156 THe BarrLe ofr DoRNOocK. 
fords. There were three chief historic crossing places—one, the 
Solway or Sulwath proper, near the junction of Sark and Kirtle ; 
another from Dornock to Drumburgh; and the third from Annan 
to Bowness. The second of these fords is known to have been 
used by the army of Edward I. during its retiral from Scotland in 
the autumn of 1800. On 30th August Edward was at ‘ Drunnok.”? 
On 1st September he was at ‘“ Drumbou.”” He and his army had 
probably crossed the day before,*® and the wardrobe accounts con- * 
tain items relative to the destruction of corn at ‘“ Drunnok” and 
“ Drumbou” at that time. It was this ford, available, of course, 
only at ebb,’ that Sir Antony Lucy made his objective. The 
reason for his choice is not hard to find. The forayers must have 
been in parties at considerable distances apart to enable them to 
cover the area said to have been overrun. The Dornock ford 
would bea good central mesting place, offermg the most con- 
venient and direct route to England. Had the invaders chosen to 
make for the eastmost ford of Solway there would have been a 
grave loss of time; the cattle would have had to be driven five or 
six miles further; and time was a first consideration. But even as 
it was Sir Antony did not succeed in crossing without having to 
fight. 
The alarm had reached Lochmaben Castle, then under the 
command of William of Douglas, afterwards known to history 
with a chequered fame as the Knight of Liddesdale. He put 
himself at the head of a detachment of the garrison to the number 
of about fifty men, spoken of as well armed.® Associated with 
him were several local knights, Sir Humphrey Boys, Sir Humphrey 
Jardine (called Sardyne in one edition of one chronicle !),’ and 
William Carlyle. Another person named as taking special part in 
the affair was William Barde—-referred to as Warde by one 
author. These leaders appear all to share the epithet flung at 
them by the Lanercost chronicler of ‘solemn malefactors” what- 
ever that may mean. Besides the fifty men-at-arms the whole 
1 Dib. Quot., Garderob. 172, 175. 
2 Ib., 126, 172, 198, 200. Drumbou is now Drumburgh. 
3 [b:, 165, 173, 174, 196. 
*7b., 126. 
5 Statistical Account, Dumfriesshire, 257 
6 Lanercost Chron., 272. 
7 Decem Scrip., 2563. 
