On the 7th July 1575 a 'Day of Truce' between England and Scotland was held at the Redeswire on the English\Scottish Borderline near present day Carter Bar on the road between Newcastle and Edinburgh. Sir John Forster, Warden of the English Middle March, presided for the English whilst his counterpart for Scotland was Sir John Carmichael, Deputy March Warden and Keeper of Liddesdale.
The Day of Truce
As England and Scotland were often at war it was necessary to ensure that all the high-ranking members of the Border clans called to witness the trials of the Border Reivers were given safe conduct whilst the process of Border Law was duly carried out. The trials thus took place at what was known as a 'Day of Truce'.
Many of those called as witnesses were at feud with each other but were honour bound to refrain from any belligerance or confrontation as long as the 'Day of Truce' lasted.
The Raid of the Redeswire
So it should have been at the Redeswire. All who were in attendance should have been safe even though the English and Scots viewed each other with suspicion and trepidation. History had shown that it took just a chance remark or a little goading for the two contingents to end up at each others' throats.
The 'Day' went with little trouble until Sir John Carmichael called Sir John Forster to produce a particularly nefarious Border Reiver by the name of Robson of Farnstein. Forster, the English Middle March Warden answered that he had been unable to apprehend the notorious reiver and that he had gone to ground he knew not where. Carmichael, very aware of Forster's reknown for double-dealing, called him unfair and underhand. Forster replied with some vociferous remarks about Carmichael's inexperience in Border affairs, based on the fact that he was only Deputy Warden, and questioned his parentage.
Within seconds, following a violent response of invective from Carmichael, the English clan of Fenwick loosed a flight of arrows at the Scottish contingent and hand to hand fighting quickly ensued. In the melee the English soon gained the upperhand and drove the Scots down the hill. Sir John Carmichael was unhorsed and bound and it seemed that an English rout of the Scots would be the end result. But the English Reivers, true to form, became distracted by the wares for sale on the market stalls that appeared at every Truce Day and left off pursuing the Scots. It was do be their undoing.
The Men of Jedburgh Arrive Late at the 'Day of Truce'
A contingent of the men of Jedburgh led by the Rutherfords arrived as the English started to rob the market stalls, and immediately joined the fray. The tables were turned, the English pushed back and Sir John Heron of Chipchase and twenty-four others killed in the Scottish onslaught.
Sir John Forster and other notable English lords including Sir John Ogle, Sir Cuthbert Collingwood and Sir Francis Russel were conveyed to Edinburgh by Carmichael much to the Scottish Regent Morton's embarrassment and Elizabeth 1 of England's fury. Her anger was diffused, however, when Carmichael of the Scots travelled to York and was detained for weeks before his explanation of the fracas was accepted.
Last Confrontation
The Raid of the Redeswire was the last time that English and Scots took up arms against each other prior to the Union of the two crowns in 1603. The matter could have had more disastrous consequences for the uneasy relationships that existed between the two countries.
As was their wont the Border Reivers saw only humour in the affair. In the fullness of time they sent a pair of falcons to Sir John Forster. They reckoned they were a worthy recompense for one dead 'Heron'.
Sources.
The Border Ballads.
Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border by Sir Walter Scott.
Thomas William Moss - What is a trained, highly qualified and experienced textile technologist doing writing articles about Irish\UK history? Surely technology ...
