The Anglo-Scottish Border follows a line roughly south-west to north-east, from the Solway Firth to Berwickupon-Tweed, roughly along

the Cheviot Hills. It is a land of bare, bleak, and wildly beautiful moorland, upland, wooded valley and peat bog. It was this harsh land with its inhospitable climate that bred and nurtured a tough, hardy and villainous people who warred ceaselessly and unremittingly upon their neighbours. This is the land of the Border Reivers. With the exception of Berwick-uponTweed, which became part of England following its capture by Richard III in 1482, the geographic position of the Border remained broadly constant from the 12th century. However, control of the frontier was in constant dispute from 1286 when Edward I had launched a series of brutal and devastating invasions over the Border in pursuit of his ambition to annex Scotland. His armies laid waste great tracks of the Borderland in his attempt to subjugate Scotland. The Scots

16th century Anglo-Scottish Border Reivering by Matthew Hartley

retaliated and invading armies from both sides over the next three centuries waged "scorched-earth" warfare against each other and the local populations of the region. These wars of attrition continued, even in times of 'peace', with both Governments either encouraging their Borderers to raid across the frontier or turning a blind eye to it happening. As the buffer zone between two belligerent neighbours, the Borderland was a battleground. But it was also a battleground for the local families in their restless search for security and profit in a hard land.

The Birth of the Borders

Both sides of the Border were divided into three Marches, respectively the Scottish and English West, Middle and East Marches. Each was governed by a warden. The warden's duty was to defend the frontier against invasion from the opposite side during wartime and to maintain law and order in peace time. In practice however, the Wardens often were as lawless as the local inhabitants. On the English side, men were appointed as wardens from the southern counties of England so there would be no obligation

on their part to side with one or the other of the feuding families. The salary of a Warden was not enough to keep him and his family and, therefore, many times the Warden had to supplement his income as best he could, and often by illicit means. On the Scottish side of the border, the office of Warden usually fell to the "heidmen" (headmen) of the powerful border families. It was felt that the lairds could exercise some restraint over their own kin. Scottish wardens had the advantage of knowing the families and knowing the terrain, but they were already involved in local feuds and alliances. By the beginning of the 16th century, Borderers were caught up in a never ending cycle of feuding, violence and destruction. Both Governments contributed to this through their policies of installing a bulwark against the other side, giving little in the way of general military security or an effective legal system, and encouraging settlement of their Border regions by offering land and low rents in exchange for some possible military service. This led to

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Part 1 - The History

Over the three and a half centuries of the Border 'wars', the "Great Reiding" families of the borders - whose family connections often crossed over the formal frontier - evolved a clannish type of society, mutually supportive, meeting each outrage against their members with violent reprisals. Those not fortunate enough to belong to one of these powerful Border families were subject to extortion and blackmail. Such people turned to theft and reiving as a means of support and became the mercenaries or "broken men" of the Borderland, selling

overpopulation, which was aggravated by Border inheritance laws called "gavelkind', whereby a man's lands were evenly divided amongst his (usually numerous) sons on his death. This resulted in many men and their families having too little land to support themselves. This, combined with a lack of industry or other legitimate alternative work, led to a growing population of desperate poverty-stricken men who would naturally turn to the protection of influential families and to thievery to support themselves.

their reiving skills to the highest family bidder when independence became impracticable. Because the frontier was such a unique place, both Kingdoms agreed that it should be governed under its own laws. In November 1248 six English and six Scottish Knights met to correct, according to ancient and approved custom of the March, such matters as required to be redressed. This conference resulted in a written code of thirteen articles agreed the following year, which allowed for fugitives to be captured and returned to their own countries and also for accused persons to be summonsed to appear before a special Border court to answer for their crimes; this last became the origin of the Day of Truce. Truce days were when the wardens of both sides met to redress grievances. Truce Days provided an opportunity for villagers on both sides of the border to take part in trading and to attend the markets. Not surprisingly,

Border Law

these market days often degenerated into drunken, bloody brawls, especially when the justice available in Border law was subject not merely to Anglo-Scottish divisions but also the local feuds, and a riot was proper protest at the lack of a real justice system.

Border Religion

Observance of religion does not seem to have played a large part in the life of a Reiver. The Church and the monastic establishments had disputes within and between each other and were not unwilling to have violence used on their behalf. From the mid-16th century both

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England and Scotland were protestant states and religious influence on secular matters was very weak. Quite often Church services were interrupted by Reiver families bringing their weapons and feuds into the service and the clergys attempts to subdue the Borders by threatening hell and damnation were ignored; the most famous being the Archbishop Gavin Dunbar of Glasgow in his Monition of Cursing which ran to some 1500 words and was read from every pulpit in the Borders to little effect. The full Curse, it all its descriptive glory, is repeated in full in Appendix One of George MacDonald Frasers The Steel Bonnets - an excellent account of the Border Reivers.

Armstrong (or Armstrang): The Armstrongs held sway in the English West March and the Scottish East March. The Armstrongs were the most feared riding clan on the frontier. By 1528 they could put 3000 men into the saddle. Some of the famous Armstrong reiving names are Johnnie Armstrong, Kinmont Willie Armstrong, Sim the Laird, Ill Will Armstrong and Sandie his son, Dick of Dryhope, Jock of the Side.

Some 77 surnames are associated with raiding families from the Borders. Fraser lists a number of them, with notes on famous family members, in his The Steel Bonnets. An abridged version of Frasers list is presented here with his comments to give a flavour of the family names and the sometimes exotic forenames and nicknames of the period.

Border Names

Kerr. They were the worst of the East Teviotdale Reivers and are supposed to have killed 17 Collingwoods in revenge for the death of one of their own men. Notable name: Geordie Burn.

Croser (Crosar, Crozier): Mostly Scottish. A small but hard-riding family often associated with Nixons and Elliots and often allied with England. Some notable names: Wild Will Croser, Noseless Clemmie, Martins Clemmie.

Charlton (Carleton): This was an English family, although the name appears in southwestern Scotland. The Charltons were one of the hardiest and most intractable families on the English side and were alternately allied to and at feud with the Scottish in the west. They were engaged in a bitter vendetta with the Scotts of Buccleuch.

Burn or Bourne: Scottish, East Teviotdale. A most predatory and vicious family of the Middle March whose raids and murders reached a peak in the 1590s when they were under the protection of Robert Kerr of Cessford.

Bell: Scottish and English. A great surname of the West March (Scottish), particularly hostile to the Grahams.

Elliot: The Elliots were Scottish. Less numerous than the Armstrongs with whom they were frequently allied, but as predatory as any clan on the border. Occasionally under English protection, they received a subsidy from Queen Elizabeth during their feud with the Scotts. Notable names: Martin Elliot of Braidley, Little Jock of the Park, Robin of Redheuch, Archie Fire the Braes, William of Lariston, Martins Gibb.

Fenwick: An English family of note, described as gentlemen and often found amongst Border officials. They conducted a bitter feud with the Elliots of Liddesdale.

Hume (Home): Scottish. The Humes achieved one extraordinary distinction as the only frontier family who would claim continuous domination in their own March. They usually held the Scottish East Wardenship, and although frequently in trouble with the Crown they never lost their eminence and influence. Irvine: Scottish. Contributed much to the general disorder despite their small numbers. Notable name: Willie Kang

Hall: English and Scottish. At one time the most powerful family in Redesdale they were hated and feared on both sides. In 1598 in an incident the Scottish Halls and the Rutherfords were allegedly singled out by English officers as two surnames to whom no quarter should be given.

Graham: Mostly English, but ready to be on either side. Originally Scottish. Next to the Armstrongs, the Grahams were probably the most troublesome family on the frontier. Their dual allegiances caused confusion. At one time the most numerous family on the West Border, with 500 riders in 13 towers in 1552, they were savagely persecuted in the reign of James VI and I. Notable names: Richie of Brackenhill, Jock of the Peartree, Wills Jock and many more.

Forster (Forrester, Foster): Mostly English. The Scottish Forsters intermarried with English. English Forsters were allied with the Humes. Notable names: Sir John Forster, Red Rowry, Rowrys Will.

Robson: A wight riding sirname, the leading family in Tynedale and described by Fraser as highly troublesome. In alliance with the Charltons, Dodds, and Milburns. Scott: Scottish. One of the most powerful families in the whole Border, both as reivers and as officers. Notable names: Walter Scott of Buccleuch, his grandson known variously as the Bold Buccleuch, Gods Curse, etc.), Walter Scott (Auld Wat) of Haren.

Nixon: A family from both sides of the Border, described as having many loose men. Notable members included Fingerless Will Nixon, Archie of the Steile, and Ill-drowned Geordie.

Musgrave: A powerful Cumberland family with a long record of Border service as March officials. Fraser believes they used their official position to cover their raiding activities. The family kept up a three-century feud with their fellow Cambrians, the Dacres. Notable Musgraves include Thomas Musgrave, Captain of Bewcastle.

Johnstones reduced their power in the 16th century. Maxwells were often wardens.

The Reiver

The Border reivers evolved during 300 years of raiding and feuding, into expert light horsemen, skilled in raiding, scouting, ambush and skirmishing. They were cursed in both countries as "evell disposed personnes, Inclined to wildness and disorder", but occasionally hailed as "fine soldiers, able with horse and harness, nimble, wile and always in readiness for any service". Though despised in peace time, the Reivers were eagerly recruited by their respective governments in time of war.

A reiver's choice of weapons, clothing and horses allowed him to move with speed as befitted his role. Great importance was placed on a reiver's mount. They chose horses for agility and stamina. The horses were shaggy little ponies, but very sure footed and did not have to be shod. In Scotland this pony was called a galloway and in Northumberland a nagg or a bog trotter.

Johnstone (Johnston, Johnstoun): Scottish, but possibly of English origin. Powerful reivers and also frequent Wardens. Their feud with the Maxwells was the longest and bloodiest in Border history.

Kerr (Ker, Carr, Carre): Scottish. The Kerrs were (with the Scotts) the leading tribe of the Scottish Middle March and frequently were Wardens of such. No family was more active in reiving.

Maxwell: Scottish. The strongest family in the Scottish West March until the

West March Scotland: Carlisle, Beattie (Baty, Batisoun), Little Carruthers, Glendenning, Moffat. England: Lowther, Curwen, Salkeld, Dacre, Harden, Hodgson, Routledge, Tailor, Noble.

Middle March Scotland: Young, Pringle, Davison, Gilchrist, Tait, Oliver, Turnbull (Trumble), Rutherford, Douglas, Laidlaw, Turner, Henderson. England: Ogle, Heron, Witherington (Woodrington), Medford, Collingwood, Carnaby, Shaftoe, Ridley, Anderson, Potts, Read, Hedley, Dodd, Milburn, Yarrow, Stapleton, Stokoe, Stamper, Wilkinson, Hunter, Thomson, Jamieson

East March: Scotland: Trotter, Dixon, Bromfield, Craw, Cranston. England: Selby, Gray, Dunne

Other lesser reiver family surnames, by March:

Most reivers preferred a jack or 'jak' of plate to heavy armour. This was sleeveless and sometimes worn over a shirt of mail and was two or three layers of quilted cloth with small iron plates overlapping each other stitched between the layers of cloth. There was no leg armour but thigh-high thick leather riding boots worn with spurs. In the early 1500s helmets were worn for protection of the upper part of the face and neck. In the 16th century, these were replaced with light, open helmets called burgonets -- the steel bonnets. These provided protection without a loss of vision. They were peaked on top with protective cheek plates and a flared rim to protect the neck. They were padded inside with leather.

shooting kept the bow in use long after it had become unfashionable elsewhere. Pistols were carried by the Borderers but they were heavy and not particularly accurate unless at very close range. Reiving, raiding for cattle and sheep, and whatever else could be transported, became an established way of life. Reiving was not confined to cross border targets. Indeed the borderers had a much closer allegiance to their family than to their country. Raids were made, not in the name of Scotland or England, but in the name of their family or clan.

The Raiding

homes. The larger raids were called 'outragious forradging.' Whether the raid was a full scale invasion for political reasons or a raid against a single farmhouse the principle was the same. A raider plotted his time, route and objective and was ready to fight or trick his way out. The Reivers objective was always to plunder, with destruction if necessary, and to get home with his loot, and skin, intact.

The lance or the lang spear was the most common weapon and was about 8 to 12 feet in length. Basket hilted broad swords were predominantly used among the less wealthy at the end of the 16th century. The nobility wore rapiers and parrying daggers. Dirks, which were long narrow daggers, were carried by everyone, including the clergy. Longbows and arrows were used even as late as 1580. The Scots also used the bow but preferred a small light crossbow known as the latch. Hand held firearms were not unknown but the greater rate of

The size of the raid determined how many men would ride. Some of the raids would consist of a large group of men and could last for days. Smaller raids might be a quick moonlight ride, a quick plunder and disappear back to their

Although reiving was carried on throughout the year, most activity occurred from Lammas (1st August) to Candlemas (2nd February). The harvest had been gathered and the beasts, including the horses were well fed and in their prime. Long hours of darkness provided ample cover, and at this time the courts were in recess giving the raiders a good chance of escaping detection and retribution until the courts reconvened months later.

Walter Scott of Buccleuch was a Scottish laird who was especially ruthless in his raids. He is immortalized as the Bold Buccleuch in border ballads and rescued Kinmont Willie Armstrong from Carlisle Castle. He was raised on the Border so had grown up with the way of life of a Borderer. An example of one of his raids shows that he had 120 horsemen with him when he raided the home of Willie Rowtledge. He took 40 kye (cows) and oxen, 20 horses and mares and also laid an ambush to slay the soldiers and any others who might follow him. They were pursued and slew a Mr. Rowden, several others, including soldiers, and maimed many others. They drove off twelve more horses and mares. This incident was perfectly executed and combined all the elements which were essential to a successful raid: a carefully chosen target: trusted companions who were well armed and in sufficient numbers, surprise, and the sense to anticipate pursuit and a plan to deal with it.

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The Reivers were most vulnerable when returning home from a foray. They were laden with booty and driving large numbers of cattle and sheep. This seriously slowed them down. The return had to be as carefully planned as the raid itself. They were reluctant to return the way they had come. Since there were for example over 40 passes through the Cheviots into the English Middle March alone this was practicable if they could avoid a close pursuit.

Although a way of life, reiving was a risky business The towns were secure and well defended, local watches were formed, and cattle and livestock were brought in at night. Roads and passes which were known to be escape routes for the reivers were patrolled by wardens' troopers and angry locals, often themselves as skilled as the reivers. Sometimes the troopers would chain bridges against the Reivers who would then be forced to ford rivers, which were also guarded day and night.

of all neighbours between the ages of 16 and 60 to join the Trod. A piece of burning turf was held aloft on a spear point to summon assistance and let people know the pursuit was legal. The group in pursuit had the right to recruit help from the first town it came to. Often a Hot Trod would be ably assisted by a pack of hunting dogs, the marvellously named sleuth hounds. As a direct result of the constant threat of attack, fortified stone dwellings appeared across the Border region.

As reivers did not posses artillery pieces, towers and bastles were largely secure against raids. When they did fall it was due to reivers either climbing up upon the roof and breaking in or by scumfishing - breaking into the ground floor, heaping sodden straw into the doorway, setting it alight and smoking out the defenders.

Strongholds & fortified houses

The End of the Reivers

'Hot Trod' was the hot pursuit of reivers heading for home after a raid, and was allowed under the Border laws. It allowed for the ones who had been 'spoyled' to mount a pursuit within six days of the raid and to cross the border, if necessary, to follow the raiders for the recovery of their goods. It was the duty

Hot Trod

Bastles were two storey rectangular stone buildings with steep pitched roofs. Entrance was via a removable ladder which led to a door high up on the bastle wall.

Tower houses were built of stone and mortar, with often only a single entrance door and narrow shot hole windows. Access to the house was via a series of two doors on the ground floor. The first door would be stout, studded oak and the second an iron grill, known as a yett.

The tower house was the home to a Border lord, whilst the bastle provided secure shelter to less wealthy gentlemen and richer farmers. Both types of building were exceptionally strong indeed many still stand today.

When James VI became James I of England in 1603 he wanted to make the two countries one united Kingdom. The border thus had to be pacified. In the first few weeks after Elizabeth's death, the border was the scene of raiding, looting,

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James set up a commission of ten men, five from each side of the border to administer his policies for pacification of the borders. They were given unlimited powers. The Border laws were abolished and it was proclaimed that "if any Englishman steal in Scotland or any Scotsman steal in England any goods or cattle which amount to 12 pence, he shall be punished by death." The most serious offenders were rounded up and served with what was known as Jeddert Justice -

burning and taking revenge. James sent a strong military force to the borders to deal with the havoc so that his entry into England would not be marred. The raiders were chased back to their strongholds, some of which were destroyed. He renamed the Borders the Middle Shires. To further accomplish his goal, he disbanded the warden system and the March laws.

Naturally, the reiving families bitterly resented the Commission. With disregard to the royal orders issued, the Armstrongs and Elliots mounted a raid on Redesdale. Because of this they were singled out for exile to Ireland where they were forced to eek out a living on the moors and bogs. One hundred and fifty Grahams were pressed into military service in the Low Countries. Tynedale and Redesdale families were conscripted

which was immediate execution without trial. Sir George Home was one of the men appointed and he was ruthless, hanging 140 of the most powerful thieves in all the borders. Reivers had endured such purges in the past but this time the border headmen joined in the proceedings against their own kinsmen. Buccleuch himself hanged and drowned in murder holes his companions and sent many in exile to the Belgic wars.

Although family kinships were broken, and owning a horse or weapons forbidden, traditions of reiving and feuding were alive to the Restoration in 1660. Eventually, however, this began to dwindle for there were fewer places for the reiver to hide or to seek sanctuary from the now-unified government. The border economy improved and common people became averse to giving support to the reiving families. The union of the English and Scottish monarchy ended the tolerance that the wild borders had enjoyed and the wilder spirits in the borders turned to a more regular profession of arms. The reivers died out.

for service in Ireland and 120 sent to fight in the Bohemian Wars. They were told that the death penalty awaited any who tried to return to their homes. These measures were effective in breaking the families

George MacDonald Fraser: The Steel Bonnets, London, Barrie & Jenkins, 1971 Keith Durham & Angus McBride: The Border Reivers, London, Osprey, 1995 Thomas Rae: The administration of the Scottish frontier 1513-1603, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press 1966 Cynthia J Neville: Violence, custom and law, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 1998

Bibliography

Next Time - Bloody Borders Wargame Rules...

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