Walter the high steward made governor of Berwick

For this we have the testimony of the English historians, Thomas de la More, and Adam Murimuth, although the pope, in his bull of excommunication, represents him as having seized Berwick by treachery during a time of truce; and charges him moreover, with having committed a great and cruel slaughter of the inhabitants. Both accusations are unfounded. The truce was publicly disclaimed by the king, and the city was treated with uncommon lenity. It was at this time the chief commercial emporium of England, and its plunder greatly enriched the Scottish army. There were also found in it great quantities of provisions and military stores, and Bruce, after having examined the fortifications, determined to make it an exception from his general rule of demolishing all fortresses recovered from the English.-f In execution of this plan, he committed the keeping of both town and castle to his son-in-law, Walter the Steward; and aware that, from its importance, the English would soon attempt to recover it, he provided it with every sort of warlike engine then used in the defence of fortified places.

Springalds and cranes, with huge machines for discharging iron darts, called balistw de turno, were stationed on the walls; a large body of archers, spearmen, and cross-bowmen, formed the garrison; and the young Steward was assisted in his measures of defence by John Crab, a Fleming, famous for his skill in the rude engineering of the times 4 Five hundred brave gentlemen, who quartered the arms of the Steward, repaired to Berwick, to the support of their chief; and Bruce, having left it victualled for a year, marched with his army into England, and ravaged and laid waste the country. He besieged and made himself master of the castles of Wark and Harbottle, surprised Mitford, and having penetrated into Yorkshire, burnt the towns of Northallerton, Boroughbridge, Scarborough, and Skip ton in Craven. The plunder in these expeditions was great, and the number of the captives may be estimated from the expression of an ancient English chronicle, that the Scots returned into their own country, driving their prisoners like flocks of sheep before them.