468 Rattling, Roaring Willie. By the late Sir W. Elliot. 



proceedings appear to have been instituted against him by the 

 regular authorities. The matter however was taken up as a 

 " blood feud " by the clan, and seems, as was usual at that time, 

 to have been deemed an act of moral delinquency, bringing it 

 Avithin the cognizance of the Kirk Session. 



Some time ago I had the opportunityof examining the Eecords 

 of the Presbytery of Jedburgh. In these I found an entry con- 

 nected with the parish of Cavers, which cleared up the obscurity 

 in which this transaction was shrouded. 



" On the 25th April 1(327, the Rev. Walter McGill, minister of the parish, 

 represented to the presbytery that William Henderson in Priesthaugh (a 

 farm at the base of Skelfhill pen) paroeliiner l of Cavers had committed a 

 fearful and cruell slaughter in slaying William Elliot called Sweet Milk, 

 quho being summoned and not compeiring, the minister [was] ordained to 

 caus summon with certification. On May IHh William Henderson being 

 duly summoned compeired not, and the minister was ordained to enter 

 ane process against him." On the 10th, 23rd, and 30th, Mr McGill reported 

 that he had repeated successively the admonition to Wm. Henderson for 

 his slaughter, but without effect; and on the 27th June, that he had 

 finished the process against him, still without success; finally that on the 

 12th December 1027, sentence of excommunication had been fulminated 

 against him and several other persons. 



This enables us to fix approximately the date of Willie's 

 execution, for, having failed to comply with the summonses of 

 the Kirk Session in May and June, he remained in concealment 

 till September, on the 25th day of which, or the first Tuesday 

 after, the Rood Fair is held in Jedburgh. The Autumn Session 

 of the Circuit Court of Justiciary is held in September or October, 

 and the prosecution of such an offence at the instance of Elliot 

 of Stobs, was probably short and decisive. We may therefore 

 conclude that Willie's trial and execution took place before the 

 end of the year. 2 



1 In the Act 1572, c. 5-4, parochiner is held to mean an owner of landed 

 property, i.e. heritor. — W.E.L. 



2 The Sir Gilbert of the ballad was no doubt the first laird of Stobs, who 

 rejoiced in the sobriquet of " Gibbie wi' the gowden garters-" He was the 

 son of William Elliot of Larriston, and Mary, daughter of Sir Walter Scott 

 of Buccleuch. He married the daughter of Scott of Harden. Though a 

 man of great influence, he is only called Sir Gilbert in the ballad. It was 

 his grandson who was created a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1666, but his 

 son was dubbed a knight bannaret at the battle of Scone in 16-43. As his 

 death occurred between 1632 and 1637 (the exact year is not known), it is 

 clear that he was the individual named in the ballad. 



In the foot-note Sir Walter makes the "young Falnash" a Scott, but 



