User:CSJJ104/sandbox/Siege of Wark (1174)

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Possession of Northumberland
Following the accession of Stephen of Blois as king of England in 1136, David I of Scotland aligned himself with his niece, Matilda, the designated heir of Henry I of England and forced Stephen to grant control of Cumberland and Northumberland to David and his son, Henry of Scotland. After Henry's death David invested his grandson, Henry's son, William as earl of Northumberland. After David's death in 1153 Scotland was left with a boy king in Malcolm IV, and Henry II of England seized the opportunity, reclaiming northern England in the 1157 treaty of Chester. William was given lands in Tynedale worth £10 per annum, but did not forget or forgive the loss of his earldom.

English revolt
In 1163 Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury had fallen into dispute with Henry II and he would be exiled in 1164. In 1170 Henry would have his son, Henry the Young King crowned as his successor by the archbishop of York, but was not allowed any real power, despite having done homage to Louis VII of France for his fathers lands of Anjou, Maine and Brittany, the latter to be held by his brother Geoffrey. In 1172 his brother, Richard, was invested with the duchy of Aquitaine and the county of Poitou, exciting feelings of resentment in the Young King. Other sources of tension between the Young King and his father included the death of Thomas Becket and the young King's rising debt. Louis VII had already pointed out to the Young King, his son-in-law, that he had no real power, and after Henry II agreed in February 1173 to hand three Angevin castles over to his five-year-old son John, the Young King demanded that his father hand over any one of England, Normandy or Anjou, a demand that was promptly refused. In March the Young King secretly left his fathers court by night and fled to the court of Louis, where he was joined by his brothers Richard and Geoffrey. When Henry II's envoys arrived in Paris they were refused entry on the grounds that the Young King was the rightful ruler of the Plantagenet lands. This coalition was reinforced by other rivals of Henry II from within his own lands, and by Philip the count of Flanders.

Scottish involvement
now in rebellion against his father, the Young King offered William of Scotland the northern counties of England in return for his aid. As part of the proposal William's brother David would receive the earldom of Huntingdon with Cambridgeshire. After consultation between William and his barons in the summer of 1173 it was agreed to ask Henry II for Northumberland, and if that failed the homage William and David had made to both Henry and his son would be renounced. Henry II's summary rejection of William's claims left William in no doubt that Northumberland would only be regained by force. While some of his nobles cancelled against it William chose to join the alliance against Henry II, receiving promises from Louis and Phillippe that mercenaries would be landed in England and renewed promises of land. In August 1173 the Scottish army left the muster at Caddonlea and moved to Wark castle, where the castellan was granted a truce. The Scots moved further into Northumberland and Cumberland, destroying the countryside but unable to take any castles, and returned to Roxburgh when news of a relieving force arrived. The English commanded by Ranulf de Glanville burnt Berwick and agreed a truce until 13 January 1174, before heading south to deal with an invasion from Flanders. This truce was later extended until 24 March on payment of 300 marks by the bishop of Durham to William.

Castle and defenders
The castle was defended by wooden palisade, more complex than a wall with descriptions implying a "prickly" or "hedgehog" like arrangement of stakes. The castle's constable was Roger de Stuteville and he commanded a garrison of 10 knights and 40 sergeants. Prior to the siege de Stuteville had ensured his men were well provisioned.