Battle of Carberry Hill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
|||||
The Battle of Carberry Hill took place on the 15th June 1567, a few miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was part of the ongoing civil war that surrounded Mary, Queen of Scots and the ever changing sides that opposed her and supported her.
In May of 1567 Queen Mary of Scotland married James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell many of the Queen's allies who previously supported her including Maitland, Morton, Balfour, and Murray of Tullibardine disapproved of this and chose to oppose her. This disapproval may have been because James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell was said to have murderd Lord Darnley. A trial of Bothwell had come to nothing when his prosecutor, the Earl of Lennox failed to appear having turned back with his 3000 troops when confronted by the Earl of Bothwell's 4000. The elevation of Bothwell to Duke of Orkney and Zetland on 12 May, then marriage three days later, fuelled the flames of opinion. With only the support of the Hamiltons (who hated Lennox) Mary and Bothwell took to the field of battle at Carberry Hill, near Musselburgh, on 15 June
Queen Mary's forces were defeated and while James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell escaped, Mary was captured and brought to Edinburgh and then imprisoned in Lochleven Castle, in Kinross, where her keeper was Sir William Douglas, half brother to James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray. She remained in prison for eleven months while public opinion gathered against her.
On the 20th June one of the Earl of Bothwell's soldiers was found in possession of a silver casket containing letters from Queen Mary to the Earl of Bothwell. It was alleged that the letters proved her complicity in Lord Darnley's death and justified her deposition. About this time the Earl of Bothwell was proclaimed for the actual physical murder of Darnley and a reward of 1000 crowns offered for his capture. John Knox denounced Mary from the pulpit and the General Assembly similarly raised its voice against her. On 24 July 1567 she was forced to abdicate, despite her protestations, and her son James VI of Scotland was crowned five days later in Stirling.
In 1568 Henry Sinclair, 3rd Lord Sinclair, of the Clan Sinclair in Caithness helped Mary, Queen of Scots escape from Lochleven Castle.
