Mr. Jeffrey on Jedburgh. 347 



but no sooner had he uttered these words, than a storm of 

 popular feeling arose, and the provost, after abusing the 

 queen, caused the herald to come down from the cross, and 

 made him eat the letters he had partly read ; and in order 

 that he might be paid his wages, unloosed his points, and 

 gave him his ^'^ wages on his bare buttocks "* with part of a 

 bridle rein. Buccleuch and Ferneherst threatened to revenge 

 the insult put upon their authority, and marched upon the 

 burgh with 3000 men. The provost called out the staffis, 

 and offered battle, but this the supporters of the queen de- 

 clined, and hearing that Ker of Cessford was hastening with 

 a chosen band to aid the burghers, retired into the neighbour- 

 ing fastnesses. 



When Robert I. secured the independence of Scotland, he 

 granted a charter to the burgh for the gallant services ren- 

 dered by the community during the struggle, and especially 

 on the field of Bannockburn. A flag taken by the Jeddart 

 stajis, at this battle, is in the museum of the town. The 

 same king granted the territory to the good Sir James 

 Douglas, his favourite warrior. Before 1329 the same king 

 granted a charter in favour of James Cunningham, of the 

 territory of Hassendean on the Teviot, which was dated at 

 Jedburgh. There are also traces in the town council records 

 of a charter having been granted by one of the Jameses. It 

 was in existence in the 17th century. In 1556 Mary gave a 

 charter to the town, proceeding upon the narrative that the 

 burgh, which had been a free royal burgh, endowed with 

 many privileges, liberties, and advantages, and as such was 

 held and reputed from time immemorial until lately, when 

 it was, by the inroads and invasions of '^ our old enemies the 

 English,'" burned, torn down, and laid waste, whereby the 

 evidence and infeftments of the same were destroyed and 

 taken away, so that the provost, baillies, councillors, and 

 community of the same, require to suffer heavy loss in their 

 privileges and liberties belonging to said burgh, unless pro- 

 vision be made against the same ; — that the same burgh is 

 situated near the borders of the kingdom, and a place of 

 refuge to residenters and inhabitants of the county, as well 

 in time of peace as war, and affords aid in resisting rebels ; 

 no other royal burgh within the county, nor any other place, 

 so convenient and suitable to protect and receive the liege 

 men of the kingdom for the resistance of English enemies 



* Bannatyne's Journal, p. 243. 



