Johnie Armstrang
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Hollows Tower -- or is it Gilnockie? |
The Armstrongs had been a family of great and increasing importance in Liddesdale since the 14th century, and by the 16th they were the most numerous clan in the valley, extending over much of the Debatable Land and into Eskdale, Ewesdale, Wauchopedale and Cumberland.
Johnie Armstrang, laird of Gilnockie, holds a place in Border tradition to match that of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, but for Armstrang, there is historical evidence. A John Armstrang, brother of the chief of the Mangerton Armstrongs of Liddesdale signed a bond of manrent to Lord Maxwell, warden of the Scottish West March: '… at Drumfres, the second day of November, the yeir of God 1525 -- John Armstrang, my hand at the pen'.
It appears that, early in the century, Armstrang moved from Liddesdale to settle on the church lands of Canonbie on the bank of the Esk. Of his tower at Gilnockie, which stood on the east bank, nothing now remains; it was probably destroyed after his execution in 1530 or when many similar strongholds were demolished in 1547. It may have already suffered some destruction, for during a raid in 1528 Lord Dacre, warden of the English West March, burned a tower reputed to be Johnie Armstrang's fortress. However, Armstrang had already been informed of the attack, so while the English lord set his tower alight, Armstrang and his men were burning Dacre's stronghold at Netherby in Cumberland and driving off his cattle.
It is not surprising, then, that in the same year, an English indictment proclaimed the men of Mangerton, Whithaugh and Gilnockie to be 'enemies of the King of England, and traitors, fugitives and felons of the king of the Scots'. In February 1529, Thomas Magnus, archdeacon of the East Riding, wrote to Cardinal Wolsey about those whom he called 'the gretteste theves upon the borders':
the Armstrongs of Liddesdale had presumptuously said that they would not be ordered, neither by the King of Scots, their sovereign lord, nor by the King of England … the said Armstrongs had boasted that they had been the destruction of two and fifty parish churches in Scotland besides the unlawful and ungracious attempts by them committed within England.
In 1530, James V of Scotland resolved to 'proceed to the sharp and rigorous punishing of all transgression upon the borders'. He assembled an army of between 8,000 and 12,000 and descended upon the outlaws, seizing notorious offenders who were sent to trial and eventually executed in Edinburgh.
In early July, the king reached Teviotdale and sent an invitation to Armstrang to meet him. The royal summons was taken as a safe conduct for Armstrang and his men, and so Johnie rode out to meet his sovereign dressed in courtly finery instead of a jack (a coat quilted with metal pieces) and steel bonnet. However, the summons proved to be Armstrang's warrant of execution. The king and the reiver met face to face in the kirkyard at Carlenrigg. Ropes were flung over branches of trees and Johnie Armstrang of Gilnockie, his brother Thomas of Mangerton and others of their company were hanged there and then.
In his History of Scotland, written within 35 years of the event, Lindsay of Pitscottie described this confrontation:
He, seeing no hope of The King's favour towards him, said very proudly, 'I am but a fool to seek grace at a graceless face! But had I known, Sir, that ye would have taken my life this day, I should have lived upon the Borders in spite of King Harry [Henry VIII] and you both! -- for I know King Harry would down-weigh my best horse wit gold to know that I were condemned to die this day!' So he was led to the scaffold, and he and all his men hanged.
Later historians have suggested that Lord Maxwell's jealousy of Armstrang power may have led him to provoke James's temper against the reivers and so ultimately to have his rivals removed. It is recorded that all Armstrang property and possessions were made over to Maxwell on 8 July 1530, just days after the executions.
Taken from Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border by Sir Walter Scott, Harrap, 1931.
Sum speikis of lords, sum speikis of lairds,
And sick lyke men of hie degrie;
Of a gentleman I sing a sang,
Sum tyme called laird of Gilnockie.
The King he wrytes a luving letter,
With his ain hand sae tenderly,
And he hath sent it to Johnie Armstrang,
To cum and speik with him speedily.
The Eliots and Armstrangs did convene;
They were a gallant cumpanie --
'We'll ride and meit our lawful King,
And bring him safe to Gilnockie.'
'Make kinnen and capon ready then,
And venison in great plentie;
We'll wellcum here our royal King;
I hope he'll dine at Gilnockie!'
Thye ran their horse on the Langhome howm,
And brak their speirs wi' mickle main;
The ladies lukit frae their loft windows --
'God bring our men weel back agen!'
When Johnie cam before the King,
Wi' a' his men sae brave to see,
The King he movit his bonnet to him;
He ween'd he was a King as well as he.
'May I find grace, my sovereign liege,
Grace for my loyal men and me?
For my name is Johnie Armstrang,
And a subject of yours, my liege,' said he.
'Away, away, thou traitor strang!
Out o' my sight soon may'st thou be!
I grantit nevir a traitor's life,
And now I'll not begin wi' thee.'
'Grant me my life, my liege, my King!
And a bonny gift I'll gie to thee --
Full four and twenty milk-white steids,
Were a' foaled in ae year to me.
'I'll gie thee a' these milk-white steids,
That prance and nicker at a speir;
And as mickle gude Inglish gilt,
As four o' their braid backs dow bear.'
'Away, away, thou traitor strang!
Out o' my sight soon may'st thou be!
I grantit nevir a traitor's life,
And now I'll not begin wi' thee!'
'Grant me my life, my liege, my King!
And a bonny gift I'll gie to thee --
Gude four and twenty ganging mills,
That gang thro' a' the yeir to me.
'These four and twenty mills complete,
Sall gang for thee thro' a' the yeir;
And as mickle of gude reid wheit,
As a' their happers dow to bear.'
'Away, away, thou traitor strang!
Out o' my sight soon may'st thou be!
I grantit nevir a traitor's life,
And now I'll not begin wi' thee.'
'Grant me my life, my liege, my King!
And a great gift I'll gie to thee --
Bauld four-and-twenty sister's sons,
Sall for thee fecht, tho' a' should flee!'
'Away, away, thou traitor strang!
Out o' my sight soon may'st thou be!
I grantit nevir a traitor's life,
And now I'll not begin wi' thee.'
'Ye lied, ye lied, now, King,' he says,
'Altho' a King and Prince ye be!
For I've luved naething in my life,
I weel dare say it, but honesty --
'Save a fat horse, and a fair woman,
Twa bonny dogs to kill a deir;
But England suld have found me meal and mault,
Gif I had lived this hundred yeir!
'Sche suld have found me meal and mault,
And beef and mutton in a' plentie;
But nevir a Scots wyfe could have said,
That e'er I skaith'd her a puir flee.
'To seik het water beneith cauld ice,
Surely it is a greit folie --
I have asked grace at a graceless face,
But there is nane for my men and me!
'But had I kenn'd ere I cam frae hame,
How though unkind wadst been to me!
I wad have keepit the border side,
In spite of all thy force and thee.
'Wist England's King that I was ta'en,
O gin a blythe man he wad be!
For anes I slew his sister's son,
And on his breist bane brak a trie.'
John wore a girdle about his middle,
Imbroidered ower wi' burning gold,
Bespangled wi' the same metal;
Maist beautiful was to behold.
There hang nine targats at Johnie's hat,
And ilk ane worth three hundred pound -
'What wants that knave that a King suld have,
But the sword of honour and the crown!
'O whair got thou these targats, Johnie,
That blink sae brawly bune thy brie?'
'I gat them in the field fechting,
Where, cruel King, thou durst not be.
'Had I my horse, and harness gude,
And riding as I wont to be,
It suld have been tald this hundred yeir,
The meeting of my King and me!
'God be with thee, Kirsty, my brother!
Lang live thou laird of Mangertoun!
Lang may'st thou live on the border syde,
Ere thou see thy brother ride up and down!
'And God be with thee, Kirsty, my son,
Where thou sits on thy nurse's knee!
But and thou live this hundred yeir,
Thy father's better thou'lt nevir be.
'Farewell! my bonny Gilnock hall,
Where on Esk side thou standest stout!
Gif I had lived but seven yeirs mair,
I wad hae gilt thee round about.'
John murdered was at Carlinrigg,
And all his gallant cumpanie;
But Scotland's heart was ne'er sae wae,
To see sae mony brave men die --
Because they saved their countrey deir,
Frae Englishmen! Nane were sae bauld
While Johnie lived on the border syde,
Nane of them durst cum neir his hauld.
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