424 Mr. Hardy's Account of Eyemouth Fort. 



the Queen and her Council.* With a party of engineers, 

 protected by French soldiers, the fort was again reared, while 

 constant recriminations took place between them, and the 

 garrison of Berwick, who made frequent excursions, to inter- 

 rupt the construction of the rival stronghold. These were so 

 frequent, " that three skirmishes, attended with considerable 

 effusion of blood, are recorded to have been fought between 

 them and D' Oysel's troops in one week. A field, a little 

 northward from the fort, goes by the name of ' Bare-foots'; 

 and there is a tradition that it got its name from a battle 

 being there fought between the Scots and English, in which 

 the former were called out to engage Avithout having had 

 time to put on their shoes. "f A burn, too, nearer Eyemouth, 

 is called the " Dead man's burn," from the number of com- 

 batants said to have fallen there. D' Oysel garrisoned the 

 fort with one hundred and twelve men, principally composed 

 of foreign mercenary troops. After mutual incursions, he 

 himself took up his residence among his countrymen, to 

 direct a system of annoyance against the English. In the 

 summer of 1558, the French and Scots garrison at Eyemouth 

 surprised a party of the garrison of Berwick, on Halidon 

 Hill, who were protecting the inhabitants of Berwick in mow- 

 ing and carrying home their hay, and who, expecting no trouble 

 from the Scottish side, " used out of their armour to shoote, 

 boule, coy te, and exercise such lyke games of pleasure." The 

 English were diiven back three several times, till Sir James 

 Croft, the governor, " comming from Berwicke used such 

 diligence and policy in the mater, that the Scottes and French 

 were repulsed and constreyned to retyre, withdrawing backe 

 into Aymouth, after they had continued in skirmishe from 

 one of the clocke till it was paste foure, with no small losse 

 onbothe partes." J In the same year, there happened " ane 

 singular combatt upon horseback with spears," between the 

 celebrated warrior Sir William Kirkaldy of Grange, and 

 Ralph Eure, brother of Lord Eure, "commonly called Evers," 

 on Halidon Hill, in presence of the garrisons of Berwicke and 

 Eyemouth, in which the " laird of Grange rane his adversar, 

 the Inglishman, throw the shoulder blaid, and aff his hors, 

 and was woundit deadlie, and in perill of his life."§ Holins- 



• Lindsay's Chronicle, p, 513. 

 f Carr's Hist, of Coldingham,'p. 66. 

 + Holinshed's Scotlande, p. 488. 

 § Lindsay's Chron. p. 525. 



