Battle of Neville's Cross
Part of the Hundred Years' War and the Second War of Scottish Independence
Battle of Neville's Cross from a 15th century Froissart manuscript (BN MS Fr. 2643).
Date October 17, 1346 Location Neville's Cross, near Durham, England Result Decisive English victory against Scotland
Combatants
Scotland	England
Commanders
David II of Scotland	William Zouche, Archbishop of York
Strength
12,000	3,000-3,500
Casualties
7,000	Unknown but very low

The Battle of Neville's Cross took place near Durham, England on October 17, 1346. Combatants England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainault Aquitaine Luxembourg France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Aragon The Hundred Years War was a conflict between England and France, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... The Second War of Scottish Independence began properly in 1333 when Edward III overturned the 1328 Treaty of Northampton, under which England recognised the legitimacy of the dynasty established by Robert Bruce. ... Image File history File links BNMsFr2643FroissartFol97vBatNevilleCross. ... Jean Froissart (~1337 - ~1405) was one of the most important of the chroniclers of medieval France. ... Nevilles Cross is a place in County Durham, in England. ... Statistics Population: 42,939 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: NZ274424 Administration District: City of Durham Shire county: Durham Region: North East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Durham Historic county: Durham Services Police force: County Durham Ambulance service: North East Post office and telephone... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Image File history File links Royal_Arms_of_Scotland. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... Image File history File links Arms_of_Edward_III_of_England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... David II (March 5, 1324 – February 22, 1371) king of Scotland, son of King Robert the Bruce by his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh (d. ... Image File history File links White_flag_icon. ... William Zouche, Archbishop of York (Died 10 July 1352 at Cawood Palace, West Riding of Yorkshire) was a younger son of William, Lord Zouche of Haringworth, in Northamptonshire. ... The Second War of Scottish Independence began properly in 1333 when Edward III overturned the 1328 Treaty of Northampton, under which England recognised the legitimacy of the dynasty established by Robert Bruce. ... Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of the infant Bruce king and rebels supporting the Balliol claim in 1332. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of Scotland Commanders Sir Ralph Dacre and Sir Anthony Lucy Sir William Douglas Strength 800 50 Casualties 2 killed 26 killed The Battle of Dornock was a minor engagement between England and Scotland, fought on the western border on 25 March 1333 at the outset... Combatants Scotland England Commanders Sir Archibald Douglas Edward III of England Strength 13,000 9,000 Casualties exact figure unknown, but very high exact figure unknown, but very low Battle of Halidon Hill (July 19, 1333) was fought during the second War of Scottish Independence. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of Scotland Commanders Guy, Count of Namur John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray Strength 300 knights, men-at-arms and archers unknown Casualties unknown unknown The Battle of Boroughmuir was fought on 30 July 1335 between Guy, Count of Namur, a cousin of Queen Philippa... Combatants Forces loyal to David Bruce Forces loyal to Edward Balliol Commanders Sir Andrew Murray, Guardian of Scotland David de Strathbogie, titular Earl of Atholl † Strength 1100 3000 Casualties unknown unknown. ... The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between Scotland and England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. ... The early period of the First War of Scottish Independence lasted from the outbreak of the war in 1296 until the coronation of Robert the Bruce as King of Scots in 1306. ... The Second War of Scottish Independence began properly in 1333 when Edward III overturned the 1328 Treaty of Northampton, under which England recognised the legitimacy of the dynasty established by Robert Bruce. ... The first part of the Hundred Years War was from 1337 to 1360, from the outbreak of hostilities until the signing of the Treaty of Brétigny. ... The Battle of Cadsand was fought in 1337 between the English, commanded by the Earl of Derby and Sir Walter Manny, and the Flemish garrison of Cadzand, under Sir Guy of Flanders, bastard son of Louis, Count of Nevers. ... Combatants England Flanders France Genoese mercenaries Castilian mercenaries Commanders Robert Morley, Various others Hugues Quiéret, Nicolas Béhuchet Strength Varied 40-70 ships The English Channel naval campaign of the years 1338 and 1339 saw a protracted series of raids conducted by the nascent French navy and numerous privately... Combatants England France Commanders Edward III of England Hugues Quiéret, Nicolas Béhuchet Strength 250 ships 190 ships Casualties Unknown 20 000 (Europe A History by Norman Davies) The naval Battle of Sluys was fought on 24 June 1340. ... Combatants France Flanders England Commanders Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy Jean I, Count of Armagnac Robert III of Artois Strength ~3,000 11,000-16,000 Casualties Unknown, light 8,000 The battle of Saint-Omer was a large action fought in 1340 as part of King Edward IIIs... The Battle of Auberoche was fought in 1345 between the English and the French. ... This article is about the battle in 1346 during the Hundred Years War. ... The Battle of Blanchetaque was fought in 1346 between French and English forces. ... Combatants Kingdom of England, Allied knights from Germany and Denmark France, Genoese Mercenaries, the Kingdoms of Navarre, Bohemia and the Balearic Islands Commanders Edward III of England Edward, the Black Prince Philip VI of France Strength about 12,000 30,000 to 40,000 Casualties 150-1,000 killed and... Combatants England France Commanders Edward III of England Jean de Fosseux Strength 34,000 men:5300 knights, 6600 infantry, 20,000 archers, 2,000 Flemish soldiers 7,000 to 8,000 citizens Casualties  ?  ? The Siege of Calais in northern France began in 1346, towards the beginning of what would later... The naval Battle of LEspagnols sur Mer (Spanish on the Sea), or Battle of Winchelsea took place on 29 August (Old Style) 1350 and was a victory for an English fleet of 50 ships commanded by Edward III, with the Black Prince, over a Castilian fleet of 40 ships... Combatants Kingdom of England Gascony France Commanders Edward, the Black Prince Captal de Buch John II of France Strength 9,000 12,000 Casualties Minimal 2,500 killed or wounded The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdom of England and France on September 19, 1356, resulting in the... Statistics Population: 42,939 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: NZ274424 Administration District: City of Durham Shire county: Durham Region: North East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Durham Historic county: Durham Services Police force: County Durham Ambulance service: North East Post office and telephone... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events Serbian Empire was proclaimed in Skopje by Dusan Silni, occupying much of the South-Eastern Europe Foundation of the University of Valladolid Foundation of Pembroke College, University of Cambridge August 26 Battle of Crecy after which Edward the Black Prince honored the bravery of John I, Count of Luxemburg...

Background

By mid 1346, it was obvious that the English under Edward III had every intent of breaking the Truce of Malestroit and resuming (what would be known later as) the Hundred Years' War with France. As a consequence of the Franco-Scottish Auld Alliance and Philip VI of France's fear of an impending English invasion of northern France (an area which the French were not yet prepared to defend), Philip VI sent David II of Scotland numerous appeals for assistance to blunt the coming English threat. Though Philip VI's pleas became especially desperate in June of 1346 (when the English were amassing troops in southern England), major Scottish action against England would not commence for some time — in fact, the Scots would not invade Northern England until October 1346. Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English kings of medieval times. ... The first part of the Hundred Years War was from 1337 to 1360, from the outbreak of hostilities until the signing of the Treaty of Brétigny. ... Combatants England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainault Aquitaine Luxembourg France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Aragon The Hundred Years War was a conflict between England and France, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... 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. ... Philip VI of France Philip VI of Valois (French: Philippe VI de Valois; 1293 – August 22, 1350) was the King of France from 1328 to his death, and Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois 1325–1328. ... David II (March 5, 1324 – February 22, 1371) king of Scotland, son of King Robert the Bruce by his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh (d. ...

On October 7, the Scots entered England with approximately 12,000 men. They were expecting to find Northern England relatively undefended due to the fact that a major campaign was (by then) being conducted by Edward III in France. (Philip VI went so far as to characterise Northern England as a "defenceless void".) Unfortunately, David II's strategic and tactical abilities were not up to the task of making good use of the Scots' element of surprise. Perhaps, though, they did not feel the need for haste. After taking Liddell (and bypassing Carlisle after being paid protection money), the Scots moved on toward their ultimate goal of Durham and Yorkshire after more than a week's march. Along the way they sacked the priory of Hexham and burned the territory around their line of march (not unlike the English in France at the time). They arrived at Durham on October 16 and camped at Beaurepaire, where the Scots were offered £1,000 in protection money to be paid on October 18. Military stratagem in the Battle of Waterloo. ... Military tactics (Greek: TaktikÄ“, the art of organizing an army) is the collective name for methods of engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. ... Liddell may refer to: Alice Liddell, Lewis Carrolls muse Andy Liddell Anne Liddell-Grainger Sir Basil Liddell Hart, British military strategist Billy Liddell Chuck Liddell, martial artist David Liddell-Grainger Eric Liddell, Scottish athlete Helen Liddell, British politician Henry Liddell Henry Stevenson Liddell Ian Liddell-Grainger John Aidan Liddell... Carlisle is a city in the extreme northwest of England, some 16 km from the border with Scotland. ... Statistics Population: 42,939 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: NZ274424 Administration District: City of Durham Shire county: Durham Region: North East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Durham Historic county: Durham Services Police force: County Durham Ambulance service: North East Post office and telephone... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... See also Hexham, New South Wales, and Hexham (constituency). ... Bearpark is a village in County Durham, in England. ...

Unbeknownst to the Scots, however, the English had already arrayed troops for just such an invasion. Once the Scots invaded, an army was quickly mobilised in Richmond under the supervision of William Zouche, the Archbishop of York. It was not, however, a large army and what men were available were split into two separate groups: 3,000 - 4,000 men from Cumberland, Northumberland and Lancashire, with another 3,000 Yorkshiremen en route. Given the demands of the Siege of Calais, no further men could be summoned for the defence of Northern England. Worse still, on October 14 (while the Scots were sacking Hexham), the Archbishop decided not to wait for the Yorkshiremen and made haste toward Barnard Castle. The town of Richmond as seen from the top of the keep of Richmond Castle Richmond is a market town on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, UK and is the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. ... William Zouche, Archbishop of York (Died 10 July 1352 at Cawood Palace, West Riding of Yorkshire) was a younger son of William, Lord Zouche of Haringworth, in Northamptonshire. ... Arms of the Archbishop of York The Archbishop of York, Primate of England, is the metropolitan bishop of the Province of York, and is the junior of the two archbishops of the Church of England, after the Archbishop of Canterbury. ... Combatants England France Commanders Edward III of England Jean de Fosseux Strength 34,000 men:5300 knights, 6600 infantry, 20,000 archers, 2,000 Flemish soldiers 7,000 to 8,000 citizens Casualties  ?  ? The Siege of Calais in northern France began in 1346, towards the beginning of what would later... Statistics Population: 5,326 (2001) [1] Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: NZ047166 Administration District: Teesdale Shire county: County Durham Region: North East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: County Durham Historic county: County Durham Services Police force: Durham Constabulary Ambulance service: North East Post office...

The Battle

The Scots only discovered the presence of the English army on the morning of October 17. Troops under command of William Douglas stumbled upon them in the morning mist during a raid south of Durham. The two rearward divisions of the English army drove the Scots off with heavy Scottish casualties. William Douglas can be one of several people: William Douglas, Duke of Hamilton (1635-1694) William Lewis Douglas who served as governor of Massachusetts from 1905 until 1906 William Orville Douglas who was a jurist and justice This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages...

Upon hearing Douglas's report, David II led the Scottish army to high ground at Neville's Cross (site of an old Anglo-Saxon stone cross), where he prepared his army for battle. Both the Scots and English arranged themselves in three battalions. Though the Scots were in what is considered a rather poor position (with various obstacles between them and the English position), they remembered well their defeats in the Battle of Dupplin Moor and the Battle of Halidon Hill and thus took a defensive stance, waiting for the English to attack. However, the English also took a defensive stance, knowing they had the superior position (and likely that time was ultimately on their side). A stalemate resulted that lasted until the afternoon when the English sent longbowmen forward to harass the Scottish lines. The archers succeeded in forcing the Scots to attack, but their initial hesitation at going on the offensive appears in hindsight to have been the correct decision. Their poor position resulted in their formations falling apart as they advanced—allowing the English to make relatively easy work of the Scottish attack. When it became clear that the battle was going in the English's favour, Robert Stewart and the Earl of March fled, abandoning David II's battalion to face the enemy alone. Late in the afternoon, the King's own battalion attempted to retreat. The retreat was unsuccessful and David II was captured (though not without difficulty) while the rest of the Scottish army was pursued for more than 20 miles. Notable Scottish casualties included John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray and Niall Bruce, and illegitimate son of Robert the Bruce. David II (March 5, 1324-February 22, 1371) king of Scotland, son of King Robert the Bruce by his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh (d. ... Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of the infant Bruce king and rebels supporting the Balliol claim in 1332. ... Combatants Scotland England Commanders Sir Archibald Douglas Edward III of England Strength 13,000 9,000 Casualties exact figure unknown, but very high exact figure unknown, but very low Battle of Halidon Hill (July 19, 1333) was fought during the second War of Scottish Independence. ... The longbow (or English longbow, or Welsh longbow, see below) was a type of bow about 2. ... There are different people named Robert Stewart: Robert II King of Scots Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney Robert Stewart, Social Care 2 At Cardonald College Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh Sir Robert Stewart (composer) Robert John Stewart author and occultist Robert L. Stewart (astronaut... John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray (d. ... Robert I, the Bruce, in a conjectural drawing Robert I, (Roibert a Briuis in medieval Gaelic, Raibeart Bruis in modern Scottish Gaelic and Robert de Brus or Robert de Bruys in Norman French), usually known in modern English today as Robert the Bruce (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), was...

The Aftermath

David II himself managed to escape. However, legend has it that, while hiding under a bridge over the nearby River Browney, David’s reflection was spotted in the water by a detachment of English soldiers which was out searching for him. David was then captured by John Copeland - the leader of the detachment. Later, King Edward III ordered Copeland to bring the Scots king to Calais and hand him over. Edward then rewarded Copeland with a knighthood and a handsome annuity. King David was brought back to England and imprisoned in the Tower of London. After eleven years in the Tower, he was released in return for a ransom of 100,000 Marks - worth about £15 million today! David II (March 5, 1324-February 22, 1371) king of Scotland, son of King Robert the Bruce by his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh (d. ... The River Browney is a river in County Durham, England, and a tributary of the River Wear. ... The Tower of London, seen from the River Thames, with a view of the water gate called Traitors Gate. ...

The Battle of Neville’s Cross derives its name from a stone cross that Lord Neville paid to have erected on the battlefield to commemorate this remarkable victory. The fate of the unfortunate David II of Scotland is immortalised in Shakespeare’s play King Henry V. In Act 1 Scene 3, Henry says to the Archbishop of Canterbury: David II (March 5, 1324-February 22, 1371) king of Scotland, son of King Robert the Bruce by his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh (d. ...

For you shall read that my great-grandfather Never went with his forces into France But that the Scot on his unfurnish’d kingdom Came pouring, like the tide into a breach, With ample and brim fullness of his force; Galling the gleaned land with hot essays, Girding with grievous siege castles and towns; That England, being empty of defence, Hath shook and trembled at the ill neighbourhood.

But the Archbishop replies:

She hath been then more fear’d than harm’d my liege; For hear her but exampled by herself: When all her chivalry hath been in France, And she a mourning widow of her nobles, She hath herself not only well defended, But taken, and impounded as a stray, The king of Scots; whom she did send to France, To fill King Edward’s fame with prisoner kings…

Sources and further reading

• Sumption, Jonathan, The Hundred Years' War, Vol. 1: Trial by Battle, London 1990, ISBN 0-8122-1655-5
• Cornwell, Bernard, Vagabond, HarperCollins 2003; ISBN 0-06-053268-8. (Contains a dramatization of the battle.)