Dumfries : Irs Burghal Origin. 169 



thus conveyed as an endowment of the brethren and the 

 kirk wark of Kelso Abbey — a grant afterwards confirmed 

 by the Bishop of Glasgow, because Dumfries was in his 

 diocese — it is at least evident that church, chapel, toft lands, 

 and tithes were the king's to give; and as Dumfries church 

 is never mentioned before, it will be for those — if there be 

 any — who say that it was not new to shew their reasons. 



Returning once more to chronicle, can we discover 

 anything there that will help to determine the period of 

 all or any of these three charters — 2, 3, and 4? It seems 

 certain that we can. In the end of May, 1186, Henry II. 

 held a . great Council at Oxford. William the Lion was 

 there with many of his nobles. With him were Jocelyn, 

 bishop of Glasgow, and Ernald, abbot of Melrose. Part 

 of the business done was an arrangement for his marriage 

 with Ermengard. Nor was that the only stroke of policy 

 that Henry achieved. When the Scotsmen left the court 

 it was with commands from Henry to make war upon 

 Roland, and compel him to " stand to right " in the king's 

 court for breach of fealty in his unauthorised seizure of his 

 uncle Gilbert's lands. So soon as Roland got wind of this 

 he mustered an army of horse and foot, blocked as far as 

 he could the approaches to Galloway, and placed across the 

 roads trees cut through the middle. This was a familiar 

 military expedient of the period both in England and 

 Ireland, and was known as " plashing " the ways. Henry 

 with a great army marched to Carlisle. Arrived there, he 

 despatched King William and his brother Earl David to 

 bring Roland to his presence. At first Roland would not 

 go; whereupon Henry sent King William and Earl David 

 back to him with Hugh, bishop of Durham, and Ranulf de 

 Glanvil, the great justiciar, who had been one of William's 

 captors in 1174. The second embassage succeeded. In 

 July or August, 1 186, Roland went to Carlisle, and there, 

 by command of W'illiam, swore fealty to Henry " against 

 all men." And William swore, and David swore, and all 

 the eat Is and barons of Scotland swore, says the chronicle, ^^ 



14 Benedict, i., 349. 



