Battle of Dunbar

Annals of Six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet [1258-1328]. The king, having heard this letter, accepted the renunciation of his homage, and commanded his chancellor to have this letter enrolled, for the perpetual memory of the matter. The earls of Scotland above named, with their retinues assembled at the castle of Jedburgh, set out into England, and, laying waste all things with slaughter and fire, as far as the priory of Hexham, entered it on the fourth day before the Ides of April [10th April 1296], the canons having fled. In the morning, however, they destroyed the priory and the whole town by fire. From there they advanced to the house of the nuns of Lambley, and, some buildings having been burned, the church being spared, they returned into Scotland with great spoil. Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, coming to the King of England, submitted himself to him with all his power. The castle of Dunbar, besieged by the Scots on the feast of Saint Michael¹ [25th April 1296], was, through the treachery of certain persons within it, surrendered to them, for the recovery of which the king sent John, Earl of Surrey, and William, Earl of Warwick, with a very large force of knights. When the army of the Scots came upon them, in order to bring aid to those besieged, a hard battle was fought [on Friday 27th April 1296], and at length the Scots fleeing, the English pursued them for nearly eight miles, as far as the forest of Selkirk, inflicting great slaughter, so that the number of those slain was estimated at ten thousand men. On the following Saturday [28th April 1296], namely the eighteenth day before the Kalends of May², the castle was surrendered to the king upon his arrival, in which were captured three earls, of Menteith, of Atholl, and of Ross, and six barons, namely John Comyn the younger, William de St Clair, Richard Siward the elder, John of Inchmartin, Alexander of Moray, Edmund Comyn of Kilbride, together with twenty-nine other knights, two clerks, and eighty-three squires, whom the king sent to various castles of England to be held in custody.

Rex audita hac littera resignationem homagii sui admisit, et cancellario suo præcepit hanc litteram registrari, ad perpetuam memoriam rei gestæ. Comites Scotiæ superius nominati, cum eorum comitiva, apud castrum de Gedeworthe coadunati, profecti sunt in Angliam; et vastantes omnia cæde et incendio, usque ad prioratum Haugustuldensem, et in eodem, fugientibus canonicis, se quarto idus Aprilis receperunt. Mane vero facto, prioratum cum tota villa incendio destruxere. Progressi inde ad domum monialium de Lamelay, domibusque quibusdam salva ecclesia incensis, cum ingenti præda in Scotiam revertuntur. Patricius, comes de Dunbar, ad regem Angliæ veniens, se eidem cum tota sua subdidit potestate. Castrum de Dunbar in festo S. Michaelis obsessum a Scotis, fraude quorumdam in eo existentium redditum est eisdem : pro quo recuperando misit rex Joannem Surreiæ et Willeimum Warewici comites, cum militia magna valde. Quibus superveniens Scotorum exercitus, ut obsessis ferret auxilium, excipitur pugna dura: fugientibus tandem Scotis insequuntur Anglici per octo milliaria fere, usque ad forestam de Selelark, stragem nimiam ingerentes; ita ut cæsorum numerus ad decem millia hominum fuerit æstimatus. Sabbato sequente, videlicet decimo octavo calendas Maii, regi advenienti redditum est castrum, in quo capti sunt comites tres, de Meneteth, de Asceles et de Ros; barones sex, videlicet Joannes Comin junior, Willeimus de Sancto Claro, Ricardus Siwardi senior, Joannes Hincmartino, Alexander de Muravia, Eadmundus Comin de Kilbrid, cum aliis militibus viginti novem, clericis duobus, et scutiferis octoginta tribus, quos ad diversa castra Angliæ misit rex in custodia detinendos.

Note 1. The author writes St Michael, whose Feast Day is the 29th September. This appears to be a mistake for the Feast Day of St Mark, the 25th April. The date of the 25th is consistent with the Lanercost Chronicle: 'In accordance with this plan, on the eleventh of the kalends of May [21st April 1296] the Earl of Mar and others came before Dunbar with the chosen candidates for knighthood, intending to have that fortress as a base. After they had plundered the neighbourhood and burnt the town, they laid siege to the castle. Now as there was no proper garrison in the place, the countess, with her slender household and the earl's brother, defended it for two days. But the enemy, pretending that the earl was a traitor through his having joined the cause of the King of England in order to keep faith, persuaded the lady to surrender honourably; and so, at dawn of the fourth day [25th April 1296] they entered the castle ...'

Note 2. The author here is incorrect. The 'following Saturday' is the 28th April 1296, the fourth day before the Kalends of May.

Langtoft's Chronicle. The messenger went to the army of low people,

It began to arrange itself in order of battle. Sir Richard Siward, who gave the advice,

Comes to our English, and says, "If God protect me,

I see people coming with very great appearance,

As though they intended to give battle, with innumerable foot,

I go, if you approve it, to put an impediment among them,

That they come no nearer;" ours say "Care not,"

And take Siward that he may go there no further;

They place keepers upon gate and upon wall.

Humphrey de Bohun the young has the ward in charge

That aid from the castle attack them not in the rear;

And they mount their steeds, spur them to the hill;

And he who can go quickest, springs before the others.

The Scots see them come, turn tail upon them like as a quail

In fleeing away flies before the wind like straw does.

The English after chace them like sheep

Which flies when it sees the wolf come out of the bush.

The presumptious Scot believes that he is worth more than

The duke sir Corineus who conquered Cornwall.

Of so many armed men it was very great wonder

That not one of them is worth a farthing in deed,

Except Patrick de Graham, who remains and fights

With the furbished sword, but he is slain without fail.

Ten thousand and fifty - four are killed in the engage- ment;

They are all of Scotland, the number is by count.

These were the chieftains who slaughtered the cattle Through

Northumberland, they left the entrails to the dogs;

They were excommunicated by book and candle,

Because to holy church, to priest nor clergy,

Did they show mercy more than to oven or barn;

Sin has driven them to such a result,

That they have lost in the field their heads with the ears.

The foot folk

Put the Scots in the poke,

And bared their buttocks.

By way

Never heard I say

Of readier boys,

To rob

The robes of the rich

That fell in the field.

They took of each man;

May the rough ragged fiend

Tear them in hell!

Of battle or combat was never recorded

That so many people were so soon slain,

Nor thus without resistance turned their backs;

Ravens have their corpses, their souls to the fiends

Of all those who have thus conducted wars!

For on that side was never once,

Within town or without, a good deed shown,

But only to sneak about and plunder the towns,

Burn holy church, slay the clergy.

May that God be praised who at Dunbar has avenged it!

The earls who had committed the offences,

As soon as they knew and were informed

Of the discomfiture upon their kindred,

They have delivered up the castle to the English when they come back

And without conditions obliged. themselves

To the king sir Edward to be at his will.

The king came there next day with his barons,

The prisoners who are taken are presented to him,

Three earls, three barons, three bannerets of name,

Besides them twenty-eight knights addubbed,

With five score gentlemen who are found there;

Two clerks and two Pikards are numbered among them.

The earls are sent to the Tower of London,

Some of the barons are associated with them;

And the others sent to different castles

By two and two together mounted on a hackney,

Some in carts, with fetters on the feet.

In such a style of dance their game is ended;

Throughout England in all the countries

There will be for ever talk of their presumption,

Their deed has turned them to mockery as long as the world shall last.

For the Scots

I reckon for fools,

And wretches unwary;

Want of luck

In dealing blows

Drew them to Dunbar.

Chronicle of William Rishanger. The slaughter of the Scots, and the capture of the castle of Dunbar.

At the same time, Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, coming to the king of England, submitted himself to him with all his power. The castle of Dunbar Castle, on the feast of Saint Martin [13th April], having been besieged by the Scots, was surrendered to them through the treachery of certain people within it. To recover it, the king sent John, Earl of Surrey and Sussex, and William, Earl of Warwick, with a very large force. When the Scottish army arrived to bring aid to those besieged, a fierce battle was fought. At last the Scots fled, and the English pursued them for eight miles, almost as far as the forest of Selkirk, inflicting a very great slaughter, so that the number of those killed was estimated at ten thousand men. On the following Saturday, that is, the eighteenth day before the Kalends of May, when the king arrived, the castle was surrendered to him. Inside it were captured three earls, of Menteith, Atholl, and Ross; six barons, namely John Comyn the younger, William of St Clair, Richard Siward the elder, John of Hynemartin, Alexander of Moray, and Edmund Comyn of Kilbride, together with twenty-nine knights, two clerks, and eighty-three squires. The king sent them to various castles in England to be kept in custody.

Strages Scotorum , et lucratio Castri de Dunbar

Eodem tempore, Patricius, Comes de Dunbar, ad Regem Angliæ veniens, se eidem, cum tota sua potestate, subdidit. Castrum de Dunbar, in festo Sancti Martini, obsessum a Socotis, fraude quorundam in eo existentium, redditum est eisdem. Pro quo recuperando, misit Rex Johannem, Surreyæ et Southsexiæ, ae Willelmum, Warwici, Comites, cum militia magna valde. Quibus superveniens Scotorum exercitus, ut obsessis ferret auxilium, excipitur pugna dura. Effugientibus tandem Scotis, insequuntur Anglici per octo milliaria, fere usque ad forestam de Selelarke, stragem: nimiam inferentes ; ita ut occisorum numerns ad decem millia hominum fuerit æstimatus. Sabbato sequente, videlicet, decimo octavo Kalendas Maii, Regi advenienti redditum est castrum ; in quo capti sunt Comites tres, de Menetez, et de Asceles, et de Ros; Barones vero sex, Johannes Comyn junior, Willelmus de Sancto Claro, Ricardus Siwardi senior, Johannes de Hinemartino, Alexander de Muravia, Edmundus Comyn de Killebride, cum aliis militibus viginti novem, clericis duobus, et scutiferis octoginta tribus ; quos ad diversa castra Analiæ Rex transmisit, in custodia detinendos.

Note 1. The 'eighteenth day before the Kalends of May' i.e. 18th April, is a mistake. The battle was fought on Friday 27th April 1296, and King Edward arrived the following day.

Annals of Worcester. When Earl Patrick heard that his wife and children were being besieged in his castle of Dunbar, he came with 436 armoured horsemen and 6,000 infantry, having received permission from the king, in order to raise the Scottish siege. And on the way he heard that the castle had been surrendered to his enemies. Nevertheless, he surrounded the castle with a siege. And on the 27th day of April [1296], the Earl of Mar and Alexander Balliol came against our men in Scotland with one thousand horse, of whom five hundred were armoured, and forty thousand infantry. With them were entrusted John, Earl of Warenne, and William, Earl of Warwick, together with other English nobles, leaving the king’s boys (pages) to guard the castle. To them Richard Siward and William of St Clair went out, but did not return. And when battle was joined, they left Edward Balliol, the bishop of Aberdeen, and Patrick of Graham, with many nobles and three thousand infantry, lying dead across the fields; and none of our side fell, but only two knights were wounded. And those who were besieged surrendered the castle to the king on the following day; which the king restored to Patrick the earl, and handed over the more important prisoners found within to his loyal followers to be kept in custody, as, for example, to the Earl of Warwick he gave the Earl of Atholl, and so with the others.

Cum audisset comes Patricius, quod uxor ejus. et filii in castro suo de Donbar obsidebantur, cum CCCCXXXVI equis coopertis et VI milibus peditum ac ceptis a rege venit ut obsidionem Scoticam amoveret. Et obiter audivit quod adversariis suis redditum esset castrum. Sed nihilominus castrum cireumdedit obsi dione. Et vicesimo septimo die Aprilis comes de Marinon et Alexander de Bailol cum mille equis, ex quibus quingenti ferro fuerant cooperti, et quadraginta milibus peditum super nostros de Scotia venerunt. Cum quibus commiserunt Johannes comes de Warenna et Willelmus comes Warewik cum aliis nobilibus Anglicanis, dimissis pueris regis ad custodiam castri; ad quos Ricardus Syward et Willelmus de Seint-Cler exierunt, sed non redierunt. Et commisso prælio Ingremium de Bailol et episcopum de Aberden et Patricium de Graham cum multis nobilibus et tribus milibus peditum per agros mortuos reliquerunt; et nullus de nostris cecidit, sed tantum fuerunt duo milites vulnerati. Et obsessi regi castrum in crastino reddiderunt; quod rex comiti Patricio redonavit, et nobiliores infra inventos suis fidelibus tradidit custodiendos, ut comiti Warewik comitem de Aseles et sie de aliis.

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. When this was reported to our king, he immediately dispatched a strong force under the command of the Earl of Warenne [aged 65]: one thousand mounted knights and ten thousand foot soldiers. The Bishop of Durham [aged 51] also sent one hundred armoured men from his own army. They besieged the castle for a few days, and both sides exchanged volleys of missiles and engaged in skirmishes. The new occupants of the castle, now alarmed, requested a truce of three days so that they might send for their king, under the condition that if he did not arrive or assist them, they would surrender the castle. This was granted, and messengers were sent. Then, on the third day, which was a Friday [27th April 1296], three weeks after the capture of Berwick, a large army arrived, sent by the King of Scots: fifteen hundred cavalry and forty thousand foot soldiers, descending the slope of the hill opposite Dunbar, arranged for battle in their squadrons. When the new defenders within the castle saw this force, they rejoiced at the sight and immediately raised their banners on the battlements, shouting insults at our troops, calling them 'tailed dogs' and other abusive names, and threatening them with death and the cutting off of their 'tails.'

Then the Earl of Warenne, having assigned the sons of the nobles who were with him, along with some armed men, to maintain the siege of the castle and prevent the enemy from escaping, boldly advanced with the rest of the army toward the enemy. As our army descended into the valley and spread out in every direction, so as to better and more efficiently approach the Scots, the Scots mistakenly believed that our forces were in retreat and turning their backs in flight. They shouted loudly for their destruction, blowing their horns and howling with such ferocity that the terrifying sound seemed to penetrate like the horns of hell resounding from the abyss. But finally, as our men climbed up out of the deep valley and rushed to engage, the Scots were quickly thrown into confusion. The lines on both sides were drawn, and without delay they clashed fiercely, charging with lances and swords. And, as it pleased the Most High, almost at the first blows, the Scots turned and fled, and our men pursued them, cutting them down and slaughtering them over a distance of seven or eight leagues, nearly as far as the forest of Selkirk. About ten thousand Scots fell in the rout. Among them was a most valiant knight, Patrick de Graham by name, a man considered first among the wise of that kingdom and noblest among the powerful. Unwilling to diminish the glory of his reputation, he did not turn his face in flight, but fought bravely until the end, and was finally killed there. Once the spoils were gathered and our men had returned to the siege lines around the castle, the enemy's banners, which earlier had been raised proudly, were now lowered. They had been thrown into confusion and fear upon seeing their comrades flee and fall in battle.

Quod cum esset regi nostro nunciatum, confestim robur exercitus misit ibidem cum comite de Warenna, mille scilicet armatos equites, et peditum decem millia. De exercitu etiam Dunolmensis episcopi centum armati mittebantur. Qui cum obsedissent castrum, paucis tamen diebus, et mutuis se telis et insultibus visitassent, novi castrenses attoniti, rogaverunt ut concesso triduo liceret eis regem suum expetere, sub qua conditione se dare deberent et castrum reddere. Quo concesso, et missis nunciis, ecce die tertio, qui erat dies Veneris, a captura de Berewyk in tres ebdomadas, venit exercitus multus a rege Scotorum missus, mille quingenti equitantium et XL millia peditum, per clivum montis descendens ex opposito de Dunbar, præparatus ad bellum per turmas suas. Quod cum vidissent novi castrenses, et ex visione tali jam læti effecti, mox eorum vexilla in propugnaculis castri erexerunt, clamantes ad nostros et eos probrose vocantes canes caudatos et talia quæque, insuper comminantes in mortem et caudarum abscisionem.

Tunc comes de Warenna, assignatis pueris magnatum qui cum eo erant cum quibusdam armatis ad obsidionem castri continuandam ne hostes exirent, ipse cum exercitu residuo animose processit ad hostes. Cumque noster exercitus in vallem descendendo et transeundo circumquaque se diffunderet, ut sic facilius meliusque properaret mutuo congressui, credebant Scoti nostros in hoc fugam inire et terga vertere, et conclamabant in mortem eorum, insufflantes cornibus et resonantes ululatibus in tantum quod terribilis sonitus cornuum inferni quasi profunda penetravit. Sed tandem ascendentibus nostris ex valle profunda, et ad congrediendum festinantibus, confestim et ipsi conloss by the ticuerunt, directisque hinc et inde aciebus, absque ulla dilatione mutuo congressi sunt, lanceis et gladiis vicissim occurrentes, et, ut placuit Altissimo, mox quasi in primis ictibus terga verterunt Scoti, et insequebantur nostri cædentes et trucidantes quasi spatio VII leucarum vel octo, fere usque ad Forestam de Selekyrk, cecideruntque ex eis circiter decem millia. Unus autem ex eis miles strenuissimus, nomine Patricius de Graham, inter sapientiores regni illius quasi primus et inter potentiores nobilissimus, cum gloriam suæ laudis minuere nollet, faciem non avertit, sed viriliter agens usque ad mortem, in fine tandem corruit interfectus ibidem. Collectis demum spoliis, et revertentibus nostris ad obsidionem castrensium, ecce deponebantur vexilla quæ contra ruinam eorum prius elevabantur in altum. Confusi enim fuerant et conterriti cum suos et terga vertere et partem corruisse vidissent.

Lanercost Chronicle. Howbeit, forasmuch as the truth ever remains invincible, although the uneasy conscience will always imagine dire events, when they perceived the flower of their youth and the main part of their army confined within the walls, they determined to put an end to the siege by a sudden assault and so to unite the relieved garrison with their own forces. Therefore on the fifth of the kalends of May [27th April 1296], at the ninth hour of Friday (which thus a second time proved unlucky for them) when the Earl of Warenne and barely a fifth part of the King's army were preparing to go to bed, they showed themselves boldly on the brow of a steep hill, provoking their enemy to combat. And although their columns were in close order and strong in numbers, before it was possible to come to close quarters [with them], they broke up and scattered more swiftly than smoke, the fiercest of them being first in flight. Yet their foot-soldiers would have stood firm had not the knights showed their heels so readily ; and because victory consisteth not in the multitude of a host, but cometh from Heaven, thou mayest discern in that conflict what the Lord promised to his chosen people — 'They come,' said He, 'against thee by one way, and they flee in ten ways.'

In this manner there were slain not less than ten thousand rebels, and several tonsured [priests] were found among the dead ; yet upon the English side, not one man fell, except a single foolhardy knight. It is evident that the Supreme Truth, who said that He had come into the world to set a man against his own father, decided the issue of this combat, which was waged against the truth ; for there you might see in the same people a son bearing arms against his father, and a brother putting his neighbour to the sword.

After this, justice was directed against the besieged. For they had lighted on the tower of the castle a signal beacon, informing the relieving force when they might surprise [the enemy] and at what moment they should deliver the assault. Therefore some [of the English] having been set to work with a will to dig mines, others to throw up earthworks from which they could forcibly breach the castle wall, the garrison fell into a panic, and straightway surrendered on the morrow to the royal will. There were captured there and sent into captivity in divers parts of England, among the nobility, four earls — Mar, Menteith, Atholl and Ross, besides six score and fourteen others, among whom there were several barons, twenty knights, and eighty esquires. Also, three hundred foot-soldiers were taken there whom the King had no wish to detain, but set them free after receiving their parole also he granted them safe conduct to whatever place outside the neighbourhood of the camps they would go to, which greatly contributed to the credit of his clemency, even from the lips of his enemies.

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. On the following day [28th April 1296], when our king arrived, the defenders surrendered the castle [Map], placing their lives and limbs into the king's hands, as he refused to grant any terms or promise mercy by formal agreement. The names of those captured included: William, Earl of Ross, William [John] [aged 30], Earl of Atholl, Alexander, Earl of Menteith, Barons: John, son of John Comyn, William de St. Clair, Richard Siward, John, son of Geoffrey de Mowbray Along with these nobles, thirty-one knights, one hundred squires, and two clerics, John de Somerville and William de St. Clair, were also captured. King Edward sent all of them, scattered in groups of twelve or sixteen, to various castles in England, to be held in secure custody. With the victory at Dunbar achieved, the hearts and plans of the Scots were broken, and almost all of them fled beyond the seas, except for those who remained in a few castle garrisons. From there, the king advanced to various towns and cities, and from that point on, the entire strength of Scotland was brought under his control with minimal resistance and little bloodshed. For, as the glory of their entire realm had been wiped away by the outcome of a single battle, no obstacle remained to prevent the most fortunate king from easily subduing the rest of the country.

Regi quidem nostro in crastino venienti reddiderunt castrum, ponentes in manu ipsius vitam et membra. Noluit enim rex ullam conditionem apponere, neque gratiam promittere ex pacto certam. Nomina eorum qui captivabantur erant ista: Willelmus comes de Rosse, Willelmus comes de Asthelle, Alexander comes de Meneteth. Item barones, Johannes filius Johannis Comyn, Willelmus de Sancto Claro, Ricardus Syward, Johannes filius Gaufridi de Moubrai. Cum istis etiam magnatibus inventi sunt et capti triginta unus milites, et armigeri centum, et duo clerici, scilicet Johannes de Somerville et Willelmus de Sancto Claro. Hos omnes misit dominus rex sparsim et divisim per XII vel XVI ad diversa castella in Anglia, sub firma custodia reservandos. Obtenta itaque victoria de Dunbar, dissoluta sunt corda et consilia Scotorum, fugeruntque quasi omnes ultra mare regni illius, exceptis illis qui in castrorum præsidiis remanebant. Exinde processit rex ad aliquas urbes et oppida, et extunc omne robur Scotiæ quasi minimo et incruento negotio in suam potestatem redegit et vicit. Namque quia universam eorum gloriam unius prœlii casus abraserat, in obtinendis residuis nulla se fortunatissimo principi difficultas opposuit.