In 1456 the aggressive King of Scots, James II, sent an armed expedition against the Isle of Man. As is well-known, Man was at this time a private lordship owned by the then Stanleys, who was known as ‘King of Man.’
Retaliation was swift and led by Stanley’s son, Thomas – yes, he of Bosworth fame for his standing on the sidelines.
‘Ignoring the Anglo-Scottish truce of July 1457, young Stanley crossed by sea from Man to Kirkcudbright, plundered and burned the town and raided the West March. This was a blow to James II, who had made Kirkcudbright a royal burgh after the Douglas forfeitures of 1455, immediately using it as a seaport from which his expedition to Man had sailed.’
Extract from James III, A Political Study, by Norman Macdougall, John Donald Publishers Ltd., 1982. Page 42.
This shows quite a different side to our Thomas!
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