Patrick III, Earl of Dunbar facts for kids

Patrick III, 7th Earl of Dunbar (born around 1213, died 24 August 1289), was a very important Scottish noble. He was the lord of the Dunbar area and its strong castle. This castle was very important in East Lothian. Patrick was also a key military leader in the Scottish Borders.

Who Was Patrick III?

Patrick III was born around 1213. His father was Patrick II, Earl of Dunbar. His family had been powerful for many generations. His ancestors, like Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria, were important figures. Patrick's family controlled the border areas between Scotland and England. His son, Patrick IV, Earl of March, later officially used the title "Earl of March."

Patrick's Career and Important Events

Working with Kings

In 1249, Patrick showed his loyalty to King Henry III for the lands he owned in England. The Earl was part of a group of nobles who did not agree with the powerful Comyn family in Scotland. In 1255, Patrick and others managed to remove the Comyns from power. In the same year, he was chosen to be a "Regent and Guardian." This meant he helped rule Scotland for the young King and Queen. However, in 1258, the Comyn family regained power. Earl Patrick was then removed from the government.

Building and Battles

In 1263, Patrick founded a monastery in Dunbar for the Carmelite monks, also known as White Friars. In the same year, he led the left side of the Scottish army at the battle of Largs. This was a major battle against the Norwegians. In 1266, King Magnus V of Norway gave the Isle of Man and the Hebrides islands to King Alexander III of Scotland. Earl of Dunbar's seal was on the Treaty of Perth. This important agreement was signed in Norway in 1266.

Royal Marriages and Successors

In 1281, Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, was second among thirteen earls. They signed the marriage contract for Princess Margaret of Scotland and King Eric of Norway. In 1284, he attended a special meeting called a parliament at Scone. At this meeting, Princess Margaret of Norway was declared the rightful heir to the Scottish Crown. Patrick died at Whittingehame and was buried in Dunbar, East Lothian.

Family Life

Patrick married twice. His first wife was Cecily. She was the daughter of John FitzRobert, Lord of Warkworth, Northumberland. They married before 1240.

He later married Christiana. She was the daughter of Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale. Patrick and Christiana had five known children:

• Patrick IV, Earl of March (1242–1308), who became his heir.
• Sir John de Dunbar.
• Sir Alexander de Dunbar.
• Agnes de Dunbar, who married Christell de Seton.
• Cecily (or Cecilia) de Dunbar, who married Sir James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland.

Historians have different ideas about who Patrick's wife was and who was the mother of his children. Some sources say Christiana de Brus was his wife and the mother of his children. However, other sources disagree. According to a book called The Scots Peerage, Cecily was his only recorded wife and the mother of his sons. This is based on an old document from his eldest son. Another book, The Complete Peerage, also states that Cecily was his wife. It says that Christiana Bruce was mistakenly named as his wife in an older book called Wood's Douglas.

|-style="text-align: center;" | width="30%" |Preceded by
Patrick II | width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |Earl of Dunbar
1248–1289 | width="30%" |Succeeded by
Patrick IV |-