Battle of Brechin
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Brechin was fought on 18 May 1452 during the reign of James II of Scotland
, about two and a half miles north north east of Brechin
.
By some interpretations, it was part of an on-off civil war during his reign between the king and an alliance of powerful noble families led by the Black Douglases, which as the king won was significant in the development of a relatively strong centralised monarchy in Scotland during the Late Middle Ages
.
A royalist army formed by the Clan Gordon
and Clan Ogilvy, led by the George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly
, defeated the rebel Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford
, known as the Tiger Earl, a leading ally of the Black Douglases. Shortly after Crawford submitted to the king, leaving the Black Douglases more isolated, to be defeated at the Battle of Arkinholm
in 1455.
However by other interpretations it was a localised conflict in the north-east of Scotland, of only limited relevance to wider conflicts in Scotland as a whole.
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
, about two and a half miles north north east of Brechin
Brechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
.
By some interpretations, it was part of an on-off civil war during his reign between the king and an alliance of powerful noble families led by the Black Douglases, which as the king won was significant in the development of a relatively strong centralised monarchy in Scotland during the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
.
A royalist army formed by the Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a Scottish clan. The chief of the clan was the powerful Earl of Huntly, now also Marquess of Huntly.-Origins:...
and Clan Ogilvy, led by the George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly was Chancellor of Scotland from 1498–1501.Gordon fought on the King's side against the Douglases during The Douglas Rebellion and helped secure a defeat at the Battle of Brechin. The 2nd Earl completed the building work that his father begun in constructing Huntly...
, defeated the rebel Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford
Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford
Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford acceded 1446, died September 1453.Father: David Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Crawford Mother: Marjory OgilvieMarried Margaret Dunbar and had 3 children, Elizabeth, David 5th Earl born 1440 and Alexander the 7th Earl....
, known as the Tiger Earl, a leading ally of the Black Douglases. Shortly after Crawford submitted to the king, leaving the Black Douglases more isolated, to be defeated at the Battle of Arkinholm
Battle of Arkinholm
The Battle of Arkinholm was fought on May 1, 1455, at Arkinholm near Langholm in Scotland, during the reign of King James II of Scotland.Although a small action, involving only a few hundred troops, it was the decisive battle in a civil war between the king and the Black Douglases, the most...
in 1455.
However by other interpretations it was a localised conflict in the north-east of Scotland, of only limited relevance to wider conflicts in Scotland as a whole.