AFTER BANNOCKBURN Part 3
James II became king of Scots at the age of six. The shock at the murder of James I saw a settling of the dust. The murderers were rooted out and mutilated, and the realm was generally run smoothly during his minority. When he took over, he showed a great acumen for the job and was skillful at restoring the health of the nation. It was a great disaster when he was killed at Roxburgh in 1460 when a cannon he was standing next to exploded. James III was crowned at the age of 9 and was murdered before he reached 37 during a civil war which ended at the battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. During these reigns, the great noble houses rose and fell depending on whose side they chose in the murky world of Scottish politics. The sons of Robert II generally caused havoc. One, Alexander, the wolf of Badenoch, burnt Elgin cathedral and his son assumed the Earldom of Mar after he abducted the widowed countess. Most of the problems with the nobles were due to the long royal minorities. However, the administrative machinery continued to function despite its misuse and abuse. There was little direct fighting with England during this period. Scots fighting in France were executed for being in arms against their king when Henry V took James I with him to France. When he was released, James was treated as an ally. The suzerainty claim was occasionally dusted off and used, generally in support of a noble malcontent. The few battles which were fought were fought by the noble houses alone. Otterburn (1388) was a fight between an English army and the Douglasses
After the assassination of James I, the Douglasses bore the brunt of the fighting, however, when they were forfeited by James II, they fled to England. Scotland relations with France were strengthened during this period. The Auld Alliance was repeatedly renewed with almost unaltered terms. However, while Scotland gave much in support of the alliance she generally received little in return. A great many Scots fought in France for the French king against the English during the Hundred Years War. So highly thought of were the Scottish soldiers (they were always the last off the field - if they left at all. At Verneuill a Scottish army under the 4th earl of Douglas was all but exterminated) that Charles VII formed his 'corps d'elite' the 'Garde Ecossaise' from their ranks. In 1445, he established a regular army of fifteen companies. At the head of them was the 'Gens d'Ordonnance' the Scottish Company. In these two companies generations of Scots fought with distinction.
While Scotland gave military aid to France, she received culture in return. It was to France that she looked when her own Universities were being thought of. St, Andrews (1412) had its curriculum based upon that of Paris, while its constitution was based on the universities of the Loire. Glasgow (1451) followed St. Andrews, and Aberdeen (1495) showed a great deal of Renaissance influence. When James IV took the throne in 1488, the role of the king was changing. The old ideas were being replaced. Government was becoming more complicated and there was a greater reliance on 'small men' to oil the wheels of government. As the crown took more of an interest in everything, the only force able to hold off conflict was the force of the king's will. James IV had will in no small measure. By the force of his personality, he pushed Scotland forward. James was interested in everything, ships, guns, tournaments, clothes, music and even surgery. He extracted a tooth, set a broken leg and carried out a bleeding. Alchemy was also an interest. His abiding loves however were good government, his subjects and warfare.
One of James' many reforms was in the legal system. James reorganised and restructured the legal system to run more efficiently and effectively. He made a conspicuous effort to control the highlands (the first king of Scots in a century who could speak Gaelic) he forfeited the Lord of the Isles in 1493 and made each chief responsible for his own people - an action that had little success. Having failed to control the Highlands through the use of justiciars, he made Huntly heritable sheriff of the north and Argyll of the south-west. The rise of the Gordons and the Campbells gained a gathering momentum from now on, as these two powerful families became government policemen.
James was a true renaissance monarch in many ways, above all his interest in warfare and in developing the military might of his kingdom set the tone for his reign. He banned golf and football so that the men might practice their archery. He ordered regular 'wapynschawingis' to ensure that every man possessed weapons according to his status. By 1508, he was casting good cannon in Edinburgh castle. He also loved his navy. In 1493 he ordered every burgh to provide a boat of 20 tons and a crew and was also building his own ships in new dockyards. The great 'Michael' was completed in 1511 and was the wonder of the age. By the end of his reign he had ten big and sixteen smaller ships. He lent 2,000 men to Denmark in 1502 and informed France that he could supply 4,000 fully equipped men in 1508. He also subdued the Highlands with a small force. Serious war however he did not engage in.
Much of the reason for James' success was the lack of interest in England for yet another war in Scotland. Henry VII was interested only in staying on the throne and made every effort to maintain the peace, including the marriage of his eldest daughter to James in exchange for perpetual peace. A peace which would last so long as Henry VII was alive. When Henry VIII took the throne, the atmosphere changed. Henry was determined on a war with France and despite a great deal of diplomatic effort on James' part in aid of peace, war broke out in 1512 although James would take no action until 1513. When Henry left for France in the summer of 1513, he left England well prepared for any attack by James. A last attempt by James to get peace was made in August 1513. The envoy was treated with contempt by Henry and rejected on August 12. On August 22, James crossed the border.
James reduced several castles, including Norham with his new guns and took up a fortified position on Flodden Edge overlooking the river Till. Surrey, in charge of the English forces, attempted to lure James down from the hillside to no avail marched around the Scots until they had threatened to block off the Scots supply routes. On a rainy miserable day, the Scots finally gave battle. The Scots guns were manoeuvred round the hill but could not depress enough to do any damage to the English lines. By contrast, the English guns were wreaking havoc in the Scottish line. The order was finally given to charge, and in a mass the Scots slid down the slope and attacked a well prepared enemy. James was killed and along with him nine earls, thirteen barons, an archbishop, and most of the other nobility. Thousands upon thousands of ordinary Scots were also slain. Surrey himself lost two-thirds of his own picked retinue in the battle.
James' body was taken to London where Henry planned a splendid funeral. The funeral never took place and the embalmed head was eventually hacked off by Elizabeth's master-glazier who used it as a pot-pourri until he tired of it.
The long term ramifications of Flodden were great. The loss of so many nobles in one day was a huge blow. Organisation for defence was put in place and in Edinburgh orders went out that women were not to wail in the streets but were instead to go to church, and that everyone must help to build the city wall (which still stands today in places). The new lords made arrangements for the gathering of war material and for the coronation of the new king. Henry however, made peace with France in 1514; a peace in which Scotland was included. Flodden's greatest impact would be in the collective psyche when future problems arose with England. There was no rush to war, indeed there was every attempt made to avoid it at all costs. The 'Flodden Complex' would affect Scottish domestic and foreign policy for many years afterwards.
Original content provided by the Gazetteer for Scotland at http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/ and used with their permission.