Battle of Flodden Field
JAMES IV occasionally resided in Dunfermline, as the palace was built, or at least enlarged by him in 1500, after he had been twelve years on the throne. James was more given to love than wine, and Dunbar’s poem, entitled, “The Tod and Lamb’ or the wooing of the King when he was at Dunfermling” arouse from a libertine prank, that took place on one of his visitations.
In 1509 James the IV, prevailed on the pope to confirm the donation of the Arch-bishopric of St Andrews, along with the Abbey of Dunfermline, to Alexander his natural son; and he next entreated the Pope to add to these the Priory of Coldingham. This young pluralist was slain with his father at Flodden field, at the age of twenty-three. (Mercer His of Dunf. p. 59)
1513 – Alexander Stuart, Abbot of Dunfermline Slain, the youthful Abbot of Dunfermline accompanied his father, King James IV to Flodden, and was, along with his ill-fated father and the flower of the Scottish army, slain on Flodden Field, on 9th September 1513, being then in the 21st year of his age. (Mercer's Hist. Dunf. p. 59; Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i. p. 195.) The great Erasums was this Abbot’s Tutor, from whom he had a noble character. (Crawford’s Offices of State, pp. 59, 60; Keith’s Scottish Bishops, pp. 33, 34.) His skeleton was found in 1820, near the High Altar site of St Andrews Cathedral. The skull had a deep sword-cut wound, penetrating through the thickness of the bone. (Newspapers of 1820.) (Annals of Dunfermline p. 187)
When King James IV fell at Flodden his son Alexander, Archbishop of St Andrews and Abbot of Dunfermline fell by his side. The youth was but 15 years of age & was not a seemingly victim of the sword. Both the King & his son lay the flowers of the Scottish nobility. There lay 10 Earls and 13 Lords, and 6 peers eldest sons, a bishop fell there too and 2 Abbots and the preceptors of Torphichen. The French Ambassador was also among the slain. The Earl of Angus lost 2 sons and a son-in-law. The Earl of Man lost 1 son. Lord Oliphant lost 1 son. Lord Cathcart 3 sons; Lord Glamis 3 sons & a son-in-law & a grandson. Sir Alexander Lauder, Provost of Edinburgh & his brothers James and Sir George were also Killed at Flodden. So were Lord Rothes & his brother: McDowall of Gartshshane & his son: James of Wedderburn & his son (“The Eldest of seen spears”) Boswell of Balmule & his brother Boswell of Auchinleck.
The original gazette of the battle preserved in the college of arms London, says the number of Scots killed was 10,000’ the contemporary writer says “Xi to Xii thousand man of the Scots with XIIC of the English” were killed at Flodden.
Mr Jones, Vicar of Brankston, in his” Battle of Flodden Field” admits to the of Scots slain “was 10,000 to 12,000 on the field with their King” he also says “That nearly as many, if not an equal number, fell on the side of the English” and the Bishop of Durham, writing an account of the battle to Alexander Wolsey, says to the Scots were so surely (securely) "To arrows did them no harm, they were so mighty large & great men!”
Hill Burton estimates the number of Scots killed at 8,000 to 10,000 and the English at 6,000 to 7,000. The fact to the Scots kept possession of Flodden Hill all night after the battle, and to the English made no attempt to follow up their advantage, shows how greatly they must have been crippled.
9 September 1513
