King David Builds a Nation

Although King David I spent most of his reign building churches and abbeys his main ambition was to extend his kingdom. For many years Scottish Kings had believed that lands in the north of England, especially Northumbria, belonged to Scotland. Since David’s wife, Matilda of Huntingdon, a Saxon princess, was heir to these lands David could lay claim to them, for their son.

For more than half his reign, David did nothing to further his ambitions, probably because of his friendship with the English King Henry I. When Henry died in the winter of 1135, both his daughter, Matilda, and her cousin, Stephen claimed the throne, causing a civil war, lasting nineteen years. David seized the opportunity and marched south, apparently in support of the newly crowned Stephen. Before Stephen could come north with his army, David had captured Newcastle and Carlisle.

When the two Kings finally met, it was in Durham. David’s real intention, to gain control of English territory, was now clear to Stephen but after two weeks of arguments they reached an agreement. David kept Carlisle and Stephen agreed that David’s son Henry would be granted the title of Earl of Northumbria. All seemed to be settled.

The peace between Scotland and England was destined to be short-lived, as Stephen failed to honour his promise to make Prince Henry Earl of Northumbria. In the spring of 1138, David marched south again. This time he gave support to Stephen’s rival Matilda. David’s army marched down through Northumbria, Durham, Lancashire and Yorkshire, with castles falling in his wake.

To many people in England, it seemed that David had come to conquer the whole country, and one man, Thurstan, the Archbishop of York, decided to oppose the Scots. He raised an army and marched north until he met David’s men at Northallerton. There the Archbishop raised his standard the mast of a ship with the Flags of St. Peter, St John and St Wilfred displayed.

The English army began singing psalms; they were going to fight a holy war. On the other side things were less enthusiastic. David’s men were tired from months of relentless marching and fighting, and many were getting homesick. The great Norman knights had no quarrel with their kinsmen south of the border and tried to persuade David to come to some bargain without fighting. 

When he refused to consider this, they promptly changed sides!  In spite of this reverse, David fought that day and although he lost the Battle of the Standard (1138) he won the peace.  King Stephen renewed his promise of Northumbria for Prince Henry.  David returned to Scotland having achieved his ambition.  The border with England now ran from Derwent Water in the west to the River Tyne in the east.

Unfortunately, David’s success proved short-lived.  Prince Henry died in 1153 and his father only a few months later.  The Scottish throne passed to David’s twelve year old grandson, Malcolm IV who within four years was forced to return Northumbria to the English king under pressure from the his force of arms.