Invasion of Scotland
Henry VIII issues instructions blaming Cardinal Beaton and Scottish opponents of the marriage alliance.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1544 in England
Explore 99 historical events and records for England in 1544.
Historical records for England in 1544
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 99 unique records.
99Unique records
1 of 3Page
15Named events on this page
4Named people on this page
11Places on this page
March
Dissolution of Parliament
Henry VIIIs Eighth Parliament closes. Delivers a speech in Parliament for religious unity & ends the Parliamentary session
King's Style Act
Parliament confirms Henry VIII's royal style including King of Ireland, Defender of the Faith and Supreme Head of the Church of England and Ireland.
King's Style Act
Parliament confirms Henry VIII's style as Defender of the Faith and Supreme Head of the Church of England and Ireland.
King's Style Act
The King's Style Act makes it treason to attempt to deprive Henry VIII of his royal titles and religious style.
Third Succession Act
Elizabeth is restored to the line of succession after Mary, without reversing her illegitimacy.
Third Succession Act
Mary is restored to the line of succession after Edward, without reversing her illegitimacy.
Third Succession Act
The Act places Prince Edward first in the line of succession as Henry VIII's male heir.
Third Succession Act
The Third Succession Act receives royal assent, revising the Tudor succession settlement.
Third Succession Act Enacted
Parliament restores Mary and Elizabeth to the succession after Edward while leaving questions surrounding their legitimacy formally unresolved.
Treason Act
The Treason Act allows treasons committed outside the king's dominions to be tried within England.
April
Rough Wooing
The Privy Council issues instructions for Hertford's punitive expedition against Scotland.
Resignation of Thomas Audley
Resigns the Great Seal
Death of Thomas Audley
Death of Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden
Invasion of Scotland
Edward Seymour, Lord Hertford, gathers English forces for the invasion of southern Scotland.
May
Burning of Edinburgh
Hertford's army lands at Leith during the punitive expedition ordered by Henry VIII.
Burning of Edinburgh
Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, lands at Leith with an English expeditionary force during the Rough Wooing.
Burning of Edinburgh
Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, commands the English expedition that lands at Leith.
Invasion of Scotland
Hertford's expedition lands at Leith to punish Scotland for rejecting Henry VIII's marriage policy.
Siege of Edinburgh
Major hostilities begin with an attack on Edinburgh, led by the Earl of Hertford and Viscount Lisle
Siege of Edinburgh
Major hostilities began with an attack on Edinburgh, led by the Earl of Hertford and Viscount Lisle. Hertford had instructions to burn Edinburgh and issue Henry's proclamation of 24 March 1544, which laid the blame on Cardinal Beaton's "sinister enticement" of Regent Arran
Burning of Edinburgh
English forces take Leith as the expedition advances toward Edinburgh.
Siege of Edinburgh
The troops entered Edinburgh's Canongate, and set the city on fire. Edinburgh Castle was defended by cannon fire commanding the Royal Mile. Hertford decided not to lay siege but thoroughly burn the city. According to the English contemporary account, all the houses within the suburbs and city walls were burnt including Holyroodhouse and the Abbey
Burning of Edinburgh
Hertford's army enters Edinburgh during Henry VIII's punitive campaign against Scotland.
Burning of Edinburgh
Hertford's troops damage Holyrood and nearby religious buildings during the attack on Edinburgh.
Burning of Edinburgh
English forces sack and burn Edinburgh as part of Henry VIII's Rough Wooing policy.
Burning of Edinburgh
Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, sacks and burns Edinburgh during the Rough Wooing.
Burning of Edinburgh
English forces sack and burn Edinburgh during the Rough Wooing.
Invasion of Scotland
The burning of Edinburgh is intended to force Scotland to accept the Edward and Mary marriage.
Burning of Edinburgh
Holyrood Abbey and nearby buildings suffer destruction during Hertford's raid.
Burning of Edinburgh
The destruction of Edinburgh becomes one of the most notorious actions of Henry VIII's Rough Wooing.
Burning of Edinburgh
The raid is intended to punish Scotland for rejecting the Treaty of Greenwich and the proposed Edward and Mary marriage.
Burning of Edinburgh
Holyrood Abbey and buildings around the abbey are damaged during Hertford's raid.
Burning of Edinburgh
Hertford withdraws after devastating Edinburgh, Leith and nearby settlements.
Capture of Leith
Seymour captures & burns Leith
Invasion of Scotland
The invasion is designed to intimidate Scottish political leaders and weaken resistance to English terms.
Siege of Leith
Seymour captures & burns Leith
June
English Litany Introduced
Cranmer prepares an English litany authorised for public worship, one of the first major English-language services used throughout the realm.
Invasion of France
English forces gather in the Pale of Calais for a two-pronged campaign against France.
Invasion of France
Orders Norfolk toward Montreuil and Suffolk toward Boulogne during the French campaign.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.