156 The Battle of Doknock. 



fords. There were three chief historic crossing- places — one, the 

 Solway or Sulwath proper, near the junction of Sark and Kirtle ; 

 another from Dornock to Drumburgh ; and the third from Annan 

 to Bowness. The second of tliese fords is known to have b33n 

 nsed by the army of Edward I. during its retiral from Scotland in 

 the autumn of 1300. On 30th August Edward was at '■ Drunnok." ' 

 On 1st September he was at " Drumbou." - He and his army had 

 probably crossed the day before,^ and the wardrobe accounts con- 

 tain items relative to the destruction of corn at "Drunnok" and 

 " Drumbou" at that time.* It was this ford, available, of course, 

 only at ebb,'' that Sir Antony Lucy made his objective. The 

 reason for his choice is not hard to find. The forayers must have 

 been in parties at considerable distances apart to enable them to 

 cover the area said to have been overrun. The Dornock ford 

 would be a good central meeting place, offering the most con- 

 venient and direct route to England. Had the invaders chosen to 

 make for the eastmost ford of Solway there would have been a 

 grave loss of time ; the cattle would have had to be driven five or 

 six miles further; and time was a first consideration. But even as 

 it was Sir Antony did not succeed in crossing without having to 

 fight. 



The alarm had reached Lochmaben Castle, then under the 

 command of William of Douglas, afterwards known to history 

 with a chequered fame as the Knight of Liddes.lale. He put 

 himself at the head of a detachment of the garrison to the number 

 of about fifty men, spoken of as well armed.® Associated with 

 him were several local knights, Sir Humphrey Boys, Sir Humphrey 

 Jardine (called Sardyne in one edition of one chronicle !),' and 

 William Carlyle. Another person named as taking special part in 

 the affair was William Barde — referred to as Warde by one 

 author. These leaders appear all to share the epithet flung at 

 them by the Lanercost chronicler of " solemn malefactors" what- 

 ever that may mean. Besides the fifty men-at-arms the whole 



^ Lib. Quot., Garderob. 172, 173. 



2 lb., 126, 172, 198, 200. Drumbou is now Drumburgh. 



2 lb., 165, 173, 174, 196. 



*Ib., 126. 



° Statistical Account, Dumfriesshire, 257 



'^Lanercost Chron.,2T2. 



^ Decern Scrip., 2563. 



