130 The Pre-Reformation Churches of Berwickshire. 



ascertained, but the living is rated in the ancient taxatio at 24 

 merks, and the name of "Robertus de Eamsaye, parsona de 

 Fulden " appears in the list of Berwickshire clergy who swore 

 allegiance to Edward I. in 1296. The priory of Abbey St 

 Bathans held lands within the parish ; for in 1423-4 we find a 

 dispute regarding them between the prioress of that convent and 

 Eoger Golin, parson of Foulden, submitted to the arbitration of 

 the prior of Coldingham. They apppar subsequently to liave 

 fallen into the hands of the monks of Dryburgh Abbey, in whose 

 Eent Eolls the "Nunlands" of Fo^^Iden are repeatedly men- 

 tioned. To this day a farm in the parish bears the name of 

 Nunlands. The Eamsays of Dalhousie held for several centuries 

 the lands and barony of Foulden, to which the advowsoa of tiie 

 church was, presumably, always attactied ; and the tombstone of 

 George Eamsay, one of that family, who diod in 1592, 

 bearing a quaint inscription which has been often quoted, 

 is preserved in the churchyard.*' In 1 -587, the church of Foulden 

 was the scene of a conference between the commissioners of Queen 

 Elizabeth and those of James YI., relative to the execution of 

 Mary, Queen of Scots. It was rebuilt in 1786, probably, in part, 

 on the ancient foundations. Its present external dimensions are : 



Length, - - - 58 feet. 



Width, - - . 26 feet. 



Lying in the burying-ground close to the south wall of the 

 church, is the basin of an old baptismal font. It is octagonal in 

 form, with a slightly projecting half-round moulding at each of 

 the angles, and is 27 inches in diameter; the bowl being 16 

 inches wide by 7 inches in depth, and having a small aperture in 

 the bottom. It was brought from Nunlands about 19 years 

 ago ; and the fact would seem to indicate the existence there, in 

 mediaeval times, of a religious house, of which no record has 

 been found, and which even tradition has forgotten. 



GORDON. 



The Church of St Michael, Gordon, belonged to the Abbey 

 of Kelso. About the middle of the 12th century, Eichard de 

 Gordun endowed it with a liberal gift of land near his " viU. " of 



* Carr's History of Coldingham Priory, pp. 158, 159 and 160, and author- 

 ities there cited. 



