Burnt Candlemas
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Burnt Candlemas was a failed invasion of Scotland in early 1356 by an English army commanded by King
Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
, and was the last campaign of the
Second War of Scottish Independence The Second War of Scottish Independence broke out in 1332, when Edward Balliol led an Kingdom of England, English-backed invasion of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland. Balliol, the son of former Scottish king John Balliol, was attempting to make g ...
. Tensions on the
Anglo-Scottish border The Anglo-Scottish border runs for between Marshall Meadows Bay on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west, separating Scotland and England. The Firth of Forth was the border between the Picto- Gaelic Kingdom of Alba and the Angli ...
led to a military build-up by both sides in 1355. In September a nine-month truce was agreed, and most of the English forces left for northern France to take part in a campaign of the concurrent
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...
. A few days after agreeing the truce, the Scots, encouraged and subsidised by the French, broke it, invading and devastating
Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
. In late December the Scots
escalade Escalade is the act of scaling defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of ladders. Escalade was a prominent feature of sieges in ancient and medieval warfare. Although no longer common in modern warfare, escalade technologies are still deve ...
d and captured the important English-held border town of
Berwick-on-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 ...
and laid siege to its
castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
. The English army redeployed from France to
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
in northern England. The English advanced to Berwick, retaking the town, and moved to
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 lea ...
in southern Scotland by mid-January 1356. From there they advanced on
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, leaving a trail of devastation wide behind them. The Scots practised a
scorched earth A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy of destroying everything that allows an enemy military force to be able to fight a war, including the deprivation and destruction of water, food, humans, animals, plants and any kind of tools and i ...
policy, refusing battle and removing or destroying all food in their own territory. The English reached and burnt Edinburgh and were resupplied by sea at Haddington. Edward intended to march on
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, but contrary winds prevented the movement of the fleet he would need to supply his army. While waiting for a better wind, the English despoiled
Lothian Lothian (; ; ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, while other signific ...
so thoroughly that the episode became known as "Burnt Candlemas". This was a reference to the custom of the time of taking one's annual stock of candles to the local church on 2 February to be blessed in a ceremony known as candlemas; they were then used over the rest of the year. A winter storm drove the English fleet away and scattered it, and the English were forced to withdraw. They did so via Melrose, continuing to devastate Scottish territory, but this time harassed by Scottish forces. The English army was disbanded in
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
in late February, and the Scots went on to take two English-held castles. A truce was re-established in April. In 1357 a permanent peace was agreed, largely on English terms.


Background

The
First War of Scottish Independence The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland (1296), English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until ...
between England and Scotland began in 1296, when
Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 â€“ 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...
() stormed and sacked the Scottish border town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
as a prelude to his invasion of Scotland. Berwick was commercially and militarily the most important town in the border area. More than 32 years of warfare followed, with Berwick being recaptured by the Scots in 1318. The Weardale campaign of 1327 went so badly for the English that it brought
Isabella of France Isabella of France ( – 22 August 1358), sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France (), was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the wife of Edward II of England, King Edward II, and ''de facto'' regent of England from 1327 ...
and Roger Mortimer, regents of the newly crowned, 14-year-old
King Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
, to the negotiating table. They agreed to the
Treaty of Northampton A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
with
Robert Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against England. He fought successfully dur ...
() in 1328 recognising Scotland as an independent nation. Edward was never reconciled to the treaty. In 1332 he backed a rival claimant to the Scottish throne,
Edward Balliol Edward Balliol or Edward de Balliol (; – January 1364) was a claimant to the Scottish throne during the Second War of Scottish Independence. With English help, he ruled parts of the kingdom from 1332 to 1356. Early life Edward was the el ...
, son of King
John I of Scotland John Balliol or John de Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as Toom Tabard (meaning 'empty coat'), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...
. By 1333 England and Scotland were formally at war again when Edward besieged Berwick, starting the
Second War of Scottish Independence The Second War of Scottish Independence broke out in 1332, when Edward Balliol led an Kingdom of England, English-backed invasion of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland. Balliol, the son of former Scottish king John Balliol, was attempting to make g ...
. The Scots felt compelled to attempt to relieve the town. A Scottish army 20,000 strong attacked the 10,000 English and suffered a devastating defeat at the
Battle of Halidon Hill The Battle of Halidon Hill took place on 19 July 1333 when a Scottish army under Sir Archibald Douglas attacked an English army commanded by King Edward III of England () and was heavily defeated. The year before, Edward Balliol had seized ...
. Berwick surrendered the next day. The
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...
between England and France commenced in 1337, and in 1346 Edward led an English army across northern France, winning the
Battle of Crécy The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a French army commanded by King PhilipVI and an English army led by King Edward III. The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France ...
and besieging Calais. Encouraged by the French King, the Scots invaded England with a large army, certain that few English troops would be left to defend the rich northern English cities. The Scots were decisively beaten at the
Battle of Neville's Cross The Battle of Neville's Cross took place during the Second War of Scottish Independence on 17 October 1346, half a mile (800 m) to the west of Durham, England. An invading Scottish army of 12,000 led by King David II was defeated with heavy lo ...
and their king, David II, was captured. The Scottish threat receded and the English were able to commit fully to the war with France.


Scottish invasion

By 1355 David II was still a prisoner, ransom negotiations having deadlocked several times over the amount of David's ransom, his successor in the event of his childless death, the restoration of several English-supporting Scottish lords, whether David was to do homage to Edward for Scotland and how long any cessation to hostilities was to last before breaking down altogether. At this Scottish nobles, encouraged by the French, started gathering an army on the border. The English mobilised in response. The French sent 50 or 60
men-at-arms A man-at-arms was a soldier of the High Medieval to Renaissance periods who was typically well-versed in the use of arms and served as a fully-armoured heavy cavalryman. A man-at-arms could be a knight, or other nobleman, a member of a kni ...
under Yon de Garencières to Scotland. They also promised the Scots a large cash payment to be distributed among the elite if they would invade England. When this payment failed to arrive by late September, a nine-month truce was agreed between the English and the Scottish. The English military focus then switched to France: Edward intended to campaign in northern France and his son, the
Black Prince Edward of Woodstock (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), known as the Black Prince, was the eldest son and heir apparent of King Edward III of England. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, succeeded to the throne instead. Edward n ...
, was about to lead an attack in the south west. A large part of the English force subsequently moved south to join Edward's planned campaign. Many members of the garrisons of the English border fortresses left their posts without permission to join the expedition to northern France, including the commander of the Berwick town garrison. A few days after the Anglo-Scottish truce was signed the French cash, 40,000 gold
écu The term ''écu'' () may refer to one of several France, French coins. The first ''écu'' was a gold coin (the ''écu d'or'') minted during the reign of Louis IX of France, in 1266. The value of the ''écu'' varied considerably over time, and si ...
s, arrived. Waiting only until the departing English were well on their way, the Scottish reneged on the treaty and invaded
Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
in northern England. They were probably fewer than 2,000 strong, but there was no English field force to oppose them. The Constable of
Norham Castle Norham Castle (sometimes Nornam) is a castle in Norham, 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 actio ...
, a significant English border fortification, attempted to
counterattack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "Military exercise, war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objecti ...
with part of his garrison and some locals, but this scratch force was
rout A rout is a Panic, panicked, disorderly and Military discipline, undisciplined withdrawal (military), retreat of troops from a battlefield, following a collapse in a given unit's discipline, command authority, unit cohesion and combat morale ...
ed. The Scots pillaged and burned villages across Northumbria. Edward received the news on 20 October, by which time much of his army was already in France and the balance was embarking. He continued with his campaign in France, where he led a chevauchée – a large-scale mounted raidacross
Picardy Picardy (; Picard language, Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former regions of France, administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained it ...
, attempting to draw the French army into battle. The French evaded, prevaricated and avoided battle.


Berwick

In late October 1355 the Scottish nobles Thomas, Earl of Angus, and Patrick, Earl of March gathered a small force of Scots and French and boats to transport them in. They
escalade Escalade is the act of scaling defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of ladders. Escalade was a prominent feature of sieges in ancient and medieval warfare. Although no longer common in modern warfare, escalade technologies are still deve ...
d the walls of the town of Berwick shortly before dawn on 6 November. Carrying the walls the Scots then pressed the short-handed garrison back through the town towards the separate fortress of Berwick Castle, where the town garrison and the town's inhabitants took refuge. The Scots
looted Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...
the town. The castle was already strongly garrisoned and was promptly reinforced by John Coupland, who arrived with part of the English garrison of
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 lea ...
. The
Guardian of Scotland The Guardians of Scotland were regents who governed the Kingdom of Scotland from 1286 until 1292 and from 1296 until 1306. During the many years of minority in Scotland's subsequent history, there were many guardians of Scotland and the post ...
, Robert Stewart, who was acting as
regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
for the imprisoned David II, took personal control of the siege of the castle. Meanwhile, the expedition in Picardy was proving inconclusive. Edward attempted to set up an arranged battle, but no agreement could be reached. According to some sources, during these discussions Edward received word of the fall of Berwick town and the siege of the castle; he cut short the negotiations and returned his army to England after receiving the news. According to other accounts it was not until he disembarked in England with the army on 12 November, after the negotiations with the French had failed, that he learnt of the fall of Berwick. In any event, Edward was in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
in the north by Christmas Eve (24 December), where a large army was assembling, and a fleet was being prepared to supply it. The army left Newcastle on 6 January 1356. An advance force under Walter Mauny found Berwick castle was still holding out. Most of the original Scottish assault force had left, leaving a garrison in the town of 130 men, too few to adequately garrison the walls. The English laid siege to the town and the Scots could expect no relief force, according to a contemporary "by reason of the discord of the magnates". Mauny had been accompanied by 120 miners, who tunnelled towards the town walls while Mauny prepared simultaneous land and sea assaults. On 13 January Edward arrived with the main English army. The Scots offered to
parley A parley (from – "to speak") is a discussion or conference, especially one designed to end an argument or hostilities between two groups of people. As a verb, the term can be used in both past and present tense; in present tense the term ...
and Edward agreed to let them leave, even allowing them to take with them what plunder they could carry.


English invasion


Advance

Edward moved his army up the
River Tweed The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is a river long that flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. Tweed cloth derives its name from its association with the River Tweed. The Tweed is one of the great salmon rivers ...
to Roxburgh by mid-January 1356. On 20 January Balliol surrendered his nominal position as king of Scotland in favour of Edward, his
overlord An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or ...
, in exchange for a generous pension. The modern historian Clifford Rogers has suggested this may have been a way for Edward to put pressure on David II, whom Edward held captive and who was widely acknowledged as king of Scotland, to agree ransom terms. The Scots were unimpressed and on 26 January the English army set off towards
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
. The size of the English army is difficult to assess, but it has been described as a "large ... host" and as being possibly 13,000 strong. They divided into three columns and left a trail of devastation wide behind them. Much of the territory they were despoiling was part of the estates of Patrick of March, one of the leaders of the Scottish assault on Berwick in defiance of the truce. The Scots practiced a
scorched earth A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy of destroying everything that allows an enemy military force to be able to fight a war, including the deprivation and destruction of water, food, humans, animals, plants and any kind of tools and i ...
policy, refusing battle, evacuating the populace ahead of the English and devastating their own territory. Foraging generated little food and, unusually for the period, the English soldiers were reduced to drinking water. Arriving at Edinburgh in early February Edward had much of the town burnt and established a camp to the east of it at Haddington. Here the English army was resupplied by the English fleet. Edward's plan was to march on the Scottish capital at
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
via
Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
, perhaps to be crowned King of Scotland at nearby
Scone A scone ( or ) is a traditional British and Irish baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat flour or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often ...
the traditional place of coronation for Scottish monarchs. On the way, according to the contemporary
chronicler A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, ...
John of Fordun John of Fordun (before 1360 – c. 1384) was a Scottish chronicler. It is generally stated that he was born at Fordoun, Mearns. It is certain that he was a secular priest, and that he composed his history in the latter part of the 14th ...
, Edward intended "to destroy and ruin Scotland both near and far, and indeed to devastate it utterly." It was clear the army would require supplying from the sea during this march, but unfavourable north winds prevented the fleet from moving. Edward waited at Haddington for ten days. While waiting for the wind to change
Lothian Lothian (; ; ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, while other signific ...
was devastated so thoroughly that the Scots called the English incursion "Burnt Candlemas". This was a reference to the custom of the time of taking one's annual stock of candles to the local church on 2 February to be blessed in a ceremony known as
candlemas Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday, Christian feast day commemorating the presentation of ...
; they were then used over the rest of the year. In mid-February the wind changed, but blew up into a winter gale which thoroughly scattered the fleet, sinking several ships.


Retreat

Deprived of sea-borne supplies Edward was forced to abandon his plans and beat a hasty retreat. The English withdrew to the south west, through as-yet-unspoilt lands. They continued to burn and devastate Scottish territory, at least as far south as Melrose. This time Scottish forces, led by William Douglas, Lord of Douglas, harried the Englishattacking foragers, stragglers and detachments. Significant losses were inflicted, in addition to the many English losses to the winter weather and lack of food. In late February Edward's troops reached the English border town of
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
, where the army was disbanded. With the English field army gone, previously English-controlled territory and enclaves in Scotland were reclaimed. The strong English-held castles of Caerlaverock and Dalswinton were stormed and captured;
Galloway Galloway ( ; ; ) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the counties of Scotland, historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council areas of Scotland, council area of Dumfries and Gallow ...
accepted the authority of the Scottish crown. On 18 April a new, partial truce was agreed.


Aftermath

In 1357 terms were agreed for the release of David II. These were very similar to those which the Scots had refused in 1354. David's ransom was the huge sum of 100,000
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, to be paid over ten years, on 24 June ( St. John the Baptist's Day) each year. During these ten years an Anglo-Scottish truce prohibited any Scottish citizen from bearing arms against Edward III or any of his men. This truce stabilised the border area, bringing a measure of peace to it for three decades, and marked the end of the Second War of Scottish Independence.


Citations and sources


Citations


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Burnt Candlemas 1356 in England 1350s in Scotland Conflicts in 1356 14th-century military history of the Kingdom of England Edward III of England 14th-century military history of Scotland