Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Battle of Nesbit Moor: Scotland's Forgotten Victory Before Bannockburn
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've covered a lot of the big battles — Bannockburn, Culloden, Dunbar, Pinkie. But there's this one skirmish in 1355 that doesn't get nearly enough attention, and it really shows how Scots fought when they were outnumbered. Luna: What battle is that? Lucas: The Battle of Nesbit Moor. It happened in the Scottish Borders, near a place called Nesbit, just north of the River Tweed. And it wasn't a massive set-piece battle — more of a vicious little ambush. But its consequences rippled through the rest of the century. Luna: Okay, so who was fighting? Lucas: On the Scottish side, the main commander was Thomas Stewart, the Earl of Angus. He was a border lord, which meant he spent his whole life raiding and defending against English incursions. On the English side, you had Sir Thomas Grey, the constable of Norham Castle — a pretty seasoned soldier. And the trigger was a Scottish raid into Northumberland that Grey tried to intercept. Lucas: The Scots were coming back from a successful raid, probably with cattle and prisoners, when Grey caught up with them at Nesbit Moor. But Grey didn't wait for reinforcements — he attacked immediately with a smaller force. That was his mistake. Luna: So the Scots turned and fought? Lucas: Exactly. The Scots — led by the Earl of Angus — formed up and counterattacked. They used the classic tactic of dismounted men at arms, combined with archers. And they caught the English in a bad position, probably while they were still deploying. The English were routed. Sir Thomas Grey himself was captured, along with several knights. It was a thorough humiliation for the English. Luna: What happened to Grey? Lucas: He was taken prisoner and later ransomed — that was standard for knights. But interestingly, Grey wrote a chronicle later, the 'Scalacronica', while he was in captivity in Edinburgh Castle. And he gives a firsthand account of the battle. So we have a rare English perspective on a Scottish victory. Luna: That's a great source. So what was the aftermath? Lucas: Well, the victory at Nesbit Moor gave the Scots a boost. Later that same year, they managed to recapture berwick upon tweed — the key border town that had been in English hands for years. But it didn't last. Edward III came north with a huge army in 1356, and the Scots had to retreat. So the long-term impact was limited, but it showed that the Scots could still win field engagements even after the great victories of Robert the Bruce's era. Luna: So it's a forgotten victory that proves Scottish resilience. Lucas: Exactly. And it's a good example of how border warfare worked — fast raids, ambushes, and a lot of brutality. The Borders were a lawless place for centuries. Lucas: One more thing: the Earl of Angus, Thomas Stewart, was part of the powerful Stewart family. His father had been a close ally of Robert the Bruce. So this battle also ties into the political dynamics of the Scottish nobility. Luna: The Stewarts were on the rise. Lucas: Exactly. Within a few generations, they'd be kings of Scotland. So Nesbit Moor is a small but telling moment in that family's ascent. Luna: It's amazing how much history hinges on these minor battles. Lucas: Yeah, and that's what I love about this show — we dig into the stuff that textbooks skip. If you've found this useful, the way we keep these episodes ad-free is through listener support. You can head to buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo and chip in if you like. No pressure, but it really helps. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep history alive for everyone. Lucas: So back to Nesbit Moor — the other interesting figure is Sir Thomas Grey's son, also Thomas, who later became a chronicler himself. He wrote about his father's capture. So we have a family tradition of historiography. Luna: History within history. Lucas: Exactly. And that's what keeps me digging.