[MR] Wikipedia: Scots Victory at Battle of Old Byland

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1322 a Scottish army under the direct leadership of King of
Scots Robert I (aka "Robert the Bruce") completely crushed an English army
at the Battle of Old Byland.

We tend to think that Scottish independence was an accomplished fact after
the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn. Not so. Edward II continued his father's
attempts at conquest. After Edward had defeated rebellious barons at the
Battle of Boroughbridge in March, he felt powerful enough to turn his
attention to another English attempt on Scotland. In August the English
began yet another invasion of Scotland. Robert the Bruce, as ever proving
himself a superb tactician and strategist, withdrew all his people and
livestock north of the Fourth and completely stripped the Lothians of any
resources the English would need to feed their armies. By the time the
English reached Edinburgh, their supplies were long gone and the army was
starving. They were forced to make a humiliating retreat under constant
harassment by Scottish cavalry. All the English were able to accomplish was
trash the abbeys of Hollyrood, Melrose and Dryburgh.

Now Robert the Bruce struck back in a major raid into England. Edward had
taken up residence at Rievaulx Abbey, and all that stood between the Scots
and the English king was a large and well positioned army at Scawton Moor
led by John of Brittany, the Earl of Richmond. Here Bruce again showed his
genius as a general. While the main Scottish army attacked the English
front, a large force of Highlanders scaled the cliffs on the English flank
and then fell upon their rear. The result was a total rout by the English.
Edward was now completely exposed and had to flee Rievaulx, leaving most of
his personal possessions behind.

The victory at Old Byland bought little peace between the two countries.
After Edward II was deposed and killed by the Dowager Queen Isabella and
her lover the Mortimer, the Early of March, the 1328 treaty of
Edinburgh-Northampton was agreed by Bruce and the English. Five years later
when he reached his majority and had killed Mortimer, Edward III repudiated
the treaty. By then Robert the Bruce was dead, and this Edward proved a
much more powerful king than his feckless father. Thus the wars started all
over again, bringing much misery to Scotland. The Scots were saved when
Edward's attention was diverted by a much greater prize, the possible
conquest of France in what became known as the Hundred Years War.

You can read about the Battle of Old Byland at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Old_Byland .

The treaty is discussed at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Edinburgh–Northampton .

For more on Edward II's disastrous reign see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_II_of_England .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆