Flodden, Hornshole and Border Reiver projects

Troutlawford, by Tom Scott: Hawick burgesses on the trail of reivers

The following nineteenth century folk history extracts provide a feeling of the period that Reiver Productions is aiming to depict.

Flodden 1513

With dauntless hearts, unknown to yield

...marched to battle, and were nearly exterminated; such was the account given by the late William Roger of Hawick, an accurate narrator. It is probable that many of the young men from Hawick were mere boys, although useful for carrying the quiver of the archers. Sir William Douglas of Drumlanrig, superior of the burgh, father of James Douglas, with 200 gentlemen of that name, were killed in the engagement. Sir Walter Scott of Branxholme and Buccleuch, who remarkably distinguished himself, came off the field alive. He died in 1516. In the Statistical Account of the Parish of Yetholm, by the Rev. J. Baird, it is asserted, that after the engagement, the Scottish nobles who fell were brought away and buried in the church and churchyard of Yetholm, as the nearest consecrated ground to the field of battle. The Hawick men, with the rest, were left...

...to feed the crow on Floddiana's plain. And vegetate the soil that each had sought to gain.

The fullest account of the battle is contained in a poem by an unknown author, believed to have been composed about the middle of the same century, entitled, The Battle of Flodden Field. It was reprinted with curious notes by Mr Henry Weber, in 1808, but there are probably many other circumstances relating to the event, preserved in family histories and other records yet uncollected. See also, in relation to the battle Leyden's pathetic Ode on visiting Flodden, and the notes to his Scenes of Infancy. Miss Jane Elliot of Minto's beautiful song, The Flowers of the Forest, allusive to that disaster, may also be referred to.

Hornshole 1514

Hexham Abbey.  The image on the left shows the 1514 flag

The most accredited account of the origin of the colour or standard, belonging to the town of Hawick, was given by the late Mr Scott of Burnhead, as follows:

A marauding party of the English, the year after the battle of Flodden, came up the Teviot for plunder. Previous to their arrival at Hawick, the magistrates called a meeting of the inhabitants, and proposed that the enemy should be resisted, seeing their number was not great, and that the town should be defended to the last rather than given up to plunder.

Recollections of Flodden sharpened the revenge of the people, who shouted unanimously to be led to battle, when about two hundred stout men were armed with such weapons as the town or neighbourhood could supply.

This band set off the following morning and met the English plunderers at Trows, two miles below Hawick, where a desperate conflict took place. The enemy, about forty in number, with a flag, were come upon rather by surprise, when a complete massacre ensued. The flag was taken, and scarely a soldier escaped.

This colour, or its emblem, has been carried round the marches of the burgh property at the common riding ever since.

Hawick and the Border Reivers

The image on the right represents a reiver of the times.   On the right is Sir Robert Carey,  Lord Warden of the Marches, and a contemporary of Elizabeth I and James VI.

At that time the Scottish Borders were literally overrun by Reivers. The fairs and public markets in Teviotdale were constantly threatened, and not infrequently the people who attended them were despoiled of their goods and dispersed by the inroad of lawless Reivers.

Upon one occasion, the magistrates of Hawick got notice of a desperate attempt that was to be made by a marauding party from Liddesdale and Nicol Forest, headed by Dick o' the Cow, and Jock o' the Side, two of the most noted Reivers of the Border. The attack was to be made at the Winter Fair, held in Hawick in November, which had been for many preceding years a large cattle market.

The law enforcers were few and inefficient in those days, and so the magistrates were extremely alarmed. They communicated their fears to Drumlanrig, who was then in Edinburgh, and he deemed the information of sufficient importance to be laid before the Regent Murray, who at that period governed Scotland.

The morning of the fair arrived, and the market soon became crowded as usual. The wily and enterprising Reivers entered Hawick in different directions, and gradually mustered themselves in the centre of the fair, when the leaders gave a signal for plunder. In an instant a forest of clubs was uplifted ready for massacre.

The sound of horns, and the shouts of the Reivers drove the peaceful crowd into disorder. Cattle were forced from their owners by oaths and blows, stalls were overturned, and chaos and riot became general.

At this juncture, fifty horsemen, well armed, entered the town at speed, led by someone whose deportment and prompt decision soon changed the scene. It was Murray himself. Sixteen of the Reivers were captured, and met their fate that day. The Regent having commanded their execution, they were suspended upon two beams and laid across the old bridge of the town, like as many herrings.

John Turnbull's wager

This is a fictional story based on a very important but neglected aspect of the Border Reiver's character. The script is from a short story by Cameron Robson.

Filming has started and is going well. Volunteers are always welcome, especially horseriders.

Here is a selection of photos of the shooting so far:

Link to Reivers on YouTube

A YouTube promotion is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzTB0p0E90U