CONTENTS.
| PREFACE | [xv]. |
| [I.] | |
| THE AULD ENEMY. | |
| Page. | |
| Extent of Border reiving—Plunder and reprisal—All classesimplicated—Double dose of original sin—Victims of an evil fate—Invasions—Threatened annexation of Scotland—Edward’stwofold policy—Sacking of Berwick—Feeling of hostility produced—Edward visits Scone and carries offScottish Sceptre and Crown—Douglas and Edward Bruce—Borderersanimated by a spirit of revenge | [1-14] |
| [II.] | |
| PERCY’S PENNON. | |
| Battle of Otterburn—Chief combatants—How the encounter was brought about—Destruction of the Abbeys—Meeting ofthe Scots at Aberdeen—Scottish army assembles at Yetholm—Method of attack determined upon—Earl Douglasmarches through Northumberland—Ravages Durham—Returns to Newcastle—Hotspur and Douglas—Otterburn—Preparationsfor battle—The English assault—The Douglas slain—Hotspur taken prisoner—Humanity of Borderers | [15-32] |
| [III.] | |
| POOR AND LAWLESS. | |
| Condition of Scotland—Ancient monasteries—Description of country by Æneas Sylvius—Ignorance of the people—Lawscannot be enforced—The Barons supreme—Law against harbouring thieves—Every man’s hand against his neighbour—Pledgesdemanded—Banished north of the Forth—Scottish Borderers forbidden to marry daughters of “broken men”in England—No respect paid to the law—Execrable murders committed—Without religion—Hand-fasting | [33-54] |
| [IV.] | |
| RAIDS AND FORAYS. | |
| Invasions constantly occurring—Many lives sacrificed—How the reivers conducted their expeditions—Leslie’s account—Trackedby bloodhounds—Froissart’s description of Borderers—Invasion by Earl of Hertford—Raid by Sir RalphEure—Battle of Ancrum Moor—Lord Dacre’s devastations—Borderers retaliate—Horrid cruelties practised—Raid ofthe Reidswire—Indignation of English Queen—Morton’s concessions | [55-80] |
| [V.] | |
| WARDENS OF THE MARCHES. | |
| Generally officers of high rank—Scottish King limited in his choice—Wardens invested with arbitrary powers—Bondsof alliance—Of little or no value—Ignored whenconvenient—Wardens well remunerated—Duties pertaining to the office | [81-96] |
| [VI.] | |
| THE DAY OF TRUCE. | |
| Arrangements for dealing with offenders—Of a primitive character—Prisoners could not be detained in custody—Oftentook “leg-bail”—Day of Truce every month—Date and place made known by proclamation—The meetingof the Wardens—Regulations for conduct of business—Administering the oath—Three ways of trying cases—Bogusbills—Value of goods—Bills “fouled” or “cleared”—The hot-trod—Baughling—Lord Russellshot—Foster’s explanations | [97-115] |
| [VII.] | |
| THE DEADLY FEUD. | |
| Origin of the expression—Feuds of everyday occurrence—Occasioned by trifling circumstances—Inherited—Made theadministration of the law difficult—Feud betwixt the Kers and Scotts—How occasioned—The Maxwells and Johnstones—Adisastrous feud—Battle of Dryfe Sands—Murder of Johnstone—Lord Maxwell imprisoned—Returns to theBorders—Betrayed by Earl of Caithness—Beheaded in Edinburgh—Ker of Cessford slain—Pursuit of his murderers—Howfeuds staunched—Bonds of Assurance—Marriage—Pilgrimage—Assythment | [116-135] |
| [VIII.] | |
| THE THIEVES DAUNTONED. | |
| The “Family Tree”—Man’s first right—The King connives at Border reiving—The Wardens often indifferent—The King’svisit to Dumfries—Tytler’s account of what transpired—The Turnbulls of Rule Water punished—The Earl of Marin Hawick—Lack of trees and halters—Queen Mary at Jedburgh—The Earl of Bothwell—John Elliot of Park—TheQueen visits Hermitage—Struck down with fever—The suppression of Liddesdale—Buccleuch and Ferniherst—Mangertondestroyed—The whole district given to the flames—Geordie Bourne—Found guilty of March treason—Executed—Mildermeasures—The Tower of Netherby—Cary’s success | [136-154] |
| [IX.] | |
| LIDDESDALE LIMMERS. | |
| Border keeps and peels—Description of them—Hermitage—Lord Soulis—Nine-stane-rig—Black Knight of Liddesdale—Ramsayof Dalhousie starved to death—Armstrongs and Elliots—Maitland’s “Complaynt”—Took everything thatcame to hand—The clan system—Names of Border clans—To-names—Debateable land—The Scotch dyke—Cary’sraid—Driven to bay | [155-180] |
| [X.] | |
| AFTER THE HUNTING. | |
| James V.—Border barons put in ward—Sets out for the Borders—Huntsin Meggat—Eighteen score of deer slain—Cockburnof Henderland—Border Widow’s Lament—Adam Scott, “King of Thieves”—Johnie Armstrong—The loving letter—Baselybetrayed—Pitscottie’s account—Maxwell’s complicity—Ballad—Blackmeal—Increaseof Border lawlessness | [181-200] |
| [XI.] | |
| THE CORBIE’S NEST. | |
| General characteristics of Border reivers—Kinmount Willie—Descendant of laird of Gilnockie—Encouraged to commitdepredations on English border—Present at March meeting at Dayholm—Captured by Salkeld on his way home—Imprisonedin Carlisle—Violation of Border law—The bold Buccleuch determines to effect his rescue—Arrangementsmade at a horse race at Langholm—Meeting at Tower of Morton—Marches on Carlisle—Breaks into the Castle—Carriesoff the prisoner—Relieves him of his irons—Names of principal assistants—Scrope indignant—Addresses thePrivy Council—Buccleuch on his defence—Elizabeth demands his surrender—James complies | [201-219] |
| [XII.] | |
| FLAGELLUM DEI. | |
| International complications—The Queen difficult to pacify—Her letter to James—Scrope invades Liddesdale—His conductdefended—Buccleuch retaliates—Invades Tynedale—Account of his depredations—Flagellum Dei—Supported byKing and Council—Elizabeth peremptorily demands hissurrender—Places himself as a prisoner in the hands of Sir William Bowes—The Governor of Berwick afraid to undertakehis safe custody—Surrender of Sir Robert Ker—Lives with Sir Robert Cary on terms of intimacy and friendship—Buccleuchreturns to Liddesdale—Adopts a new policy—Incurs the displeasure of the reivers—Inaugurates a new erain Border history—Appears before the Queen | [220-236] |
| [XIII.] | |
| MINIONS OF THE MOON. | |
| The kindly feeling with which the more famous reivers regarded—Auld Wat of Harden—At the “Raid of Falkland”—Theconsequences of this episode—Carries off 300 oxen and kye, a horse and a nag, from Gilsland—Large demands on hishospitality—“Wat o’ Harden’s coo!”—The sow-backed hay stack—Destroys the town of Bellinghame—MarriesMary Scott of Dryhope—His son slain by one of the Scotts of Gilmanscleuch—The feast of spurs—Goes in pursuit ofthe Captain of Bewcastle—Revenge!—Willie Scott—His raid on Elibank—Taken prisoner—“Muckle-mou’d Meg”—Priestor hangman—A wise choice. “Jock o’ the Syde”—Prisoner in Newcastle—Rescued by his friends—Pursuedby the English—Make good their escape.—“Christie’s Will”—Two delicate colts—Lord Traquair—Lord Duriekidnapped—Scott’s account of the incident—Description of balladist—Christie’s Will carries important papers toCharles I.—Entrapped at Carlisle on his return—Spurs hishorse over parapet of bridge.—Willie of Westburnflat—Tried at Selkirk—Breaks in pieces the oaken chair—Threatensto clear the court—Dissuaded by his friends—Executed in due form of law—Armstrong’s good-night | [237-266] |
| [XIV.] | |
| UNDER THE BAN. | |
| State of the Borders—Decadence of Romanism—A strong hand needed—The Celtic Church—Its influence permanent—TheScots indifferent to fulminations of their spiritual superiors—Excommunicatio major—Excommunicatio minor—Monitionof Cursing by Archbishop of Glasgow | [267-279] |
| [XV.] | |
| THE TRIUMPH OF LAW. | |
| “Broken men” drafted off to Belgic wars—Græmes banished to Ireland—Buccleuch invested with arbitrary powers—Thievesexecuted without ceremony—The Union of the Crowns—The effect highly beneficial—Firm hand laid on the ring-leadersof Border strife—New spirit infused into the administration—The name Middleshires substituted for Borders—Thelaw impartially administered—A happy era—Parochial system of education—Schools before the Reformation—Educationalcondition of the Borders—John Knox’s scheme—Beneficial results—Teaching and influence of the Church—Religiousstate of the Borders—Decision of the Commission—Difficulties in the way—Thomas Boston—The unploughedfield—Victory achieved | [280-298] |
| [XVI.] | |
| THE HARVEST OF PEACE. | |
| Great changes effected in habits and character of the people—Easily explained—“Broken men” expatriated—Howreiving was regarded—Border ethics—Right to rob the English—Statistics of crime—The Tweed Act—A hardschool—Grim and dour—Services rendered by Borderers—Great feature of Border life—Birthplace of poetry—The oldballads—A priceless inheritance—James Thomson, the author of “The Seasons”—Sir Walter Scott—Hogg—Leyden—Burnsprobably sprung from a Border stock—The name “Burness”—A Western Mecca—Rural populationdecreasing—Conclusion | [299-310] |
PREFACE.
The object we have had in view in the following pages has been (1) to indicate briefly the causes which produced Border reiving; (2) to show the extent to which the system was ultimately developed; (3) to describe the means adopted by both Governments for its suppression; (4) to illustrate the way in which the rugging and riving—to use a well-known phrase—was carried on; (5) to explain how these abnormal conditions were in the end effectually removed; and (6) to set forth in brief outline some of the more prominent traits in the lives and characters of the men who were most closely identified with this extraordinary phase of Border life.
We have to acknowledge our indebtedness for much of the information conveyed in the following pages to Scott’s “Border Antiquities” and “Border Minstrelsy,” Nicolson’s “Leges Marchiarum,” Pitcairn’s “Criminal Trials,” “Calendar of Border Papers” (recently published), “Cary’s Memoirs”—Froissart, Godscroft, Pitscottie, Pinkerton—and host of other writers on Border themes.
It is in no spirit of mock-modesty we acknowledge how inadequately the object we have had in view has been realised. The subject is so large and many-sided that we have found it difficult to compress within the compass of a single volume anything like an adequate outline of a theme which is at once so varied and interesting.