General Notes

REFN: 7975AN
In 1332 during an Anglo-Scots peace, Edward Balliol sailed with
eighty-eight ships from the Humber to Fife and fought his way to Scone.
His father John ha d abdicated in 1296 and Edward, claiming his family as
still the true royal l ine, had himself crowned King of Scotland.
David II’s claim had the endorsemen t of the Scottish Parliament and so
Sir Archibald Douglas, guardian of David II, immediately swept Edward out
of the country ‘with one leg booted and the other bare’.
The puppet-king returned in 1333 leading an English army across t he
border and laying siege to Berwick. Edward III joined with him in the May
and together their men set in upon Halidon Hill, a perfect vantage point
gi ving command of all approaches to Berwick. Sir Archibald Douglas was in
North umberland and made for the town to relieve it.
The only means of attack for th e Scots was by working their way through a
bog before clambering up the hills ide. As they attempted this the English
archers picked off their targets at e ase.
By the end of that 19 July Sir Archibald, six Scottish earls, seventy
b arons, five hundred knights and an unknown number of spearmen were dead,
whil e England’s dead numbered fourteen.
Unsaveable Berwick fell.