[MR] Wikipedia: Death of James II

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, especially fellow Scots,

On this date in 1460, King of Scots James II was killed by an exploding
cannon during a siege at Roxburgh Castle.

James II (born 1430, reigned 1437-1460) was one of the most mercurial and
dangerous of the Stewart/Stuart kings, known for his vindictive nature and
sometimes irrational acts. He was called "James of the Fiery Face" (behind
his back) because of a large port wine birthmark, thought by many to be a
reflection of his volatile personality.

James' reign was noted for his persecution of the powerful Douglas clan,
particularly for the betrayal and murder of William Douglas, 8th Earl of
Douglas. The earl was summoned to attend the King at Stirling Castle under
a pledge of safe conduct. There at dinner on 22 February 1452 James II
openly accused Douglas of plotting treason (possibly). When Douglas denied
the charges the King drew his dagger and stabbed the Earl  26 times (we
Scots don't do this sort of thing by halves). Sycophants among the King's
supporters also drew their blades and added their stabs to the now lifeless
Douglas. Finally, his head was cloven with a battle axe by Sir Patrick
Gray. The Earl was then defenestrated, pitched out of a window into a
garden below. The garden is still there and is known as the Douglas Garden.

Fast forward eight years to 1460. Roxburgh Castle in the Scottish Border
region had been stubbornly held by an English garrison since the Battle of
Neville's Cross in 1346. James II was determined to take the castle back
and arrived that summer with an impressive artillery train. James loved his
guns, and was personally supervising their firing when a bombard exploded.
One of James' legs was severed in the blast, and he died within minutes.
The enraged Scots then carried the castle by storm. The widowed Queen, Mary
of Guelders, ordered the castle destroyed, and today only a few ruins
remain.

More about James II is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_II_of_Scotland
.

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.