Battle of Palm Sunday

For the battle in the English War of the Roses originally known as 'the Palm Sunday Field', see Battle of Towton.
Battle of Palm Sunday
Part of Clan Cameron-Clan Mackintosh feud
Date1429
Location
Scottish Highlands
Result Unknown
Belligerents
Clan Cameron Chattan Confederation

The Battle of Palm Sunday also known as the Massacre of Palm Sunday was a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1429 in the Scottish Highlands between the Clan Cameron and the confederation of Clan Chattan.[1]

Historical accounts

The battle is mentioned in several accounts such as Walter Bower (c. 1385–1449) in his work Scotichronicon, John Major (1467–1550) in his History of Greater Britain and George Buchanan (1506-1582) in his History of Scotland, Rerum Scoticarum Historia.[2]

Background

The (Mackintosh of) Kinrara MS (manuscript, c.1680)[note 1] states that just before the battle the Camerons had taken a spreagh of cattle from Strathdearn.[2]

Battle

According to Major, the Clan Cameron and Clan Chattan both having deserted Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross attached themselves like honest men to the king, but on the Palm Sunday following the Clan Chattan put to death every mother's son of the Clan Cameron.[4] Buchanan stated that many of the Mackintoshes and almost all of the Camerons were slain.[5] The Clan Cameron account states that the Clan Mackintosh who were leaders of the Chattan Confederation attacked the Camerons when they were worshiping in a church and that during the engagement most of the Mackintoshes and almost the whole tribe of Camerons were cut to pieces.[1][6]

References

  1. ^ a b clan-cameron.org. "Battle of Palm Sunday". Clan Cameron Association. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  2. ^ a b Mackintosh-Shaw, Alexander (1880). "V". Historical Memoirs of the House and Clan of Mackintosh and of the Clan Chattan. London: printed for the author by R. Clay, sons, and Taylor. pp. 142. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  3. ^ "A Chronicle of the Family of Mackintosh to 1680". clanchattan.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  4. ^ Major, John (1892) [Originally written in 1521]. "XIII". A History of Greater Britain as well England as Scotland. Edinburgh: Printed at the University press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society. pp. 358-359. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  5. ^ Buchanan, George (1827) [Printed from original latin manuscript of 1579]. History of Scotland. Vol. 2. p. 93. Retrieved 9 November 2019. Republished in 1827 in English by James Aikman
  6. ^ Drummond, John; Macknight, James (1842). "Author's Introduction". Memoirs of Sir Ewen Cameron of Locheill, Chief of the Clan Cameron : with an introductory account of the history and antiquities of that family and of the neighbouring clans. Edinburgh: Printed for the Maitland Club. p. 17 (of author's introduction). Retrieved 2 November 2019.

Notes

  1. ^ The Mackintosh of Kinrara manuscript is a history of the Clan Mackintosh that was written in the 17th century and chronicles the history of the Mackintoshes up to the year 1680. It has been published as A Chronicle of the Family of Mackintosh to 1680.[3]