322 JOHN DE UAYNTON 



throne. The excitement on the Border, where Edward III. 

 had endeavoured to keep faith with David Bruce, naturally 

 became intense. Thomas Gray, the younger, and his men 

 pounced down like true banditti on John de Reyntoun, a 

 rich bui-gess of Berwick, at Holburn, and carried him off 

 to unknown places till he had paid a considerable part of 

 the ransom demanded, and had left his sons prisoners at 

 Norham as hostages for the rest." 



The capture of de Raynton seems to have taken place 

 some time before the battle of Halidon Hill, 25th July 

 1333. 



John de Raynton's name appears as a freq^uent witness 

 in the Coldingham Charters, in Raine's "North Durham," 

 both officially as Mayor of Berwick, and as an individual. 

 His seal, according to Raine, bears "a chevron between 

 three cii'cular buckles." A further examination of Mr 

 Campbell-Renton's papers and other Border collections may 

 reveal further incidents in the stirring career of this Border 

 notable. In conclusion, it is pleasing to record that the 

 broad lands of Lamberton, John de Raynton's earliest 

 possession, and the later acquisition of one of his descendants 

 in comparatively recent times, the estate of Mordington, 

 still remain, and, it is hoped, will long remain, in possession 

 of the Renton family, one of the oldest in the Eastern 

 Borders of Scotland. 



