308 Sir W. Elliot on Denholm and its Vicinity. 



By him a chaiter was granted to Thomas third baron Crany- 

 ston, of the lands of Denum, Stobs, &c., to be held in fee, 

 about the year 1382, which was confirmed by Robert II. in 

 September 1441, whose charter specifies "the lands of Foulerys- 

 land in Denum and the little Rulwood beside the town of 

 Denum in the barony of Cavers." This " little Ruhvood " has 

 been supposed to be the old name of the dean; but as the glen 

 is connected with the Teviot and not with the Rule, which 

 joins the Teviot near Spittal, below the village, I am inclined 

 to think it refers to a locality lower down the valley.* 



Denholm remained in possession of the Cranstoun family 

 till 1658, and shared in the troubles and disasters which 

 desolated the Borders before the union of the two crowns 

 In 1524 Lord Dacre boasted that he had harried the whole 

 Border not leaving a habitable place. In a letter to Wolsey, 

 dated 11 June, he says, "nothing was left on the frontiers of 

 Scotland, without it be part of old houses whereof the thatch 

 and coverings be taken away; by reason whereof they cannot 

 be burnt." (Ellis, or. letters). In 1533-5 Denholm and Cavers 

 are specially mentioned as having been burnt by Lord Dacre 

 and Sir Kerstial Dacre. (Wilson, mem. of Hawick, p. 6.) In 

 1544 the whole of the Merse and Teviotdale was "miserably 

 plundered and destroyed" by Sir Ralph Ever, (Redpath, 550), 

 and in the following year Seymour earl of Hertford devastated 

 the same tract still more effectively. According to an inter- 

 esting cotemporary record, he marched from " Kelso to Rokes- 

 borowe menes" on Monday and thence "to Bongedworthe a 

 Tyweseday, and burnying and theistroyng all that day, both 

 coryn and bowses and hey and turfi" and a Wenesday burend 

 Jedwourd Abbey and the fryers menors, and all the townes 

 ii myle beyond, as Cavaires and Denem and Mento and Man- 

 ton crake (Minto Craig) and Bedrowle and Towres and New- 

 ton and Langeton (Lanton) and Hassenden and the Barne- 

 hills (TurnbuUs of Barnhill) and the Bennetts (Bennetts of 

 Chesters) and Ancram and many mor and returnyd to campe 

 that Wenesday to Earlford." (Cotemporary account of the 

 earl of Hertford's second expedition to Scotland in Septem- 

 ber 1545; by Barth. W. Butler, York Herald, in attendance on 



* In the Retours, under date 4th October, 1687, these lands are clearly dis- 

 tinguished on the succession of William Douglas of Cavers to his father, as 

 (inter alia) * " the lands of Spittal-toune and chapel of Carlaverok, * * 

 the town and lands of Denholme ; the lands of Denholme's dean and Bailie haige- 

 stoks, 10 libratae of the Dominical lands of Denholm • * the lands of little 

 Rowlwood with the grove and tower and the lands called Comre near the town of 

 Denholm; the lands called Foulerslands in Denholm, &c., &c. (291). 



