98 A’ LorBURNE. 
to be a very early, probably the earliest, example of the town’s 
motto known to be extant. 
A’ Loreburn, it is generally agreed, was a watchword or cry, 
and its origin is supposed to be connected with the Lower burn or 
Lor burn, which formed the inner line of defence of the town, and 
was manned, according to Peter Rae’s account, as late as the year 
1715; but perhaps it might be more in accord with usage to 
suppose the word to be the territorial or family name of a leader, 
whose designation came to be the rallying cry, “A Lorburn”— 
as for instance ‘‘ A Douglas.” 
The Border slogan rent the sky ; 
A Home! a Gordon! was the cry. 
The stone (fig. 1) is not without interest as a memento of the old 
prison, the scene of many stirring incidents, which stood at the 
