Notices of Ckatton, by Messrs. Procter and Hardy. 53 



feast of Saint Valentine the Martyr (14th February) in the nine- 

 teenth year of our reign, up to the Wednesday in the feast of the 

 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15th August) in the 

 same year ; namely, for the expenses of each of the aforesaid 

 Eees and Canan, threepence a day, and for the expense of the 

 said boy, two pence a day, — unless he has had before an award 

 from thence (from the Exchequer) in whole or in part. 



" Witness the King at Chatton, on the 16th day of August." 



Edward I. reigned from 20th November, 1272, to 7th 

 July, 1307, so that 19, Edward I., is A.D. 1291. And we 

 learn from " Documents Illustrative of the History of Scot- 

 land, 1286-1306," edited by the Rev. Joseph Stevenson, 

 that Edward I. was at Chatton, 16th August, 1291 ; for, a 

 letter of Protection to John of Douai, a merchant sent by 

 John de Soules to France, of that date, was issued by 

 Edward I. himself : " Teste rege, apud Chattone, xvj die 

 Augusti." (" Documents," Vol. i., p. 219.) The king was at 

 Berwick on the 11th August. (lb., p. 219.) On the 13th he 

 had arrived at Chatton, for on that day he granted letters of 

 Protection, dated at Chatton, 13th August, for the men of 

 Robert le Brus, Earl of Carrick, going into Ireland to 

 import into Scotland, corn, wine, and victuals, and directed 

 to all the king's bailiffs in Ireland and Scotland. (lb.,, p. 239.) 

 We thus find him at Chatton from the 13th to the 16th of 

 August, 1291. The object Edward had in view at this 

 period during his visits to Chatton and the Borders, was 

 secretly to influence the deliberations of the Scottish Par- 

 liament on the claims of the competitors^ for the Scottish 

 throne, left vacant by the decease of the Maiden of Norway, 

 without his directly appearing to interfere with their deci- 

 sions. Delaying his final adjudication in favour of Baliol 

 till 17th November, 1292, he lingered on the Border with 

 his troops for most of that year. We learn from the recently 

 published " Documents," that he was at Berwick on the 

 14th July, 1292, and at Chatton on the 18th and 19th of the 

 same month ; for on July 18th, 1292, he gave letters of 

 Protection to Osbert de Spaldington, about to proceed to the 

 Isle of Man — " Teste rege apud Chattone " (1. c, p. 337) ; and 

 on July 19th there is a mandate from Edward himself, 

 " Teste meipso, apud Chattone," for the Chamberlain of 

 Scotland to pay the wages of Roger de Burton and Osbert 

 de Spaldington. (lb., p. 335). This shews that Edward 

 exercised regal power in Scotland during the vacancy of the 

 throne. 



