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When James IV ascended the throne of Scotland in 1488, he was 15 years of age and the wily Henry VII was king of the southern neighbour, England.
When Henry died in 1509, he was succeeded by his second son, Henry VIII, who in his youth was a tall, lean and handsome figure of a man. More direct that his father, he was a man of action, a doer rather than a schemer. He left the scheming to his ministers and advisors. |
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It was not long however before the two nations of England and Scotland were squabbling, rumblings that had continued since before the Norman Conquest, border raids and counter raids by the families of the reivers was part of the enduring history of the border region.
In 1511 France was virtually under siege by an alliance of several states, Henry, seeing a chance to have a go at the old enemy joined the alliance, which completed the encirclement of France. There was though another alliance – The Auld Alliance – between France and Scotland, it was deep-rooted and was to remain so for a considerable time yet to come. This alliance was a constant thorn in the side of the English establishment for generations, constantly making nuisances to the peace of the realm. The fact that Henry was in France, making war upon that nation was an ideal opportunity for James of Scotland to venture south of the border, ostensibly to prevent many of the ‘Border Reivers’ from raiding his lowland territories. Henry, had with him most of his tried and trusted military commanders and soldiery, the few men able to forestall James’ advances into England were seemingly, those less able to command. After much political wrangling, on the 26 July, 1513, James sent his ambassador, Lyon Herald to Henry, who was with his army, encamped near Therouanne, in France. The message basically was that if Henry insisted on warring with France, then he, James, felt duty bound to assist king Louis. Henry’s reply was by the standards of those days, both blunt and to the point “We cannot maruayle, considering the ancient accustomable manners of your progenitors, which neuer kept lenger faythe and promise than pleased them.” He then, quite categorically, informed James that he had no intention of withdrawing his army from France.
Prior to his departure, Henry had appointed the Earl of Surrey as Lord Lieutenant of the North, he was then, 70 years of age. The Scots may have under-estimated the capabilities of such a venerable old man. In the first weeks of August, James assembled his troops near Edinburgh, it was said to be the largest, most well equipped army to leave Scotland until more modern times. They were composed of all three sections of the Scottish people, highlanders, lowlanders, and borderers, a union most uncommon. The total numbers assembled have been exaggerated in many accounts, and the accuracy of numbers can never be certain, though for this purpose, the figure of somewhat less than 30,000 men will be assumed. Included were the flower of Scottish nobility, dukes, lords, earls and clan chiefs.
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Also included was a contingent of French soldiers under the command of Count d’Aussi, their primary function appears to have been the tutelage of modern methods of warfare, including the use of the continental long-handled pike, and the two pieces of ordnance provided to king James. These brought the numbers of Scottish artillery up to seventeen heavy guns, guns, which required over 400 oxen to convey them and their ammunition. They were by far, superior to anything that the English could muster against them. Included in this inventory were ‘courtaulds’ or ‘murtherers’, the largest of James’ guns which weighed 6,000lb, had a calibre of 6½” and fired shot weighing between 33 and 36 lb. Of slightly smaller calibre, but longer range was the ‘gros culverin of found’ which required the same number of draught animals as did the murtherers. Then were the ‘culverain pykmoyane’ also called a ‘saker’ which fired shot weighing between 7 and 10lb. The smallest of his field pieces was the ‘culverain moyane’, a bronze gun of 1,500lb which had a calibre of 2½”. More mobile were the cart guns, breach loaders, they were also called ‘falcons’.
The Borderers were under the command of Lord Hume(Home), and it was they that opened the campaign with a large scale raid into Northumberland. Much plunder was taken, but at Milfield, on the 13th August, they were ambushed by English archers, commanded by Sir William Bulmer. The Borderers were badly mauled, losing many men, and their recently acquired plunder, which was regained by the victorious English. About a week later, on the 22nd August, 1513, king James of Scotland crossed the river Tweed at the town of Coldstream, his army attacking several castles as they progressed.
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The earl of Surrey had not been idle, he had been mustering his army, first at Newcastle, then further north at the Percy stronghold of Alnwick. He was joined there by his eldest son Thomas Howard, the Lord High Admiral, who brought with him 1,000 men from the fleet. His second son, (Sir) Edmund Howard also joined his father, as did many of the remaining local lords and gentry. This can be seen as the last time the English long-bowmen were able to overpower the new military arm, field artillery. The English force may have numbered 26,000 men, so the two armies were not that far apart in over all numbers, it would be weapons, tactics and moral which would make all the difference when they finally met on the field of battle.
There are many accounts of what followed, some of which are at the kindest, misleading. This has led to much confusion, and as much speculation about the day of the battle, this hopefully is as close to the known truth as it is possible to get.
On the 4th of September, there started a correspondence between Surrey and James which these days verges on the comical if the consequences were not to have been so serious. James was officially informed that Surrey was there to give battle. James readily accepted, whereupon dates and places were then arranged for the engagement, a veritable – date with death. It seems that James did not adhere to the spirit of the strictures agreed, having taken up position on Flodden Hill by the 7th. Surrey sent yet another missive to king James “it hath pleased you to chaunge our said promise and putte your self into a grounde more like a fortress or a camp …….” continuing that James should abandon his position and come down to the plain of Milfield. James however, replied with royal dignity “that it besemed not an erle, after that manner to handle a kynge…..”
This left Surrey in a quandary, the Scottish army had a virtually unassailable position, and it seemed they were not likely to be moved from it. The answer was to tempt the impulsive Scots down from Flodden Hill, the means, a local bandit and his men who knew the terrain.
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It is generally agreed that Surrey advanced his army in two main forces, or battles, each divided into two wings. The right, or vanward battle was commanded by Sir Thomas Howard, his younger brother commanding the right wing, Sir Marmaduke Constable of Flamborough commanding the left. Surrey himself commanded the other, the main or rearward battle, the right wing under the command of Lord Dacre and the left commanded by Sir Edward Stanley.
The numerical dispositions of each force remain in question, but the figures of 9,000 men in the vanward battle, and 5,000 men in the rearward seem to be favoured by several sources. It may have been Surrey’s intention, tactically, to interpose his army across the line of retreat of the Scots thereby severing their lines of communication.It was a bold plan which required both skill and some element of luck to achieve. He sent the vanward and the artillery across the river Till at Twizel bridge at 11 o’clock on the morning. Where the earl and his force crossed is uncertain, though from contemporary chronicles, it appears that they too may have used the same bridge. Stanley’s wing appears to have lagged behind somewhat, and were the last to cross over. The next natural obstacle was a substantial area of bog-land, which had to be traversed by means of a causeway. As the Lord Admiral’s men began to deploy to the south of the village of Branxton, a break in the horrendous weather of strong winds and sheeting rain, revealed the Scottish army drawn up, not on Flodden Hill, but on the much lower, and more accessible Branxton Hill.
Conjecture and some logic must be used to understand why James thought it necessary to relinquish the much stronger position his army had formerly occupied. Considering the weather amongst other things, he witnessed the English marching past his (then) left flank, moving north (possibly) towards Scotland. As the English disappeared into the murk, some disquiet and doubt may have begun to abrade his confidence. It was about noon that the Scottish army was given the order to ‘About face’ and reverse their direction of advance, i.e. northward, in order to occupy the next but lower ridge of Branxton Hill. The Scots, as they took their new positions were in five battles, or columns, four in the line and one in reserve. The (new) left flank were the Borderers, still commanded by Lord Hume(Home) together with the Highlanders commanded by the earl Huntly. On their right were the men commanded by the earl of Errol, and the earls of Crawford and Montrose.
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To their right was the main battle under the personal command of king James IV of Scotland. With him he had the earls of Cassilis and Glencairn and also the lords Herries and Maxwell. On their right, forming the right flank was another force of Highlanders under the command of the earls of Argyll and Lennox. It has been chronicled that each battle was separated from the other by the distance of a bow-shot, approximately 200 yards. At their rear was the Reserve, made up of Lothians commanded by the earl of Bothwell, and with whom were brigaded the Count d’Aussi’s French. It was as they saw the English, advancing towards them over the causeway, that Mr. Borthwick, James’ master gunner was able to commence firing a harmless ‘salute’ at the oncoming English.
Thomas Howard, the Lord Admiral continued to deploy his column on Piper’s Hill, very conscious of his exposed situation, and that if James so decided, his men would have been overwhelmed had the decision been made to attack before Surrey’s men arrived. He sent his father a personal token to reinforce the urgency of the need for alacrity. It worked, and Surrey hastened his column forward. As they arrived at the line, Surrey deployed his forces so that each of James’s was faced by one of his own, though whether Stanley had by this time been able to reach the line , is questionable. Lord Dacre’s ‘pickers’ – light cavalry, seemingly were held as a fast moving, mobile reserve attached to Surrey’s column.
At about 4pm, the blood letting commenced, both sides opening the event with an artillery bombardment, both of which seem to have been equally ineffective. Hume’s Borderers though, either took the brunt of it, or, disliking standing still whilst being shot at, did not stand. They rushed forward towards Edmund Howard’s men, who, being positioned on virtually flat land were somewhat vulnerable. The fighting was hand to hand, brutal and vicious. Some Cheshiremen, not having the stomach for it, departed as quickly as they could, leaving gaps into which Hume’s long pikes were able to do great damage. Several knighted gentlemen were killed, Howard was unhorsed at lease twice, and the column was very close to folding. At this point, Surrey sent Dacre and his horsemen to his son’s aid, though it must be stated that even some of Dacre’s own men deserted at this point. Even so, the remainder crashed into the massed Borderers and broke their attack. Maybe feeling that they had done their day’s work, the Borderers fell back, and took to looting. Neither Hume’s nor Huntly’s men took any further part in what followed.
James may have assumed, having seen the initial success of his left against the English right, that Hume and Huntly would have turned their men against Surrey’s right flank, and on this assumption, ordered his own and Bothwell’s column to advance down off his hill across wet and treacherous terrain into the maw of the English cannon. However, as seen, Hume and Huntly’s men were by then, otherwise occupied, and the Scots were advancing towards a steady and waiting line of Englishmen, a story repeated at Culloden, two centuries later. What ensued was, in the main again, the difference of having the right weapons for the conditions. Carrying their long and heavy pikes slowed the Scottish advance, leaving them vulnerable to shot and arrow, and being insufficiently trained in their use, together with the fact that the pikes were basically meant for use against cavalry made them more of an encumbrance than the expected advantage. As the two armies came into contact, the English bills, simply chopped the pikes into useless sticks.
It may have been at about this stage that Stanley’s column eventually, whatever the cause of their delay, entered the field. Seeing that there was an un-engaged column of Highlanders facing them (Argyll’s and Lennox’s), he launched his men against them before they could reinforce their king. Being Highlanders, they were not clad in the heavy armour as were many of the king’s column, they were therefore a much easier target to damage. Dividing his force, Stanley engaged his foe from the front, while sending a heavy contingent to turn their flank. Faced with such a determined and well disciplined attack, the Highlanders, after some initial resistance, gave way, and were soon in flight, leaving their commanders and a few of their more valiant comrades to be slaughtered. Stanley seeing the state of the battle, read it to perfection, he reformed his column, and launched them into the right rear of James’ column, which by this stage was still being supported on the left by Crawford and Montrose opposing the Lord Admiral.
By nightfall, the fighting ceased, it ceased for the simple reason that the Scottish army had ceased to exist. The dead and dying were too numerous to count, the carnage, appalling. Daylight the following day revealed more, between 5,000 and 10,000 Scots were dead, they included about two dozen earls and barons; James’ bastard son by Marion Boyd, who was Archbishop of St. Andrews; the Bishops of Caithness, and the Isles; two abbots and many knighted gentlemen and, king James himself; virtually the entire Scottish nobility. Of the English, it has been chronicled that their losses were as low as 400 men, though this undoubtedly is an under-estimation. None of the English commanders were fatal casualties. Without doubt, Stanley’s timely intervention turned the tide, delivered the coup de grace. The entire inventory of the Scottish artillery, all 17 large guns were captured. For the next 25 years, Scotland was left almost without it’s feudal lords, it took a whole generation for those families to recover. Hindsight, and history have tended to blame James for the disaster. Why did he allow himself to be drawn off his hill, why did he not destroy Thomas Howard before Surrey was able to deploy? The truth will never be known, upon such decisions, as with those made by James, history is made. Battles are seldom won, usually they are lost by who ever makes the most mistakes.
For the Howard family, their fortunes were greatly affected, Edmund was knighted on the field, Thomas was created Lord Surrey, and Surrey himself was restored to the family title of Duke of Norfolk. As a unique favour, the royal arms of Scotland were added to those of the Duke of Norfolk as an escutcheon, where it remains to this day.
History though has a habit of turning things on their heads, it was James’ great-grandson, James VI, who, upon the death of queen Elizabeth I of England, was invited to succeed her, which he did, as James I of England, the VI of Scotland on the 24th March, 1603.
The Scots memorialised their losses at Flodden Field with ‘The Flowers of the Forest’ – a poignant verse which remains known to this day.
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.
Author – Richard Hayton