In the summer of 1314
Robert Bruce was besieging Stirling Castle.
Stirling was the last castle still left in English control, and Edward
II decided
that every effort should be made to stop it being captured by Bruce.
Edward therefore decided to take the largest army that had ever left
England, to save the castle.
Scotland's army was not
only outnumbered but lacked the experience of Edward's troops. Edward
also had a large number of armoured knights
and longbowmen, the two most effective
forces in medieval warfare. Bruce, on the other hand, had very few
of either and instead had to rely heavily on spearmen.
Bruce made no attempt
to stop Edward's large army from entering Scotland. He decided that
his best hope was to force the English to fight on territory that
best suited his limited resources. Bruce chose a site only two and
half miles south of Stirling, by a stream called Bannockburn. The
Scots took the high ground and, if the English were to attack, they
had to advance on a narrow front between marshland and a thick wood.
The English advance guard
arrived at Bannockburn on the 23rd June. Sir Henry Bohun, the leader
of the English party, recognised Robert Bruce.
After fixing his lance, Bohun charged the Scottish king. Bruce darted
out of the way of the lance and killed Bohun with a blow from his
axe.
The main English army arrived
on 24th June. Gilbert, 10th Earl de Clare,
who had brought 500 of his own knights with him, advised Edward to
allow the men to rest for a day. Edward disagreed and accused Gilbert
of being afraid of the Scots. Gilbert was stung by these comments
and immediately ordered his men to attack. Gilbert gallantly led the
charge but his horse was cut down and while he was on the ground he
was killed by Scottish spearmen.
However, while the English
knights were assembling, Scottish spearmen, who had been hiding in
the woodland, launched an attack. The English knights, still not organised
into battle order, were forced to retreat.
The English archers were
called forward but before they could take effective action they were
charged by the Scottish knights. After large numbers were killed the
archers were also forced to retreat.
Edward now decided to
use his knights to charge the Scottish position at the top of the
hill. As the English knights were forced to attack on a narrow front,
the Scottish spearmen were able to block their advance. English archers
tried to help, but as both armies were crushed together their arrows
were just as likely to hit their own men as the Scots.
Suddenly, English soldiers
started to turn and run. Others followed and soon the English army
was in retreat. The Scots charged after them. Many of the English
knights were able to escape but those without horses, such as the
spearmen and archers, suffered very heavy casualties.
The battle of Bannockbum
was the worst defeat in English history. While what was left of the
English army tried to get back home, the Scots were able to take Stirling
Castle.
The
Normans: Classroom Activities
(1)
Monk of Malmesbury, The Life of Edward II (c. 1375)
The king and the other magnates of the land with a great
multitude of carts and wagons set out for Scotland... The cavalry
numbered more than two thousand, without counting a numerous crowd
of infantry... Indeed all who were present agreed that never in our
time has such an army gone forth from England.
(2)
Speech made by Edward
II before the Battle of Bannockbum,
quoted by John
Major in his book The History
of Greater Britain. (1521)
Both in number and in equipment...
our troops are far superior to those wretched Scots. In engines of
war, in catapults, in arrows, and all such machinery of war we abound,
while in all these the Scots are lacking.
(3)
Speech made by Robert
Bruce before the Battle of Bannockbum,
quoted by John
Major in The History of Greater
Britain. (1521)
I have been told that the
English army is made up of men who speak six different tongues; the
soldiers are unknown to one another... It is a slender task that I
lay upon you; that each of you slay two men from Edward's army...
You will have then killed forty-five thousand.
(4)
Song, The Battle of Bannockbum (c. 1320)
He (Edward II) went to
make war on the Scots... There were in the English army many nobles
and knights who were too showy and pompous when the two sides engaged,
the Scots remained firm, but the English fled. The wicked party lost
and the cunning one conquered.
(5)
Speech made by Robert
Bruce before the Battle of Bannockbum,
quoted by John
Major in The History of Greater
Britain. (1521)
Our enemies are moved only
by desire for domination but we are fighting for our lives, our children,
our wives and the freedom of our country... You could have lived quietly
as slaves, but because you longed to be free you are with me here.
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