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299:, Patrick was forced to make peace with the English surrendering Berwick which was in his charge. He was ordered by the English to refortify Dunbar Castle. However, by the following year, he had returned to his natural allegiance to Scotland, fighting the English partisans wherever possible. It seems that there were no surviving children of the marriage between Agnes and the earl. Their estates were left to children of the marriage between the earl's cousin John de Dunbar of Derchester and Birkynside, and his wife, Isobel Randolph, Agnes' younger sister.
295:, his father-in-law. Agnes's family was active in Scottish resistance against the English attempts to conquer Scotland in the 14th century. Her father, Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, was appointed regent from 1329 to 1332. Agnes's brother became joint regent in 1335, but was captured by the English shortly afterwards. In 1324, Agnes married Patrick, ninth Earl of Dunbar and March, governor of Berwick. After the Scottish loss at the
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in an attempt to bypass the castle's defences. However, the
Countess simply advised Salisbury that he should "take good care of his sow, for she would soon cast her pigs within the fortress." She then ordered that a boulder, which had been heaved on them earlier, be thrown down from the battlements
200:
During the Middle Ages, it was the norm for a wife to take charge of a castle and manor business in her husband's absence and defend it if need be, but the stand of the
Countess of Dunbar is one of the best remembered instances. Salisbury's first attempt at taking the castle centred on catapulting
219:
Unable to make progress through arms, Salisbury turned to craft. He bribed the
Scotsman who guarded the principal entrance, advising him to leave the gate unlocked or to leave it in such a manner that the English could easily break in. However, the Scotsman, though he took the Englishman's money,
224:, separating him from the others. Agnes, of course, had meant to trap Salisbury, but she moved from stratagem to taunt, shouting at the earl, "Farewell, Montague, I intended that you should have supped with us, and assist us in defending the Castle against the English."
191:
On 13 January 1338, when
Patrick Dunbar was away, the English laid siege to Dunbar Castle, where the Countess was in residence with her servants and guards. However, she was determined not to surrender the fortress and is said to have declared:
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prisoner, he was brought to Dunbar and
Montague threatened to hang him if the Countess did not surrender the castle. However, she merely responded that his death would only benefit her, as she was his heir. She was not in line for the
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reported the stratagem to Agnes, so she was ready for the
English when they made entry. Although Salisbury was in the lead, one of his men pushed past him just at the moment when Agnes's men lowered the
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When one of the
Scottish archers struck an English soldier standing next to Salisbury, the earl cried out, "There comes one of my lady's tire pins; Agnes's love shafts go straight to the heart."
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After five months, Salisbury admitted defeat and lifted the siege on 10 June 1338. The triumph of a
Scotswoman over an English army was written into a ballad, in which Salisbury says:
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huge rocks and lead shot against the ramparts, but this was met with disdain by the
Countess, who had one of her ladies-in-waiting dust off the ramparts with her kerchief.
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For centuries afterwards, Agnes
Randolph's defence of Dunbar Castle caught the attention of contemporary chroniclers and Scottish historians due to her bravery and might.
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Some accounts describe her as Countess of Moray, on the assumption that she inherited the earldom when her brother John was killed at the
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The failed siege of Dunbar had cost the English crown nearly 6,000 English pounds and the English had gained nothing from it.
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Of Scotland's King I haud my house, I pay him meat and fee, And I will keep my gude auld house, while my house will keep me.
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to the coast with 40 men. Appropriating some boats, Ramsay and his company approached the castle by the sea and entered the
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in 1346. However, the earldom actually reverted to the crown. But in 1371/2, Agnes' nephew,
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Boece and Stewart's Buik of the Croniclis of Scotland (Rolls Ser.), ed. Turnbull, iii. 341;
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Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland and of the Border Raids, Forays, and Conflicts
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Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland and of the Border Raids, Forays, and Conflicts
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Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom
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next to the sea. Charging out of the castle, the Scotsmen surprised Salisbury's
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Burton's Hist. of Scotland, ii. 324, Keith's Bishops of Scotland, p. 143;
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Scottish arms: Being a Collection of Armorial Bearings, A.D. 1370-1678
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Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, ii. 654, and pref. pp. lxiii, lxxv n.;
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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697:. Vol. 16. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 150-151.
528:. Cambridge, England: Bowes and Bowes. p. Vol. VI, p. 296.
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Black Agnes, as depicted in a children's history book from 1906
653:. Edinburgh, Scotland: T and A Constable. pp. 265–266.
155:, and Moray's wife, Isabel Stewart, herself a daughter of
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began to run low after several months being cut off, Sir
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Douglas and Wood's Peerage of Scotland, ii. 169, 170;
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but was the heir to his lands along with her sister.
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Scottish people of the Wars of Scottish Independence
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At one point, the English having taken her brother,
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Cam I early, cam I late, I found Agnes at the gate.
159:. Agnes became renowned for her heroic defence of
19:"Agnes Dunbar" redirects here. For her niece, see
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259:and pushed them all the way back to their camp.
669:The Dinner Party: From Creation to Preservation
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723:Ridpath's Border History (1776), p. 325;
543:. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 9.
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399:. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 8.
374:. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 7.
126:Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar and March
612:. London: G. Bell & sons. p. 5:359
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588:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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136:for her dark complexion, was the wife of
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213:and crushed Salisbury's sow to pieces.
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169:William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury
138:Patrick, 9th Earl of Dunbar and March
720:Burke's Dormant and Extinct Peerage;
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729:information from Capt. A. H. Dunbar
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173:Second War of Scottish Independence
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783:Women in medieval European warfare
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140:. She is buried in the vault near
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694:Dictionary of National Biography
307:George, Earl of Dunbar and March
229:John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray
167:against an English siege led by
683:Vian, Alsager Richard (1888). "
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788:Women in 14th-century warfare
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793:Daughters of Scottish earls
778:14th-century Scottish women
502:. Edinburgh. pp. 90–91
431:. Luton, Beds: Andrews UK.
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758:Nobility from East Lothian
539:Pennington, Reina (2003).
395:Pennington, Reina (2003).
370:Pennington, Reina (2003).
316:Sir Patrick de Dunbar, of
312:John Dunbar, Earl of Moray
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541:Amazons to Fighter Pilots
397:Amazons to Fighter Pilots
327:, who became mistress of
285:Battle of Neville's Cross
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119:Isabel Stewart of Bonkyll
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352:(1904) vol vi, pp294-295
302:The three nephews were:
147:She was the daughter of
667:Chicago, Judy. (2007).
647:Paul, Sir James Balfour
570:. Edinburgh. p. 19
522:Paul, Sir James Balfour
471:. Edinburgh. p. 89
425:Kristen, Clive (2012).
372:Amazons to Fight Pilots
204:The English employed a
157:John Stewart of Bonkyll
132:1312 – 1369), known as
21:Agnes Dunbar (mistress)
604:Cokayne, George Edward
564:Stodart, R.R. (1881).
297:Battle of Halidon Hill
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239:When supplies for her
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187:Ruins of Dunbar Castle
100:Patrick, Earl of March
323:She also had a ward,
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68:1369 (aged about 57)
768:Scottish countesses
671:. London: Merrell.
494:Lawson, John Parker
463:Lawson, John Parker
175:from 1331 to 1357.
16:Scottish noblewoman
753:People from Dunbar
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651:The Scots Peerage
526:The Scots Peerage
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289:John Dunbar
134:Black Agnes
737:Categories
550:0313327084
406:0313327084
381:0313327076
335:References
222:portcullis
142:Mordington
78:Mordington
631:Cokayne.
616:26 August
584:cite book
574:26 August
444:26 August
293:Robert II
249:Edinburgh
208:called a
96:Spouse(s)
649:(1906).
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241:garrison
91:Randolph
59:Scotland
691:(ed.).
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234:earldom
144:House.
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475:29 May
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279:Family
116:Mother
106:Father
73:Buried
673:ISBN
618:2016
590:link
576:2016
545:ISBN
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446:2016
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376:ISBN
318:Beil
65:Died
56:1312
50:Born
210:sow
163:in
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