Photo courtesy of Dave Henniker
On 24 February 1303 8,000 Scots led by John Comyn faced an English army numbering 30,000. This Battle of Roslin still ended in victory for the Scots, and gave the country new hope for independence from England.
Edward I had appointed Sir John Segrave as Governor of Scotland and Comander of Edinburgh Castle. This knight fell for Lady Margaret Ramsay, sister of Sir Edward Ramsay of Dalhousie. Unluckily for him she was having none of it as she was already besotted with Sir Henry St Clair of Rosslyn.
Lady Margaret had been appointed Queen of the Day when Sir Henry was knighted in the presence of William Wallace in 1297. During the ceremony news came that the English were marching on Stirling, led by John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, and Hugh de Cressingham, the ‘butcher of Berwick’. Henry’s first outing as a knight was therefore at Wallace’s famous victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
In 1302 Sir John Segrave, now stationed in Carlisle, learned that Lady Margaret had consented to marry Sir Henry St Clair. He was furious, and sent to Edward I asking for permission to invade Scotland. The marriage went against Edward’s plans to prevent alliances between Scotland and France, and since he was planning a Scottish campaign for 1303 anyhow, he gave Segrave his backing.
Segrave took his force of 30,000 men and discreetly crossed the border into Scotland, avoiding detection until he reached Melrose in the middle of February 1303. There he divided his force into three. Sir Robert Neville was to lead one division in taking Borthwick Castle, which was held by St Clair’s ally, Sir Gilbert Hay. The second division, under Sir Ralph Confrey, was to ‘protect’ Lady Margaret’s residence at Dalhousie. The final division would advance upon Henry St Clair’s seat of Roslin, led by Segrave and Ralph de Manton.
The Scottish forces were alerted by monks from the Cistercian Priory close to Rosslyn. The prior, Abernethy, had previously been a Templar knight. A Scottish army of 8,000 men was massed in Biggar, combining the forces of John Comyn, Sir William Wallace, Sir Symon Fraser, Somerfield of Carnwarth, Simon of the Lee, Fleming of Cumbernauld and the Knights of the Hospital at Torphichen, along with Sir Henry St. Clair. But the majority of the number were not professional soldiers, unlike the English army.
Wallace was unwilling to command as his confidence had suffered following the Battle of Falkirk. His suggestion of Sir Symon Fraser as the hands-on command was accepted, and he made full use of Abernethy's local knowledge and Wallace's tactical ability. Sir John Comyn, Guardian of the Realm assumed the title of commander. They moved to Carlops village, 16 kilometres from Roslin Glen. The monks coninued to play their part, Abernethy saying Mass whilst his monks fed the troops.
After nightfall, the Prior guided the army to Bilston, between Penicuik and Roslin, closer to the approaching first detachment of Segrave's divided troops. Comyn took 3,000 men to hide in the woods on the west bank of the river Esk, to the southwest of the English camp. Abernethy and Fraser led the remaining 5,000 around to the south east, creating a crescent formation behind the English camp. This allowed them to attack the sleeping English from the east. As English soldiers fled into the forest, they came face to face with Comyn’s men. Segrave realised that resistance was futile and was forced to surrender to Wallace and plead for the lives of his men.
The sun rose on a victorious Scottish army being tended to and fed by Henry St Clair’s household at Roslin Castle. The battle had been won with few casualties. But they had now lost their best weapon - the element of surprise.
De Confrey heard what had happened to Segrave and abandoned the siege at Dalhousie to advance upon the Scots at Roslin. Wallace was ready for attack, and used the Prior to help him select a suitable place to defend, north-west of Roslin. The Scots formed a line on the summit of Langhill, a ridge with a crag at its northern end. As the English charged up the ridge, a volley of Scots arrows forced them northwards. The Scots pikes and archers wrapped round their southern flank, forcing the English to the precipice, where they plunged to their deaths. slaughter was bloody. De Confrey himself was killed with his men at the bottom of the ravine. Chivalry was then abandoned as the Scots had heard of the approach of the third English division, and so only those who could be ransomed were spared, the rest being slaughtered.
The Scottish army was now exhausted, having marched all night and fought all day. As the men positioned themselves near the top of a steep bank overlooking the Esk, near to the village of Polton, only the words of the Prior kept them going. In an inspiring speech he reminded them of the atrocities committed by Edward, appealed to the pride of the Scottish nation, and urged them to look out to the Pentland Hills. There, illuminated like fire by the winter sun, flamed a Saltire, which the Prior declared to be a sign from the Lord that their fight was His will. He neglected to mention his own foresight in sending his monks to erect it from canvas and wood after the first battle of the morning.... He succeeded in lifting the spirits and the weary Scots prepared to face the onslaught once more.
Sir Robert Neville's force marched in from Borthwick along the banks of the Esk valley, not realising that de Confrey’s forces had been destroyed. When the English were within the Glen, travelling alongside its steep cliffs, the Scots charged from the higher ground of Mountmarle, launching volleys of arrows upon them. The English were once more trapped and then forced over a precipice, and Sir Symon Fraser ordered his troops to give quarter to minimise the carnage. The Scottish army had achieved a memorable victory, through superior tactics and courage. Only 10% of the invading army returned to England.
Sir John Segrave, who had not thought to learn about the terrain or the enemy he was to face, was later ransomed.
Henry St Clair married Lady Margaret, and they were given the battlefield to add to the Sinclair estates.
The Battle of Roslin gave heart to the Scottish people, and encouraged them in resisting English domination. Along with Bannockburn, it signalled the increasing importance of close infantry formations and the end of heavy cavalry.
The Battle has not been well remembered by history, since the Comyns were Robert the Bruce’s rivals for the throne - and as we all know, history is written by the winners. However, its memory survives in placenames around Roslin, including the Killburn at the foot of Langhill brae, the Hewin near Mountmarle, Stinking rigg, and Shinbanes field. Carnethy Hill is a corruption of Abernethy, and the village of Glencorse, or rather its earlier name of Glencross, recalls the cross built by the Cistercian monks.
This was really interesting for me, as I have been at all of these places and can picture it really well, but at the time was totally unaware that they were part of the Wars of Independence. In Roslyn Glen is a cave called 'Wallace's Cave', and I'd always thought it was just a legend, but it seems a lot more likely he was there now.
The Battle of Rosslyn, 1303 By John Ritchie
The Battle of Rosslyn from 'Gems of Midlothian'.