Agnes Hotot
Agnes Hotot (fl. 1395) was an English noblewoman famous for a lance duel she fought in disguise as a man. Her father, Sir John Hotot, had a land dispute with a man named Ringsley. They planned a duel, but when her father fell ill, Agnes dressed in his armour and fought in his place. She knocked Ringsley off his horse and, after winning, revealed that she was a woman.
In 1395, Agnes married into the Northamptonshire Dudleys of Clapton (now Clopton). The Dudleys created a crest to honor her feat, showing a woman's bust, disheveled hair, a bare bosom, and a helmet.
Her story was recorded by a monk in Clapton. Later, some modern versions mix her tale with the legend of Skulking Dudley, a Dudley ghost. In those stories, Agnes is the daughter of Skulking Dudley; her father fakes illness to avoid the duel, and Agnes takes his place. She loses the fight, the opponent discovers her identity, spares her life, and marries her.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:12 (CET).