Dundarg Castle (11)
One of the key characters on the English side during the Wars of Independence, was a Henry Beaumont. He was to participate in every major engagement, from the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 to the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333. He comes into this story by virtue of the fact that he married Alice Comyn, who, following the death of John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan, inherited the Buchan earldom. But while Henry Beaumont became Earl of Buchan, by right of his wife, he was to spend most of his life trying to take control of the earldom's lands - indeed he was to do more than anyone else to overturn the peace between England and Scotland, established by the Treaty of Northampton and bring about the Second War of Scottish Independence.
Henry first took up military service with Edward I while he was campaigning in Flanders in 1297 against Philip IV of France. When Edward returned to England the following year to deal with the after effects of the defeat of his northern army by the Scots at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, he was accompanied by Beaumont. In the ensuing battle of Falkirk, Beaumont was one of the young knights who had his horse killed from under him by the spears of William Wallace's schiltrons. Beaumont again attended Edward I in the Scottish wars in 1302.
Edward I died in July 1307, which allowed Robert Bruce to turn his attention from defeating English armies, to defeating enemies at home. Chief amongst his domestic enemies were the Comyns and the head of the family (since the murder of John Comyn) was John 3rd Earl of Buchan. Buchan survived his defeat at Barra, but died not long after, in exile in England. His niece and heiress presumably went to England with him and it was there in 1310, that she married Henry Beaumont.
The final act of the 1st War of Independence, was the Battle of Bannockburn - the English attempt to relieve their forces besieged in Stirling Castle. Henry Beaumont was there as a cavalry commander, which was perhaps fortunate as, on the second day of the battle, it enabled him to be one of those who accompanied Edward II in his flight from the field back to England.
In the November after Bannockburn, Beaumont was one of those affected by the sentence of forfeiture passed by the Scottish parliament against all those with land and title in Scotland who continued to fight with the English. This created a group of nobility, both English and Scots, that became known as the Disinherited. Although this group included men of greater standing, such as David Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, Beaumont was to prove by far the most determined in the pursuit of his lost honours.
Dundarg Castle (11)
One of the key characters on the English side during the Wars of Independence, was a Henry Beaumont. He was to participate in every major engagement, from the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 to the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333. He comes into this story by virtue of the fact that he married Alice Comyn, who, following the death of John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan, inherited the Buchan earldom. But while Henry Beaumont became Earl of Buchan, by right of his wife, he was to spend most of his life trying to take control of the earldom's lands - indeed he was to do more than anyone else to overturn the peace between England and Scotland, established by the Treaty of Northampton and bring about the Second War of Scottish Independence.
Henry first took up military service with Edward I while he was campaigning in Flanders in 1297 against Philip IV of France. When Edward returned to England the following year to deal with the after effects of the defeat of his northern army by the Scots at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, he was accompanied by Beaumont. In the ensuing battle of Falkirk, Beaumont was one of the young knights who had his horse killed from under him by the spears of William Wallace's schiltrons. Beaumont again attended Edward I in the Scottish wars in 1302.
Edward I died in July 1307, which allowed Robert Bruce to turn his attention from defeating English armies, to defeating enemies at home. Chief amongst his domestic enemies were the Comyns and the head of the family (since the murder of John Comyn) was John 3rd Earl of Buchan. Buchan survived his defeat at Barra, but died not long after, in exile in England. His niece and heiress presumably went to England with him and it was there in 1310, that she married Henry Beaumont.
The final act of the 1st War of Independence, was the Battle of Bannockburn - the English attempt to relieve their forces besieged in Stirling Castle. Henry Beaumont was there as a cavalry commander, which was perhaps fortunate as, on the second day of the battle, it enabled him to be one of those who accompanied Edward II in his flight from the field back to England.
In the November after Bannockburn, Beaumont was one of those affected by the sentence of forfeiture passed by the Scottish parliament against all those with land and title in Scotland who continued to fight with the English. This created a group of nobility, both English and Scots, that became known as the Disinherited. Although this group included men of greater standing, such as David Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, Beaumont was to prove by far the most determined in the pursuit of his lost honours.