A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



passed against the Despensers ; "' the elder Despenser was created Earl of Winchester, Sir Andrew 

 Harcla was made Earl of Carlisle/' and William de Aune, who had successfully defended Tickhiil 

 Castle, was knighted." This same Parliament authorized a fresh expedition into Scotland, but after 

 marching to Edinburgh through a country destitute alike of opponents and of food the English army 

 returned ingloriously, suffering from hunger and disease. On 13 October the army was encamped 

 on Blackhow Moor close to Byland awaiting reinforcements, and King Edward himself was at 

 Rievaulx when he heard that the Scots had reached Northallerton.'' Next day Edward went 

 over to Byland, and while he was there the Scots suddenly attacked the English position, swarming 

 up the steep wooded slopes, and after a brief struggle were completely victorious. The Earl of 

 Richmond was amongst the prisoners, and the king himself had a narrow escape, but managed to 

 get off with the Earl of Kent, the younger Despenser, and a few others to Bridlington, whence next 

 morning they rode on to Burstwick and so across the Humber into Lincolnshire, accompanied by 

 Robert of Scarborough, Prior of Bridlington, who carried the treasures of his church with him 

 into safety.'' All the royal baggage fell into the hands of the Scots, who also plundered the 

 abbeys of Byland and Rievaulx and then advanced to Malton, where Brus established his head 

 quarters. The canons of Bridlington wisely sent one of their number who had relations amongst 

 the Scottish leaders to obtain terms for them, and escaped lightly,^ but other monasteries and towns 

 suffered severely at the hands of the invaders, who advanced as far south as Beverley, setting up their 

 standard at Hunslet, and after plundering all the East Riding returned home unmolested.** Edward 

 found a scapegoat in the erstwhile victor of Boroughbridge, and the Earl of Carlisle was degraded 

 and executed for having first remained with his contingent at Boroughbridge instead of hastening 

 to Blackhow when ordered, and having afterwards made terms with Brus.*' Early in June 1323 

 a truce for thirteen years was arranged with the Scots and ratified by King Edward at Bishopthorpe.*" 



In the first year of his reign, 1327, at Whitsuntide, Edward III came to York to prepare for 

 an advance against the Scots, and here he was joined by Sir John of Hainault with a large force of 

 foreign troops. While the courtiers were feasting a quarrel arose between some of the foreign 

 retainers and a body of English archers and rapidly developed into a serious riot, the archers assault- 

 ing the lodgings of Sir Walter d'Enghien and other Hainaulters, and the foreigners defending 

 themselves vigorously.** More fortunate was the king's next visit, in January 1328, when he was 

 married at York to the beautiful and charming Philippa of Hainault.*' It was at York also, in 

 January 1333, that Edward resolved to support the claims of Balliol,*' who six months before had 

 sailed from Hull to claim the throne of Scotland.*' Another Parliament held at York in 1335 

 decreed further measures against the Scots,** and it was on his way back from Scotland, in 1336, that 

 Edward halted to keep Christmas at Hatfield, where his queen gave birth to a son, William of 

 Hatfield, who lived only a few days and was buried in the cathedral.*' Ten years later, in 1346, 

 Queen Philippa was at York, during her husband's absence in France, and no doubt encouraged 

 Archbishop Zouch and the other Yorkshire lords who led the army against the Scots to the 

 decisive victory of Neville's Cross,'" though she did not accompany the forces herself, as Froissart 

 imagined.'* 



Though York was, during the 14th century, practically thesecond capital of England, it seems 

 to have been behind the times in some respects, as in 1332 the king declared that York more than 

 any other city in the realm abounded in abominable smells from the filthy streets." We may 

 conclude that the city suffered at least as severely as the rest of the county from the ravages of the 

 terrible Black Death in 1349. The effects of the plague belong rather to the economic than to the 

 political history of the county, but it was largely to the economic changes brought about by 

 its devastations that the troubles of the early years of the reign of Richard II were due. In York 

 itself and in the two great boroughs of Beverley and Scarborough the governing bodies, not recogniz- 

 ing the growing power of the people, continued their traditional autocratic policy. The discontent 

 of the oppressed commons came to a head about the end of 1380. In November of that year John 

 Gisburn, Mayor of York, was forcibly deposed and Simon Quixley set up in his place. A few months 

 later the conunons of Beverley rose in arms against their governors. In both towns the struggle 

 between the two parties continued with mutual violence for about a year, but ended in the victory 



" Cal. Close, 1318-23, p. 545. 

 " Chron. Edv.\ I and II (Rolls. Ser.), i; 303. 



" Cal. Pat. 1 321-4, p. 108. " Cal. of Doc. Scot, iii, 147. 



" Chrm. Edvj. I and II (Rolls. Ser.), ii, 79, 80. «« Ibid. 80. 



" Chron. Mon. de Melsa (Rolls Ser.), ii, 346. 



*' Ibid. 347 ; Cal. of Doc. Scot, iii, Introd. p. xxxi. " Cal. of Doc. Scot. 150. 



" Froissart, Chron. (ed. Johnes), 28-30. " Chron. Edw. I and // (Rolls Ser.), ii, 99. 



" Ibid. no. ^ Ibid. 104. " Ibid. 122. 



" Ibid. 128. » Knighton, Chron. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 43. 



" Froissart, Chron. (ed. Johnes), 341. •» Cal. Close, 1330-3, p. 6 to. 



406 



