SCOTS MAGAZINE,

Edinburgh Literary Miscellany,

AND

For FEBRUARY 1809 :

With a View of FernIhIRST CASTLE.

.

83

i 128

".از

CONTENTS :

Page

Page

Register of the Weather for Feb-

SCOTTISH REVIEW.

ruary, .

82' Chalmers's Caledonia ; or an Account,

High Water at Leith for March,

ibi

Historical and Topographic, of

Historical Account of Fernibirst Cas. North Britain,

...119

tle,

Monthly Memoranda in Natural His- New Works published in Edinburgh, 124

tory,

85 Scottish Literary Intelligence,

125

Memoirs of the Life of the late Sir Literary Intelligence, English and

John Moore, K. B. Commander in Foreign,

126

Chief of the British Forces in

Spain, ..

POETRY.

Account of a Charity School estab. Verses inscribed to L. Macintosh,

"lished in Leith, with a Sketch of

Esq. 'of Rnigmore, on the liberal

Lancaster's System of Educa.

Subscription procured by him in

tion, vi.

89 India for the Support of the Royal

Description of Edinburgh: with an

Academy and Infirmary of Inver-

Account of the present State of

ness,

127

its Medical School, from the Ger-

Ode on Winter,

man,

94

-The Medical Society,

95

PROCEEDINGS OF PARLIAMENT.

-Royal College of Physicians, . 96 House of Lords,

of Surgeons,

129

- Infirmary, :,

-His Majesty's' Speech to buth

ib.

Houses of Parliament,

ib.

Letter from Professur Ker to the

Viscount of Arbuthnot, concerning

House of Commons,

133

the Genealogy of the Fainily of

Arbuthnot,

HISTORICAL AFFAIRS.

A Journey through the Highlands and

Spain,

136

Western Isles, in the Summer of

-Letter from General Hope to Sir

1804. - By the Ettrick Shep-

David Baird,

137

herd,

-General Orders,

99

141

Description of Bagdad,..

Battle of Corunna :

142

Account of the Glasgow Public Lib.

Naval Intelligence,.

144

rary, with an Abstract of its Re.

Domestic Intelligence,

145

gulations,

-Fire in St James's Palace,

ib.

-Progressive account of the Glas.

State Papers,

146

gow Public Library, ...

Board of Inquiry,

149

-Rules for the Librarian,

Convention of Cintra,

ib.

114

Letters to the Editor, occasioned by

Sir John Carr's Caledonian Sket.

Scottish CHRONICLE,

ches,

ib. Proceedings of the High Court of Jus-

Proceediaposite the Wernerian Natu. ticiary in the Case of Rachel

ral History Society,

117 Wright, for Child-stealing,

156.

Memoirs of the Progress of Manu. Marriages and Births,

• 157

factores, Chemistry, Science, and Deaths,

• 158

the Fine Arts,

ib. Stocks and Markets,

.

98

102

110

III

March 11. Court of Session rises

THE

Scots Magazine,

AND

EDINBURGH LITERARY MISCELLANY,

FOR FEBRUARY 1809.

gave

Historical Account of FERNIHIRST of Fernihirst, which thenceforth
CASTLE.

name to that powerful branch of the

Kerr family. This castle, situated FERNIHIRST CASTLE was founded

near the border, the scene then of al. about 1490, by Thomas Ker, a

most perpetual war, was subject to all branch of the family of Ker, which the vicissitudes of such a situation. made long a conspicuous figure in The disasters sustained by Scotland border history, as well as in the gene- in the battle of Flodden, laid the borral history of Scotland. The Homes, der open to the incursions of the EngScotts, and Kerrs, took the lead in all lish. * In 1523, the Earl of Surrys the transactions of that part of the with Dorset and Dacres, entered Scotkingdom.

land, and marched to Jedburgh, which The Kerrs were an Anglo-Norman he took after an obstinate resistance. family *, which, there appears reason He then detached the Lord Dacres to to suppose, was of great antiquity, Fernihirst, who reduced that castle, both in England and Scotland. It is and made prisoners of Sir Andrew only from about the year 1330, how- Kerr, and the laird of Gradon. After ever, that we receive a distinct genea- 'the arrival, however, of French duxilogical account of them. At that pe- liaries, the Scots acquired the ascenriod, Ralph Kerr settled in Scotland, dency, and took cruel revenge for

, and obtained possession of the lands English depredation. Of this, the lying between the water of Jed and

castle of Fernihirst afforded a striking the lands of Straserburgh. He called

example. The laird, with his retain these by the name of Kershaugh, ers, assisted by a band of Frenchmen, which continued for some time the assaulted this fortress, The English chief title of his family. It split in archers (we copy the account of Mr time, however, into two branches; Scott, Border Minstrelsy, I. xxx.) the Kerrs of Cessford, who afterwards showered their arrows down the steep rose to the title of Dukes of Rox

ascent leading to the castle, and from burgh ; and the Kerrs of Fernihirst, the outer wall

, by which it was surwho rose to those of Jedburgh, Lo-rounded. A vigorous escalade, howthian, and Ancrum.

ever, gained the base court, and the It was about 1490, as we already sharp fire of the French arquebusiers noticed, that Thomas, eighth in de drove the bowmen into the square, scent from Ralph, founded the castle keep, or dungeon, of the fortress.

Here the English defended themselves, Chalmers's Caledonia, Vol. I. p. 530. till a breach in the wall was made by

mining.

a

a

mining. Through this hole the com- This feud, however, did not prevent mandant crept forth ; and surrender- them from uniting their forces in maing himself to De la Mothe Rouge, im- king plundering incursions into Engplored protection from the vengeance land. Buccleugh, Cessford, and Ferof the borderers. But a Scottish niherst, were jointly complained of on marchman, eyeing in the captive the this ground by the English Court. ravisher of his wife, approached him In 1533, they revenged an inroad of ere the French officer could guess his the English by another most desintention, and, at one blow, carried tructive one into Northumberland. his head four paces from the trunk. In 1544, the English made new Above a hundred Scots rushed to incursions. The Tyndale and Ridswash their hands in the blood of their dale men burnt Bedrüle. On their oppressor, bandied about the severed return, they met the laird of Ferhead, and expressed their joy in such nihirst and his son John, whom shouts as if they had stormed the city they defeated, and made prisoners. It of London. The prisoners who fell would appear that, probably on coninto their merciless hands were put dition of receiving their liberty, they to death, after their eyes had been had gone over to the side of the Engtorn out; the victors contending who lish ; for a little after, we find, that should display the greatest address in “ Robert Carr, Fernihirst's son, and severing their legs and arms before other Scotsmen, who are in assurance, inflicting a mortal wound. When to the number of 600 horsemen, took their own prisoners were slain, the Eyldon and Newbrough, and brought Scottish, with an inextinguishable away 600 nolt, besides shepe and thirst for blood, purchased those of naggst.” Another dispatch, regardthe French; parting willingly with ing a similar exploit, is said to be from their very arms, in exchange for an the laird of Fernihirst. English captive.'

After the flight of Mary into EngThe laird of Fernihirst was one of land, many border chieftains, with a the leaders in the engagement at Ha- romantic gallantry, espoused her cause. lidon, in 1526, between the Scotts, Buccleugh, and Sir Andrew Kerr of headed by Scott of Buccleugh on one Fernihirst, were at their head; but, side, and the Homes and Kerrs on the notwithstanding the power of these other; the latter being headed by chieftains, the address of the Earl of Lord Home, and the Barons of Cess- Morton prevailed in establishing the ford and Fernihirst. It was in the authority of the King, even in their cause of Angus, who then held King own district. Fernihirst, however, James V. in a state of pupilage, and continued an intrepid defender of her to whom the Homes and Kerrs strong- cause, and thus incurred the utmost ly attached themselves. Buccleugh resentment of Elizabeth, who found was routed; but Kerr of Cessford be- means to accomplish her revenge.-ing slain in the pursuit, a deadly feud Some outrages having been committed thence arose between the Scotts and by the Scots at a border meeting, Kr. Afterwards, in 1528, when Elizabeth accused Arran and perniJanez emancipated himself from the hirst and demanded that they should power of Angus, the Homes and Kerrs be delivered up to her. No proof was still adhered to that nobleman, and adduced of the charge ; and James prevented his enemies from penetrat- therefore refused to comply with the ing into Berwickshire, by' defending full demand of Elizabeth : yet intimi. the pass of Pease *.

dated

* Border Minstrelsy, I. 562-20.

+ Haynes's State Papers, p. 50.

dated by her power, he put them both pears that the sudden thaw at this into confinement. Fernihirst was sent time produced great devastation about to Aberdeen, where this gallant and Deptford, and other places on the loyal chief died unworthily in prison *. Thames. Windsor was completely

The fidelity of Sir Andrew seems insulated : the Duke of York had to to have recommended his son to James sail through the streets of Eton in a VI., who made him one of the gen- boat to visit the King at Windsor tlemen of the bed-chamber, and crea- Castle. In the West of England, ated him a peer, by the title of Lord bout Bath especially, the inundation Jedburgh. Robert, third Lord Jed- was complete, and attended with some burgh, dying without issue, left his es- disastrous consequences. In Scotland tate an honours to William Lord the damage has not been considerable. Newbottle, son to Robert, then Earl, The new bridge over the Yarrow near afterwards Marquis of Lothian, to Selkirk was swept away.) whom he was related by marriage. Feb. 3. In our last we mentioned, This title afterwards came to William that shocks of an earthquake had Ker, son to Sir Kobert Ker of An- been felt all along the baze of the 0. crum, a descendant of a younger chils on the 18th January. We have branch of the Fernihirst family t: now to add, that on the last day of

Fernihirst still continues to be a January and the first of February, principal seat of the family of Lo- similar shocks were experienced in the thian.

West Highlands, and were particular

ly evident at Arisaig and Moidart. Monthly Memoranda in Natural His- P. S.-The gentleman at St. An

drews who lately favoured the writer tory.

of this article (by post) with the desJan. 26. 1809. THE intensity

of cription of a marine animal found in

the cold (some the belly of a cod, is respectfully inparticulars of which were given in last formed, that, owing chiefly, no doubt, month's Memoranda) began this day to the half-dissolved state of the speto abate. Snow fell copiously, drift- cimen, the account was too imperfect ing in some places to the depth of to enable him to ascertain with accumany feet. The ice on the lakes in 'racy even the genus to which the this neighbourhood has been observed creature should be referred. He is to be from 18 to 22 inches thick.

inclined to suspect that some mutila27. In the morning the ted fragments had assumed the indismercury rose 15 degrees above the tinct appearance of fins and tail, and freezing point : and a breeze spring. had thus produced ambiguity. In this ing up from the S. W., the snow be- case, the animal might be nothing gan to disappear rapidly.

else than the Aphrodita aculeata, 29. Squalls from S. W. ac- which is remarkable for being orna,companied with heavy showers of mented with several fasciculi of iridesrain, have produced so rapid a solu- cent spines. This animal is known tion of the immense quantity of snow to many of the fishermen on our coasts which covered the high grounds, that by the name of Sea Mouse, and it has all the meadows are Hooded, and the several times been found in the sto. level parts of the country around mach of the cod-fish.--He shall be Edinburgh appear as if spotted with happy to hear again from his corresnumerous small lakes.

pondent at St Andrew's: And he (By accounts from London it ap- takes this opportunity of mentioning, * Riupath's Border History.

that where the specimen is not of # Douglas's Peerage.

large size, and where gentlemen have

no