Raid of the Redeswire
Encyclopedia
The Raid of the Redeswire was a border skirmish between England
and Scotland
on July 7, 1575 which took place at the Cheviot pass which enters Redesdale
, between the English Warden of the Middle Marches; Sir John Forster
, Sir George Heron, Keeper of Redesdale and the Keeper of Liddesdale as well as the Scottish Warden; Sir John Carmichael
with George Douglas of Bonjedworth
. It was the last major battle between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland.
. He was preparing to meet with Sir John Forster in Carter Bar
for truce, being the Lord Warden of the Marches
. Sir John Forster gathered an army as well. Forster was known for double-dealing, and Carmichael knew it could turn into a battle.
ed. The Scots proved victorious, and drove the English off. Forster was captured, and George Heron, along with his brother; John Heron, and many other notable English Nobles were killed. The English prisoners, however, were treated humanely and then released.
. As well, on Cheviot Hills, near the place were the battle was fought a monument was made in memory of the battle. It read "On this ridge, June 7th, 1575 was fought, one of the last border raids, known as The Raid of the Redeswire". This is why it is known as such, even though it wasn't really a raid and did not take place in the Redeswire. This battle is known to very few. Many believe that Pinkie was the last Anglo-Scottish battle, which was won by the English.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on July 7, 1575 which took place at the Cheviot pass which enters Redesdale
Redesdale
Redesdale is a valley iin the western part of the county of Northumberland, in northeast England. This area contains the valley of the River Rede, a tributary of the North Tyne River. Redesdale includes the settlements of Elsdon, Otterburn, Rochester, Byrness and Carter Bar.Historically this...
, between the English Warden of the Middle Marches; Sir John Forster
Sir John Forster
Sir John Forster was an English military commander and Warden of the Middle Marches.-Life:Born about 1501, he was son of Sir Thomas Forster of Etherston, Northumberland, marshal of Berwick, and his wife Dorothy, daughter of Robert Ogle, 4th Baron Ogle...
, Sir George Heron, Keeper of Redesdale and the Keeper of Liddesdale as well as the Scottish Warden; Sir John Carmichael
Sir John Carmichael
Sir John Carmichael, was the Keeper of Liddesdale.He was appointed warden of the Scottish West March, and was to make truce with the English Warden....
with George Douglas of Bonjedworth
Bonjedward
Bonjedward is a hamlet in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, two miles north of Jedburgh where the River Teviot joins the River Tweed.The village stands on a ridge of land formed by the approach of the Teviot and Jed Water towards their junction...
. It was the last major battle between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland.
Opposing Forces
After the Scottish defeat at Pinkie, no Anglo-Scottish battle had occurred until this. Sir John Carmichael assembled a small band of pikemen and gunmen in LiddesdaleLiddesdale
Liddesdale, the valley of the Liddel Water, in the County of Roxburgh, southern Scotland, extends in a south-westerly direction from the vicinity of Peel Fell to the River Esk, a distance of...
. He was preparing to meet with Sir John Forster in Carter Bar
Carter Bar
The Carter Bar is the point at which the A68 crosses the England-Scotland border and forms a pass located at the top of Redesdale in the Cheviot Hills at an altitude of . The first sizeable Scottish town is Jedburgh approximately north. Other nearby Scottish towns include Hawick away and Kelso...
for truce, being the Lord Warden of the Marches
Lord Warden of the Marches
The Lord Warden of the Marches was an office in the governments of Scotland and England. The holders were responsible for the security of the border between the two nations, and often took part in military action....
. Sir John Forster gathered an army as well. Forster was known for double-dealing, and Carmichael knew it could turn into a battle.
The battle
The Scots met with the English under Forster, and it started with insults from both sides. The truce was not going so well, and in time it turned into a battle. It started with cannon and bow shots from the English. The English were getting the better of the infantry match. But a timely arrival of Scottish reinforcements from Jedburgh gave the Scots an advantage. They began to break the English lines. In time, the English were routRout
A rout is commonly defined as a chaotic and disorderly retreat or withdrawal of troops from a battlefield, resulting in the victory of the opposing party, or following defeat, a collapse of discipline, or poor morale. A routed army often degenerates into a sense of "every man for himself" as the...
ed. The Scots proved victorious, and drove the English off. Forster was captured, and George Heron, along with his brother; John Heron, and many other notable English Nobles were killed. The English prisoners, however, were treated humanely and then released.
Legacy
The story of the skirmish was turned into a Border balladBorder ballad
The English/Scottish border has a long and bloody history of conquest and reconquest, raid and counter-raid . It also has a stellar tradition of balladry, such that a whole group of songs exists that are often called "border ballads", because they were collected in that region.Border ballads, like...
. As well, on Cheviot Hills, near the place were the battle was fought a monument was made in memory of the battle. It read "On this ridge, June 7th, 1575 was fought, one of the last border raids, known as The Raid of the Redeswire". This is why it is known as such, even though it wasn't really a raid and did not take place in the Redeswire. This battle is known to very few. Many believe that Pinkie was the last Anglo-Scottish battle, which was won by the English.
External links
- http://www.oldandsold.com/articles32n/northumbria-25.shtml