156 LOCKERBIE IN ITS ORIGIN. 
token of favour or reward, an extensive tract of land with valuable 
rights and privileges—as did the Bruce-—his first anxiety was as 
to how he could best preserve not only his newly-acquired 
possessions but the position of dignity and power to which he had 
attained. These objects he accomplished by parcelling off 
portions of his possessions among his relatives and friends, who 
would then become his vassals, and by undertaking to protect them 
and their belongings against the attacks and depredations of their 
common enemies. In return, these lesser landlords, together 
with their servants and dependents, became bound to rally to the 
standard of their superior in times of war, as also to build a 
stronghold and maintain order and peace within their own juris- 
dictions. Mr Cosmo Innes says:-——“ The common inductiv2 
clause for granting charters in feudal times was, of course, pro 
servicio suo. It is often stated that the grant is in reward of 
service, but most commonly the gift is for service done and to be 
done, past and future. Along with service is joined homage and 
fealty—pro homagio et fidelitate. From the King, therefore, 
down to his smallest vassal there was created a succession of 
positions of superior and vassal, each and all bound together by 
the common ties of self-preservation, mutual aid, and protection. 
Consequently, a summons from the King would set the whole 
feudal machinery of the country in motion. In this connection 
we may advert in passing to the views expressed by Sir Walter 
Scott regarding the numerous Abbeys which were founded by 
David I. He states:—‘“It seems probable that David, who was 
a wise as well as a pious monarch, was not moved solely by 
religious motives to those great acts of munificence to the Church, 
but annexed political views to his pious generosity. | His posses- 
sions in Northumberland and Cumberland became precarious 
after the loss of the Battle of the Standard in 1138; and since 
the comparatively fertile valley of Teviotdale was likely to 
become the frontier of his kingdom, it is probable he wished to 
secure at least a part of these valuable possessions by placing 
them in the hands of the monks, whose property was for a long 
time respected, even amidst the rage of a frontier war. In this 
manner alone had the King some chance of securing protection 
and security to the cultivators of the soil.’’ 
We now come to the affix bi or by, which forms part of the 
word Lockerbie, and is Danish, The Danes, who had begun 
