Field Meetings. 225 



Johnstone light to set her hood." Cannon were planted against 

 the tower, but a pacification was effected through the intervention 

 of the English Lord Scrope. The peace was not, however, of 

 long endurance. The bloody battle of Dryfesands followed in 

 1593; and Edward Irving of Bonshaw and his four sous were 

 included in the respite granted by King James VI. to Sir William 

 Johnstone and eight score others for the slaughter of Lord 

 Maxwell, the King's "Warden, on that occasion. At an earlier 

 date Christopher of Bonshaw and his son had fallen with the 

 flower of Scottish chivalry at Flodden, and " Blacke Christie " of 

 Robgill (so named, tradition says, from the colour of his armour) 

 was one of the victims of Solway Moss. The clan took part with 

 the Armstrongs and other families of the Debateable Land in 

 many a raid aoross the Border, and they had need of sti'ong and 

 numerous towers to resist reprisals. A curious document of date 

 about the middle of the sixteenth century (drawn up by an 

 P^nglish military officer) gives the name of " heidsmen within 

 Annerdale," with the number of " most able horsemen " that they 

 could bring into the field ; but as it was obtained by the repre- 

 sentative of a hostile power, and probably from tainted sources, 

 it cannot be accepted as authoritative. The following is the list 

 of the Irvings, extending to three score and four horsemen : 

 (Juthbert Irrewing and Watt Irrewing, xiiij horsmen ; Herbert 

 Irrewing of the Kyrk, iij horsmen ; the proctour of Luce, ii 

 horsmen ; Duke Rechie, x horsmen ; William Irrewing of South- 

 woode, X horsmen ; Christie Irrewiug, Mathoes sone, iij horsmen ; 

 Christei's sone of Boneschaw, v horsmen ; Hebbe Irrewing- of 

 Trailtrow, iiij horsmen ; Jefferay Irrewing, viij horsmen ; Da we 

 Irrewing, vj horsmen. 



Another character in which the Irvings figured was as 

 King's-men in the struggle with the Covenanters. One of them 

 had the equivocal honour of arresting, and so bringing to the 

 scaffold, one of the most intrepid of the Covenanter leaders. 

 Donald Cargill. The story is quaintly told by John Howie, with 

 characteristic comment and addition. 



Cove was the fir.st of the ancient seats of the Irvings to be 

 called at. It passed out of the hands of the family by sale in 

 1846, and is now the property of the marriage contract trustees 

 of the Hon. Patrick Greville Nugent and his wife. There is here 

 no remnant of the to^ver ; but in the face of a steep cliff near to 



