Sir Richard de Lundy
Sir Richard is perhaps the most famous member of this family, due this his involvement with William Wallace and Scotland’s fight for independence from Edward I of England. After the treaty of Irvine, Sir Richard Lundie was so disgusted with the general attitude of the Scots nobility that he went over to the English side. At the time of the battle of Stirling Bridge, he was the leader of the English army. He advised Sir Hugh Cressingham, Edward I’s appointed Lord Treasurer of Scotland, that to cross Stirling bridge itself would result in certain loss. He has been attributed with the following speech.
“My Lords if we go on to the bridge we are dead men; for we cannot cross it except two by two, and if the enemy are on our flank, and can come down on us as they will, all in one front. But there is a ford not far from here, where we can cross sixty at a time. Let me therefore have five hundred Knights and a small body of infantry, and we will get round the enemy on the rear and crush them”
Cressingham ignored the advice of the skilful soldier Sir Richard, and the battle was lost. After this Sir Richard fought with Wallace and is believed to have become a good friend. Sir Richard is listed as one of the Nobles of Scotland who appointed Sir William Wallace to the position of Governor of the Kingdom. They fought together at Falkirk. The sword of Sir Richard de Lundie, laird of Lundin, friend of Wallace, was taken to the ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the Wallace Monument (Glasgow Herald, 25/6/1861). It and the swords of Sir William Wallace, King Robert the Bruce, John De Graham and the Black Douglas, were displayed at the summit of Abbey Craig. This sword is now at Drummond castle, ancestral home of the Earls of Perth, at one time descendants of Lundin of that ilk.
The central sword
is that of the Laird of Lundin.
It was used by Sir Richard de Lundin with
William Wallace,
and by Sir William at Bannockburn with King Robert the Bruce
(click
on it for a larger picture)
It
is interesting to note that “Lundie” is described in Blind Harry’s depictation
of the battle of Stirling bridge as being on the side of the Scots.
"The
day of battle does approach at length,
The English then advance with all their strength.
And fifty thousand march in battle rank,
Full six to one; yet Wallace never shrank.
The rest they lay about the castle hill;
Both field and castle thought to have at will.
The worthy Scots together close did bide,
In the plain field, upon the other side.
Hugh Kirkingham (Cressingham), the vanguard on led he,
With twenty thousand likely men to see;
The Earl of Warren thirty thousand had;
If all were good the number was not bad.
Thus fifty thousand silly South'ron sots
Proudly march up against nine thousand Scots.
When Kirkingham his twenty thousand men
Had past the bridge, quite to the other end,
Some of the Scots in earnest, without scorn,
Thought it high time to blow the warning horn;
But Wallace he march'd stoutly through the plain,
Led on his men, their number did disdain;
Till Warren's host thick on the bridge did go,
Then he from Jop did take the horn and blow:
So loud and shrill, he warned good John Wright,
Who soon struck out the roller with great slight.
Then all went down, when the pin was got out;
At which arose a fearful cry and shout.
Both men and horse into the river fell,
Honest John Wright did act his part so well.
The hardy Scots with heavy strokes and sore,
Attack the twenty thousand that came o'er.
Wallace and Ramsay, Lundie, Boyd, and Graham,
With dreadful strokes made them retire - Fy, shame!
The South'rons front they fought all face to face,
Who to their ignominy and disgrace,
Did neither stand nor fairly foot the score,
But did retire five acre breadth and more.
Wallace on foot, with a great sharp sword goes,
Amongst the very thickest of his foes;
On Kirkingham there such a stroke he got,
In spite of all his armour and mailcoat,
That kill'd him dead; none durst him there rescue;
Then to that valiant captain bade adieu.
When Kirkingham dead on the spot to lie
The South'rons saw, then they began to fly:
Who, though they had fought it most bloody hot,
Ten thousand lost, and left dead on the spot;
The rest they fled, nor none durst stay behind;
Succour they sought, but none at all could they find.
Some east come west, and some fled to the north
Seven thousand flutter'd all at once in Forth,
Who from that river little mercy found;
For few escap'd, and most of all were drown'd.
On Wallace's side, no man was killed of note,
But Andrew Murray, a true hearted Scot.
When Warren's men saw all was lost and tint,
They fled as fast as fire does from a flint;
Ne'er look'd about, nor once a Scotsman fac'd,
But to Dunbar march'd in devilish haste."
Sir Richard is believed to have married Margaret de Dunbar, daughter of Patrick Dunbar, Earl of Dunbar and Marjorie Comyn, herself the daughter of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan. He was succeeded by his son Walter, who married Euphemia Graham, daughter of Sir John Graham.
