[MR] Wiipedia: Last Battle Between Scotland and England

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

On this date in 1575 the "Raid of the Redeswire" was fought between the 
kingdoms of Scotland and England: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_of_the_Redeswire . This is said to be 
the last battle between the two kingdoms, discounting the battles of the 
English Civil Wars and the Jacobite rebellions. That's a lot of battles, 
but technically they weren't between two kingdoms.

Curiously, the battle actually took place near Redesdale, nowhere near 
Redeswire.

The battle was actually between forces commanded by English and Scottish 
"Keepers" or march wardens, roughly sheriffs from the border counties, 
who supposedly were there to stop the relentless border raiding back and 
forth by "reivers". Many of the wardens themselves were heavily involved 
in crimes along border. When the cattle were fattened and the crops were 
in, the reivers would mount massive raids on their neighbors across the 
border, and sometimes against their neighbors from the same kingdom with 
whom they carried on long-term feuds. You can read more about the border 
reivers at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Reivers or in George 
MacDonald Frazers fascinating book THE STEEL BONNETS (still in print).

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot