Independance from England, Scotland marked a point near Angers

Alors que l'issue du référendum sur l'indépendance de l'Ecosse face au Royaume-Uni est incertaine, Ecossais et Anglais se sont déjà affrontés en France. C'est en effet non loin d'Angers que s'est jouée une bataille menée par les Français avec les Ecossais contre les Anglais laquelle a empêché une occupation totale de la France de l'époque par les occupants d'outre-Manche : la bataille de Baugé du 22 mars 1421. Les Ecossais auraient ramené de cette région un jeu appelé à devenir célèbre... en Angleterre.

While the results of the referendum in Scotland about independance from UK were, on the evening of September 18th, largely unknown, Angers might remember that his independance from English domination is partly due to... the Scottish army.   Less than 600 years ago, in March 1421, the city was besieged by an English army sent in France to fight the dauphin Charles, future Charles VII, who wanted to get back French territories from the kingdom of England.

After that army failed to take possession of Angers, that one directed towards Tours on the Roman way going by Baugé. About 3,000 men had rest there. They caught a Scottish prisoners of whom they learnt that an army of 5,000 men, French and Scottish was in the surroundings. Charles had concluded an alliance with Scotland, at that time independant from England, to reconquer his French

kingdom. With only 1,500 men, because most of the redoutable English archers were involved in the looting of Baugé in order to feed, the English commander nevertheless decided to attack the French and Scottish army. But it was a stunning defeat : 1,000 English were killed and 500 prisoners. After that, the English withdrew in Normandy.

It is said that the Scottish present in Baugé would attended an original game, called the "chôle". The game was played in the streets, on the ramparts and in the fields in and around the towns with curbed sticks and elliptical wooden balls. The essence of the game is to reach a target in a number of strokes decided upon beforehand but with not fixed routes. The play would have been imported to Scotland and would have became the ancestor of... golf.

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