BEDDING — Inside the Home

Border King

Border Reivers - Aftermath of English Attack on Berwick in 1296

The King of Scotland, John Balliol, tired of being humiliated by Edward l of England, made an alliance with the French in 1296 and invaded northern England.Edward's retribution was swift and savage.

He marched with an army to Berwick-on-Tweed, then in Scottish hands, and the premier port of the country. Wool, lifeblood of an impoverished Scottish economy, made its way to Europe through the port of Berwick from the rich church-lands of the border monasteries of Melrose, Jedburgh, Kelso and Dryburgh.

Berwick, standing at a point where the river Tweed finally merges with the North Sea, is a vibrant and attractive town today. It is steeped in history, was of paramount importance to both countries in Tudor times but would change hands between England and Scotland many times up to 1482. It was Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the man who would become King Richard lll of England who finally won the town in the late 15th century. It has remained English ever since though many today think its destiny should lie north of the Border, in Scotland.

Edward surrounded the town and demanded that the inhabitants surrender, but they would have none of it and showed their defiance by lining the walls and turning their backs on the great English king. It is recorded that they dropped their nether garments and presented their rear ends to the formidable warrior, a monarch who was feared throughout Europe.

At this insolent gesture Edward, without further ado, encouraged his army to take the initiative by putting spurs to horse. He was first over the walls although, it must be said, that in 1296 there were many places in the Berwick Walls which were easy to breach.

The inhabitants of Berwick were butchered en masse. Some accounts state that as many as 17,000 men, women and children lost their lives and that "the city ran with blood like a river". No doubt the numbers are exaggerated beyond belief. The population of Berwick in 1296 was probably nearer 500 and some historical resources say the women and children were given the option to leave the town. The truth is there, though, in that Edward was merciless in the destruction of the town and its inhabitants.

It was a day that the Scots would never forget.

The sack of Berwick was one of those defining moments in history when the expected outcome was turned on its head.

Edward l was, without doubt, the premier monarch in the whole of Europe. He was renowned for his military prowess, seemingly second nature to the Plantagenet kings, and his command of the law. His mind followed a legal bent, a fact that would weigh heavy on the Scottish nation within the next few years.

Yet, following the events of 1296, the Scots would find a spirit and resilience which could not be subdued. Edward insisted that historical evidence proved he was their Overlord; that he was Lord Paramount over Scotland but eventually, following many a setback, the Scots fought back.

The sack of Berwick would eventually kick-start the Scots into a concerted defiance of the English king whom they would come to view as an aggressive, warmongering imperialist. They refused to yield; they would not lie down. From these notions of resistance, unity and blossoming national pride sprang such men as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce to further cement the hearts and minds of the Scots against the English.

The rapacious sack of Berwick and the murder of its inhabitants was the starting point in a bitter and atrocious war between the Scots and English. Beginning with the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 which was a resounding victory for the Scots under the leadership of Wallace (Braveheart) and Andrew Murray followed by defeat at Falkirk in the next year, the Scots would eventually win their independence in 1327. The defining moment in their struggle for freedom was the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, a resounding victory for Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland and humiliation for Edward ll of England. In the words of the song that has become virtually an anthem to the Scots 'Proud Edward's army' was sent 'homewards to think again'.

From Scottish Independence to the middle of the 16th century an uneasy peace existed between the two countries; a peace which was often sorely tried when hostility overcame diplomacy. The battles of Flodden, 1513, Solway Moss 1542 and Pinkie Cleugh, 1547 were victories for the English but, in the final analysis, achieved nothing beyond an extension of the bitter rivalry that existed. Yet peace prevailed.

And what of the Border people throughout this period?

Time and again they were attacked by marauding armies, butchered in defence of their meagre cattle and sheep holdings, the few crops that supplemented their daily bread, victims of merciless armies on the move or a victorious enemy bent on exacting tribute from a people weakened by the relentless strife. They were often left bereft of the basics which would hold body and soul together. They suffered for their birthright, caught in the middle of a relentless war which was not of their making. The Border lands became a virtual desert with a population dying of want and disease.

But they were a hard and obdurate people and fought back in the only way that was left open to them. They began to steal be it from neighbouring clan or family from the opposite side of the Border Line. The theft would lead to murder and retaliation and spawn a system of black mail and protection which would escalate and consume the whole of the Border country of England and Scotland for centuries. Feud became endemic, the 'canker' of the Borders. Allegiance to the clan or surname (family) was second-nature in the minds of the Border people; obedience to any other authority, be it local or regal figured little in their way of life. The Borderers held to the old ways where an 'eye for an eye' and a 'tooth for a tooth' was the only honourable way to right a wrong.

The Borderer became the Border Robber: the Border Reiver.

About the Author

I'm Tom Moss, textile technologist who loves the history of the
Scottish English Border
from medieval times to the 17th century. My passion is the Border Reivers, the robbers and raiders who defied all authority for centuries. With me you can learn how they ruled the Border lands until the
Union of the Crowns in 1603
and beyond.

What language would the Lion King show in Montreal be in?

I want to buy tickets to the traveling Lion King show for my girlfriend for her birthday but I have a question. I live close to the border with Quebec and the closest tour stop is in Montreal in August and I was wondering if anyone knew whether the show would be in English or French because I don't understand a word of French.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

It'll be in english. They're hitting up most of North America and they aren't going to change the entire language just for one stop.

COSATU to block Swazi border if demands not met

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 1:42 am and is filed under bedding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.