the English, Lord Dacre and his English borderers reappeared on the scene, rescued Edmund and engaged themselves in a battle with their Scottish counterparts. John Heron and his men gave added support. So the opening stages of the battle resembled a kind of grand border fray, with many of the familiar border reiving families, involved in the action. Meanwhile the remainder of the English right wing, under the leadership of Surrey's eldest son, the Lord Admiral, now came under attack from the Scottish section, led by Lords Crawford and Errol, the Battle was now well under way. KING JAMES ATTACKS King James excited by the scene before him was impatient to get involved with the action. In a moment of irrational impulse he wildly led his Scottish centre charging down the hill towards the English centre commanded by the Earl of Surrey. The sight of King James and his men must have struck terror in the English hearts, but they stood their ground and greeted the charge with an onslaught of arrows.

At the base of the hill the Scottish charge was considerably slowed down and almost brought to a halt by an unexpected ridge and boggy area at the foot of the hill. This was a stroke of luck for the English, for it meant that the Scottish charge had lost is momentum. A fierce battle now began at the base of the hill. Now only the Scottish right wing and English left wings were not engaged in battle. This time the English took the initiative with Edward Stanley marching his men up Branxton Hill towards the Scots at the top. Here the Scots army was comprised of fierce looking highland clansmen, under the leadership of the Earls Lennox and Argyle, but Stanley's skilled fighting men were too much for the highlander's. Some fled for their lives, while others including the chiefs of the Campbells and the McCleans, who remained, were slain. Defeat was occuring all around for the unfortunate Scots, so the king desperately began charging towards the English banners held high where the English leaders were located. His actions proved fatal, he was felled from his horse almost unrecognised by his enemies. The following morning he was to become one of ten thousand Scottish victims who lay dead on the battle field.

THE ATTITUDE OF THE BORDERERS Amidst all this slaughter, it is interesting to note the attitudes of the Border Reiver factions of the English and Scottish armies, who showed their true colours, as the fight progressed. Mosstroopers and reivers from both nations, most notably from the dales of Tyne and Teviot, gathered together under the leadership of Lord Home and began stripping the slain of their possessions and plundering the baggage of both armies as the night of fighting continued. National pride and identity were seemingly a low priority of the Borderers in those days gone by. A VICTORY FOR THE ENGLISH The Battle of Flodden was a decisive victory for the English. For the Scots it had been a disaster, with many of the most important members of Scottish society killed or slain in the conflict. The Scottish dead included twelve earls, fifteen lords, many clan chiefs an archbishop and above all King James himself. It is said that every great family in Scotland mourned the loss of someone at the Battle of Flodden.

The dead were remembered in the famous Scottish pipe tune The Flowers of the Forest; We'll here nae mair lilting at our ewe milking, Women and bairns are heartless and wae, Sighing and moaning on a ilka green loaning, The flowers of the forest are a wede away. Today a large granite cross marks the site of the Battle of Flodden. It is touchingly inscribed; TO THE BRAVE OF BOTH NATIONS King James IV was killed at the Battle of Flodden Field - On this day in hi - On this day in history - Celebrate Scotland On this day in history King James Iv Was Killed At The Battle Of Flodden Field On This Day 09/09/2016 Share this story King James IV was killed at the Battle of Flodden Field - On this day in history df44c22b-6187-4126-9e13-b1ff486a38ea King James IV of Scotland was killed at the Battle of Flodden Field on 9 September 1513, becoming the last Scottish (and British) monarch to die in battle.

The battle was fought at Branxton in Northumberland, and saw opposing Scottish and English forces of between 20,000 and 30,000 men. Despite the similar size of the two armies, the promising position taken by James IV's forces on the battlefield proved of little worth when faced with English artillery, which proved to be superior in the rain-logged conditions on the day. Up to 10,000 Scots were killed at Flodden Field and as well as losing its king, Scotland also lost fourteen prominent earls. A body which was said to be that of James IV was taken from the field and eventually buried, rumours persisted that the king had actually escaped and was living overseas. King James IV was succeeded by his infant son, who became King James V of Scotland . Historic Scottish Battles - From Rampant Scotland Rampant Scotland Historic Scottish Battles For centuries, the direction of Scotland's development was influenced by the outcome of the many battles which took place on her soil - or over the Border in England. There were glorious victories and terrible defeats. Many, but not all battles, were fought against the English.

And, it has to be said, it was not unknown for the Scots to initiate the contest by invading their larger neighbour! This extensive list of 40 conflicts gives an outline of many of these battles and in all cases there are links to other Websites where you can find out more. Battle of Ancrum Moor - 1545 During the "Rough Wooing" as King Henry VIII of England tried to persuade Mary Queen of Scots to marry his son, an English force marched into the Scottish Borders, destroying Melrose Abbey. The invaders were defeated at Ancrum Moor by a force only half their size consisting of Douglases, Leslies, Lindsays and Scotts. Battle of Bannockburn - 1314 An English army, led by Edward II, marching to relieve Stirling Castle, were met by King Robert the Bruce at Bannock Burn, near Stirling. The over-confident English army was soundly defeated, losing 3/4,000 men, Scottish casualties were light. King Edward II escaped back to England.

Battle of Flodden - 1513 When King James V had married Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, in 1503, he had signed a "Treaty of Everlasting Peace" between Scotland and England. But James had renewed the "Auld Alliance" with France when King Henry VIII of England had invaded France. James did not need to take action but nevertheless advanced into England, in part because Henry VIII had opened old wounds by claiming to be the overlord of Scotland which angered the Scots and the King. The Pope threatened James with ecclesiastical censure for breaking his peace treaties with England and subsequently James was excommunicated. After some minor successes he met an English army at Flodden on September 9 1513. The battle was the heaviest defeat ever experienced by a Scottish army, with the slaughter of the King and the flower of Scottish nobility - at least ten earls, countless lords and an estimated death toll of 10,000 Scots from the Highlands and the Lowlands. Battle of the Boyne - 1690 Using finance and troops supplied by Louis XIV of France, James VII made a final attempt to regain his throne.

He landed in Ireland where he had a large number of supporters amongst the Catholic community. King William (of Orange) personally led an army of 30,000 men, outnumbering the Jacobites. As James advanced towards Dublin, the armies met west of Drogheda, at the river Boyne. James was defeated and fled back to France. Battle of the Braes - 1882 While perhaps not in the same league as many other battles on Scottish soil, the Battle of the Braes got a lot of publicity at the time. It arose as part of the Highland "Clearances" when a group of crofters at Braes, near Portree, refused to allow the Sheriff's Officer deliver a summons. 50 Glasgow policemen were sent to put down the "uprising" and a battle took place at Braes when 100 crofters attacked them. The ensuing court cases received a lot of publicity and helped to highlight the problems being faced by the crofting communities. Battle of Carberry Hill - 1567 A confrontation between Mary Queen of Scots and an army of lords, led by James Douglas, Earl of Morton.

The lords wanted to arrest Lord Bothwell, Mary's husband, because they believed that Bothwell had been involved in the murder of Mary's second husband, Lord Darnley. After long negotiations (there was no actual fighting) Mary agreed but Bothwell fled to Orkney. A few days later, Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. Battle of Carham - 1018 An army from Northumberland, seeking to recover Lothian which had been captured by King Malcolm II of Scotland, clashed with Malcolm at Carham on the river Tweed. The Scots were victorious and henceforth the river Tweed became accepted as the border between Scotland and England. Battle of the Clans - 1396 To resolve a dispute between the clans Chattan and Kaye, King Robert III arranged for representatives of the two clans to meet in combat on the North Inch in Perth. Watched by the king, his courtiers and a large crowd, clan Kaye was routed - supposedly only one survived, by swimming across the nearby river Tay. Battle of Culloden - 1746 The final battle of the Jacobite Uprising of 1745/46.

The army of Prince Charles Edward Stewart, consisting mainly of Highlanders, was soundly defeated by the Duke of Cumberland, bringing to an end the ambitions of the "Young Pretender" to recover the throne for the Stewart dynasty. Battle of Dunbar, 1296 When King Edward I of England ordered his puppet, King John (Balliol) to supply Scots troops to fight in France, Parliament refused to allow it and forced Balliol to renounce his allegiance. Edward immediately invaded Scotland, captured Berwick and, a few weeks later, crushed the Scottish army at a battle outside Dunbar. Many of the Scottish nobles who were captured were sent south to act as hostages. Battle of Dunbar - 1650 Oliver Cromwell advanced into Scotland, initially with 16,000 men, supported by ships along the east coast, in pursuit of King Charles I. The Scots army, led by David Leslie, thwarted his attempts to take the port of Leith and Cromwell retired to Dunbar. The pursuing Scottish army was badly organised for the battle and Cromwell won not only won the battle but was able to hold sway over most of Lowland Scotland.

Battle of Dunkeld - 1689 After the death of the brilliant James Graham, Viscount Dundee, at Killiecrankie, the Jacobite army had no leader of quality. In August, 5,000 clansmen attacked Dunkeld which was held by a much smaller Government force of Cameronians. They fought a determined rear-guard action through the town, killing many of the attacking Jacobites in the process. Eventually, the Jacobites withdrew and, with the onset of winter, the Highlanders dispersed. With the defeat of King James VII at the Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland the following year, Dunkeld was the last battle in Scotland in the 17th century to restore the Stewarts to the throne. Battle of Dunnichen - 685 It has been argued that if the King Bruide of the Picts had not defeated an invasion by Ecgfrith, King of Northumbria on May 20, 685, Scotland as a separate nation would not have come into being. The Northumbrians had already advanced as far as Lothian, south of the river Forth and defeated the Gododdin and had subjugated the southern lands of the Picts.

The Picts had suffered a serious defeat on the plain of "Manau" (near Grangemouth) and 12 years later a huge force of Northumbrians advanced into the land of the Picts. But using local knowledge of the area around Dunnichen (known as Nechtansmere to the later southern historians), the Picts won an overwhelming victory, bringing to an end the northern advance of the Northumbrians. Battle of Dupplin Moor - 1332 The defeat of Bannockburn in 1314 rankled with Edward III and he encouraged a group of exiled Scottish nobles, (the so-called "Disinherited") led by Edward Balliol (son of John Balliol) to invade Scotland using ships supplied by the English king. A landing was made at Kinghorn but they were confronted by a Scottish force led by Donald, the earl of Mar, Regent of Scotland during the minority of King David II. Balliol was successful, slew the earls of Mar, Menteith and Moray and 2,000 of the defenders.

Balliol went on to claim the throne only to be overthrown later the same year by a new Regent, the earl of Moray. Battle of Falkirk - 1298 Wallace's victory at Stirling Bridge in September 1297 was short lived. King Edward marched north and met Wallace's army at Falkirk in July, 1298. The English (and Welsh) bowmen depleted the Scottish ranks, many of whom were untrained conscripts. Wallace was to continue the fight but in a guerilla a war and was betreayed and captured in 1305. Battle Of Falkirk - 1746 The retreating Jacobite army of Prince Charles Edward Stewart, pursued by the Duke of Cumberland, marched from Glasgow on 3 January 1746 towards Stirling. Units of the two armies clashed, the MacDonald regiments in particular gave a good account of themselves and the Jacobites were victorious. Nevertheless, they headed north again - to the final battle at Culloden three months later.

Battle of Flodden - 1513 Once again the "Auld Alliance" between Scotland and France came into play and King James IV responded to a request from Louis XII of France who was being attacked by King Henry VIII of England. Despite treaties which had been signed between Scotland and England in 1502, James IV advanced into England with an army said to number 30,000. After some early successes, a number of castles fell to the Scottish cannon. But an English army, led by the earl of Surrey, met the Scots on Flodden Field in Northumberland. After a bloody battle, in which King James and the flower of Scottish nobility fell, the English commander estimated that 10,000 Scottish soldiers had been killed. Battle of Glenfruin - 1603 400 MacGregors ambushed a larger number of Colquhouns in the glen. They took no prisoners and 140 Colquhouns were killed. A large number of sheep and cattle were stolen. Two days before he journied to London to assume the title of King of England as well as Scotland, King James VI held a judicial review of the incident.

The MacGregor name was banned Battle of Glenshiel - 1719 After the abortive Jacobite Uprising of 1715, the "Old Pretender" returned to France and then Italy. However, in 1719 he became involved in an armada from Spain which was to invade England. The main fleet was wrecked by storms and only a small force arrived at Eilean Donan Castle at Loch Duich on the west coast of Scotland. The mixed force of Spaniards and clansmen marched to Glenshiel and were met by government forces and defeated. Battle of Halidon Hill - 1333 Despite being driven out of Scotland, Edward Balliol made another attempt to gain the throne of Scotland. This time the English King Edward III marched north himself and laid siege to Berwick. A relief force, under Archibald, lord of Douglas, was confronted by the English army on the slopes of Halidon Hill. Douglas had a numerically superior army but the English longbow men decimated them. Berwick fell soon after.

Battle of Harlaw - 1411 When Donald, Lord of the Isles, marched with possibly as many as 10,000 clansmen eastwards from his stronghold, sacking Inverness and headed for Aberdeen. Alexander, earl of Mar gathered together a force of volunteers and marched with his smaller force to meet the invaders. Despite numerous charges by the clansmen, they were unable to break through the earl of Mar's lines and eventually withdrew, back to Inverness and the west. Casualties at "Bloody Harlaw" were high on both sides. Battle of Inverlochy - 1645 The Marquis of Montrose, after his success at the Battle of Tippermuir (see below), was being pursued by a Covenanting force led by the Marquis of Argyll and his Campbell clan (though a General Baillie also though he was in command and the two men could not stand the sight of one another!). Argyll's forces amounted to 3,000 experienced Highland fighters; Montrose had about half that but they were also well trained - and included a contingent of MacDonalds who had scores to settle with the Campbells.

Montrose showed his skill as a general and confused Covenanters who were subsequently routed - it is said that 1,500 Campbells and their allies were killed that day. Battle of Killiecrankie - 1689 The Jacobites, led by James Graham, Viscount Dundee, gathered at Killiecrankie. Many of the Highland clans assembled there in support of James VII, including Cameron of Lochiel, MacLean of Duart, MacDonald, Stewart, McNeil, MacLeods and Fraser. The government forces of King William, under Hugh Mackay of Scourie, advanced through the Pass of Killiecrankie and joined battle. After a fierce conflict, the government forces were forced to retreat. But the cost to the Jacobites was high - their commander, Viscount Dundee,, was killed by a musket shot. Just at this moment of victory, the Jacobite cause was lost as there was no-one of his stature to lead them. Battle of Kilsyth - 1645 The Marquis of Montrose led his royalist force of Highlanders and Irish to another victory at Kilsyth, leaving him in control of much of Scotland.

In England, King Charles I was not faring so well against Cromwell, having been defeated at the Battle of Naseby. Battle of Langside - 1568 Having escaped from Loch Leven Castle in Fife, Mary Queen of Scots attempted to reach Dumbarton Castle in the west. The earl of Moray quickly assembled an army and attempted to cut her off as she travelled to the south of Glasgow. Moray held the high ground at Langside and after an exchange of cannon fire, this became an advantage in the ensuing hand to hand fighting. Mary's army was routed and she fled to England where, after 19 years of imprisonment, she was beheaded at Fotheringay Castle by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Battle of Largs - 1263 In the middle of the 13th century, King Hakon of Norway ruled not only in Scandinavia but also over the Western Isles of Scotland, the Isle of Man and Iceland. In 1263 he set sail with the largest fleet ever assembled and set sail for Scotland. Hampered by bad weather, Hakon eventually arrived in the estuary of the river Clyde.

They pillaged around Loch Long but on 30 September strong winds forced them ashore. The Scots plundered the ships and Hakon sent a force of 700-800 warriors ashore to reclaim his vessels. The Scots attacked again and the Vikings withdrew. While not a great battle, it marked the start of their decline in the west of Scotland. Battle of Mons Graupius - AD84 The precise place where the Caledonian leader, Calgacus, met the Roman advance led by Agricola is not known but it was probably in north-east Scotland in what is now Aberdeenshire. There were said to be 30,000 Caledonii who were defeated by the disciplined Roman legions in the only known set piece battle in the north. 1,300 years later, a transcription error led to the name becoming "Grampian" which is the name now given to the Cairngorm mountains, east and south of the river Spey. Battle of Neville's Cross - 1346 Responding to a request for assistance by King Philip of France, King David II led an army into the north of England, advancing as far as Durham.

The northern English barons, Neville and Percy, assembled an army to meet the invading Scots, who were numerically superior. Again the English longbows and better tactics won the day and not only were the Scots defeated, King David was captured. He remained a prisoner in the Tower of London for eleven years. Battle of Otterburn - 1388 A successful foray by James, second earl Douglas, into northern England, swept as far as Durham and then fell back destroying and pillaging as it went. Henry Percy, better known as "Hotspur" assembled an army and set off in pursuit. Douglas was leading a force of around 3,000 men and Hotspur had twice that number. The two forces met south of Otterburn late in the evening of 19 August. The battle continued into the night - the darkness meant that the English bowmen were ineffective. By morning, the wounded Hotspur had been captured and 1,000 English had been killed. However, Douglas himself, leading a charge into the enemy, was fatally wounded.

Battle of Pinkie - 1547 King Henry VIII of England tried to persuade Mary Queen of Scots to marry his son, and undertook a series of incursions into Scotland known as the "Rough Wooing". The Duke of Somerset assembled an English army in Newcastle in 1547 and marched into the Borders of Scotland with 16,000 men. The Regent of Scotland at that time was the Earl of Arran and he allowed the English to advance as far as the river Esk in Lothian. The Scots army of 25,000 men looked formidable but the greater fire power of English cannon (both on land and from a fleet off the coast) and better tactics crushed the Scottish army. It is estimated that 10,000 Scots fell that day and English losses were said to be only 250. Battle of Prestonpans - 1745 After raising his standard at Glenfinnan on August 19, Prince Charles Edward Stewart marched south to Edinburgh, reaching there by September 14. The Hanoverian army under Sir John Cope gathered near the hamlet of Prestonpans to the east of the city.

A local force of Jacobite sympathisers surprised the Government forces by picking their way across a marsh during the night and attacking at dawn. They soon put the redcoats to flight. Casualties on both side were relatively light but 1600 government soldiers and their supplies were captured. Battle of Rullion Green - 1666 After the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, the king attempted to impose his Episcopalian ideas on the Church of Scotland, replacing clergy who would not co-operate. The new ministers were not popular and in November 1666 and there was a rebellion, starting in Galloway but spreading throughout the south-west. As the Covenanters advanced towards Edinburgh they were pursued by Sir Thomas (Tam) Dalyell who caught up with around 1,000 of them in the Pentland Hills at Rullion Green. The rebels made a brave stand but were overwhelmed. Some were hung, many others were transported abroad. Battle of Sauchieburn - 1488 James III alienated a number of his nobles, and a number of barons he had dispossessed rebelled, supported by the king's son.

James III led his forces, mainly from the north, to confront the rebels and they met at Sauchieburn (not far from Bannockburn). King James was killed (he escaped the battle but was murdered shortly afterwards). His son, now James IV, wore an iron chain round his waist for the rest of his life to atone for his part in his father's death. Battle of Sherrifmuir - 1715 The Earl of Mar, leading the Jacobite forces in support of James Francis Edward Stewart (the "Old Pretender"), had taken control of most of Scotland north of Perth. The government forces led by the Duke of Argyll advanced from the south and the two armies met on the hills of Sherrifmuir, east of Dunblane in November 1715. The battle was inconclusive but afterwards the Jacobites withdrew. The Old Pretender arrived in Scotland (much later than expected) in December 1715 but stayed only six weeks before being persuaded to return to France. Battle of Solway Moss - 1542 After a raid into Scotland by the Earl of Norfolk, King James V sent a force of 10,000 into England in retaliation.

Led by Lord Maxwell, the Scots were met short of Solway Moss by an English force led by Sir Thomas Wharton. Badly led, the Scots army disintegrated. A few weeks later King James V died at Falkland Palace, leaving the infant Mary Queen of Scots to inherit the throne. Battle of Stirling Bridge - 1297 William Wallace fought a guerrilla war for a number of years against the English who were effectively in occupation with the English king's puppet, John Balliol on the throne. The Earl of Surrey led an punitive force to confront Wallace and they met at Stirling Bridge. The overconfident English army advanced across a narrow bridge across the Forth. At the right moment, Wallace ordered the attack and the English foot soldiers were swept into the river. Battle of the Standard - 1138 Taking advantage of the precarious hold King Stephen of England had on the throne, King David I of Scotland made a number of successful incursions into northern England. In 1138, in another push into Northumberland, his mixed force of Lowlanders, Highlanders and Galloway men were confronted by an army of Northern nobles recruited by the Archbishop of York.

Their flying banners gave the battle, beyond Northallerton in Northumberland. A number of charges were beaten back by English bowmen and King David decided to make an orderly withdrawal back across the border. Battle of Tippermuir - 1644 Marching towards Perth, the Duke of Montrose found his way blocked by a force of Covenanters led by Lord Elcho who commanded the garrison at Perth. Montrose was victorious and marched into Perth, much to the discomfort of the local clergy. The Battle of Flodden 1513 By Ben Johnson | Comments In September 1513, the largest battle (in number of troops) between England and Scotland took place. The battle took place in Northumberland, just outside the village of Branxton hence the alternative name for the battle, the Battle of Branxton. Prior to the battle, the Scots were based at Flodden Edge, which is how the battle became known as the Battle of Flodden.

"I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking, Lassies a-lilting before dawn o' day; But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning; The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away". Dool and wae for the order sent oor lads tae the Border! The English for ance, by guile wan the day, The Flooers o' the Forest, that fought aye the foremost, The pride o' oor land lie cauld in the clay. I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking, Lassies a-lilting before dawn o' day; But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning; The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away" -- Extract from "The Flowers of the Forest", Jean Elliot, 1756 The Battle of Flodden was essentially a retaliation for King Henry VIII 's invasion of France in May 1513.

The invasion provoked the French King Louis XII to invoke the terms of the Auld Alliance , a defensive alliance between France and Scotland to deter England from invading either country, with a treaty that stipulated that if either country was invaded by England the other country would invade England in retaliation. King Henry VIII of England (left) and King James IV of Scotland The French King sent arms, experienced captains and money to help with the counter attack of England. In August 1513, after King Henry VIII rejected King James IV of Scotland's ultimatum to either withdraw from France or Scotland would invade England, an estimated 60,000 Scottish troops crossed the River Tweed into England. Henry VIII had anticipated the French using the Auld Alliance to encourage the Scottish to invade England and therefore had only drawn troops from the south of England and the Midlands to invade France. This left Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey (Lieutenant-General in the North) to command the English against the invasion from north of the border. The Earl of Surrey was a veteran of Barnet and Bosworth. His experience became invaluable as this 70 year-old man began to head north assimilating large contingents from the Northern Counties as he headed to Alnwick.

By the time he reached Alnwick on the 4th September 1513 he had assembled around 26,000 men. The Earl of Surrey heard news that King James of Scotland planned to position his army at Flodden Edge on the 7th September 1513. Flodden Edge is an impressive feature rising up to a height of between 500-600 feet. On hearing the news of the Scots position, Surrey appealed to King James to fight on more level ground. But Surreys appeal fell on deaf ears and King James refused. The day before battle, Surrey began marching his army north so that by the morning of the battle on the 9th September 1513, the English were in a position to start approaching the Scots from the north. This meant that King James' lines of retreat across the River Tweed at Coldstream would be cut off if he remained at Flodden Edge, forcing him to march the Scots a mile from Flodden Edge to Branxton Hill, a less daunting but still uneven vantage point. The outcome of The Battle of Flodden was mainly due to the choice of weapons used.

The Scots had advanced in the continental style of the time. This meant a series of massed pike formations. The Scottish armies' great advantage of using high ground became its downfall as the hilly terrain and ground became slippery underfoot, slowing down the advances and attacks. Unfortunately, the pike is most effective in battles of movement which The Battle of Flodden was not. The English chose a more familiar weapon, the bill (shown on the right). This favoured the terrain and the flow of the battle, proving to have the stopping power of a spear and the power of an axe. Surreys style of using the medieval favourites of the bill and bow against the more Renaissance style of the Scottish with their French pikes proved superior and Flodden became known as the victory of bill over pike! The English Army led by the Earl of Surrey lost around 1,500 men at the Battle of Flodden but had no real lasting effect on English history. The 70-year old Earl of Surrey gained his fathers title of Duke of Norfolk and went on to live on into his 80's! The repercussions of the Battle of Flodden were much greater for the Scots.

Most of the accounts on how many Scottish lives were lost at Flodden conflict, but it is thought to be between 10,000 to 17,000 men. This included a large proportion of the nobility and more tragically its King. King James IV of Scotland's death meant a minor noble ascended the throne (an unfortunately familiar tale in Scottish history) causing a new era of political instability for the Scottish nation. The Scottish still remember the Battle of Flodden today with the haunting ballad and pipe tune "The Flowers of the Forest". Written 300 years after Flodden, the lyrics are written to commemorate the fallen Scots. Flodden Memorial. Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: Stephen McKay Tweet If you enjoyed this article, you might also like... The Auld Enemies - Scotland and England have taken up arms against each other many times over the centuries. Four of the major battles were Flodden in 1513, Dunbar in 1650, Prestonpans in 1745 and Culloden in 1746.

Kings and Queens of Scotland - Sovereigns of Scotland 1005-1603 ... Henry VIII - Best known for his six wives: "Divorced, Beheaded, Died: Divorced, Beheaded ... The Auld Alliance - France and Scotland - Dating back to 1295, the Auld Alliance was built upon Scotland and France’s shared interests in controlling England’s aggressive expansion plans Advertising The Battle of Flodden Field - definition of The Battle of Flodden Field by The Free Dictionary The Battle of Flodden Field - definition of The Battle of Flodden Field by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Wikipedia . ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Noun 1. Battle of Flodden Field - a battle in 1513; the English defeated the invading Scots and James IV was killed Flodden England - a division of the United Kingdom Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: Flodden References in periodicals archive ?

1513: The Battle of Flodden Field was fought near Branxton in Northumberland, in which James IV of Scotland was defeated and killed by English troops under Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey. ON THIS DAY From the Norman Conquest in 1066 until the union of England and Scotland under James I and VI in 1603, Northumberland was the scene of frequent invasions including the battle of Flodden Field in 1513 where King James IV of Scotland was killed. Copyright © 2003-2017 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.

Battle of Flodden | Familypedia | Fandom powered by Wikia Redeswire The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey . It ended in victory for the English army, and was the largest battle (in terms of numbers) fought between the two nations. [5] James IV was himself killed in the battle, becoming the last British monarch to suffer such a fate. Contents [ show ] Background This conflict began when James IV, King of Scots declared war on England to honour the Auld Alliance with France by diverting Henry VIII 's English troops from their campaign against the French king Louis XII . Henry VIII had also opened old wounds by claiming to be the overlord of Scotland which angered the Scots and the King. At this time England was involved in the War of the League of Cambrai – defending Italy and the Pope from the French (see Italian Wars ) as a member of the " Catholic League ".

Pope Leo X , already a signatory to the anti-French treaty of Mechlin, sent a letter to James threatening him with ecclesiastical censure for breaking his peace treaties with England on 28 June 1513, and subsequently James was excommunicated by Cardinal Christopher Bainbridge . James also summoned sailors and sent the Scottish navy, including the Great Michael to join the ships of Louis XII of France. [6] Henry was in France with the Emperor Maximilian at the siege of Thérouanne . Catherine of Aragon was Regent in England and, on 27 August she issued warrants for the property of all Scotsmen in England to be seized. [7] Invasion Using the pretext of revenge for the murder of Robert Kerr, a Warden of the Scottish East March who had been killed by John "The Bastard" Heron in 1508, James invaded England with an army of about 30,000 men in 1513. [5] In keeping with his understanding of the medieval code of chivalry , King James sent notice to the English, one month in advance, of his intent to invade.

This gave the English time to gather an army and, as importantly, to retrieve the banner of Saint Cuthbert from the Cathedral of Durham , a banner which had been carried by the English in victories against the Scots in 1138 and 1346. [8] [9] After a muster on the Burgh Muir of Edinburgh, the Scottish host moved to Ellemford, to the north of Duns , and camped to wait for Angus and Home , and then crossed the River Tweed near Coldstream . By the 29 August, Norham Castle was taken and partly demolished. The Scots moved south capturing the castles of Etal and Ford . [10] A later chronicler, Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie , tells the story that James wasted valuable time at Ford enjoying the company of Lady Heron and her daughter. [11] Battle The battle actually took place near the village of Branxton , in the county of Northumberland , rather than at Flodden — hence the alternative name is Battle of Branxton. The Scots had previously been stationed at Flodden Edge, to the south of Branxton.

The Earl of Surrey, writing at Wooler Haugh on Wednesday 7 September, compared this position to a fortress in his challenge sent to James IV by Thomas Hawley , the Rouge Croix Pursuivant. He complained that James had sent his Islay Herald agreeing that they would join in battle on Friday between 12.00 and 3.00 pm, and asked that James would face him on the plain at Milfield as appointed. [12] Next, Surrey moved to block off the Scots' route north and so James was forced to move his army and artillery 2 miles to Branxton Hill. [13] The Scottish artillery included 5 great curtals, 2 great culverins , 4 sakers , and 6 great serpentines. [14] When the armies were within 3 miles of each other Surrey sent the Rouge Croix pursuivant to James who answered that he would wait till noon. At 11 o'clock Lord Howard's vanguard and artillery crossed the Twissell Bridge.

(Pitscottie says the king would not allow the Scots artillery to fire on the vulnerable English during this manouevre.) [15] The Scots army was in good order in 5 formations, after the Almain (German) manner. On Friday afternoon the Scots host descended without speaking any word to meet the English. [16] According to English report, first the groups commanded by the Earls of Huntly and Crawford totalling 6000 men engaged Lord Howard and were repulsed and mostly slain. Baron Dacre's company fought Huntly and the Chamberlain Lord Home's men. [17] Then James IV himself leading a great force came on to Surrey and Lord Darcy 's son who bore the brunt of the battle. Lennox and Argyll's commands were met by Sir Edward Stanley. [18] External images Events of the 9th September 1513 - Map Western side of the battlefield, looking south-south-east from the monument erected in 1910. The Scottish army advanced down the ploughed field, the English down the grassy field in the foreground, and they met, presumably at the valley boundary between the two fields.

After the artillery fire ended, according to the English chronicler Edward Hall , "the battle was cruel, none spared other, and the King himself fought valiantly." [19] James was killed within a spear length from Surrey and his body taken to Berwick upon Tweed . Hall says the King was fatally wounded by an arrow and a bill. [20] The Earl of Surrey captured the Scottish guns, including a group of culverins made in Edinburgh by Robert Borthwick called the 'seven sisters,' which were dragged to Etal Castle. The Bishop of Durham thought them the finest ever seen. [21] The biggest error the Scots made was placing their officers in the front line, medieval style. A Scottish letter of January 1514 contrasts this loss of the nobility with the English great men who took their stand with the reserves and at the rear. [22] The English generals stayed behind the lines in the Renaissance style. The loss of so many Scottish officers meant there was no one to coordinate a retreat. [23] Tactics and aftermath Weaponry Flodden was essentially a victory of bill used by the English over the pike used by the Scots.

As a weapon, the pike was effective only in a battle of movement, especially to withstand a cavalry charge. The Scottish pikes were described by the author of the Trewe Encounter as "keen and sharp spears 5 yards long." [24] Although the pike had become a Swiss weapon of choice and represented modern warfare, the hilly terrain of Northumberland, the nature of the combat, and the slippery footing did not allow it to be employed to best effect. Bishop Ruthall reported to Wolsey, 'the bills disappointed the Scots of their long spears, on which they relied.' [25] The infantrymen at Flodden, both Scots and English, had fought in a fashion that in essence would have been familiar to their ancestors, and it has rightly been described as the last great medieval battle in the British Isles. This was the last time that bill and pike would come together as equals in battle. Two years later Francis I defeated the Swiss pikemen at the Battle of Marignano , using a combination of heavy cavalry and artillery, ushering in a new era in the history of war.

An official English diplomatic report issued by Brian Tuke noted the Scots' iron spears but concluded: 'the English halberdiers decided the whole affair, so that in the battle the bows and ordnance were of little use.' [26] Despite Tuke's comment (he was not present), tactically, this battle was one of the first major engagements on the British Isles where artillery was significantly deployed. John Lesley , writing sixty years later, noted the Scottish bullets flew over the English heads while the English cannon was effective, the one army placed so high and the other so low. [27] The battle is considered the last decisive use of the longbow, yet through the 16th century the English longbowmen continued to have success, as in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh . Many of these archers were recruited from Lancashire and Cheshire . Sir Richard Assheton raised one such company from Middleton , near Manchester . In gratitude for his safe return, he rebuilt St. Leonard's , the local parish church. It contains the unique "Flodden Window" depicting each of the archers, and the priest who accompanied them, by name in stained glass.

The success of the Cheshire yeomanry, under the command of Richard Cholmeley , led to his later appointment as Lieutenant of the Tower of London . [28] Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk was given an augmentation of honour to commemorate the Battle of Flodden Field Honours As a reward for his victory, Howard was subsequently restored to the title of " Duke of Norfolk ", lost by his father's support for Richard III . The arms of the Dukes of Norfolk still carry an augmentation of honour awarded on account of their ancestor's victory at Flodden, a modified version of the Royal coat of arms of Scotland with an arrow through the lion's mouth. Legends of a lost king Thomas Hawley, the Rouge Croix pursuivant, was first with news of the victory. He brought the 'rent surcoat of the King of Scots stained with blood' to Catherine of Aragon at Woburn Abbey . She sent news of the victory to Henry VIII at Tournai with Hawley, and then sent James's coat (and iron gauntlets ) on 16 September, with a detailed account of the battle written by Lord Howard.

Brian Tuke mentioned in his letter to Cardinal Bainbridge that the coat was lacerated and chequered with blood. [29] Catherine suggested Henry should use the coat as his battle-banner, and wrote that she had thought to send him the body too, but 'Englishmen's hearts would not suffer it.' [30] James's body was taken first to Berwick on Tweed, where according to Hall's Chronicle, it was viewed by the captured Scottish courtiers William Scott and John Forman who acknowledged it was the King's. The body was then embalmed and taken to Newcastle upon Tyne . [31] From York , a city that James had promised to capture before Michaelmas , the body was brought to Sheen Priory near London. [32] James's banner, sword and his cuisses , thigh-armour, were taken to the shrine of Saint Cuthbert at Durham Cathedral. [33] Much of the armour of the Scottish casualties was sold on the field, and 350 suits of armour were taken to Nottingham Castle . A list of horses taken at the field runs to 24 pages.

[34] Soon after the battle there were legends that James IV had survived; a Scottish merchant at Tournai in October claimed to have spoken with him, [35] Lindsay of Pitscottie records two myths; "thair cam four great men upon hors, and every ane of thame had ane wisp upoun thair spear headis, quhairby they might know one another and brought the king furth of the feild, upoun ane dun hackney," and also that the king escaped from the field but was killed between Duns and Kelso. [36] Similarly, John Lesley adds that the body taken to England was "my lord Bonhard" and James was seen in Kelso after the battle and then went secretly on pilgrimage in far nations. [37] A legend arose that James had been warned against invading England by supernatural powers. While he was praying in St Michael's Kirk at Linlithgow , a man strangely dressed in blue had approached his desk saying his mother had told him to say James should not to go to war or take the advice of women. Then before the King could reply, the man vanished.

David Lindsay of the Mount and John Inglis could find no trace of him. The historian R. L. Mackie wondered if the incident really happened as a masquerade orchestrated by an anti-war party: Norman MacDougall doubts if there was a significant anti-war faction. [38] Scotland after Flodden The wife of James IV, Margaret Tudor , is said to have awaited news of her husband at Linlithgow Palace , where a room at the top of a tower is called 'Queen's Margaret's bower.' Her 17 month old son became King James V . The Parliament of Scotland met at Stirling on 21 September 1513, where the infant King was crowned. Margaret Tudor was guardian or 'tutrix' of the King, but not made Regent of Scotland . Instead, John Stewart, Duke of Albany , a grandson of James II of Scotland who lived in France was invited to be Regent in December. Margaret gave birth to James's posthumous son Alexander in April 1514. [39] Casualties Surrey's army lost 1,500 men killed. [2] There were various conflicting accounts of the Scottish loss.

A contemporary French source, the Gazette of the Battle of Flodden, said that about 10,000 Scots were killed, [4] a claim made by Henry VIII on 16 September while he was still uncertain of the death of James IV. William Knight sent the news from Lille to Rome on 20 September, claiming 12,000 Scots had died with less than 500 English casualties. [40] Italian newsletters put the Scottish losses at 18 or 20 thousand and the English at 5000. Brian Tuke, the English Clerk of the Signet, sent a newsletter stating 10,000 Scots killed and 10,000 escaped the field. Tuke reckoned the total Scottish invasion force to have been 60,000 and the English army at 40,000. [41] George Buchanan wrote in his History of Scotland (published in 1582) that, according to the lists that were compiled throughout the counties of Scotland, there were about 5,000 killed.

[3] A plaque on the monument to the 2nd Duke of Norfolk (as the Earl of Surrey became in 1514) at Thetford put the figure at 17,000. [3] Edward Hall, thirty years after, wrote in his Chronicle that "12,000 at the least of the best gentlemen and flower of Scotland" were slain. [42] As the nineteenth century antiquarian John Riddell supposed, nearly every noble family in Scotland would have have lost a member at Flodden. [43] The dead are remembered by the song (and pipe tune) "The Flowers of the Forest "; We'll hae nae mair lilting, at the yowe-milking, Women and bairns are dowie and wae. Sighing and moaning, on ilka green loaning, The flowers of the forest are all wede away. Contemporary English ballads also recalled the tragedy of the Scottish losses; To tell you plaine, twelve thousand were slaine, that to the fight did stand; And many prisoners tooke that day, the best in all Scotland.

That day made many a fatherlesse childe, and many a widow poore; And many a Scottish gay Lady, sate weeping in her bowre. [44] A legend grew that while the artillery was being prepared in Edinburgh before the battle, a demon called Plotcock had read out the names of those who would be killed at the Mercat Cross on the Royal Mile . According to Pitscottie, a former Provost of Edinburgh , Richard Lawson, who lived nearby threw a coin at the Cross to appeal from this summons and survived the battle. [45] Notable men who died included: Alexander Strathauchin of Balmady. [50] Sir Brian Tunstall of Thurland Castle ; died in battle Battlefield today The battlefield still looks much as it probably did at the time of the battle, but the burn and marsh which so badly hampered the Scots advance is now drained. A monument, erected in 1910, is easily reached from Branxton village by following the road past St Paul's Church. There is a small car park and a clearly marked and signposted battlefield trail with interpretive boards which make it easy to visualise the battle.

Only the chancel arch remains of the medieval church where James IV's body was said to have rested after the battle – the rest is Victorian, dating from 1849 in the "Norman" style. 500th Anniversary Since 2008, there have been plans afoot to mark the Quincentennial of the battle on, and before the 9th September 2013. [51] In fiction "Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field" (1808), an epic poem in six cantos by Sir Walter Scott The Battle of Flodden Field, told from several different perspectives, is the subject of the novel, "Flodden Field", by Elisabeth McNeill, pub.2007 The Flowers of the Forest , a historical novel by Elizabeth Byrd, chronicles the life of Queen Margaret Tudor of Scotland and culminates in the Battle of Flodden Arthur Sullivan wrote an overture, his Overture Marmion (1867), inspired by the Scott poem.

There is no historical record of anyone from the Clan Munro taking part in the Battle of Flodden Field, however there is an old tradition that the Munros of Argyll are descended from a Flodden survivor. One of these descendants was Neil Munro (writer) . [52] Footnotes ^ C. I. Fraser of Reeling. "The Clan Munro". page 21. ISBN 717945359 References The earliest accounts of the battle are English. These contemporary sources include; the Articles of the Bataill bitwix the Kinge of Scottes and therle of Surrey in Brankstone Field said to be a field despatch; Brian Tuke's news-letter to Cardinal Bainbridge; an Italian poem, La Rotta de Scosesi in part based on Tuke's letters; a news-sheet printed in London, The Trewe Encountre; another lost news-sheet printed by Richard Pynson which was the source used in Edward Hall's Chronicle. These sources are compared and contrasted in the 1995 English Heritage report. Hodgkin, T., "The Battle of Flodden", in Arcaeologia Aeliania, vol.

16, 1894. Kightly, C., Flodden-the Anglo-Scots War of 1513, 1975. Leather, G. F. T., "The Battle of Flodden", in History of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club, vol. 25, 1933. Macdougall, N., James IV, 1989. Mackie, J. D. , "The English Army at Flodden", in Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, vol 8 1951. Mackie, J.D., "The Auld Alliance and the Battle of Flodden", in Transactions of the Franco-Scottish Society, 1835. Paterson, Raymond Campbell (1997). My Wound is Deep: A History of the Later Anglo-Scottish Wars, 1380-1560. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-85976-465-6 . Story of Inverkeithing & Rosyth by Rev. W.M.Stephen, 1921 Brit.Lib.

No.0190370.f.78 Sadler, John, Flodden 1513: Scotland's Greatest Defeat , Osprey Publishing (May 2006), Campaign Series 168; 96 pages; ISBN 978181769592. Tucker, M. J., The Life of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey and Second Duke of Norfolk, 1443–1524, 1964. White, R. H. , "The Battle of Flodden", in Archaeologia Aeliania, vol. 3, 1859. See also

Question: Which Scottish king was killed in the Battle of Flooded Field?
Answer: JAMES IV