Numbers
Lennox: According to Pitscottie, Lennox gathered 10,000 men at Stirling, where he was joined by James Beaton from Fife and Killmaurs (Glencairn) from Ayrshire with another 2,000, giving a total of 12,000. They left Stirling divided into three battles and with artillery. Lawson says that 1,000 of Lennox's men were volunteers from the Highlands (Lawson 1849). Another source numbers Lennox's force at 10,000 (Waldie 1868).
Angus / Arran: According to Pitscottie, the Earl of Arran had 2,000 men and Angus brought another 2,000. Another 3,000 Edinburgh militia were en route (Pitscottie 1899).
Lawson says that 1,000 of Lennox's men were volunteers from the Highlands (Lawson 1849). Another source numbers Lennox's force at 10,000 (Waldie 1868). Very different figures were given by Albany, an adversary of the Douglases, who paints a picture of an outnumbered Lennox force of 4,000 being surprised and defeated by the 6-7,000 of Arran and Angus (Cooper 2004).
Action
There are a number of different accounts of the battle, and although there is no divergence on the result, the sources differ on when Angus arrived on the battlefield and what part his forces played. A very detailed modern study of the battle uses the sources and informed speculation to paint a picture of the likely course of the battle. In this version Arran deployed his troops on the east side of the Avon with his artillery covering the approaches and a guard at the bridge. The artillery could only cover along the Falkirk road, which approached from the south-west close to the nunnery, as far as the crest below East Manuel farm. At some point Lennox rode forward to certify the reports from his cavalry scouts. He knew that Arran was waiting, had fortified the bridge and had troops gathered on the Peel at Linlithgow. He then decided, with Glencairn, to outflank Arran and bypass the bridge; he knew that more troops were coming from Edinburgh and he wanted to act before they arrived but a frontal attack across the river and up the hill against a fortified position at the bridge was likely to be unsuccessful, or, at best, successful but costly. Forcing a crossing downstream meant being hemmed in against Linlithgow Loch and the Binns (the hills to the north) even if he could find a place to cross. Upstream he would have to go a long way round towards Bathgate to avoid the Manuel Gorge, thus exposing his rear and enabling Arran to cut him off from Stirling. He decided, based on the reports of his scouts, to cross at the Manuel nunnery, but it is not clear if he understood the state of the land on the other side. It is possible that he set up artillery on Manuel Hill to cover his movements. There is no report in the accounts of an artillery duel although cannon balls found in the river suggest there were artillery exchanges. Hamilton's 200 men at the bridge were involved in skirmishing all day with Glencairn's cavalry. Arran now had forces to his front and a flanking movement under way; he had three choices 'to withdraw through the town, redeploy along the bluffs and form a skirmishing line, or he could maintain cohesion, minimise his redeployment, turn south and face Lennox's attack. Lennox could not leave a force the size of Arran's to his flank and rear, especially with Angus's reinforcements coming along the road from Edinburgh. Once he realised Lennox's intention to ford the river, Arran deployed his troops to face south on Peace Hill (formerly Pace Hill). This left Angus space to deploy his troops on Arran's left when he arrived and launch a flank attack on Lennox's hemmed in forces. However, the combined forces of Arran and Angus would still be outnumbered three to one.
Lennox's vanguard, consisting of the horse and perhaps 2,000 foot made for the ford under heavy fire, crossing by the nunnery, but lost shape and coherence, losing the momentum required to successfully storm the heights. Lennox's main force then crossed the river and formed up. This took time because of the troops' inexperience, harassing fire from the heights and the marshy ground. Two battles were formed, with the standards and their guard at the centre, surrounded by pike men up to 20-30 ranks deep. The professional and most loyal household troops would be in front, with the rest of the levy grouped around this central block. In front was a screen of arquebusiers and bowmen. As the two battles advanced, the difficult ground and the lie of the land caused them to lose shape, funnelling them together in a narrow space, thus reducing the number who could attack abreast and reducing the numerical advantage. The fire on them increased from both cannon and arquebuses and arrows. As Lennox's men struggled up the hill Arran's forces charged down with pike and bill. A fierce close quarter struggle ensued 'at push of pike' which lasted two hours. Finally, Arran's men were left in control of the ridge, and the fighting broke up into a series of smaller actions where Lennox's men stood and fought, in groups such as Glencairn's. Finally, Lennox's men broke, possibly with the arrival of Angus's men, but certainly before the King arrived. Lennox died, possibly at the hand of Sir James Hamilton of Finnart (Cooper 2004).
The historical sources differ one from another on several points of detail. Pitscottie gave the most detailed contemporary account of the battle and the events before and after it (although he dated it to 1520 by mistake). He was in no doubt that Angus was involved from the start. He said that word reached Edinburgh that Lennox was within a mile of Linlithgow with three great hosts and artillery, and was marching on Edinburgh. George Douglas, Angus' brother, urged the King to rise and ride to the help of the outnumbered Angus with the Edinburgh militia, but the King delayed his departure as long as he could. He eventually rode out of Edinburgh with 3,000 men. When they reached the crags at Corstorphine, they could hear the artillery at the battle sounding like thunder. Douglas urged the King to ride faster so that they could rescue and help Angus. News reached them that the fighting was taking place two miles west of Linlithgow and that
'the Earle of Angus and the Earle of Glencairneis was zokit [yoked] togither and the Lord Hamilltounis and the Earle of Lennox in lyke maner and baitht fightand furieouslie.'
At this the King started to ride faster, but fresh news reached them that Lennox's men had fled and he had lost. The King ordered his followers and servants to ride to the field and stop the slaughter and in particular to save Lennox if he were still alive. Sir Andrew Wood of Largo went on to the field but found Lennox dead, slain by Sir James Hamilton after he had been taken prisoner and disarmed by the Laird of Pardovan. Hamilton, Pitscottie claims, killed Lennox without mercy and did the same with everybody he overtook in the rout that day. Wood continued to try to save anybody he could and came upon Glencairn, with 30 surviving followers, still standing and fighting. Wood removed him from the fighting and took him to a place where neither the Douglases nor the Hamiltons could do him harm. Returning to the field. Wood came upon the Earl of Hamilton standing beside the body of Lennox, his nephew, lamenting,
'The wyssist man, the stoutest man, the hardiest man that ewer was brede in Scotland was slain that day'. Hamilton placed his scarlet cloak over the body and ordered a guard to be put upon it until the King's servants came to bury it (Pitscottie 1899).
Lesley gave a rather different version, describing Arran fighting alone, without Angus. In his account, Arran, having received Lennox's refusal to withdraw, did not wait for the King coming with Angus, but met Lennox on the west side of Linlithgow where vicious fighting took place with spear, sword and gun. Lennox and many of his followers were slain, but there is no mention of how Lennox died. The King and Angus arrived after the fighting was finished because of the King's attempts to delay, by pretending to be sick and riding slowly. The slowness of the King's horse made George Douglas so furious that he drove the horse on, and 'spairet nocht proud wordis to the Kingis selfe'. The King never forgot nor forgave this and later banished him (Cooper 2004).
In Lawson's version, Angus arrived after the fighting had started, but his forces played a key role in the victory. In this account, Lennox, who knew when Angus and Arran were due to meet, set off intending to cut off the Hamiltons, but Arran knew this and seized the bridge across the Avon, little more than a mile westward of Linlithgow. He stationed a strong force there and took up position on rising ground nearly opposite the priory of Manuel. Lennox's men, who were weary from their march, had to ford the Avon. Arran tried again to get Lennox to turn back, but he refused and split his army into three to attack the Hamiltons. The Lennox vanguard 'imprudently made too much haste' when advancing against the Hamilton troops on the heights and were out of breath when they came to close quarters. The Hamiltons 'stood their ground and charged with such fury as to drive them back to their second line.' At this critical moment a detachment of the forces of Angus came up shouting 'A Douglas, A Douglas'. Immediately the army of Lennox gave way and a total rout ensued, which was marked by a considerable slaughter (Lawson 1849).
Buchanan paints a similar picture. Lennox, hearing that the Hamiltons had gathered at Linlithgow to prevent his march, decided to attack them before they were joined by the Douglases. The Hamiltons were informed of his intention to leave Stirling and sent for the Douglases from Edinburgh. The Hamiltons, threatened with the approach of their enemy and expecting the assistance of their friends, drew up their forces in order of battle, at a bridge over the river Avon, about a mile beyond Linlithgow, and having placed a small guard upon the bridge, posted the rest along the tops of the hills, which they knew the enemy must pass. Lennox, being prevented from crossing the bridge, ordered his troops to ford the river at a shallower place, a little farther up near Manuel nunnery, and drive the Hamiltons from the hills before the Douglases joined them. The Lennox men marched rapidly through a rugged road, annoyed by the stones thrown from the heights , and had just reached the enemy, when a shout announced the arrival of the Douglases, who, rushing from the road into the midst of the battle, quickly decided the fortune of the day. The Lennox party was forced to fly with great loss. The Hamiltons, but particularly Sir James Hamilton, the illegitimate son of Arran, were ruthless in victory and slaughtered the defeated without mercy. William Cunningham, the Earl of Glencairn's son, was severely wounded, but his life was spared by the Douglases, on account of his relationship. John Stewart, the Earl of Lennox, was killed, greatly lamented by the Earl of Arran, his uncle, and even by Douglases, but above all by the King, who, when he heard by the tumult and noise that the battle had commenced, sent Sir Andrew Wood of Largo, his favourite, ahead to endeavour to save his life, but he arrived too late.
In this account the King, delayed the progress of the Edinburgh reinforcements by getting up later than normal, travelling slowly, and often turning aside upon the journey, endeavouring by every means in his power, to delay their progress until at last the exasperated and angry George Douglas, bluntly told him 'Before the enemy shall take thee from us, if thy body be torn in pieces, we shall have a part.' (Buchanan 1827).
In another account in which Angus arrived in time to take part in the battle and the King arrived later with Sir George Douglas, more detail is given about the nature of the battlefield.
'Arran held the bridge over the Avon, below which for some distance the passage of the river was not easily practicable, with the steep banks which bend round Manuel Haugh, above; and Lennox was under the double disadvantage of fording the river and forcing the heights between Manuel Convent and the bridge.'
This account echoes Pitscottie in having Angus opposing the division under the Earl of Glencairn, and the Hamiltons opposing the division under Lennox. Glencairn's life was saved by Sir Andrew Wood of Largo, who was despatched by the King to stop the slaughter, but Lennox, after having surrendered to the Laird of Pardovan, was slain by Sir James Hamilton of Finnart (Waldie 1868).