The Battle of Melrose, 1526

The Battle of Melrose was a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1526. It was fought between a force led by Sir Walter Scott of Branxholme and Buccleuch, who were attempting to rescue the young King James V of Scotland from the control of Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus.

The battle took place in the Scottish Borders, and Scott’s forces consisted of a group of Border Reivers, mainly drawn from the Scott and Elliott clans, while Angus’s forces were mainly made up of Kerrs. The battle ended in a victory for Angus, with Scott’s forces suffering heavy losses. The death of Andrew Kerr, Laird of Cessford, during the battle led to a long-standing feud between the Kerrs and Scotts.

The background to the battle was the ongoing conflict between the Douglas and Lennox factions for control of the young King James. Angus had secured the guardianship of James and refused to hand him over to the Earl of Arran, causing James to call on Scott to launch a rescue attempt. When the royal party, escorted by Angus, was passing through Melrose on its way to Edinburgh, it was ambushed by Scott’s forces.

The battle saw both sides stand their ground and charge at each other, but the arrival of Lord Hume with a reinforcement of 80 Kerrs tipped the balance in favor of Angus. Scott’s forces began to fall back and run, and during the pursuit, Andrew Kerr of Cessford was killed by one of the Elliotts. Scott’s forces lost around 80 men, while Angus’s forces lost around 100.

After the battle, James stayed at Darnick Tower and proceeded to Edinburgh the next day. The aftermath of the battle saw a deadly feud rage for many years between the Kerrs and Scotts due to the death of Andrew Kerr. A few weeks later, the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge took place as another attempt was made to rescue James from Angus’s control.