[MR] Wikipedia: Scots Win Battle of Roslin, 1303

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble friends, especially fellow Scots,

On this day in 1303, Scottish troops under the command of Sir John Comyn
("The Red Comyn") and Sir Simon Frazier, defeated a larger English force at
Roslin in the Scottish Lothians.

The importance and size of the battle at Roslin was exaggerated in popular
accounts as a small force of brave Scots turning back a major invading
army. This is far from the truth, as both forces were rather small.
Still it was a bloody encounter won by the Scots through determination,
sneakiness, and using the terrain as a "force multiplier".

Sir John Seagrave was leading an English force on a reconnaissance raid
into the Lowlands as a prelude to King Edward I's planned invasion. Most
sources inflate Seagrave's army to about 30,000, but more likely it was
around 3,000. The Scots are said to have numbered around 10,000, but
probably fielded only around 1,000 men. Same odds, but a lot smaller than
early historians/propagandists would have us believe.

Upon reaching Roslin (yes, near the famous chapel, though it didn't exist
yet), Seagrave bivouacked his troops in three camps, each about a mile
apart. During the night the Scots massed on one side of Seagrave's own
camp. At dawn a small force of Scots stormed the sleepy and as yet
unarmored Englishmen from the opposite side. The unprepared English were
driven back into the main part of the Scottish force and were cut down.
Seagrave himself was wounded and taken captive. The English paymaster Sir
Ralph Manton was among the dead.

The commotion was noticed in the neighboring English camp, so they quickly
armed themselves and marched to save their commander. The Scots met the
approaching force along a bluff over a small river, and their spearmen
forced the English back over the steep edge, with many plunging to their
deaths or being crushed under the falling bodies of their comrades. The
stream was said to have run red with blood for days.

The now-exhausted Scots blocked the third group of English in a narrow
defile, as their archers poured arrows down on the packed English ranks
from the high ground. At this point the remaining English fled south,
Seagrave among them after escaping his captives. The death toll among the
English troops was likely around 2,700. Scottish losses were negligible.

Probably a legend, but supposedly the Scots were exhausted after the first
two skirmishes and were ready to go home. The abbot of a nearby monastery
ordered his monks to spread canvas on a nearby hill in the shape of St.
Andrew's X-shaped cross. This "sign from heaven" then roused the Scots to
defeat the third English force. Good story. Probably hooey.

Scottish victories against vast English armies were a rare thing, so the
triumph at Roslin was important for raising the Scots' morale. Alas, it
didn't work for long. Edward's huge armies soon overwhelmed the Scots. Most
Scottish lords threw in the towel and accepted Edward's terms as his
vassals. By early 1304, all of the Scottish Lowlands were under the Royal
Thumb except for Stirling Castle.

The Siege of Stirling Castle is a story for another day, possibly through a
Tournaments Illuminated article I have in the works.

Wikipedia offers a bare bones summary of the battle:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Roslin .

Yours Aye,

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