Marian civil war (1568 – 1573) The Chaseabout Raid was a rebellion by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, against his half sister, Mary, Queen of Scots, on 26 August 1565, over her marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.

[5][6][7] After the wedding, Moray's faction assembled at Glasgow in July, and Duke and the earls met up at Dunoon Castle in Argyll in August 1565.

The English politician William Cecil gave a summary of the causes and situation in a letter:In the mean time, troubles arise there betwixt her and the Earl of Moray and others being friendly to the common amity of both the realms; whereunto for sundry respects it seemeth convenient for us to have regard.

[12] Mary discussed her response to the rebellion with Michel de Castelnau, the French ambassador in London, who came to Edinburgh and had audiences with her in the garden of Holyroodhouse.

The English diplomat Thomas Randolph claimed thieving and murder were rife, William Murray's lands were raided by Highlanders.

[19] In York, Thomas Gargrave heard that Mary's forces had "500 hagbushes (hand-guns) and certain field peices: the others hath neither shot nor ordinance, nor any better holds than their dwelling houses".

The English diplomat Thomas Randolph doubted that this force could withstand the Queen and King's army, as they lacked "harquebusiers," soldiers with hand-guns.

On 10 September they sent Robert Melville to ask Elizabeth I of England for guns, money, troops, support from Lord Scrope at Carlisle, and naval assistance in the Forth.

[24] The English ship, The Aide captained by Anthony Jenkinson arrived in the Forth on 25 September,[25] but was bombarded by the cannon on Inchkeith and returned to Berwick-upon-Tweed.

She roode farre with great expedition, myche troble of the whole countrie, and found not them whome she soughte, when she cam to her jornies ende".

[30] Most of the rebels including Moray and Châtellerault crossed the border at Carlisle, then made their way to Newcastle upon Tyne,[31] but the Earl of Argyll stayed in Scotland in his western lands.

Moray decided to go to London, and got as far as Royston in Hertfordshire, until he received a letter from Elizabeth I of England to stop as he was not invited and a rebel against his own queen.

[34] Elizabeth told Moray that "itt were no Prince's part to think well of your doinges, ... and, she wolde putt allso her helping hande too make them to understand the dutye which the subject owght to bear towarddes the Prynce."

[36] The rebels at Dumfries justified their cause by listing their complaints against Mary and her rule, which were sent to England in the hope of gaining recognition and support.