170 Transactions. 



Lochiiiabeii at this time with their demesne hxnds, profits of 

 coui't, and tolls, were farmed out to three of the inhabitants. John 

 Clerc, mentioned before as an Annan merchant, was one of the 

 three farmers* of the town. John Deconson and William Taylor 

 were his colleagues. They drew its rents as best tliey could, and 

 paid over the sum yearly to the English chamberlain at Loch- 

 maben. In 1374 j£12 14s 4d was the half of tlie return from 

 Annan and Lochmaben combined. But in 1376, whilst the half 

 of Lochmaben yielded 53s 4d, the half of Annan gave only 7s, 

 "and no more," says the account,! "because no tenant would 

 hold it from the devastations of the Scots." It is scarcely 

 possible to regard those payments as a firma hurgi or fixed 

 burghal rent. There may be doubts about their economic 

 interpretation ; but the difficulty of collecting them shews 

 explicitly enough that the Scots ^ were rapidly making Annandale 

 too liot for its English garrison. 



Numerous efForts§ to reconcile the animosities between 

 Cumberland and Annandale and induce fraternity had 

 failed ; the Annandale men, despite the pressure put u[)Qn them, 

 were Scots still. Edward III. was dying, and the firm grasp of 

 his youth and prime had been relaxed even in the few fortresses 

 whicli were remnants of a long extinguished hope of conquest in 

 Scotland. His grandson, Richard II., let them go altogether. 

 In 138.5 Lochmaljen Castle vvas wrested from the garrison!! which 

 liad lield it so long. Ill-victualled and ill-manned it fell before 

 the attack of Archibald the Grim. Annandale at last was free. 

 A second great epoch, that of English occupancy, was over, and 

 Annan shared in the completed emancipation. 



XV. Albany and Douglas (1482). 

 During the 15th century the little town left small trace in 

 history. In the war-storms of the previous hundred years, what 

 wonder if the burgh had passed out of sight absolutely, as 

 Roxburgh did 1 It is not until 1481 that there is again definite 

 news. James III., scholarly and refined with a taste for art and 



* Bain's Ual., iv., 223. 

 fBain'n Gal., iv. , 231. 



Jin 1479 Thomas Glenuors, born at "Anaunt," was naturalised in 

 London. Bain's Gal., iv., 1465. 



%Rottdi Scoliae, i., 414b, CSlh, 711b, 875ab, 887b, 888a, 924b, 951a, 

 956b, 965b. 



j; IVyntoim, ix. uh. o. 



