| Conflict: | Sieges of Haddington |
| Partof: | Anglo-Scottish Wars Rough Wooing |
| Date: | July 1548–19 September 1549 |
| Place: | Haddington, Scotland |
| Result: | Scottish/French victory; Scots claim back Haddington |
| Combatant1: | Kingdom of France |
| Commander1: | Earl of Arran Lord Methven Paul de Thermes André de Montalembert Henri Cleutin |
| Commander2: | Earl of Shrewsbury Baron Grey of Wilton Sir James Wilford Sir Thomas Palmer Thomas Gower |
| Strength1: | 5000–6000 |
| Strength2: | Up to 15,000 |
| Casualties1: | Unknown |
| Casualties2: | Unknown |
The sieges of Haddington were a series of sieges staged at the Royal Burgh of Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, as part of the War of the Rough Wooing, one of the last Anglo-Scottish Wars. Following Regent Arran's defeat at the battle of Pinkie Cleugh on Saturday 10 September 1547, he captured the town of Haddington. The intention was to form a network of mutually supporting English forts in lowland Scotland. The English forces built artillery fortifications and were able to withstand an assault by the besieging French and Scots troops supported by heavy cannon in July 1548. Although the siege was scaled down after this unsuccessful attempt, the English garrison abandoned the town on 19 September 1549, after attrition by Scottish raids at night, sickness, and changing political circumstance.[1]
The English commander, Grey of Wilton, captured and garrisoned Haddington and outlying villages by 23 February 1548. The garrison included 200 Albanian Stratioti who had previously fought in the French army.[2] At the end of February 1548, Regent Arran brought four cannon to besiege and take the East Lothian houses of Ormiston, Brunstane, and Saltoun which John Cockburn of Ormiston and Alexander Crichton of Brunstane held for England, and summoned the men of Stirling, Menteith, and Strathearn to the field.[3]
Grey and Thomas Palmer began to fortify the town in earnest after 24 April 1548. Wilton described how he viewed the town with Palmer, envisaging a fortification that would enclose all the "fair houses" of the town. He had cleared the ground and was entrenched against the enemy. Regent Arran brought 5,000 men to Musselburgh at the end of the month.[4] An inventory of food stored in Haddington at this time includes "oxen alive", bacon, cereal and peas, claret wine, sack, and Malmsey.[5]
The English strategy was for the siege of Haddington to consume Scottish and French resources.[6] The soldiers built the fortifications alongside labourers from England who were called 'pioneers.' Timber was brought from the woods of Broun of Colstoun. Although the site had obvious drawbacks, overlooked by the ridge of the nearby Garleton Hills and four miles from the sea, the finished ramparts were much admired.
Local landowners unwilling to collaborate had to relocate. George Seton, 6th Lord Seton and his French wife Marie Pieris moved from their home at Seton Palace to Culross Abbey.[7]
The French ambassador in London, Odet de Selve, heard from a French mercenary serving on the English side that it was almost as impregnable as Turin.[8] Somerset even showed Odet de Selve the plan, a large rectangle by the river Tyne, and said it was larger than the fortified area of Calais, and would hold 4,000 troops. Selve sent a spy to Scotland for details, who reported the walls were as yet only the earth excavated from the ditches, but stone from demolished houses would be used.[9]
The design include four corner bastions, called Bowes, Wyndham, Taylor, and Tiberio, after the commanders.[10] Francisco Tiberio was the leader of a company of Italian mercenaries. The French ambassador was told that the tollbooth, a tall and solid stone structure, had been filled with earth to form a gun platform called a cavalier.[11]