224 Kirkcudbright Castle. 



proclamation for levies of Yorkshire and Lancashire foot 

 soldiers to march against the Scots. The musters were to 

 take place at Carlisle on the morrow of St. Lawrence, nth 

 August, and the morrow of the Assumption, i6th August, and 

 writs were issued accordingly. During the ten days the king 

 remained at Kirkcudbright he made his usual oblations in the 

 church of the Greyfriars. On the death of Edward L the cause 

 of Bruce made headway all over the country. Before the end 

 of the summer of 1308 Edward Bruce was in the field in 

 Galloway, and carrying everything before him. He inflicted 

 a severe defeat on Sir Ingelram de Umfraville and Sir John 

 de St, John, gaining a brilliant victory on the Cree, near 

 Kirroughtrie, and compelling them to retreat to Buittle. To 

 this period also belongs a mysterious encounter narrated by 

 Fordun. 



" The same year, at the Feast of Saint Peter and Saint 

 Paul, Donald of the Isles gathered an imposing host of foot 

 and marched up the river Dee. He was met by Edward of 

 Bruce, who overcame the said Donald and all the Galwegians. 

 In this struggle Edward slew a certain knight named Roland, 

 with many of the nobles of Galloway ; and arrested their 

 leader, the said Donald, who had taken to flight. After this 

 he burnt up the island." 



This is obviously a different battle from that fought by 

 Edward on the banks of the Cree. The invaders must have 

 come by sea, and it is just possible that the battle was fought 

 in the neighbourhood of Kirkcudbright. Indeed, one writer 

 states the opinion that it was fought there.* The expression, 

 " burnt up the island," is rather puzzling, and is said to refer 

 to Lochfergus ; but may it not equally well have applied to the 

 island on which undoubtedly Kirkcudbright stood at that 

 period? At the period to which I refer St. Mary's Isle was 

 in reality an island. Indeed, Captain Hope informed me that 

 the last contract for the upkeep of the embankment to prevent 

 the inrush of the sea from Great Cross to Sandside is dated 

 1804. A sketch of the town in 1566 shows the tidal way a 



* M. E. Gumming Bruce, Family Becords of the Bruces and 

 the Cumyns, Edinburgh, 1870. 



