{{Short description|1575 Anglo-Scottish border skirmish}} {{use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox Military Conflict |conflict = Raid of the Redeswire |partof = Anglo-Scottish Wars |date = 7 July 1575 |place = Carter Bar, by the Cheviot Hills, near Redesdale |result = Scottish victory |combatant1= {{flagicon|Kingdom of England}} Kingdom of England |combatant2= {{flagicon|Kingdom of Scotland}} Kingdom of Scotland |commander1 = Sir John Forster{{POW}} |commander2 = Sir John Carmichael |strength1 = Unknown |strength2 = Unknown |casualties1 = 25 dead, unknown wounded |casualties2 = 2 dead, several wounded }} {{Campaignbox Anglo-Scottish Wars}} The '''Raid of the Redeswire''', also known as the '''Redeswire Fray''',<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/photographer-colin-mcpherson-walked-the-scottish-border-to-meet-the-people-pondering-independence-9610369.html |title=Photographer Colin McPherson walked the Scottish border to meet the people pondering independence – and their view of England |last=Popham |first=Peter |date=20 July 2014 |work=The Independent |access-date=5 July 2018 |language=en-GB }}</ref> was a border skirmish between England and Scotland on 7 July 1575 which took place at Carter Bar, the Cheviot pass which enters Redesdale. The skirmish was between the English Warden of the Middle Marches, Sir John Forster, with George Heron, Keeper of Redesdale, Keeper of Liddesdale and Scottish Warden and Sir John Carmichael, the Lord Warden of the Marches, with George Douglas of Bonjedworth.<ref>Charles H. Hunter Blair, "Wardens and deputy wardens of the Marches of England towards Scotland in Northumberland and the English wardens of Berwick upon Tweed", ''Archaeologia Aeliana'', 28 (1950), p. 32. {{doi|10.5284/1060129}}</ref> It was the last battle between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://walterscott.eu/education/ballads/battle-ballads/the-raid-of-the-reidswire/ |title=The Raid of the Reidswire |website=Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border education site |publisher=University of Edinburgh |language=en-GB |access-date=5 July 2018 }}</ref>
==Opposing forces== After the Scottish defeat at Pinkie in 1547, no Anglo-Scottish battle had occurred until this. Sir John Carmichael met Sir John Forster at a hill called Red Swire ("Redeswire" in Scottish English) in Carter Bar for a regularly scheduled "Truce Day" wherein the two discussed matters that came up between their two regions. Both men were accompanied by a number of armed guards.<ref name="Ridpath">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/borderhistoryofe00ridpuoft |last=Ridpath |first=G. |title=The border-history of England and Scotland : deduced from the earliest times to the union of the two crowns |year=1776 |pages=650–652}}</ref><ref name="Stewart2017">{{cite book |last=Stewart |first=Derek James |title=The Armstrongs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YH0uDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA98 |access-date=5 July 2018 |year=2017 |publisher=American Academic Press |isbn=9781631818790 |pages=98–99 }}</ref>
==Battle== One of the topics discussed during this meeting was an Englishman who had stolen some items from a Scotsman and who was supposedly in Forster's custody. Carmichael demanded that the man be delivered to Scotland for justice, but Forster replied the thief had taken "leg-bail" (escaped from custody) and could not be produced.<ref name="Stewart2017"/> This turned into an argument that involved personal insults from both parties, until members of the English contingent could no longer hold their temper and a fight broke out, which resulted in two Scots being killed and several others wounded. The Scots were forced to retreat, but during their flight they met up with another group from Jedburgh, who were late to the meeting.<ref name="Ridpath"/> This gave the Scots an advantage and encouraged them to engage with the English. They began to break the English lines and in time, the English were routed: the Scots proved victorious, and drove the English off. George Heron was killed, along with his brother, John, and 23 other Englishmen. Forster, Francis Russell son of the Earl of Bedford, and several other nobles were captured,<ref name="Ridpath"/><ref name="Hodgkin1908">{{cite book |last=Hodgkin |first=Thomas |title=The Wardens of the Northern Marches: The Creighton Memorial Lecture Delivered on October 4, 1907 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VLExAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA29 |access-date=5 July 2018 |year=1908 |publisher=University of London |page=29}}</ref> and the Scots conducted an impromptu raid, taking 300 cattle from local farms.<ref name="Stewart2017"/>
==Aftermath== The prisoners were brought to James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, who was the regent for King James VI. This soon became embarrassing for the Scots, as the prisoners, who were being held at Dalkeith Castle, had likely been taken for their ransom value, although Regent Morton stated that it was to keep them from being killed in retaliation.<ref name="Stewart2017"/> Morton wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth describing the events,<ref name="Burton1901">{{cite book|last=Burton|first=John Hill|title=The History of Scotland from Agricola's Invasion to the Extinction of the Last Jacobite Insurrection|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AH42AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA152|access-date=5 July 2018|volume=5|year=1901|publisher=W. Blackwood and Sons|pages=152–154}}</ref> and was about to send his envoy Nicolas Elphinstone to London,<ref>William Boyd, ''Calendar of State Papers Scotland: 1574–1581'' (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 172.</ref> but she was outraged and sent Nicolas Errington and Henry Killigrew to demand immediate satisfaction.<ref>William Boyd, ''Calendar of State Papers Scotland: 1574–1581'', vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1907) p. 170.</ref>
Regent Morton was directed to meet with Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, who was President of the Council of the North, to work out the details, and the two men were able to come to an amicable solution, as Morton was inclined not to anger Elizabeth, and she wanted to avoid a war.<ref name="Stewart2017"/><ref name="Hodgkin1908"/> Forster, Cuthbert Collingwood, and the other prisoners had been treated with kindness and were released with gifts and an apology for being held.<ref name="Stewart2017"/> Carmichael was delivered to York as a prisoner for trial, but was acquitted as the English court found that Forster had engaged in an unprovoked attack.<ref name="Ridpath"/> Elizabeth had made arrangements to reward her sympathisers among the Scottish nobility with pensions, but after Redeswire these plans were cancelled.<ref>Amy Blakeway, ''Regency in Sixteenth-Century Scotland'' (Boydell, 2015), pp. 227–228.</ref>
==Legacy== thumb|The Redeswire Stone The story of the skirmish was turned into a border ballad<ref name="redes">{{cite book |editor1-last=Wood |editor1-first=Rev. James |title=The Nuttall Encyclopaedia, Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge |year=1907 |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12342/12342-h/12342-h.htm|access-date=28 May 2018 |quote=Redeswire, Raid of the, a famous Border fight took place in July 1575 at the Cheviot pass which enters Redesdale; through the timely arrival of the men of Jedburgh the Scots proved victorious; is the subject of a Border ballad.}}</ref> edited and published by Walter Scott.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://walterscott.eu/education/ballads/battle-ballads/the-raid-of-the-reidswire/|title=Walter Scott Educational Website – The Raid of the Reidswire|website=walterscott.eu|language=en-US|access-date=4 November 2018}}</ref>
Also, on the Cheviot Hills, near the place where the battle was fought a monument known as the Redeswire Stone was built in commemoration of the battle. It reads, "On this ridge, July 7th, 1575 was fought one of the last border raids, known as The Raid of the Redeswire". The battle is commemorated annually by the Jethart Callant's Festival each year during their Redeswire Rideout; this ride is held on the first Saturday in July and is in excess of 25 miles. During this Rideout the Jethart Callant can be seen galloping towards the "Redeswire Stane" giving the immortal battle cry of "Jethart's Here".<ref>{{Cite web|title=In Pictures : Jethart Callant's rideout to Redeswire|url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/pictures-jethart-callants-rideout-redeswire-685705|access-date=2021-07-07|website=www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk|date=8 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
A song commemorating this battle has been written by Alan G Brydon.{{cn|date=July 2021}} Three songs are recognised by the Callant festival<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jethart Festival Songs|url=https://www.jethartcallantsfestival.com/jethart-festival-songs.html|access-date=2021-07-07|website=Jethart Callant's Festival|language=en}}</ref> as songs are sung as a custom on the last day.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jedburgh Jethart Callants Festival|url=https://calendarcustoms.com/articles/jedburgh-jethart-callants-festival/|access-date=2021-07-07|language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *"Raid of the Redeswire" in {{cite book |last=Roberts |first=John S. |title=The Legendary Ballads of England and Scotland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WBhEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA144 |year=1890 |publisher=F. Warne |pages=144–148}} *[http://walterscott.eu/education/ballads/battle-ballads/the-raid-of-the-reidswire/ "The Raid of the Redeswire"] by Sir Walter Scott
{{coord|55|21|23|N|02|28|33|W|display=title|type:event_region:GB}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raid Of The Redeswire}} Category:1575 in Scotland Category:Conflicts in 1575 Category:1575 in England Redeswire Category:Northumbrian folklore Category:Border ballads Redeswire Category:16th-century military history of the Kingdom of England Category:16th-century military history of Scotland