Capture of Berwick (1318)

Capture of Berwick

Part of the First War of Scottish Independence

An 1873 drawing of the siege

Date	April 1318
Location	Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Result	Scottish victory

Belligerents

Kingdom of Scotland

Kingdom of England

Commanders and leaders

Sir James Douglas

Sir Walter Stewart

Maurice de Berkeley

Strength

Unknown

Casualties and losses

Unknown

First War of Scottish Independence

First Berwick Dunbar Lanark Stirling Bridge Falkirk Roslin Happrew Stirling Castle Methven Dalrigh Turnberry Loch Ryan Glen Trool Loudoun Hill Slioch Inverurie Buchan Pass of Brander Bannockburn Moiry Pass Connor Kells Skerries Skaithmuir Second Berwick Faughart Myton Arbroath Declaration Old Byland Corbeil Treaty Stanhope Park Edinburgh-Northampton Treaty

The Capture of Berwick was an event in the First War of Scottish Independence which took place in April 1318. Sir James Douglas, Lord of Douglas took the town and castle of Berwick-upon-Tweed from the English, who had controlled the town since 1296.

Following the decisive Scots victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the Scots had recovered all their strongholds, with the exception of Berwick. In September 1317, King Robert Bruce attempted a siege of Berwick, which lasted until November before he withdrew.^[1] The following April, an English sergeant was bribed to allow a party of Scots to climb the town wall. The raiding party, led by Sir James Douglas, and possibly the Earl of Dunbar, took the town after a fight. The castle was warned when they lost control of their men, who began to plunder and failed to capture the castle. King Robert soon arrived with an army, and after an eleven-week siege, the castle garrison capitulated due to a lack of supplies.^[2] The English burgesses were expelled, and King Robert re-established Berwick as a Scottish trading port, installing his son-in-law Walter Stewart as Keeper.^[2]

The retaking of Berwick was a significant victory for the Scots. Historian Michael Brown notes that "symbolically, the capture of town and then castle marked the completion of King Robert's realm and kingship."^[2] However, Berwick would change hands several more times in the years to come, before permanently becoming part of England when the town was captured in 1482.

References

↑ Brown, p.150
1 2 3 Brown, p.151

Brown, Michael (2008). Bannockburn. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-7486-3333-2.

Coordinates: 55°46′16″N 2°00′25″W / 55.771°N 2.007°W / 55.771; -2.007

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, September 05, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.