Battles & Campaigns · 1542
Battle of Solway Moss
Solway Moss, Cumbria, England, UK
What happened
The large Scottish army crossed into England but was poorly organised, and its command broke down. Wharton's men caught it between the River Esk and the boggy Solway Moss. Many Scots surrendered, and about 1,200 were taken prisoner.
Why it matters
The defeat humiliated King James V, who was ill and not at the battle. He died about two weeks later, and his six-day-old daughter Mary became queen.
What came next
Many Scottish nobles were held in England, and the struggle known as the 'Rough Wooing' followed.
Did you know?
When James heard his daughter was born, he reportedly said the Stewart dynasty 'came with a lass and will go with a lass'.
Timeline
- 24 Nov 1542Battle of Solway Moss.
- 8 Dec 1542Mary, Queen of Scots, is born.
- 10 Jan 1543Some prisoners are exchanged at Carlisle.
- 27 Feb 1545Battle of Ancrum Moor.