Battle of Pinkie
Pinkie Cleugh, near Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland
What happened
An English army under the Duke of Somerset fought a Scottish army under the regent, the Earl of Arran. England wanted the young Mary, Queen of Scots, to marry the English king Edward VI, and invaded when Scotland refused. The Scots crossed the River Esk to attack, but English warships fired on their flank from the sea. The Scottish army stalled, and when English cavalry rejoined the fight, it broke.
Why it matters
Why it matters: In Scotland the day was called 'Black Saturday'. It was the last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the two crowns were united.
What came next
Scotland still refused the marriage, and in 1548 Mary was sent to France to be engaged to the French prince. The war ended with the Treaty of Norham in 1551.
Did you know?
The war became known as the 'Rough Wooing', from a Scottish lord's remark that they 'liked not the manner of the wooing'.
Timeline
- July 1543The Treaty of Greenwich proposes the marriage.
- 11 December 1543Scotland rejects the treaty.
- 10 September 1547England wins at Pinkie.
- August 1548Mary is taken to France.
- 10 June 1551The Treaty of Norham ends the war.