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Battle of Flodden Field
Part of the War of the League of Cambrai
Date September 9, 1513 Location Near Branxton in Northumberland, England Result Decisive English victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of England	Kingdom of Scotland
Commanders
Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey	James IV †
Strength
25,000	30,000 5,000 French knights and infantry[citation needed] Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and by several other names,[1] was a major conflict in the Italian Wars. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1513 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Branxton is a village in northern Northumberland, United Kingdom. ... Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Motto Dieu et mon droit(French) God and my right Territory of the Kingdom of England Capital Winchester; London from 11th century Language(s) Old English (de facto, until 1066) Anglo-Norman language (de jure, 1066 - 15th century) English (de facto, gradually replaced French from late 13th century) Government Monarchy... Image File history File links Flag_of_Scotland. ... Motto Latin: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) (Scots: Wha daur meddle wi me) Capital Edinburgh¹ Language(s) Gaelic, Scots Government Monarchy King/Queen  - 843-860 Kenneth I  - 1587–1625 James VI  - 1702-1714 Anne Legislature Parliament of Scotland History  - United 843  - Union of the... Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1443-1524) and 1st Earl of Surrey, fought for King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, following which he was imprisoned for several years before having his titles and estates restored. ... James IV (March 17, 1473-September 9, 1513) was King of Scots from 1488 to his death. ...
Casualties and losses
1,500	10,000 - 12,000 (in addition to a large number missing)

Western side of the battlefield, looking south-south-east from the monument erected in 1910. The Scottish army advanced down the ploughed field, the English down the grassy field in the foreground, and they met, presumably at the valley boundary between the two fields.

The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field was fought in the county of Northumberland, in northern England on September 9, 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey. It ended in a bloody defeat for the Scots and was the largest battle (in terms of numbers) fought between the two nations. The Battle of Agnadello was the one of the more significant battles of the War of the League of Cambrai, and one of the major battles of the Italian Wars. ... Combatants France Republic of Venice Commanders Gaston de Foix Unknown Strength 12,000 Unknown Casualties Unknown, but heavy 8,000+ The Sack of Brescia took place on February 18, 1512 during the War of the League of Cambrai. ... Combatants France, Ferrara Spain, Papal States Commanders Gaston de Foix† Ramon de Cardona Strength 26,000 12,000 Casualties 3,000 dead or wounded 9,000 dead or wounded The Battle of Ravenna, fought on April 11, 1512, by forces of the Holy League and France, was a major battle... Combatants England France Commanders Edward Howard René de Clermont Strength 25 ships 22 ships The naval Battle of St Mathieu took place on 10 August 1512 during the War of the League of Cambrai, near Brest, France, between an English fleet of 25 ships commanded by Edward Howard and a... The Battle of Novara was a battle of the Italian Wars fought on June 6, 1513, next to Novara, in Northen Italy. ... Combatants France Kingdom of England Commanders Jacques de la Palice Henry VIII Strength 40,000 30,000 The Battle of the Spurs or Battle of Guinegate took place on August 16, 1513. ... The Battle of La Motta, which took place on October 7, 1513 between the Republic of Venice and Spain, was a significant battle of the War of the League of Cambrai. ... Combatants France, Republic of Venice Duchy of Milan Commanders Francis I, Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, Bartolomeo dAlviano, Louis de la Trémoille Maximilian Sforza, Cardinal Matthaeus Schiner Strength 30,000 Unknown The Battle of Marignano, in the phase of the Italian Wars (1494–1559) that is called the War of... The Anglo-Scottish Wars were a series of wars fought between England and Scotland during the sixteenth century. ... Combatants Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of England Commanders William Douglas, 2nd Earl of Angus George, Earl of Dunbar Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland Strength 4,000 Casualties very few few, 1500 hostages The Battle of Piperdean (1436) was an engagement in the Scottish Borders, fought between the Kingdom of... Combatants Scotland England Commanders Earl of Ormonde Earl of Northumberland Strength 4000 6000 Casualties c600 2000 The Battle of Sark , sometimes known as the Battle of Lochmaben Stone, was fought in October 1448 as part of the intermittent border war between England and Scotland left over from the Wars of... Combatants Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of England Commanders George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly Robert Bowes Strength  ?  ? Casualties  ? The Battle of Haddon Rig was a battle between Scotland and England in August 24, 1542, during the reign of King James V of Scotland. ... Solway Moss is a moss (lowland peat bog), in Cumbria, England, lying next to the River Sark which marks the Scottish border. ... The Battle of Ancrum Moor was fought during an Anglo-Scottish war towards the end of the reign of Henry VIII of England. ... Combatants Scots English Commanders Earl of Arran Duke of Somerset Strength Between 23,000 and 36,000 17,000 30 warships Casualties 5,000 killed 1500 prisoners 500 killed The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, along the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 320 KB)The site of the Battle of Flodden Field in February 2005. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 320 KB)The site of the Battle of Flodden Field in February 2005. ... Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1513 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Scottish as an ethnic group. ... James IV (March 17, 1473-September 9, 1513) was King of Scots from 1488 to his death. ... Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1443-1524) and 1st Earl of Surrey, fought for King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, following which he was imprisoned for several years before having his titles and estates restored. ...

Background

This conflict began when King James declared war on England, to honour the Auld Alliance with France by diverting Henry VIII's English troops from their campaign against the French king Louis XII. England was involved in a larger conflict; defending Italy and the Pope from the French, (see Italian Wars), as a member of the "Catholic League". Using the pretext of revenge for the murder of Robert Kerr, a warden of the Scottish East March, who had been killed by John "The bastard" Heron in 1508, James of Scotland invaded England with an army of about 30,000 men. The Auld Alliance refers to a series of treaties, offensive and defensive in nature, between Scotland and France aimed specifically against an aggressive and expansionist England. ... Henry VIII redirects here. ... Louis XII (b. ... For other uses, see Pope (disambiguation). ... Combatants France, the Holy Roman Empire, the states of Italy (notably the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Kingdom of Naples, the Papal States, Florence, and the Duchy of Ferrara), England, Scotland, Spain, the Ottoman Empire, the Swiss, Saxony, and others The Italian Wars, often referred to as... The Catholic League (or Holy League) was a coalition of various European powers that was formed by Pope Julius II in 1511, at the height of the War of the League of Cambrai, to defend the states of Italy against Louis XII of France and thus to strengthen Papal power. ...

The battle actually took place near the village of Branxton, in the county of Northumberland, rather than at Flodden — hence the alternative name of Battle of Branxton. The Scots had previously been stationed at Flodden Edge, to the south of Branxton. Branxton is a village in northern Northumberland, United Kingdom. ... A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. ... Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. ... Western side of the battlefield, looking south-south-east from the monument erected in 1910 (marked red in the key below). ...

James Crosses the Border

With his muster complete King James crossed the border on August 22. Most of the soldiers who came with him were armed with the eighteen foot Continental pike, some six feet longer than the traditional Scottish schiltrom spear. In the hands of the Swiss and German landsknechts these weapons had acquired a fearsome reputation; but they could only be used to effect in highly disciplined formations. James was accompanied by the French captain the Comte d'Aussi with some forty of his fellow countrymen, who had helped to train the Scots in the use of the weapon. It is open to question, though, if the Scots infantrymen had been given enough time to master the new techniques of battle or, indeed, if the countryside into which they were advancing would allow them to make the best use of the training they had received. is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Landsknecht. ...

Following in the wake of the army came master gunner Robert Borthwick with the artillery, seventeen guns in all, which required 400 oxen to drag them from Edinburgh. The majestic old bombard, Mons Meg, more trouble than she was worth, was left behind. Even so, the whole Scots artillery train was too heavy for a field campaign, and only slowed down the progress of the army. Although the big guns could batter down castle walls, they were difficult to manoeuvre in battle conditions. Moreover, these weapons had to be handled with skill to make them effective: unfortunately James had sent off his best gunners with the fleet. For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... A bombard, Malbork Castle A bombard is a type of medieval cannon or mortar, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls. ... Mons Meg is a large bombard now located at Edinburgh Castle. ...

James' army was composed in large part of raw recruits. Many had been demoralised by the high casualties sustained by the assault on Norham Castle, to which James laid siege soon after crossing the border. To make matters worse, the weather was deplorable, continuing wet and windy throughout the whole campaign. Disease began to spread and morale slumped still further. Gathering whatever spoils they could, many simply decided to make their way home. By early September men were arriving back in Edinburgh in such numbers that the town council was forced to issue a proclamation: "We charge straitli and command in our Soverane Lord the Kingis name that all manner of persons that ar cummyng fra his army that thai address thame and returne againe thairto." Norham Castle is a castle in Norham, Northumberland, England. ...

Surrey's March and invitation to James

By early September the Earl of Surrey's muster was complete, and the old general had approximately 26,000 men under his command, made up chiefly of archers and other infantrymen armed with the bill, the English version of the Continental halberd, an eight-foot-long weapon with a fearsome axe-like head, which could be used for cutting and slashing. All were on foot, save for the veteran campaigner Thomas, Lord Dacre, who had some 1,500 light border horsemen. Surrey was anxious that James would not be allowed to slip away, as he had during his invasion of 1497. To ensure that the Scots king remained, the commander sent a herald from his base near Alnwick, with an invitation to meet in battle on September 9. James responded with his own message, announcing his intention to wait for the Howards until noon on that day. Pole weapons and Mortuary Swords in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre KG (25 November 1467 – 24 October 1525) was the son of Humphrey Dacre, 1st Baron Dacre and Mabel Parr. ... For the parish in New Brunswick, see Alnwick, New Brunswick Alnwick (pronounced anick ) is a small market town in north Northumberland, in the north-east of England. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

James's reasons for accepting the challenge are unclear, when most Scottish commanders since Robert Bruce had avoided large set-piece battles with the English unless the circumstances were exceptional. The traditional explanation is that he was blinded by outmoded notions of chivalry and honour, although two other factors may have influenced him. Robert I, King of Scots, usually known as Robert the Bruce (July 11, 1274 – June 7, 1329, reigned 1306 – 1329), was, according to a modern biographer (Geoffrey Barrow), a great hero who lived in a minor country. ...

First, it seems clear that James was confident in the sheer size of his army, which was at least as strong, if not stronger, than that of his enemy. He was proud of his guns and his pikemen, and eager to let them prove themselves in battle. There was always the danger of the English longbow; but many of James' troops were encased in the latest armour or carried heavy wooden shields to counter the effects of the arrow fusilades.

Secondly, he had selected a very strong position in which to meet a frontal attack by Surrey. Just across the River Till from Ford Castle lie the north-eastern outriders of the Cheviots. The highest of these is Flodden Hill, in those days a treeless slope, rising to over 500 feet above sea level. From Flodden, the ground falls away to the north-west, before it rises again to Branxton Hill. To the west the approach is covered by Moneylaws Hill. The whole position resembles a huge irregular horseshoe shape, with the open end facing eastwards towards the Till. It was here, in a great natural fortress, that James placed his army. Bannockburn had shown the importance of selecting a good position in battle; but the Flodden position was, if anything, too strong: any attempt at direct assault would have been military suicide. James was no Bruce, and Surrey was no Hotspur. The River Till in Northumberland is the only English tributary of the River Tweed. ... The Cheviot Hills are a range of rolling hills that straddle the England/Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. ... Combatants Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of England Commanders Robert Bruce Edward II Strength about 6,500 20,000 Casualties unknown but light about 9,000 The Battle of Bannockburn (Blàr Allt a Bhonnaich in Gaelic) (June 24, 1314) was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence. ... Robert I, King of Scots (Mediaeval Gaelic:Roibert a Briuis; modern Scottish Gaelic: Raibeart Bruis; Norman French: Robert de Brus or Robert de Bruys; 11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), usually known in modern English as Robert the Bruce, was King of Scotland from 1306 until his death in 1329. ... Henry Percy was the name of several nobles in the line that produced the earls of Northumberland. ...

Flodden Edge

On September 6 the English army entered the valley of the Till. From here they had a clear view of the Scots a few miles to the west. To Surrey the strength of the enemy position was immediately obvious. The Trewe Encountre, an account written soon after the battle, describes what he saw; is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Kyng of Scottes did lye with his army in the egge of Cheviotte and was enclosed in thre parties, with three great mountaynes soe that ther was noe passage nor entre unto hym but oon waye where was laied marvelous and great ordenance of gonnes.

For a second time, Surrey sent his herald, complaining that James had taken a position "more like a fortress", and inviting him to do battle on the level plain at nearby Milfield. Naturally enough, James refused. By now it was certain that James wanted a battle. Even so, it was to be a battle on his terms: Surrey must come to him; he would not go to Surrey. Ironically, from what is known of the coming battle, James might have fared better if he had indeed accepted Surrey's invitation, and allowed his pikemen the advantage of a 'level plain'.

Surrey was faced with a stark choice. Running short of supplies, he would either have to abandon the field or take the risky step of outflanking the Scots by marching to the north and west, and taking a position across James' lines of communication. This would have the effect of forcing him out of his present position in a rapid march back towards the border. The fact that James did not abandon Flodden, or was only able to do so when it was far too late, was to give England one of the most complete victories over Scotland in her history.

Surrey began his march on the evening of September 8. During the following morning, his army crossed the Till in two places. The leading part of the army (the divisions of Edmund Howard and Thomas Howard, the Lord Admiral, with most of the artillery) crossed at Twizel Bridge; the remainder (Surrey's, Dacre's and Stanley's troops) at Milford Ford nearby. They then marched south towards Branxton Hill. is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk by Hans Holbein. ...

Branxton

It is unclear whether or not James knew that he had been outflanked until some time after mid-day. Visibility was poor, and the weather continued to be wet and stormy. The only defensible position now was at Branxton, the northern wall of the fortress camp, and the Scottish army began its slow redeployment. Once complete, James arranged his front line in four divisions. The left, under the joint command of Lord Hume and the Earl of Huntly, was made up of men from the borders and the north-east of Scotland. Next came the division under the earls of Crawford and Montrose. To their right was the most powerful and best equipped unit of all, commanded by the king in person. On James's right were the Highlanders, commanded by the earls of Argyll and Lennox. A fifth division, commanded by the Earl of Bothwell, was held in reserve close to the King. There was a space of about 200 yards (200 m) between each of the formations, with the artillery in between. The title Earl of Home (pronounced Hume) was created in 1605 in the Peerage of Scotland for Alexander Home, who was also the sixth Lord Home. ... The title Marquess of Huntly was created in the peerage of Scotland in 1599, making it the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles, only the English Marquessate of Winchester being older. ... The Border country is the hilly area of Lowland Scotland on the border between Scotland and England. ... Adam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of Bothwell, inherited the title Earl of Bothwell from his father Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell in 1508. ...

Surrey made his own dispositions to mirror those of the enemy. On the far right, facing Huntly and Hume, was his youngest son, Edmund Howard. Next came his eldest son, Thomas, the Lord Admiral. Close to the Admiral, possibly slightly to the rear, was Lord Dacre and the border horse. This unit was destined to perform an important task as a mobile reserve. To their left was Surrey's own division. On the extreme left, Edward Stanley, with the men of Lancashire and some from Cheshire (the latter contingent commanded by Sir Richard Cholmondeley), was still some way to the rear. The royal artillery was stationed with the Admiral. Sir Richard Cholmondeley (1472–1521) was an English nobleman who served as Lieutenant of the Tower of London from 1513 to 1520 during the reign of Henry VIII. // Life and career Sir Richard Cholmondeley or Cholmeley (in either case, pronounced Chumley) was born at Chorley, a small settlement approximately six...

The contemporary and near contemporary accounts of the ensuing battle, all of them written from the point of view of the victor, make it very difficult to build an accurate picture. It is not always possible to reconcile the contradictions within the narratives, and many of these have tended to make their way into the standard histories. Flodden is best seen as a series of smaller battles, which merged into a greater whole. Thus the English archers who were of little account on one part of the field, had an enormous impact in another. The role the artillery played may have been brief, but it was vital. The Borderers on either side did not give up the battle, as some have suggested; they simply held each other in check.

Charge of the Earls

What is certain is that the Battle of Flodden began as an artillery duel about 4 o'clock in the afternoon of Friday, September 9, 1513. With the English occupying dead ground below Branxton, the Scottish artillery roared to little effect. The English artillery, some 22 guns directed by Sir Nicholas Appelby, was lighter and far easier to manipulate. It was also used with much greater accuracy. Soon all of the Scots guns fell silent. The English discharge was now concentrated in an uphill sweep, catching the Scottish divisions, silhouetted against the skyline, in a murderously accurate cross-fire. This, in effect, was the beginning of the end for the Scots. James was now caught like the fourth Earl of Douglas at the Battle of Homildon Hill. His men could not be expected to withstand the English fire for long. But any attempt to redeploy out of artillery range behind the brow of Branxton Hill involved the risk of the army disintegrating in panic. James's intentions at this point are unknown, but his mind was made up by the precipitate action of the men of Huntley and Hume on his left. In the words of The Trewe Encountre, "our gonnes did so breake and constreyn the Scottische great army, that some part of thaim wer enforsed to come doun towards our army." is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1513 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The title of Earl of Douglas was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1358 for the senior, or Black line of the great Douglas family. ... On September 14, 1402, a Scottish army returning from a pillaging expedition in the English county of Northumberland, suffered complete defeat at the Battle of Humbleton Hill (or Homildon Hill). ...

That part of the field occupied by the borderers and the Gordons was a little less steep than the rest of the Scottish position, and the ground flattened out towards the place where Edmund Howard's men were situated. With levelled pikes, the Scots made good progress towards their enemy. The wind and rain were blowing in the faces of the longbow men, who loosed their weapons with only limited effect. Keeping up momentum, Hume and Huntly sliced into Howard's division, which disintegrated under the impact. Many were killed; many more fled from the field. At this critical point, the advance of the Scots, now disorganised in victory, was checked by the charge of Dacre and the light horse. Folklore has it that Edmund Howard himself, fighting off several Scots intent on taking him prisoner for ransom, was rescued by some of Dacre's men under "the bastard Heron". Hume and Huntly drew off. In this part of the field, the Battle of Flodden was over.

James's advances

Observing the success on their left, the next two divisions began their own descent down the slope of Branxton, with Errol and Crawford making for the Lord Admiral and the King for Surrey. But in this part of the field, conditions were altogether different from those on the left. The hill was steep, wet and slippery, forcing many to remove their shoes to obtain a grip on the ground. The ranks of pikemen, advancing in the style of the German landsknechts, were probably beginning to lose formation before they reached the bottom of the hill. All momentum was lost when they reached a little burn, which had to be negotiated before the army could ascend the slope towards the English around Piper's Hill. Presumably they were also harassed by continuing artillery fire. With the formations breaking up, the billmen were able to penetrate the gaps to begin hacking and chopping, lopping the heads off the pikes. Rather than long spears, each man was left with a sixteen foot pole.^{[citation needed]} Swords were drawn; but these could not match the range of the murderous swinging bills. Before long, Crawford, Errol and Montrose were dead and their division all but destroyed, allowing the Admiral to turn on the exposed flank of the king's division. Landsknechts (German, Land land, country + Knecht servant: i. ... In Scotland, and to some extent in North East England, burn is a name for a stream which is less than a river. ...

Surrey's battle was particularly hard. Ranged against him were the best troops in the Scottish army; and despite the problems the pikemen had in keeping formation, he was forced to give some ground. But James and his men were eventually brought to a standstill, allowing the bills to begin work. What happened to Bothwell's reserve is something of a mystery. It is known that the earl was slain at some point in the fight, so it must be assumed that he advanced in support of the king shortly after the battle began, or after he saw his progress arrested by Surrey. Pole weapons and Mortuary Swords in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle. ...

Meanwhile, on the English left, Stanley was a considerable way behind Surrey and arrived late. His approach was completely unobserved by the Highlanders under Argyll and Lennox, who were apparently transfixed by the bloody struggle in the centre. Stanley noted that Argyll and Lennox were in a strong position; but he could also see that the eastern part of the ridge where they stood, some 500 yards (500 m) to the south of Mardon, was unoccupied. A dip in the ground here would enable him to approach the enemy flank under cover. His tactics were bold: part of his force was detached to begin a frontal attack, while he led the remainder around the side. The climb Stanley made was steep and the ground so slippery that, like the Scots in the centre, his men removed their shoes, even clambering up on hands and knees. To the front, the less well-armed Highland troops were already falling to English arrow fire: when arrows began to descend from an unexpected direction it was simply too much. Argyll and Lennox were both killed, and their shattered brigade melted away to the west, across the central part of the battlefield, now thick with the dead and wounded.

The death of the King

It is not known exactly when King James was cut down. As he was in the front rank, it might have been early in the struggle. Hume, still holding the ground to the left, is often criticised for not advancing to aid the king and his comrades in the centre. This accusation is not altogether fair. Judging by the ease with which Dacre had checked his advance it seems likely that his pikemen were badly broken up. Many of them may have broken ranks to plunder the dead. To have reorganised them and then turned in formation towards the centre would have been difficult: to have exposed his flank to Dacre would have been suicidal. Moreover, Hume held that part of the field over which the rest of the shattered Scottish army was able to retreat. It is thanks to him and Huntly that a disaster did not turn in to a catastrophe of Cannae proportions. Pittscottie's story that he left the king to get on with it, having done his bit, is of late origin, composed long after Hume had been executed for treason during the reign of James V. For the 11th century battle in the Byzantine conquest of the Mezzogiorno, see Battle of Cannae (1018). ... James V (April 10, 1512 - December 14, 1542) was king of Scotland (September 9, 1513 - December 14, 1542). ...

As for James himself, his judgement had been disastrous. He had, as in the past, gone into battle without allowing for the proper direction and management of his army. He had been out-manoeuvred, out-generaled and out-fought; and in the end, against this background, his personal bravery counted for nothing. The oft-quoted remark of the English historian Edward Hall deserves repeating;

O what a noble and triumphant courage was thys for a kyng to fyghte in a battayall as a meane souldier; but what avayled hys stronf harnes, the puyssance of hys myghte champions with whom he descended the hyll, in whom he so much trusted that wyth his strong people and great number of men, he was able as he thought to have vanquished that day the greatest prince of the world, if he had been there as the erle of Surrey was, or else he thought to do such a hygh enterprise hym selfe in his person, that should surmount the enterprises of all other princes; but how soever it happened God gave the stroke, and he was no more regarded than a poore souldier, for all went one way.

James' charge is said to have brought him to within a spear's length of Surrey, though this seems a little too much like the story of Richard III at Bosworth, added to illustrate the danger in which the elderly victor had been placed. In fact, his body was only discovered the following day, and only after some difficulty, stripped, as it was, of his armour and mangled by several wounds. Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death. ... The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was an important battle during the Wars of the Roses in 15th century England. ...

Black Friday

The battle of Flodden ended shortly after six o' clock, when the autumn darkness began to fall. Surrey, still uncertain of the outcome, held his men in check; it wasn't until the following morning he realised how complete his victory had been. There before him around Piper's Hill lay the mountain of dead. Some Scots horsemen appeared on Branxton Hill, but were quickly driven off, and Surrey's men took possession of Borthwick's silent guns. What was left of the Scottish army made its way across the Tweed.

Many had been left behind, to rest in England forever. James was joined in death by nine earls, as well as fourteen Lords of Parliament and several Highland chiefs. His son, Alexander, the Archbishop of St. Andrews, had also been killed, along with other prominent churchmen. In all some 10,000 men, a third or more of the Scottish army, had been killed. There were few prisoners. English casualties, amounting to some 1,500 dead, were particularly high among the men of Cheshire who had fought with Edmund Howard.

Flodden in history

Flodden was essentially a victory of bill over pike. As a weapon, the pike was only effective in a battle of movement, especially to withstand a cavalry charge. The hilly terrain of Northumberland, the nature of the combat, and the slippery footing did not allow it to be employed to best effect. Indeed the Scots might have managed better if they had kept to their traditional schiltron spears. Pole weapons and Mortuary Swords in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle. ... A modern recreation of a mid-17th century company of pikemen. ... A schiltron or schiltrom is a group of men carrying pikes and polearms. ...

The infantrymen at Flodden, both Scots and English, had fought in a fashion that in essence would have been familiar to their ancestors, and it has rightly been described as the last great medieval battle in the British Isles. But this was the last time that bill and pike would come together as equals in battle. Two years later Francis I defeated the Swiss pikemen at the Battle of Marignano, using a combination of heavy cavalry and artillery, ushering in a new era in the history of war. Francis I of France (French: François Ier) (September 12, 1494 – March 31, 1547), called the Father and Restorer of Letters (le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres), was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547. ... Combatants France, Republic of Venice Duchy of Milan Commanders Francis I, Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, Bartolomeo dAlviano, Louis de la Trémoille Maximilian Sforza, Cardinal Matthaeus Schiner Strength 30,000 Unknown The Battle of Marignano, in the phase of the Italian Wars (1494–1559) that is called the War of...

Tactically, this battle was one of the first major engagements on the British Isles where artillery would play a decisive role. This battle is considered the last decisive use of the longbow, yet through the 16th century the English longbowmen continued to have success, as in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh against the Scottish or the Battle of the Spurs against the French. This article describes the archipelago in north-western Europe. ... Combatants Scots English Commanders Earl of Arran Duke of Somerset Strength Between 23,000 and 36,000 17,000 30 warships Casualties 5,000 killed 1500 prisoners 500 killed The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, along the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part... Battle of the Spurs or Battle of Guinegate August 16 1513. ...

Many of these archers were recruited from Lancashire and Cheshire. Sir Richard Asseton raised one such company from Middleton, near Manchester. In gratitude for his safe return, he rebuilt St. Leonard's, the local parish church. It contains the unique "Flodden Window" depicting each of the archers, and the priest who accompanied them, by name in stained glass. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... For other uses, see Cheshire (disambiguation). ... {infobox England place| |Latitude= 53. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ...

As a reward for his victory, Howard was subsequently restored to the title of "Duke of Norfolk", lost by his father's support for Richard III. Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk holding the baton of the Earl Marshal. ...

There was not a noble family in Scotland who did not lose a member at Flodden. They and the other dead are remembered by the song (and pipe tune) "The Flowers of the Forest"; Flowers of the Forest is a Scottish folk song lamenting the deaths of James IV, many of his nobles, and over 10,000 men - the titular Flowers of the Forest - at the Battle of Flodden Field in northern England in 1513, a significant event in the history of Scotland. ...

We'll hae nae mair lilting, at the yowe-milking,

Women and bairns are dowie and wae.

Sighing and moaning, on ilka green loaning,

The flowers of the forest are all wede away.

Notable Casualties

• James IV , King of Scots (1488-1513); died in battle
• Alexander Stewart, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Lord Chancellor of Scotland; died in battle
• Lieu. Gen. Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll; died in battle
• John Campbell of Auchreoch; died in battle
• John Carnegie, 5th of Kinnaird; died in battle
• Alan Cathcart, Master of that ilk; died in battle
• George Douglas, Master of Angus; died in battle
• Sir William Douglas of Glenbervie; died in battle
• Lord Alexander Elphinstone the Younger; died in battle
• Lord Alexander Elphinstone, 1st Lord Elphinstone; died in battle
• William Graham, 1st Earl of Montrose; led part of the Scottish vanguard; died in battle
• Adam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of Bothwell
• George Hepburn
• David Kennedy, 1st Earl of Cassilis
• Alexander Lauder of Blyth
• George Leslie, 2nd Earl of Rothes
• Uchtred MacDowall, 9th of Garthland; died in battle
• Thomas MacDowall of Renfrewshire son of Uchtred; died in battle
• John Mure of Rowallan; died in battle
• Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie; died in battle
• Sir John Rattray, Lord of that Ilk; died in battle
• John Ross of Halkhead; died in battle
• William Ruthven of that ilk; died in battle
• John Sempill, 1st Lord Sempill of Eliotstoun; died in battle
• Sir John Somerville of Cambusnethan; died in battle
• Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox; died in battle
• Sir Lain MacFarlane, 11th Captain (Chief) of Clan Pharlane; died in battle

Sir Brian Tunstall, died in battle James IV (March 17, 1473-September 9, 1513) was King of Scots from 1488 to his death. ... Alexander Stewart (c. ... Gillespie Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll (died September 9, 1513) was a Scottish nobleman and politician. ... George Douglas, Master of Angus (1469–9 September 1513) was a Scottish Nobleman. ... Adam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of Bothwell, inherited the title Earl of Bothwell from his father Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell in 1508. ... George Hepburn (d. ... Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox (Bef. ...

References

PRIMARY

• Hall, Edward, Chronicle of England, 1809.
• Pittscottie, Robert Lindsay of, The History and Chronicles of Scotland, 1809.
• The Trewe Encountre or Batayle Lately Don Between England and Scotland etc. in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. 7, 1867-8.

SECONDARY

• Barr, N., Flodden 1513, 2001.
• Barret, C. B., Battles and Battlefields in England, 1896.
• Bingham, C., Flodden and its Aftermath, in The Scottish Nation, ed. G. Menzies, 1972.
• Elliot, W.F., The Battle of Flodden and the Raids of 1513, 1911.
• Hodgkin, T., The Battle of Flodden, in Arcaeologia Aeliania, vol. 16, 1894.
• Kightly, C., Flodden-the Anglo-Scots War of 1513, 1975.
• Leather, G. F. T., The Battle of Flodden, in History of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club, vol. 25, 1933.
• Macdougall, N., James IV, 1989.
• Mackie, J. D., The English Army at Flodden, in Miscellany of the Scottish History Society. vol 8 1951.
• Mackie, J.D., The Auld Alliance and the Battle of Flodden, in Transactions of the Franco-Scottish Society, 1835.
• Tucker, M. J., The Life of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey and Second Duke of Norfolk, 143-1524, 1964.
• White, R. H. , The Battle of Flodden, in Archaeologia Aeliania. vol. 3, 1859.

J(ohn) D(uncan) Mackie (1887-1978) was a distinguished Scottish historian who wrote a one volume History of Scotland. ...

See also

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Edinburgh after Flodden

• The Percy Folio
• Selkirk Common Riding

Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... The Percy Folio is a folio book of English ballads used by Thomas Percy to compile his Reliques of Ancient Poetry. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

External links

• flodden.net
• A detailed account of the battle.
• Hawick Common Riding