Black Agnes
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The palfrey of Mary Queen of Scots, given her by her brother Moray, and named after Agnes of Dunbar.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Black Agnes” mean?
The palfrey of Mary Queen of Scots, given her by her brother Moray, and named after Agnes of Dunbar.
Is “Black Agnes” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.