Battle of Bosworth Field

‘…But the star of Lancaster, at that period, began again to culminate, and called the banished lord and his son from their retirement, to mix once more in politics. The treasured neck lace of Margaret was then put to its destined use, and the produce applied to levy those banks which shortly after fought the celebrated battle of Bosworth, in which the arms of Oxford and his son contributed so much to the success of Henry VII…’

The text above is from Walter Scott's :"Anne of Geierstein".  The Battle of Bosworth Field spelled the death of Yorkist Richard III of England, and with his death, Lancastrian Henry Tudor, the first Tudor king, acceded to the throne, as Henry VII of England. Richard is said to have fought bravely, but was the victim of subterfuge, as three of his noble supporters (two Stanleys, and Henry Percy) changed sides in the middle of the battle.

Raid of Ruthven

'..."Ay! " said the King, " say ye sae, man ? — Lord Glenvarloch, that was his name indeed — Justus et tenax propositi — A just man, but as obstinate as a baited bull. He stood whiles against us, that Lord Randal Olifaunt of Glenvarloch, but he was a loving and a leal subject in the main. But this supplicator maun be his son — Randal has been long gone where king and lord must go, Geordie, as weel as the like of you — and what does his son want with us ?"


" The settlement," answered the citizen, " of a large debt due by your Majesty's treasury, for money advanced to your Majesty in great state emergency, about the time of the Raid of Ruthven."


" I mind the thing weel," said King James — " Od's death, man, I was just out of the clutches of the Master of Glamis and his complices, and there was never siller mair welcome to a born Prince, — the mair the shame and pity that crowned King should need sic a petty sum. But what need he dun us for it, man, like a baxter at the breaking ? We aught him the siller, and will pay him wi' our convenience, or make it otherwise up to him, whilk is enow between prince and subject — We are not in meditationc fugce, man, to be arrested thus peremptorily."...'
 
The raid of Ruthen occurred on August 22, 1582.  The Earl of Gowrie, William Ruthven, along with other Presbyterian nobles abducted James VI of Scotland.  Walter Scott's text (above) from "The Fortunes of Nigel" references this raid, which is further explained in a note to the text:
 
'p. 93. "The Raid of Ruthven." The object of this Raid (1582) was to separate James from his favourites, Lennox and Arran. The King was near Perth ; Lennox, at Dalkeith, near Edinburgh ; Arran, at Kinneil. Gowrie, Mar, and others caught James at Cowrie's own castle of Ruthven, removed his guard, and held him prisoner. " Better bairns weep than bearded men," said Glammis, when James burst into tears. The Kirk abetted the Raid, and en joyed a temporary triumph.'

Warren Hastings

There is a connection to this date, August 22nd, Walter Scott, and the impeached (later acquitted) Warren Hastings (died 8/22/1818), who was the first Governor-General of Bengal (1773 - 1785). Apparently Hastings appropriated a group of unusually shaped stones for his property, that had been the subject of local superstition and folklore. The stones were known as the Grey Geese of Addle-strop Hill. The legend (in Scott's version) was that a witch was driving her geese to market, when, losing patience with their waywardness, she suddenly exclaimed: 'Deevil! that neither they nor I ever stir from this spot more!' and instantly she and her flock were transformed into blocks of stone, as they had ever since remained, until the Black Dwarf appropriated them for the building of his lonely cottage.

Scott employed the setting of this in the opening of his "The Tales of My Landlord", calling the stones the Grey Geese of Mucklestane Moor.