Siege of Inverness (1562)

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Siege of Inverness (1562) - Wikipedia

Coordinates: 57°28′35″N 4°13′32″W / 57.47631°N 4.22550°W

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Siege of Inverness (1562)

Part of the Scottish clan wars

Inverness Castle in modern times. Some of the old curtain wall can be seen in the foreground, while the castle building itself was rebuilt in 1836

Date	8–11 September 1562
Location	Inverness, Scotland 57°28′35″N 4°13′32″W / 57.47631°N 4.22550°W / 57.47631; -4.22550
Result	Fraser & Munro victory

Belligerents

Supporters of Mary, Queen of Scots:
Clan Fraser of Lovat
Clan Munro

Supporters of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly:
Clan Gordon

Commanders and leaders

William Fraser
Robert Munro

Alexander Gordon

Strength

Unknown

Casualties and losses

Unknown

v t e Mary, Queen of Scots feuds
1560 – 1567 Leith Inverness Corrichie Chaseabout Raid Murder of Rizzio Murder of Darnley Carberry Hill Marian civil war (1568 – 1573) Langside Chanonry of Ross Tillieangus Craibstone

The siege of Inverness Castle took place in 1562. When Mary, Queen of Scots, visited Inverness on 9 September 1562 the gates of the castle were shut in her face by Alexander Gordon upon the orders of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, who was chief of Clan Gordon and Sheriff of the county.^[1] The castle was subsequently besieged by supporters of the Queen.

The siege lasted for three days and, when the castle fell, Alexander Gordon was hanged for treason. His head was displayed on the castle. Some key members of the garrison, which consisted of only 12 or 14 "able persons", were imprisoned, the others allowed to go free.^[1] The Queen slept at Inverness Castle on the nights of 11, 12, 13, and 14 September 1562, then moved on to Spynie Palace.^[2] She bought gunpowder and 15 tartan plaids for her lackeys and members of her household in Inverness.^[3]

Alexander Mackenzie's later account of the siege includes the clans Mackenzie, Ross, Fraser, and Munro contributing to Queen Mary's rescue but only the Frasers and Munros are mentioned in the earliest account written by George Buchanan. Buchanan's account was originally written in Latin but was published in English by James Aikman in 1827, it reads:

Upon hearing of the danger of their princess, a great number of the ancient Scots, partly by persuasion, and partly of their own accord, flocked around her, particularly the Frasers and Monros, the bravest of these tribes. When the queen found herself sufficiently strong, she laid siege to the castle, which having neither a sufficient garrison, not being properly fortified for sustaining an attack, surrendered, when the commanders were executed, and the men dismissed.^[4]

The English diplomat Thomas Randolph recorded a remark made by Queen Mary at Inverness, who was in high spirits and undismayed in the conflict. When the night watch returned in the morning she regretted that she was "not a man to know what life it was to lie all night in the fields, or to walk upon the causeway with a jack and knapschall, a Glasgow buckler and a broad sword."^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Bain, Joseph, ed. (1898). Calendar State Papers Scotland. Vol. 1. p. 651.
^ Mackenzie, Alexander (1896). History of the Frasers of Lovat, with genealogies of the principal families of the name: to which is added those of Dunballoch and Phopachy. Inverness: A. & W. Mackenzie. pp. 104-105.
^ Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1916), p. 197.
^ Buchanan, George (1827) [Printed from original latin manuscript of 1579]. History of Scotland. Vol. 2. Glasgow and Edinburgh: Archibald Fullarton and Blackie and Son. p. 461. Republished in 1827 in English by James Aikman

Scottish clan battles

Wars of Scottish Independence

First War of Scottish Independence

Second War of Scottish Independence

Anglo-Scottish Wars

Border wars	Duns Otterburn 1385 1400 Nesbit Moor (1402) Homildon Hill Yeavering Piperdean Sark Roxburgh Berwick (1482) Redeswire
Flodden campaign	Flodden Field
Solway Moss campaign	Haddon Rig Solway Moss
Rough Wooing	Edinburgh Ancrum Moor Pinkie Inchkeith Haddington Broughty Castle

Private and local clan battles
(Many of these also had links at national
level, including the feuds between Clan Donald
and the Crown, Clan Douglas and the Crown
and the Mary, Queen of Scots civil war)

13th century	Embo (1245) Largs (1263) Red Ford (1294/96)
14th century	Dalrigh (1306) Pass of Brander (1308) Drumlui (1330/37) Invernahavon (1370/86) Angus (1391) North Inch (1396)
15th century	Drumoak (1402) Tuiteam Tarbhach (1406) Dingwall (1411) Harlaw (1411) Harpsdale (1426) Drumnacoub (1427/33) Lochaber (1429) Palm Sunday (1429) Inverness (1429) Mamsha (1429) Inverlochy (1431) Sandside Chase (1437) Craignaught Hill (1439) Craig Cailloch (1441) Arbroath (1445/46) Brechin (1452) Bealach nam Broig (1452) Clachnaharry (1454) Arkinholm (1455) Skibo and Strathfleet (1455) Tannach (1464/38) Champions (1464/78) Stalc (1468) Corpach (1470) Tarbat (1480) Lagabraad (1480/83) Bloody Bay (1480/83) Lochmaben Fair (1484) Aldy Charrish (1487) Blar Na Pairce (1485/91) Raid on Ross (1491) Drumchatt (1497) Black Mount (1497/98) Daltullich (1499)
16th century	Drumchatt (1501) Achnashellach (1505) Knock Mary (1511) Glendale (1513) Torran Dubh (1517) Alltachuilain (1518/19) Cleanse the Causeway (1520) Glenboultachan (1522) Melrose (1526) Linlithgow Bridge (1526) Summerdale (1529) Alltan-Beath (1542) Shirts (1544) Raids of Urquhart (1544/45) Garbharry (1555) Corrichie (1562) Inverness (1562) Chaseabout Raid (1565) Carberry Hill (1567) Langside (1568) Chanonry of Ross (1569 - 1573) Garbhain (1570) Torran-Roy (1570) Craibstone (1571) Tillieangus (1571) Beauly (1577/78) Spoiling Dyke (1578) Allt Camhna (1586) Leckmelm (1586) Western Isles (1586) Clynetradwell (1590) Dryfe Sands (1593) Glenlivet (1594) Logiebride (1597) Traigh Ghruinneart (1598) Benbigrie (1598)
Early 17th century	Bengrime (1601) Carinish (1601) Coire Na Creich (1601) Morar (1602) Glen Fruin (1603) Braes of Strathdearn (1645)

Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Bishops Wars	Brig of Dee Newburn
First English Civil War	Boldon Hill Newcastle York Marston Moor Carlisle Tippermuir Aberdeen (1644) Inverlochy Auldearn Alford Kilsyth Philiphaugh Lagganmore Aberdeen (1646) Rhunahaorine Moss Dunaverty
Second English Civil War	Mauchline Muir Preston
Third English Civil War	Whiggamore Raid Stirling 1st Inverness 2nd Inverness Carbisdale Dunbar Inverkeithing Worcester
Glencairn's rising	Tullich Dalnaspidal

Period from Restoration of 1660 to Glorious Revolution of 1688

Private and local clan battles	Fords of Arkaig (1665) Altimarlach (1680) Mulroy (1688)
Covenanter rebellion of 1679	Drumclog Bothwell Bridge The Killing Time
Monmouth Rebellion	Argyll's Rising

Jacobite risings

Jacobite rising of 1689	Loup Hill Killiecrankie Dunkeld Cromdale Glencoe
Jacobite rising of 1715	Cornwall Culloden House Alness Dunfermline Preston Inverness Sheriffmuir Brahan
Jacobite rising of 1719	Eilean Donan Glen Shiel Glen Affric Coille Bhan
Jacobite rising of 1745	Highbridge 1st Ruthven Prestonpans Culloden House 1st Carlisle Clifton 2nd Carlisle 1st Fort Augustus Inverurie Falkirk Stirling 2nd Ruthven Moy Inverness 2nd Fort Augustus Atholl Blair Castle Keith Fort William Dornoch Tongue Littleferry Culloden Loch nan Uamh Loch Ailort Arisaig Lochaber and Shiramore Killin Appin Murder Rannoch

See also

References