Despite being kicked out of Scotland in 1314 by King Robert de Bruce after the battle of Bannockburn in 1322 the English tried again to conquer Scotland and in 1338 they were still trying. On the 13 th of January they arrived outside the gates of the Dunbar castle near the fallen town of Berwick ( Berwick to this day remains English territory) Now this should have been an easy castle for them to conquer as its lord the Earl of Dunbar was away with the Scottish army fighting the English army else where.. right? ... wrong!. The castle was being held by Black Agnes with a handful of men given her by her husband to hold the castle. She was so called because of her dark hair and skin colour. The Earl of Salisbury, the English commander, opened the siege by hurling great rocks at the walls of the castle using vast catapults and lead shot. When that phase of the invaders campaign was over, Agnes had all her maids dress in their Sunday best and go out onto the ramparts and dust and clean the marks of the stones off the walls.

The Earl of Salisbury, the English commander, opened the siege by hurling great rocks at the walls of the castle using vast catapults and lead shot. When that phase of the invaders campaign was over, Agnes had all her maids dress in their Sunday best and go out onto the ramparts and dust and clean the marks of the stones off the walls. Salisbury then had his secret weapon rolled up on wheels. It was a huge battering ram with a wooden roof to protect the men who rolled it up to the gate. At just the right moment in this attack Agnes signalled for a large boulder, kept just for that purpose, be dropped on the men below. It crashed though the roof splintering it into a thousand pieces sending the enemy scuttling in every direction. As they ran Agnes' jeers followed them. So much for the secret weapon!

The siege continued!!!

One day when Salisbury was riding around the outside of the castle with his second in command, an arrow shot out form the castle barely missed Salisbury. His companion however was not so fortunate. The arrow thunked into his chest, piercing three layers of chain mail and a thick leather jacket to kill him. The Earl commented " Black Agnes' love-shafts go straight to the heart!"

Winter passed, and spring arrived, the siege went on. The last of the winter supplies exhausted Salisbury at last smelled an end and victory. He would starve out Black Agnes. One dark and starless night a few gallant towns people rowed several small boats by sea to relieve the castle and the the growing famine with in it. Agnes not being the shy retiring type sent a fresh baked with loaf and some wine, the following morning to the English commander and had the gift's arrival proclaimed loudly.

In desperation Salisbury sent for Agnes' brother the Earl of Moray. Moray had been captured and was a prisoner of the English. He was marched to within sight of the castle and in view of Agnes herself. Her brother was forced by Salisbury to call to her to surrender the castle or he would would be killed.

Was Agnes broken by this? Was she cowed into submission? No, not a bit of it! Agnes appealed to the aggressors greed and reasonably pointed out that should he kill her brother, who had no children, she would then become the Earl of Moray. Salisbury. Naturally Salisbury did not kill the Earl of Moray.

The siege continued for a further five months before Salisbury realised he would never get the better of Agnes. As the would be invaders marched away the men made up a song.

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. If you came from the Dunbar Harbour Trust page please click here to return.

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