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The Treaty of Westminster (or the Treaty of Westminster-Ardtornish) was signed on 13 February 1462 between Edward IV of England of the House of York and the Scottish John of Islay, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles. The agreement proposed that if Scotland was conquered by England, the lands north of the Scottish sea (the Firth of Forth) would be divided between the Lord of the Isles and the Earl of Douglas to be held from the crown of England, while the Earl of Douglas would hold Scotland south of the Firth.

Background

The Scottish crown in the minority of James III of Scotland had taken the Lancastrian side in the Wars of the Roses by welcoming the fugitive Henry VI of England. Edward IV was forming new alliances with disaffected English and Scottish nobles to reduce the threat posed by the exiled former king, now in the hands of James III's mother Mary of Guelders.

Process

The Earl of Douglas and his brother John Douglas of Balvenie made their way to the west of Scotland with Edward IV's proposals. The highland lords gave their assent from Ardtornish Castle on 19 October 1461, and sent Ranald of the Isles and Duncan, Archdeacon of the Isles, as their envoys to London. The articles were finalised and sealed at Westminster Palace on 13 February 1462 and signed by Edward IV on 17 March 1462. John, Earl of Ross, Donald Balagh, and his son and heir John, with all the people of Ross and the Isles would become subjects of Edward IV on Whitsunday.^[1]

Consequences

The historian Norman Macdougall thought that the significance of the agreement was overplayed by earlier historians, such as Andrew Lang, who described it as an attempt to "stab Scotland in the back with a Celtic dirk." Its consequence was an attack by the Earl of Ross on crown lands near Inverness in 1462 and 1463.^[2]

The Scottish crown allied with Edward IV by the treaty of York in 1464. In 1475, the English court revealed the existence of the 1462 agreement; John, the Earl of Ross, was consequently summoned for treason – including the acts of making leagues and bands with Edward IV and the banished Earl of Douglas.^[3] John was only able to calm matters by quitclaiming Ross (which at that time included Skye). In 1491, in an attempt to get it back, his half-nephew launched the Raid on Ross, which the Scottish king was then able to use as justification for abolishing the powerful Lordship of the Isles itself.

The Douglases and England

It is notable that Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus was to play a significant role in the future Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502) and its offspring, the Treaty of Greenwich. The Douglases were generally, at that time, the heads of the pro-English party in Scotland, pushing for what eventually became a Union of the Crowns and Kingdom of Great Britain.

References

^ Foedera, vol. 5 part 1, Hague (1741), pp. 107–109, see external links.
^ Macdougall, James III, John Donald (1982), p. 59, citing Lang, Andrew, History of Scotland vol. 1, (1900), p. 336.
^ Macdougall, Norman, James III, (1982), p. 121: J. & R. Munro ed., Acts of the Lords of the Isles, (SHS, Edinburgh 1986), pp. lxx–lxxii.

External links

Timeline for Scotland during the 1400s
Landscapes of Scotland
Rymer, Thomas, Foedera, conventiones, literae,... inter Reges Angliae et alios, vol. 5 part 1 & 2, Johannes Neaulm, Hague, (1741) (Latin), (material from Foedera, vol.11 & 12 (1710-1)), in part 1; p. 107-109.
Lang, Andrew, A History of Scotland from the Roman Occupation, vol. 1, Blackwood, Edinburgh (1900), pp. 336–7.

[1] Foedera, vol. 5 part 1, Hague (1741), pp. 107–109, see external links.

[2] Macdougall, James III, John Donald (1982), p. 59, citing Lang, Andrew, History of Scotland vol. 1, (1900), p. 336.

[3] Macdougall, Norman, James III, (1982), p. 121: J. & R. Munro ed., Acts of the Lords of the Isles, (SHS, Edinburgh 1986), pp. lxx–lxxii.

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[2]

[3]

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+{{Short description|Treaty between England and the Lord of the Isles}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
 [[File:Ardtornish Castle ruins.jpg|thumb|The Scottish lords agreed to join with Edward IV of England at [[Ardtornish Castle]]]]
-The '''Treaty of Westminster''' (or the '''Treaty of Westminster-Ardtornish''') was signed on February 13, 1461 between [[Edward VI of England]] of the [[House of York]] and the Scottish [[Lord of the Isles]], the [[John of Islay, Earl of Ross|Earl of Ross]]. The agreement proposed that if [[Scotland]] was conquered by [[England]], the lands beyond the Scottish sea, beyond the [[Firth of Forth]], would be divided between the Earls and the [[James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas|Earl of Douglas]] to be held from the crown of England, and the Earl of Douglas would hold Scotland south of the Firth.
+The '''Treaty of Westminster''' (or the '''Treaty of Westminster-Ardtornish''') was signed on 13 February 1462 between [[Edward IV of England]] of the [[House of York]] and the Scottish [[John of Islay, Earl of Ross]], [[Lord of the Isles]]. The agreement proposed that if [[Scotland]] was conquered by [[England]], the lands north of the Scottish sea (the [[Firth of Forth]]) would be divided between the Lord of the Isles and the [[James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas|Earl of Douglas]] to be held from the crown of England, while the Earl of Douglas would hold Scotland south of the Firth.
 ==Background==
-The Scottish crown in the minority of [[James III of Scotland]] had taken the [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrian]] part in the [[Wars of the Roses]] by welcoming the fugitive [[Henry VI of England]]. Edward VI was forming an alliance with these disaffected nobles to reduce the threat posed by the exiled former king, now in the hands of James III's mother [[Mary of Guelders]].
+The Scottish crown in the minority of [[James III of Scotland]] had taken the [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrian]] side in the [[Wars of the Roses]] by welcoming the fugitive [[Henry VI of England]]. Edward IV was forming new alliances with disaffected English and Scottish nobles to reduce the threat posed by the exiled former king, now in the hands of James III's mother [[Mary of Guelders]].
 ==Process==
-The highlands lords gave their assent from [[Ardtornish Castle]] on 19 October 1461, their envoys to London were Ranald of the Isles and Duncan, [[Archdeacon of the Isles]]. [[John of Islay, Earl of Ross|John, Earl of Ross]], [[Domhnall Ballach|Donald Balagh]], and his [[John Mor MacDonald, 3rd of Dunnyveg|son and heir John]], with all the people of the [[Ross]] and the [[Hebrides|isles]] would become subjects of Edward VI on Whitsunday. The articles were sealed at [[Westminster Palace]] on 13 February 1462 and signed by Edward IV of England on 17 March 1462.<ref>''Foedera'', vol.5 part1 (1741), p.107-109 see external links</ref>
+The Earl of Douglas and his brother [[John Douglas, Lord of Balvenie|John Douglas of Balvenie]] made their way to the west of Scotland with Edward IV's proposals. The highland lords gave their assent from [[Ardtornish Castle]] on 19 October 1461, and sent Ranald of the Isles and Duncan, [[Archdeacon of the Isles]], as their envoys to London. The articles were finalised and sealed at [[Westminster Palace]] on 13 February 1462 and signed by Edward IV on 17 March 1462. John, Earl of Ross, [[Domhnall Ballach|Donald Balagh]], and his [[John Mor MacDonald, 3rd of Dunnyveg|son and heir John]], with all the people of [[Ross, Scotland|Ross]] and the [[Hebrides|Isles]] would become subjects of Edward IV on Whitsunday.<ref>''Foedera'', vol. 5 part 1, Hague (1741), pp. 107–109, see external links.</ref>
 ==Consequences==
-The historian [[Norman Macdougall]] thought that the significance of the agreement was overplayed by earlier historians, such as Andrew Laing, who described it as an attempt to "stab Scotland in the back with a Celtic dirk." Its consequence was an attack by the Earl of Ross on crown lands near Inverness in 1462 and 1463.<ref>Macdougall, ''James III'', John Donald (1982), p.59, citing Laing, Andrew, ''History of Scotland'' vol.1, (1900), p.336</ref>
+The historian [[Norman Macdougall]] thought that the significance of the agreement was overplayed by earlier historians, such as [[Andrew Lang]], who described it as an attempt to "stab Scotland in the back with a Celtic dirk." Its consequence was an attack by the Earl of Ross on crown lands near Inverness in 1462 and 1463.<ref>Macdougall, ''James III'', John Donald (1982), p. 59, citing Lang, Andrew, ''History of Scotland'' vol. 1, (1900), p. 336.</ref>
+The Scottish crown allied with Edward IV by the [[treaty of York (1464)|treaty of York]] in 1464. In 1475, the English court revealed the existence of the 1462 agreement; John, the Earl of Ross, was consequently summoned for treason – including the acts of making leagues and bands with Edward IV and the banished Earl of Douglas.<ref>Macdougall, Norman, ''James III'', (1982), p. 121: J. & R. Munro ed., ''Acts of the Lords of the Isles'', (SHS, Edinburgh 1986), pp. lxx–lxxii.</ref> John was only able to calm matters by [[quitclaim]]ing [[Ross, Scotland|Ross]] (which at that time included [[Skye]]). In 1491, in an attempt to get it back, his half-nephew launched the [[Raid on Ross]], which the Scottish king was then able to use as justification for abolishing the powerful [[Lordship of the Isles]] itself.
 ==The Douglases and England==
-It is notable that [[Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus]] was to play a significant role in the future [[Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502)]] and its offspring, the [[Treaty of Greenwich]]. The Douglases were generally at that time, the heads of the pro-English party in Scotland, pushing for what eventually became a [[Union of the Crowns]] and [[Kingdom of Great Britain]].
+It is notable that [[Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus]] was to play a significant role in the future [[Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502)]] and its offspring, the [[Treaty of Greenwich]]. The Douglases were generally, at that time, the heads of the pro-English party in Scotland, pushing for what eventually became a [[Union of the Crowns]] and [[Kingdom of Great Britain]].
 ==See also==
 *[[List of treaties]]
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
 * [http://www.royalstuarts.org/timeline_1400.htm Timeline for Scotland during the 1400s]
 * [http://www.dwrobertson-photography.com/gal_corran_ferry.asp Landscapes of Scotland]
-* [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9CocpxjDzuoC&source=gbs_navlinks_s Rymer, Thomas, ''Foedera, conventiones, literae,... inter Reges Angliae et alios'', vol. 5 part 1 & 2, Johannes Neaulm, Hague, (1741)] (Latin), (material from ''Foedera'', vol.11 & 12 (1710-1)), in part 1; p.107-9
+* [https://books.google.com/books?id=9CocpxjDzuoC Rymer, Thomas, ''Foedera, conventiones, literae,... inter Reges Angliae et alios'', vol. 5 part 1 & 2, Johannes Neaulm, Hague, (1741)] (Latin), (material from ''Foedera'', vol.11 & 12 (1710-1)), in part 1; p.&nbsp;107-109.
+* [https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7069873M/A_history_of_Scotland_from_the_Roman_occupation. Lang, Andrew, ''A History of Scotland from the Roman Occupation'', vol. 1, Blackwood, Edinburgh (1900)], pp.&nbsp;336–7.
-==References==
-{{Reflist}}
-[[Category:1461 in law]]
+[[Category:1462 in England]]
-[[Category:1461 in England]]
+[[Category:1462 in Scotland]]
-[[Category:1461 in Scotland]]
+[[Category:Treaties of medieval England|Westminster]]
-[[Category:Treaties of England|Westminster]]
 [[Category:Treaties of Scotland|Westminster]]
-[[Category:History of Westminster]]
+[[Category:History of the City of Westminster]]
-[[Category:15th-century treaties]]
+[[Category:1460s treaties]]
 [[Category:England–Scotland relations]]
 [[Category:Wars of the Roses]]
+[[Category:Edward IV]]
+[[Category:Medieval London]]