Hudshouse Tower (4 of 4)
Andy Warhol said (to quote him exactly) that "In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes." Scottish castles have mostly had their 15 minutes of fame too! Excitement came to Hudshouse in 1745.
When Bonnie Prince Charlie left Edinburgh on October 31st with his Jacobite army, intent on marching to London to recover the crown that was rightfully his father's, he used a stratagem! On the advice of Lord George Murray, his most capable military commander, he made as if to march down the east coast, where General Wade awaited him in Newcastle, but then disappeared into the hills, passing through Jedburgh and across into the Liddesdale, by way of the Note O' the Gate - the way I just came too. A description still survives of their progress down Liddesdale. One of the things I find interesting about it is that descriptions of the Uprising written by those with Jacobite sympathies tend to paint a picture of 'the noble Highlander', while Hanoverian writers describe the Highlanders as uncontrollable marauding bandits!
In 1745 the rebel army passed down the valley of Liddel. The army entered Liddisdale by the Knote of the Gate at the head of the river, on its march from Jedburgh. Robert Jardine, a shepherd who was tending his flock on the sources of the river, described the Highlanders as marching without any order as they came in sight in the weather gleam, spreading themselves over the vale, carrying off sheep and cattle, attacking and robbing every unfortunate countryman that fell in their way. Three of them seized Jardine with the intention of robbing him, but fortunately for him, he had a very small sum on his person, and even that he contrived to conceal.
At Hudhouse they stole some sheep, and boiled them in an iron pot used for containing tar for buisting sheep. One of their number died from the effects of the tar, and a sum of money was given to Kingan Armstrong, the shepherd, for linen to bury him in. After the army left, Kingan gave the body decent burial, and the place is still known as the "Hielandmans Grave."
(Buisting is marking sheep for identification. Done with dye these days, but with a mix containing tar back then!)
On the first night of their arrival, the greater body, along with their unfortunate Prince, slept at Larriston, where their presence caused no small alarm among the natives, by this time long disused to the alarms of war. Mr Oliver, the resident there, not wishing to meet the Prince, went to Willoughbog, leaving his wife and son, the father of the present Sheriff of Roxburghshire, to receive the rebel leader. Mrs Oliver was possessed of great courage and prudence, and, making a merit of necessity, entertained the Prince and his men with good cheer.
While the Prince remained at the house, the greater part of his men lay during the night encamped on the greenrig between Riccarton and Riccarton Mill in the open air, wrapt in their plaids. The celebrated " fighting" Charlie Scott of Kirndean was employed by the Highlanders to assist them in killing the sheep and cattle which he had brought them for sale, and, on his leaving, they bestowed on him a guinea for his work. This sum tempted the avarice of some of the men who saw him receive it, and they accordingly gave chase and seized him. They held a large horse-pistol to his breast, and called on him to deliver up his money. The dauntless heart of Charlie quailed at the sight of the pistol (at fisty-cuffs he would have been more than a match for them), and reluctantly yielded up his gold.
A party attacked a man of the name of Armstrong of Whithaugh Mill, but with him they met a different reception. This descendant of the freebooters despised their threats, knocked the pistol out of the hands of the party who pointed it at him, and carried it home, where long after it was shown as a relic of the "rebellion" and a trophy of the prowess of its possessor.
The hangings of the bed in which the Pretender slept at Larriston were lately in the possession of an old woman, Jardine, whose family lived there at that time.
Neither maps (old or new) nor the internet give any indication as to the location of the "Hielandmans Grave."
Hudshouse Tower (4 of 4)
Andy Warhol said (to quote him exactly) that "In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes." Scottish castles have mostly had their 15 minutes of fame too! Excitement came to Hudshouse in 1745.
When Bonnie Prince Charlie left Edinburgh on October 31st with his Jacobite army, intent on marching to London to recover the crown that was rightfully his father's, he used a stratagem! On the advice of Lord George Murray, his most capable military commander, he made as if to march down the east coast, where General Wade awaited him in Newcastle, but then disappeared into the hills, passing through Jedburgh and across into the Liddesdale, by way of the Note O' the Gate - the way I just came too. A description still survives of their progress down Liddesdale. One of the things I find interesting about it is that descriptions of the Uprising written by those with Jacobite sympathies tend to paint a picture of 'the noble Highlander', while Hanoverian writers describe the Highlanders as uncontrollable marauding bandits!
In 1745 the rebel army passed down the valley of Liddel. The army entered Liddisdale by the Knote of the Gate at the head of the river, on its march from Jedburgh. Robert Jardine, a shepherd who was tending his flock on the sources of the river, described the Highlanders as marching without any order as they came in sight in the weather gleam, spreading themselves over the vale, carrying off sheep and cattle, attacking and robbing every unfortunate countryman that fell in their way. Three of them seized Jardine with the intention of robbing him, but fortunately for him, he had a very small sum on his person, and even that he contrived to conceal.
At Hudhouse they stole some sheep, and boiled them in an iron pot used for containing tar for buisting sheep. One of their number died from the effects of the tar, and a sum of money was given to Kingan Armstrong, the shepherd, for linen to bury him in. After the army left, Kingan gave the body decent burial, and the place is still known as the "Hielandmans Grave."
(Buisting is marking sheep for identification. Done with dye these days, but with a mix containing tar back then!)
On the first night of their arrival, the greater body, along with their unfortunate Prince, slept at Larriston, where their presence caused no small alarm among the natives, by this time long disused to the alarms of war. Mr Oliver, the resident there, not wishing to meet the Prince, went to Willoughbog, leaving his wife and son, the father of the present Sheriff of Roxburghshire, to receive the rebel leader. Mrs Oliver was possessed of great courage and prudence, and, making a merit of necessity, entertained the Prince and his men with good cheer.
While the Prince remained at the house, the greater part of his men lay during the night encamped on the greenrig between Riccarton and Riccarton Mill in the open air, wrapt in their plaids. The celebrated " fighting" Charlie Scott of Kirndean was employed by the Highlanders to assist them in killing the sheep and cattle which he had brought them for sale, and, on his leaving, they bestowed on him a guinea for his work. This sum tempted the avarice of some of the men who saw him receive it, and they accordingly gave chase and seized him. They held a large horse-pistol to his breast, and called on him to deliver up his money. The dauntless heart of Charlie quailed at the sight of the pistol (at fisty-cuffs he would have been more than a match for them), and reluctantly yielded up his gold.
A party attacked a man of the name of Armstrong of Whithaugh Mill, but with him they met a different reception. This descendant of the freebooters despised their threats, knocked the pistol out of the hands of the party who pointed it at him, and carried it home, where long after it was shown as a relic of the "rebellion" and a trophy of the prowess of its possessor.
The hangings of the bed in which the Pretender slept at Larriston were lately in the possession of an old woman, Jardine, whose family lived there at that time.
Neither maps (old or new) nor the internet give any indication as to the location of the "Hielandmans Grave."