Ladykirk Parish. By Rev. William Dobie. 371 



with the drainage of the pasture land around, the waters of the 

 so-called Holy Wells, find their way into Tweed at the Eougli- 

 stone or West ford Fishing. Leaving the Wells, with a linger- 

 ing look at the old and twisted willows fast hastening to decay, 

 we ascend the gentle slope, and gain the platform, and here on 

 a site panoramic stood for many centuries the Rectoria de 

 Upsetlington, or as it is written in the Tax Roll of Saint Andrew's, 

 *' Saint Mary's Church of Upsetlington." About half-way down 

 the declivity to the lip of Tweed lies the only remnant of the 

 Rectory — a block of stone, squarish, weather-worn — fit memorial 

 of the to kuriakon, i.e. the something that belonged to the 

 Master; now prostrate but enduring still. In the year 1296, 

 Henry de Strivelin, parson or rector of Upsetlington, swore 

 fealty to Edward I. at Berwick, and in return had a restitution 

 of all his parochial rights: in 1327 Abraham Chrichton was 

 rector, but in these troublous times we liear very little of the 

 church and clergy. In the Taxation Roll <jf Priory of Saint 

 Andrews, the Rectory of Upsetlington is rated at twenty merks. 

 Chalmers says the tenth of this Rectory was valued in Bagimont's 

 Roll at £4. In Bayaraund's Collection Roll we find "Rector 

 ecclesie de Hupseclington 30 sol. In the Papal Taxation Roll 

 the Verus Valor is £21 18s. 2d., and the tenth 43s. 9d. ob. qt. 

 The advowson seems to have been attached to the manor in* 

 times prior to the Reformation. 



It is evident, from Raine's History, that a portion of Upset- 

 lington was long considered to be part and parcel of Norhamshire 

 ecclesiastically, and in the Boldon Buke it is valued at 40 shil- 

 lings ; while in the year 1 1 93 a Galfred de Hupsetintona testifies 

 for Upsetlington being an appointment oi his Castle of Norliam. 

 In 1331 there existed controversies with Beaumont, Bishop of 

 Durham, who claimed ecclesiastical jurisdiction over West 

 Upsetlington ; and we find Edward III. of England warning 

 David IT. of Scotland (who was crowned at Scone only in 1331) 

 de episcopo Dunelrnensi non inquietando. The warning was un- 

 heeded ; the Scots seem to have taken the question of right into 

 their own hands, for we find a Prior Wnssinj^ton giving as one 

 of his reasons for the smallness of the Collection in 1420, " that 

 for the last 68 years nothing had been received from the churches 

 in Scotland — the Scots not permitting it." In 1468-9 collection, 

 the entry is " no rents received. Upsetlington paid nothing," 



