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THE

Scots Magazine,

AND

EDINBURGH LITERARY MISCELLANY,

FOR FEBRUARY 1809.

Historical Account of FERNIHIRST
CASTLE.

FERNIHIRST CASTLE was founded

about 1490, by Thomas Ker, a branch of the family of Ker, which made long a conspicuous figure in border history, as well as in the general history of Scotland. The Homes, Scotts, and Kerrs, took the lead in all the transactions of that part of the kingdom.

The Kerrs were an Anglo-Norman family*, which, there appears reason to suppose, was of great antiquity, both in England and Scotland. It is only from about the year 1330, however, that we receive a distinct genealogical account of them. At that period, Ralph Kerr settled in Scotland, and obtained possession of the lands lying between the water of Jed and the lands of Straserburgh. He called these by the name of Kershaugh, which continued for some time the chief title of his family. It split in time, however, into two branches; the Kerrs of Cessford, who afterwards rose to the title of Dukes of Rox

burgh; and the Kerrs of Fernihirst, who rose to those of Jedburgh, Lothian, and Ancrum.

It was about 1490, as we already noticed, that Thomas, eighth in descent from Ralph, founded the castle

Chalmers's Caledonia, Vol. I. p. 530.

of Fernihirst, which thenceforth gave name to that powerful branch of the Kerr family. This castle, situated near the border, the scene then of almost perpetual war, was subject to all the vicissitudes of such a situation.The disasters sustained by Scotland in the battle of Flodden, laid the border open to the incursions of the English. In 1523, the Earl of Surry, with Dorset and Dacres, entered Scotland, and marched to Jedburgh, which he took after an obstinate resistance.

He then detached the Lord Dacres to

Fernihirst, who reduced that castle,
and made prisoners of Sir Andrew
Kerr, and the laird of Gradon. After
the arrival, however, of French auxi-
liaries, the Scots acquired the ascen-
dency, and took cruel revenge for
English depredation. Of this, the
castle of Fernihirst afforded a striking
example. The laird, with his retain
ers, assisted by a band of Frenchmen,
assaulted this fortress, The English
archers (we copy the account of Mr
Scott, Border Minstrelsy, I. xxx.)
showered their arrows down the steep
ascent leading to the castle, and from
the outer wall, by which it was sur-
rounded. A vigorous escalade, how-
ever, gained the base court, and the
sharp fire of the French arquebusiers
drove the bowmen into the square,
keep, or dungeon, of the fortress.-
Here the English defended themselves,
till a breach in the wall was made by

mining.

mining. Through this hole the commandant crept forth; and surrendering himself to De la Mothe Rouge, implored protection from the vengeance of the borderers. But a Scottish marchman, eyeing in the captive the ravisher of his wife, approached him ere the French officer could guess his intention, and, at one blow, carried his head four paces from the trunk. Above a hundred Scots rushed to wash their hands in the blood of their oppressor, bandied about the severed head, and expressed their joy in such shouts as if they had stormed the city of London. The prisoners who fell into their merciless hands were put to death, after their eyes had been torn out; the victors contending who should display the greatest address in severing their legs and arms before inflicting a mortal wound. When their own prisoners were slain, the Scottish, with an inextinguishable thirst for blood, purchased those of the French; parting willingly with their very arms, in exchange for an English captive.'

The laird of Fernihirst was one of the leaders in the engagement at Halidon, in 1526, between the Scotts, headed by Scott of Buccleugh on one side, and the Homes and Kerrs on the other; the latter being headed by Lord Home, and the Barons of Cessford and Fernihirst. It was in the cause of Angus, who then held King James V. in a state of pupilage, and to whom the Homes and Kerrs strongly attached themselves. Buccleugh was routed; but Kerr of Cessford being slain in the pursuit, a deadly feud thence arose between the Scotts and Kerrs. Afterwards, in 1528, when James emancipated himself from the power of Angus, the Homes and Kerrs still adhered to that nobleman, and prevented his enemies from penetrating into Berwickshire, by defending

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of Pease *.

* Border Minstrelsy, I. 1620.

This feud, however, did not prevent them from uniting their forces in making plundering incursions into England. Buccleugh, Cessford, and Ferniherst, were jointly complained of on this ground by the English Court. In 1533, they revenged an inroad of the English by another most destructive one into Northumberland.

In 1544, the English made new incursions. The Tyndale and Ridsdale men burnt Bedrúle. On their return, they met the laird of Fernihirst and his son John, whom they defeated, and made prisoners. It would appear that, probably on condition of receiving their liberty, they had gone over to the side of the English; for a little after, we find, that "Robert Carr, Fernihirst's son, and other Scotsmen, who are in assurance, to the number of 600 horsemen, took Eyldon and Newbrough, and brought away 600 nolt, besides shepe and naggs +." Another dispatch, regarding a similar exploit, is said to be from the laird of Fernihirst.

After the flight of Mary into England, many border chieftains, with a romantic gallantry, espoused her cause. Buccleugh, and Sir Andrew Kerr of Fernihirst, were at their head; but, notwithstanding the power of these chieftains, the address of the Earl of Morton prevailed in establishing the authority of the King, even in their own district. Fernihirst, however, continued an intrepid defender of her cause, and thus incurred the utmost resentment of Elizabeth, who found means to accomplish her revenge.--Some outrages having been committed by the Scots at a border meeting, Elizabeth accused Arran and Ternihirst and demanded that they should be delivered up to her. No proof was adduced of the charge; and James therefore refused to comply with the full demand of Elizabeth: yet intimi.

dated

+ Haynes's State Papers, p. 50.

dated by her power, he put them both into confinement. Fernihirst was sent to Aberdeen, where this gallant and loyal chief died unworthily in prison*. The fidelity of Sir Andrew seems to have recommended his son to James VI., who made him one of the gentlemen of the bed-chamber, and created him a peer, by the title of Lord Jedburgh. Robert, third Lord Jedburgh, dying without issue, left his estate an honours to William Lord Newbottle, son to Robert, then Earl, afterwards Marquis of Lothian, to whom he was related by marriage.This title afterwards came to William Ker, son to Sir Kobert Ker of Ancrum, a descendant of a younger branch of the Fernihirst family +.

Fernihirst still continues to be a principal seat of the family of Lothian.

Monthly Memoranda in Natural His

tory.

Jan. 26. 1809. THE intensity of the cold (some particulars of which were given in last month's Memoranda) began this day to abate. Snow fell copiously, drifting in some places to the depth of many feet. The ice on the lakes in this neighbourhood has been observed to be from 18 to 22 inches thick.

27.

In the morning the mercury rose 15 degrees above the freezing point and a breeze springing up from the S. W., the snow began to disappear rapidly.

29. Squalls from S. W. ac,companied with heavy showers of rain, have produced so rapid a solution of the immense quantity of snow which covered the high grounds, that all the meadows are flooded, and the level parts of the country around Edinburgh appear as if spotted with

numerous small lakes.

(By accounts from London it ap

* Ridpath's Border History.
+ Douglas's Peerage.

pears that the sudden thaw at this time produced great devastation about Deptford, and other places on the Thames. Windsor was completely insulated: the Duke of York had to sail through the streets of Eton in a boat to visit the King at Windsor Castle. In the West of England, about Bath especially, the inundation was complete, and attended with some disastrous consequences. In Scotland the damage has not been considerable. The new bridge over the Yarrow near Selkirk was swept away.)

Feb. 3. In our last we mentioned, that shocks of an earthquake had been felt all along the baze of the Ochils on the 18th January. We have now to add, that on the last day of January and the first of February, similar shocks were experienced in the West Highlands, and were particularly evident at Arisaig and Moidart.

P. S.-The gentleman at St. Andrews who lately favoured the writer of this article (by post) with the description of a marine animal found in the belly of a cod, is respectfully informed, that, owing chiefly, no doubt, to the half-dissolved state of the specimen, the account was too imperfect to enable him to ascertain with accuracy even the genus to which the creature should be referred. He is inclined to suspect that some mutilated fragments had assumed the indistinct appearance of fins and tail, and had thus produced ambiguity. In this case, the animal might be nothing else than the Aphrodita aculeata, which is remarkable for being ornamented with several fasciculi of iridescent spines. This animal is known to many of the fishermen on our coasts by the name of Sea Mouse, and it has several times been found in the stomach of the cod-fish.--He shall be happy to hear again from his correspondent at St Andrew's: And he takes this opportunity of mentioning, that where the specimen is not of large size, and where gentlemen have

no

no particular wish to preserve it, it is exceedingly desirable that the ipsum corpus should be transmitted (by stagecoach or carrier) at the same time that the account is sent by post. Edinr. 23d Feb. 1808.

Memoirs of the Life of the late SIR JOHN MOORE, K. B. Commander in Chief of the BRITISH FORCES in

SPAIN.

and stimulated his countrymen to rival his glorious example.

Sir John Moore was born at Glasgow, about the year 1762. He was the eldest son of Dr John Moore, the N. celebrated author of the "View of Society and Manners in France, &c." and of Simpson, daughter of the late Dr Simpson, professor of divinity in the university of Glasgow. Nature had bestowed upon him talents of a high order, and these had experienced ample cultivation from a parent, no less distinguished for his taste as a man of letters, than as an affectionate and indulgent father. In a situation so favourable for improvement, his progress was commensurate with the ad

In the field of proud honour, with our swords in our hands,

.

Our King and our country to save, While Victory shines on life's last ebbing sands,

O! who would not die with the Brave!

BURNS.

IN the number of illustrious characters who have fallen in the service of their country, the subject of this memoir claims a distinguished rank.Scarcely had the tear dried which bedewed the grave of Pitt, of Fox, and of Nelson, when Britain has again to deplore the premature death of one of her most illustrious sons. After a life of the most meritorious and unremitting exertions in the cause of Britain; after signalizing himself in every quarter of the globe, he has closed his career by one of the most brilliant atchievements which has yet adorned the page of history, and which will justly transmit his name with applause to the latest posterity. To such a character, a tribute of respect is justly due; for while it recalls to remembrance the talents and the virtues of the illustrious dead, it awakens a kindred flame in the youthful bosom, to emulate the same noble example, and to seek for immortality in the same glorious career. The trophies, the obelisks, and the triumphal arches raised to perpetuate merit, are not so much honours paid to the dead, as forerunners of future greatness. The funeral oration delivered annually over the tomb of Leonidas, while it recalled the merits of the fallen hero, cherished the flame of genuine patriotism,

vantages he enjoyed; and after a few years spent at a public school in his native city, his education was completed under the immediate eye of his father, who paid the most unremitting attention in fostering and bringing to maturity the opening genius of his son.

Dr Moore's reputation as a physician stood about this time so high, that he was appointed to attend James George Duke of Hamilton; and after the death of that nobleman, at the earnest solicitations of his relations, he undertook to travel with the late Duke, who seemed threatened with the same disease that had proved fatal. to his brother. In this interesting and amusing tour, he was accompanied by the subject of these memoirs, who had thus an excellent opportunity of acquiring most of the modern languages of Europe, which he afterwards spoke with uncommon facility. To one like Mr Moore, ardent in the pursuit of knowledge, and solicitous to improve, a tour of this nature was attended with the most important advantages. He had surveyed the principal countries of Europe, and examined their constitution, and civil and military estab lishments; his mind was enlarged by an extensive view of human society, by which he was enabled to lay the foundation of that extensive know

ledge

ledge, and general information, which was afterwards to conduct him to such celebrity.

As his inclination led him to the army for a profession, soon after his return from the Continent, he entered an Ensign in the 51st regiment of foot, and after passing through the intermediate gradations in two different regiments, he was, in January 1788, appointed Major in the sixtieth *. The first years of an officer's service generally pass unnoticed and unknown, unless by some extraordinary event, or fortunate concurrence of circumstances, he be brought before the immediate notice of the public. In October of the same year, he exchanged into the 51st, at that time stationed in Ireland; but the appointment did not take place till June following. In November 1790, he was promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Col. and after continuing some time longer in Ireland, he accompanied his regiment to the Mediterranean, and was shortly afterwards (beginning of the year 1795) engaged in the reduction of Corsica; from which may be dated his career as a commander, and the foundation of that professional skill which was afterwards to immortalize his name in the annals of his country.

this effect was made by General Paoli, who, after an unavailing attempt to defend his native country, had the mortification to see it wrested from him by the republicans. He therefore offered to co-operate with the British forces, by which he hoped to expel a formidable enemy, and be reinstated in his former power. But it was first necessary to dispatch some intelligent officer, to ascertain how far such designs were practicable, and to examine into the strength and resources of the country. For this purpose, Colonel Moore, and Major Koeler, were selected, and after a private conference with Paoli, and making an accurate examination into the strength of his party, gave such information as determined the British General (Dundas) to make an immediate descent upon the island.

After the breaking out of the French revolution, Britain had determined to take an active part in the cause of the monarchical party; and, for this purpose, seized upon Toulon, with a view to support the royalists in that quarter. But as they were shortly afterwards driven from that city, it became necessary to be in possession of some place in the Mediterranean, to serve as a depot for our shipping, and to afford a receptacle to such of the French as, espousing the royal cause, were compelled to abandon their native country. A proposal to

* He was, I believe, some time in the 1030, and after the reduction of that regiment, he continued on half pay; but It is difficult to ascertain the exact time.

Among the first operations of the army after its landing, was the storming of Fort Convention, at Fornelli, in which Colonel Moore, at the head of a company of grenadiers, carried the place by the point of the bayonet. Its situation had, for some time, rendered an assault impracticable, till, at last, by the uncommon exertions of the sailors under Lord Hood, four pieces of heavy artillery were brought against the fort, and succeeded in making a breach, at which the assailants entered. The contest was maintained with great bravery on both sides, and while the French General received the storming party at the head of his men, he was attacked by Colonel Moore, who aiming a blow at him, cut down a grenadier who fought by the side of his commander. More men now rushed in at the breach, and, at last, British valour, under so gallant a leader, prevailed; and the French, after a considerable loss, were obliged to capitulate. (Feb. 17. 1795.

Bastia, soon after, surrendered to the marines, under Captain (Lord) Nelson, and Colonel Villettes; and Calvinow alone remained in the hands

of

1

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