"with sharp pens and red ink", Ancrum Moor, February 1545

This weekend I visited Stuart's where we played a couple of games set in 1540s Scotland during the era of the Rough Wooing. This was a bloody era of Anglo-Scottish history when Henry VIII was attempting to force a union with Scotland through the marriage of his young son Edward, born in 1537, to his great-niece Mary, Queen of Scots, who had been born in 1542. We played the main battle scenario first but for this post I have shown the assault of Jedburgh game first so the scenarios are described in chronological order.

"with sharps pen and red ink" Ancrum Moor, 1545

Edward Seymour, the of Earl of Hertford's assaults on Leith and Edinburgh in the spring of 1544, http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2023/04/sack-leith-and-burn-and-subvert-it-and.html, did not end England's attacks across its northern border. The 9th of June 1544 saw Sir Ralph Eure (also refered to as Evers), warden of the Middle Marches, lead an assault on Jedburgh (for the 1523 raid on the town see https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-english-attack-on-jedburgh.html). The town was defended by seven or eight artillery pieces and the Provost refused to surrender instantly, instead asking for time to deliberate. Suspecting that the defenders were attempting to buy time Eure divided his force into three groups, one made of arquebusiers, one of Irish kern and the third of Eure's own company and the town was stormed from three sides. It seems the kern were particularly feared by the Scots as following the raid Seymour wrote to Henry on 12 June explaining "The Irishmen did good services and are dreaded by the Scots, as they take no prisoners, after the Border custom, but say that the King gives them wages to live upon". The shock of this attack caused the defenders to flee, and in the ensuing chaos "The Late Expedition in Scotland, 1544" reported how 160 Scots were killed to the loss of six Englishmen. The full account is given below:

"After their coming, a messenger was sent unto the Provost of the said town (Jedburgh), letting him to know "that the Lord Eure was come before the town to take it into the King's allegiance, by means of peace if thereunto the Scots would truly agree, or else by force of arms to sack the same if therein resistance were found."Whereunto the Provost — ever like to prove himself a Scot — answered by way of request, "that they might be respected upon their answer until the noontide or else to maintain their town with defence :" having hope that in tracting  and driving off time they might work some old cowardly subtilty. But upon his declaration made, the snake crawling under the flowers easily appeared to them, which had experience : knowledge also being had, that the townsmen had bent seven or eight pieces of ordnance in the market-stead. Wherefore the Lord Eure — part of his company being into three bands divided, and abiding at three several coasts of the same town, to the end that there might be three entries at one time made into the town — appointed and devised that the gunners, which had battered certain places plain and open, should enter in one side, and the kernes on another side, and Sir Ralph Eure's, of the third side. But it fortuned that, even upon the approachment of the men to their entries, the Scots fled from their ordnance, leaving them unshot, into the woods thereabout, with all other people in the same town. In which flight was slain above the number of 160 Scots, having for that recompense thereof, the loss of six Englishmen only. The people thus fled, and the town given to Englishmen by chance of war : the gunners burned the Abbey, the Grey Friars, and divers bastel and fortified houses, whereof there were many in that town : the goods of the same town being first spoiled, which laded, at their departing, 500 horses ; besides seven pieces of ordnance."

The raids continued with Eure, accompanied by Sir Brian Layton, the Captain of Norham Castle, wasting the whole of the Merse and Teviotdale. Villages, churches, fortified towers and bastle houses all fell prey to the English raids with over eight hundred Scots taken prisoner and four hundred killed. As a reward for this brutality Henry VIII granted the raided lands to Eure and Layton. Included in these conquered lands were those owned by the Tudor King's former ally and brother in law, Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, victor of the "Cleanse the Causeway" clash in Edinburgh, http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2022/12/cleanse-causeway-edinburgh-1520.html, and the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge, http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2023/03/linlithgow-bridge-1526.html. Enraged by the devastation of his lands and the desecration of the Douglas family tombs in Melrose Abbey, Douglas, according to Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, stated the violent manner in which he would sign the title deeds to the Douglas inheritance "and, If they come to take seisin in my lands, I shall bear them witness to it, and perhaps write them an instrument with sharp pens and red ink".

At the start of 1545 Sir Ralph Eure and Sir Brian Layton led a further large scale raid across the border. Sources differ on what this small army was comprised of. Most modern writers such as Gervase Phillips, Marcus Merriman, Jonathan Davies and Jonathan Cooper describe the English army as a force of 1,400 to 1,500 borderers, 3,000 foreign mercenaries and 700 assured, meaning allied, Scots, describing the foreign mercenaries as landsknecht pike and Spanish arquebusiers. It is possible the assured Scots included a contingent of Highlanders under the command of Neil MacNeill of Gigha as it was recorded in The Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland that he had been in arms with Sir Ralph Eure in 1544. Whilst George Ridpath's 1776 "The border-history of England and Scotland"  states, talking of Eure and Layton, "To defend and carry on their acquisitions, he (Henry VIII) also gave them the command of three thousand mercenaries, to whom, having joined two thousand men of the borders, they came with this little army to Jedburgh, about the middle of February", it is interesting to note that Gilbert John Millar in his "Tudor Mercenaries and Auxiliaries, 1485-1547" mentions the battle at Ancrum Moor on a few occasions yet he never says that any foreign mercenaries were involved. In fact Millar argues that it was only after the defeat at the beginning of 1545 that Henry was prompted to redeploy mercenaries from France "The movement of free lances from Calais was begun in March, the first to be deployed being Spanish arquebusiers. Thirteen hundred, under their colonel Pedro de Gamboa, were collected at Dover and conveyed by sea to Newcastle. After them followed smaller bands, mainly cavalry, to the tune of nearly 2,000: German men-at-arms; Italian "hacquebutiers of horseback"; and Albanian stradiots".

To further support the idea that there may not have been Germans and Spanish mercenaries at Ancrum Moor neither Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie or Raphael Holinshed refer to any in their later 16th century accounts of the clash. Lindsay describes the English army as "The first battle, led by Sir Bryan Latoun and Sir Robert Bowis had, in the midst of the battle, a thousand spears; and, on their right wing, five hundred hagbutters, and on their left, five hundred bows. Sir Ralph Ivers (Sir Ralph Eure) led the great battle, containing a thousand spears, thousand hagbutters, and as many bows". This account could include German and Spanish troops as it describes in total two thousand pike or "spears" and 1,500 "hagbutters" but the 1,500 bows would imply that English infantry were also present. Holinshed describes Eure and Layton's army as "foure thousand Englishmen, Irishmen, and assured Scottes". That Irish kern may have been included in the army is supported by the facts that we know Eure was employing them for the June 1544 attack on Jedburgh and that on 27 March 1545, Francis Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury and Lieutenant in the North, Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of Durham, and Sir Ralph Sadler, high treasurer for the Scots wars, wrote to Henry describing how English and Irish arquebusiers from the garrison of Carlisle had been lost during the previous month, after the clash at Ancrum Moor "At the late raid to Melrose sundry hacquebutiers of the garrison, both English and Irish, were slain and their hakes (arquebuses) lost".

To oppose these raiders, whatever the actual composition of their force, Douglas allied with James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, and Sir Walter Scott, the man who had attempted to ambush Douglas years before at the Battle of Melrose (see second scenario http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2022/12/cleanse-causeway-edinburgh-1520.html). Again the sources differ on numbers but it seems Scott was in command of a small force of border horse whilst Arran was accompanied by 700 lancers from Fife. Most of the small Scots force was comprised of pikemen with arquebusiers and possibly archers in support. It seems unlikely that Angus, Arran and Scott's combined forces numbered more than 2,500. Holinshed describes the Scots force as over 1,500 men of whom at least 800 were gentlemen whilst Lindsay also states that the Scots had artillery as two Scots were "slain rakelesly by their own artillery".  

As the English returned from their raiding on 27 February 1545, heading along an old Roman road known as Dere Street they encountered a small troop of Scots horse. The English border horse set out after the Scots cavalry who fled down the road which was surrounded by boggy moorland. The fleeing Scots led the English over the crest of a small ridge and into an ambush. On the other side of the ridge and hidden from the view of the English until it was too late were the rest of Scots, formed up in a pike block. With the wind and sun in their faces the English cavalry were caught by the pikemen and their horses stumbled as they attempted to escape but got caught in the moor. The Scots pikemen advanced into the English infantry, be they English, Irish, German or Spanish, who had already been disordered by the fleeing cavalry. Further chaos ensued when the assured Scots decided now was a good time to rejoin their compatriots and switched sides by attacking the fleeing English raiding party. Both Eure and Layton were slain along with possibly 800 hundred of the raiders whilst over a thousand were taken prisoner, including, according to Lindsay, eighty gentlemen. Holinshed also states that the English lost some artillery. The Scots suffered few casualties.

Lindsay's account of the battle is as follows:

"And seeing the Englishmen tarrying a little at Libberton's cross to view the Scottish-mens array, and understand their intent; the Scots marched south-west from Melross, round about Ancram, pretending as if they minded not to meddle with the English ; who, marching towards Jedburgh, stayed along at the Sandy causeway, it being so narrow that they could not march but two a-front. Meanwhile the laird of Buccleugh (Sir Walter Scott) came posting to the governor (the Earl of Arran), shewing him that his whole followers were coming, with all speed, within six mile, He counselled the governor to send back all the horse to a hill where the artillery stood, and to draw them selves into a low place, out of the Englishmens sight; whereby the Englishmen would be persuaded that they were fled, and would follow them without order: Which fell out accordingly. For the Englishmen, believing that the Scots fled, pursued them so fast, that they were all out of breath. The first battle, led by Sir Bryan Latoun and Sir Robert Bowis had, in the midst of the battle, a thousand spears; and, on their right wing, five hundred hagbutters, and on their left, five hundred bows. Sir Ralph Ivers (Sir Ralph Eure) led the great battle, containing a thousand spears, thousand hagbutters, and as many bows. The Scots, at the beginning, had only three hundred men with the governor, and two hundred with the earl of Angus. The English hasted them to preveen the flight of the Scots, thinking, by one encounter, to put an end to the war. But they, lighting on the ambush of the Scots, all wearied, and out of breath, albeit they were discouraged, yet, contemning the fewness of their number, set upon them. The Scots had providently gotten the advantage both of the wind and sun (being both in the south-west) so that the sun-beams and smoke of the powder took all fight from the English , besides, the Scottish-mens spears were an ell longer than the English ; whereby the English were born down before they could reach at the Scots ; who, encountring them most violently, beat back the vanguard upon the great battle; and so, disordering both, put them to flight, killing their two leaders, Sir Sir Ralph Ivers and Sir Bryan Laytoun, and a great number of gentlemen and common soldiers, to the number of five hundred; with the loss of two Scottish-men, slain rakelesly by their own artillery. There were taken a thousand, whereof eighty were gentlemen."

Holinshed's 1577 Chroncile describes the battle as such:

"Syr Rauf Evre commonly called Evers, Lorde warden of the Englishe middest Marches, entred Scotland with a power of foure thousand Englishmen, Irishmen, and assured Scottes, and comming firste unto Jedworth (Jedburgh), lodged there that night...The Governour (the Earl of Arran) and the sayde Erle (Douglas) sort agreeved to be thus foyled at the Englishmens handes, assembled togither all suche forces as they might recover, so that they had quickly got unto them above fiftene hundred menne, wherof eight hundreth at the least were Gentlemen, and hearyng that the English men were retyring towardes Jedworth, they mette them at a place called Pannyer Hugh, where bothe the parties alighting on foote, ment to trie the quarell by playne force of hande, but as they were ready to joyne, the assured Scots to the number of seven or eight hundred revolted unto the parte of their countreymen, by reason whereof after a right sharpe and fierce conflict the Englishe menne in the ende were constreyned to flie, whome the Scottes right egrely pursewed, slewe Sir Raufe Evre, the Lorde Ogle, Sir Bryan Layton, and other Gentlemenne and Souldiers to the number of eight hundreth, they tooke also about a two thousand priſoners, with certayne pieces of Artillery and other munition."

The defeat of Layton and Eure did little to stop the English aggression with a large scale raid being led once again by Edward Seymour, the Earl of Hertford, in September of 1545. In fact once Seymour had become Lord Protector following the death of Henry in 1547 a new strategy would be tested in Scotland as Seymour, now Duke of Somerset, attempted to subdue the Scots through a series of garrisons.

An English herald has been sent to the Provost of Jedburgh to tell him "that the Lord Eure was come before the town to take it into the King's allegiance, by means of peace if thereunto the Scots would truly agree, or else by force of arms to sack the same if therein resistance were found."

"or else by force of arms to sack the same if therein resistance were found"

As always both the games we played were based on our adapted version of Lion Rampant. The first scenario recreated the English assault on Jedburgh on 9th June 1544. To simplify it, instead of a three pronged assault, we gamed the attack from two different locations with one being led by the kern and the other being led by Sir Ralph Eure and the gunners and borderers. Stuart and I took on the roles of the two attacking parties with Stuart taking control of Sir Ralph Eure's retinue whilst I took command of the kern. Jedburgh was defended by a mixture of static and randomly controlled units as described in the rules below.

Victory

The Scots culverins were deployed around "the market-stead", shown in the photo below and victory would go to the first player who could reach this location with a unit. If both players reached this area on the same turn then the game would be a draw.

The Defenders of Jedburgh

The static units

The culverins and arquebusiers in the defending force were static units. The only movement these units could make was to return to their position if they had retreated out of it. All of the static units could try and activate every turn. They would activate before the randomly controlled units. They would always try and shoot at the nearest enemy unit.

The randomly controlled units

 The foot knights, representing the Provost of Jedburgh, and Scots pike were randomly controlled units. We both started the game with 5 playing cards. Each turn we would play a card and whoever played the highest got to control the randomly controlled units for that Scots turn. To add some extra historical flavour we used a replica deck of 1540s playing cards by Peter Flötner for these. Each card was different and we both a had a laugh at some of the more scatological humour on them! We would both then take another card so we had 5 cards at the start of each turn. These units behaved like a normal retinue and a failed activation would end their turn.

A view of the table from above. Sir Ralph Eure, Warden of the Middle Marches, has dismounted with his borderers and is deployed with the English arquebusiers in the top right corner of the photo. The Irish kern in English service are deployed in the bottom right of the photo. Jedburgh is on the left of the photo and both Eure's troops and the Irish kern must try to reach the area behind the central square in Jedburgh which can be see in the centre of the left of the photo directly behind the fountain.

Sir Ralph Eure, Warden of the Middle Marches, commands a force of dismounted border horse and English arquebusiers for his attack on Jedburgh. The Irish kern can be seen in the distance ready to attack the town at another location.

The Armies

The English Raiding Party

Sir Ralph Eure's and the dismounted borderers and English arquebusiers

1 Unit of Foot Knights (contains the retinue leader Sir Ralph Eure, warden of the Middle Marches)

3 Units of English Arquebusiers

2 Units of Border Foot

"and the kernes on another side"

1 Unit of Foot Knights (contains the retinue leader, the Captain of the Kern)

2 Units of Kern with arquebuses

4 Units of Household Kern

2 Units of Horseboys

The Defenders of Jedburgh

The randomly controlled defenders

1 Unit of Foot Knights (contains the retinue leader - The Provost of Jedburgh)

4 Units of Scots Pike

The static units

2 Units of Scots Arquebusiers 

1 Unit of Scots Archers 

2 Culverins 

As always the photos are probably the best way to follow the action but a brief write up also follows.

Within Jedburgh the defenders prepare for the attack. The town is unwalled but has "divers bastel and fortified houses".

The Irish kern in Henry VIII's service lead the attack, they "say that the King gives them wages to live upon".

A view of the outskirts of Jedburgh as the Irish contingent launch an attack.

From another point the borderers and English arquebusiers advance.

The borderers and arquebusiers shoot at a unit of Scots pike and send them fleeing from the town.

The kern have met with stiffer resistance and are attacked by the defenders of Jedburgh.

Seeing that negotiations with the Provost of Jedburgh were going nowhere and that the defenders of the town were simply playing for time "having hope that in tracting and driving off time they might work some old cowardly subtilty" Sir Ralph Eure ordered the attack. On one side of the town Eure's mercenary kern sounded the battle cry of "Abú!" and charged forward whilst Eure led his own party of arquebusiers and dismounted borderers to attack Jedburgh from another side.

The Irish were initially met with fierce resistance as some of the town's defenders sallied forward and drove them back with their pikes. Eure's men had more success using their shot to drive back the town's defenders and push into the streets. Once inside the town the momentum of Eure's attack was stopped as his company of troops became caught in a bloody firefight. His arquebusiers and borderers sent volleys of shot and arrows into the defending Scots who fought back with their artillery and their own arquebusiers.

Sir Ralph Eure, warden of the Middle Marches, orders his men to advance into the streets of Jedburgh.

The Provost of Jedburgh defiantly faces the Irish captain of the kern but the two men do not engage in combat.

Eure's arquebusiers have forced their way into the streets and engage in bloody hand to hand fighting with the defenders of the town.

A firefight develops in the streets of Jedburgh and the English attackers take casualties.

The kern are still trying to force a way into the town...

...but are coming under fire from the "pieces of ordnance in the market-stead"...

...while at the same time being attacked by the Scots pike defending the town.

Sir Ralph Eure's men push forward into Jedburgh where the Provost makes a valiant attempt to drive them back.

For the Irish kern the battle was taking place on the outskirts of the town. Like Eure's party they also had arquebusiers but the ferocity of the Scot's counterattack and the effect of the Scots artillery firing on them from "the market-stead" had caused their morale to waiver and many of the Irishmen fled back from the assault. The Irish captain led from the front, momentarily looking like he was going to challenge the Provost, and rallied some of his kern to renew their attack.

Eure's men were taking heavy casualties in the streets as they too came under heavy fire from the defender's artillery. Having ensured the Irish didn't launch an attack down the main street the Provost of Jedburgh took the fight to the English attackers and slew many of them in the bitter street fight that followed.

The scene of chaos in "the market-stead", as the town comes under attack. The guns are taking a heavy toll on the English and Irish troops.

The kern are still unable to break into the town...

...whilst the arquebusiers and dismounted borderers have also been stalled in the streets.

A band of kern manage to push forward into Jedburgh, whilst...

...at the same time the Irish captain charges down the main street into the market and attacks a unit of arquebusiers who are defending Jedburgh.

Having sustained many casualties the Irish were finally able to push forward into the streets of Jedburgh with their Captain charging down the main street and killing some of the town's defenders in a brief melee. At the same time Sir Ralph Eure and his personal bodyguard of well armed gentlemen charged through the smoke of the guns and down the already bloody streets in an attempt to rout the defenders. With both their companies having taken heavy casualties Eure and his Captain of the kern met at the same time in "the market-stead" as the Provost of Jedburgh and the defenders fled. 

At the same time as the English captain charges into "the market-stead" Sir Ralph Eure also reaches it and, after a fierce resistance, Jedburgh falls to the attackers.

The English raiding party under Sir Ralph Eure, warden of the Middle Marches and Sir Brian Layton, the Captain of Norham Castle. Ahead of the infantry are the 1,400 to 1,500 border horse. The 3,000 foreign mercenaries and 700 assured Scots can be seen behind them with the landsknecht pike on the left of the photo and the assured Scots and Spanish arquebusiers on the right.

Ancrum Moor, 1545

Deployment

For this scenario the table was set with a ridge that rose and fell across the middle with marshy areas and streams represented on either side of a causeway, this being the old Roman Road, Dere Street, that crossed the ridge (see the photo below). The English force was divided into two "retinues". These had to be deployed in the centre of the board along the road with the cavalry of Sir Ralph Eure in the front with the mercenary infantry under Sir Brian Layton behind them in the centre of the table. The assured Scots (see the rules below) were deployed with Sir Brian Layton's mercenaries. The English player could position them where he wished but they had to be part of the English column. The English deployment can be seen in the photo above.

On the Scottish side Sir Walter Scott's three units of border horse could be positioned anywhere along the crest of the ridge, the assured Scots would become part of his retinue once they change sides as per the rules below.

Archibald Douglas and James Hamilton were both in the ambushing force which was positioned as counters on the other side of the hill (see the photo below). The Scots player had to write down what each counter represented. Until seen by the English this retinue could "move" activate on a 6+ and move 6” in normal terrain and 3" in difficult terrain until they were revealed regardless of what troop type they were. If units wanted to “reveal” themselves earlier, to move faster for example, or if the Retinue Leader wanted to give his leadership benefit, they could do so by declaring this when they activated. Once “revealed” units did not disappear again. Declaring a challenge would reveal a unit.

The counters could be placed anywhere on the hidden side of the hill.

Once an English unit reached the crest of the hill all of the hidden Scots retinue would be revealed. If units from Archibald Douglas's retinue crossed the hill before the English had crossed it then that unit would become visible to the English and be revealed.

"the assured Scots to the number of seven or eight hundred revolted unto the parte of their countreymen"

The Scots player wrote down at the start of the game the turn he wished the assured Scots to switch sides. Until then they moved and fought as part of Sir Brian Layton's retinue. Layton could order them to attack Scots units and no units in the English army could attack or shoot them until they switched sides. Once the turn the Scots player had decided for them to switch sides was reached he would declare this at the start of the turn of Sir Walter Scott's retinue and the assured Scots would then fight as part of his retinue. They could gain leadership from Sir Walter Scott and became units in the Scots army. Once the assured Scots treachery had been revealed the English units could attack and shoot them.

"so that the sun-beams and smoke of the powder took all fight from the English" 

To represent the confusion caused by the Scots ambush combined with the wind, sun and smoke in the faces of the English every time an English cavalry unit failed an attack, move or skirmish activation then that unit would automatically become battered and move half move in retreat.

"with sharp pens and red ink" 

Victory conditions in the game were simple. The Scots would win as soon as both Sir Ralph Eure and Sir Brian Layton were killed or routed whilst the English would win if Archibald Douglas was slain or routed along with the pike unit that contained James Hamilton, Earl of Arran.

A view of the table from above. The English are marching up the Dere Street and can be seen on the left. The ridge can be seen in the centre of the photo with some of Sir Walter Scott's border horse deployed along the ridge. The Scots infantry under Douglas and Arran are deployed on the right of the photo, behind the ridge but as yet the exact disposition of their forces has not been revealed as they have drawn "them selves into a low place, out of the Englishmens sight".

As the English raiding party advances along Dere Street they spot a small force of border horse under Sir Walter Scott. 

The Armies

Stuart chose to play the English under Eure and Layton so I took command of the ambushing Scots under Douglas, Arran and Scott.

The Scots

Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus

1 Unit of Foot Knights (contains the retinue leader Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus)

4 Units of Scots Pike (one unit contains James Hamilton, Earl of Arran)

2  Unit of Scots Arquebusiers

1 Culverin

Sir Walter Scott with his border horse and the Asssured Scots

3 Units of Border Horse (one unit contains the retinue leader Sir Walter Scott)

The Assured Scots:

3 Units of Highlanders 

2 Units of Borderers on foot

The English

Sir Ralph Eure, warden of the Middle Marches, and the border horse

1 Unit of Demilancers (contains the retinue leader Sir Ralph Eure, warden of the Middle Marches)

5 Units of Border Horse

Sir Brian Layton, the Captain of Norham Castle and the mercenary infantry

1 Unit of Demilancers (contains the retinue leader Sir Brian Layton, the Captain of Norham Castle) 

4 Units of Landsknecht Pike

1 Unit of Landsknecht Arquebusiers

4 Units of Spanish Arquebusiers

As with the first game the captions under the photos give a good account of what happened but a brief write up also follows.

As the English border horse give chase they cross the ridge and to their horror are met by the Scots infantry.

The English border horse panic as they see...

...the Scots arrayed before them on the other side of the ridge.

A view along the old Roman Road, Dere Street, with the Scots in the foreground and the English on the other side of the ridge. The borderers of both sides skirmish along the ridge.

As the English column advanced along Dere Street its scouts spied a small band of Scots border horse and the English cavalry, most of which were also border horse, immediately attacked. The English light horse raced up onto the ridge where to their horror they saw before them the pike blocks of Douglas and Arran arrayed on the reverse of the slope. The English borderers came under fire from the Scots artillery and arquebusiers whilst also being attacked by the Scots border horse who they had initially given chase to.

Fierce fighting took place along the ridge as the English cavalry tried to escape from the guns of the Scots infantry whilst at the same time skirmishing and fighting back against Sir Walter Scott's troop of borderers. The English horse managed to inflict some damage on Scott's troops but it was the sustained fire from the Scots infantry block that sent most of them fleeing from the field. To the consternation of Sir Brian Layton, who was riding with the mercenaries and the assured Scots, not only did many of the border horse flee but Sir Ralph Eure and his small band of mounted gentlemen also fled, leaving Layton in sole command of the remaining English forces on the field.

"The Governour" James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, watches as the trap is sprung.

The English border horse are met with volleys of arquebus shot...

...and are driven back in chaos with many fleeing.

Things only get worse for the English cavalry when the Scots artillery opens fire at close range.

Accompanied by some of the eighty gentlemen in the English raiding party Sir Ralph Eure, warden of the Middle Marches, attempts to rally the fleeing English border horse.

A view of the Scots ambushing force.

Sir Walter Scott, commands his Scots borderers as they attack the fleeing English cavalry.

As most of his 1,500 border horse have fled Sir Ralph Eure also decides to flee the field.

The assured Scots decide a timely change of allegiance is required and fall upon the Spanish arquebusiers as they revolt "unto the parte of their countreymen". 

With most of the English cavalry having fled, Sir Brian Layton, the Captain of Norham Castle, seeks refuge behind the landsknecht pike.

The betrayal of the assured Scots has led to a sharp fight developing on the English left flank.

The Scots army under Douglas, Arran, and Sir Walter Scott prepares to advance on the shaken English...

...and begin to march over the ridge.

Things got worse for the English raiding party when the assured Scots, a force of highlanders under the command of Neil MacNeill of Gigha and borderers, decided now was the time to remove any red crosses of St George that they were wearing and attack the men who they had been marching with just moments before. Within the English column these Scots had been positioned next to the Spanish arquebusiers and so it was these foreign mercenaries that bore the brunt of the treachery. A fierce battle developed between the Spanish and the assured Scots with both sides taking casualties.

Whilst the Scots and Spanish fought on the English left flank Douglas and Arran led a general advance of the Scots infantry taking them up and over the ridge so that their guns could be brought to bear on the dismayed English column. The professionalism of the Spanish and landsknecht in the English ranks was seen as their arquebusiers fought back against the Scots and successfully routed Sir Walter Scott and his band of border horsemen.

The Spanish and landsknecht arquebusiers in the employ of the English manage to drive off the Scots border horse...

...but they are unable to drive back the mass of Scots infantry who are coming into sight as they advance over the ridge.

The landsknecht mercenaries level their pikes and prepare to engage.

On the English left flank the battle with the assured Scots continues as highlanders under Neil MacNeill of Gigha attack the Spanish arquebusiers.

As the Scots crest the ridge...

...they engage in hand to hand combat with the landsknecht.

The Scots arquebusiers are driven back by the German mercenaries...

...but they are then attacked by...

...the Scots pike blocks and a series of fierce clashes take place.

With the majority of the Scots and English cavalry having now fled it was left to the infantry to decide the day. The arquebusiers of both sides traded volleys and the landsknecht in English employ surged forward, routing the Scottish shot. A general melee then developed on the ridge as the Scots and landsknecht came to push of pike. It was here that the advantage fell to the ambushing Scots as the landsknecht, who had already taken casualties from the skirmishing border horse and Scots guns, finally waivered and began to withdraw back down the hill. Sensing the way things were going Sir Brian Layton, the Captain of Norham Castle, decided to follow his comrade Sir Ralph Eure and fled accompanied by his small band of mounted gentlemen. As the remaining Spanish and German mercenaries surrendered Arran and Douglas could claim victory, although Douglas felt robbed of a complete victory, knowing that Eure and Layton had both managed to escape.

The landsknecht fight fiercely but...

...are driven back by Douglas and Arran's pikemen.

Seeing that his mercenaries are giving ground Sir Brian Layton flees leading to a surrender of the mercenary Spanish and Germans. Douglas may not have been able to kill Eure or Layton and "write them an instrument with sharp pens and red ink" but the ambush has been a success and the English have been defeated.

These were two great games that were fun to play and also made for real spectacles on the tabletop. Whilst we gamed a small part of Flodden back in 2018 (see https://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2018/09/home-huntly-and-howard.html) this was the first Anglo-Scots battle we have gamed in full and I hope we did it justice. It seems the ambush in the game may have had a similar effect to that of the real clash with Stuart becoming focused on fighting back with his cavalry, who were routed unit by unit, rather than quickly withdrawing them back to the English infantry so that the English force could regroup and fight as one. You may have noticed in the introduction that I am skeptical as to whether there really were Spanish and Germans in the English ranks at this battle. I could easily have missed a key source but the fact that Gilbert John Millar never mentions any in his "Tudor Mercenaries and Auxiliaries, 1485-1547" does make me wonder? This means that this battle could also be refought with the English infantry being comprised of bill, bow, pike and Irish kern. Hopefully at some point in the future we will do this version of the battle.

The Jedburgh game was lots of fun and it ended in a draw as we both managed to reach the objective on the same turn! I always enjoy the games where we compete against each other verses a defending force that is a mix of programmed defence and units that we both try to get control over, via the playing cards, so we can then stop each other from achieving the objective. The Rough Wooing in the 1540s saw lots of actions similar to the attack on Jedburgh, especially after 1547, once Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, had embarked on his campaign to subjugate Scotland through a series of garrisons causing the French to land a force of 10,000 men in 1548 to help the Scots fight back. I am currently working on more troops for the 1540s and am keen to explore more of these 1540s actions on the tabletop.