34 Anniversary Address. 



Robert III. to George, earl of Angus, on his marriage with 

 the king's daughter, Mary Stewart, in 1397-8.* 



From this time Hermitage appears to have belonged to the 

 house of Angus with few interruptions for near a century. 

 In 1427-33 William, second earl, was warden of the Middle 

 Marches by special commission, f and " Lord of the valley 

 of Ledell," Godscroft quotes % a bond granted to his son 

 James, the third earl, by Robert Fleming of Cambernauld, 

 an old dependent of the family, in which he binds himself 

 " to enter within the iron gate of the castle of Tantallon or 

 Hermitage, under pain of 2000 marks, upon eight days 

 warning * * because he had burnt the earl's corne within 

 the baronie of North Berwick, and taken away his cattell 

 there on Fasting even or Shrove Tuesday." George, fourth 

 earl, and brother of the second, adhered to his sovereign, 

 James II., in his feud with the Douglases. He was warden 

 of the East and Middle Marches, and in 1452 " took measures 

 for keeping good order in his Countrey of Liddesdale, and to 

 keep his castle of Hermitage safe " for the king. " He had 

 for this purpose made Sir Archibald Douglas of Cavers 

 (sheriffe of Roxbrough), and William his sonne, Bailiffs of 

 Liddesdale and keepers of the castle."§ For these services 

 he was created lord Douglas, and took an active part in support- 

 ing the minor son of James II. after the king's death at the 

 siege of Roxburgh castle. No change appears to have taken 

 place in the reign of James III., during which, Archibald 

 the fifth earl, better known by his soubriquet of Bell-the-Cat, 

 possessed Liddisdale and Hermitage ; but on the accession of 

 James IV., that youthful prince, remembering the dangerous 

 power and influence of the house of Douglas in by-past 

 times,|| seized the occasion of a casual outrage^! to require the 



* Douglas Peerage I. 432. Orig. Par, I. 358. 

 \ Douglas Peerage. 

 % P. 210,213. 

 § Godscroft, 213, 215. 

 || Godscroft, 221. 



^f This outrage was a duel fought between Angus and Spens of Kilspendie, of 

 which a graphic description is given by Godscroft, p. 235. Spens was slain. 



