[MR] Wikipedia

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

Recently I posted about Nicola Hay, the remarkable woman who defended
Lincoln Castle in 1217 against forces loyal to the pretend King of England,
Prince Louis of France.

While not common, other courageous women defended their castles during
sieges. One of the most interesting was Agnes, Countess of Dunbar,
sometimes known as "Black Agnes" for her striking dark hair.

During the Second Scottish War of Independence, William Mongagu, 1st Earl
of Salisbury, attempted to capture Dunbar Castle for the English. In early
1338 he arrived with a large force and siege engines. The Earl of Dunbar,
Patrick, was off fighting for Scotland against the English. Agnes, assisted
her female attendants, a few servants and a handful of soldiers mounted a
stout defense of her castle, including (according to the story anyway) very
cheeky and defiant taunts by Agnes and her ladies. The siege dragged on
from January 13th to June 10th, when a thoroughly frustrated Salisbury
finally gave up with nothing to show for his efforts and his reputation in
tatters.

Agnes' delightful story can be found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes,_Countess_of_Dunbar . Note the
modern-era painting of a proud Agnes, with her ladies wiping away dust from
the English attack on the castle battlements.

Today Dunbar castle is a crumbling ruin, but the Scottish saltire flag
still flies proudly above its broken walls.

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆