Edward the third was crowned king of England in 1327 A.D. aged just 14.

Still then a minor Roger Mortimer and his mother Isabella the She Wolf of France were joint regents of England.

Edward III , Roger Mortimer and Isabella along with Henry Duke of Lancaster with Philip of Hainault and his mercenaries invaded England and deposed by force Edward the second who was imprisoned in Kenilworth Castle in Jan 1327 A.D. and later transferred to Berkeley Castle but his hated favourites the Despensers were brutally executed in public for treason.

Edward III and Roger Mortimer jointly led the English forces that undertook the disastrous Wearside Campaign in 1327 A.D. against the Scottish forces under James Douglas and the Earls of Mar and Moray representing King Robert the Bruce of Scotland.

Unable to locate the Scottish forces and bring them to open battle the campaign became a series of hit and run skirmishes a game of cat and mouse between the two opposing bitter rivals.

In the treaty of Northampton signed in 1328 A.D. between the Scottish and English independence was granted to Scotland under King Robert the Bruce.

Edward the third was crestfallen by the Wearside campaign and the treaty of Northampton which was known in England as the shameful peace after the alleged cost of the Wearside campaign was circa £70,000 pounds.

Add to this the death and destruction delivered by the Scottish forces under Robert the Bruce over several years of raids into the North of England and along the borderlands of both kingdoms by his forces.

When Robert the Bruce passed away in 1329 A.D. it led to a disputed succession with varied candidates fighting to replace Robert the Bruce as king and inherit the kingdom of Scotland.

Edward the third was however bound by the treaty of Northampton and could not interfere directly in Scottish affairs.

When the disinherited lords fought behind their chosen candidate against the Bruce regimes candidates the Scottish war of Independence took another turn with the Disinherited winning the battle of Dupplin Moor against larger force led by the Bruce regime.

Edward Baliol was crowned king of Scotland at Scone and he swore fealty to Edward the third as his overlord however his reign was short lived he was forced to flee Scotland for his life after an uprising.

Edward the third decided to support Baliol’s bid to regain his kingdom and Baliol recruited a new Anglo – Scottish army to regain his lost crown his force set off from Carlisle heading to lay siege to Berwick.

In response the Scottish countered with a raid deep into Northumberland a move that played into Edward the thirds hands he sent letters to the Pope and the King of France Philip VI pointing out that the Scottish under Archibald Douglas  had broken the peace treaty of Northampton raiding with a force of circa 4000 men and leaving a trail of slaughter and devastation behind them.

With these raids they had openly broken the peace treaty signed by Robert the Bruce and Edward III sent out letters and writs calling for all his vassals to muster at Newcastle in May 1333 A.D. and prepare for the invasion of Scotland.

What followed was the bloody violent siege of Berwick and the battle of Halidon Hill in 1333 A.D.  one of the major battles of the Scottish wars of Independence that saw the kingdom of Scotland in turmoil with varied candidates fighting  each other to succeed Robert the Bruce and seize power and control in Scotland.

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