On Bonchester, Rale Water. By Walter Dean*. { .)o 



The foundations of Bonchester are of considerable extent, and 

 arc now deeply covered with the green turf. On examining the 

 stone-dyke opposite to what is now the march between Nether 

 Bonchester and Gatehousecot, I found that the stones of the old 

 dwellings had been all used for dykeing purposes ; the window 

 soles and lintels supplied copes and bands. For an old Border 

 steading, the situation could hardly be surpassed. It commanded 

 a complete view of almost every tower and peel from Wauchope 

 to Bedrule. Behind were the old camps or hill-forts of the 

 aborigines ; and in front down in the vale, lies the field called 

 Jeistings'-haugh, where in times gone by, the youths of the 

 district assembled to learn the use of the bow, and to practise 

 tilting with the spear. The field above Jeistings'-haugh bore the 

 name of Forster's Buss, from a tradition that Forster, an English- 

 man, was killed there in single combat by one of the Scottish 

 Borderers. The rising ground on which the onstead of Nether 

 Bonchester stands is the Eae-know, said to signify the Battle- 

 knowe. From the public road opposite the onstead there is a 

 fine echo ; words being repeated with great distinctness and 

 rapidity. 



In the predatory life of freebooting times, the Turnbulls of 

 Bonchester sustained a conspicuous part. In 1502, Peter Turn- 

 bull of Bonchester produced a remission at the Justice Ayre for 

 "airt and pairt of the crewel slaughter of James Eutherford, at 

 the Kirk of Hawick ; item, for airt and pairt of the burning of 

 Barnhills, and also of twelve score bolls of oats, and six score 

 bolls of bere, and sixty bolls of wheat perteining to George 

 Eutherford of Langnewton ; item, for airt and pairt of the here- 

 shipe of 25 oxen, 27 cows, and 15 young nowte, and also 60 

 sheippe." From this account, George Eutherford must have 

 been a landed gentleman, for that period of considerable wealth, 

 the whole of which was ruthlessly destroyed and stolen. We find 

 also Peter Turnbull accused of " airt and pairt of houses and 

 other goods to the value of £20 at the time of the burning of 

 Barnhills, peiteining to the said Eutherford." Turnbull was 

 also indicted for '• the stealing of oxen, cows, horses and mares, 

 furth of the place of Cayms (Minto Karnes), in company with 

 King's rebels— Turnbulls at the horn. Item, for the treasonable 

 in bringing of the English to the hereshippe of March-Cleugh, 

 and stouthreiff of 4 horses from Eobert Lauder, and for takeing 

 of the said Eobert against his will, and keeping him in Bewcastle 



