Edward’s invasion of Scotland We will be exploring the:  Attack on Berwick  Battle of Dunbar

March, 1296 The Scottish army invaded the north of England & attacked Carlisle. Instead of attacking the Scottish army, Edward I lead his army to Berwick – the biggest and most important burgh in Scotland.

ACTIVITY Read the information sheet Highlight 6 relevant points of information for each of the following questions: – ‘Describe the events at Berwick.’ – ‘Describe the Battle of Dunbar’ – ‘Describe the effects of the Battle of Dunbar’ Take a note of questions & 6 points in either; a mind map, bullet points, flow chart etc.

Describe the attack on Berwick. The people built a new, wooden wall around the town Soldiers from Fife came to defend the town Women and children were moved out of the town Edward surrounded Berwick by land and sea Edward asked Berwick to surrender within 3 days. The defenders would not surrender The people of Berwick mocked King Edward by shouting insults at him such as ‘Lang Shanks’ (long legs) Edward attacked the town by sailing his ships into the harbour to attack from the sea English soldiers charged across the wall & into the town killing everyone they could find and burned Berwick to the ground Plockton High School

Describe the events of the Battle of Dunbar. 1.On 23 April, English cavalry - led by Edward’s senior commander John de Warrene, Earl of Surrey - was sent to besiege the castle 2.After 4 days the Scots led by the Earl of Buchan attacked the English 3.The castle garrison cheered and raised banners taunting English 4.Warrene and his knights rode down the valley and out of sight 5.The Scots thought the English were fleeing and broke ranks to pursue them 6.The English then attacked 7.Scots suffered huge defeat 8.Many Scottish nobles captured Plockton High School

Describe the effects of the Battle of Dunbar. Roxburgh surrendered after a few days of sporadic fighting. Jedburgh and Edinburgh castles held off Edward’s troops for a little longer, but when his powerful new siege engines arrived the castles quickly surrendered, not wishing to withstand the bombardment. Stirling did not even put up a fight. The caretakers of the castle were left with the keys by the defenders as they fled an approaching army. King John and the Comyn lords retreated to the north east, and there they contemplated surrender. Only on the west coast did Alexander, head of the powerful MacDougall clan, put up any kind of resistance. Almost 1600 Scots swore loyalty to Edward in the Ragman’s Roll. Plockton High School

Aftermath… King John and his supporters fled to the north of Scotland. The English army followed them. Edward stopped at every castle he passed on the way north – each one was surrendered to him.

In four brutal days bodies ‘fell like human leaves’, until the dead lining the streets became a hazard and had to be thrown into wells or the sea since there was nobody left to bury them. It was only with the pleading of the clergy that the carnage came to an end. An English source gives an incredible killed. Source A is from Freedom’s Sword by Peter Traquair (1998). It describes the attack on Berwick in How useful is Source A as evidence of the events at Berwick in (4)

The Battle of Dunbar, where many nobles fell wounded; while a great many knights and barons, in the hope of saving their lives, fled to Dunbar Castle, and were there readily welcomed. But they were all - to the number of seventy Knights, besides famous squires, together with William, Earl of Ross- made over, like sheep offered to slaughter, by Richard Sward, Warden of the said Castle, to the King of England. Source B was written by John of Fordun in his ‘Chronicle of the Scottish Nation’, in the 14 th Century. How useful is Source A as evidence of the events at Berwick in (4)