European History – History… the interesting bits!

Elizabeth Mure, Robert II and a Question of Legitimacy

13/12/202512/12/2025Sharon Bennett ConnollyLeave a comment

Books by Sharon Bennett Connolly — *Tomb of Marjorie Bruce, Paisley Abbey*

Robert II, King of Scots, had been born on 2 March 1316, as the grandson and heir of Robert the Bruce. His mother. Marjorie Bruce, had died at the time of his birth, or shortly after. He had been supplanted as his grandfather’s heir when Bruce’s queen, Elizabeth de Burgh, gave birth to a son, David Bruce, in 1324. David was crowned as King David II on his father’s death in 1329. Although only 5-years-old, David was already a married ‘man’, having wed Edward III’s 7-year-old sister, Joan of the Tower, in July 1328.

Edward III saw an opportunity in Scotland having a child-king and, notwithstanding the headache he was causing his own sister, he decided to support the claims, to the Scottish crown, of Edward Balliol, son of the deposed king, John Balliol, and his wife, Isabella de Warenne. Edward III invaded Scotland. King David and his young wife were sent to France for their safety, while the Scots fought for the kingdom. One of those leading the fight was Robert Stewart, David’s nephew – Robert the Bruce’s grandson. He had become High Steward of Scotland on his father’s death in 1327. He was made guardian of Scotland whilst still in his late teens and fought in the defeat of the Scots at Halidon Hill in July 1333, when he was still only 17.

Robert was David II’s heir – until the latter produced a son and heir of his own, at least. Uncle and nephew had a fractious relationship, even after David returned from French exile. David may have resented the reputation Robert had gained in fighting for Scottish independence, and he was certainly wary of Robert’s powerful position, as High Steward, guardian and – of course – as heir presumptive to the crown.

Robert’s strength, however, lay not only in his proximity to the throne, but also in the fact he had managed to do what David had not, produce an heir. Six, in fact. Robert’s rather unusual marital situation, and perhaps the growing awareness, as the years went on, that there was less and less likelihood of David producing an heir, saw him apply for a papal dispensation to marry Elizabeth Mure, which was supported by King David, King Philip VI of France, the seven Scottish bishops and parliament. It was granted on 22 November 1347, at least ten years after the start of their relationship. The dispensation allowed for the retrospective legitimisation of their children:

This Robert took to his bed one of the daughters of Adam More, knight; and of her he begat sons and daughters, out of wedlock. But he afterwards – in the year 1349, to wit – bespoke and got the dispensation of the Apostolic See, and espoused her regularly, according to the forms of the Church.¹

An earlier dispensation, issued in 1345, had annulled Elizabeth’s betrothal to Hugh Giffard. Elizabeth was the daughter of Adam Mure of Rowallon, Ayrshire. Though whether her mother was his first wife, Joan Cunnigham, or his second wife, Janet, is undetermined. The unusual nature of their relationship and marital situation has given rise to questions over the legitimacy of their children. According to John Riddell, the facts of the relationship are that:

Robert II, when related to Elizabeth Mure, in the third and fourth forbidden degrees of affinity, and the fourth forbidden degree of consanguinity, lived for a long space in concubinage with her, during which ‘prolis utriusque sexus multitudinem procrearunf’ – during that unhallowed, and in law, incestuous connection; till at last, resolving to marry, but discovering the double relationship between them, which was a bar to their marriage at common (Ecclesiastical) law, they then obtained a dispensation from Clement VI, in 1347, for the purpose, in ordinary form. After which it is in proof, that they did marry under authority of the dispensation, – Robert founding in 1364, in compliance with an injunction there, a Chaplainry, in expiation of his former offence, which was, by received doctrine at the time, deemed an aggravated one.²

It has been argued that the children of Robert and Elizabeth were not only born outside of marriage, but also that their parents were related within the limited degrees, and therefore the relationship was incestuous without a papal dispensation. This, however, ignores the possibility that Robert and Elizabeth did go through a form of marriage in the 1330s, when Scotland was deeply involved in its war with England and, with David II sent to France for his safety and Robert was the senior representative of the Bruce family in Scotland. Moreover, it may have been thought prudent that Robert should marry sooner, rather than later, for dynastic considerations. With Edward Balliol unmarried and with no heir, the fact that the king’s heir was married with children was significant, a sign that the Bruce–Stewart dynasty was secure, at least.

That the marriage was not regularised until the war was over could be excused by the fact there were more urgent matters to attend to and the financial and legal obligations of obtaining a dispensation could wait. This would certainly explain the papacy’s willingness to regulate the marriage by issuing a retroactive dispensation. Alternatively, they may have only recently discovered a familial relationship within the prohibited degrees, and therefore applied for a dispensation. Elizabeth and Robert then underwent a second, formal, marriage ceremony in 1349.

Their first child, John, had been born in about 1337 and was created Earl of Carrick in 1369, the title held by his great-grandfather, Robert the Bruce, before he became king. He would ascend the throne as Robert III on his father’s death in 1390. Although the birth order could be slightly different, it seems likely that John was followed by a sister, Margaret, who was married to John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, as his second wife, for which a papal dispensation was issued on 14 June 1350. The couple were granted the island of Colowsay by Margaret’s father in a charter dated to July 1376. Three more sons followed, Walter, Robert and Alexander. Walter was married to Isabel, Countess of Fife, in April 1360 or 1361. He died sometime after 14 August 1362 but before the end of the year, as his widow married again, to Thomas Bisset of Upsetlington on 10 January 1363. She resigned the earldom of Fife to Walter’s brother, Robert Stewart, Earl of Menteith, on 30 March 1371.

Robert Stewart is identified as the ‘second born of the king’ in the Liber Pluscardensis. Robert was Earl of Menteith by right of his wife, Margaret Graham, a title she herself had inherited from her mother, Mary. Margaret had been married three times before; her first husband, Sir John Moray, was the son of Christian Bruce, King Robert I’s sister, by her last husband, Sir Andrew Murray. Robert was later created Duke of Albany and acted as regent during his brother’s reign.

The third son, Alexander, has a significant reputation as a cruel and rapacious character, earning him the nickname, the Wolf of Badenoch. He married Euphemia, Countess of Ross and was Earl of Ross in her name. Euphemia resigned her share of Buchan to the king, who regranted it to Alexander and Euphemia, in July 1382, so that they were Earl and Countess of Ross and Buchan. The marriage had its difficulties and Alexander left his wife, for ‘Mariota’s daughter Athyn’ but was ordered to return to her, in a charter dated 2 November 1389, by the Bishop of Moray and Ross. Apparently, the breach was irretrievable, as Pope Clement VII ‘issued a commission to dissolve her marriage’ on 9 June 1392, and in December 1392 Euphemia was granted a divorce ‘from bed and board’.³ Although Alexander had seven illegitimate children, he and Euphemia had remained childless.

Robert II and Elizabeth Mure also had four more daughters, although their order of birth is unknown. Marjory married John Dunbar, the son of Patrick Dunbar and Isabel Randolph of Moray. He was created Earl of Moray by his father-in-law in March 1372. Marjory’s second husband was Alexander Keith of Grandown.

Jean, or Joan, Stewart was married three times, firstly to John Keith, son of William de Keith, the Marischal, in January 1374. John died just fourteen months later. A year after that, in either June or October 1376, Jean married Sir John Lyon of Glamis. On 4 October 1376, King Robert II granted land, the thanedom of Tannadyce in Forfar, possibly a wedding gift, ‘to his dearest son John Lyon and Johanna his wife, the King’s beloved daughter’.⁴ The marriage was initially kept secret and only publicly acknowledged on 10 May 1378 when the king, with the consent of his surviving sons, ‘granted to the spouses letters of acknowledgement and remission for any clandestine marriage formerly contracted by them, in regard a marriage had been solemnly celebrated between them in face of the Church, in presence of the King and his sons and other friends and relatives.’⁵ Further grants followed, but Sir John was killed, apparently murdered by Sir James Lindsay on 4 November 1382. According to the Liber Pluscardensis, the deed was done at night when the ‘victim was in bed and unsuspecting’.⁶ Their only child was John’s son and successor, also called John Lyon. On 20 November 1384, Jean married for a third and final time, to Sir James Sandilands of Calder. Ahead of the marriage, Sir James was granted the baronies of Dalzell, Motherwell and Wiston, to be held by Sir James and Jean, the king’s daughter, ‘whom God willing he is about to take to wife’.⁷ The princess is last mentioned in 1404, as ‘Lady Johanna of Glammys’. She was buried beside her second husband, Sir John Lyon, at Scone Abbey.

Another daughter, Elizabeth Stewart, married Thomas Hay, Baron of Erroll and Constable of Scotland. A charter issued by King Robert II granted an annuity to ‘Thomas Hay and Elizabeth the king’s daughter, and the children born and to be born of them’ dated 7 September 1372, the day of their marriage.⁸

Isabel Stewart was married twice, firstly to James Douglas, son of William Douglas, Earl of Douglas, and his wife, Margaret, Countess of Mar. A papal dispensation was issued for the marriage in September 1371 and James succeeded his father as Earl Douglas in 1384. Sir James died in 1388 and sometime in the next two years, Isabel married John Edmonstone of Duntreath. Isabel most likely died before 22 July 1410, when accounts record payments to ‘John Edmonstone … for the reason that he was once married to the Countess of Douglas’.⁹

Through the marriages of his sons and daughters, Robert Stewart created a familial network that extended his influence over the greater part of central, western and north-eastern Scotland. He formed unions with eight of the country’s fifteen existing earldoms as well as gaining other lordships, royal castles and offices north of the Forth-Clyde line. However, the unusual nature of the marriage of Robert and Elizabeth would always leave a question mark hanging over the legitimacy of their children, an uncertainty that the children of Robert’s second marriage would highlight and try to exploit.

But it was Elizabeth’s eldest son, John, Earl of Carrick, who would succeed his father as King Robert III. Elizabeth herself, though married to David II’s heir, was never to become queen. She died sometime before 1355, possibly in childbirth as she would have been no more than in her late 30s, or perhaps from complications arising from having borne at least nine children, and possibly as many as thirteen. We have so little information about her that her place of burial is also unknown, though Paisley Abbey or Scone Abbey are possibilities. We only know that poor Elizabeth was dead by 1355 because 2 May of that year is the date of the papal dispensation for Robert Stewart’s second marriage, to Euphemia Ross.

Whatever the nature of their marriage, and the reason for the dispensation, it was not an arranged marriage for dynastic purposes. Robert and Elizabeth appear to have chosen each other. The number of children born, even during times of war, suggests that Robert and Elizabeth had a close and loving relationship. This did not, however, preclude Robert from marrying again, possibly only a short time after Elizabeth’s death. Walter Bower suggests that, although Robert’s relationship with Elizabeth Mure was earlier, the marriage only occurred after Queen Euphemia’s death:

It is noteworthy that the said King Robert fathered three sons by the Lady Elizabeth daughter of Sir Adam More, namely John who was later king, and Robert duke of Albany, and the said Alexander earl of Buchan, who was commonly called ‘The Wolf of Badenoch’. Later he married the Lady Euphemia daughter of Hugh earl of Ross, by whom he fathered Walter earl of Athol and lord of Brechin, and David earl of Strathearn. But on the death of Queen Euphemia he married the said Lady Elizabeth, and so by virtue of subsequent marriage, a second marriage ceremony, the said brothers John, Robert and Alexander were legitimated, for according to canon law a subsequent marriage legitimates sons born before the marriage.¹⁰

This timeline, of course, does not work, as the papal dispensation, legitimising the children, was issued in 1347 and there is every indication that Elizabeth was dead before 1355.

King Robert II died at Dundonald Castle on 19 April 1390 and was buried at Scone Abbey. He had spent almost his entire life as heir presumptive to the Scottish throne, always waiting on the sidelines. It is a sad fact of history that we have very little insight into the personalities and appearances of Robert’s wives. We do not know, for instance, what either wife thought of his various mistresses, nor his illegitimate children. They cannot have been happy about his philandering but may have accepted it, reluctantly. It was certainly not an unusual trait in the men of the family, as both Robert the Bruce and David II had had a string of mistresses.

Robert’s first wife, Elizabeth Mure, never got to wear the crown, though her influence, through her children, would set the tone for the Scottish royal house of Stewart into the next century.

We shall leave the story Robert’s second wife, Queen Euphemia, for another day.

Images: courtesy of Wikipedia

Notes:

1. John of Fordun’s Chronicle of the Scottish Nation; 2. John Riddell, Stewartiana, containing the case of Robert II and Elizabeth Mure; 3. Sir James Balfour Paul, editor, The Scots Peerage, Vol. VII; 4. ibid, Vol VIII; 5. ibid; 6. ibid; 7. ibid; 8. Burnett (1880) Exchequer Rolls, Vol. IV; 9. ibid; 10. Bower, Scotichronicon, V 7.

Sources:

John of Fordun’s Chronicle of the Scottish Nation, edited by W. F. Skene; Walter Bower, Scotichronicon; John Riddell, Stewartiana, containing the case of Robert II and Elizabeth Mure; Sir James Balfour Paul, editor, The Scots Peerage; fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTLAND; Susan Abernethy, The Two Wives of Robert II, King of Scots – Elizabeth Mure and Euphemia Ross; G. Barrow, G. (1978), The Aftermath of War: Scotland and England in the late Thirteenth and early Fourteenth Centuries; Rosalind K. Marshall, Scottish Queens 1034–1714; Nigel Tranter, The Story of Scotland; Richard Oram, editor, The Kings and Queens of Scotland; David Ross, Scotland, History of a Nation; Liber pluscardensis, edited by Felix James Henry Skene.

My Books

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.

Out now: Scotland’s Medieval Queens

Scotland’s history is dramatic, violent and bloody. Being England’s northern neighbour has never been easy. Scotland’s queens have had to deal with war, murder, imprisonment, political rivalries and open betrayal. They have loved and lost, raised kings and queens, ruled and died for Scotland. From St Margaret, who became one of the patron saints of Scotland, to Elizabeth de Burgh and the dramatic story of the Scottish Wars of Independence, to the love story and tragedy of Joan Beaufort, to Margaret of Denmark and the dawn of the Renaissance, Scotland’s Medieval Queens have seen it all. This is the story of Scotland through their eyes.

‘Scotland’s Medieval Queens gives a thorough grounding in the history of the women who ruled Scotland at the side of its kings, often in the shadows, but just as interesting in their lives beyond the spotlight. It’s not a subject that has been widely covered, and Sharon is a pioneer in bringing that information into accessible history.’ Elizabeth Chadwick (New York Times bestselling author)

Available now from Amazon and Pen and Sword Books

Coming 30 March 2026: Princesses of the Early Middle Ages

Daughters of kings were often used to seal treaty alliances and forge peace with England’s enemies. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest explores the lives of these young women, how they followed the stereotype, and how they sometimes managed to escape it. It will look at the world they lived in, and how their lives and marriages were affected by political necessity and the events of the time. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages will also examine how these girls, who were often political pawns, were able to control their own lives and fates. Whilst they were expected to obey their parents in their marriage choices, several princesses were able to exert their own influence on these choices, with some outright refusing the husbands offered to them.

Their stories are touching, inspiring and, at times, heartbreaking.

Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest is now available for pre-order.

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. Heroines of the Tudor World is now available from Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how Empress Matilda and Matilda of Boulogne, unable to wield a sword themselves, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It shows how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other. Available from Bookshop.org, Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon.

Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org. Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available in paperback and hardback from Pen & Sword, Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon, Amberley Publishing, and Bookshop.org.

Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.

Podcast:

Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Ian Mortimer, Bernard Cornwell, Elizabeth Chadwick and Scott Mariani, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.

There are now over 80 episodes to listen to!

Every episode is also now available on YouTube.

Don’t forget! Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.

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Wordly Women: Anna Belfrage

06/12/202507/11/2025Sharon Bennett Connolly6 Comments

For my latest edition of Wordly Women, it is an absolute pleasure to welcome my dear friend, Anna Belfrage. Anna writes both historical fiction and time slip and is a magician with the written word. Her Castilian Saga books are something special and I loved the King’s Greatest Enemy books!

So, welcome Anna!

Sharon: What got you into writing?

Anna: I think many writers start like readers—that is how it was for me. I was like eight and felt the world needed a book about a girl who dressed up as a boy and accompanied Richard Lionheart as a page. My take on history was vague, my take on Richard was way too heroic, and my vocabulary was horribly tedious—and full of attempted medieval “speak” Agh! Many years later, I decided to really give writing a go, and once again I wrote a book that resonated with what I wanted to read. Seeing as I have always wanted to time travel—well, for short visits, deffo not to stay—my protagonist ended up being thrown back into the seventeenth century, because at the time, I was so fascinated by this period.

Sharon: Tell us about your books.

Anna: Well, I have just—today!—finished my 24th novel, supposedly a stand-alone, but according to my editor, I must write the rest of the story. So I probably will. Insert Graham Saga pic here! This is what always happens, you see. I start off writing ONE book and end up with one series after the other. My first series is The Graham Saga and is the story of Alex, my alter-ego time traveller who ends up in the 17th century where she meets Matthew Graham. Life will never be the same—not for Alex, not for Matthew, who has his doubts about this strange, borderline heathen woman who has landed at his feet. All in all, The Graham Saga is a ten (!!!!) book series, following Alex, Matthew and their expanding family through the latter half of the 17th century. Things happen to the Grahams—a lot of things, actually. Alex sometimes complains that it is too much, but between the two of us, she loves the adrenaline rushes I put her through! (“No, I don’t!” Alex growls. I just smirk) My second series is The King’s Greatest Enemy. I give you Adam de Guirande, an honourable knight who ends up torn between his love for his first lord, Roger Mortimer , and his loyalty to the young Edward III. Fortunately, he has a strong helpmeet in his wife, Kit. One book turned into four in this instance…

My third series is called The Castilian Saga and is set in the late 13th century. The lives and adventures of Robert FitzStephan, loyal captain to Edward I, and his wife, Eleanor d’Outremer, play out against the background of the conquest of Wales and the general upheaval in Castile and Aragon at the time. Yet another four book series…

I have also authored a three-book series called The Wanderer, which tells the story of Jason and Helle, brutally torn apart 3 000 years ago. After endless lives searching for his Helle, Jason finally finds her again and there is a HEA hovering on the horizon—had it not been for their nemesis last time round who has just gate-crashed the party. I loved writing this borderline fantasy/romantic suspense/ steamy series – but historical fiction is my first love and always will be.

I have an ongoing series called The Time Locket—and yes, it has a time travelling protagonist. Erin is of mixed race and find it very hard to navigate the early 18th century in the American Colonies—well, she finds it hard to navigate life in the 18th century, full stop. Fortunately, she has Duncan at her side. I’ve written two books in this series and have started on number three –but for some odd reason we seem to be going to St Petersburg—well, the building site that will become St Petersburg—and I am dragging my feet, despite Erin and Duncan constantly sending me evil looks.

And then, finally, we have my just finished Queen of Shadows. (The one that I now need to write a sequel to according to my editor) We are in 14th century Castile where King Alfonso XI is married to one woman, but loves another. Quite the soap opera—except it is a true story. Along the way, our stalwart king must vanquish Marinid invaders, rebellious nobles and handle a most incensed father-in-law. I don’t think I’ve ever spent as much time researching a novel as I have done with this one—I started toying with the idea already back in 2016.

I have also contributed to various short-story collections: Betrayal: Historical stories, Historical Stories of Exile and Fate: Tales of History, Mystery and Magic.

Phew! Quite a list, isn’t it? (Anna looks quite, quite pleased)

Sharon: What attracts you to the periods you write in?

Anna: The history. An event or a personage catches my attention, and off I go. During my recent visit to Dresden, I discovered just how complicated and delicious the history of Saxony is, but I hesitate re writing a book set there, because I don’t speak German, and I have learned the hard way that it helps if you know the language of the country you are writing about. Writing about Castile in the 14th century has required reading my way through bits and pieces of medieval Castilian chronicles—but as I am fluent in Spanish, I managed. I also had the opportunity to revisit all my old text books about the development of the Spanish language)

Sharon: Who is your favourite medieval person and why?

Anna: Seriously, ONE person? No, no, Sharon, how am I supposed to choose?? *Scratches head* Okay: in Castile, it would have to be Maria de Molina, I think. Wife of Sancho IV, she was firt regent to her son, Fernando IV, and when he was “summoned” (Yup, he’s known as Fernando the Summoned, given the odd circumstances of his death) she once again had to act as regent, now for her grandson, Alfonso XI. An extremely competent and wise woman, who suffered so much loss, so much heartbreak, but never gave up.

In England, I am going to say Edward I. Yes, yes, I can hear people going WHAT? THAT RAT BASTARD? – and yes, he deffo had rat bastard qualities, especially vis-à-vis Scotland and Wales, but he was also a competent, hard-working ruler who never quite got over the loss of his wife, Eleanor. When she died, his soft side more or less disappeared (although his second wife seems to have brought it out in him on occasion). Also, we must remember that Edward is a product of his time and of the events that shook his kingdom when he was still a young man—namely the rebellions that more or less stripped Edward’s father of all his kingly power.

Sharon: Who is your least favourite medieval person and why?

Anna: I’m not a big fan of The Black Prince, but my least favourite? Ah, yes: Simon Montfort the Elder, the man who led the Albigensian Crusade—or maybe Arnaud Amalric, the Cistercian abbot who purportedly ordered his men to kill all the people of Beziers during said crusade, stating that God would recognise his own (after death). Okay, so this is probably not true, but just the fact that an abbot actively participated in the massacre of the Cathars is rather icky, IMO. Sharon: I have to admit, I’m not a fan of either Simon de Montfort!

Sharon: How do you approach researching your topic?

Anna: I start with one person, map out persons Person A interacted with and so on and so on. Plus, I always read an overview of the period first, highlighting things I will need to dig into. In my latest, it’s been a lot about sheep, about the Black Death, about coinage, about food—the Moors left a delicious legacy—about architecture. I also try to visit, to get a feel for the land as such. Good thing I did re my latest WIP, as it made me realise I was off by some kilometres from the sea in one of the more crucial scenes! insert pic of Sevilla

Sharon: Tell us your ‘favourite’ true historical story you have come across in your research.

Anna: Hmm. I am rather fond of the Edward-Eleanor love story. There he was, the future Edward I, all of fifteen when he married thirteen-year-old Eleanor. From that moment on, where he went, there went she.

Sharon: Tell us your least ‘favourite’ true historical story you have come across in your research.

Anna: Well, that is easy. In 1575, a seven-year-old little boy, Gustav Eriksson, was brutally exiled by his uncle, king Johan III of Sweden. Gustav was carried across the Baltic sea to Poland and there more or less abandoned, totally alone. No mother, no sister, no money. I have written about this sad little boy in Historical Stories of Exile (Sharon: How sad!)

Sharon: Are there any other eras you would like to write about?

Anna: I am rather fascinated by the period of the Second Great Awakening, i.e. the decades after the Napoleonic Wars. (Sharon: oooooooooh, yes please!)

Sharon: What are you working on now?

Anna: Well . . . I am dithering: should I start on that unplanned sequel by describing a wedding in 1353 at which an unwilling royal groom weds a French princess? Or should I dig into the mystery of the dead man in the barrel, come all the way from Russia before it ends up in Arabella Sterling’s warehouse? Or maybe I should work on both in parallel! (Sharon: Decisions! Decisions!)

Sharon: And finally, what is the best thing about being a writer?

Anna: I step into a world where I am totally in control (Muffled laughter from all my characters) OK, I escape into a world where I have some control—assuming my pesky characters cooperate. Somewhat more seriously, I love recreating life in the past, building that distant world brick by brick. Is the end creation an entirely correct representation? Of course not: there is so much we don’t know about that distant life—but I hope it gives a flavour!

Books by Anna Belfrage:

The Graham Saga Amazon US; Amazon UK; The King’s Greatest Enemy Amazon US; Amazon UK; The Castilian Saga Amazon US; Amazon UK; The Time Locket Amazon US; Amazon UK; The Wanderer Amazon US Amazon UK

About the Author:

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England, and The Castilian Saga ,which is set against the medieval conquest of Wales. She has also published a time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time, and its sequel Times of Turmoil, and is now considering just how to wiggle out of setting the next book in that series in Peter the Great’s Russia, as her characters are demanding. . .

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

“A master storyteller” “This is what all historical fiction should be like. Superb.”

Find out more about Anna, her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, http://www.annabelfrage.com

Social Media Links:

Bluesky: Facebook: Amazon Author Page

My books

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online store.

Out now: Scotland’s Medieval Queens

Available now from Amazon and Pen and Sword Books

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

Podcast:

Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and Michael Jecks, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved. There’s even an episode where we chat with Anna Belfrage about Edward I and Eleanor of Castile.

There are now over 75 episodes to listen to!

Every episode is also now available on YouTube.

Don’t forget! Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online store.

For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.

You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram.

Black Agnes

29/11/202529/11/2025Sharon Bennett ConnollyLeave a comment

You may have noticed that I love the stories of women from medieval times who do the remarkable, who will defy a tyrant or hold a castle while under siege. Women like Nicholaa de la Haye. And yet, Nicholaa was not the only medieval woman to hold tenaciously to a castle under siege. It was more common than one might think. Matilda de Braose (or Briouze), the Lady of Hay, was another such, who held her castle against the besieging Welsh; as was Agnes of Dunbar, known to history as Black Agnes and a woman who was a blight on English forces in Scotland. Agnes was a bold lady whose acts of defiance against the English would surely have impressed Nicholaa, nationalities aside, of course.

Agnes was the eldest daughter of Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, and his wife Isabel, a daughter of Sir John Stewart of Bunkle. Thomas Randolph was a favoured nephew of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, and one of his most stalwart supporters. Randolph was rewarded with the earldom of Moray and the appointment as guardian during the minority of King Robert’s son and successor, David II, in 1329.

There is very little known of the early life of Agnes, until about 1320, when she was married to Patrick, Earl of Dunbar. We can imagine that Agnes envisioned a life as a typical laird’s lady, raising children, looking after the land and tenants while her husband was away fighting. Unfortunately, Agnes and Patrick would remain childless, so the countess was not preoccupied with raising children. Agnes’s younger sister, Isabel, was married to Sir Patrick Dunbar, Earl Patrick’s cousin, and it would be their son, George, who would be made heir to Earl Patrick and Agnes.

From the timing of the marriage, we can surmise that Agnes was probably born just after the turn of the century, into a country struggling to gain independence from its aggressive neighbour, England. It would, therefore, not be unreasonable to assume that she saw little of her father during her early years as he was frequently away fighting; even after the Scottish victory at Bannockburn in 1314, Randolph continued in active service for the Scottish crown, fighting with Robert the Bruce in Ireland in 1317, and in the borders with England in 1318 and 1319.

Scotland’s troubles continued long into the reign of David II, with the English backing David’s rival, Edward Balliol, son of Scotland’s former king, John Balliol. This despite David II being married to Edward III’s sister, Joan of the Tower. The throne would pass back and forth between the two claimants for several years. When Agnes’s father died in 1332, he was succeeded by her brother Thomas, who was killed just weeks later, at the Battle of Dupplin Moor, fighting those who had been disinherited during the Wars of Independence. Thomas, in turn, was succeeded by another brother, John, who was killed fighting the English at the Battle of Neville’s Cross in 1346.

On John’s death, the earldom of Moray would pass to Agnes’s husband in right of his wife. Agnes and Patrick were cousins within the prohibited degree of consanguinity and a dispensation had been needed for them to marry. According to the chronicler, Pitscottie, she gained her name of Black Agnes ‘be ressone she was blak skynnit’, suggesting Agnes had a dark complexion; her black hair, dark eyes and olive skin more common among Mediterranean countries than the northern fastness of Scotland.¹ The English attributed a different reason to her name, to them, Black Agnes was the most evil Scotswoman who ever lived. Pitscottie went on to say of Agnes that she was ‘of greater spirit than it became a woman to be’, which, given her actions in the face of the enemy, is a fair appraisal of an incredible woman.²

Agnes was not the only woman to become heavily involved in the Scottish Wars of Independence, which had been a different kind of war from the very beginning. Robert the Bruce’s wife, daughter and sisters had been imprisoned for eight years by Edward I; his sister Christian would herself become involved in the fighting during her nephew David’s reign, defending the castle of Kildrummy against the supporters of Edward Balliol, in 1335.

Most of Agnes Randolph’s life is shrouded in mystery; there is very little mention of her existence until the English army appeared before her castle of Dunbar in January 1338. With the resumption of hostilities between England and Scotland in the 1330s, the castle of Dunbar became strategically important for both sides.

The stronghold had been rebuilt, at the expense of Edward III, in 1333, but by 1337 it was standing against England’s king. English affairs in the north lay in the hands of Richard (II) FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel, and William Montague, Earl of Salisbury, and it was these two experienced military leaders who decided to launch an English offensive by attacking Dunbar. An impressive stronghold, the castle was all but impregnable; it was built at the mouth of the Dunbar harbour, on separate rocks, with interlinking bridges and corridors.

Strategically, the castle’s position made it impossible for the English to march past it and leave it behind them, intact, able to harry the invaders and cut their lines of communication with England. Earl Patrick was away from home at the time, however, Scottish writer Nigel Tranter suggests that Agnes deliberately allowed herself to be besieged to give the Scottish forces time to rally and organise a resistance to the English invasion. Even so, it must have been a terrifying sight for the countess to look out from the battlements and see an army approaching; and the English earls must surely have been confident that they could beat the countess and her reduced garrison.

In January 1338, the English laid siege to Dunbar, surrounding it as best they could. The army had brought a legion of engineers with it, thus ensuring that a vast number of siege engines could be constructed and the castle’s inhabitants would face an almost constant barrage from missiles. When Salisbury demanded that Agnes surrender, she is said to have responded,

Of Scotland’s King I haud my House,
He pays me meat and fee,
And I will keep my gude and house,
While my house will keep me.³

The siege didn’t go exactly as the English planned. Agnes mocked them at every opportunity, appearing on the battlements even during bombardments. She is said to have had her maids dusting the battlements where they had been struck by missiles. When a siege engine known as a sow (a battering ram) was brought to face the castle, Agnes is said to have taunted the English by shouting ‘Beware, Montagow, for fallow shall they sow.’ The Scots would use the displaced rocks, caused by the barrages, and the missiles that had been fired at them, and rain them back down on their enemies. As the sow was destroyed and the English took cover, Agnes is said to have shouted ‘Behold the litter of English pigs.’⁴ Attack after attack was repulsed by Agnes and her men; a ballad, said to have been written by Salisbury himself, demonstrates Agnes’ steadfast attitude:

She makes a stir in tower and trench,
That brawling, boisterous, Scottish wench;
Came I early, came I late,
I found Agnes at the gate!⁵

The English even tried subterfuge to win the castle, bribing one of the castle’s guards to raise the gate and allow entry to the English attackers. However, the guard, having taken the money, went straight to Agnes:

Believing that they were going to be entering the castle, the Earl and his soldiers arrived at the gate. The guards, thinking Salisbury would be first to enter, dropped the gate after the first soldier stepped into the castle. Fortunately for Salisbury, one of his men had passed him on the approach. The thwarted earl retreated back to his camp with Agnes yelling at him from the castle walls: ‘Fare thee well Montague, I meant that you should have supped with us and support us in upholding the castle from the English!’⁵

At one point, the English used Agnes’s brother John Randolph in an attempt to persuade her to submit. One of the regents of Scotland during David II’s minority, John had been ambushed and captured in 1335. He was brought before Dunbar Castle, where Salisbury threatened to hang him in full view of his sister. Unperturbed, Agnes responded that John’s death could only be to her own benefit; although she could not inherit John’s titles, she was, alongside her sister, co-heir to his lands. John was given a reprieve and sent to imprisonment in England. Ironically, he would be freed in 1341 as part of a prisoner exchange; for the earl of Salisbury, of all people!

The problem for the English lay in the fact that they could not entirely surround the castle. Although they could besiege it from the land, the castle was still accessible by sea. An English fleet was guarding the harbour, but Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie managed to replenish the castle’s dwindling supplies by using a fleet of fishing boats, approaching in the early dawn from the cover of the Bass Rock. He managed to sneak through the enemy lines, making a dash for the harbour before the larger English vessels could get underway. Ramsay managed to land vital supplies and reinforcements for the garrison through a partially submerged entrance.

Agnes even sent the Earl of Salisbury some fresh-baked food when she knew the English supplies were running low, taunting the poor earl. Eventually, Agnes’s resistance proved too much for the English army, and, after nineteen weeks, on 10 June 1338, they lifted the siege, claiming their men and resources were needed for the king’s campaigns overseas. It had cost over £6,000, prompting one English chronicler to record that the siege had been ‘wasteful, and neither honourable nor secure, but useful and advantageous to the Scots’.⁶

The struggle against the English continued for several more years, but David II and his queen, Joan of the Tower, the daughter of Edward II and sister of Edward III, returned to Scotland amid great rejoicing in 1341; only for David to become a captive of Edward III following the Battle of Neville’s Cross in 1346. Scotland’s king spent eleven years in English captivity, while Scotland was ruled by his nephew and heir, Robert the Steward.

David returned in 1357, the same year that Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, participated in the raid that saw Berwick returned to Scottish sovereignty, for a short time at least. Earl Patrick continued to witness royal charters until July 1368 and remained active in Scottish affairs until his death in 1369. When Agnes also died in 1369, aged about 57, her father’s earldom and that of her husband passed to her nephew, George Dunbar.

Agnes of Dunbar was a women of status, raised to command households, if not men, who stepped up to the mark when the occasion demanded it. Although she was not educated in military techniques and tactics, she had lived within a world that was constantly on a war footing and when faced with a fight, she rose to the challenge. With her death, Black Agnes passed into legend, her tenacity and stalwart defence of Dunbar Castle a shining example of what a mere woman can be capable of achieving.

Images:

Courtesy of Wikipedia