Battle of the Standard

...so-called because the holy standard of St Cuthbert was carried into battle on a cart.

Image right - Monument to the Battle of the Standard

Image by Roger W Haworth - Own work, CC BY 2.5, Wiki Commons

Battle of Northallerton

War period:

Medieval: Civil War of Stephen & Matilda

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Date:

22 August 1138

Location:

Cowton Moor near Brompton/Northallerton in Yorkshire

Result

English Victory

Belligerents

England

• Strength

~10,000

• Commanders and leaders

• Guillaume d'Aumâle, "le Gros", comte d'Aumâle. Stephen created the title of Earl of York for William le Gros, count of Aumale after the Battle
  
• Walter d’Espec, Sheriff
  
• Sir Robert de Ferrars In his last years he was a leading supporter of King Stephen, taking a large body of Derbyshire men northwards to assist in repelling an invasion of the Scots under King David I of Scotland, nominally on the behalf of Matilda.
  
• Robert de Bruce, 1st Lord of Annandale
  
• Bernard de Baliol I
  
• Adam de Bruce;
  
• Gilbert de Lacy
  
• Walter de Gaunt
  
• Roger I de Mowbray of Masham
  
• William de Peverel the Younger - a principal supporter of King Stephen, and a commander in the Battle of the Standard. He was captured at The Battle of Lincoln
  
• Robert de Stuteville
  

From the Dictionary of the National Biography:
http://www.archive.org/stream/dictionaryofnati55stepuoft/dictionary...
Stuteville, Robert de (d. 1186), baron and justiciar, was son of Robert de Stuteville, one of the northern barons who commanded the English at the battle of the Standard in August 1138 (Gesta Stcphani, p. 160).

• Richard de Courcy
  
• William Foassard
  

• Casualties and Losses

unknown (low)

Scotland

• Strength

~16,000

• Commanders and leaders

• King David I of Scotland
  
• Prince Henry 3rd Earl of Huntingdon his son commanded the vanguard on the right
  

• Casualties and Losses

"The Scottish army suffered a dramatic defeat, but the contemporary claims of 10,000 or more killed have to be dismissed, though it seems fairly certain that the Scots lost far more killed and wounded than did the English". From attached pdf record of the Battle

Causes

When King David I of Scotland gained the Scottish throne he tried to emulate Henry I's England, making peaceful changes and gaining control of areas of Scotland through military campaigns. When Henry I died in 1135 David saw an opportunity to win control of area in the North of England. Henry had wanted his inheritance to pass to his daughter Matilda. David had sworn an oath in 1127 to support that wish. Matilda married Geoffrey V, count of Anjou which caused many to turn against the notion. Stephen of Blois, younger brother of Theobald, count of Blois, seized the throne instead of Matilda.
When Stephen was crowned David went to war. Cumberland was ceded to him and David's son Henry was made Earl of Huntingdon. Stephen refused to sign allegiance to Stephen as he had already sworn allegiance to Matilda. David invaded England early in 1137 and a truce was agreed. Later in the year when the truce had expired David demanded that he be earl of the old earldom of Norhtumberland, a demand which Stephen refused, resiulting in David invading again.

Overview

This was the first major engagement between English and Scots since the Norman Conquest. It was one of two major battles during the Civil War of Stephen and Matilda
Full account Attached and at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Standard

Aftermath

Notable connections

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References, Sources and Further Reading

• UK Battlefields Trust Resource Centre
• http://www.britainexpress.com/History/battles/standard.htm
• http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswars10011200/p/battle-of...
• Scotland - The History of a Nation by Magnus Magnusson