Women in the Scottish Wars of Independence 1296–1357 by Beth Reid

Beth Reid has brought the important roles of elite women in the Scottish Wars of Independence into the light in this intriguing book. She made me want to delve further into the lives of these medieval women, some of whom were incredibly brave. The stories she tells include those of Elisabeth de Burgh, Robert the Bruce’s Queen, Isabella McDuff, Katherine Beaumont and Agnes Randolph, but there are many more, such as Joan of the Tower.

Elusabeth de Burgh spent a long time in captivity in England, prized as the Scottish Queen, and only treated well because she was the daughter of an English ally. Although only glimpses of her influence on her husband’s reign are seen, her legacy survives seven centuries later because an annual endowment first ordered by her husband, is  paid to the Auld Kirk at Cullen. Her funeral rites and the reaction to her death show that she was a respected and loved Queen.

Isabella McDuff defied her husband to support Robert, and was punished by imprisonment in a cage by the English. This is likely to have been a bedchamber in the castle, protected from the elements, but she was in isolation with little privacy from her captors. Mary, Robert’s sister, also received this harsh punishment.

Katherine and Agnes endured sieges of their castles, seeing to their servants and provisions. Independent aristocrats, they were both forced to be in charge of the defences. Agnes Randolph even exchanged jeering and witty banter with William Montague, the Earl of Salisbury, who was leading the attack on Dunbar Castle. When he began the siege by using large siege machines to throw missiles at the castle, she sent a young woman to the battlements dressed like a bride, to dust the walls where the missiles struck! This was deliberately in front of Montague!

This is perfect for history-lovers, especially readers interested in medieval Scottish history. It’s quite amazing just how courageous some of the women in this book were, but all of the elite women played an important role in these wars.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.