JOHN DE RAYNTON 321 



Raynton. In 1330, the customs are paid at Clacmauane, 

 22nd June 1330, by David de Kynbridgham and Colin de 

 Maire, as attorneys for de Loudonia and de Eaynton ; and 

 Johannes de E-aynton and Hugo de Upsetlington accounted 

 to the Exchequer at Berwick, when de Raynton received a 

 grant from the Aberdeen Revenues, for what purpose, whether 

 public or private, is not stated. The account was, in 1331 

 and 1332, rendered at Scone by the same collectors, de 

 Raynton being absent in 1332 for some cause. In 1327, 

 Berwick paid £266 13s. 4d., the highest feu-farm rent to 

 the Exchequer of any burgh, Aberdeen coming next with 

 £213 6s. 8d., and Edinburgh a long way down the list with 

 £34 18s. 8d. ; and in the same year the customs of Berwick 

 were also the highest, viz , £673 Os. 2|d. ; Edinburgh, £439 

 38. 9d. ; Aberdeen, £349 10s. 4d. ; Ayr and Stirling ending 

 the list with £3 . 4s. and £2 lis. 8d., respectively. These 

 sums clearly show the great importance of the office held 

 by de Raynton and his colleagues, and how welcome they, 

 or their attorneys, would be when they put in their annual 

 appearance at the table of the Exchequer. 



References to Berwick in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls 

 cease in 1332, as the battL^ of Halidon Hill (fought on 25th 

 July 1333) closed the very prosperous history of the grand 

 old Border town as the commercial capital of Scotland.* 



The following graphic extract from Bates' " History of 

 Northumberland," p. 168, conveys further evidence of the 

 high position on the Borders of John de Raynton: — 



" It proved in the end impossible to reinstate all the 

 English lords in their hereditary estates in Scotland. Conse- 

 quently Henry de Beaumont and others fitted out a private 

 expedition, which, invading Scotland by sea, proved so 

 unexpectedly successful as to place Edward Balliol on the 



* See " The Scot Abroad," by John Hill-Bnrton, p. 83, Ed. 1881, 

 where it is stated : " Not a long period had passed since Berwick- 

 upon-Tweed, the capital, took rank with Ghent, Rotterdam, and the 

 other great cities of the low countries, and was almost the rival of 

 London in mercantile enterprise." 



