Treason or Not

Baron Andrew de Harcla is my 23 Great Grand Uncle. In 1311 he was made Sheriff of Cumberland. In 1314 he was in command of English troops during the Battle of Bannockburn.

The Battle of Bannockburn

William Alan

Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture

 

Bannock Burn is a stream that runs through the Scottish country side and connects to the river Forth. Bannockburn is a small town named for the stream not far from Stirling, Scotland. It is the site of a battle between England and Scotland in an attempt at Scottish Independence. Robert de Bruce was King of Scotland and Edward II was King of England. The English Army had over 16,000 foot soldiers and more than 2,000 troops mounted on horses; more than twice the size of the army King Robert had put together. This battle did not end well for King Edward II. He fled Scotland on a ship leaving behind his troops who were slaughtered by the Scots. Only one regiment of men returned to England. A strong force of Welshmen led by my 23 Great Grand Father, Maurice de Berkeley...that is another story.

Robert the Bruce, Stirling Castle by Andrew Smith,

In 1315 King Robert de Bruce lay seige to Carlisle Castle and under the leadership of Andrew de Harcla King Robert's attempt failed.

Shortly after this Andrew was taken taken prisoner by the Scots and held for a very high ransom. It was paid and he was released.

In 1322 Andrew de Harcla was again at battle in the Battle of Boroughbridge with King Edward II against Thomas, Earl of Lancaster cousin to the King. Andrew was rewarded for his bravery, loyalty and service by being made Lord Harcla. Andrew and his men at arms had control of the bridge when Lancaster arrived. Refusing to negotiate with Lancaster and there being no other way to cross the river a battle broke out. Harcla had men deployed on one end of the bridge, along the road and under the bridge forcing Lancaster, his Earls and his troops to cross the bridge slowly in two columns. It was as the Earl of Hereford was crossing that a pikeman under the bridge thrust his pike straight up through the boards, impaling the Earl of Hereford. The piercing screams of Hereford sent a panic through the troops and they fell back from the bridge in chaos. Lord Harcla negotiated peace for the evening with Lancaster and the following day Lancaster surrendered. Several days later the Earl of Lancaster was executed and Harcla was made Earl of Carlisle.

Carlisle Castle

 

But King Edward was not a charismatic ruler and cared little for Earls defending the borders. After only a few months of the King's unresponsivenss to the raiding and pilaging; Baron Andrew de Harcla negotiated his own peace treaty with King Robert de Bruce signed by both on January 3, 1323.

On the 25th of February 1323 Baron de Harcla was arrested for treason for negotiating and entering into a treaty unsanctioned by King Edward with an enemy of England.

On March 3rd, after being denied a hearing Baron Andrew de Harcla was executed. He was bound to a fence like sructure and dragged through the streets. He was hanged by the neck to the point of almost dead. He was then emasculated. He was disemboweled, beheaded and quartered. According to legend, his head was placed on a pike on London Bridge, one quarter of him was left hanging at Carlisle Castle, one quarter went to the keep at Newcastle, another one was piked on a bridge in York and the last piece was piked at Shrewsbury. He was also degraded from knighthood by having his sword ungirded and his spurs clipped.

Coat of arms of Andrew Harcla

His head was displayed in London for 5 years before being taken down. Andrew's brothers John and Michael were also executed. Andrew's son John became a ward of the king. In 1338 Sarah de Harcla, Baron de Harcla's sister petitioned the king for his body to be returned to her for Christian burial. She received just the quarter that had been hung at Carlisle Castle.

Sarah de Harcla, married my 23rd Great Grandfather Thomas de Musgrave making her my 23 Great Grandmother.