Women in the Scottish Wars of Independence

Agnes Randolph at the siege of Dunbar Castle c.1338, from a children’s storybook.

The Scottish Wars of Independence – also known as the Scottish Wars of Succession – raged from c.1296 - c.1357. Political turmoil was triggered by a Scottish royal succession crisis, with war breaking out when Edward I of England claimed the Scottish kingdom to be a subservient vassal of the English crown. The first stage of the wars ended with the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328 – which recognised Scotland’s sovereignty as a kingdom separate from England – but warfare had quickly renewed by 1332. Resolution was only found in 1357 with King David II of Scotland’s release from English captivity, and this was a tenuous and temporary peace at best. Resultantly, this is a period in Scottish history characterised by warfare and political drama. Key figures emerged who became legend in Scottish history and culture – Robert the Bruce, William Wallace and James ‘the Black’ Douglas are just to name a few. The tumultuous years of change affected all levels of society, but there is remarkably little appreciation for the heroines of the wars as well as the heroes. This article will examine several key events of the Scottish Wars of Independence that featured women.

 When Robert the Bruce murdered his rival claimant to the Scottish throne – John ‘the Red’ Comyn, Lord of Badenoch – he placed himself in an incredibly difficult position. Not only was the murder of Comyn deeply unpopular and arguably blasphemous, it was made worse when Robert seized the throne a month later. With minimal support for his kingship and the impending wrath of Edward I and Comyn’s allies on the horizon, Robert needed to use as much symbolic legitimacy as possible to strengthen his authority. One of these symbols was the act of the crown being placed on the king’s head during his inauguration ceremony, an ancient role that had traditionally belonged to the MacDuff Earls of Fife. With the current earl in England under Edward I’s lordship, Robert was missing a key legitimising act.

This was where Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan, stepped in. Isabella was married to John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, the cousin and close friend of the murdered Comyn of Badenoch. Her own brother was the Earl of Fife, who was loyal to Edward I. This meant that when Isabella chose to flee her husband and go to Scone in March 1306 to place a crown on the head of Robert the Bruce, she was rebelling against her marital and natal families in order to support the new King of Scots. Her independent and rebellious action gave Robert a much needed and ancient symbolic ritual.

Statue of the inauguration of Robert Bruce, depicting Isabella placing a crown on the new king’s head.

Isabella’s decision sealed her own fate. Robert quickly faced challenges following his inauguration and consequently sent his female family members north to safety – including Isabella. This group were captured at by the Earl of Ross, who promptly handed them over to the English as valuable captives. Isabella’s rebellion brought the wrath of Edward I upon her; she was imprisoned in a cage that hung from the walls of Berwick Castle, where she would remain for four years. The last record of Isabella comes from 1313 when she was transferred to another location of imprisonment. When Robert’s wife, sisters and daughter were returned to him following his victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in June 1314, Isabella was not on the list of released hostages, suggesting that she had died in captivity only a year before she would have gained her freedom. Isabella’s actions significantly impacted the Scottish Wars of Independence and made her an essential part of one of the most iconic and controversial events in Scottish history. Without her, Robert would have been missing a key symbol of legitimacy that would have negatively impacted the strength of his claim to the throne. Isabella was a true heroine of fourteenth century Scotland, who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

The Scottish Wars of Independence notably saw an attitude develop in which women were viewed as acceptable targets in warfare. Examples of this can be found in Edward I’s merciless treatment of Berwick and Stirling Castle, and the harsh punishments inflicted upon the female adherents to Robert the Bruce, as discussed above. As well as a rise in female victims of warfare, there are many notable events which included female military involvement and leadership, primarily in the defence of castles. Was it so unusual to see elite women defending their properties? As well as being authoritative of the household and estate management – particularly considering the frequent absences of husbands for political or military reasons – elite women were expected to be able to adapt their managerial and leadership skills for more extreme situations. In short, elite female command of certain military and political scenarios was expected and accepted. Fourteenth century Scotland shows several known examples of this.

 In 1335, Christina Bruce successfully led the garrison of Kildrummy Castle against a siege by the formidable David Strathbogie, claimant to the earldom of Atholl. Strathbogie’s forces and support were made up of the ‘Disinherited’ – the Scottish and English nobles whose lands and titles were forfeited by Robert the Bruce in November 1314, on account of their refusal to acknowledge him as king. Following the renewal of war after Robert’s death, these Disinherited lords were intent on taking back what they believed was rightfully theirs. Not only was Kildrummy a strategic fortress, but Christina Bruce was the sister of the late king, giving Strathbogie a number of reasons to besiege this particular castle. Christina held out against Strathbogie until at least November 1335, when her husband – Sir Andrew Murray – defeated the Disinherited force at the decisive Battle of Culblean after rushing north to relieve his wife and the castle.

 A similar situation occurred in 1338, when Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar, successfully led Dunbar Castle against a five-month siege by William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury. Beginning in January 1338, Agnes resisted Montagu’s attacks in an iconic style that has been immortalised in dramatic retellings of the siege. Allegedly, when Montagu catapulted the castle with rocks, Agnes began to dust the ramparts off with her handkerchief with unimpressed disdain for the earl’s efforts. The English siege engine was also apparently destroyed by Agnes’ garrison, who launched the earl’s rocks back at him from the castle walls.

An artistic depiction of Agnes Randolph at the ramparts of Dunbar Castle.

Montagu’s next method of attack was to bribe one of Agnes’ guards to leave the gates unlocked or weakened, but this plan too failed when the guard reported this to the countess; the portcullis dropped at the English attack, foiling the earl’s plans again. It is also alleged that Montagu brought Agnes’ captive brother – John Randolph, Earl of Moray – to Dunbar, and threatened to hang him in front of Agnes lest she not surrender the castle. Agnes refused and, in the end, John was not hung. However, it is likely that this particular siege method has been confused with the siege of Berwick in 1333. Sir Alexander Seton and Lady Christian Seton were commanding the Berwick garrison against the attacking English force when their son, who was an English hostage, was brought out to be hung before his parents in an effort to convince the couple to surrender the castle. Lady Seton urged her husband to resist the English threat, and their son was indeed executed before them. Where the Setons’ efforts were unsuccessful, Agnes Randolph successfully held out against Montagu’s starving of the castle until June 1338, when a Scottish force finally arrived to relieve Dunbar. Montagu lifted the costly siege in admitted defeat, and Agnes’ resistance against the English earl has become legend.

This article has demonstrated several instances of key female involvement in the Scottish Wars of Independence. Isabella MacDuff’s independent political decision resulted in a new King of Scots and contributed to the annals of Scottish history – her sacrifice should not be undermined on the account of her being a woman. Christina Bruce, Agnes Randolph and Christian Seton all commanded their garrisons in the protection of their castles, acting with the leadership and bravery that was certainly expected of elite woman and men alike during times of such political and military turmoil. There is a tendency to generalise the experience of medieval elite women as one of submission and being on the side-lines of society – the aforementioned women all contribute to challenging this generalisation. Their roles in the Scottish Wars of Independence were crucial, and should receive the attention and appreciation that they deserve.

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