The Swintons of that Ilk, by A. Campbell Swinton. 329 



observes the author of the Baronage, " as fees were then begun 

 to be hereditary in Scotland, it is highly probable that he was 

 either his son or heir male ; for certain it is that he was possessed 

 of the same lands which were heritably enjoyed by the three 

 preceding generations, his predecessors." Hernulf is said to 

 have died in the reign of Malcolm IV., and to have been suc- 

 ceeded by his son, 



V. Sir Alan de Swinton also designated " Miles," who seems 

 to have been a distinguished warrior. Between 1189 and 1199 

 he obtained a charter of the barony of Swinton from Bertram 

 Prior of Ooldingham, the superior thereof. His name and 

 attributes — 



"The giant stature and the ponderous mace 

 "Which he alone of Scotland's realm could wield." 

 are borrowed by Sir "Walter Scott for the hero of his dramatic 

 sketch of " Halidon Hill ;" though the battle of Homildon, on 

 which the drama is founded, was not fought till two centuries 

 later, and the Swinton who fell there was Sir John. A monu- 

 ment to Sir Alan still exists in Swinton Church. Under rudely 

 sculptured figures of a boar and three smaller animals of the 

 same kind is the inscription — 



HIC . JACET . ALANTJS . SWIVTONUS . MILES . DE . EODEM 



and below is a full length figure of the knight with his arms bent 

 upwards from the elbows, and clasping what might have been 

 supposed to be a book, had books existed in those days. An 

 arched vault in front of the monument, and under the floor of the 

 church, having been opened some years ago, was found to contain 

 a coffin and three skulls. Of one of these skulls, which was of 

 unusual dimensions, and supposed therefore to be that of Sir 

 Alan, a cast was taken and presented to Sir Walter Scott, who 

 placed it in the armoury at Abbotsford beside a similar cast of the 

 skull of King Eobert the Bruce. There is a story of a ghastly 

 glare shed by the setting sun through the mullioned window on 

 the Swinton skull, being accepted by Sir Walter, as a presage of 

 tidings received the following day, of a calamity which had be- 

 fallen one of Sir Alan's descendants. 



Of the barons of Swinton for the next hundred and eighty 

 years nothing need be said here, except that their existence is 

 proved principally by various charters in which their names 

 appear as witnesses. They were VI. Sib Adam de Swinton 



