136 Meller stain and the Haitlies thereof. 



4. — Clerkland, Clerkisland, Clerkleys, Clerkscroft, 

 This appertains to the land in Hassington, parish of Ecclea, 

 formerly the inheritance of Matilda, the mother of Sir Bobort de 

 Mnschamp, baron of Wooler. (See Club's Hist., viii., p. 483 and note.) 

 "Clerklies" is entered in Font's Map of Mercia as " Clarkland," and 

 situated near Lambden ; and likewise appears in Armstrong's Map of 

 Berwickshire, 1771. Dr Lithgow kindly furnishes the following 

 particulars of the lease to Patrick Haitlye. 



A.D. 1529, 8th April. 

 "Lease by Andrew (Durie) Abbot of Melrose, with consent of his 

 convent, to ' Patrick Kaitlye and to his heirs and assignees quhat- 

 samever, quhilkis beand of na greter degre na hymeself, all and hail 

 our landis callit the Clerkland, exceppand ane croft lying in the 

 towne of Assintowne, ijs of mail, the quhilk Patrick Brownefield hes 

 in tak' all lying in the Merse, for 19 years, at a yearly rent of 18s." 



1589, 22nd July. 



" Precept of Clare constat by James (Douglas) Abbot of Melrose, 

 for infefting Patrick Haitly as heir of his father, Patrick Haitly, in 

 the 18s. lands of Clerkleys, bounded as described." — Historical 

 Manuscript Com., 14th Report, Part iii., page 68. 



Mr Ferguson also communicates. " I find in the ' Liber de Melros,' 

 Vol. II., No. 526," " The fynal decrete of Bar's land be assise of 

 richt" (by Patrick of Dunbar, in a dispute between the Monks of 

 Melrose and Walter Haliburton, Lord of Dirleton, in 1431) the following 

 reference to the same lands, "The assise rade to Pitlishugh incontinent 

 and laid fra it all the land fra the Cambis [Kames]* westwart, and 

 syne thai decretit, and laid to the forsaid Bar's land first 16 akir 

 north fra the Castell sike next lying to the two oxgang of land 

 callit the Clerkisland." 



* " On the farm of Hassington Mains there is a broad elevation, which 

 is raised several feet above the surrounding surface, and can be distinctly 

 observed for some hundred yards. It is called the Kames by the people 

 in the neighbourhood, who have a traditionary opinion that it extends 

 from sea to sea. A gravelly ridge, of which this seems to be the western 

 termination, can be traced running through the parish by Loanknow 

 and Ploughland. It was opened some years ago, and found to consist 

 of large water-worn stones and sand, compactly thrown together, so as to 

 form a kind of fortification, and at one place a heap of wood ashes was 

 discovered. The adjoining farm on the south is called the Kaimflat. 

 The production of this ridge, of which there is a similar example in the 

 neighbouring parish of Greenlaw, can be satisfactorily accounted for 

 Hpon the supposition that an aqueous current had at some period existed, 

 setting in fiom the north towards the south, as the stones found in it 

 were greywacke, and therefore derived from the Lammermoor hills." — 

 Dr R. D. Thomson, Statistical Account of Berwickshire (Parish of Eccles) 

 p. 58. 



