256 Anniversary Address. 



Selkirkshire is happy in having an historian who was 

 able and ready to enrol her past among the volumes of 

 standard literature, and hand down to future generations 

 those interesting memorials of other days, which the 

 investigations and labours of the present generation have 

 so wonderfully brought to light, and who has gracefully 

 acknowledged the B.N.C, as one among the many sources 

 from which he derived his information. 



But up to the present time Berwickshire has not found 

 among her sons any one ambitious enough to record her 

 History — a History of surpassing interest, a work that 

 would well reward the labour it would exact. The ancient 

 Abbeys of Coldingham, Dry burgh, Abbey St. Bathans, 

 Coldstream, Lennel, Eccles, are surely worthy of the pen of 

 an accomplished author. The old Castles of Lauder, Hume, 

 Cockburnspath, Fast Castle, Cranshaws, Duns, Edrington, 

 Ayton, Bunkle, Billie, Blanerne, Greenknow'e, Sandyknowe, 

 and others, have notable tales to tell ; and were attention 

 drawn to the crumbling walls, to the rapidly vanishing 

 remains of some of them, efforts would beyond all doubt be 

 made to preserve from further ruin and decay, these 

 interesting monuments of Scottish valour and independence. 



The great families of Dunbar, Cockburn, Gordon, Home, 

 Maitland, Baillie, Swinton, Spottiswood, Lumsdaine, Edgar, 

 and others, have illustrious records to produce ; and the 

 changes agricultural improvement and social progress have 

 effected, are well worthy of notice. 



A foundation has been already laid by this Club, and 

 materials are ready at hand to assist in such an enterprize. 

 For what I have already pointed out as so valuable for 

 County History, Notices of People and Places, Historic 

 remains, the gleanings in the field of Nature, have been 

 largely contributed by residents in Berwickshire. 



In the volume just coming out, containing our Proceedings 

 of last year, a Paper will be found on the Pre-Reformation 

 Churches of Berwickshire, that of itself would be no mean 

 contribution to such a work ; and the fund of information in 



