Alba Historical

  James IV., 1488-1513 The first thing to be done after the affair of Sauchieburn was to find out what had become of the King, and, when his death was made sure of, an inquiry was set on foot as to the cause of it. The offices of state were transferred to the party in power, and an act of amnesty was passed, to take in all persons who had taken part with the late King in the struggle which the nobles pleased to call the late rebellion. Two ineffectual risings to avenge the murder of the King were made by the Lords  Lennox  and  Forbes , and three years later, to pacify the clamours of the people, a reward of one hundred marks was offered for the discovery of the actual murderers. Just at this time Henry the Seventh of England had his hands too busy at home to allow of his making open war upon Scotland, but he carried  [Pg 80] on secret schemes with  Angus ,  Ramsay , and others for the capture of the King. James, on the other hand, upheld that  Pe...

 The Battle of Flodden King James was determined to invade England.  Though the cause was not popular, the King was, and a large army was soon mustered. The King himself led the host across the Border, and encamped on the  Till , but, as he would not take the advice of  Angus  and others who  knew more of border fighting than he did, he mismanaged the whole affair.  He idled away the time till his own army began to disperse and the English had time to gather; then he let them cross the river unopposed, and finally left his strong position on the hill to meet them hand to hand in the plain.  The result was an utter defeat, and the King, who was more eager to display his own valour than to act the part of the general in command, was slain in the thickest of the fight.  Twelve earls and thirteen barons fell round him, and every noble house in Scotland left some of its name on the fatal field of  Flodden  Sept. 9, 1513.  ...

 King James III  (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) During the first part of this reign,  Kennedy, Bishop of St. Andrews , had the chief part in the government. He died in 1466, and on his death the  Boyds  got hold of the King and of the chief power. These  Boyds  were originally simple lairds, but they strengthened themselves by bonds with more powerful families, won the King's favour and finally got possession of his person, by making him come with them, partly by persuasion, partly by force, from  Stirling  to  Edinburgh . They then obtained  [Pg 76] an act of the Estates declaring that this step had been taken with the full consent and good pleasure of the King. The  Lord Boyd  was appointed guardian of his person and of the royal strongholds, his son  Thomas  was created  Earl of Arran , and with the earldom the King's sister  Mary  was given him in marriage. For many years the rent of th...