Presented

to the

LIBRARY of theUNIVERSITY OF TORONTOby

JOSEPH BUIST

BORDER RAIDSREIVERS.

I

BORDER RAIDSAND

REIVERS

BY

ROBERT BORLANDMINISTER OF YARROW

DALBEATTIE: THOMAS FRASER,MDCCCXCVIII.

PRINTED AT THE COURIER AND HERALD OFFICES,DUMFRIES,FOR

THOMAS FRASER, DALBEATTIE.

CONTENTS.PREFACEI.

THE AULD ENEMY.PAGE.Extent of Border reivingimplicatedfate

Plunder

and

reprisal

All

classesevil

Double dose of

original sin

Victims of an

Invasions

Threatened annexation of ScotlandSacking of Berwickvisits

Edward's twofold policyhostility

Feeling ofcarriesoff

produced

Edward

Scone and

Scottish Sceptre

and Crown

Douglas and Edward Brucerevenge...

Borderers animated by a

spirit of

...

...

1-14

II.

PERCY'S PENNON.Battle of Otterburn

Chief combatants

How

the encounter

was

brought aboutthe

Destruction of the AbbeysScottish

Meeting ofat Yet-

Scots at Aberdeen

army assemblesupon

holm

Method

of attack determined

Earl Douglas

marches through NorthumberlandReturns to NewcastlePreparations for battleslain

Ravages

Durham-Otterburn

Hotspur and Douglas

The English

assault

The Douglas...

Hotspur taken prisoner

Humanity

of Borderers

15-32

Vlll.

CONTENTS.III.

POOR AND LAWLESS.PAGE.Condition of Scotlandcountry by

Ancient monasteriesSylvius

Description of

/Eneas

Ignorance of the

people

Laws cannot be

enforced

The Barons supreme

Law againsthis neighbour

harbouring thievesPledges demanded

Every man's hand against

Banished north of the Forth

Scottish

Borderers forbidden to marry daughters of " brokenin

men"

England

No respectWithout

paid to the law

Execrable murders......

committed

religion

Hand-fasting

33-54

IV.

RAIDS AND FORAYS.Invasions constantly occurringreivers

Many

lives sacrificed

How

the

conducted their expeditions

Leslie's

accountof Bor-

Tracked by bloodhoundsderers

Froissart's description

Invasion by Earl of HertfordBattle of

Raid by

Sir

Ralph

Eure

Ancrum MoorHorrid

Lord Dacre's devastationscruelties practised

Borderers retaliatethe

Raid ofMorton's... ...

Reidswire

Indignation of English Queen..,......

concessions

...

...

55-80

V.

WARDENS OF THE MARCHES.Generallychoiceofficers of

high rank

Scottish

King limitedpowers

in his

Wardens invested with

arbitrary

Bonds

of alliance

Of

little

or

no value

Ignored when con-

CONTENTS.Wardens well remunerated'

ix.

PAGE.venientthe office

Duties pertaining to

81-96

VI.

THE DAY OF TRUCE.Arrangementscharacterfor

dealing

with

offenders

Of

a

primitive

Prisoners

could not be detained in custody

Often took "leg-bail"

Day

of Truce every

month

Date

and place made known by proclamationof the

The meeting

Wardens

Regulations for conduct of business

Administering the oath

Bogus

bills

Value of goodsBaughling...

Three ways of trying cases " fouled " or " cleared " Bills

The

hot-trod

Lord Russell shot... ... ...

Foster's...

explanations

...

97- IT 5

VII.

THE DEADLY FEUD.Origin ofthe

expressiontrifling

Feuds of everyday occurrencecircumstancesInherited

Occasioned by

Made

the

j

administration of the law difficult

Feud betwixt the Kers

and Scottsstones

How

occasioned

The Maxwells and JohnMurderReturns to the

A

disastrous feud

Battle of Dryfe Sands

of Johnstone

Lord Maxwell imprisoned

Borders

Betrayed by Earl of Caithness

Beheaded

in

Edinburgh

Ker

of Cessford slain

Pursuit of his murderers

How

feuds staunched

Bonds of Assurance... ......

Marriage...

Pilgrimage

Assythment

116-135

x.

CONTENTS.VIII.

THE THIEVES DAUNTONED.PAGE.

The "Family Tree"Border reivingvisit

Man's

first

right

The King

connives at

The Wardens

often indifferent

The

King's

to

Dumfries

Ty

tier's

account of what transpired

The Turnbullsin

of Rule

Water punishedtrees

The Earl

of

Marat

Hawick

Lack of

and halters

Queen MaryElliot of

Jedburgh

The Earl

of Bothwell

John

Park

The Queen visits Hermitagesuppression of Liddesdale

Struck

down with

fever

The

Buccleuch and Ferniherstdistrict

Mangertonflames

destroyed

The wholeFound

given

to

the

Geordie BourneMilder...

guilty of

March treasonof...

Executed

measures...

The Tower......

Netherby...

Gary's success

1

36- 1 54

IX.

LIDDESDALE LIMMERS.Border keeps and peelsSoulis

Description of them

Hermitage

Lord

Nine-stane-rig

Black Knight of Liddesdale

RamsayElliots

of Dalhousie starved to death

Armstrongs and

Maitland's

came

to

hand

"Complaynt" Took everything that The clan system Names of Border clansland...

To-namesraid

Debateable...

The Scotch dyke...

Gary's

Driven to bay

155-180

X.

AFTER THE HUNTING.James V.Border barons putinin

ward

Sets out for the Borders

Hunts

Meggat

Eighteen score of deer slain

Cockburn

CONTENTS.Border Widow's LamentJohnie ArmstrongPitscottie's

XI.

PAGE.of Henderland

Adam

Scott,

"

" King of Thieves

The

loving letter

Basely betrayedplicity

account

Maxwell's com-

Ballad..

Blackmeal

Increase of Border law-

lessness

181-200

XI.

THE

CORBIE'S NEST.Kinmountto

General characteristics of Border reivers

Willie

Descendant of

laird

of Gilnockie

Encouraged

commit

depredations on English borderat

Present at

March meeting

Dayholm

Captured by Salkeld on his way homeViolation of Border laweffect

Imprisoned

in Carlisle

The boldTower

Buccleuch determines to

his

rescue

Arrangementsat

made

at a horse race at

Langholm

Meeting

of

Morton

Marches on

Carlisle

Breaks into the Castle

Carries off the prisoner

Relieves him of his irons

Names

of principal assistants

Scrope

indignanthis

Addresses theElizabeth...

Privy Council

Buccleuch

on

defence...

demands

his surrender

James complies

201-219

XII.

FLAGELLUMInternational complicationsletter to

DEI.difficult to pacify

The Queenretaliates

Her

James

Scrope invades LiddesdaleInvades

His conduct

defended

Buccleuch

TynedaleSupported by

Account of

his depredations

Flagellum Dei

xii.

CONTENTS.PAGE.

King and Councilsurrender

Elizabeth peremptorily

demands

his

Places himself as a prisoner in the hands of Sir

William Bowes

The Governor

of Berwick afraid to under-

take his safe custody

Surrender of Sir Robert Ker

Lives

with Sir Robert Gary on terms of intimacy and friendship

Buccleuch returns to Liddesdale - Adopts a new policyIncurs the displeasure of the reiversin

Inaugurates a

new

era

Border history

Appears before the

Queen

...

220-236

XIII.

MINIONS OF THE MOON.The kindlyfeeling with

Auld Wat of Harden

which the more famous reivers regarded At the " Raid of FalklandCarries off

"The

consequences of this episode

300 oxen and kye,

a horse and a nag, from Gilslandhospitality

Large demands on his

"Wat

o'

Harden's coo!"the

The sow-backedMarries

hay stack

Destroys

town of BellinghameHis sonslain

Mary

Scott of

Dryhope

by one of the Scotts

of Gilmanscleuchthe Captainraid

The

feast of spurs!

Goes

in pursuit of

of Bewcastle

on Elibank

Taken

His Scott Revenge " Muckle-mou'd prisoner Meg"Willie

Priest or

hangman

A

wise choice.