Marie D'Guise

-The Situation-

French troops came to aid their Scottish allies against the English in the late 1540's.
The treaty of Boulogne of 1550 stipulated that these were to be withdrawn, back to
France. This never occured, and in fact the French even fortified their base, the town
of Leith. Supporting the Queen Dowager, Marie D'Guise, against her increasingly
protestant and rebellious nobility, The Lords of the Congregation, these troops became
the backbone of Pro-French rule in Scotland.

The Protestant Rebels besieged the town in 1559, but with little success. Looking to their
clandestine protector, Elizabeth I of England, they signed the treaty of Berwick, in which
the English sent a fleet and an army under  the Duke of Norfolk to oust the French who
they felt were now a greater threat than ever, with the House of Guise also ascendant in
France, and an invasion threat looming in the south. Further, they had been stung by the
loss of Calais, their last continental possession during the reign of Mary Tudor recently.
National honour, as well as security, were at risk.

The Besieged:

French & Scots Allies-
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Two regiments of French Foot, 8 coys each
One Regiment of Scots Foot, 6 Coys
One regiment of Light Horse, 2 coy
One regiment of Gendarmes, 1 coy

4 coys Town Militia, Raw
Pioneers, 5 coys
One Battery
- - - - - - - - - - - -
One General-
Monsieur D'Oysel, Governor

One Noble Hero-
Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig

- - - - - - - - - - - -

It is Summer
The Troops are Unpaid
Resolve is Good
Powder are Average
Victuals are Average
Treasury is Good
Walls are Average
Supply is Poor
Reinforcement is Poor
Naval Reinforcement is Poor
There is NO Naval Availability

The Town is a Port, in the Firth of Forth, and it is surrounded by a Dry Ditch.
Roll for Terrain normally.

-Historical Outcome-

The English fleet effectively bottled up the town, although the French did manage to get some
warships into the harbour at one point. One land things did not even go as well as that. Even
though they were victorious in repelling several major sorties from the town, and their artillery
proved quite adept, their greatest assault turned into a fiasco when the ladders were found
to be too short. With high losses and a lack of replacements, the English were close to calling
the siege off, when negotiations suddenly took a turn for the better. The French were running
short of food, and accepted the English offer to allow all of the troops to depart the country
and go home for good.

Although the treaty was not ratified by the French or by the young Mary Stuart (Queen of France), it was a fait accomplis- Marie D'Guise had died, and  any support for her
goevrnment and the catholic cause was gone. The English had acheived all
their war aims.

For a fuller account of the siege, go to

Here is an image of the siege itself (thanks, Angus!)

Home to the Spanish Fury page