The Steel Bonnets. George Fraser MacDonald
James Johnstone, victor of Dryfe, and his father, John Johnstone.
Numerous and widespread.
KERR
(Ker, Carr, Carre)
Scottish, although there are many English Carrs nowadays. SMM, East Teviotdale, Liddesdale. Chief branches Cessford, Ferniehurst.
The Kerrs were, with the possible exception of the Scotts, the leading tribe of the Scottish Middle March, which they frequently ruled as Wardens. However, no family was more active in reiving. The Cessford and Ferniehurst branches were continual rivals.
Notables: Robert of Cessford (c. 1590), Thomas of Ferniehurst, Dand Kerr.
[Not the smallest controversy about the Kerrs concerns the pronunciation of their name. Modern Scots made it sound almost like “care”, or the first syllable of “merry”. To the northern English it is “cur”, while the affected render it as “car”, which, strangely enough, is how the ordinary Elizabethan Borderers pronounced it.]
Strongly represented today.
MAXWELL
Scottish. SWM, Annandale.
The strongest family in the Scottish West March, until the Johnstones reduced their power late in the sixteenth century. As often as not a Maxwell was Warden, and their name runs steadily through Border and Scottish history. Deeply involved with the English in the 1540s.
Notables: Johnny Maxwell (4th Lord Herries), John, 8th Lord Maxwell.
Strong in SWM today.
MUSGRAVE
English. EWM.
A powerful family of Cumberland who had a long record of service to the English Crown, both as soldiers and March officers. This did not inhibit their extra-legal activities, and one suspects that they often used their offices to cover their raiding. One of the two “greatest names” of the West Wardenry (the other was Salkeld) the Musgraves were constantly at feud on the Scottish side, and had a three-century vendetta with their fellow-Cumbrians, the Dacres.
Notables: Thomas Musgrave, Captain of Bewcastle, Richard Musgrave, Humphrey Musgrave, John Musgrave.
Comparatively rare.
NIXON
(Nicksoun)
Scottish and English. Upper Liddesdale, Bewcastle, Line rivers. Often described as having many “loose men”. Chief branch, Steile.
The sons of Nick were a troublesome breed, and an important part of the Armstrong-Elliot-Nixon-Croser confederacy. Although a smaller and less compact family than the Armstrongs, they were important enough to have Thomsons, Glendennings, and Hunters living “under them”, which is another way of saying associated with them.
Like other Liddesdales, they sometimes allied with England.
Notables: Fingerless Will Nixon, Archie of the Steile, Ill-drowned Geordie.
Common on West Marches.
ROBSON
Principally English. Tynedale, Liddesdale, West Teviotdale. Chief branches Middlesknowes and Owston.
The Robsons, “a wight riding sirname”, were at one time the leading family of Tynedale, and highly troublesome. They formed a violent power bloc with the Charltons, and also with the Dodds and Milburns, the other two principal tribes of the dale, although the Milburns were also found in Redesdale and Gilsland.
Notables: Ralph of Middlesknowes, Rowe of Alanstead.
Still numerous on the Border, as are the Milburns and Dodds.
SCOTT
Scottish. West Teviotdale, Ewesdale, Liddesdale. Chief branch, Buccleuch (Branxholm).
One of the most powerful families in the whole Border, active both as reivers and officers. They are so much a part of frontier history, and their branches are so numerous, that it is unnecessary to go into detail here.
Notables: Walter Scott of Buccleuch (d. 1552); his grandson, also Walter Scott (known variously as “the Bold Buccleuch”, “Flagellum Dei”, “God’s Curse”, etc.); Walter Scott (“Auld Wat”) of Harden.
Common throughout the Borders today.
STOREY
(Storie, Storye)
English. EWM, EMM, EEM, Eskdale.
A large but unfortunate clan who were forced out of the West by Lord Dacre in the 1520s for suspected treachery, and their land in Esk occupied by the Grahams. Latterly a surname of Northumberland and heavily involved in Middle March raiding and feud.
Notables: Jock of Awtenburn, Watt of the Hove End.
Common in English Border.
And finally, for the record, these are other Border tribes who, for reasons of space, have not been given more expanded notice.
EAST MARCH
Scotland—Trotter (listed as “gentlemen”), Dixon, Bromfield, Craw, Cranston.
England—Selby, Gray (“gentlemen”), Dunne.
MIDDLE MARCH
Scotland—East Teviotdale—Young, Pringle, Davison, Gilchrist, Tait. West Teviotdale—Oliver, Turnbull (Trumble), Rutherford. Liddesdale—Douglas, Laidlaw, Turner, Henderson.
England—Ogle, Heron, Witherington (Woodrington), Medford, Collingwood, Carnaby, Shaftoe, Ridley (“gentlemen”). Redesdale—Anderson, Potts, Read, Hedley. Tynedale—Dodd, Milburn, Yarrow, Stapleton. Also Stokoe, Stamper, Wilkinson, Hunter, Thomson, Jamieson.
WEST MARCH
Scotland—Carlisle, Beattie (also Baty, Batisoun), Little, Carruthers, Glendenning, Moffat.
England—Lowther, Curwen, Salkeld, Dacre, Harden, Hodgson Routledge (“every man’s prey”), Tailor, Noble.
1. The various Marches are indicated by initials—SWM for Scottish West March, EMM for English Middle March, and so on. DL is Debateable Land.
In auld times it was determinit … that there suld be na familiaritie betwix Scottis men and Inglis men, nor marriage to be contrakit betwix them, nor conventions on holydais at gammis and plays, nor merchandres to be maid amang them, nor Scottis men till enter on Inglis grond, nor Inglis men til enter on Scottis ground, witht out save conduct.… Bot thai statutis and artiklis are adnullit, for ther hes been grit familiaritie, and conventions, and makyng of merchandreis, on the boirdours, this lang tyme betwix Inglis men and Scottis men, baytht in pace and weir.…
—The Complaynt of Scotland
Of all the difficulties suffered by the Wardens, especially on the English side, none was more frustrating than the international character of the Borderers. This showed itself in several ways. Despite national rivalry, there was considerable fraternisation and co-operation between Scots and English along the frontier, socially, commercially and criminally. There was intermarriage on a large scale. There were “international” families like the Grahams, and communities of “our lawless people, that will be Scottishe when they will, and English at their pleasure”, as Thomas Musgrave put it. As the century wore on, more and more Scots became settled on the English side of the frontier, to the distress of the English Wardens, who regarded them (rightly) as a dangerous fifth column. In short, the administrative