THE MONASTIC ANNALS OF TEVIOTDALE. OR, THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF THE ABBEYS OF JEDBURGH, KELSO, MELROS, AND DRYBURGH. BY THE REV. JAMES MORTON, B.D. PREBENDARY OF LINCOLN, VICAB OF HOLBEACH, DOMESTIC CHAPLAIN TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EABL GREY, CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, AND HONORARY MEMBER OF THE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY OF NEWCA8TLK-UPON-TYNE. EDINBURGH : PUBLISHED BY W. H. LIZARS, ST JAMES SQUARE: JOHN HAMILTON, ST ANDREW STREET, EDINBURGH: AND LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, & GREEN, LONDON. MDCCCXXXII. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL GREY, THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED, AS A TOKEN OF RESPECT AND GRAT1TUDK, BY THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. PREFACE, ..... ... IX THE HISTORY OF THE ABBEY OF JEDBURGH, .... 1 NOTES DESCRIPTIVE OF JEDBURGH ABBEY, . .47 POSSESSIONS AND REVENUES OF JEDBURGH ABBEY, ... 49 CARTA CONFIRMATIONS COMITIS HENRICI CANONICIS DE JEDWORDE, . 55 CHARTA WILLIELMI REGIS SCOTORUM CANONICIS DE JEDBURGH, . 57 TAXT THE ROLL OF ABBACY OF JEDBURGH, 1626, . .60 HISTORY OF THE TOWN AND ABBEY OF KELSO, .... 71 DESCRIPTION OF THE RUINS OF KELSO ABBEY, .... 107 POSSESSIONS AND REVENUES OF KELSO ABBEY, .... 109 CHARTA FUNDATIONIS ABBACIE APUD SCHELECHYRCH, . 151 CARTA REGIS DAVID DE PRIMA FUNDACIONE DE KELCHOU, . 153 CHARTER OF CONFIRMATION GRANTED TO THE MONKS OF KELSO BY KING MALCOLM IV. ....... 156 ROTULUS REDITUUM MONASTERII DE KALKOW, .... 161 TAXT ROLL OF THE ABBACY OF KELSO, ..... 173 HISTORY OF OLD MELROS, ....... 183 HISTORY OF THE ABBEY OF MELROS, ..... 196 DESCRIPTIONS OF THE RUINS OF . MELROS ABBEY, . 249, 258 POSSESSIONS AND REVENUES OF MELROS ABBEY, . 262 CONTENTS. Mill I * HI -* , \ REGI8 DAYID Di: M MIIKOS, TAXT ROLL OF TUB ABBACY OF Ml H ... '.>_' lll-IOBY OF THE MONASTERY OK DRYHI r..n. roMKMioxs AND M M M i.s or Tin: KAMI:, ..... :iiu CARTA DAVIDI8 REGIS DE DOTATIONE COENOBII UK DRY1IKI <.1IK, . ;J|l.' TAXT BOLL OF THE ABBACY OP DRYBURGH, . :J1-1 HOSPITALS AND OTHER RELIGIOUS HOUSES, . .ill! IMiH :t DESCRIPTION OF THE Rl'ISS OF DRYllt ABBEY, .... _>-.' APPENDIX, ........ :',>:, PREFACE. THE monasteries of Scotland, in their flourishing state, are believed to have equalled, if not surpassed, in wealth and splen- dour, most establishments of the same kind in the other countries of Europe.* Their lands and domains equalled in extent the the and were the richest and possessions of most powerful barons, best cultivated in the kingdom. The members of their com- munities were, for a long period, revered as the learned instructors the and spiritual guides of the people, indulgent masters of numerous vassals and retainers, and the kind benefactors of the conventual raised poor. Their churches and buildings, with consummate art and skill, and profusely adorned with carving and the painting, were the chief architectural ornaments of country. * Hanc antiquam Scotorum Religionem sat indicat templorum magnificentia, ac splendi- dissimus eorum apparatus, in ipso Scotise regno, ut res fere fidem superet, tot et tam illustria in tam tamen rei testes esse trdificia, ac tam bene instructa, angusto regno potuisse ; cujus possunt multi qui ea oculis suis aspexerunt, et qui ea non viderunt, ex ruderibus, quanta ocdificiorum magnificentia extiterit facile conjiciunt. GEO. THOMSONUS, De Antiquitate Christiana? Religicnis aptid Scofos. b x I'HI-T Ml. Their halls were the seats ol' splendid hospitality . \\ here primes and distinguished persons unv entertained, and where minstrels, liberal were The and professors of the arts, welcome guests.* example of the order, and economy of their establishments, must life have had a beneficial influence on tin- habits of domestic ; and the deference and respect they were bound to observe towards each other, t could not but contribute greatly to soften the harsh manners of a rude age, and to introduce elegance, and disseminate urbanity and politeness throughout the intercourse of society. History presents few changes of fortune more sudden and complete than that which befel the monastic communities at t he- period of the Reformation. Within u few \ears. their wealth, their honours, their avocations, their establishments, were swept away. However useful their institutions might have been in an earlier and different stage of society, juster views of religion now con- demned them as founded on error, and worse than useless. This, together with the misconduct of individuals among them, degraded them in estimation and the covetousness of those 1 public ; persons who expected to share in the plunder of their ample possessions, made them listen willingly to the disgraceful stories which were easily propagated against them, and readily belie\ed in those times which did not afford the facilities, which exist in the present day, for ascertaining the truth of such allegations. The unfortunate monks, often, perhaps, deeply wronged, though many of them were doubtless loaded with some just accusations, were driven from " In moiuutcriii ca rigebat charitas, et hospitalitas, ut omnes, sine discriiniiu-, ad ea divertcrent ; in Unto online otnnia quibu* erant disposita, ut, sine religiose: discipline impi-di- mcnto, non modo *ed et principet viri, ipsi Scotia: lieges in illis subindu hospitun-ntur." Gio. THOMSONS, Dt A*L Ckrut. Rel. ap. Scotot. f See page 293, infra. PREFACE. xi their ancient seats and their if the chance of ; magnificent edifices, war had not already desolated them, were either demolished by the blind rage of the populace, and the barbarous ignorance of the government, or left to crumble into premature decay. It cannot but appear desirable to every person of taste and intelligence, that the architectural beauties that are still so strikingly seen in the ruins of many of these buildings, should be faithfully delineated, and, by the power of art, transmitted to posterity, before they are still farther defaced by the slow, but surely destructive, hand of time. Independent of the traditionary legends, and tales of peace and war relating to them, and which clothe them with a romantic interest, their connection with the history of the Christian church, and of the progress of society, excites also a desire to learn the particulars of their authentic story. These considerations, together with a feeling of local partiality, induced the author to undertake the work and present ; although, in the execution of it, he cannot lay claim to any other merit than that of industry and fidelity, yet as he has been so fortunate as to obtain the co-operation of the eminent artist who has furnished the drawings and engravings, he hopes that he is performing an acceptable service in giving it to the public. ERRATA. Page 4, line 16, for a monastery read the monastery. 34, 24, for 1554 read 1544. 43, 31, for provision read provisions. 55, 22, for ayne read ayre. 120, 32, for enumerate read enumerated. 128, 21, for quandam read quadam. 137, \5,for qui read quae. 146. To the account of the revenues of Kelso abbey, it should have been added, that the convent had a right to the tithes of Sir Gilbert de Umfraville's horses, bred in his forest in the boundaries of from to from Redesdale, which went Blackhope Rammeshope ; and thence to Harhope, to Goldingpottes, to Flexlei, to Caldelawe above Wilkewde, and so on to the head of Yerdehope. This right being disputed by Roger, the rector of Ellesden, the matter was decided in favour of Kelso, in 1228, by the authority of the pope Chart. Kel. 126, v. HISTORY OF THE ABBEY OF JEDBURGH. MONASTIC ANNALS OF TEVIOTDALE. THE HISTORY OF THE ABBEY OF JEDBURGH. JEDBURGH, the chief town of Roxburghshire, is beautifully situated on the banks of the Jed, about two miles above its influx into the Teviot. The course of this small river, which is not longer than twelve miles, is singularly picturesque. It rises near the confines of Liddisdale, at the foot of Carlin-tooth, one of the mountains that divide Roxburghshire from soon the smaller streams of the Northumberland ; and, being joined by Blackburn and Carter, winds considerably among round-topped green hills, through an open pastoral valley, once covered with thick forests, but now enlivened with villages and farms. As its limpid waters roll on, the valley contracts and becomes more woody, cultivated, and populous. The ruins of ancient towers and castles are seen on its banks, which, in some places, are overhung by lofty perpendicular cliffs, of a kind of soft red sandstone, the sides of which are wreathed with wild shrubs, and their summits clothed with forest trees. There are caverns in those precipices, which may have been safe retreats, in former times, to the families of the warlike inhabitants, when in danger of the enemy. On the left hand, screened from the river by a deep wood of large and tall trees, lies the ruinous castle of Ferniherst, a place which, although it was never of much strength nor importance, yet was the scene of some fierce contests during It built Sir of in the border wars. was by Thomas Ker Kershaugh, 1490 ; but it was probably demolished during the wars between 1544 and 1550, A a HI>TOHY OF the and afterwards rebuilt, as we find tin- date 1598 carved upon itone the door of one of the remaining towers, where arc also the arm- of i> and the K.T-, ami tin- initial- A. K. Tlii* tower Mill very entire, wa-, of the caMle till latch, inhabited by a gamekeeper. An adjoining part and is now a commodious farm- has undergone considerable repairs, river and Jedhurdi, house. As we proceed down the side, approach on its sides a cheerful the vale again expands, and presents high sloping and at the bottom of prospect of cultivated fields, orchards, gardens ; of the which lies the town, and adjacent to it the interesting remains ;il-l'<-\, it- chief ornament* several others of les- (burgh consiM- nf three principal streets, besides area in the where the importance, diverging from an irregular centre, which it is most weekly market is held on Tin-da\-.