Treaty of Berwick (1357)
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Berwick, signed at Berwick-upon-Tweed
, Scotland
, in 1357, officially ended the Second War of Scottish Independence
. In this second phase of the Wars of Scottish Independence
, which began in 1333, King Edward III of England
attempted to install Edward Balliol
on the Scottish throne, in place of King David II
, son of Robert the Bruce
.
Under the terms of the treaty, David II was released by the English, who had captured him at the Battle of Neville's Cross
in 1346. The English demanded a ransom of 100,000 merks (around £150,000 Scots
, or £67,000 sterling
) for his release, payable in annual installments over a period of ten years, but only the first two payments were made. The first installment of the ransom was paid punctually, the second was late, and after that no more could be paid. Taxation was increased in order to pay the ransom, and David began to embezzle from his own ransom fund, causing widespread resentment.
David II also agreed to name Edward III of England as his successor, which was rejected by the Scottish people, as evidenced by continuing cross-border raids. The issue of succession was settled when Robert Stewart
assumed the throne on David's death in 1371.
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
, Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
, in 1357, officially ended the Second War of Scottish Independence
Second War of Scottish Independence
The Second War of Scottish Independence was the second cluster of a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries....
. In this second phase of the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
, which began in 1333, King Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
attempted to install Edward Balliol
Edward Balliol
Edward Balliol was a claimant to the Scottish throne . With English help, he briefly ruled the country from 1332 to 1336.-Life:...
on the Scottish throne, in place of King David II
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
, son of Robert the Bruce
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
.
Under the terms of the treaty, David II was released by the English, who had captured him at the Battle of Neville's Cross
Battle of Neville's Cross
The Battle of Neville's Cross took place to the west of Durham, England on 17 October 1346.-Background:In 1346, England was embroiled in the Hundred Years' War with France. In order to divert his enemy Philip VI of France appealed to David II of Scotland to attack the English from the north in...
in 1346. The English demanded a ransom of 100,000 merks (around £150,000 Scots
Pound Scots
The pound Scots was the national unit of currency in the Kingdom of Scotland before the country entered into political and currency union with the Kingdom of England in 1707 . It was introduced by David I, in the 12th century, on the model of English and French money, divided into 20 shillings...
, or £67,000 sterling
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
) for his release, payable in annual installments over a period of ten years, but only the first two payments were made. The first installment of the ransom was paid punctually, the second was late, and after that no more could be paid. Taxation was increased in order to pay the ransom, and David began to embezzle from his own ransom fund, causing widespread resentment.
David II also agreed to name Edward III of England as his successor, which was rejected by the Scottish people, as evidenced by continuing cross-border raids. The issue of succession was settled when Robert Stewart
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
assumed the throne on David's death in 1371.