The Battle of Stirling Bridge Flashcards
Who died in 1286 that caused Scotland dynastic problems? (Problems to do with the succession) (1)
Alexander III
Who was Alexander III’s successor, what happened to her and when? (4)
Margaret the Maid of Norway (1), 4 years old (1), died of pneumonia (1) in 1290 (1) leaving no heir.
When was the Battle of Dunbar & who won & lost? (3)
27 April 1296 (1) Edward I (1) defeated John Balliol (1)
Who led the Scots forces at the Battle of Stirling Bridge? (2)
William Wallace & Sir Andrew de Moray
Why was Stirling Castle important? (2)
It was of huge militarily importance (1) as it was seen as holding the position between the lowlands and highlands of Scotland. (1)
Who led the English forces at Stirling? (3)
John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey & the Hugh de Cressingham
Was Edward I present at the battle? (1)
No
What river did the bridge cross? (1)
The River Forth.
Where did the Scottish army assemble? (2)
The slopes of Abbey Craig
How many did the English have at the battle? (1)
7,000
How many cavalry did the English have at the battle? (1)
300
How many did the Scots have at the battle? (1)
6,000
How did the Scots form their battle lines? (2)
In schiltrons (1), which are divisions of pike men set up like hedgehogs! (1)
What was the aim of the Scots? (2)
To engage and destroy a sizeable portion of the English force (1) and retake Stirling Castle. (1)
What was the Earl of Surrey advised in doing at the start of the battle? (2)
To take a detachment of cavalry and cross the river further upstream (1) by using a ford and thereby not needing to use the bridge. (1)
What was the English battle tactic? (2)
To cross the bridge (1) and engage the Scots on the other side of the river. (1)
Why was the bridge a problem for the English? (2)
It was narrow (1); it could only fit two mounted men-at-arms (side by side) at a time. (1)
How did the Scots react to the English move across the bridge? (3)
Once a significant portion of the English had crossed the bridge (1) - current opinion suggests around 2,000 men (1) - the Scots advanced in a schiltron formation (1)
Why were the schiltrons so effective at this battle? (3)
- Although vulnerable to archers, the schiltrons were extremely effective against cavalry. (1)
- There were insufficient numbers of archers at this battle so the Scots were able to stand their ground (1)
- The English could not break out of the meander (bend in the river) that the Scots found themselves in. (1)
What problem did the English find themselves in once they had crossed the bridge? (3)
With insufficient archers to break the schiltron (1), and insufficient space to build up sufficient momentum for a high-speed charge (1), the English cavalry was rebuffed. (1)
How did the Scots finally get control of the battlefield? (3)
- The Scots pushed the English back towards the bridge. (1)
- Unable to regroup the English attempted to get back across the bridge but were restricted both by its narrow width and by more soldiers trying to cross. (1)
- Defeat turned into rout as the trapped English, outnumbered 3 to 1, were slain in large numbers. (2)
What were the results of the battle? (3)
- Wallace became guardian of Scotland.
- English forces in Scotland were forced to surrender.
- Edward I was furious and planned an invasion of his own
When did Edward I take back control of Scotland? (2)
1298 (1), after the Battle of Falkirk (1).
