Report of Meetings for ISn. By Dr J. Hardy. 301 



Beyond the pasture fields that opened out here, were several 

 gi-oups of trees growing in free space, with a luxuriant stretch 

 of branches. 



Ladykirk village was also visited. Gourds were trained up in 

 front of the pretty cottages. The manse garden was ornament- 

 ally laid out. The Eev. Mr Dobie exhibited several cannon 

 balls ; some of the smaller had been fired from blunderbusses ; 

 others of stone were relics of the game of Bowling, described 

 in the Club's Hist., vol. ii., pp. 51-68, which had been once 

 prevalent on both sides of the Border here. It was very keenly 

 pursued on the Norham roads, till a man was killed by a 

 bullet ; and a Coroner's inquest being held, the game was black- 

 balled. Specimens of the stone-bullets are still preserved at 

 Norham. The pits on the free-stone wall of Ladykirk church 

 have been attributed to the structure of the stones when 

 weathered, rath(-r than to stray missiles from the artillery of 

 Norham Castle. The circular beech-groves on hillocks in the 

 pastures to the east of Upsetlington, supposed to indicate the 

 site of the old church, or some other forgotten monastic 

 settlement, were only seen at a distance. The foundations of 

 old Upsetlington village, behind the present range of buildings 

 near the public road, are still very obvious. The old mansion 

 house of Upsetlington, with an outer stair to it, and muUioned 

 windows, is still preserved. The "Fair-field" is known. 

 Ladykirk fair was held on the 5th April (25th March old style), 

 for the sale of home-made cloth, linen and woollen, lint seed, 

 cabbage plants, crockery, etc. People still recollect it. 



A notable Berwickshire man, David Dudgeon, the precursor, 

 and even contemporary of David Hume, died at Upsetlington. 

 [A notice of him by Mr John Williamson, Duns, is given in 

 Appendix B.] The Rev. George Ridpath, afterwards minister of 

 Stichell, the author of a valuable work, " Border History," was 

 born in Ladykirk Manse in 1716, and died at Stichell, 1772. 

 His brother Philip, afterwards minister of Hutton, was also 

 born here, 1720, and died in 1788. He edited and completed 

 his brother's book, and translated Boetliius's Consolations of 

 Philosophy. Of this I have a copy. William, a third brother, 

 was minister of Edrom. These men, inclusive of Dudgeon, 

 belonged to a school of litterateurs, now little in vogue, but are 

 worthy of remembrance. Whether Mr George Hogarth, born 

 1783, died 1870, author of the "History of Music," was born 



iM 



