After the
Battle of Bannockburn, Patrick de Dunbar gave sanctuary and quarter to the English King
Edward II at the fortress of
Dunbar Castle, on the east coast of Scotland between
Edinburgh and
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and managed to effect the king's escape by means of a fishing boat whereby that monarch was transported back to England. The earl afterwards made his peace with his cousin
Robert the Bruce, and was present at the parliament held at
Ayr on 26 April 1315, when the succession to the Crown of Scotland was settled. In 1318 he assisted in retaking
Berwick-upon-Tweed from the English, at which time he is noted as Sheriff of Lothian. In 1320 he was one of those nobles who signed the
Declaration of Arbroath sent to
Pope John XXII asserting the independence of Scotland. Laing relates a charter of a Precept originally written in Norman French by Patrick de Dunbar, Earl of March, to
Sir Robert Lauder of Quarrelwood, for heritable sasine of the reversion of the lands of Whitelaw within the Earldom of Dunbar, plus 10 livres yearly from the mill of
Dunbar, and the farms and issues of the granter's said town (
ville) of Dunbar, according to the terms of charters to the grantee. Dated at Berwick-upon-Tweed, 20 October 1324. Sometime after 1331 the
Bishop of Durham complained to the
Regency in Scotland that the village of
Upsettlington, on the Scottish side of the
River Tweed west of
Norham, belonged to the See of Durham and not the Earl of Dunbar, who had seized it. The King of England now became involved also and it appears the lands were restored to the Bishop. In 1332, the Earl of Dunbar was appointed by the assembly of the estates (Parliament) at
Perth, joint Guardian of the Crown, upon the death of the
Regent,
Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray. He opposed
Edward Balliol in several battles and skirmishes following the
Battle of Dupplin Moor. In January 1333 he was appointed Governor of
Berwick Castle but was forced to surrender it following the
Battle of Halidon Hill in July 1333. The Earl of Dunbar and several others of the nobility paid fealty to King Edward. It is unlikely that Dunbar remained to fight after the first arrows reached them. In 1355, with
William, Lord of Douglas and Sir William Ramsay of Dalhousie, the Earl of Dunbar again invaded Northumberland, and subsequently recovered
Berwick-upon-Tweed, although not the castle. In 1357 he was one of the Scottish ambassadors who met at Berwick to discuss the liberation of King David, who had been taken prisoner at Neville's Cross. He was subsequently one of the hostages for David until the ransom was paid, although it would appear from Safe-Conducts that he was out and about thereafter. Following this his town of
Dunbar was erected into a
Royal Burgh. In 1366, he made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St.
Thomas Becket at
Canterbury. In May 1367 he confirmed to the monks of
Coldingham Priory by charter to the Prior and Convent of Durham, the church and manor of
Edrom, and Nisbet, with the agreement of his wife. In June 1368, the King was advised by parliament at
Scone to consult with the Earls of Dunbar and Douglas on the security of the Eastern marches. He was not present at the Coronation of King
Robert II in 1371 so it is assumed that he died before then. Brown gives a year of death as 1368. If that is so it would probably be 1368/9. ==Marriage==