Anniversary Address. 17 



The Tweed had here been the boundary between the two 

 Archdioceses of St. Andrews and Glasgow. When Episcopacy 

 was revived in 1610, the Presbyteries which were subject to the 

 Provincial, (now Diocesan Synods), had, in some cases, to be 

 re-organized. Kelso Presbytery, having been constructed from 

 patches taken from two dioceses, had to be divided again, and 

 the bits returned to their former ordinaries. Kelso Parish is 

 an apparent exception as being north of the Tweed. But it 

 was originally a mere over-the-water suburb of the vanished 

 city of' Roxburgh. As a mitred Abbacy it was in a great 

 measure independent of both sees, and it represented, after the 

 Reformation, three parishes, Kelso, Maxwell, and St. James' of 

 Roxburgh — two of them belonging to Glasgow. The Records 

 of the Presbytery are wanting for some months after the 

 changes of 1638; but when they begin again, the country 

 parishes north of the Tweed are re-annexed to their former 

 centre — Kelso. The first evidence of this, as to Stichill, is that 

 at an Ordination at Yetholm, 23rd April 1639, among the 

 absentees "of our own number," is Mr David Courtie, the 

 then minister of Stichill. At a visitation of the Parish by the 

 Presbytery in 1641, the Laird of Stichill pleads that the Parish 

 may be again removed to Ersiltoun Presbytery, but in vain. 



There is nothing of national interest in tbe history of the 

 parish. Like many places in the Borders, it was the centre of 

 a lively district. It was near the highway to England, within 

 striking distance of the Castles of Roxburgh and Hume. 



In the list of the followers of Baliol, whose submission to 

 Edward I. in 1296 is recorded in the Ragman's Roll,'® occurs 

 the name of Robert de StichhuUe or Stychehull, as it is 

 reprinted under 28th August of that year.'" 



In an account by John, (son of Henry IV.), who was Warden 

 of the East Marches, and Governor of the Castle and Town of 

 Berwick, for 200 men-at-arms and 400 archers, from 13th 

 August 1403 to 12th November 1404, all a time of war, occur 

 the names of two Scotchmen from our own district, of William 

 Sticheliille and Thomas Hassynden, probably from the farm 

 place of that name which touches the east of Stichill.®- 



There was an evasion of justice by certain Borderers who 



'« Cal. Sc. Doc, Vol. n., p. 207. 



7'J Do. do. p. 152. 



80 Do. Vol. IV., p. 140, No. 669, 

 D 



