Battle of Solway Moss 1542

 

The Battle of Solway Moss was a battle fought between the English and the Scots at Solway Moss in Cumberland. It was a resounding victory for the English with many Scots nobles captured or drowned in the river. 

 

Background

In 1502 James IV of Scotland had forged a peace treaty with England and married Henry VII’s daughter Margaret Tudor. King Henry VII died in April 1509 and his son succeeded as King Henry VIII.

The new, young king was eager to make a name for himself and in 1511 Henry invaded France to reclaim lands lost by the English during the Hundred Years’ War. France and Scotland were allied by the Auld Alliance and while Henry was in France fighting the French, King James IV of Scotland broke the Anglo-Scots alliance, siding with France. In Henry’s absence his wife, Catherine of Aragon, ordered troops be sent to Scotland. On 9th September 1513 the Scots were defeated at Flodden Field and James IV killed.

James IV’s 17 month old son inherited the Scottish throne as King James V. With a minor on the Scottish throne, Scotland and England remained at peace, although the underlying animosity between the two countries continued.

 

 

In 1536 James V renewed Scotland’s alliance with France and married Madeleine of Valois a year later. When she died after a few months James married Mary of Guise.

In 1541 James had agreed to meet Henry VIII at York while Henry was making his summer progress. However, the Scottish nobles advised James that he was in danger of being kidnapped by the English and James did not attend. Henry took James’s action as a personal insult and used this as an excuse to invade Scotland.

 

Events of the Battle of Solway Moss

In October 1542 the Duke of Norfolk at the head of 20,000 men marched north and burnt the Scottish border towns of Jedburgh and Kelso. In retaliation James V sent a Scottish army of 10,000-17,000 men commanded by Oliver Sinclair south of the border with orders to burn Cumbria.

Thomas Wharton, Knight of Cumbria, had managed to raise an English force of 3,000 men and stationed them on a slight elevation overlooking the swampy area known as Solway Moss.

On 25th November 1542 the Scots approached. They saw the English flags and soldiers ahead of them. Fearing it was part of a much larger force many turned and fled. The battle was a resounding victory for the English who took two Earls, five Lords more than one thousand soldiers prisoner. Seven English men and twenty Scots were killed during the battle, some of the Scots drowned in the swamps.

James V did not take part in the Battle of Solway Moss because he was ill with a fever. He died two weeks after the battle leaving his 6 day old daughter Mary as Queen of the Scots.

 

Published 2020 – Updated – Nov 17 2024