80 Anniversary Address. 



A cessation of hostilities between England and Scotland, 

 followed by a two years' truce, had enabled Edward to prose- 

 cute his invasion of France where he was pushing the 

 siege of Calais with vigour. The opportunity appeared to be 

 favourable for an invasion of England, and David, pressed by 

 his ally the King of France tc make a diversion in his favour, 

 resolved to break the truce. The need of Douglas' powerful 

 assistance was now felt, and a reconciliation having been 

 effected through Robert Stewart, the king's cousin, Douglas 

 was recognised as the sheriff of Teviotdale, and appointed 

 governor of Roxburgh castle. Three months after this 

 humiliating concession, 'the Scottish army crossed the frontier, 

 destroying Liddel castle, the original seat of the Soulis' 

 family, which was razed to the ground, and proceeding onward 

 to Durham, suffered a total defeat at the battle of Neville's 

 cross, on the 17th October, 1346. The king, the knight of 

 Liddesdale, and many of the Scottish nobility were taken 

 prisoners, and the whole of the south of Scotland, including 

 Hermitage, fell into the hands of the English. 



The capture of Douglas gave Edward ample scope for again 

 practising on his fidelity, and now with better success. The 

 murder of Sir David Berkley at Aberdeen, in 1350, by a 

 dependent of Douglas, named John St. Michael or Carmichael, 

 was a symptom of his growing defection. The deed was 

 universally attributed to his instigation in revenge for the 

 death of Bullock, and of a John Douglas said to have been a 

 brother either of the knight himself, or of his nephew Lord 

 William* 



* The relations of the different members of the Douglas family at this period 

 are involved in much obscurity. By some tbe Knight of Liddesdale is.described 

 as a natural son of the good Sir James. According to others he was the lawful 

 son of Sir John Douglas of Dalkeith or Laudonia, ancestor of the Morton family. 

 The confusion lias been increased by the failure to distinguish on all occasions, 

 between the Lordship of the Valley of Liddel and the Castle or Manor of Liddel, 

 which were always he'd separately and generally by different persons. 



The arguments on both sides are well stated by Chalmers in the Caledonia, vol. 

 II., p. 117., note v supporting the first view, and by Riddell in his Stewartiana, p. 

 83, and Appendix III.; on the other hand, see too Sir Walter Scott's Prov. 

 Antiq., I., 58-59. 



