William Eure, 1st Baron Eure
Encyclopedia
Sir William Eure of Witton
was an English knight and soldier active on the Anglo-Scottish border. Henry VIII of England
made him Baron Eure
by patent in 1544. The surname is often written as 'Evers.' William was Governor of Berwick upon Tweed in 1539, Commander in the North in 1542, Warden of the East March, and High Sheriff of Durham. During the Anglo-Scottish war called the Rough Wooing, Eure and his sons Ralph and Henry made numerous raids against towns and farms in the Scottish Borders
.
William married Elizabeth, a daughter of Christopher, Lord Eresby de Willoughby
. Their children included Sir Ralph Eure, Henry who was Master of the Ordinance at Berwick, Margery, Muriel, and Anne.
Ralph Eure, who was Warden of the Middle March, married Margery Bowes, daughter of Ralph Bowes of Streatlam Castle
. Ralph was killed at the Battle of Ancrum Moor
in 1545, and their son William Eure later inherited the title as 2nd Baron Eure. Ralph's daughter Frances married Robert Lambton of Lambton
.
against the Pilgrimage of Grace
for 20 days in 1536 with a garrison comprising only his household servants. After the rebellion was crushed, Henry VIII assumed for himself the Wardenship of the Scottish Marches: William Eure was deputy Warden of the East March. The Wardens were charged with keeping order on the border, dealing with encroachments from both sides and liasing with their opposite numbers.
At first the border was quiet because James V of Scotland
was in France seeking a bride. The situation did not deteriorate until at end of 1538, when James V was settled with Mary of Guise
. In November 1538, James V came to Jedburgh and replaced his wardens of the East and Middle March. In December, Pope Paul III
proclaimed his Bull
of Excommunication
against Henry VIII. William Eure and Thomas Wharton
, deputy Warden of the West March had to complain to James V about the circulation of ballads against Henry which they said came from Scotland. Sir Christopher Morris, Master of the Royal Ordinance, invested William as Keeper and Captain of the Castle and town of Berwick upon Tweed in January 1539, as the successor of Sir Thomas Clifford. Morris noted a great mulititude of ams and munitions, all 'sore decayed.
before James, Mary of Guise
and his bishops and council on the feast of the Epiphany. As the play turned on the Reformation of the church, William obtained a more detailed description from a Scottish contact for Thomas Cromwell. Eure enclosed in his letter of 26 January 1540 the synopsis of the performance compiled by his spy, which corresponds with the later text of Lindsay's play.
following an Act of Parliament. In June he wrote to James V of Scotland
complaining that his border subjects had began to pasture sheep and sow grain in England. In October they viewed the border along the river Tweed
to the Ryden Burn's mouth and destoyed corn sown by Scots on English ground. The Scots drew away from the border thinking Eure's men were invaders. During this business, Eure held meetings at Alnwick
and Etal
. He hoped to induce men from Tynedale
and Redesdale
to avenge the murders of the Fenwick family by attacking the Scots in Liddesdale
. By 4 November, he had found that there were a great number of Scottish householders, occupied as herdsmen, labourers or artisans, mostly without land, and they were evicted. Those too who held land or mills were replaced by English tenants. Many of the empty housing was not adequate for new English settlers, even if two houses were joined together. Other Scots were servants or apprenticed to English craftsmen, these were allowed to stay. Nevertheless, the use of Scottish apprentices would be discouraged in future.
William noted the valued service of a Scottish armourer called Troilus Taylor and a mountain guide, Gilbert Cocklands, who had been employed leading raids into Scotland. He requested that these useful people be made denizens of England and pointed out their repatriation would have an unhappy result. William's commission also included a survey of the border fortresses east to Harbottle Castle
and the river Coquet
. Many of the old Pele towers were in decay, and the owners lived in more convenient unfortified places ("that was a great pity to see"). He had commanded the owners to put the fortified houses in good order. He next planned to survey the strongholds of the Middle March. Generally, he found the border peaceable enough. Trouble came from the "traitorous Scottish thieves of Liddesdale" or Henry's "evil subjects of Tynedale and Redesdale" who seemed to combine together rather than respect the peace of Henry VIII or James V of Scotland
.
After showing an armed presence at Hexham
, Willam planned to meet up with his colleagues at Newcastle upon Tyne
on 17 November 1541 to finalise the survey. The historian Maureen Meikle finds that Eure had encouraged Scottish artisans to settle in the Middle March.
news of rumours he had heard from Scotsmen that the Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
, Regent Arran and Mary of Guise
had held meeting at Stirling Castle
and would reconcile their differences. If their factions were united the Scots would be able to resist English ambitions to force the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots and Prince Edward
.
for May 1544. William and Ralph Eure were to bring a diversionary force of March men to Haddington
. Ralph asked Hertford for a re-inforcement of 1000 Yorkshire archers so that they could press forward from Haddington to be in sight of the landing place at Granton
. In the event, it was agreed that Hertford would summon Eure when he had disembarked his troops in Edinburgh. (When Eure's men arrived in Edinburgh they would get their pay). Hertford landed on Sunday 4 May 1544, and sent for Eure. His letter reached Berwick on Monday at 2pm, and Eure's reply was received at Leith
on Tuesday at 5pm. 4000 border horsemen arrived in Edinburgh on Wednesday 7 May. While the army was camped near Seton Palace
, Lord Maxwell
requested to speak to Ralph Eure but Hertford would not allow it. Instead, Maxwell was brought back to England.
. On the same day Ralph took four Nixon hostages for the loyalty of 35 Nixons, and four Crosiers for 50 of their family, and 3 hostages for the Hall family.
In October 1544, Ralph Eure gained the allegiance of Andrew Kerr of Ferniehurst and 40 followers of various names and the town of Jedburgh. Eure took 21 hostages, including a man for each family name. If the Scots failed to fulfill their contract of assurance the hostages could be exceuted.
near Wooler
and decided to march on Jedburgh
. The final plan had been proposed by Lord Hertford on 27 May 1544 and endorsed by the English Privy Council and Henry VIII
, after Hertford had discussed the pros and cons of a more modest attack in March with Ralph Eure. An assault on Jedburgh had also been proposed as part of the major raid in May. Two days before the meeting at Milfield, Ralph Eure had written to Lord Hertford from Warkworth Castle
, explaining that his father was ill ("somewhat crossed") and reassuring Hertford that he could lead his father's East March men. Ralph asked Hertford to send his trumpeter for the Jedburgh raid.
However, William seems to have lead the raid. At Jedburgh, where he had heard there were seven cannon at the market-place, he divided his force into three. The Scottish defenders fled without engaging. Sir William burnt the Abbey
, the Greyfriars and various bastle and fortified houses
in the town. They captured 500 horses and seven cannon. On their way back to England, they burnt the Tower of Cailing Craig
, Cessford Castle
, Morebattle
church, Otterburn, Cowboge and other places. Near to the English border, at Kirk Yetholm
, they observed fires raised by a Scottish raiding party. Ralph Eure with Richard Bowes, Captain of Norham
, and 500 men rode forward and captured or killed a number of Scots.
captured Coldingham
, where the Priory was defended by cannon, after a 5 hour battle. Subsequently, William Eure wrote to the Earl of Shrewsbury
that he had escorted the Italian military surveyor Archan (Archangelo Arcano) to Coldingham
. The new Captain of Coldingham, George Bowes, said he could hold the place for 40 hours against the Scottish army if they brought two cannon. Ralph had reported to William that that Regent Arran with other Scottish lords were gathering an invasion force at Dunbar
. Ralph also sent this news to Shrewsbury. The Lords of the Privy Council had already found Ralph's intelligence gathering useful, and in January they had authorised Shrewsbury to cover the sums that Ralph laid out for "compassing sundry exploits and intelligence." Arran's host did move towards Coldingham, but Arran halted this advance before Sir William's force could engage him. Henry Eure, in July 1544, joined George Bowes and raided Edrom
, Preston
, Patrick Hume's Tower
and Duns
. On 3 July, William Eure organised the burning of the Castle of Greenlaw
. Ralph burnt the Barmkin
of Ormiston and the church tower at Eckford
.
, Ralph argued for an attack on Hawick
. A raid to Melrose
or Jedburgh lead to Ralph Eure's death at the battle of Ancrum Moor in February 1545, his companions Basford and a Scotsman John Rutherford of Edgerston
cut down beside him. Regent Arran was shown Ralph's body by a man called Vicar Ogle, and said;
was made Warden of the Middle March in his place. To avenge Ralph, Henry Eure and George Bowes went to Bowmont in Teviotdale
and demolished two towers and burnt farmsteads belonging to the Laird of Molle
(Mow).
In March 1548 Henry Eure reported his father's death to Lord Grey of Wilton
. Henry's next duty was to make inquiries about a captured Lieutenant of Spanish mercenaries and an Italian who had escaped and fled to Scotland.
reported to Thomas Wriothesley
in April 1545 that William was not suitable to be Captain of the town of Berwick. Eure and Sir Cuthbert Ratcliff, Captain of the castle of Berwick; were "men of honesty and meet to serve elsewhere," but of no experience or knowledge for keeping a fortress. Eure had a long running dispute with Thomas Gower, the Marshall of Berwick (father of Sir Thomas Gower, 1st Baronet
) Gower was summoned to attend the Privy Council in London and after failing to answer Eure's allegations, was sent to the Fleet Prison
in June 1546.
The council also arbitrated between Eure and Cuthbert Ratcliffe over the rights of Berwick Castle
to tithes and fishing, Eure have previously been the Captain. In May 1547 he was placed in charge of stores at Lindisfarne
and asked to assist the fortification of the place according to the designs of William Ridgeway and Richard Lee
, without diminishing the garrison at Berwick.
After William Eure's death, although Grey of Wilton wrote to Somerset on Henry Eure's behalf for his father's offices, the Wardenship of the East March and Governorship of Berwick were given to Grey of Wilton himself. However, Ralph's son, William Eure, 2nd Baron Eure was later made Warden of the Middle March and Governor of Berwick.
Witton Castle
Witton Castle is a much altered 15th century castle, which is the centrepiece of a holiday and caravan country park at Witton le Wear, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham. It is a Grade II* listed building.-Details:...
was an English knight and soldier active on the Anglo-Scottish border. Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
made him Baron Eure
Baron Eure
Baron Eure was the title granted to Sir William Eure by Henry VIII in 1544. The Baron was thereafter called 'Lord Eure.' The title became extinct with the death of Ralph Eure in 1690. The family name is also spelt Evres, Ewer, and Evers....
by patent in 1544. The surname is often written as 'Evers.' William was Governor of Berwick upon Tweed in 1539, Commander in the North in 1542, Warden of the East March, and High Sheriff of Durham. During the Anglo-Scottish war called the Rough Wooing, Eure and his sons Ralph and Henry made numerous raids against towns and farms in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
.
Family
William was the son of Ralph Eure and Muriel Hastings.William married Elizabeth, a daughter of Christopher, Lord Eresby de Willoughby
Christopher Willoughby, 10th Baron Willoughby de Eresby
Sir Christopher Willoughby, 10 Baron Willoughby de Eresby was an English baron.-Life:...
. Their children included Sir Ralph Eure, Henry who was Master of the Ordinance at Berwick, Margery, Muriel, and Anne.
Ralph Eure, who was Warden of the Middle March, married Margery Bowes, daughter of Ralph Bowes of Streatlam Castle
Streatlam Castle
Streatlam Castle was a Baroque stately home located near the town of Barnard Castle in County Durham, England. Owned by the Bowes-Lyon family, Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, the house was one of the family's two principal seats, alongside Glamis Castle in Forfarshire, Scotland. Streatlam...
. Ralph was killed at the Battle of Ancrum Moor
Battle of Ancrum Moor
The Battle of Ancrum Moor was fought during the War of the Rough Wooing in 1545. The Scottish victory put a temporary end to English depredations in the Scottish border and lowlands.-Background :...
in 1545, and their son William Eure later inherited the title as 2nd Baron Eure. Ralph's daughter Frances married Robert Lambton of Lambton
Lambton Castle
Lambton Castle, located in County Durham, England, between the towns of Washington and Chester-le-Street, is a stately home, the ancestral seat of the Lambton family, the Earls of Durham...
.
Quiet on the border
Ralph Eure defended Scarborough CastleScarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England...
against the Pilgrimage of Grace
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising in York, Yorkshire during 1536, in protest against Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as well as other specific political, social and economic grievances. It was done in action against Thomas Cromwell...
for 20 days in 1536 with a garrison comprising only his household servants. After the rebellion was crushed, Henry VIII assumed for himself the Wardenship of the Scottish Marches: William Eure was deputy Warden of the East March. The Wardens were charged with keeping order on the border, dealing with encroachments from both sides and liasing with their opposite numbers.
At first the border was quiet because James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
was in France seeking a bride. The situation did not deteriorate until at end of 1538, when James V was settled with Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
. In November 1538, James V came to Jedburgh and replaced his wardens of the East and Middle March. In December, Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
proclaimed his Bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
of Excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
against Henry VIII. William Eure and Thomas Wharton
Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton
Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton was an English nobleman and a follower of King Henry VIII of England. He is best known for his victory at Solway Moss on 24 November 1542 for which he was given a barony.-Early life:...
, deputy Warden of the West March had to complain to James V about the circulation of ballads against Henry which they said came from Scotland. Sir Christopher Morris, Master of the Royal Ordinance, invested William as Keeper and Captain of the Castle and town of Berwick upon Tweed in January 1539, as the successor of Sir Thomas Clifford. Morris noted a great mulititude of ams and munitions, all 'sore decayed.
Interlude at Linlithgow
One of William's letters gives the earliest description of the play A Satire of the Three Estates by David Lindsay of the Mount. William spoke to Sir Thomas Bellenden, who described a performance at Linlithgow PalaceLinlithgow Palace
The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are situated in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although maintained after Scotland's monarchs left for England in 1603, the...
before James, Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
and his bishops and council on the feast of the Epiphany. As the play turned on the Reformation of the church, William obtained a more detailed description from a Scottish contact for Thomas Cromwell. Eure enclosed in his letter of 26 January 1540 the synopsis of the performance compiled by his spy, which corresponds with the later text of Lindsay's play.
Survey of Northumberland, 1541
Beyond the regular duties of a border Warden, in 1541 William Eure was one of the commissioners appointed by Henry VIII to expel Scottish people from NorthumberlandNorthumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
following an Act of Parliament. In June he wrote to James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
complaining that his border subjects had began to pasture sheep and sow grain in England. In October they viewed the border along the river Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
to the Ryden Burn's mouth and destoyed corn sown by Scots on English ground. The Scots drew away from the border thinking Eure's men were invaders. During this business, Eure held meetings at Alnwick
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle is a castle and stately home in the town of the same name in the English county of Northumberland. It is the residence of the Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest, and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:Alnwick...
and Etal
Etal Castle
Etal Castle is a medieval English castle situated at Etal, Cornhill on Tweed, Northumberland, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building....
. He hoped to induce men from Tynedale
Tynedale
Tynedale was a local government district in south-west Northumberland, England. It had a resident population of 58,808 according to the 2001 Census, and was named after the River Tyne . Its main towns were Hexham, Haltwhistle and Prudhoe...
and 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...
to avenge the murders of the Fenwick family by attacking the Scots in Liddesdale
Liddesdale
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...
. By 4 November, he had found that there were a great number of Scottish householders, occupied as herdsmen, labourers or artisans, mostly without land, and they were evicted. Those too who held land or mills were replaced by English tenants. Many of the empty housing was not adequate for new English settlers, even if two houses were joined together. Other Scots were servants or apprenticed to English craftsmen, these were allowed to stay. Nevertheless, the use of Scottish apprentices would be discouraged in future.
William noted the valued service of a Scottish armourer called Troilus Taylor and a mountain guide, Gilbert Cocklands, who had been employed leading raids into Scotland. He requested that these useful people be made denizens of England and pointed out their repatriation would have an unhappy result. William's commission also included a survey of the border fortresses east to Harbottle Castle
Harbottle Castle
Harbottle Castle is a ruined medieval castle situated at the west end of the village of Harbottle, Northumberland, England west-north-west of Rothbury overlooking the River Coquet...
and the river Coquet
River Coquet
The River Coquet runs through the county of Northumberland, England, discharging into the North Sea on the east coast of England at Amble. Warkworth Castle is built in a loop of the Coquet....
. Many of the old Pele towers were in decay, and the owners lived in more convenient unfortified places ("that was a great pity to see"). He had commanded the owners to put the fortified houses in good order. He next planned to survey the strongholds of the Middle March. Generally, he found the border peaceable enough. Trouble came from the "traitorous Scottish thieves of Liddesdale" or Henry's "evil subjects of Tynedale and Redesdale" who seemed to combine together rather than respect the peace of Henry VIII or James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
.
After showing an armed presence at Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
, Willam planned to meet up with his colleagues at Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
on 17 November 1541 to finalise the survey. The historian Maureen Meikle finds that Eure had encouraged Scottish artisans to settle in the Middle March.
Rough Wooing
Sir William and his sons Henry and Ralph were active during the war of the Rough Wooing and were stationed at Berwick upon Tweed. William Eure sent Lord HertfordEdward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
news of rumours he had heard from Scotsmen that the Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox was the 4th Earl of Lennox, and leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland. He was the son of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox. His grandson was James VI of Scotland....
, Regent Arran and Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
had held meeting at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
and would reconcile their differences. If their factions were united the Scots would be able to resist English ambitions to force the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots and Prince Edward
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
.
The burning of Edinburgh
Hertford organised a major assault by sea on EdinburghBurning of Edinburgh (1544)
The Burning of Edinburgh in 1544 by an English sea-borne army was the first major action of the war of the Rough Wooing. A Scottish army observed the landing on 3 May 1544 but did not engage with the English force. The Provost of Edinburgh was compelled to allow the English to sack Leith and...
for May 1544. William and Ralph Eure were to bring a diversionary force of March men to Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
. Ralph asked Hertford for a re-inforcement of 1000 Yorkshire archers so that they could press forward from Haddington to be in sight of the landing place at Granton
Granton, Edinburgh
Granton is a district in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland. Granton forms part of Edinburgh's waterfront along the Firth of Forth and is, historically, an industrial area having a large harbour. Granton is part of Edinburgh's large scale waterfront regeneration programme.-Name:Granton first appears...
. In the event, it was agreed that Hertford would summon Eure when he had disembarked his troops in Edinburgh. (When Eure's men arrived in Edinburgh they would get their pay). Hertford landed on Sunday 4 May 1544, and sent for Eure. His letter reached Berwick on Monday at 2pm, and Eure's reply was received at Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
on Tuesday at 5pm. 4000 border horsemen arrived in Edinburgh on Wednesday 7 May. While the army was camped near Seton Palace
Seton Palace
Seton Palace was situated in East Lothian, a few miles south-east of Edinburgh near the town of Prestonpans. Often regarded as the most desirable Scottish residence of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the palace was erected in the 15th century by George, 4th Lord Seton and was similar in...
, Lord Maxwell
Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell
Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell , A member of the council of Regency of the Kingdom of Scotland. Regent of the Isle of Arran and like his father before head of the clan Maxwell. A distinguished Scottish nobleman, politician, soldier and in 1513 Lord High Admiral...
requested to speak to Ralph Eure but Hertford would not allow it. Instead, Maxwell was brought back to England.
Assurances
On 7 June 1544 a number of Scottish borderers gave their oath to be "full part takers" with England. Ralph Eure, as Warden of the Middle March, was given three "pledges" or hostages for the fulfillment of the oath by 24 members of the Oliver family and their kinsmen. These were Dandy Oliver, Rinyan (Ninian) Oliver and Patty Oliver who were kept at Warkworth CastleWarkworth Castle
Warkworth Castle is a ruined medieval building in the town of the same name in the English county of Northumberland. The town and castle occupy a loop of the River Coquet, less than a mile from England's north-east coast...
. On the same day Ralph took four Nixon hostages for the loyalty of 35 Nixons, and four Crosiers for 50 of their family, and 3 hostages for the Hall family.
In October 1544, Ralph Eure gained the allegiance of Andrew Kerr of Ferniehurst and 40 followers of various names and the town of Jedburgh. Eure took 21 hostages, including a man for each family name. If the Scots failed to fulfill their contract of assurance the hostages could be exceuted.
Jedburgh
On 9 June 1544, Sir William and his colleagues met at MilfieldMilfield
Milfield is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Wooler. The A697 road passes through the village.- History :Milfield is the likely location of the Northumbrian royal settlement of Maelmin, given "mael" is a Brythonic word meaning "field"...
near Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
and decided to march on Jedburgh
Jedburgh
Jedburgh is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and historically in Roxburghshire.-Location:Jedburgh lies on the Jed Water, a tributary of the River Teviot, it is only ten miles from the border with England and is dominated by the substantial ruins of Jedburgh Abbey...
. The final plan had been proposed by Lord Hertford on 27 May 1544 and endorsed by the English Privy Council and Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, after Hertford had discussed the pros and cons of a more modest attack in March with Ralph Eure. An assault on Jedburgh had also been proposed as part of the major raid in May. Two days before the meeting at Milfield, Ralph Eure had written to Lord Hertford from Warkworth Castle
Warkworth Castle
Warkworth Castle is a ruined medieval building in the town of the same name in the English county of Northumberland. The town and castle occupy a loop of the River Coquet, less than a mile from England's north-east coast...
, explaining that his father was ill ("somewhat crossed") and reassuring Hertford that he could lead his father's East March men. Ralph asked Hertford to send his trumpeter for the Jedburgh raid.
However, William seems to have lead the raid. At Jedburgh, where he had heard there were seven cannon at the market-place, he divided his force into three. The Scottish defenders fled without engaging. Sir William burnt the Abbey
Jedburgh Abbey
Jedburgh Abbey, a ruined Augustinian abbey which was founded in the 12th century is situated in the town of Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders just north of the border with England at Carter Bar...
, the Greyfriars and various bastle and fortified houses
Bastle house
Bastle houses are a type of construction found along the Anglo-Scottish border, in the areas formerly plagued by border Reivers. They are farmhouses, characterised by elaborate security measures against raids...
in the town. They captured 500 horses and seven cannon. On their way back to England, they burnt the Tower of Cailing Craig
Crailing
Crailing is a village on the A698, in Teviotdale, 4m east of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Roxburghshire.Places nearby include Ancrum, Crailinghall, Eckford, Hownam, Kelso, Nisbet, Roxburghshire, the Oxnam Water, the River Teviot.Rory Bremner bought Crailing House...
, Cessford Castle
Cessford Castle
Cessford Castle is a ruined L-plan castle lying equidistant between the Royal Burgh of Jedburgh, and the Burghs of Kelso and Kirk Yetholm, in the historic county of Roxburghshire, now a division of the Scottish Borders...
, Morebattle
Morebattle
Morebattle is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on the B6401, seven miles south of Kelso, Scottish Borders, beside the Kale Water, a tributary of the River Teviot.The nearby Linton Loch was drained in the 19th century to improve agriculture....
church, Otterburn, Cowboge and other places. Near to the English border, at Kirk Yetholm
Kirk Yetholm
Kirk Yetholm is a village in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, south east of Kelso and less than west of the border. The first mention is of its church in the 13th century. Its sister town is Town Yetholm which lies half a mile across the Bowmont Water...
, they observed fires raised by a Scottish raiding party. Ralph Eure with Richard Bowes, Captain of Norham
Norham Castle
Norham Castle is a partly ruined castle in Northumberland, England, overlooking the River Tweed, on the border between England and Scotland. It is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument...
, and 500 men rode forward and captured or killed a number of Scots.
Coldingham
Later in the month, Henry Eure and George BowesGeorge Bowes (1517-1556)
Sir George Bowes , was a commander in border warfare.Bowes was a posthumous son of Sir Ralph Bowes of Dalden, Streatlam, and South Cowton, and Elizabeth, daughter of Henry, lord Clifford. Cardinal Wolsey, then bishop of Durham, sold his 'ward, custody, and marriage' for 800l. to Sir William Bulmer...
captured Coldingham
Coldingham
Coldingham is a historic village in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, on Scotland's southeast coastline, north of Eyemouth.As early as AD 660, Coldingham was the site of a religious establishment of high order, when it is recorded that Etheldreda, the queen of Egfrid, became a nun at the Abbey of...
, where the Priory was defended by cannon, after a 5 hour battle. Subsequently, William Eure wrote to the Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
that he had escorted the Italian military surveyor Archan (Archangelo Arcano) to Coldingham
Coldingham
Coldingham is a historic village in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, on Scotland's southeast coastline, north of Eyemouth.As early as AD 660, Coldingham was the site of a religious establishment of high order, when it is recorded that Etheldreda, the queen of Egfrid, became a nun at the Abbey of...
. The new Captain of Coldingham, George Bowes, said he could hold the place for 40 hours against the Scottish army if they brought two cannon. Ralph had reported to William that that Regent Arran with other Scottish lords were gathering an invasion force at Dunbar
Dunbar
Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
. Ralph also sent this news to Shrewsbury. The Lords of the Privy Council had already found Ralph's intelligence gathering useful, and in January they had authorised Shrewsbury to cover the sums that Ralph laid out for "compassing sundry exploits and intelligence." Arran's host did move towards Coldingham, but Arran halted this advance before Sir William's force could engage him. Henry Eure, in July 1544, joined George Bowes and raided Edrom
Edrom
Edrom is a small village in the pre-1975 ancient county of Berwickshire, now an administrative area of the Scottish Borders region of Scotland....
, Preston
Preston, Scottish Borders
Preston is a small village in the pre-1975 ancient county of Berwickshire, now an administrative area of the Scottish Borders region of Scotland....
, Patrick Hume's Tower
Polwarth, Scottish Borders
Polwarth is a village and parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is located at , between Greenlaw and Duns, in the former county of Berwickshire....
and Duns
Duns
Duns is the county town of the historic county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders.-Early history:Duns law, the original site of the town of Duns, has the remains of an Iron Age hillfort at its summit...
. On 3 July, William Eure organised the burning of the Castle of Greenlaw
Greenlaw
Greenlaw is a small town situated in the foothills of the Lammermuir Hills on Blackadder Water at the junction of the A697 and the A6105 in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Greenlaw was first made the county town of Berwickshire in 1596, and was the first town to take on this role since the...
. Ralph burnt the Barmkin
Barmkin
Barmkin, also spelled barmekin or barnekin, is a Scots word which refers to a form of medieval and later defensive enclosure, typically found around smaller castles, tower houses, pele towers, and bastle houses in Scotland, and the north of England. It has been suggested that etymologically the...
of Ormiston and the church tower at Eckford
Eckford, Scottish Borders
Eckford is a village on the A698 and the B6401, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, close to the place where the Kale Water joins the River Teviot...
.
Muirhouse and Ancrum Moor
The Eure family continued these raids into November and again in 1545. As a Scottish army mustered on the easten border near LauderLauder
The Royal Burgh of Lauder is a town in the Scottish Borders 27 miles south east of Edinburgh. It is also a royal burgh in the county of Berwickshire. It lies on the edge of the Lammermuir Hills, on the Southern Upland Way.-Medieval history:...
, Ralph argued for an attack on Hawick
Hawick
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
. A raid to Melrose
Melrose
-Scotland:* Melrose, Scotland , a town in the Scottish Borders** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery** Melrose RFC, rugby club** Melrose Golf Club-Australia:* Melrose, South Australia, a town in the southern Flinders Ranges...
or Jedburgh lead to Ralph Eure's death at the battle of Ancrum Moor in February 1545, his companions Basford and a Scotsman John Rutherford of Edgerston
Edgerston
Edgerston is a village and an estate about 8 miles north of the Anglo-Scottish border, south of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland in the former Roxburghshire.Thomas Rutherfurd built Edgerston House in 1695...
cut down beside him. Regent Arran was shown Ralph's body by a man called Vicar Ogle, and said;
God have mercy on him, for he was a fell cruel man and over cruel, which many a man and fatherless bairn might rue; and, wellaway that ever such slaughter and bloodshedding should be amongst Christian men."The defeat at Ancrum was blamed on Ralph's over-reliance on his wavering Scottish allies and his foolhardy courage. Robert Bowes
Robert Bowes (lawyer)
Sir Robert Bowes was an English lawyer and military commander.-Life:He was son of Sir Ralph Bowes and Marjory Conyers of South Cowton, Yorkshire, and studied law in his early years; but his ancestral connection with the Border country marked him out for employment in border affairs, where he did...
was made Warden of the Middle March in his place. To avenge Ralph, Henry Eure and George Bowes went to Bowmont in Teviotdale
Bowmont Water
Bowmont Water is a river in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland . It rises in the Cheviot Hills and passes by Mowhaugh, Town Yetholm, and Kirk Yetholm...
and demolished two towers and burnt farmsteads belonging to the Laird of Molle
Mowhaugh
Mowhaugh is a hamlet and farm steading near the Calroust Burn and the Bowmont Water, near Morebattle, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and in the former Roxburghshire. It is situated about 5 miles from the Anglo-Scottish Border....
(Mow).
In March 1548 Henry Eure reported his father's death to Lord Grey of Wilton
William Grey, 13th Baron Grey de Wilton
William Grey, 13th Baron Grey de Wilton KG, was an English baron and military commander serving in France in the 1540s and 1550s, and in the Scottish wars of the 1540s.He was the thirteenth Baron Grey de Wilton....
. Henry's next duty was to make inquiries about a captured Lieutenant of Spanish mercenaries and an Italian who had escaped and fled to Scotland.
Governance of Berwick
The diplomat Ralph SadlerRalph Sadler
Sir Ralph Sadler, PC, Knight banneret was an English statesman of the 16th century, and served as a Secretary of State for King Henry VIII.-Background:...
reported to Thomas Wriothesley
Thomas Wriothesley
Sir Thomas Wriothesley was a long serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was the son of Garter King of Arms, John Writhe, and he succeeded his father in this office.-Personal life:...
in April 1545 that William was not suitable to be Captain of the town of Berwick. Eure and Sir Cuthbert Ratcliff, Captain of the castle of Berwick; were "men of honesty and meet to serve elsewhere," but of no experience or knowledge for keeping a fortress. Eure had a long running dispute with Thomas Gower, the Marshall of Berwick (father of Sir Thomas Gower, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Gower, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Gower, 1st Baronet of Stittenham , was eight weeks old in September 1584, and having been knighted by James I was created a baronet on 2 June 1620...
) Gower was summoned to attend the Privy Council in London and after failing to answer Eure's allegations, was sent to the Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
in June 1546.
The council also arbitrated between Eure and Cuthbert Ratcliffe over the rights of Berwick Castle
Berwick Castle
Berwick Castle is a ruined castle in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England.The castle was founded in the 12th century by the Scottish King David I. In 1296-8, the English King Edward I had the castle rebuilt and the town fortified, before it was returned to Scotland...
to tithes and fishing, Eure have previously been the Captain. In May 1547 he was placed in charge of stores at Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
and asked to assist the fortification of the place according to the designs of William Ridgeway and Richard Lee
Richard Lee (engineer)
Sir Richard Lee was a military engineer in the service of Henry VIII of England, Edward VI and Elizabeth I. He was a commander of Henry VIII of England| and appointed surveyor of the King's works.-Surveyor of Calais:...
, without diminishing the garrison at Berwick.
After William Eure's death, although Grey of Wilton wrote to Somerset on Henry Eure's behalf for his father's offices, the Wardenship of the East March and Governorship of Berwick were given to Grey of Wilton himself. However, Ralph's son, William Eure, 2nd Baron Eure was later made Warden of the Middle March and Governor of Berwick.