George II, Earl of March facts for kids
George de Dunbar, 11th Earl of Dunbar and March, was an important Scottish nobleman who lived a long time, from about 1370 to after 1457. He was also the 13th Lord of Annandale and Lord of the Isle of Man. He was the last person in his family to hold these big titles.
Becoming an Earl
George was about 50 years old when he became the Earl after his father, George Dunbar, 10th Earl of March and Dunbar, passed away in 1422. Even before he became Earl, George was active in public life.
In 1399, "George de Dunbarre, son of the Earl of March," was given a special pass, called a safe-conduct, to travel through England with 20 horsemen. This allowed him to go "beyond the seas" and return safely.
By 1405, he was in charge of the Cockburnspath castle in Berwickshire. He also helped with many important public matters while his father was still alive. In 1390, King Robert II gave him rights over the Earldom of March and the lordship of Annandale.
George also helped free Murdoch, the son of the Regent Albany, from being held captive in England. This happened in 1411 and again in 1415. Between 1416 and 1419, "George de Dounbar, son and heir of the Earl of the Marches of Scotland," received another safe-conduct to travel to England with many other nobles.
Serving as an Ambassador
In 1423, "George, Earl of March," and his brother, Sir Patrick de Dunbar, were chosen for a special job. They were part of a group sent to England to negotiate the release of King James I of Scotland. The King had been held captive there for a long time.
In 1424, the Earl of March helped arrange a seven-year peace agreement, or truce, with England. He also met King James I and his wife, Queen Joan, in Durham when they returned to Scotland. George was also at their Coronation in Scone in May 1424, where he was made a knight.
However, the next year, things changed. The Earls of Dunbar and Douglas, along with the Duke of Albany and many other powerful lords, were suddenly arrested. This happened because of accusations about how Scottish affairs were handled while King James was away. The Duke of Albany and his sons were executed, but the Earl of Dunbar and most of the other lords were set free. Their involvement was not as clear.
In 1427, the Earls of Dunbar and Douglas helped arrange another truce with King Henry VI of England in London. This truce lasted for two years. George also helped negotiate more temporary truces with England in 1429 and 1430. In October 1430, he was a sponsor for the young King James II of Scotland at Holyroodhouse.
Losing His Titles
In 1434, George Dunbar and his son Patrick traveled to England twice. This made the King and other powerful people in Scotland suspicious. When the Earl returned, he was arrested and held in Edinburgh Castle.
At the same time, the Earl of Angus, Chancellor Crichton, and Sir Adam Hepburn of Hailes were sent to Dunbar Castle. The castle was quickly given to the King's control, and Hepburn was left in charge of this important fortress.
In a parliament meeting in Perth in 1435, George, Earl of March, was accused. He was not accused of doing anything wrong himself, but of holding his earldoms and lands. The King's court claimed that his father had lost these lands earlier. George argued that his father had been pardoned and given back his lands by the Regent Albany. However, the court said that a crime like treason could not be pardoned by a Regent.
Because of this, George lost his earldom and estates. He then went to live quietly in England. A safe-conduct was signed for "George, Earl of Dunbar, with twenty-four horsemen" in Westminster in October 1435. It seems he was still alive in 1457. He was mentioned in a document about his son, Patrick de Dunbar, receiving lands in Kilconquhar, Fife.
Family Life
The Earl is believed to have married twice. Around 1390, he married Beatrix (her family is not known). They had his "eldest son," Patrick.
In 1421, he was allowed to marry his second wife, Hawise (also called Alicia). She was the daughter of Sir William de Hay. His two wives were said to be closely related to each other, and he was also related to both of them.
The children of George and his first wife, Beatrix, were:
- Patrick, who lived in Kilconquhar, Fife. He was the Master of The March and married Elisabeth Sinclair.
- George, who became a churchman. In 1433, he was described as "son of the Earl of March, noble on both sides." He asked the Pope to give him a special position in the church at Dunbar.
- Archibald of Dunbar.
- Marjory, who married Sir John Swinton, 15th of that Ilk. He was killed in a battle in France in 1424.
- Euphemia (who passed away in 1474), married George Graham.
