188 The Church and Churchyard of Chirnside, 



end of the church there is a gallery called " Whitehall Loft^^ 

 vcA at the eastern extremity another gallery called " Ninewells 

 Loft." Both these galleries are reached by flights of stone 

 steps outside the church ; and below the latter is a burial-vault 

 belonging to the family of Hume of Nincwclls, and in which 

 repose the ashes of several generations. The belfry on the 

 western gable of the church is a very small concern, and the 

 bell, which emits a tone of very little effect, is rung from 

 without. 



Chirnside, like most of our border villages, was frequently 

 subjected to the ravages of war ; and, like some other border 

 churches, it possessed a castellated tower for the protection of 

 the villagers. This stood at the west end of the church, and 

 was removed eighty or ninety years ago. At the interment of 

 a person of the name of Middlemiss, in 1847, its foundations 

 were exposed to view ; a large hearth-stone and fire-place were 

 laid open ; and the foundations of ancient walls, which seemed 

 to have been blackened by fire. The keeper of this tower in 

 1524 was one Luke Aitcheson, " a man,^^ according to our 

 informant, William Crow, '^ above the common strength of men 

 in his day." He was slain by six freebooters, who made an 

 attack upon the tower by night. He had repulsed this ferocious 

 band, who withdrew, saying they would recross the water. The 

 feint succeeded. The freebooters hid themselves in a thicket of 

 broom near the ruins of Herber-knowes ; and the valiant watch- 

 man w^as slain by them as he was, apparently, on his way to 

 alarm the village and raise a pursuit. In the old times of feudal 

 and border warfare, the villagers of Chirnside had two strong 

 pends, vaults, or inclosures, near the Cross Hilly in which they 

 penned their flocks and herds during night, for fear of the ma- 

 rauders from the English Border. They had also what was called 

 a Watchhouse, a little to the east of the Cross Hilly or middle of 

 the village ; and when the villagers and their neighbours went 

 upon a freebooting excursion, a large fire was kept up on this 

 Watchhouse, or tower, during night, to direct them the right 

 way home with their booty. 



The Session records of Chirnside Church, extending back to 

 some time before the Revolution, are not of great interest ; but 

 as they, in some instances, exhibit human nature in its stranger 

 and more remarkable aspects, we had intended here to have 

 given a few curious extracts, had our limits permitted ; but as 

 we have chiefly to do with the church, we will present a list of 

 the ministers who have officiated here smce the Reformation, in 

 so far as we have been able to ascertain them. 



1 . Mr. David Home appears to have been the first minister of 

 Chirnside after the Reformation. He was alive in 1597. 



