216 Mr. J. Stuart on St. Ehha and Coldingham. 



In the year 1371, William, Earl of Douglas, the Justiciary- 

 South of the Forth, was prevented from holding his Justice 

 Air at Berwick, as that town was in the hands of the English. 

 He accordingly held it at the Priory of Coldingham, which 

 he was induced to select,from the extent of its accommodation, 

 and the hountifulness of its hospitality ; hut he gi-anted a 

 charter to the Monks, setting forth the necessity which had 

 compelled him to come to their house, lest any claim of right 

 to similar entertainment might hereafter be set up against 

 them* 



It is not unlikely, that some tie of interest between the 

 Priory and the great house of Douglas may have arisen out 

 of this accidental transaction. At all events, the Monks put 

 themselves under the protection of Archibald, the fourth Earl 

 of Douglas, giving him an early pension of £100 for his ser- 

 vices. In the year 1406, the Earl, as " Kepar to the Landis 

 and the Rentis of the Priorie of Coldinghame," constituted 

 Sir Alexander Home, of Dunglass, to be his substitute and 

 keeper under him, with a salary of twenty pound s.f 



In 1437, Sir David Home, of Wedderburn, was appointed 

 Baillie of Coldingham for live years. Next year, however, 

 he represented to the Prior of Durham how he " had ben 

 lang tyme servand to Saynt Cudbart and you," and request- 

 ing that his appointment should be for life, and his "pencion 

 sumthyng amendit." The Prior agreed to increase the salary, 

 but not to prolong the period of Sir David's commission. 

 The Knight returned to the charge, and several other letters 

 passed between him and the Monks. In 1441, Sir David 

 was appointed Baillie for forty years, but a misunderstanding 

 arose between him and his cousin, Alexander Home, the 

 knight of Dunglass, who also wanted to be Baillie, and was 

 appointed to the office for sixty years, on Sir David's resigna- 

 tion. Sir David thought that the Prior of Coldingham was 

 a partizan of Sir Alexander's, and among other things he 

 wrote to the Prior of Durham that the Prior of Coldingham 

 "on this Sonday in sklandyng of me, he passit to Sant Ebbis, 

 and gert his brether and the parys-prest pae witht hym, and 

 wald lat na mese be said, na service done to the parishyne 

 within the Kyrk of Coldyngham, and I was not content 

 thereof and com to Coldyngham the sam Sonday, lat at 

 evyne." The Prior seemed to know what might result from 



* Raine's North Durham, App., p. 34. 

 I Coldingham, p. 109. 



