Capture of Berwick (1482)

Capture of Berwick upon Tweed after the Treaty of Fotheringhay
Part of Anglo-Scottish Wars, War of the Roses
English army at Berwick upon Tweed, French, 15th-century
Date July and August 1482 Location Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Anglo-Scottish Border Result Decisive English victory at Berwick
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Captain of Berwick Castle, Patrick, Lord Hailes Keepers of the town, David, Earl of Crawford Andrew, Lord Gray	Alexander, Duke of Albany, Richard, Duke of Gloucester Lord Stanley
Strength
500 (royal castle garrison)	20,000 (total) 1,700 (Berwick Castle)
Casualties and losses
unknown	Low

Berwick Castle
Berwick Castle Berwick Castle shown within Northumberland
OS grid reference	NT992535
Coordinates	55°46′30″N 2°00′47″W / 55.775°N 2.013°W / 55.775; -2.013Coordinates: 55°46′30″N 2°00′47″W / 55.775°N 2.013°W / 55.775; -2.013
List of places UK England Northumberland

Berwick upon Tweed and its castle were captured by the English in 1482 during the Anglo-Scottish Wars. By the Treaty of Fotheringhay, 11 June 1482, Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, the brother of James III of Scotland declared himself King of Scotland and swore loyalty to Edward IV of England. The follow-up invasion of Scotland failed to install Albany on the throne, but the border town of Berwick upon Tweed has remained English ever since the castle surrendered on 24 August 1482. The English army left Edinburgh with a promise for the repayment of the dowry paid for the marriage of Princess Cecily of England to the Scottish Prince.

Edward IV was disappointed by the failure of his 1474 treaty with James III who had promised that his son, Prince James would marry Cecily of York. The betrothal was made in October 1474 with a forty-five year truce to last until 1519. Her dowry payments were to be made yearly on 3 February in Edinburgh, brought by Edward's servants from Norham Castle, and a meeting was to be held to resolve the dispute over the 'fish-garth,' a salmon trap on the Esk. Since February 1475, Edward's officers had delivered installments of Cecilia's 20,000 mark dowry to James's treasurer in St Giles, Edinburgh.

However, border conflict had restarted in 1480, perhaps due to Scotland's Auld Alliance with France. According to a chronicle, the Earl of Angus had attacked Bamburgh Castle, and the Earl of Northumberland had raided in Scotland. By October 1480, James III had written to Louis XI of France asking for guns and artillerymen to repulse further attacks. Eleven ships were put on war-footing for Scotland in February 1481 and Sir Robert Radcliffe was commanded to arm a fleet with guns and gunners on 8 July. These ships made raids in Forth, attacking Blackness Castle and harassing shipping in the spring and autumn of 1481. There does not seem to have a land based invasion of Scotland, but there were three raids into England by a Scottish army in that year. Edward IV had made invasion preparations and began to travel north, but went no further than Nottingham.