224 Report of Meetings for 1880, by James Hardy. 



Newbiggin, parish, of Oxnam, some of wliom I find about 1622-3 

 to have been notorious Border thieves.*- Dr Eobert Hall, the 

 descendant of the Covenanter, died in 1824 ; in his latter years 

 apparently he was dependent on his pen for a livelihood. There 

 was a Mrs Hall, daughter of Mr Orombie, a writer in Jedburgh, 

 who married a Dr Hall, who belonged to the Jedburgh district, 

 and settled in London. Whether this was, or was not, Dr Eobt. 

 Hall, no one can tell me. She wrote a story in Fra%er^s Magazine, 

 more than forty years ago, entitled ''The Autobiography of a 

 Scottish Borderer," which has been republished in Jedburgh, in 

 1874. She is said to have " endured a chequered life in the 

 metropolis, for her lot was one of trial and privation. Wben the 

 accustomed sources of support failed, she had to betake herself 



* The Halls op Newbigging.— At Jedburgh Circuit, 1622, "Adam Hall, 

 callit of ye Buss, in Newbigging," was outlawed for non-compearance for 

 the crime of theft or reset of theft. In April, 1623, " Jone Hall, callit 

 Cheiff, in Newbigging, and Lancie Hall there,"' were accused of steahng a 

 mare belonging to Eoger Hall, in " Daviescheill," Northumberland, and 

 were " clengit ;" but for resetting seven nolt, stolen from " Heronnesclois," 

 and being act and pairt with John Hall of Heviesyde, then an outlaw and 

 fugitive, in selling them, they were " fylit" or found guUty, and were sen- 

 tenced to be executed. In the same Circuit " Jon Hall, callit the Gumer," 

 was accused of the theft of the mare from Davyshiels, and cleared. Adam 

 Hall of the Bus, was entered as a pannel by his cautioner Adam Hall in New- 

 bigging ; and the same " Adie, callit of the Bus, in Newbiggiag," was found 

 guilty of stealing a cow pertaining to "William Ker of Ancrum, from the 

 lands of Spithoip in England, and was sentenced to be "brunt on ye cheik 

 with ye common birning irne of ye burghe of Jedburghe." [Wilson'' s 

 Annals of Eawick., pp. 247, 275, 300, 281, 292, 297, 304.) Previous to this 

 the Haugh-head Halls had obtained possession thereof. In the Taxt Eoll of 

 the Abbacy of Jedburgh, 1626, " HaU for the half of Haugh-heid, worth 15 

 boUs, payes 33s. 4d." {Morton's Annals of Teviotdale, p. 62.) The lands of 

 Newbigging were then held by Andrew Kerr, Master of Jedburgh. {Ibid.) 

 " The Newbigging Lairds," we are told in a paper by Mr William Brockie, 

 in the Border Treasury, p. 186, were tenants for generations, by payment in 

 Mnd, to the Abbey of Jedburgh, and continued to make good their footing 

 against the Lothian family, till the beginning of the present century, when 

 their titles being questioned, they were evicted by a decreet of the Court of 

 Session. The " folks of Newbigging," were a primitive people. It is told 

 of them that they attempted to catch the moon by means of a ladder placed 

 on a hill, behind which it was seen to shine, but when they reached the top, 

 the luminary was as far distant as ever. On reaching the village, when they 

 returned, " one of the party declared, to his astonishment, that he found the 

 moon shining into the hens' baulk. The moon, they concluded, was too 

 fickle to lay hold of." 



