BattlefieldsSinclair clan feud violence at Kirkwall 1529
Tudor

Sinclair clan feud violence at Kirkwall 1529

1529
Orkney, Scotland
Also known as: Kirkwall disturbance 1529 — Sinclair feud
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Orkney, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Government officials
Forces
government officials c.50–150.
VS
Victor
Sinclairs of Orkney
Forces
Sinclairs c.150–300
Outcome
Royal officials driven from Kirkwall by armed Sinclair retainers
The Battle

History & Significance

In the years around Summerdale, the Sinclairs of Orkney conducted a sustained campaign of armed resistance against government authority. The expulsion of royal officials from Kirkwall illustrated the powerlessness of the Scottish crown to impose order in the islands without committing significant military force.

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