Alliance and Enemies
by Alan Dodd

1536
The old unholy alliance of Liddesdale and the English hotbeds of Tynedale and Redesdale seems to have come apart temporarily in the mid-1530's. In May 1536, the Northumbrians ran a great foray of 400 riders - killing, burning and plundering "to grete quantitie" in the Armstrong heartland.

1541
Henry VIII, still intent on controlling Scotland through James, went to meet the Scottish King at York. But James, on the advice of his Catholic clergy and Francophile party, did not turn up. To add to Henry's annoyance, and in spite of Warden Wharton's assurance that the Borders were "very qwyett" and that James "intendithe no warre", Liddesdale suddenly broke loose, ravaged Bewcastle and killed seven Fenwicks. A few months before the same group (Armstrongs, aided by Ellots and Crosiers) had stormed Houghton Castle in North Tynedale. Wharton proposed a retaliatory raid into the Debatable Lands, but Henry's commissioners at Alnwick wanted a direct reprisal on Liddesdale and discussed "by whate meanes the Tynedale and Redesdale men might best be induced to enterprise the slaughter of some of the Liddesdale men". However the Charltons, Dodds and Milburns were the professional accomplices of the Liddesdale men and they were unwilling to provoke a deadly feud (the differences of 1536 were apparently forgotten) so they compromised and mounted two raids against the riders of West Teviotdale.

By November 1541, Henry's commissioners regretfully reported that the Border was in good order except for Liddesdale, Tynedale, and Redesdale "who are too combeynede confedderatide and knette in one that not for their officers or Prince's laws would they break their association". They were ready to spoil on both sides and with at least 2,000 riders between them they were "able and apt persons for warre". What made them particularly formidable, the commissioners added, was that their territories were "strate to enter and of great strength, and within distance to relieve each other". Furthermore they were afraid of nothing.

The "good order" on the Border did not last for long. The Kerrs retaliated for West Teviotdale with raids along the Coquet River; Archie Ellot of Thirtleshope led a daring Liddesdale foray against William Carnaby's land at Halton. The cycle continued: John Heron and the Fenwicks with "the beste of Redesdale and Tynedale", riders who had evidently been persuaded, ordered or paid to have a go at the Armstrongs, set off hell for leather for Liddesdale. Haste was necessary to beat any Tynedale and Redesdale informers riding to warn the Armstrongs. The raid destroyed 13 Liddesdale houses, including Archie Ellot's and a "great herd" of cattle was carried off. Thus 1541 drew to a close, with trouble growing daily along the Border, nursed by Henry while he was still negotiating with James.

1566
Less than a year after he had led an uprising against his sister Queen Mary, Lord James Stewart, Earl of Moray was pardoned and returned to again help the Queen and Bothwell, "subdue the turbulent thieves" on the Marches. In October Bothwell, now as Mary's "Lieutenant of all the Scottish Marches", returned to Liddesdale to punish "certain disordered persons". He rounded up some Armstrong leaders and others in Hermitage Castle and was pursuing Ellots when John Ellot of the Park ("little Jock Elliot" of one of the more famous Border ballads) turned on him and badly injured him with a two-handed sword. The wounded Bothwell was sledded back to Hermitage, where he found that the Armstrongs had taken it over and had to be promised their lives and freedom in order to allow Bothwell back into his own castle. The Queen's husband Darnley had by this time degenerated into an abusive drunk. Mary had apparently become enamoured with Bothwell and, with Moray and other officers, made a famous ride from Jedburgh, where she was holding a Justice Court, to visit him at Hermitage, returning the same day. The rigours of the 40-mile round trip caused Mary (who had given birth to the future James VI the previous June) to contract a violent fever, and for some time she lay near death.

1568
The scandalous death of Darnley, and the equally scandalous marriage of Mary three months later to Darnley's suspected murderer, Bothwell, caused her downfall. She was forced to abdicate in favour of the infant Charles VI, with Moray as Regent. She escaped confinement in Scotland and fled to England, where she was again confined by a suspicious Elizabeth 1st. Mary was to become the focus of Catholic opposition to the Protestant Reformation in England and Scotland.

1569
In February 1569 the Regent Moray returned to the Border and, armed with a £5,000 loan from Elizabeth, prepared a Warden's raid to bring Liddesdale to heel. A force of 4,000, including Scotts and Kerrs, were joined by an English detachment of 200 from Berwick, and Sir John Forster with Heron of Chipchase and 300 horsemen. A detachment advanced down the Liddel, but did not succeed in subduing the Armstrongs and Ellots. Moray learned his lesson and after taking bands (bonds - i.e. promises by the hedesmen of good behaviour by their clansmen, with crippling fines if broken) and sureties or pledges (hostages) from the leading men of Teviotdale, he again invaded Liddesdale - this time in September with six or seven thousand men. And this time he succeeded. Lord Scrope reported that: The Regent has made great fires and done great hurt, through terror whereof the whole surnames both of Liddesdale and otherwheres are generally come in and entered unto him good assurances and pledges for their obedience from henceforth'.

The Rising of the Northern Earls
In the North of England, where most of the nobility still favoured the Old Religion, Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmoreland and Leonard Dacre of Naworth (grandson of the late Warden), plotted an insurrection. It was hoped it would be aided by the Scottish Marian party and by troops from the Spanish Duke of Elba. But Moray was effectively in control of the Border, and few Scots were able to join the English rebels. Elizabeth got word of the planned rising which forced the Earls into premature action. On 14th November the uprising began, based at Raby and Brauncepeth Castles. It quickly failed, thanks to a rapid response from London, and the loyal actions of the middle march Warden John Forster. The rebel earls, with their families and retinues, fled to Naworth Castle and from there, on December 20, they went towards Harlaw woods in Liddesdale, guided by sympathetic Scottish reivers.

1570 - Dacre's Rebellion
In January, Moray was assassinated in Linlithgow and Scotland was immediately plunged into a vicious civil war between the pro-Mary and pro-James parties. Leonard Dacre, who had plotted with the Northern Earls but had not taken part in the rebellion, now decided to take advantage of the Scottish situation and began to assemble levies at Naworth in the English West March. Elizabeth ordered Lord Hunsdon to arrest him. Hunsdon made a forced night march and on February 20 surprised Dacre who attacked with his infantry. Hunsdon counterattacked with 500 of his fearsome Border cavalry and routed Dacre's forces, many of whom were disinclined to fight, believing they had been mustered in Queen Elizabeth's name against the Scots. Dacre narrowly escaped capture and fled to Liddesdale and later to Flanders.