St Andrews Castle (12 of 12)
James Beaton was succeeded by his nephew, the celebrated Cardinal David Beaton. Celebrated by some, despised by many others, Beaton was an undeniably brilliant man, who made it his life's work to oppose the Reformation and the spread of Protestantism.
The story of his eventual assassination is well known. The cardinal had been actively engaged in strengthening the fortifications of the castle against the threatened attack from his implacable enemy, King Henry VIII. One morning in May 1546, a group of conspirators, some eight or ten in number, loitered about in the early morning near the entrance, and then taking advantage of the arrival of the masons employed at the castle, gained admittance via the postern door (see photo 5). They then stabbed the porter and threw his body into the moat, and sent the workmen quietly off the premises, leaving them in complete possession of the castle, before its inmates were astir, following which they dismissed the servants and other inmates one by one.
In this manner, says Tytler, a hundred workmen and fifty household servants were disposed of by a handful of men, who, closing the gates and dropping the portcullis, became complete masters of the castle. The Cardinal was then dispatched (and, some sources say, his body left hanging out of a window of the main tower), after which the murderers kept possession of the castle, their numbers being somewhat augmented. Assistance was sent by King Henry, which enabled the castle's occupants to withstand a siege that was to last nearly a year.
In October 1546, the Earl of Arran and the Scottish Privy Council met at St Andrews, and siege operations commenced in earnest. A tunnel was started by Arran's men, with the intention of undermining the Fore Tower, however the defenders heard the digging and started digging a counter-mine to intercept it and on the third attempt, they were successful. Both the mine and counter-mines were cut through solid rock and were rediscovered in 1879. They are open to the public today.
An account written by one of those besieged in the castle describes how:
"In the month of December, being about six months after the cardinal's murder, and immediately following an attempt at a compromise, the governor (Arran) sent to the west (siege) trenches, four cannons, a battering culverin, two smaller culverins, and some double falcons, in order to batter the sea-tower that is at the north-west and the west wall.
This was on a Friday, and on Wednesday, they began, and shot from seven in the morning continually, till four in the evening. That day they shot down all the battlements, and the tophouse of the sea-tower, and the whole roof of the chambers next the sea; and all this day, they shot upon the east side of the castle with fedderit ballatlis* at the hall and chapel, and dislodged us from that part by the down-putting of the roof and slates."
(*A balista was an enormous cross-bow that fired heavy iron bolts, fletched like arrows, to increase their accuracy.)
In the meanwhile, the English and French Governments were both active in their preparations, the former to succour the garrison in the castle, the latter to attack them, but the French were ready first. In the summer of 1547 they sent twenty-one galleys, under the command of Leon Stronzius, Prior of Capua, both a priest and a warrior, to assist the Governor of Scotland in reducing the castle.
The French mounted their lighter ordnance both upon the college steeple, and also upon the walls of the abbey kirk, from where they could see and fire into the castle courtyard "so that no man durst walk therein, or go up to the wall head."
The French captain told the governor, that "they had been unexpert warriors who had not mounted their ordnance on the steeple-heads in that manner earlier, and that he wondered at the keepers of the castle; that they had not first broken down the heads of the steeples." He then set up "the great battery", consisting of the two Scottish cannons and six French; and to prevent slaughter while they were being moved into position, he devised that the cannons should pass down the streets by engines, without any man with them.
Upon opening fire, the battery, within a few hours made such breaches in the wall that, despairing of their strength, after consultation, they yielded the castle and themselves to the King of France. The French captain entered and spoiled the castle very rigorously ; wherein they found great store of vivers, clothes, armour, silver, and plate, which, with the captives, they carried away in their galleys to France. The governor, by the advice of the council, demolished the castle, least it should be a receptacle of rebels."
Cardinal Beaton's successor, Archbishop John Hamilton, rebuilt the castle, building fine Renaissance style work on top of the remains of the earlier walls, but in 1587 the Act of Annexation was passed which transferred the castle of St. Andrews, along with other church property, to the Crown. In the mid-17th century, the Town Council ordered stone to be taken from the castle for use in repairing the harbour walls.
St Andrews Castle (12 of 12)
James Beaton was succeeded by his nephew, the celebrated Cardinal David Beaton. Celebrated by some, despised by many others, Beaton was an undeniably brilliant man, who made it his life's work to oppose the Reformation and the spread of Protestantism.
The story of his eventual assassination is well known. The cardinal had been actively engaged in strengthening the fortifications of the castle against the threatened attack from his implacable enemy, King Henry VIII. One morning in May 1546, a group of conspirators, some eight or ten in number, loitered about in the early morning near the entrance, and then taking advantage of the arrival of the masons employed at the castle, gained admittance via the postern door (see photo 5). They then stabbed the porter and threw his body into the moat, and sent the workmen quietly off the premises, leaving them in complete possession of the castle, before its inmates were astir, following which they dismissed the servants and other inmates one by one.
In this manner, says Tytler, a hundred workmen and fifty household servants were disposed of by a handful of men, who, closing the gates and dropping the portcullis, became complete masters of the castle. The Cardinal was then dispatched (and, some sources say, his body left hanging out of a window of the main tower), after which the murderers kept possession of the castle, their numbers being somewhat augmented. Assistance was sent by King Henry, which enabled the castle's occupants to withstand a siege that was to last nearly a year.
In October 1546, the Earl of Arran and the Scottish Privy Council met at St Andrews, and siege operations commenced in earnest. A tunnel was started by Arran's men, with the intention of undermining the Fore Tower, however the defenders heard the digging and started digging a counter-mine to intercept it and on the third attempt, they were successful. Both the mine and counter-mines were cut through solid rock and were rediscovered in 1879. They are open to the public today.
An account written by one of those besieged in the castle describes how:
"In the month of December, being about six months after the cardinal's murder, and immediately following an attempt at a compromise, the governor (Arran) sent to the west (siege) trenches, four cannons, a battering culverin, two smaller culverins, and some double falcons, in order to batter the sea-tower that is at the north-west and the west wall.
This was on a Friday, and on Wednesday, they began, and shot from seven in the morning continually, till four in the evening. That day they shot down all the battlements, and the tophouse of the sea-tower, and the whole roof of the chambers next the sea; and all this day, they shot upon the east side of the castle with fedderit ballatlis* at the hall and chapel, and dislodged us from that part by the down-putting of the roof and slates."
(*A balista was an enormous cross-bow that fired heavy iron bolts, fletched like arrows, to increase their accuracy.)
In the meanwhile, the English and French Governments were both active in their preparations, the former to succour the garrison in the castle, the latter to attack them, but the French were ready first. In the summer of 1547 they sent twenty-one galleys, under the command of Leon Stronzius, Prior of Capua, both a priest and a warrior, to assist the Governor of Scotland in reducing the castle.
The French mounted their lighter ordnance both upon the college steeple, and also upon the walls of the abbey kirk, from where they could see and fire into the castle courtyard "so that no man durst walk therein, or go up to the wall head."
The French captain told the governor, that "they had been unexpert warriors who had not mounted their ordnance on the steeple-heads in that manner earlier, and that he wondered at the keepers of the castle; that they had not first broken down the heads of the steeples." He then set up "the great battery", consisting of the two Scottish cannons and six French; and to prevent slaughter while they were being moved into position, he devised that the cannons should pass down the streets by engines, without any man with them.
Upon opening fire, the battery, within a few hours made such breaches in the wall that, despairing of their strength, after consultation, they yielded the castle and themselves to the King of France. The French captain entered and spoiled the castle very rigorously ; wherein they found great store of vivers, clothes, armour, silver, and plate, which, with the captives, they carried away in their galleys to France. The governor, by the advice of the council, demolished the castle, least it should be a receptacle of rebels."
Cardinal Beaton's successor, Archbishop John Hamilton, rebuilt the castle, building fine Renaissance style work on top of the remains of the earlier walls, but in 1587 the Act of Annexation was passed which transferred the castle of St. Andrews, along with other church property, to the Crown. In the mid-17th century, the Town Council ordered stone to be taken from the castle for use in repairing the harbour walls.