Siege of Haddington

Sieges of Haddington
Part of Anglo-Scottish Wars Rough Wooing
The restored Church of St. Mary the Virgin, heavily damaged during the sieges
Date 1548–1549 Location Haddington, Scotland Result Scottish victory; Scotland claimed back Haddington
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of France	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Earl of Arran Lord Methven Paul de Thermes André de Montalembert Henri Cleutin	Earl of Shrewsbury Grey of Wilton Sir James Wilford Thomas Palmer
Strength
5000–6000	Up to 15,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Sieges of Haddington were a series of sieges staged at the Royal Burgh of Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, as part of the War of the Rough Wooing one of the last Anglo-Scottish Wars. Following Regent Arran's defeat at the battle of Pinkie Cleugh on Saturday 10 September 1547, he took Haddington, with 5000 troops including French mercenaries and troops sent by Henry II of France to bolster the Auld Alliance. Afterwards, Francis Talbot, 5th Earl of Shrewsbury took it with nearly 15000. The English forces built artillery fortifications and were able to withstand an assault by the besieging French and Scots troops supported by heavy cannon in July 1548. Although the siege was scaled down after this unsuccessful attempt, the English garrison abandoned the town on 19 September 1549, after attrition by Scottish raids at night, sickness, and changing political circumstance.

The English commander, Grey of Wilton captured and garrisoned Haddington and outlying villages by 23 February 1548. The garrison included 200 Albanian Stratioti who had previously fought in the French army. At the end of February 1548, Regent Arran brought four cannon to besiege and take the East Lothian houses of Ormiston, Brunstane, and Saltoun which John Cockburn of Ormiston and Alexander Crichton of Brunstane held for England, and summoned the men of Stirling, Menteith and Strathearn to the field. Grey and Thomas Palmer began to fortify the town in earnest after 24 April 1548.

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