Battle of Summerdale

Last updated

Battle of Summerdale
Part of Rebellion of the Orkney Sinclairs
Flag of Caithness.svg 2007 Flag of Orkney.svg
Flags of Caithness and Orkney
DateMay 19, 1529 (1529-05-19)
Location
boundary of the parishes of Orphir and Stenness in Mainland, Orkney, Scotland.
58°58′37.6″N03°08′25.8″W / 58.977111°N 3.140500°W / 58.977111; -3.140500 (battle site)
Result Victory for Orkney Sinclairs
Belligerents
Clan Sinclair of Caithness (supporters of James V of Scotland) Sinclairs of Orkney
Orcadians
Commanders and leaders
John Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Caithness   † [1]
William Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair [2] 		James Sinclair, Governor of Orkney [1]
Casualties and losses
500 men killed including the Earl of Caithness [1]
William Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair and others taken prisoner [2] 		One killed

The Battle of Summerdale (also called the Battle of Bigswell [3] ) was fought on 19 May 1529, [lower-alpha 1] and was the last battle to take place on Orkney soil. [6] The battle took place on the boundary of the parishes of Orphir and Stenness in Mainland, Orkney (several miles west of Kirkwall). [6] [7] The battle was fought between the Sinclairs of Orkney and Shetland and the Sinclairs of Caithness, who had the support of James V, King of Scotland. [8]

Contents

History

The Orkney Islands came under Scottish rule in 1468, [6] and the former Earldom was rented out to tacksmen. These tacksmen collected rent, taxes and other fees from the Orcadians, and abused their powers. [6] The tacksman in 1489 was Henry Sinclair, 4th Lord Sinclair, and the property and responsibility passed down the Sinclair line. [6] The Sinclair family made up the nobility within Orkney, but they were divided in their loyalty. Some Sinclairs, such as William Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair, were loyal to the Scottish crown and others such as James Sinclair, feared the control of Scotland in Orkney, and rebelled against the encroaching crown and eventually refused to pay their dues to the tacksman. [6] The loyal Sinclairs were pushed out of Orkney to Caithness during a rebellion in which James Sinclair took over Kirkwall Castle. After many negotiations, James V of Scotland sent the Caithness Sinclairs to fight against the Sinclairs of Orkney in order to win back control of the Orkney Islands. [6] The Caithness Sinclairs were all slain apart from one man, and only one Orcadian boy was killed. [8] According to Roland Saint-Clair, John Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Caithness was killed with 500 men, [1] and William Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair and others were taken prisoner. [2]

The supernatural

It has been said that upon landing at Orphir, William Sinclair of Caithness encountered a witch. This witch unwound two balls of wool as they marched, one red and one blue. The red ball ran out first and the witch informed William Sinclair that this meant the side whose blood was spilt first would be defeated. Sinclair supposedly put great faith in the prophecy, and decided to kill the first Orcadian they came across. Seeing a boy herding cattle, William Sinclair ordered his men to kill him, but once the boy was dead, he was recognised as a native of Caithness who had taken refuge in Orkney some time before. Tradition has it that this unnerved them, and contributed to their subsequent defeat. [6]

On the other hand, the Orcadians were said to be supported by the Christian Saint Magnus. Saint Magnus is said to have appeared on the field of battle to assist the Orkneymen. [6]

In another tradition, the land where the battle was fought was said to have been smooth grass without stones until the day of the battle. However, that morning so many stones had appeared that the Orcadians dropped the pitchforks they were armed with and threw these stones at the oncoming Caithness men, preventing them from getting close enough to attack and eventually forcing them to flee, with the Orcadians in close pursuit. [5]

After the battle

James Sinclair was pardoned completely by James V, despite his blatant rebellion. Romantic historians believe this was because James V feared losing Orkney to Norway and Denmark. [6]

Mounds in the area of the battle are said to be the graves of the fallen Caithnessmen, though George Barry refuted this on the grounds of their antiquity. [6] [3] Barry, writing in 1805, also noted that bodies had been very recently discovered in the adjacent marsh, which the Caithness men had been pursued through before the battle, with their clothes surviving in a remarkably well preserved condition. [3] An excavation of one of the mounds by F. G. Wainwright in 1960 showed a disturbance of the contents, which was concluded to indicate a previous excavation "in search of treasure or information", but did not rule out the possibility it was to inter the bodies of the Caithnessmen. [9]

Communication between the Orcadians and people of Caithness completely broke down after the battle, and animosity between the two persisted for over three centuries after this. [5]

Notes

  1. ↑ The battle was said to have been fought in 1527 by Jo Ben's Descriptio Insularum Orchadiarum, which claims to have been written in 1529. [4] Both the year of composition and 1527 as the date of the battle are disputed by Roland William Saint-Clair, on internal textual evidence. [5]

Related Research Articles

William Sinclair (1410–1480), 1st Earl of Caithness (1455–1476), last Earl (Jarl) of Orkney, 2nd Lord Sinclair and 11th Baron of Roslin was a Norwegian and Scottish nobleman and the builder of Rosslyn Chapel, in Midlothian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Sinclair</span> British noble title

Lord Sinclair is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. According to James Balfour Paul's The Scots Peerage, volume VII published in 1910, the first person to be styled Lord Sinclair was William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney and 1st Earl of Caithness. However, according to Roland Saint-Clair writing in the late 19th century, William Sinclair's father, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who died in 1420, is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair by public records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Sinclair</span> Highland Scottish clan

Clan Sinclair is a Highland Scottish clan which holds the lands of Caithness, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians. The chiefs of the clan were the Barons of Roslin and later the Earls of Orkney and Earls of Caithness.

Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney was the Jarl (Earl) of Orkney, Baron of Roslin and Pantler of Scotland. According to Roland Saint-Clair writing in the late 19th century, Henry Sinclair was also the first of his family to hold the title of Lord Sinclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barony of Roslin</span>

Baron of Roslin or Rosslyn was a Scottish feudal barony held by the St Clair or Sinclair family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Caithness</span> Scottish nobleman

William Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman, the 2nd Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Caithness</span> Scottish nobleman

John Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman, 3rd Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William St Clair of Roslin</span>

William St Clair of Roslin, 20th Baron of Roslin (1700-1778) was a member of the Clan Sinclair. His title, Baron of Roslin, was not a peerage but a Scottish feudal barony. He had an interest in sport and was a skilled golfer and archer. He redesigned the Old Course at St. Andrews to 18 holes thus affecting all golf courses since. He was the son of Alexander St Clair, 19th Baron of Roslin.

James Sinclair, 12th Earl of Caithness (1766–1823) was a Scottish noble, Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Highland Scottish clan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry St Clair, 7th Baron of Roslin</span> Scottish noble

Sir Henry St Clair was a 13th- and 14th-century Scottish noble, who was the 7th Baron of Roslin and Lord of Catcune.

John Sinclair, Master of Caithness was a Scottish nobleman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness</span>

George Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman, 6th Earl of Caithness, and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sinclair, 8th Earl of Caithness</span>

John Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman, 8th Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Sinclair, 4th Lord Sinclair</span>

Henry Sinclair was a Scottish noble and the 4th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 3rd Lord Sinclair, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him the 4th Lord Sinclair and references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which he was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair was "in reality" the fourth holder of the title of Lord Sinclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair</span>

William Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and the 5th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 4th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 5th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with Roland Saint-Clair and says that William Sinclair was "in reality" the fifth Lord Sinclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Sinclair, 7th Lord Sinclair</span>

Henry Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and 7th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 6th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 7th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with the numbering by Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair and William Sinclair were "in reality" the fourth and fifth Lords Sinclair respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Sinclair, 8th Lord Sinclair</span>

James Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and the 8th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 7th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 8th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with the numbering by Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair and William Sinclair were "in reality" the fourth and fifth Lords Sinclair respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Sinclair, 9th Lord Sinclair</span>

Patrick Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and the 9th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 8th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 9th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with the numbering by Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair and William Sinclair were "in reality" the fourth and fifth Lords Sinclair respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander St Clair, 19th Baron of Roslin</span> 19th Baron of Roslin (Scotland)

Alexander St Clair (1672–1706) was the 19th Baron of Roslin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sinclair, 10th Lord Sinclair</span> Scottish nobleman (d. 1676)

John Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and the 10th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 9th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 10th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with the numbering by Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair and William Sinclair were "in reality" the fourth and fifth Lords Sinclair respectively.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Saint-Clair, Roland William (1898). The Saint-Clairs of the Isles; being a history of the sea-kings of Orkney and their Scottish successors of the sirname of Sinclair. Shortland Street, Auckland, New Zealand: H. Brett. pp.  189-190. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Saint-Clair, Roland William (1898). The Saint-Clairs of the Isles; being a history of the sea-kings of Orkney and their Scottish successors of the sirname of Sinclair. Shortland Street, Auckland, New Zealand: H. Brett. pp.  302 . Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Barry, George (1805). The History of the Orkney Islands. Edinburgh and London: Archibald Constable and Longman Hurst. p.  25 . Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Jo Ben's 1529 "Descriptions of Orkney"" . Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Saint-Claire, Roland William (1898). The Saint-Clairs of the Isles. Shortland Street, Auckland, New Zealand: H. Brett. pp.  488-490. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sigurd, Towrie. "The Battle of Summerdale" . Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  7. ↑ Pederson, Roy (1992). Orkneyjar ok Katanes.
  8. 1 2 Sinclair, Niven. "The Battle of Summerdale" . Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Ashmore, P. J. "Excavations at Summersdale, Orkney, by F G Wainwright in July 1960". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 1972–74 (PDF). Vol. 105. pp. 41–42.[ permanent dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.