alternatehistory.com
1335: Scotland
1335: 'WE RISE TO FIGHT AGAIN...'
"Halidon Hill had seen the Scots' army destroyed, along with the latest Guardian of the realm. Prince Edward is held to have said that now the matter of the Scots that had hounded his grandfather and father was finished, and England at last victorious. Scotland was conquered.
"The conquest would last a handful of months.
"Right from the start, victory began the same problems for Balliol that he had previously--garrisons stretched thin while his supporters, once they imagined they were secure, began to quarrel for lands and honors. Indeed, this time, it was far worse than the previous, for he had to contend with his rapacious brother-in-law, pressing for England's advantage and a bevy of English nobles seeking their own. Frequently the latter operated under the former's protection, most notoriously Ralph de Stafford, a favorite of Prince Edward's who would take advantage of that royal protection to enrich himself throughout his long and blood-soaked career. In Scotland, this would take the form of kidnapping young Isabella MacDuff, heir to the Earldom of Fife, and claiming her for his bride[1]. While it would be inaccurate to call this act the spark that set off the next round of rebellion, it was one more bit of smouldering discontent.
"If there was any one thing that could be called the spark, it was a man--John Stewart, half-brother to the late Robert, and new Great Steward of Scotland, who left his brother's deathbed with a lifelong desire to see the English humbled. As opposed to Robert, he was not in the line of succession, but he was the undisputed heir to the Stewart holdings, and a brave and impetuous youth who would grow into one of the Scots' great captains. In late June, he would launch a seaborne attack on the Castle Dunoon, recently surrendered to Balliol forces, which would fall to Stewart virtually without struggle. A general revolt in Stewart lands began, as they rallied to their young lord[2].
"This was not the end of matters. The Earl of Moray returned from his latest trip to France, leaving the young King there, and returning with arms and funds that he used to start a separate rebellion in the southwest. As Balliol's kingdom fell apart once again, the two young lords set themselves up as the joint Guardians of the realm[3]. As for Balliol, he called for his brother-in-law's assistance, while sending his wife and young son, the Prince John, to England for safety. Soon, "King" Edward was the ruler of little more than Galloway.
"Unfortunately, for the Balliol cause, Prince Edward was not in a position to provide immediate aid. Parliament had only grudgingly provided the funds for the previous years expedition, and the winter of 1334 had been harsh and cruel[4]. His request for more money was, if not refused, then granted on the most limited basis forcing the Prince to borrow from the Bardi to fill out his coffers[5]. While it would take him months, that November, he would enter Scotland with roughly 13,000 men, the largest army he would ever lead into that kingdom[6]. There, he would unite with his brother-in-law's more meagre forces, in preparations for his most devastating attack on Scotland yet..."
--From Crowned Upon the Stone; the Story of Scotland, by Gyth Gythson (1998)
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[1] Obviously, this is right up Stafford's alley--but sadly, it is also fairly typical for poor Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Fire, who spent most of her life being married to up-and-comers, who would frequently die, and was pressured by her brother-in-law, the notorious Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, to give up her title to him.
[2] IOTL, Robert Stewart managed a similar uprising against the English.
[3] This odd state of affairs occurred IOTL as well.
[4] Edward is having a small bit of luck here--IOTL this winter covered his first campaigning period to deal with the uprising.
[5] Edward's borrowing from the Bardis is IOTL.
[6] Edward managed a similarly-sized army IOTL, though on a different timescale.
"Halidon Hill had seen the Scots' army destroyed, along with the latest Guardian of the realm. Prince Edward is held to have said that now the matter of the Scots that had hounded his grandfather and father was finished, and England at last victorious. Scotland was conquered.
"The conquest would last a handful of months.
"Right from the start, victory began the same problems for Balliol that he had previously--garrisons stretched thin while his supporters, once they imagined they were secure, began to quarrel for lands and honors. Indeed, this time, it was far worse than the previous, for he had to contend with his rapacious brother-in-law, pressing for England's advantage and a bevy of English nobles seeking their own. Frequently the latter operated under the former's protection, most notoriously Ralph de Stafford, a favorite of Prince Edward's who would take advantage of that royal protection to enrich himself throughout his long and blood-soaked career. In Scotland, this would take the form of kidnapping young Isabella MacDuff, heir to the Earldom of Fife, and claiming her for his bride[1]. While it would be inaccurate to call this act the spark that set off the next round of rebellion, it was one more bit of smouldering discontent.
"If there was any one thing that could be called the spark, it was a man--John Stewart, half-brother to the late Robert, and new Great Steward of Scotland, who left his brother's deathbed with a lifelong desire to see the English humbled. As opposed to Robert, he was not in the line of succession, but he was the undisputed heir to the Stewart holdings, and a brave and impetuous youth who would grow into one of the Scots' great captains. In late June, he would launch a seaborne attack on the Castle Dunoon, recently surrendered to Balliol forces, which would fall to Stewart virtually without struggle. A general revolt in Stewart lands began, as they rallied to their young lord[2].
"This was not the end of matters. The Earl of Moray returned from his latest trip to France, leaving the young King there, and returning with arms and funds that he used to start a separate rebellion in the southwest. As Balliol's kingdom fell apart once again, the two young lords set themselves up as the joint Guardians of the realm[3]. As for Balliol, he called for his brother-in-law's assistance, while sending his wife and young son, the Prince John, to England for safety. Soon, "King" Edward was the ruler of little more than Galloway.
"Unfortunately, for the Balliol cause, Prince Edward was not in a position to provide immediate aid. Parliament had only grudgingly provided the funds for the previous years expedition, and the winter of 1334 had been harsh and cruel[4]. His request for more money was, if not refused, then granted on the most limited basis forcing the Prince to borrow from the Bardi to fill out his coffers[5]. While it would take him months, that November, he would enter Scotland with roughly 13,000 men, the largest army he would ever lead into that kingdom[6]. There, he would unite with his brother-in-law's more meagre forces, in preparations for his most devastating attack on Scotland yet..."
--From Crowned Upon the Stone; the Story of Scotland, by Gyth Gythson (1998)
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[1] Obviously, this is right up Stafford's alley--but sadly, it is also fairly typical for poor Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Fire, who spent most of her life being married to up-and-comers, who would frequently die, and was pressured by her brother-in-law, the notorious Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, to give up her title to him.
[2] IOTL, Robert Stewart managed a similar uprising against the English.
[3] This odd state of affairs occurred IOTL as well.
[4] Edward is having a small bit of luck here--IOTL this winter covered his first campaigning period to deal with the uprising.
[5] Edward's borrowing from the Bardis is IOTL.
[6] Edward managed a similarly-sized army IOTL, though on a different timescale.
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