Battle of Pinkie
The Battle of Pinkie, fought in 1547 near Musselburgh, Scotland, was a significant conflict resulting from England's attempt to enforce a marriage agreement between Edward VI and Mary, Queen of Scots. The Scottish forces, concerned about the effectiveness of English artillery fire, chose to abandon a strong defensive position and launched an assault with their French-trained pikemen. The battle showcased the use of various weapons, including pikes, swords, and artillery, with the English army benefiting from superior cavalry and naval support. Despite being outnumbered, the English forces decisively defeated the Scots, who suffered over 5,000 casualties compared to the English loss of 500 men. The aftermath saw Mary escape to France, where she eventually married the dauphin, while Pinkie marked the end of large-scale national military confrontations between England and Scotland. This battle was notable for its combination of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and naval bombardment, representing a shift in military tactics of the time.
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Battle of Pinkie
Type of action: Ground battle in Anglo-Scottish Wars of 1513–1560
Date: September 10, 1547
Location: Pinkie Cleugh, a narrow glen seven miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland
Combatants: 16,000 English vs. 23,000 Scots
Principal commanders:English, Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset (c. 1500–1552); Scottish, James Hamilton, second earl of Arran (1515?-1575)
Result: English destroy the Scottish army and occupy Edinburgh
England invaded Scotland in order to enforce a marriage agreement that had been forced upon the Scots in 1543. The marriage of Edward VI, at age ten, to Mary Queen of Scots, at age five, would have united the crowns of the neighboring countries. The Scottish army, perhaps fearing the debilitating effects of continuous artillery fire, abandoned a strong defensive position behind the Esk River, above Musselburgh, and attacked the English, hoping to rout them with columns of French-trained pikemen.
Both sides fought mainly with pikes, swords, axes, lances, and bows, with support from various kinds of handguns and mounted guns. Though outnumbered, the English army had the advantage of superior cavalry and artillery and support from some eighty warships in the Firth of Forth, the largest of which carried fifty guns. After a briefly successful attack, the Scottish light cavalry was routed by the English, and the experienced English naval gunners decimated Scottish artillery positions on shore. The Scots suffered more than 5,000 casualties, most as they fled the battlefield; 1,500 were captured. The English lost 500 men.
Significance
Although the Scottish army was destroyed, Mary, Queen of Scots, escaped to France, where she married the French dauphin. Pinkie was the final battle between English and Scottish national armies and was the first English battle to feature a combination of infantry, artillery, and cavalry forces, as well as naval bombardment in support of land units.
Bibliography
Macdougall, Norman. Scotland and War: a.d. 79-1918. Edinburgh, Scotland: John Donald, 1991.
Millar, Gilbert John. Tudor Mercenaries and Auxiliaries: 1485–1547. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1980.
Phillips, Gervase. “The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh.” Military History, August, 1997, 42.
Seymour, William. Battles in Britain and Their Political Background: 1066–1746. London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1979.