Siege of Leith
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Leith ended a twelve year encampment of French troops at Leith
, the port near Edinburgh
, Scotland
. The French troops arrived by invitation in 1548 and left in 1560 after the English arrived to assist in removing them from Scotland. They finally left under the terms of an agreement between Scotland, England
and France
.
" first established in the 13th century. However, during the 16th century, divisions appeared between pro-French factions and Protestant reformers. The Protestants saw the French as a Catholic influence, and sided with the English Protestants.
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In 1542, King James V
died, leaving only a week-old daughter who was proclaimed Mary, Queen of Scots. James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, was appointed regent and, adopting Catholicism, he successfully negotiated a marriage between the young Mary and François
, Dauphin of France. The English King, Henry VIII
, had attempted to secure Mary for his son Edward
, and invaded Scotland in 1547–1549 (the "Rough Wooing"). Following their major victory at Pinkie Cleugh in 1547, the English attempted to establish a "pale" within Scotland. In response the Scots looked to France for assistance, and on 16 June 1548 the first French troops arrived in Leith, soon to total 8,000 men under André de Montalembert
sieur d'Esse. Mary was removed to France the following month, and the English cause was effectively lost. Their troops had left by the end of 1549, although Henry continued to support the Scottish Protestants.
The French interest became dominant in the following years, with increasing numbers of French troops in Scotland, concentrated in Edinburgh and Leith. From 1548 the port of Leith
was fortified. The new fortifications were designed by an Italian military engineer, Piero di Strozzi
, and represent the earliest use of the trace italienne style of artillery fortification in a British town. In 1554, Mary of Guise
, the Catholic French widow of James V, was appointed regent in place of the Earl of Arran, who was created Duke of Châtellerault
by the French. Mary continued the pro-French policy, appointing Frenchmen to key positions.
Meanwhile the Protestant Scots became increasingly restless, particularly after the actual marriage of Mary and François in 1558. A group of noblemen, the Lords of the Congregation
, had appointed themselves leaders of the anti-French, Protestant party, aligning themselves with John Knox
and other religious reformers. They raised 12,000 troops in an attempt to oust the French interest from Scotland. Arran changed sides at this point, joining the Lords of the Congregation. During 1559 they forced the Regent Mary to retreat to Dumbarton Castle
, and occupied most of central Scotland, and entered Edinburgh. Mary of Guise, with the aid of 2,000 French troops, regained control of the capital in July. A short-lived truce was made with the Articles of Leith
of 25 July 1559. Guise received further military aid from France, under Jacques de la Brosse
and the Bishop of Amiens. The Lords considered this assistance a breach of the Leith articles. Châtellerault wrote to summon other Scottish lords on 6 October 1559 to resolve their situation;
for English aid. Elizabeth appointed the Duke of Norfolk
to lead an expedition, and he travelled north to meet the Scots leaders at Berwick, and concluded the Treaty of Berwick
.
, having sailed up from Berwick. The ships were sent by William Cecil
under the authority of Queen Elizabeth. Landing at Figgate (Portobello
), the English unloaded 27 artillery pieces. Meanwhile, an army of around 6,000 English soldiers, under Lord Grey de Wilton
marched from Berwick, arriving in the area in early April, when they joined up with the Scottish Lords. Just before the English army arrived, the French raided Glasgow
and Linlithgow. Attempts were made to negotiate, via the Berwick Pursuivant
, but skirmishing between the two armies soon broke out.
The English began constructing siege works in mid-April, constructing a gun emplacement, "Mount Pelham", to the south-east of Leith. Bombardment began on Easter Day, 14 April. At the end of April these works were extended west and another emplacement, "Mount Somerset", was built in the vicinity of the later Pilrig House. These were continued further west, across the Water of Leith
to Bonnington
, where a series of batteries were established. The completed emplacements stretched for approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) around the fortified town, with six gun sites, at a distance of around 500 yards (457.2 m) from the Leith ramparts. Mounts Pelham and Somerset, named after their officers, were both large temporary forts, with ramparts up to 13 feet (4 m) high.
Norfolk brought in expert military advisors, Sir Richard Lee
and his own cousin Sir George Howard, who Norfolk believed would bring the siege to a rapid conclusion. In early May cannon made a substantial breach in the southern ramparts. On 7 May 1560 an unsuccessful attempt was made to storm this opening. Scaling ladders made for the assault were too short and there were heavy losses estimated at 1000 to 1500 Scots and English. Both Knox and a French eyewitness attributed some of the casualties to the women of Leith throwing stones from the ramparts.. Norfolk blamed the English commander Sir James Croft
, who he believed colluded with Guise, later writing, "I thought a man could not have gone nigher a traitor than Sir James, I pray God make him a good man." Richard Lee made a map of Leith, which Norfolk sent to London on 15 May. This map or "platte", perhaps made as much for an enquiry into the May 7 events as for future works, was the basis for the surviving drawing. The French continued to make sallies from the town, despite their shortness of provisions. The besiegers, conversely, were well-supplied with men and provisions from England and Scotland.
for the French, and William Cecil and Nicholas Wotton
for the English, arrived in Edinburgh, only to find that Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland, had died at Edinburgh Castle
on 11 June. Her death discouraged the French, and the commissioners agreed an armistice on 17 June. This was broken off on the 22 June, but the only further action was a skirmish on 4 July. Peace was agreed shortly after, and was proclaimed on 7 July in the names of Elizabeth, Queen of England, and François and Mary, King and Queen of France and Scotland.
The peace became known as the Treaty of Edinburgh
, which secured the withdrawal of both French and English troops from Scotland, and effectively dissolved the Auld Alliance. By the 16 July the foreign soldiers had left the city. The terms of the treaty allowed 120 French soldiers to remain at Inchkeith
and Dunbar
, although the defences of Leith were to be immediately demolished. A key term was that François and Mary should cease using the style and arms of the King and Queen of England. As Catholics, they regarded Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn
, as illegitimate, leaving Mary herself as the rightful Queen. Their use of the English royal arms led the French to dub the campaign the "War of the Insignia". Queen Mary never ratified the agreement, since by doing so she would acknowledge Elizabeth as rightful Queen of England, and she did not wish to relinquish her own claim to the English throne.
wrote a poem narrating the action of the siege, which contains much detail but omits the names of any Scottish leaders. There is still at Leith significant evidence of the fortifications built by the French and batteries built by the English, and new examples were uncovered in 2001, 2002 and 2006. Although the French ramparts were demolished by Edinburgh townsfolk on the orders of the Lords and Burgh council to, "make blockhouse and curtain equal with the ground," Constitution and Junction Street were built on their line. Other earthworks are well known and one former battery on Byer's Mount is a scheduled monument. The 450th anniversary in 2010 saw a celebration of the end of the Siege of Leith.
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, the port near Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
. The French troops arrived by invitation in 1548 and left in 1560 after the English arrived to assist in removing them from Scotland. They finally left under the terms of an agreement between Scotland, England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Background
Scotland and France had long been allies, under the "Auld AllianceAuld Alliance
The Auld Alliance was an alliance between the kingdoms of Scotland and France. It played a significant role in the relations between Scotland, France and England from its beginning in 1295 until the 1560 Treaty of Edinburgh. The alliance was renewed by all the French and Scottish monarchs of that...
" first established in the 13th century. However, during the 16th century, divisions appeared between pro-French factions and Protestant reformers. The Protestants saw the French as a Catholic influence, and sided with the English Protestants.
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
died, leaving only a week-old daughter who was proclaimed Mary, Queen of Scots. James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, was appointed regent and, adopting Catholicism, he successfully negotiated a marriage between the young Mary and François
Francis II of France
Francis II was aged 15 when he succeeded to the throne of France after the accidental death of his father, King Henry II, in 1559. He reigned for 18 months before he died in December 1560...
, Dauphin of France. The English King, Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, had attempted to secure Mary for his son Edward
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, and invaded Scotland in 1547–1549 (the "Rough Wooing"). Following their major victory at Pinkie Cleugh in 1547, the English attempted to establish a "pale" within Scotland. In response the Scots looked to France for assistance, and on 16 June 1548 the first French troops arrived in Leith, soon to total 8,000 men under André de Montalembert
André de Montalembert
André de Montalembert , Seigneur d'Essé, was a French noble man and officer of the 16th century. As a young boy he fought in the Italian Wars...
sieur d'Esse. Mary was removed to France the following month, and the English cause was effectively lost. Their troops had left by the end of 1549, although Henry continued to support the Scottish Protestants.
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
was fortified. The new fortifications were designed by an Italian military engineer, Piero di Strozzi
Piero Strozzi
Piero Strozzi was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of the Strozzi.-Biography:Piero Strozzi was the son of Filippo Strozzi the Younger and Clarice de' Medici....
, and represent the earliest use of the trace italienne style of artillery fortification in a British town. In 1554, Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
, the Catholic French widow of James V, was appointed regent in place of the Earl of Arran, who was created Duke of Châtellerault
Duke of Châtellerault
The French noble title of Duke of Châtellerault has been created several times.The first was for François de Bourbon-Montpensier, a younger son of Gilbert, Comte de Montpensier. He received the duchy-peerage of Châtellerault in 1515, but died the same year, being succeeded by his brother Charles,...
by the French. Mary continued the pro-French policy, appointing Frenchmen to key positions.
Meanwhile the Protestant Scots became increasingly restless, particularly after the actual marriage of Mary and François in 1558. A group of noblemen, the Lords of the Congregation
Lords of the Congregation
The Lords of the Congregation were a group of Protestant Scottish nobles who in the mid-16th century favoured reformation of the church along Protestant principles and a Scottish-English alliance.- Historical events :...
, had appointed themselves leaders of the anti-French, Protestant party, aligning themselves with John Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
and other religious reformers. They raised 12,000 troops in an attempt to oust the French interest from Scotland. Arran changed sides at this point, joining the Lords of the Congregation. During 1559 they forced the Regent Mary to retreat to Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Great Britain. It overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton, and sits on a plug of volcanic basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high.-Iron Age:...
, and occupied most of central Scotland, and entered Edinburgh. Mary of Guise, with the aid of 2,000 French troops, regained control of the capital in July. A short-lived truce was made with the Articles of Leith
Articles of Leith
The Articles of Leith were the terms of truce drawn up between the Protestant Lords of the Congregation and Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland and signed on 25 July 1559. This negotiation was a step in the conflict that led to the Scottish Reformation...
of 25 July 1559. Guise received further military aid from France, under Jacques de la Brosse
Jacques de la Brosse
Jacques de la Brosse, , cupbearer to the king, was a sixteenth century French soldier and diplomat. He is remembered in Scotland for his missions in 1543 and 1560 in support of the Auld Alliance.-Mission of 1543:...
and the Bishop of Amiens. The Lords considered this assistance a breach of the Leith articles. Châtellerault wrote to summon other Scottish lords on 6 October 1559 to resolve their situation;
it is not unknawin how the Franchmen hes begun mair nor 20 dayis to fortifie the toun of Leyth, tending thairthrow to expell the inhabitantis thairoff and plant thame selffis, thair wyffis and bairnis thairintill suppressing the libertie of this realme.The Lords of the Congregation suspended Guise's regency and appealed to the Protestant Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
for English aid. Elizabeth appointed the Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.Norfolk was the son of the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. He was taught as a child by John Foxe, the Protestant martyrologist, who remained a lifelong recipient of Norfolk's patronage...
to lead an expedition, and he travelled north to meet the Scots leaders at Berwick, and concluded the Treaty of Berwick
Treaty of Berwick (1560)
The Treaty of Berwick was negotiated on 27 February 1560 at Berwick-upon-Tweed. It was an agreement made by the representative of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the Duke of Norfolk, and the Scottish Lords of the Congregation...
.
The siege
The fortifications of Leith were reinforced during late 1559. The defences included eight projecting bastions, including Ramsay's Fort protecting the harbour, "Little London" at the north-east, and the Citadel at the south-west. In January 1560 the English fleet, under Sir William Winter, arrived in the Firth of ForthFirth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
, having sailed up from Berwick. The ships were sent by William Cecil
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
under the authority of Queen Elizabeth. Landing at Figgate (Portobello
Portobello, Edinburgh
Portobello is a beach resort located three miles to the east of the city centre of Edinburgh, along the coast of the Firth of Forth, in Scotland. It is now a suburb of Edinburgh, with a promenade fronting on to the wide sand beach....
), the English unloaded 27 artillery pieces. Meanwhile, an army of around 6,000 English soldiers, under Lord Grey de Wilton
William Grey, 13th Baron Grey de Wilton
William Grey, 13th Baron Grey de Wilton KG, was an English baron and military commander serving in France in the 1540s and 1550s, and in the Scottish wars of the 1540s.He was the thirteenth Baron Grey de Wilton....
marched from Berwick, arriving in the area in early April, when they joined up with the Scottish Lords. Just before the English army arrived, the French raided Glasgow
Battle of Glasgow (1560)
The Battle of Glasgow, 18 March 1560, was fought by supporters of the Scottish Reformation against French troops.-Background:The rule of Mary of Guise as Regent of Scotland was challenged by the Protestant Lords of the Congregation. Guise obtained French military support, and the Lords invited an...
and Linlithgow. Attempts were made to negotiate, via the Berwick Pursuivant
Berwick Pursuivant
Berwick Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary was a British office of arms created around 1460 for English service on the Scottish Marches based at Berwick-upon-Tweed...
, but skirmishing between the two armies soon broke out.
The English began constructing siege works in mid-April, constructing a gun emplacement, "Mount Pelham", to the south-east of Leith. Bombardment began on Easter Day, 14 April. At the end of April these works were extended west and another emplacement, "Mount Somerset", was built in the vicinity of the later Pilrig House. These were continued further west, across the Water of Leith
Water of Leith
The Water of Leith is the main river flowing through Edinburgh, Scotland, to the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth.It is long and rises in the Colzium Springs at Millstone Rig of the Pentland Hills...
to Bonnington
Bonnington, Edinburgh
Bonnington is a district of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south-west of the Leith Docks.The Water of Leith flows by here.The former Bonnington Church united with North Leith Parish Church in 1968, with the united congregation thenceforth using the North Leith Parish Church building in...
, where a series of batteries were established. The completed emplacements stretched for approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) around the fortified town, with six gun sites, at a distance of around 500 yards (457.2 m) from the Leith ramparts. Mounts Pelham and Somerset, named after their officers, were both large temporary forts, with ramparts up to 13 feet (4 m) high.
Norfolk brought in expert military advisors, Sir Richard Lee
Richard Lee (engineer)
Sir Richard Lee was a military engineer in the service of Henry VIII of England, Edward VI and Elizabeth I. He was a commander of Henry VIII of England| and appointed surveyor of the King's works.-Surveyor of Calais:...
and his own cousin Sir George Howard, who Norfolk believed would bring the siege to a rapid conclusion. In early May cannon made a substantial breach in the southern ramparts. On 7 May 1560 an unsuccessful attempt was made to storm this opening. Scaling ladders made for the assault were too short and there were heavy losses estimated at 1000 to 1500 Scots and English. Both Knox and a French eyewitness attributed some of the casualties to the women of Leith throwing stones from the ramparts.. Norfolk blamed the English commander Sir James Croft
James Croft
Sir James Croft PC , Lord Deputy of Ireland and MP for Herefordshire in the Parliament of England.He was born the second but eldest surviving son of Richard Croft of Croft Castle, Herefordshire, inheriting the estate on his father's death in 1562.He was elected seven times as knight of the shire ...
, who he believed colluded with Guise, later writing, "I thought a man could not have gone nigher a traitor than Sir James, I pray God make him a good man." Richard Lee made a map of Leith, which Norfolk sent to London on 15 May. This map or "platte", perhaps made as much for an enquiry into the May 7 events as for future works, was the basis for the surviving drawing. The French continued to make sallies from the town, despite their shortness of provisions. The besiegers, conversely, were well-supplied with men and provisions from England and Scotland.
Treaty of Edinburgh
In June, a fresh attempt at negotiations began. Commissioners, including the Count of Randon and the Bishop of ValenceJean de Monluc
See also Jean de Montluc d. 1579 etc.Jean de Monluc was a French nobleman, the brother of Blaise de Lasseran-Massencôme, seigneur de Montluc and a member of the Monluc family....
for the French, and William Cecil and Nicholas Wotton
Nicholas Wotton
Nicholas Wotton was an English diplomat-Life:He was a son of Sir Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe, Kent, and a descendant of Nicholas Wotton, lord mayor of London in 1415 and 1430, and member of parliament for the city from 1406 to 1429.He early became vicar of Boughton Malherbe and of Sutton...
for the English, arrived in Edinburgh, only to find that Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland, had died at Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
on 11 June. Her death discouraged the French, and the commissioners agreed an armistice on 17 June. This was broken off on the 22 June, but the only further action was a skirmish on 4 July. Peace was agreed shortly after, and was proclaimed on 7 July in the names of Elizabeth, Queen of England, and François and Mary, King and Queen of France and Scotland.
The peace became known as the Treaty of Edinburgh
Treaty of Edinburgh
The Treaty of Edinburgh was a treaty drawn up on 5 July 1560 between the Commissioners of Queen Elizabeth I with the assent of the Scottish Lords of the Congregation, and French representatives in Scotland to formally conclude the Siege of Leith and replace the Auld Alliance with France with a new...
, which secured the withdrawal of both French and English troops from Scotland, and effectively dissolved the Auld Alliance. By the 16 July the foreign soldiers had left the city. The terms of the treaty allowed 120 French soldiers to remain at Inchkeith
Inchkeith
Inchkeith is an island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. It is part of the council area of Fife.Inchkeith has had a colourful history as a result of its proximity to Edinburgh and strategic location for use as home for a lighthouse and for military purposes defending the Firth of Forth for attack...
and Dunbar
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle is the remnants of one of the most mighty fortresses in Scotland, situated over the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian.-Early history:...
, although the defences of Leith were to be immediately demolished. A key term was that François and Mary should cease using the style and arms of the King and Queen of England. As Catholics, they regarded Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, as illegitimate, leaving Mary herself as the rightful Queen. Their use of the English royal arms led the French to dub the campaign the "War of the Insignia". Queen Mary never ratified the agreement, since by doing so she would acknowledge Elizabeth as rightful Queen of England, and she did not wish to relinquish her own claim to the English throne.
Legacy
The Elizabethan English poet Thomas ChurchyardThomas Churchyard
Thomas Churchyard , English author, was born at Shrewsbury, the son of a farmer.-Life:Churchyard received a good education, and, having speedily dissipated at court the money with which his father provided him, he entered the household of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey...
wrote a poem narrating the action of the siege, which contains much detail but omits the names of any Scottish leaders. There is still at Leith significant evidence of the fortifications built by the French and batteries built by the English, and new examples were uncovered in 2001, 2002 and 2006. Although the French ramparts were demolished by Edinburgh townsfolk on the orders of the Lords and Burgh council to, "make blockhouse and curtain equal with the ground," Constitution and Junction Street were built on their line. Other earthworks are well known and one former battery on Byer's Mount is a scheduled monument. The 450th anniversary in 2010 saw a celebration of the end of the Siege of Leith.