Sieges of Berwick (1355 and 1356) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Berwick
Part of the Second War of Scottish Independence
Date 6 November 1355 – 13 January 1356 Location Berwick-upon-Tweed Result Status quo ante
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Thomas, Earl of Angus Patrick, Earl of March	King Edward III Walter Manny
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The sieges of Berwick were a series of events in 1355 and 1356. First, Scottish forces captured the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed on November 6, 1355. They then tried to capture Berwick Castle, but failed. Later, English forces besieged the town and took it back in January 1356.

By 1355, the Second War of Scottish Independence had been going on for over 22 years. The Scots, encouraged by their allies, the French, who were fighting England in the Hundred Years' War, gathered an army. In September, a peace agreement, called a truce, was made. Many English soldiers then left the border to join King Edward III's campaign in France.

In October, the Scots broke the truce. They invaded Northumbria in northern England and destroyed much of the area. On November 6, a Scottish force led by Thomas, Earl of Angus, and Patrick, Earl of March, captured Berwick town. They used a surprise attack before dawn, climbing the walls. However, they could not capture the castle, so they began to surround it. King Edward III returned from France and gathered a large army at Newcastle. Most of the Scottish soldiers left, leaving only 130 men to guard Berwick town. When the English army arrived, the Scots negotiated a safe way to leave and then withdrew. Edward then went on to destroy a large part of southern and central Scotland. Bad weather stopped his ships from bringing supplies, which prevented him from doing even more damage.

Why Did the Sieges Happen?

The Long War Between England and Scotland

The 1333 Siege of Berwick

The First War of Scottish Independence began in 1296. This was when Edward I of England (who ruled from 1272 to 1307) attacked and took over Berwick. This was the start of his invasion of Scotland. After more than 32 years of fighting, the Scots recaptured Berwick in 1318.

A terrible English military campaign led to a peace treaty in 1328. This was the Treaty of Northampton. It recognized Scotland as an independent country. However, the young English king, Edward III (who ruled from 1327 to 1377), never truly accepted this treaty.

Berwick: A Key Town

Berwick is located on the North Sea coast, right on the border between England and Scotland. It was a very important town for trade and invasions. In the Middle Ages, it was known as a rich trading center. The taxes collected on wool passing through Berwick were the biggest source of money for the Scottish king.

After it was attacked in 1296, Edward I replaced Berwick's old wooden fences with strong stone walls. The Scots improved these walls even more in 1318. The walls were about 2 miles long, up to 40 inches thick, and 22 feet high. They had 19 towers, some as tall as 60 feet. The River Tweed protected one side of the town.

Berwick Castle was located to the west of the town, separated by a wide ditch. This meant the town and castle were separate strongholds. However, if the town was captured, the castle was often hard to defend. For example, when the Scots took Berwick town in 1318, the castle fell just a few days later.

How the Conflict Started Again

By 1355, the Scottish king, David II, was still a prisoner of the English. However, the French, who were allies of Scotland through the Auld Alliance, urged the Scottish nobles to attack England. This alliance meant that if England attacked one country, the other would invade English land.

The Scots gathered an army near the border. The English also prepared their forces. The French sent 50 or 60 knights to Scotland. They also promised a large sum of money to the Scottish leaders if they invaded England. When this money did not arrive by late September, a nine-month truce was agreed upon.

Many English soldiers then moved south to join King Edward's planned campaign in France. The English were very focused on the war with France. Many soldiers guarding English border forts even left their posts without permission to join Edward's trip to France. This included the commander of the Berwick town guard.

A few days after the truce was signed, the French money, 40,000 gold coins, finally arrived. The Scots waited until the English soldiers were far away. Then, they broke the truce and invaded Northumberland in northern England. They were likely fewer than 2,000 strong, but there was no English army ready to stop them. The Scots looted and burned villages across Northumbria.

King Edward heard the news on October 20. By then, most of his army was already in France. He continued his campaign there, leading a large-scale raid to try and make the French army fight. However, the French avoided battle.

Berwick Town: Captured and Recaptured

The Scottish nobles Thomas, Earl of Angus, and Patrick, Earl of March gathered a small force of Scots and French soldiers. They also had boats for transport. After six days of training, they attacked Berwick town on November 6. They climbed the walls just before dawn.

The Scots quickly took over the walls and pushed the small English guard back towards the castle. The English soldiers and the town's people found safety in the castle. Meanwhile, the Scots looted the town. The castle already had a strong guard. It was quickly made even stronger when John Coupland arrived with some English soldiers from Roxburgh.

Robert Stewart, who was ruling Scotland while King David II was imprisoned, took charge of the castle siege. There was a fortified bridge from the town to the castle. This bridge was defended by a tower called the Douglas tower. The English had held this tower against the first Scottish attack, but it fell in a later assault. The Scots then tried to dig tunnels under the castle walls and launched more attacks.

Meanwhile, King Edward's campaign in France was not going well. He tried to arrange a big battle, but no agreement could be reached. Some reports say that Edward heard about Berwick falling while he was in France. He then stopped his talks and brought his army back to England. Other accounts say he only learned about Berwick after he landed in England with his army on November 12.

Either way, Edward was in Newcastle in the north by Christmas Eve (December 24). A large army was gathering there, and a small fleet of ships was being prepared to supply it. The army left Newcastle on January 6, 1356.

A force led by Walter Mauny went ahead. They were escorting 120 miners. When they reached Berwick, they found the castle was still holding out. Most of the original Scottish attackers had left. They had left only 130 men to guard the town, which was not enough to properly defend the walls.

The English began to surround the town. The Scots knew no help would come. The miners dug tunnels towards the town walls. Mauny also prepared attacks from both land and sea. On January 13, King Edward arrived with the main English army. The Scots offered to talk, and Edward agreed to let them leave. He even allowed them to take anything they could carry.

What Happened Next?

Edward moved his army up the River Tweed to Roxburgh. On January 26, the English army marched towards Edinburgh. They left a trail of destruction about 20 miles wide behind them. The Scots used a "scorched earth" tactic. This meant they refused to fight and destroyed their own land.

Bad weather also stopped the English supply ships from reaching the army. Because of this, Edward had to cut short his campaign after thoroughly destroying Lothian. He withdrew his army, arriving in Carlisle at the end of February. His army was in poor condition.