Agnes Hotot was a young
heiress of the family of Hotot. Hotot's father was involved in a dispute with a man named Ringsley, and in order to settle it, they arranged to have a
lance fight. Shortly before the duel, however, Hotot's father fell ill with
gout, so "rather than he should lose the land, or suffer in his honor", Hotot disguised herself in her father's armour and fought in his place at the
tourney. She knocked Ringsley off his horse. As her opponent lay in the dirt, Hotot took off her helmet and let down her hair to reveal her true identity. Some accounts state that she also removed her breastplate to expose herself as a woman. In 1395, Hotot married into the
Northamptonshire Dudleys of Clapton (now
Clopton Hotot's story was recorded by a monk in the village of Clapton. More modern accounts of Hotot have combined her story with the legend of "Skulking Dudley": a man from the Dudley family who, after supposedly committing murder in the 1300s, returned to haunt Clopton villagers in the early 20th century. In this modern version, Agnes is the daughter of Skulking Dudley; her father offends a nearby landowner, then cowardly feigns illness to escape the duel, and Agnes takes his place to save the family honour. Although she loses the fight, her opponent discovers her identity, spares her life, and marries her. == References ==