Keith, Margaret (fl. 1395)

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Keith, Margaret (fl. 1395)

Noblewoman of Scotland. Name variations: Lady Lindsay: Margaret Lindsay. Flourished 1395 in Scotland; possibly married Sir James Lindsay, 9th Baron Crawford, of Lanarkshire (d. 1396).

Margaret Keith was a Scottish noble, one of many medieval women who organized the defense of their castle-estates during wartime. In Margaret's case, the enemy was her own nephew Robert Keith. Castle defense was no passive or easy matter; it involved daily planning of strategic and political maneuvers, smuggling in supplies and messages to and from allies, rationing of equipment and food, negotiating with the besieging forces, caring for wounded soldiers, and so on. Eventually Margaret's defense of her castle proved successful; unfortunately little else is known of her life.

Laura York , Riverside, California