Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Hardy. 67 



the same century it is possessed by the Trotters. Alexander 

 Trotter of Cattleshiels succeeded his father in 1693. He was 

 ancestor of the Trotters of Cattleshiels and of Horton, co. Surrey, 

 and of the Trotters of Dry den and Bush, Midlothian. The place 

 still retains the corrupted form of the name. 



Dr John Trotter at Dunse, a particular friend of the Rev. 

 Thomas Boston, and by whose persuasion he prepared for 

 publication "The Fourfold State," was of the Cattleshiels family. 

 He died about the year 1717. He was second son to Alexander 

 Trotter of " Cattlesheill, " and married Mrs Julian Home, sister 

 to the laird of Kimmerghame. 



All his children died, and his substance went to his elder brother. " He 

 not only laid himself out," says Boston in his Memoirs, p. 148, " for my 

 health and that of my family, both at Simprin and in Etterick ; but upon 

 my removal from the former to the latter, proposed my looking out a piece 

 of land in Etterick for him to buy, that we might still live together : the 

 which, though it did not take effect, was a sign of singular friendship. To 

 him it was owing that 1 ever thought of writing The Fourfold State. I 

 have a piece of gold of his wrapt up in a letter of his to me. Besides, there 

 were about 50 merks received for a token to my two eldest children, and 

 about £3 sterling for the two youngest." 



Neither does Bedshiel, the next place passed, retain the old 

 form of its name, which was Baitshiell, Betschule, etc. The lands 

 belonged to James Earl of Home, in 1621 — Jan. 8, 1635, Eobert 

 Schorswood of Baitscheill was retoured heir of his father, Master 

 James Schoirswood, in the laws of Baitscheill with the mills — 

 May 6, 1681, George Home of Kimmerghani held the lands of 

 Beedsheill in the lordship of Home. One of the Shoarwoods was 

 still there in 1693, as portioner through his wife, who was a 

 Home. (Retours). 



Bedshiel, according to tradition, was at one time ocoupied by 

 a number of small tenants, who gained their livelihood by 

 retailing the peats they had cast in the moss, at Kelso and Dunse 

 and other towns within reach. They were called the " Peat 

 Lairds of Bedshiel." Some time ago a jet or cannel-coal fibula 

 was dug out by one of the peat-casters in Bedshiel Moss. 



Dirrington consisted of Easter and Wester Dirrington. In 

 early ages these were the shielings of the proprietor of Horn- 

 dean, whose heiress, Matilda, William de Vipont or Veteriponte 

 married. With her consent he bestowed them as an alms-gift on 

 the monks of Kelso Abbey. This grant his son of the same 

 name confirmed, when Ingelram was Bishop of Glasgow, 1164-74. 



