Canonbie United Parish Churchyard

“Canonbie Churchyard, on the north or left bank of the Esk, is one of the largest parish burying grounds in Scotland, and is kept in such good order as to be an example to many others. A few years ago my worthy friend the present minister wisely made arrangements for gathering together the fallen gravestones.Continue reading “Canonbie United Parish Churchyard”

THE PEOPLE WITH NO NAME: IRELAND’S ULSTER SCOTS, AMERICA’S SCOTS IRISH, AND THE CREATION OF A BRITISH ATLANTIC WORLD, 1689-1764

  More than 100,000 Ulster Presbyterians of Scottish origin migrated to the American colonies in the six decades prior to the American Revolution, the largest movement of any group from the British Isles to British North America in the eighteenth century. Drawing on a vast store of archival materials, The People with No Name isContinue reading “THE PEOPLE WITH NO NAME: IRELAND’S ULSTER SCOTS, AMERICA’S SCOTS IRISH, AND THE CREATION OF A BRITISH ATLANTIC WORLD, 1689-1764”

Border-Reivers-The-Clay-Biggin & Border-Reivers-Pele-Tower-as-a-Refuge

To the left is a little map of the Border Marches on each side of the English Scottish Border from the Solway Firth in the west to the North Sea in the east. This is the area that dominated the national history of England and Scotland from the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries. These Marches were theContinue reading “Border-Reivers-The-Clay-Biggin & Border-Reivers-Pele-Tower-as-a-Refuge”

BORDER REIVERS-BUCCLEUCH’S RAID ON CARLISLE CASTLE

Walter Scott was born in 1565. His ancestral home was Branxholme in Teviotdale. Today one of the four original towers of Branxholme still stands, the Nesby tower, about five miles south of Hawick in the Scottish Border country.       The-Nesby-Tower-Branxholme-Scottish-Borders In 1590 he was knighted by James V1, king of Scotland, and appointedContinue reading “BORDER REIVERS-BUCCLEUCH’S RAID ON CARLISLE CASTLE”

Border-Reivers-Invade-English-Tynedale

In October 1593 the Border Reiver clans of the Scottish Border valleys answered the call to arms. They were intent on teaching the English a lesson in ‘might is right’. Such a large-scale raid had never been planned before. For once the Scottish clans put their differences behind them, the relentless feud and blood-feud, andContinue reading “Border-Reivers-Invade-English-Tynedale”

Border-Reivers-the-Fray-of-Haltwhistle-and-the-Raid-of-Robert-Carey

‘The first thing they did was the taking of Hartwessel, and carrying away prisoners and all their goods. I sent to seek justice for so great a wrong. The opposite officer sent me word it was not in his power, for that they were all fugitives, and not answerable to king’s laws. I acquainted theContinue reading “Border-Reivers-the-Fray-of-Haltwhistle-and-the-Raid-of-Robert-Carey”

Border-Reivers-Langholm-Castle

Near the confluence of the rivers of Ewes and Esk stand the forlorn remains of Langholm Castle. Confluence-of-the-Rivers-of-Ewes-and-Esk-at-Langholm Today there is little to be seen. The south wall of a tower still stands to six metres high and smaller remains of the east and west walls. But walk the ground and its obvious that theContinue reading “Border-Reivers-Langholm-Castle”

Border-Reivers-Sir-Richard-Lowther

Richard Lowther was born about 1530. His date of birth is often given as 1529,1530 or 1532. He died in 1607 and is interred in the Lowther Church Mausoleum in what is now Lowther Park near Penrith, Cumbria, England.                               The-Tomb-of-Sir-Richard-LowtherContinue reading “Border-Reivers-Sir-Richard-Lowther”

Border-Reivers-The-Scottish-Border-Clans-Bond-against-Liddesdale

In 1569 the clans of Berwick, Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles pledged themselves to repel and disown the clans of Liddesdale. The regent of Scotland, Moray, suggested that they should unite their efforts to subdue the inhabitants of the valley of Liddesdale, especially the Armstrong’s and Elliot’s thereof. Liddesdale, often referred to as the ‘Cockpit ofContinue reading “Border-Reivers-The-Scottish-Border-Clans-Bond-against-Liddesdale”

BORDER REIVERS PACIFICATION

In 1603, James V1 of Scotland became king of England when Elizabeth1 of England died without issue. He was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots who was the grand-daughter of James 1V of Scotland and his wife Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry V111, king of England. The blood of the English Tudors then ranContinue reading “BORDER REIVERS PACIFICATION”