58 REPOUT OF THE MEETINGS FOR 1899 



stall, as often before. Alas ! it did not know its owner in 

 his hateful unwonted garment. It gored him to death, and 

 from that day (date not known) this much-loved home was 

 deserted, and the family migrated to Nenthorn, where ' no 

 strife should rage, nor hostile feuds disturb their peaceful 

 years.' As an instance how striking events are retained in 

 memorial perpetuity, I found on coming to Maxton, some 

 35 years ago, that the village children used to scare each 

 other in the gloaming by crying out, ' There's the Little- 

 dean bull,' and on enquiry I was told the tradition I have 

 related. 



" The last of the race of the Kers was the gallant old 

 general who contested the dukedom of Roxburghe and the 

 estates so fatally in 1812. Dear, kind-hearted, headstrong 

 soul! He refused the offer of £100,000 for his chance, and 

 even declined the proposal that the successful claimant should 

 pay his rival's expenses. The suit was tried in the House 

 of Lords, and by the casting vote of the Chancellor it 

 resulted in favour of the present family. The general died 

 in 1833, and sleeps among his forbears in a vault in Maxton 

 Churchyard — a worn-out, heart-broken, fine old soldier. We 

 shall see his memorial tablet if we visit the church, placed 

 there by revering, distant relatives a few years ago." 



After Mr Graham had read his paper, the Secretary recited 

 a curious legend connected with the Tower, taken from 

 Henderson's " Folk Lore of the Northern Counties." It 

 was to the effect that the Tower was at one time haunted 

 by the spirit of an old lady — once its mistress — who had 

 amassed so much money by extortion that she could not 

 rest in her grave. Ultimately she appeared to a servant of 

 her successor, to whom she revealed its hiding place, and 

 directed that it should be divided between the laird and his 

 famil}', the servant, and the parishioners of Maxton. 



A full account of Littledean Tower, with views of the 

 structure in its present ruined state, will be found in 

 McGibbon & Ross's " Domestic and Castellated Architecture 

 of Scotland," Vol. iii., p. 351. 



From this point the party drove back direct to Newtown, 

 time not permitting a visit to Maxton Parish Church, which 



