Books, Modern Era, Tudor Tracts by Pollard, Tudor Tracts Chapter 3

The Late Expedition into Scotland made by the King's Highness' army, underr the conduct of the Right Honourable the Earl of Hertford, the Year of our Lord, 1544. Londini. With the exclusive right to print.

Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.

The late Expedition in Scotland. Sent to the Right Honourable Lord Russell, Lord Privy Seal; from the Kings army there: by a friend of his.

After long sojourning, my very good Lord! of the King's Majesty's army at Newcastle, for lack of commodious winds, which long hath been at North East and East North East, much to our grief; as your Lordship, I doubt not, knoweth: the same — as God would, who doth all things for the best — the first of May [1544], the 36th year of His Majesty's most prosperous reign, veered to the South and South South West so apt and propice [propitious] for our journey; being of every man so much desired, that there was no need to hasten them forwards. To be brief; such diligence was used that in two tides the whole fleet, being 200 sail at the least, was out of the haven of Tynemouth [Map] towards our enterprise.

The third day after, we arrived in the Firth of Forth, a notable river in Scotland; having the entry between two islands, called the Bass and the May. The same day, we landed divers of our boats at a town named Saint Mynettes, on the north side of the Frith, which we burnt; and brought from thence divers great boats, that served us afterwards to good purpose for our landing.

That night, the whole fleet came to an anchor, under the island called Inchkeith [Map], three miles from the haven of Leith. The place where we anchored hath, of long time, been called the English road: the Scots now take the same to be a prophesy of the thing which has now happened.

The next day, being the 4th day of May [1544], the said army landed two miles by west of the town of Leith, at a place called Grantham Crag [Map]: every man being so prompt thereunto, that the whole army was landed in four hours. And, perceiving our landing to be so quiet, which we looked not for; having our guides ready, we put ourselves in good order of war marching forwards towards the town of Leith in three battles — whereof my Lord Admiral led the Vanguard, the Earl of Shrewsbury (age 44) the Arrieregard; and the Earl of Hertford (age 44) being Lord Lieutenant, the Battle — having with us certain small pieces of artillery, which were drawn by force of men: which enterprise we thought necessary to be attempted first of all other, for the commodious lodging of our navy there, and the landing of our artillery and victail.

The Vanguard having thus put back the Scots, and eight pieces of their artillery brought away by our hackbutters [harquebussiers], who in this enterprise did very manfully employ themselves; we marched directly towards the town of Leith; which before we could come to, we must of force [necessity] pass another passage, which also was defended a while witK certain ensigns [companies] of footmen and certain pieces of artillery; who being sharply assailed, having three of the gunners slain with our archers, were fain to give place; leaving also their ordnance behind them, with which ordnance they slew only one of our men and hurt another.

And in this brunt, the victory being earnestly followed; the town of Leith was entered perforce and won with the loss only of two men of ours and hurt of three: where the Scots had cast great trenches and ditches purposely to have defended it. The same night, the army encamped in the said town of Leith; and by reason of the said ditches and trenches, we made there a strong camp.

The morrow, being the 5th of May [1544], we caused our ships ladened with our great artillery and victuals to be brought into the haven; where we discharged the same at our pleasure. In the said haven, we found many goodly ships, specially two of notable fairness: the one called the Salamander given by the French king at the marriage of his daughter into Scotland; the other called the Unicorn, made by the late Scottish king [James V.] The town of Leith was found more full of riches than we thought to have found any Scottish town to have been.

The next day, the 6th [May 1544], the army went towards Edinburgh, leaving the Lord Sturton in Leith with 1,500 men, for the defence of the same. And the army being come near to Edinburgh; the Provost accompanied with one or two burgesses and two or three Officers at Arms, desired to speak with the King's Lieutenant; and — in the name of all the town — said, "that the keys of the town should be delivered unto his Lordship; conditionally, that they might go with bag and baggage, and the town to be saved from fire." Where unto answer was made by the said Lord Lieutenant, "that whereas the Scots had so many ways falsified their faiths; and so manifestly had broken their promises, confirmed by oaths and seals, and certified by their whole parliament, as is evidently known unto all the world: he was sent thither by the King's Highness to take vengeance of their detestable falsehood, to declare and show the force of His Highness' sword to all such as should make any resistance unto His Grace's power sent thither for that purpose. And therefore being not sent to treat or capitulate with them, who had before time broken so many treaties:" he told them resolutely; "that unless they would yield up their town unto him frankly, without condition, and cause man, woman, and child to issue into the fields, submitting themselves to his will and pleasure; he would put them to the sword, and their town to the fire." The Provost answered, "that it were better for them to stand to their defence than to yield to that condition." This was rather a false practice of the Provost and the Heralds, thereby to espy the force and order of our camp, than for any zeal they had to yield their town; as it appeared afterwards. Whereupon commandment was given to the said Provost and Officers at Arms, upon their peril, to depart.

In the meantime, word was brought by a Herald of ours — whom the Lord Lieutenant had sent to summon the Castle — that the Earl Bothwell and the Lord Hume with the number of 2,000 horsemen were entered the town, and were determined to the defence thereof. Upon which knowledge, the Lord Lieutenant sent with diligence to the Vanward, that they should march towards the town. And Sir Christopher Morice, Lieutenant of the Ordnance, was commanded to approach the gate called the Cany gate [Canongate] [Map], with certain battery pieces: which gate lay so, that the ordnance must be brought up a broad street of the suburbs, directly against the said Cany gate; which was the occasion of the loss of certain of our gunners. And before that any battery could be made by the said ordnance, divers of the captains of the Vanward — the better to comfort their soldiers — assailed the said gate with such courage, that they repulsed the Scottish gunners from the loupes [embrasures'] of the same, and there slew and hurt sundry of their gunners, and by force drew one piece of artillery out of one of the said loupes.

Our archers and hackbutters shot so hotly to the battlements of the gate and wall, that no man durst show himself at the defence of the same: by reason whereof, our gunners had good leisure to bring a cannon hard to the gate, which, after three or four shots, made entry to our soldiers; who at their breaking in, slew 300 or 400 Scots of such as were found armed. In the meantime, the Earl Bothwell and the Lord Hume with their company, fled, and saved themselves by another way issuing out towards the Castle of the said town. The situation whereof is of such strength that it cannot be approached, but by one way; which is by the High Street of the town; and the strongest part of the same Castle lieth to beat the said street: which was the loss of divers of our men with the shot of the ordnance out of the said Castle, which did continually beat along the said High Street. And considering the strength of the said Castle, with the situation thereof; it was concluded not to lose any time, nor to waste and consume our munition about the siege thereof. Albeit the same was courageously and dangerously attempted; till one of our pieces, with shot out of the said Castle, was struck and dismounted.

And finally it was determined by the said Lord Lieutenant utterly to ruinate and destroy the said town with fire: which for that the night drew fast on, we omitted thoroughly to execute on that day; but setting fire in three or four parts of the town, we repaired for that night unto our camp.

In the meantime, while we held the country thus occupied; there came unto us 4,000 of our light horsemen from the Borders, by the King's Majesty's appointment: who after their coming, did such exploits in riding and devastating the country that within seven miles every way of Edinburgh, they left neither pile, village, nor house standing unburnt, nor stacks of corn; besides great numbers of cattle, which they brought daily in to the army, and met also with much good stuff which the inhabitants of Edinburgh had for the safety of the same, conveyed out of the town.

In this mean season, Sir Nicholas Pointz, by order of my Lord Lieutenant, passed the river, and won by force the town of Kinghorn; and burnt the same with certain other towns on that side.

After these exploits done at Edinburgh, and all the country thereabouts devastated; the King's said Lieutenant thinking the Scots not to be condignly punished for their falsehood used to the King's Majesty, determined not to return without doing them more; displeasure. He therefore gave orders to the said Sir Christopher Morice for the reshipping of the great artillery; reserving only certain small pieces to keep the field: giving also commandment to every captain to receive victuals out of the said ships for their companies for six days. And for the carriage of the same, caused one thousand of our worst horsemen to be set on foot; and the same horses divided equally to every captain of hundreds, for the better carriage of their victuals. The men that rode upon the said horses being appointed to attend upon the said victuals. Which was done. Besides there were divers small carts, which we recovered [captured] in the country; the which with such cattle as we had there, did great service in drawing of our victuals, tents, and other necessaries.

These things being supplied, the i4th day of May, we brake down the pier of the haven of Leith, and burnt every stick of it; and took forth the two goodly ships, manned them, and put them in order to attend upon the King's Majesty's ships. Their ballast was cannon shot of iron; which we found in the town to the number of 80,000. The rest of the Scottish ships meet to serve, we brought away: both they and our own being almost pestered [encumbered] with the spoil and booty of our soldiers and mariners.

That done, we abandoned ourselves clearly from the ships: having firm intent to return home by land. Which we did. And to give them [the Scots] better occasion to show themselves in the field against us; we left neither pile, village, town, nor house in our way homewards, unburnt.

In the meantime of the continuance of our army at Leith, as is aforesaid; our ships upon the seas were not idle; for they left neither ship, crayer, nor boat belonging to either village, town, creek or haven of either side of the Frith between Stirling and the mouth of the river, unburnt or not brought away; which containeth in length fifty miles. Continuing of time, they also burnt a great number of towns and villages on both sides the said water; and won a fortress situated on a strong island called Inchgarve, which they razed and destroyed.

The 15th of May [1544], we dislodged our camp out of the town of Leith; and set fire in every house, and burnt it to the ground.

The same night, we encamped at a town of the Lord Seaton's where we burnt and razed his chief castle, called Seaton, which was right fair; and destroyed his orchards and gardens, which were the fairest and best in order that we saw in all that country. We did him the more despite, because he was the chief labourer to help their Cardinal out of prison: who was the only [sole] author of their calamity.

The same day, we burnt a fair town of the Earl Bothwell, called Haddington [Map], with a great nunnery and a house of friars.

The next night after, we encamped besides Dunbar, and there the Scots gave a small alarm to our camp; but our watches were in such a readiness that they had no vantage there, but were fain to recoil without doing any harm.

That night [16 May 1544], they looked for us to have burnt the town of Dunbar [Map]; which we deferred till the morning, at the dislodging of our camp: which we executed by 500 of our hackbutters. being backed with 500 horsemen. And by reason that we took them in the morning — who, having watched all night for our coming, and perceiving our army to dislodge and depart, thought themselves safe of us, were newly gone to their beds: and in their first sleeps closed in with fire — the men, women and children were suffocated and burnt.

[17 May 1544]. That morning [the 17th] being very misty and foggy, we had perfect knowledge by our espials, that the Scots had assembled a great power, in a strait [pass] called "the Pease." The chiefs of this assembly were the Lords Seaton, Hume and Buccleuch: and with them the whole power of the [Scotch] Marches and Teviotdale. This day in our marching, divers of their prickers [scouts] by reason of the said mist gave us alarm, and came so far within our army, that they unhorsed one between the Vanward and the Battle; being within two hundred feet of the Lord Lieutenant. At that alarm, one of their best prickers, called Jock Holly Burton was taken: who confessed that the said Scottish lords were ready at the passage [pass] with the number of 10,000 good men. And forasmuch as the mist yet continued and did not break, being past noon, the Vanward being within a mile of the said passage, entering into dangerous ways for an army to march in such weather that one could not descry another twenty yards off: we concluded if the weather did not break up, to have encamped ourselves upon the same ground; where we did remain for the space of two hours. And about two of the clock at afternoon, the sun brake out, the fog went away, and a clear day was left us: whereof every man received as it were a new courage, longing to see the enemy; who, being ready for us at the said passage, and seeing us come in good order of battle, as men determined to pass through them or to leave our bones with them, abode us but two shots of a falcon, but scaled every man his way to the high mountains, which were hard at their hands, and covered with flocks of their people. The passage was such, that having no let [impediment]; it was three hours before all the army could pass it.

The same night, the army encamped at a pile called Ranton, eight miles from our borders: which pile was a very ill neighbour to the garrison of Berwick. The same we razed and threw down to the ground.

The next day, being the 18th of May [1544], the whole army entered into Berwick, and ended this voyage; with the loss unneth [of scarcely] forty of the King's Majesty's people, thanks be to our Lord.

The same day, at the same instant, that the army entered into Berwick, our whole fleet and navy of ships, which we sent from us at Leith, arrived before Berwick: as God would be known to favour our master's cause. Who ever preserve his most royal Majesty with long and prosperous life, and many years to reign in the imperial seat of the monarchy of all Britain.

Towns and villages burnt by the fleet, upon the seaside; with a great number of piles and villages which I cannot name nor rehearse, which be all devastated and laid desolate.

Kinkorne.

S. Minetes.

The Queen's ierry.

Part of Petynwaynes [Pittenwctm.]

The Burnt Island.

Other new and prosperous adventures of late against the Scots.

After the time that the Earl of Hertford, Lieutenant to the King's Majesty in the North parts of the realm, had dissolved the army, which lately had been within Scotland; and repaired to the King's Highness: the Lord Eure, with many other valiant wise gentlemen — abiding in the Marches of the North part — intending not by idleness to surcease in occasions convenient, but to prove whether the Scots had yet learned by their importable [unbearable] losses lately chanced to them, to tender their own weals by true and reasonable uniting and adjoining themselves to the King's Majesty's loving liege people — took consultation by the advice of Sir Ralph Eure his son, and other sage forward gentlemen; upon the 9th day of June [1544], at a place named Mylnefeld; from whence by common agreement, the said lord with a good number of men, made such haste into Scotland, that by four of the clock after the next midnight, he had marched within a half mile of the town whereunto they tended, named Jedworth.

[After 09 Jun 1544] After their coming, a messenger was sent unto the Provost of the said town, letting him to know "that the Lord Eure was come before the town to take it into the King's allegiance, by means of peace if thereunto the Scots would truly agree, or else by force of arms to sack the same if therein resistance were found." Whereunto the Provost — even like to prove himself a Scot — answered by way of request, "that they might be respected upon their answer until the noontide or else to maintain their town with defence: "having hope that in tracting [treating] and driving off time they might work some old cowardly subtilty. But upon his declaration made, the snake crawling under the flowers easily appeared to them, which had experience: knowledge also being had, that the townsmen had bent seven or eight pieces of ordnance in the market-stead. Wherefore the Lord Eure — part of his company being into three bands divided, and abiding at three several coasts of the same town, to the end that there might be three entries at one time made into the town — appointed and devised that the gunners, which had battered certain places plain and open, should enter in one side, and the kernes on another side, and Sir Ralph Eure's, of the third side. But it fortuned that, even upon the approachment of the men to their entries, the Scots fled from their ordnance, leaving them unshot, into the woods thereabout, with all other people in the same town. In which flight was slain above the number of 160 Scots, having for that recompense thereof, the loss of six Englishmen only. The people thus fled, and the town given to Englishmen by chance of war: the gunners burned the Abbey, the Grey Friars, and divers bastel and fortified houses, whereof there were many in that town: the goods of the same town being first spoiled, which laded, at their departing, 500 horses; besides seven pieces of ordnance.

In their return likewise, as they passed, burning divers places, towers and castles: as the Tower of Calling Craige, the Castle of Sesforth, Otterburn [Map], Cowboge, Marbottle church, with many other like; until they came to a place called Kirkyettham, being ten miles from certain villages within English ground, named Hetton, Tylmouth and Twysell, which appeared to them burning. For the which cause Sir Ralph Eure and the Captain of Norham, accompanied with 500 horsemen, rode in such haste towards the fire, that at what time the said Sir Ralph did set upon the Scots which had burned the village, he had not with him above 200 horsemen. Nevertheless the Scots, upon the only sight of the standards, used for their defence their light feet, and fled in so much haste that divers English horses were tired in the pursuit: but overtaken there was a great number, whereof many were slain, partly by the fierceness of the Englishmen, partly by the guilty cowardice of the Scots. And truly to speak in a few words; in this act doing, reason will scarcely suffice to persuade the truth: insomuch that there were divers Englishmen whereof every man had eight or nine prisoners, besides such as were slain whose number is certainly known to have been a hundred or more. And yet in this skirmish, not one Englishman taken, neither slain: thanks be to God! Also further here is to be remembered that the Englishmen in their return from the sack of Jedworth, drave and brought out of Scotland into England, a great number of cattle, both note [neat] and sheep.

Furthermore to the apparent continuance of God's favour unto the purposes of the Englishmen, it is to be certainly known, that on the 15th day of June [1544] there was another raid made by divers Englishmen to a town called Synlawes, whereas divers bastel houses were destroyed, eight Scots taken, and 60 oxen brought away. For the return [recovery] whereof, a number of Scottish men pursued very earnestly; who for their coming, lost six of their lives, and fifty of their horsemen [prisoners].

[Around 18 Jun 1544]. And upon the Tuesday next following, Sir George Bowes, Sir John Witherington, Henry Eure, and Lionel Grave rode to the Abbey of Coldingham [Map], and demanded the same; but it was denied earnestly, insomuch that after an assault made for five hours, it was burnt all saving the church, which having fire in the one end smoked so by the drift of the wind towards the Englishmen that it could not be conveniently then be burned. The store of the cattle and of the other goods there, served well for the spoil of the soldiers. In this Abbey were slain one monk and three other Scots. And amongst the English was one only gunner slain by a piece of ordnance shot out of the steeple.

Since this journey, the 20th of June [1544], a company of Tynedale and Redesdale with other valiant men, ventured upon the greatest town in all Teviotdale, named Skraysburgh, a town of the Lord Hunthill's; whereas besides rich spoils and great plenty of note [neat] and sheep, 38 persons were taken. Adding thereunto, that which is a marvellous truth, that is to say, these prisoners being taken, three Scots being slain, with divers wounded: not one Englishmen was either hurt or wounded.

In these victories, who is to be most highest lauded but God? by whose goodness the Englishmen hath had of a great season notable victories and matters worthy of triumphs. And for the continuance of God's favour toward us, let us,pray for the prosperous estate of our noble good and victorious Lord Governor and King &c.: for whose sake doubtless, God hath spreaded his blessing over us, in peace to have mirth, and in wars to have victory.