On Armorial Bearings, <&c. By Walter Laidiaw*. 187 



Andrew Kerr ; also " A D S," the initials of his wife, Dame Ann 

 Stewart ; and there can be little doubt that the present old Castle 

 and chapel were built by them, with the exception of the modern 

 additions to the Castle, to adapt it as a residence. Fernieherst 

 Castle being so near the Borders, and its possessors being in 

 succession Lords Warden of the Marches of Scotland at a time 

 when the two countries were the hated enemies of each other — it 

 was the scene of many a deadly conflict, having been taken and 

 re-taken, destroyed and rebuilt many times. 



"The first house at Fernieherst was built by Thomas Kerr, 

 eighth in descent from Ralph Carr of Kershaugh, 1 330- 1350. 

 He built a house in Jedburgh Forest, Avhich he called Fernie- 

 herst, and by that title it was designated in the ' Parliamentary 

 Records." 



Thomas married Catherine, daughter of Robert Colville of 

 Ochili^ce, heiress of Oxnam. He died in 1499, and was succeeded 

 by his son, Sir Andrew Kerr of Fernieherst, Lord Warden of the 

 Marches of Scotland, who acquired Oxnam, through his mother. 

 He was well-known as " Daud " Kerr of Fernieherst. He was 

 a courageous warrior, and bravely defended his Castle in 1523, 

 when Earl Surrey, with ten thousand men, stormed and took 

 Jedburgh — burning the town, and laying the Abbey in ruins. 



In Earl Surrey's letter to Homy VIII., after giving an account of the 

 storming of Jedburgh, he goes on id say- -" The next daye I sente my seid 

 Lorde Dacre to a .stronghold, called B'ernherst, the Lorde -whereof was his 

 mortal enemy ; and with hym, Sir Arthur Darcy, Sir Marmaduko Constable, 

 with viii. c. of their men, one cortoute, and dyvers other good peces of 

 ordynance for the feld (the seid Fernherste stode marvelous strongly, 

 within a great woode) : the seid fcwoo knights with the moost parte of their 

 men, and Strickland, your grace servaunte, with my Kendall men, went 

 into the woode on fote, with th' ordynance, where the said Kendall men 

 were soo handled, that they found hardy men, that went noo foote back 

 for theym ; the other two knighi es were alsoo soo sharply assayled, that they 

 were enforced to call for moo of their men : and yet could not bring the 

 ordynaunce to the forteresse, unto the tyme my Lord Dacre, with part of 

 his horsemen, lighted on fote, and marvelously hardly handled himself, and 

 fynally, with long skirmyshin<>\ and mache difficultie, got forthe th' ordy- 

 naunce within the bowse and threwe down the same." In the same letter 

 he goes on to say — " I assure yoor gx-ace I found the Scottes at this tyme, 

 the boldest men. and the hotest, that ever I sawe any nation, and all the 

 journey, upon all parts of th' army, kept us with soo contynua.il skyrmyshe, 

 that I never sawe the like.'' Although their valour was both felt and 

 praised by the enemy, the redoubted " Dand " Kerr was taken px'isouer, 

 and In's Castle laid in ruins. ll He was probably soon ransomed or rescued 

 K 



