Yorkshire Almanac During the Anglo-Scottish wars, seasoned raiders encounter an improvised Yorkshire home guard of clergy, peasants and officials at Myton-on-Swale

20 September 1319: During the Anglo-Scottish wars, seasoned raiders encounter an improvised Yorkshire home guard of clergy, peasants and officials at Myton-on-Swale

Friedrich W.D. Brie, Ed. 1906-08. The Brut. London: Early English Text Society by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co. Get it:

Unedited excerpt

The excerpt in the book is shorter, edited and, where applicable, translated.

How Sir Hughe, þe Spenseres sone, was made þe Kyngus Chamberlein; and of þe bataile of Miton. Capitulo Centesimo Nonogesimo secundo.
ANd hit was nouȝt longe afterward, þat þe Kyng ne ordeynede a parlement at Ȝork; and þere was Sir Hugh, þe Spensereȝ sone, made Chamberlein. And in þe mene-tyme, while þe werr last, the Kyng went aȝeyne into Scotland, þat hit was wonder forto wete, and bisegede þe toun of Berwik; but þe Scottes went ouer þe water of Solewath, þat was iij mile fram þe Kyngus host, and priuely þai stele awaye by nyght, and comen into Engeland, and robbede and destroiede al þat þai myght, and sparede no maner þing til þat þai comen to Ȝork. And when þe Englisshemen þat were lafte at [MS Rawlinson B 171 121a] home Wist of þis þing, alle þo þat might trauaile—as wel monkes and prestes and ffreres & Chanouns and seculers,—and come and mette wiþ þe Scottes at Miton op Swale, þe xij day of Ottobre. Allas! what sorwe for þe Englisshe hosbonde-men þat couþe noþing in werr, þere were quellede and drenchede in þe Ryuer of Swale. And her chyueteynes, Sir William of Melton, Erchebisshop of Ȝork, & þe Abbot of Selby with her stedes, fledde, & come vnto Ȝork. And þat was her owen folie þat þai had þat meschaunce, for þai passede þe water of Swale; and þe Sccottes sette in fire iij stackes of hey; and þe smoke þerof was so huge þat Englisshe-men myght nought see þe Scottes. ¶ And when þe Englisshe-men were gon ouer þe water, þo come þe Scottes wiþ her wenge, in maner of a shelde, and come toward þe Englisshe-men in a rawe; and þe Englisshe-men fledde, for vnneþes þai hade eny men of Armes; for þe Kyng hade ham alle almost loste atte þe sege of Berwik; and þe Scottes hobilers went bituix þe brigge & þe Englisshe-men. ¶ And when þe grete host had þaim mette, þe Englisshe-men fledde bituene þe hobilers and þe grete host; and þe Englisshe-men almost alle were þere slayn. And he þat might wende ouer þe water was sauede; but meny were drenchede, Allas, for sorwe! for þere was slayne meny men of Religioun, and seculers, and ek prestes and clerkes; and wiþ miche sorw the Erchebisshop scapede; and þerfore þe Scottes callede hit ‘the White Bataile.’

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Comment

Map https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1000021 https://www.battlefieldstrust.com/media/228.pdf

I have forgotten why the Brut gives 12 October instead of 20 September, and why I originally had 29 September.

Drake’s version:

The archbishop of York [William Melton], a reverend grave old divine, but a young soldier, more for the indignity of the affront, says the Scotch historian [George Buchanan], than any hopes of success, took up arms, and assembled such forces as he could raise; composed of clergymen, monks, canons and other spiritual men of the church; with a confused heap of husbandmen, labourers, artificers, tradesmen, in all to the number of ten thousand. These able soldiers had as experienced commanders, the archbishop and bishop of Ely, lord-chancellor [John Hotham], being the leaders of these warlike troops; much fitter to pray for the success of a battle than to fight it. This formidable army, breathing nothing but revenge, followed the Scotch, but they did not follow the proverb, to build a bridge for a flying enemy, and overtook them at Myton-upon-Swale, about eleven miles from York. The Scotch army finding themselves pursued, drew upon the other side of the river in battalia [battle array]. Then they set fire to some haystacks which were upon the place; the smoke of which driving with a brisk wind in the faces of the English, as they passed the river, so blinded them that they could not see the enemy; who came down in good order upon them, and without any great resistance entirely routed them. There were slain and drowned of the English above two thousand, some say, four thousand, the rest with their generals made great haste back to the city. In this conflict fell Nicholas Fleming, then mayor of York, who had headed up his citizens to the battle; there were taken prisoners Sir John de Pabenham, Knt. lord William Ayrmine, and several others. Here was such a fall of the priesthood, that the English, says Buchanan, called this fight, for a long time after, the white battle.

This battle was fought October 12, 1319. The archbishop had business enough to fill up vacancies in the church at his return. But in an especial manner, he showed his gratitude to the mayor, his body was honourably buried in the parish church of S. Wilfrid [a medieval church preceding the York Oratory], and an indulgence granted of forty days relaxation of sin to all parishioners thereof (g), who being truly contrite, penitent and confessed, should say for his soul the lord’s prayer, and the salutation of the blessed virgin. For him also in the same church was a chauntry [a chapel] founded.

King Edward hearing of this overthrow, as he lay before Berwick, raised the siege and retired to York.

(Drake 1736)

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Comment

Map https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1000021 https://www.battlefieldstrust.com/media/228.pdf

I have forgotten why the Brut gives 12 October instead of 20 September, and why I originally had 29 September.

Drake’s version:

The archbishop of York [William Melton], a reverend grave old divine, but a young soldier, more for the indignity of the affront, says the Scotch historian [George Buchanan], than any hopes of success, took up arms, and assembled such forces as he could raise; composed of clergymen, monks, canons and other spiritual men of the church; with a confused heap of husbandmen, labourers, artificers, tradesmen, in all to the number of ten thousand. These able soldiers had as experienced commanders, the archbishop and bishop of Ely, lord-chancellor [John Hotham], being the leaders of these warlike troops; much fitter to pray for the success of a battle than to fight it. This formidable army, breathing nothing but revenge, followed the Scotch, but they did not follow the proverb, to build a bridge for a flying enemy, and overtook them at Myton-upon-Swale, about eleven miles from York. The Scotch army finding themselves pursued, drew upon the other side of the river in battalia [battle array]. Then they set fire to some haystacks which were upon the place; the smoke of which driving with a brisk wind in the faces of the English, as they passed the river, so blinded them that they could not see the enemy; who came down in good order upon them, and without any great resistance entirely routed them. There were slain and drowned of the English above two thousand, some say, four thousand, the rest with their generals made great haste back to the city. In this conflict fell Nicholas Fleming, then mayor of York, who had headed up his citizens to the battle; there were taken prisoners Sir John de Pabenham, Knt. lord William Ayrmine, and several others. Here was such a fall of the priesthood, that the English, says Buchanan, called this fight, for a long time after, the white battle.

This battle was fought October 12, 1319. The archbishop had business enough to fill up vacancies in the church at his return. But in an especial manner, he showed his gratitude to the mayor, his body was honourably buried in the parish church of S. Wilfrid [a medieval church preceding the York Oratory], and an indulgence granted of forty days relaxation of sin to all parishioners thereof (g), who being truly contrite, penitent and confessed, should say for his soul the lord’s prayer, and the salutation of the blessed virgin. For him also in the same church was a chauntry [a chapel] founded.

King Edward hearing of this overthrow, as he lay before Berwick, raised the siege and retired to York.

(Drake 1736)

Something to say? Get in touch