1: Malcolm Fleming of Cummirnald.
2: David II., with his consort, Johanna of England, landed, from France, at Inverbervie, in Kincardineshire, 4th May, 1341. — Annals of Scotland.
It has been mentioned before, how the lords of Scotland, during the siege of Tournay, had retaken many towns and fortresses from the English, which they possessed in Scotland. There only remained to them the castles of Stirling, Roxburgh, and Berwick. The Scots had laid siege to the castle of Stirling, assisted by some French lords, whom king Philip sent to aid them in their wars, and had pressed it so closely, that the English garrison found great difficulty in holding it out. When the king of England was returned into his own country, he thought it advisable to make an incursion into Scotland, which he immediately set about, and began his march between Michaelmas and All-Saints. He issued out his summons for all archers and men at arms to follow him to York. The English put themselves in motion to obey his commands, and came to the place appointed. The king arrived at York, where he remained waiting for his forces, who followed him very quickly. When the Scots heard of the king’s arrival at York, they pushed on the siege of Stirling with the greatest vigour; and by engines and cannons so pressed the garrison, that they were forced to surrender it, preserving their lives, but not their effects. This intelligence was brought to the king, where he lay. He began his march towards Stirling, and came to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where, and in the neighboring villages, he quartered his army, and continued upwards of a month, waiting for their purveyances, which had been embarked between All-Saints and St. Andrew’s day. Many of their ships were lost; and they had sustained such contrary winds, that they were driven upon the coasts of Holland and Friezeland, in spite of all their efforts, so that very few arrived at Newcastle. On which account the army of the king of England, which consisted of six thousand cavalry and forty thousand infantry, were in very great distress, and provisions exceedingly scarce. They could not advance farther, as the winter was set in, and no forage or provisions to be had; for the Scots had secured all the cattle and corn in their fortresses. The Scottish lords, who, after the conquest of Stirling, had retired to the forest of Jedworth, understanding that the king of England was come to Newcastle with a large force, to burn and destroy their country, collected together, to consider of the best means to defend themselves. They were not very numerous, and had carried on the war, night and day, for more than seven years, without a leader, very much to their own discomfort: and seeing there was not any expectation of receiving succour from their own king, they determined to send to the king of England a bishop and an abbot, to solicit a truce.
These ambassadors set out and came to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where they found the king surrounded by his barons; to whom, having come with a safe-conduct, they explained so handsomely their mission, that a truce was granted them for four months, upon condition that the Scots should send messengers to king David in France, and signify to him, that if in the month of May following, he did not return to his own country, with powers sufficient to defend it against king Edward, they would own themselves subject to the king of England, and never more acknowledge him for their lord. Upon this, the two prelates returned to Scotland, when the Scots ordered sir Robert de Vesci and sir Simon Frazer, with two other knights, to set off for France, to inform the king of these conditions. The king of England, who had remained at Newcastle with his whole army in a very uncomfortable manner, on account of the scarcity of provisions and other stores, the more readily granted this truce: he immediately set off homewards, and dismissed all his troops. The ambassadors from Scotland to France took their way through England, and crossed the sea at Dover. King David, who had remained seven years in France, knowing that his country had been much desolated, and that his people had suffered exceedingly, determined to take his leave of the king of France, and return to his own kingdom, to endeavour to comfort and assist them. He therefore had set out, accompanied by his queen, before these ambassadors arrived, and had embarked at another port, under the guidance of a mariner called sir Richard the Fleming, so that he landed in the port of Moray, in Scotland, before any of the lords knew of it2.