Rough Wooing

The Rough Wooing was a war launched by Henry VIII in 1543, in an attempt to enforce the marriage agreement between his son Edward and Mary, Queen of Scots, which would have led to the union of the English and Scottish Crowns, an outcome undesirable to the Scottish nobility.

As well as some larger set piece battles the Rough Wooing was characterised by numerous cross border raids resulting in the burning of settlements, the killing of inhabitants and the theft of livestock.

The Swinhoe family of Cornhill were part of the gentry of North Northumberland and were paid by the crown to maintain a garrison of 20 horsemen at Cornhill Tower for the defence of the border. The Cornhill garrison was involved in many raiding parties that terrorised the people of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire.

After Henry’s death the war was continued under his son’s reign culminating in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547 where a large proportion of the Scottish nobility were to perish. However the Rough Wooing was ultimately unsuccessful and Mary was carried off to France to be betrothed to the Dauphin.

The citizens of Cornhill no longer visit death and destruction on their Scottish neighbours but instead ply them with high quality gin including this fine example.