Cowdenknowes (7)
Prior to his involvement in the War of the Rough Wooing, Sir John Home of Cowdenknowes became embroiled in the feud between the Kerrs and the Scotts. This feud arose when James V, attempting to escape from the supervision of the Earl of Angus, enlisted the help of the Scotts of Buccleuch. They, with 600 men from Liddesdale and Annandale, attacked the royal train near Melrose. Their attempt to liberate the king failed and Kerr of Cessford was killed during the attack. Twenty-six years later, in 1552, the Kerrs had their revenge when a group of Kerr supporters waylaid Scott of Buccleuch in the High Street of Edinburgh, Buccleuch being slain by - Sir John Home of Cowdenknowes.
Following the death of Sir John Home in 1573 Cowdenknowes was inherited by his eldest son, Sir James Home of Synlaws. He was clearly a man of parts, being appointed Warden of the East March (1573); a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James VI (1580); Baillie of the Earldom of the March, and a Privy Councilor. During the Earl of Arran’s regime, Sir James was imprisoned in Blackness Castle and ordered to give up the house and fortalice of Cowdenknowes, however on Arran’s fall, he was rewarded with the Captaincy of Edinburgh Castle.
Sir James Home greatly added to whatever work his father carried out, however only the ground floor of what he built survives, as the ground floor of the centre section of the current house as viewed from here - ie the section covered in wisteria and the wings to either side of it. This part of the house still retains 5 vaulted chambers - a sure sign that it dates back to the fortified era. There appear to have been two entrances, one in each of the wings. That in the wing to the left is surrounded by some nice stone carving and defended by a quatrefoil-shaped gunloop to the left (seen better in the previous photo). The other door was in the re-entrant of the right-hand tower and has a decorative panel above it with the initials S.I.H. in monogram for Sir James Home.
Above first floor level in the small wing to the right (east) of the main block, the walling is projected slightly on a course of corbelling, over which runs an inscription that reads:
"FEIR . GOD . FLEE . FROM . SYNNE . AND . MAK . FOR . YE . LYFE . EVERLASTING".
The ornate door was in the wing to the left (which is actually a stair-tower) has the initials S.I.H, and V.K.H. above it, for Sir James Home and his wife Katherine Home (V = U and stands for the Latin word uxorem, which translates into English as wife), daughter of John Home of Blackadder.
Sir James Home died in 1595.
Cowdenknowes (7)
Prior to his involvement in the War of the Rough Wooing, Sir John Home of Cowdenknowes became embroiled in the feud between the Kerrs and the Scotts. This feud arose when James V, attempting to escape from the supervision of the Earl of Angus, enlisted the help of the Scotts of Buccleuch. They, with 600 men from Liddesdale and Annandale, attacked the royal train near Melrose. Their attempt to liberate the king failed and Kerr of Cessford was killed during the attack. Twenty-six years later, in 1552, the Kerrs had their revenge when a group of Kerr supporters waylaid Scott of Buccleuch in the High Street of Edinburgh, Buccleuch being slain by - Sir John Home of Cowdenknowes.
Following the death of Sir John Home in 1573 Cowdenknowes was inherited by his eldest son, Sir James Home of Synlaws. He was clearly a man of parts, being appointed Warden of the East March (1573); a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James VI (1580); Baillie of the Earldom of the March, and a Privy Councilor. During the Earl of Arran’s regime, Sir James was imprisoned in Blackness Castle and ordered to give up the house and fortalice of Cowdenknowes, however on Arran’s fall, he was rewarded with the Captaincy of Edinburgh Castle.
Sir James Home greatly added to whatever work his father carried out, however only the ground floor of what he built survives, as the ground floor of the centre section of the current house as viewed from here - ie the section covered in wisteria and the wings to either side of it. This part of the house still retains 5 vaulted chambers - a sure sign that it dates back to the fortified era. There appear to have been two entrances, one in each of the wings. That in the wing to the left is surrounded by some nice stone carving and defended by a quatrefoil-shaped gunloop to the left (seen better in the previous photo). The other door was in the re-entrant of the right-hand tower and has a decorative panel above it with the initials S.I.H. in monogram for Sir James Home.
Above first floor level in the small wing to the right (east) of the main block, the walling is projected slightly on a course of corbelling, over which runs an inscription that reads:
"FEIR . GOD . FLEE . FROM . SYNNE . AND . MAK . FOR . YE . LYFE . EVERLASTING".
The ornate door was in the wing to the left (which is actually a stair-tower) has the initials S.I.H, and V.K.H. above it, for Sir James Home and his wife Katherine Home (V = U and stands for the Latin word uxorem, which translates into English as wife), daughter of John Home of Blackadder.
Sir James Home died in 1595.