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possession until the time of Malcolm Kenmore, was, in 1091, 

 made over to England ; and this from the 1 1 th to the end of the 

 17th century formed upon its northern frontier a scene of unceasing 

 warfare and bloodshed. 



Along the Border there is a tract of land between the Esk and 

 the Sark for a long time claimed by both kingdoms, and upon this 

 ' territory, for centuries, club-law prevailed. 



Two leading families — Scott upon the Scottish, and Dacre upon 

 the Cumbrian frontiers, were the chiefs of their respective counties 

 in time of actual warfare. The right of might prevailed almost 

 universally upon the Border ; and, from the peer to the peasant, 

 every man was equally ready to take part in a fray. 



A verse from one of the Cumbrian Border Ballads will show the 

 character of the warfare, and introduces the Border hero, Belted 

 Will :— 



The warder has look'd from the old grey tower, 



And unto his Lord he said, 

 "The mosstroopers come with a terrible power. 



And a champion at their head. " 



" Now by my sword," said that gallant lord, 



" We'll meet them in the field ; 

 Let each man show his might in the fight, 



And the traitors be they who yield." 



Scattered all over the Border, and so far inland as to include 

 Westmorland, were buildings consisting of a square tower of three 

 floors — the lowest one used for the reception of cattle, the higher, 

 consisting of a single apartment each, for the reception of the 

 family. Doubtless some of you will, like myself, have seen them, 

 and know therefore that they were pierced with narrow loopholes, 

 for the purposes of defence. 



It is difficult to number those lesser castles or peels. The house 

 of every man even of moderate estate was literally his castle ; and 

 very many have been long since levelled and forgotten, or are only 

 incidentally mentioned in the scanty local records, or are disclosed 

 by the names they bear. It has been much the custom to include 



