158 



Notice of Stone Cannon Balls, found in Parish of Siuinton, 

 BeriuicJcshire. By David Milne Home, Esq., of Milne- 

 graden, LL.D., &c. 



Happening to pass tliroTigli the village of Swinton one day 

 last autumn (1878), I observed in a small garden plot adjoining 

 the principal inn, what appeared to be a large Cannon Ball of 

 Stone. 



On asking the innkeeper the history of it, he informed me that 

 it was one of five or six which had been found together in the 

 river Leet, in 1865, when its channel was being altered ; and 

 that his idea was that they had belonged to the large cannon 

 known by the name of Mens Meg. He added that when in 

 Edinburgh lately he had gone to the Castle, and found that 

 Mons Meg has a mouth large enough to admit the ball ; and 

 that there were lying beside the gun several Stone Balls 

 apparently about the size of the one in Swinton. He said that 

 some one had told him it was known to readers of Scotch history 

 that Mons Meg was at the siege of Norham Castle in the time of 

 King James IV. 



The above six balls were thus disposed of. Mr Chalmers has 

 one at Swinton Inn. The Eev. Mr Sherar, F.C., Swinton, has 

 one. A third was got by Mr White, which is now at 

 Milne-graden. Mr Hannan, of Dunse Castle, took away the 

 other three. One of these is now at St. Mary's Cottage, Dunse 

 Castle. Mr Chalmers thinks the other two were sent by Mr 

 Hannan to Edinburgh. 



I went to Swinton House and saw there three stone balls — two 

 are in the garden on a waU. The third is at the end of the 

 house occupied by the farm steward. This last one I found has 

 a girth of 58 J inches. He said it had been found in the river 

 Leet, at the back of his house. The other two in the garden 

 seemed to be of smaller size. Mr Chalmers did not know their 

 history ; but he was sure they had been in the garden more than 

 40 yeais. 



The ball at the steward's house has inserted into it a piece of 

 iron, and a groove has been made at each side in connection with 

 this bit of iron. It is probable that the object of this was to 

 convert it into a heavy weight for a cheese press. 



There is another stone, somewhat smaller, at a cottage door in 



