276 REPORT OF THE MEETINGS FOR 1898 



death. In the following year the well-known treaty of 

 Birgham, which maintained the independence of Scotland, 

 was signed. Birgham belonged to the Dunbar family, and 

 when Lord George was deprived of his estates in 1400, 

 it was divided between the Earl Douglas, Sir Alexander 

 Hume, and Alexander Bruce. In time, through exchange 

 and otherwise, the Homes came to own most of it. 



The journey to Eccles was resumed, and on arriving at 

 the Church, the Kelso and Duns sections of the party were 

 met by Mr J. Lewis Greig of Eccles House, and the Eev. Mr 

 Johnston, minister of the parish. These gentlemen made 

 interesting statements regarding the parish and nunnery of 

 Eccles and the antiquities of the district, and the Eev. George 

 Gunn read a few brief notes on Eccles Church. The Nunnerj^, 

 it was explained, was founded about 1154 by the Earl and 

 Countess of March, and was dedicated to St. Mary. The 

 Church of Eccles was dedicated first to St. Cuthbert, and 

 afterwards, on being rebuilt subsequent to 1250, seemed to 

 have been re-dedicated to St. Andrew. With its three chapels 

 of Brigham, Mersin<^ton, and Leitholm, it was attached to 

 the nunnery. In 1296 Ada de Frazer, the prioress, obtained 

 a letter of restitution, in consequence of the homage of the 

 Scots to Edward I. ; and in 1333 one of his successors, Edward 

 III., received its fealty. In 1523 the convent was visited 

 by the Duke of Albany, on his hasty retreat from his 

 ineffectual siege of Wark Castle ; while Hereford, in 1545, 

 burnt it and the church, with the tower of Mersington. 



There was a lease, by Dame Marion Hamilton, the prioress, 

 to Alexander Hamilton, of the teinds of the four kirks, dated 

 1567, which was interesting froin the names of the seven sisters 

 who signed it, viz. — Marion Hamilton, Katherine Dickson, 

 Katherine Graden, Giles Palmer, Marion Douglas, Elizabeth 

 Schoriswood, and Marion Cranston. The names of three other 

 sisters who signed another lease in the following year were 

 Clara Napier, Janet Sinclair, and Agnes Hog. 



After 1500 there were for a time two rival prioresses — 

 Marion Hamilton, who was supported by the Crown, and 

 Elizabeth Hume, who had the territorial influence of her 

 great kinsman. Lord Home. 



