Antiquities of Eskdalemuir. 25 



of the ground and the stones afterwards piled up over it. Of 

 course wherever a discovery of this kind has been made we are 

 sure to find a legend of some sort or other attaching to the spot, 

 and so it is here. Tradition says that a battle between the Picts 

 and the Scots was fought over the very ground where the ancient 

 sepulchre still lies — that the Picts were beaten and completely 

 routed — that their King (Schaw by name) who led them to battle 

 having lost his way, either fell into, or was driven into, the pool 

 which forms the junction of the two Esks, and has ever since been 

 called the " King's Pool."' The body was afterwards recovered, 

 carried back to the battle field, and interred in the stone coffin, as 

 already described. 



And now that I have taken you as far as the King's Pool, 

 which marks the southernmost point of the parish, I wish to detain 

 you there for a moment or two while I relate to you a very 

 singular custom that once prevailed there. The place where this 

 custom was observed is still called " Hand Fasting Ilaugh." 

 Here, in days gone by, a fair was held to which the young people 

 of both sexes resorted in great numbers ; between whom engage- 

 ments were then made by joining hands ; or, as it was then called, 

 " hand fasting." The connection then formed was binding for one 

 year only, at the expiration of which time either party was at 

 liberty to break up the engagement and form a new one — or in 

 the event of both being- satisfied the " hand fasting- " was renewed 

 for life. The custom is mentioned by several authors, and was by 

 no means confined to the lower classes, John, Lord Maxwell, and 

 a sister of the Earl of Angus, being thus " hand fasted " in 

 January, 1.572. I may mention that Lindsay in his reign of James 

 IL says : — " James (Sixth Earl of Murray) begat upon Elizabeth 

 Innes (daughter of the Laird of Innes) Alexander Dunbar, a man 

 of singular wit and courage. This Isabel was but hand-fast with 

 him, and died before the marriage. In connection with this subject 

 Dr Brown has published an extract of a letter he had received from 

 the late John Maxwell, Esq. of Broomholm, to the following effect : 

 " No account can be given of the period at which the custom of hand 

 fasting commenced, but I was told by an old man, John Murray, who 

 died at the farm of Irving as you go from Langholm to Oanonbie, 

 and had formerly been proprietor in Eskdalemuir, that he was 

 acquainted with, or at least had seen, an old man (I think his 

 name was Beattie) who was gTandson to a couple of people who 



