Invasions of the British Isles facts for kids

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The British Isles (centre-left) and its surroundings

The British Isles have seen many invasions throughout history. Different groups of people have come to these islands, sometimes to raid and sometimes to conquer. These invaders include the Romans, Germanic peoples, Vikings, Normans, French, and Dutch. These events have shaped the history and culture of the British Isles.

Ancient Times

Early Settlers

Around 12,000 BC, after the Ice Age, hunter-gatherers began to live in Britain again. About 4,000 BC, new people arrived from Europe. These newcomers brought farming with them, changing how people lived and ate.

Later, around 2400 BC, a new culture called the Bell Beaker people arrived. They probably came from the lower Rhine river area. They brought new styles of pottery, copper daggers, and skills in working with metals and archery. Their arrival led to big changes in Britain's population and possibly introduced early forms of the Celtic language.

Before the Romans wrote about Britain, most of the island was home to Celtic peoples. We don't know exactly when or how these Celtic groups arrived. Old Irish stories, like the Lebor Gabála Érenn, talk about different groups settling Ireland, but it's hard to know how much of it is true history.

Roman Invasions

In 55 BC, the powerful Romans, led by Julius Caesar, invaded Celtic Britain. Caesar's two invasions didn't conquer Britain, but they made it an important trading partner for Rome.

About a hundred years later, Emperor Claudius led a successful invasion. He used a plea for help from the Atrebates, a Celtic tribe allied with Rome, as his reason. His army landed near what is now Richborough. The Celts, led by Caratacus and Togodumnus, were defeated in battles, including one at the River Medway. Claudius even brought 38 war elephants with him! After the Celts were defeated, Claudius returned to Rome.

Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni, led a huge revolt against the Romans but was defeated in AD 62.

In the early AD 60s, the Celtic queen Boudicca led a fierce revolt against Roman rule. She was angry about how the Romans treated her and her people. Boudicca's forces attacked Camulodonum (now Colchester), where many Roman soldiers had settled, and massacred them. The Roman Ninth Legion, sent to stop the revolt, was destroyed. Boudicca then sacked Londinium (London) and Verulamium (now St. Albans).

However, the Roman governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, gathered a large army. They fought Boudicca's forces at the Battle of Watling Street. Boudicca was defeated, and Roman rule was restored in Britain.

After the Romans left Britain, groups from Ireland called the Scoti raided and settled parts of western Scotland and Wales.

Germanic Invasions

As the Roman Empire grew weaker, its control over Britain faded. By AD 410, Roman soldiers had left. Small groups of Germans began to invade Britain. These tribes, especially the Jutes, Angles, and Saxons, slowly took control of what is now England.

These people, now called 'Anglo-Saxons', came mostly from Jutland and northern Germany. They first landed in Eastern Britain. There aren't many written records from that time. Some Anglo-Saxons were already in Britain, serving in the Roman army against Saxon pirates. After Roman rule ended, British leaders hired Saxons as fighters against the Picts. The Picts became less of a threat, but the Saxon fighters realized their own strength and rebelled. This led to more migrations by sea, which continued into the 6th century.

Invasions of England (793–1285)

Viking Raids and Invasions

Vikings began raiding England in the late 8th century. They often attacked wealthy monasteries. The first recorded raid was at Lindisfarne in 793. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle called the Vikings "heathen men." Monasteries were easy targets because they had valuable items that were easy to carry away.

In 865, a huge Viking force known as the Great Heathen Army landed in England. This army was much larger than previous raiding parties. They aimed to conquer, not just raid. They captured York in 867. By the late 9th century, the Vikings had taken over most of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England.

However, Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington in 878. A treaty followed, giving the Danes control of northern and eastern England, an area known as the Danelaw. Later, in the 11th century, all of England was united with Norway and Denmark under the Danish king Cnut the Great.

After Cnut died, the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor ruled until 1066. When Edward died, Harold Godwinson became king. But his claim was challenged. In the north, the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada invaded England. He defeated a northern English army at the Battle of Fulford. Harold Godwinson quickly marched his army north and defeated Hardrada at Stamford Bridge.

While Harold was fighting in the north, William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, landed his army in Sussex. He wanted to claim the English throne.

Norman Conquest of England

In 1064, Harold Godwinson was shipwrecked and captured. It's said that William, Duke of Normandy, made Harold swear an oath to support William's claim to the English throne. Harold was forced to swear on holy relics, making the promise very serious.

When Harold was crowned king of England, William was furious. He gathered an army and a fleet. In late summer 1066, William landed in Pevensey Bay. Harold, tired from his victory against Hardrada, marched his troops south. They met William's army near Hastings.

During the Battle of Hastings, William's forces fought hard. Harold and his elite soldiers, the housecarls, fought bravely. Harold was eventually killed by an arrow, and his forces were defeated. William was crowned king in London. He then reorganized the English government and introduced the feudal system.

Danish Invasion of 1069–70

William's rule was not easy. Many revolts broke out. In 1069, a large Danish army arrived in England to support an uprising in the North. William marched his army to York, but the rebels fled. The Danes went back to their ships. In 1070, more Danish ships arrived. They raided East Anglia. William met with the Danish army and paid them to go home to Denmark.

First Barons' War (1215–1217)

When King Richard I died in 1199, his brother John became king. John lost much of England's land in France. After his attempt to invade France failed, his nobles forced him to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. However, King John ignored it, so the nobles rebelled. They asked Prince Louis of France to become king instead.

French troops arrived in England in late 1215 and early 1216. In May 1216, Louis himself arrived with his army and quickly captured London. Many nobles and even the King of Scotland, Alexander II of Scotland, supported Louis. The French took several castles in Southern England and began a major siege of Dover Castle.

King John died in October 1216. His young son, Henry, became king. Many nobles who had problems with John decided to make peace with the new king. The French gave up the siege of Dover Castle. In 1217, the French were badly defeated at the Battle of Lincoln. A French fleet bringing more soldiers was also defeated at sea. Louis realized he had lost and signed a treaty, leaving England later that month.

Invasions of Wales (1067–1284)

Shortly after conquering England in 1066, the Normans invaded Wales. While the Welsh fought back and regained some land, Norman lords continued to control parts of the country.

By the 13th century, the Welsh principality of Gwynedd became very powerful. Its leader, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, was recognized as Prince of Wales by Henry III in 1267. However, disagreements led to the first invasion by Edward I.

Llywelyn was defeated and had to promise loyalty to England in 1277. But peace didn't last. Edward I completed his conquest of Wales in 1282. Llywelyn was killed, and his brother Dafydd was executed. This ended the rule of the Welsh princes forever.

Invasions of England and Wales (1284–1797)

Scottish Wars

England and Scotland often fought during the Middle Ages. When the Scottish king died in 1286, Edward I of England tried to take control of Scotland. This led to a long fight for Scottish independence. It also led to a long-lasting alliance between Scotland and France, called the Auld alliance. This meant that when England fought France, Scotland often invaded England.

The Franco-Scottish Invasion of 1385

In May 1385, a French army sailed to Scotland to help them attack England. The French and Scottish forces didn't get along well. They invaded England in July and took a castle. But a large English army was coming, so they retreated. The English burned Edinburgh. The French tried to attack Carlisle but failed. Many French soldiers decided to go home.

The Flodden Campaign 1513

In 1508, a Scottish official was murdered by an Englishman. The French king, who was fighting Henry VIII of England, convinced James IV of Scotland to invade England.

King Henry was in France, so Queen Catherine of Aragon organized an English army. The army marched north and met James's forces at Flodden. James led a brave charge but was killed. The English won the battle.

The Hundred Years' War

During the Hundred Years' War between England and France, there were many French and Spanish raids on the English coast. These were usually small attacks, not full invasions.

French Invasions of the Channel Islands

In March 1338, a French force landed on Jersey, trying to capture the island. They took most of the island, but Gorey Castle stayed in English hands. The French returned later but couldn't take the castle. They did capture Guernsey for a while.

In July 1373, a French general attacked Jersey again and besieged Mont Orgueil. The castle defenders agreed to surrender if they weren't rescued by a certain date. Luckily, an English fleet arrived in time.

The French didn't capture Jersey during the Hundred Years' War. However, they did take Mont Orgueil in 1461, possibly as part of a secret deal to help the Lancastrian side in the Wars of the Roses. The French held the island until 1468, when English forces and local fighters recaptured the castle.

The Invasion Threat of 1386

From late 1385, Charles VI of France planned a huge invasion of England. He gathered many ships, supplies, and soldiers. He even had a large wooden fort built that could be taken apart and rebuilt. The English prepared by gathering their own forces along the coast. Charles planned to attack in August but delayed until October. His admiral convinced him to postpone the attack until the next year, and it never happened.

The French Invasion of 1405

In 1404, Owain Glyndŵr, a Welsh leader, signed a treaty with France. France recognized him as Prince of Wales. In 1405, French soldiers landed in South Wales to help Glyndŵr's forces. They captured towns and then invaded England. They faced the English army but no battle happened, and the French and Welsh forces returned to Wales. Most of the French soldiers went home later that year.

The Overthrow of Richard II, 1399

In 1398, Henry Bolingbroke was sent away from England by Richard II. When Henry's father died, Richard took Henry's inheritance and banished him forever. This was a big mistake. Richard then went to Ireland with his army.

This gave Henry a chance to return to England. On July 4, 1399, he landed with a small force. He marched through England, gathering more supporters. Richard returned from Ireland but abandoned his army and fled. Henry captured Richard, who was forced to give up his throne. On September 30, Henry was declared king, becoming Henry IV.

The Wars of the Roses

England avoided invasions from other countries during the Hundred Years' War. However, it suffered from 32 years (1455–1487) of civil wars called the Wars of the Roses. These were fights between two branches of the royal family, the Lancastrians and the Yorkists.

The Lancastrian king, Henry VI, was removed from power twice and later murdered. He was replaced by the Yorkist king, Edward IV. After Edward's death, his young son, Edward V, and his brother disappeared in the Tower of London. Their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, then became king.

In exile, Henry Tudor, a distant relative of the Lancastrians, gathered a small army of hired soldiers. He invaded Wales in 1485. Many Welsh people, Lancastrians, and unhappy Yorkists joined him. Henry's forces met Richard and the royal army at Bosworth Field. Richard was killed, and his army lost.

Henry Tudor was crowned King Henry VII. After defeating other rebels in 1487, he established the House of Tudor as the ruling family of England.

Perkin Warbeck

The man known as Perkin Warbeck tried three times to invade England, claiming to be a lost prince. His first attempt was in July 1495 at Deal. He had ships from Maximillian I. A small group landed to try and start a rebellion, but local forces defeated them. Warbeck himself did not land.

His second invasion was in September 1496. He was in Scotland, and James IV supported his invasion of England. But again, there was no local support for Warbeck, and the invaders soon went back to Scotland.

The third and most successful invasion happened in Cornwall in September 1497. There had been a rebellion in Cornwall earlier that year. When Warbeck arrived with a small force, many locals accepted him as a prince. He quickly gathered an army of up to 8,000 rebels. With this army, he attacked Exeter. The fighting was fierce, but the rebels failed to take the city. Warbeck fled but was captured.

The Battle of Cornwall of 1595

In 1595, a Spanish force of three companies of soldiers and four galleys (ships) raided the coast of Cornwall. They defeated a local militia force in Penzance. The Spanish ships then attacked and burned the towns of Mousehole, Penzance, Newlyn, and Paul. They also sank some English and French ships.

The Raid on the Medway

The Raid on the Medway happened in June 1667, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The Dutch navy launched a successful surprise attack on English warships. Most English ships were not ready for battle, sitting in their anchorages near Chatham Dockyard.

The Dutch, led by Willem Joseph van Ghent and Michiel de Ruyter, bombarded and captured Sheerness. They sailed up the River Medway to Chatham. There, they fought fortifications, burned or captured many English warships, and even took the English flagship, HMS Royal Charles.

The Glorious Revolution

In 1688, the Dutch leader William III of Orange-Nassau landed an army in Devon. He was invited by Protestant nobles who were unhappy with the Catholic King James II. After a short campaign, William's army forced James to flee to France.

James later tried to invade from Ireland with French help, but he was defeated at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The English Parliament then made William's invasion legal, calling it the Glorious Revolution. This was the last successful invasion of the British Isles.

The Battle of Fishguard of 1797

The Battle of Fishguard was a military invasion of Great Britain by Revolutionary France in February 1797. This short campaign is often called the "last invasion of mainland Britain."

The French general Lazare Hoche planned a three-part attack on Britain. Two forces would land in Britain to distract the British, while the main force would land in Ireland. Bad weather stopped two of the forces, but the third, aiming for Wales, went ahead.

After brief fights with British forces and local people, the French commander, Colonel William Tate, was forced to surrender on February 24. The British also captured two of the French ships.

Invasions of Ireland

Norman Invasions 1169–72

The Normans invaded Ireland between 1169 and 1172. This invasion led to a long period of English influence and control over parts of Ireland.

Scottish Invasion of 1315–18

From 1315 to 1318, the Scots invaded Ireland. This period is known as the Irish-Bruce Wars (1315–1318).

Invasions of Scotland

Viking Raids and Invasions

The Vikings are believed to have first raided Scotland's holy island of Iona in 794, just after their raid on Lindisfarne.

In 839, a large Norse fleet invaded Scotland through the River Tay and River Earn. They reached the heart of the Pictish kingdom. They defeated the Pictish king and many nobles in battle. This defeat greatly weakened the Pictish leadership. The rise of Cináed mac Ailpín as king of both Picts and Scots can be linked to the aftermath of this event.

The Wars of Independence

After the Scottish king died in 1286, Edward I of England invaded Scotland in 1296, capturing Berwick upon Tweed and taking control. The next year, the Scots rose up under William Wallace. They defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge and briefly invaded northern England. Edward rushed north and crushed Wallace's army at Falkirk. Wallace was later captured and executed.

More English campaigns followed, but the Scots rose again under their new king, Robert the Bruce. They decisively defeated the English army of Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Peace was made in 1327.

In 1332, Edward III of England supported Edward Balliol's claim to the Scottish throne. Balliol invaded, and Edward III joined him. By 1333, much of Scotland was under English control. Edward III invaded again in 1334 and 1335, but couldn't defeat the Scots in a major battle. In 1336, English armies ravaged much of Scotland. However, the King of France threatened to invade England, forcing Edward to retreat. By late 1336, the Scots had regained control of almost all of Scotland. The war continued until 1357, but the English did not invade Scotland again.

The Rough Wooing

In 1542, Mary, Queen of Scots, became queen as a baby. Henry VIII of England wanted her to marry his son, Edward. An agreement was made, but the Scots canceled it due to disagreements within Scotland. War broke out, and the English army attacked Edinburgh in May 1544.

The English withdrew after a battle in 1545. After Henry's death, the English returned, defeating the Scots at the battle of Pinkie in September 1547. They set up a base and controlled much of southern Scotland.

The Scots asked France for help, and French troops arrived in 1548. The fighting ended in 1551. The French stayed until 1560, when they were forced out by Scottish and English forces. This later part of the conflict was like a "proxy war," with Scottish groups fighting for France or England.

Images for kids

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  A Franco-Scottish force attacks Wark Castle, from an old book.

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  French and Spanish raids on the English coast between 1374 and 1380.