April 1, 1318: James Douglas reclaims Berwick-upon-Tweed during the Scottish War of Independence


The exact birth date and place of James Douglas are unknown to history; but we do know that he was probably born around the year 1286. Douglas's father, William was an early supporter of William Wallace. Due to the ongoing War of Independence, James spent his formative years in the safety of France. After Wallace's defeat at the Battle of Falkirk, William Douglas was captured and imprisoned; he died in prison in 1298. The English king, Edward I proceeded to usurp Douglas's lands as recompense for this father's alleged treason. When the younger Douglas returned to Scotland in 1304, he petitioned the king to return his lands to him, but Edward refused.
Now a landless outcast, Douglas roamed the Scottish countryside in search of vindication. In 1306, he allied himself with the new Scottish king, Robert the Bruce. King Robert tasked Douglas with staging a guerrilla campaign in the south of Scotland, while he secured his holdings in the North. Throughout 1307, and 1308, Douglas's skills and reputation as a soldier grew. In 1308, he finally retook his ancestral homeland in a sneak attack raid on Palm Sunday. In the fall, he reunited with Bruce at the Battle of Pass of Brader. They were victorious in the battle, successfully securing Scotland's North. In 1310, the new King of England, Edward II reattempted to subjugate the beleaguered country. War between the two countries raged for years. As the war progressed, England's hold on the country grew weaker. On June 24, 1314, King Robert, Douglas, and Edward met at Bannockburn. The battle that ensued would be the greatest in Scottish history. The English sufferer a devastating defeat, which would obliterate their will to fight. They slowly began to withdraw their troops from Scotland. Their victory at Bannockburn allowed the Scots to began reclaiming English garrisons in the South. By 1317, all but one remained.

 King Robert tasked James Douglas with retaking the stronghold at Berwick-upon-Tweed. In November, Bruce had tried the take the fort but was unsuccessful. In April 1318, Douglas and Earl of Dunbar reattempted to capture it. This time they chose a less overt strategy. Douglas bribed some English guards to open the gate for him and his men. On the evening of April 1st, they did just that, letting Douglas through unmolested. He began to plunder the town, and it capitulated soon after. King Robert went to establish the town as a key trading post in southern Scotland. The town would change hands many times in ensuing years, eventually falling to the English in 1482.

 Throughout the remainder of his life, Douglas would be a key ally to Robert the Bruce. In 1323, Edward tried again in vain to invade Scotland. He was repulsed by Robert and Douglas the Battle of Old Byland. During the 1320's as England dealt with internal strife, Douglas took the opportunity to raid the English border region. In 1329, King Robert died. Before his death, he asked his friend, Douglas to take his heart to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. On his way to the Holy Land, he stopped in the Kingdom of Castile. King Alfonso pleaded with Douglas to aid him against the Moors. He agreed. In 1330, Douglas was killed in a Moorish route during the Battle of Teba. 

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