Raid of the Redeswire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raid of the Redeswire
Part of Anglo-Scottish Wars
Date 7 July 1575 Location Carter Bar, by the Cheviot Hills, near Redesdale Result Scottish victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of England	Kingdom of Scotland
Commanders and leaders
Sir John Forster (POW)	Sir John Carmichael
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
25 dead, unknown wounded	2 dead, several wounded

The Raid of the Redeswire was a small but important fight. It happened between England and Scotland. The date was July 7, 1575. This event took place at Carter Bar, a mountain pass near the Cheviot Hills. It was the very last battle between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland.

The English side was led by Sir John Forster. He was the Warden of the Middle Marches. The Scottish side was led by Sir John Carmichael. He was also a Warden of the Marches. Wardens were like special guards for the border areas.

The Raid of the Redeswire

This event is also known as the Redeswire Fray. It was a border skirmish, which means a small, unplanned fight. It happened in an area called Redesdale.

What Happened Before?

Before this raid, there hadn't been a big battle between England and Scotland since 1547. That was the Battle of Pinkie.

Sir John Carmichael and Sir John Forster met at a hill called Red Swire. This meeting was a regular "Truce Day." On these days, the wardens would discuss problems between their two regions. Both leaders came with armed guards.

The Fight Begins

During their meeting, they talked about an Englishman. This man had stolen things from a Scotsman. The Scotsman believed the thief was with Sir John Forster. Carmichael asked Forster to send the thief to Scotland for justice.

Forster said the thief had escaped. He claimed he could not bring the man forward. This led to a heated argument. Both leaders started insulting each other. Soon, some English guards lost their temper. A fight broke out.

Two Scots were killed, and several others were hurt. The Scottish group had to retreat at first. But as they ran, they met another group from Jedburgh. These Scots were late to the meeting. Their arrival gave the Scots new strength. They decided to fight back.

The Scots broke through the English lines. The English forces were defeated and ran away. The Scots won the fight. George Heron, an English leader, was killed. His brother, John, and 23 other Englishmen also died. Sir John Forster was captured. Other important English nobles were also taken prisoner. The Scots also took about 300 cattle from nearby farms.

What Happened Next?

The Scottish leader, James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, was the regent for King James VI. The captured English leaders were brought to him. They were held at Dalkeith Castle.

Queen Elizabeth of England was very angry about the raid. She sent her own messengers to Scotland. They demanded that the Scots fix the problem right away. Regent Morton did not want to make Queen Elizabeth even angrier. He wanted to avoid a war.

Morton met with Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon. They worked together to find a peaceful solution. The English prisoners were treated well. They were given gifts and an apology before being released.

Sir John Carmichael, the Scottish leader, was sent to York for trial. But he was found not guilty. The English court decided that Sir John Forster had started the fight without a good reason.

Remembering the Raid

The story of this skirmish became a famous border ballad. A writer named Walter Scott later published it.

A monument called the Redeswire Stone stands on the Cheviot Hills. It marks the place where the battle happened. The stone says, "On this ridge, July 7th, 1575 was fought one of the last border raids, known as The Raid of the Redeswire."

The battle is remembered every year. The Jethart Callant's Festival holds a special event called the Redeswire Rideout. This ride is over 25 miles long. It happens on the first Saturday in July. During the ride, the Jethart Callant gallops to the Redeswire Stone. He shouts the battle cry, "Jethart's Here!"

A song about this battle was written by Alan G Brydon. Three songs are sung as a tradition on the last day of the Callant festival.

Images for kids

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  The Redeswire Stone, commemorating the battle.