Anglo-Scottish battles Trivia Quiz

Answer: Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland.

In November 1093, Malcolm Canmore led an army into Northumbria and began to besiege Alnwick. Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumbria did not have a sufficient force at his command to oppose the Scottish army in open battle but did set out to try and relieve Alnwick. Mowbray arrived there with his forces and caught the Scottish army by surprise.

The English knights attacked and both Malcolm and his son Edward were killed. Alnwick was unlucky for Scottish monarchs. On 12 July 1174, William I of Scotland, known as William the Lion, was captured by a small English force led by Ranulf de Glanvill.

Henry II was occupied in fighting against his sons, so William saw his opportunity and invaded Northumbria in 1173 and again in 1174. In the second invasion William had an army that included a contingent of Flemish mercenaries and was said to have numbered eighty thousand men, but this is almost certainly an exaggeration.

He attacked Prudhoe Castle but after a siege of three days William moved north to besiege Alnwick. William divided his army into three columns and one of these, under the command of Duncan, Earl of Fife, attacked Warkworth and set fire to the church with a large number of refugees inside. William blundered and allowed his army to spread out. On the night of 11th July, a party of about four hundred mounted knights, led by Ranulf de Glanvill, set out from Newcastle.

They reached Alnwick shortly after dawn after becoming lost in heavy fog. There they found William's encampment with the Scottish king only protected by a bodyguard of perhaps sixty fighting men. The English force charged; the fighting did not last long. William's horse was killed beneath him and he was captured. Those of his followers who had not been killed surrendered. The Scots were leaderless and wandered back to Scotland.

Answer: First and third English victories, second successful Scottish Defence.

The first battle on April 27 1296 (also known as Spottsmuir) was the only one in the campaign by King Edward I of England to punish John Balliol for his refusal to support English military action in France. Edward sent one of his chief lieutenants, John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey (Balliol's father-in-law) with a strong force of knights to besiege the Earl of March's castle at Dunbar. March was with the English, but his wife, Marjory Comyn, sister of the Earl of Buchan, did not agree with her husband and allowed the Scots to occupy the castle.
All the combatants seem to have been mounted. The Scots occupied a strong position; the English advanced and were disordered by crossing a gully. This provoked the Scots to charge but the English reformed and routed them. According to once source the forces were probably in the 100s and casualties were not heavy but another source says the Scots lost 10000. During this campaign Robert the Bruce was fighting for the English.
The second action was from 13 January 1338 to 10 June 1338. Dunbar was successfully defended by Agnes Randolph, 4th Countess of Moray (c.1312-1369) known as Black Agnes because of her olive skin complexion. She was the spouse of Patrick, 9th Earl of Dunbar and March and daughter of Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray. The English commander was William Montacute, 1st Earl of Salisbury, one of the best generals of the time.

Salisbury began with a bombardment by catapults, which sent huge rocks against the castle ramparts. Lady Agnes responded by having her maids dress in their Sunday best and dust the battle damage away with their handkerchiefs. Upon the next assault with a battering ram, she dropped a huge boulder captured from an earlier English attack which smashed the ram. At one point the English captured her brother John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray and paraded him in front of the castle with a rope round his neck, and threatened to hang him if she did not surrender. She told them to go ahead, since this would make her the proprietor of the Earldom of Moray. John survived this piece of brinkmanship.
The third battle (on 3rd September 1650) was described as Cromwell's greatest victory. He had defeated a Scottish invasion of England in 1648. The Scots had played a significant part in battles in England such as Marston Moor (although at that time they were on the same side as Cromwell). His 12,000 men defeated David Leslies 22,000 (or 14,000 English and 27,000 Scots according to another source) but Cromwell had the advantage that the Kirk controlled the army and promotion was based on religion rather than military merit. The Scots lost 3,000 casualties and 1,0000 prisoners.

Answer: False

Macbeth's real name was Maelbeatha mac Finlaech (i.e. son of Finlaech) He was Mormaer of Moray not the thane of Glamis, born about 1005, and became King of Scotland in 1040. He was probably the grandson of Kenneth II and married Gruoch, the granddaughter of Kenneth III.

The Shakespeare play is slanderous and wrong in almost every respect (Duncan died in battle). After 14 years of some of the best rule of the period, King Macbeth suffered a major military defeat at the Battle of Dunsinane (possibly losing 10,000 to 1,500) against Siward, Earl of Northumbria, who was acting on behalf of Malcolm Canmore, Duncan's son. Malcolm then gained control of the southern part of Scotland. On August 15, 1057, Macbeth was defeated and killed by Malcolm at the Battle of Lumphanan, again with the assistance of the English. Gruoch's son ruled briefly until he was assassinated.

Answer: Northumberland (England).

It was fought on 9 September 1513 and was a crushing English victory over the Scots. To honour his alliance with France and divert troops James IV of Scotland crossed the border (22 August 1513) with an army of about 30,000. Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey gathered an army of about 20,000 to oppose him. Surrey issued a challenge to James, who agreed to wait until September 9 to fight.

The battle began in the late afternoon. English longbows and 2.5-metre bills (a combination of spear, a hook and a blade developed from a farm tool) proved superior to the Scottish 4.5-metre pike. By nightfall James was dead, together with at least 10,000 of his subjects, including many VIPs.

Answer: The last battle in Britain with foreign troops involved.

People have heard of the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite rebellions but Glen Shiel was fought on 10th June 1719.
A Spanish force of 5,000 plus weapons for 15,000 had set out but been incapacitated by bad weather two days after leaving Cadiz. The Jacobite leaders with more weapons and 307 Spanish soldiers set out from France and reached Scotland where they quarrelled. They were unenthusiastic by the time battle was joined. The Jacobite forces were 1,600 highlanders (including Rob Roy McGregor) and 250 Spaniards in a very strong position against General Wightman who had 850 infantry (including a small number of Dutch), 120 dismounted dragoons and 136 highlanders with six coehorn mortars. This battle is also unique because the highlanders did not try to close with the enemy.
The Hanoverians won but lost 21 against the Jacobites, who possibly fewer than ten.

Answer: Picts and Anglo-Saxons (Northumbrians) in the 7th century.

The kingdom of Bernicia (which later joined with Deira to form Northumberland) captured Edinburgh from the North Welsh (who called it Din Eidyn) in around 638 - so Edinburgh was English before it was Scottish.
The battle was fought on 20 May 685. The Picts pretended to retreat, drawing the Northumbrians into the swamp of Dunnichen. The Pictish King Bridei III killed Ecgfrith, destroyed his army and enslaved many of the survivors.
This battle is believed to be as crucial as Bannockburn.
Edward Bruce did try to become High King of Ireland. On May 26, 1315 Edward and his fleet (estimated at in excess of 6,000 men) landed in Ireland and fought in several battles, such as the Battle of Ardscull (a Scottish victory with heavy losses against a much larger but internaly quarrelling Anglo-Irish force) on 26 January 1316 before being killed at the battle of Faughart. It is recorded that at Dundalk both the Anglo-Irish and Gaelic population were massacred by Bruce's men.

Answer: An English victory with heavy losses for the Scots, light losses for the English.

One account says the Scots lost 7000 from 12,000 and the English 100 from 3000 to 3,500. Another account gives the Scottish losses as 15,000.
The English had resumed the Hundred Years' War with France. Philip VI of France sent David II of Scotland appeals for assistance. On October 7, the Scots entered England with approximately 12,000 men. They were expecting to find Northern England relatively undefended. (Philip VI went so far as to say Northern England was a "defenseless void".) At Carlisle the Scots got protection money and at Durham the Scots were offered £1,000 (200 or 250 times more in 2006 values) to be paid on October 18. An army was quickly mobilized under the supervision of William Zouche, the Archbishop of York. It was split into two separate groups: 3,000 - 4,000 men from Cumberland, Northumberland and Lancashire and another 3,000 Yorkshiremen. While the Scots were sacking Hexham the Archbishop decided not to wait for the Yorkshiremen and made haste toward Barnard Castle
Troops under William Douglas stumbled upon the English in the morning mist during a raid south of Durham. The two rearward divisions of the English army drove the Scots off with heavy Scottish casualties.
The king led the Scottish army to high ground at Neville's Cross. They remembered their defeats at Dupplin Moor and Halidon Hill and took a defensive stance but the English also took a defensive stance, knowing they had the superior position and time was on their side. In the afternoon the English sent longbowmen forward to harass the Scottish lines. The archers forced the Scots to attack, but their poor position resulted in their formations falling apart as they advanced, allowing the English to deal easily with the Scottish attack. When it became clear that the battle was going in favour of the English, Robert Stewart and the Earl of March fled, abandoning David II's division to face the enemy alone. Late in the afternoon, the king attempted unsuccessfully to retreat. David II was captured and spent eleven years in the Tower of London until he was released for a ransom of 100,000 Marks - about £15 million at 2006 prices . The Scots also lost two Earls, the Constable, the Great Marischal of Scotland, the Chancellor and the Chamberlain.

Answer: England near the Scottish border.

Henry VIII of England broke from the Roman Catholic Church and asked his nephew James V of Scotland to do the same. James ignored his uncle's request and further insulted him by refusing to meet with him. The English raided Scotland and James responded by assigning Robert, Lord Maxwell, the Warden of the West March, the task of raising an army. 10,000-18,000 Scots advanced south. Maxwell, though never officially designated commander of the force, declared he would lead the attack in person. However, he fell sick so Sir Oliver Sinclair de Pitcairns, James V's favourite, declared himself to the commander. Unfortunately, the other commanders refused to accept his command and the command structure totally disintegrated.
The Scots advance was met at Solway Moss by Sir Thomas Wharton and 3,000 men - mostly or entirely light cavalry. He sent out 500 men and when Wharton saw how successful they were he advanced with his whole force routing the Scots. Few people were killed but many Scots drowned in the flight. The English captured twelve hundred prisoners, including Sinclair and two Earls.
James was not present and was ill with fever. His death two weeks later at the age of thirty was blamed in part on his humiliation. He left behind a six-day-old daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots.

Answer: After Agincourt in 1419

The first large contingent of Scots was some 6,000 men under the command of John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan. They were supplemented from time-to-time with fresh troops (6,500 in one group in 1424) and by the summer of 1420 the 'Army of Scotland' was a distinct force in the French army. They proved played a large part in the Battle of Baugé, the first serious defeat of the English but in 1423 they suffered badly at the Battle of Cravant. In 1424 Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, arrived. He was an experienced but unlucky soldier, who was nicknamed Tyneman-'the Loser.' He was soon given the French title Duke of Touraine.
Some commanders were afraid to meet the English in open battle so it was agreed to attack English strongholds on the Norman border, beginning with Verneuil. The town was taken by trickery- a group of Scots, leading some of their fellow countrymen as prisoners, pretended to be English, and claimed that Bedford had defeated the allies whereupon the gates were opened.
The army was under the overall command of Viscount Aumale and consisted of 5000 to 6000 Scots plus roughly 10000 French with Lombard mercenary knights who's improved armour gave the English bowmen problems (millinery originally meant Milanese armour not ladies hats). The English under the Duke of Bedford were 8000 to 10000 strong, drawn up in traditional formation with 2000 archers in reserve.
At four pm the two armies simultaneously advanced. Once the English were in arrow range they halted and the archers drove in stakes (with difficulty as the ground was baked). Seeing an opportunity the French began an immediate advance leaving the Scots behind. The archers on Bedford's extreme right were caught and the French cavalry broke through their ranks, leaving that flank exposed. The opportunity was lost when the cavalry failed to wheel round but they continued and attacked the baggage train while Bedford's men-at-arms began an attack on the French infantry to their front. Unable to withstand the onslaught Narbonne's division broke and was chased back to Verneuil, where many, including Aumale, were drowned in the moat. Bedford called a halt to the pursuit and returned to the battlefield, where Salisbury was closely engaged with the Scots who were now standing alone. The Lombard cavalry, who were supporting the Scots, thought their French counterparts were poised to take all the loot and charged the baggage. By the time they arrived the French had been driven off by the reserve, soon to be followed by the Lombards. The reserve then decided on their own initiative to join the main battle, attacking the unsupported Scottish right wing while Bedford returned and took the Scots in the rear. About 6000 allied troops were killed, including 4000 Scots and many senior figures. The English lost 1,600 men - an unusually high figure.

Answer: Worcester

In what is sometimes called the 3rd English Civil War Charles II invaded England with a Scottish army. He failed to gain much support in England - one estimate says there were only 2,000 English out of an army of 16,000. After this battle Charles famously hid in an oak tree.
Although they are called English civil wars there was also heavy fighting in Scotland and Ireland (the infant American colonies seem to have been quiet).
During the 1st war the Scots had entered England to support parliament and formed a large part of the forces that fought at battles such as Marston Moor (which was unusual because the English and Scots units were mixed together).
If you realised the battles in this quiz were in alphabetical order this one was easy.