Summary
The Battle of Hornshole was a skirmish fought in 1514 between an English raiding party and youths from Hawick, as most of the town's male population had been killed at Flodden.[1]
| Battle of Hornshole | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Anglo-Scottish Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Scotland |
 Kingdom of England | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Unknown | Thomas Dacre | ||||||
History edit
After the Battle of Flodden the previous year, around a third of the whole Scottish army had been killed, making the Borders extremely vulnerable.[2] English forces under the command of Lord Dacre were camped at Hornshole, around 2 miles (3.2 km) from Hawick, when a message reached Hawick that it was an English raiding party.[2] Youths from the town gathered weapons and set off to confront them, attacking at night and soundly defeating the raiders.[2][3]
Name edit
The place name most likely means Heron's Hole, since there is a deep pool in the River Teviot here.[2][3] Another possible meaning is Orm's Hole, after the same Anglian lord who gave his name to Ormiston, or Orm's Toun.[3] Also possible, but less likely, is Hornie's Hole, a deep dwelling place for the Devil.[3]
Celebration edit
During the battle, the pennon carried by the raiders was captured and taken as a trophy by the victors.[4] Today, Hawick's coat of arms bears a pennon inscribed with "1514", the year of the battle.
The story of the Battle of Hornshole plays a central role in Common Riding celebrations in the town of Hawick.[5]
References edit
- ^ "Hornshole Battle Site". discovertheborders.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d "07 Hornshole". Hawick Callants Club. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d "How Hornshole sparked Hawick Common Riding". The Southern Reporter. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ Neil, J. Murray (2013). The Scots Fiddle: Tunes, Tales & Traditions of the North-East & Central Highlands. Neil Wilson Publishing. p. 253. ISBN 9781906476977.
- ^ "Battle of Hornshole re-enacted in Hawick". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2014.