Kinmont Willie
In his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, Sir Walter Scott presents 'Kinmont Willie' as an 'historical ballad', and the episode it describes is certainly based on fact.
Will Armstrong of Kinmont was already a well-known reiver before the events of the ballad occurred. In 1583, he was mentioned in Thomas Musgrave's Report on the Border Riders:
The Esk meets the Liddel at the Mote skore ... Then it taketh the division of the realm until it comes to a place called Morton rigg where Will of Kinmont dwelleth.
In the same year, the warden of the English West March, Lord Scrope, asked his political masters how he should handle this most notorious of the reivers of the Scottish West March:
Considering the grievous murders, &c., done both by the Liddesdales and Kinmont, his sons and complices, of which there is no redress from their friendship and intermarriages with the English borderers, he [Scropes] desires to know if he may apprehend some of these notorious offenders, without offence of the Queen and Council?
Kinmont Willie, husband of a Graham and father of seven sons, raided into Northumberland and Cumberland from his tower at Morton Rig, on one occasion being a ringleader of a foray of 1,000 horsemen into Tynedale to drive off 1,000 head of livestock. He also rode with Francis, Earl of Bothwell against James VI at Stirling in 1585, taking a great deal of booty as a result.
For some unknown reason, Kinmont Willie attended a meeting of wardens of the Marches at the Dayholm of Kershope on 17 March 1596. He left in the company of Robert Scott of Haining, the Scottish deputy warden. According to a report of the event:
One William Armstrong, commonly called Will of Kinmont ... having taken his leave of the Scots deputy, and riding down the river of Liddel on the Scottish side, towards his own house, was pursued by the English, who espied him from the other side of the river, and, after a chase of three or four miles, taken prisoner, and brought back to the English deputy, who carried him away to the castle of Carlisle.
The 'English deputy' was Sakeld who, it seems, gave tacit approval to the breaking of the truce that would have been in force throughout the day of the wardens' meeting. This particularly enraged 'Bold Buccleuch' -- Walter Scott of Buccleuch, Keeper of Liddesdale -- who, with Scrope, was one of the principal officials of the affair.
Although the ballad implies that Scrope was exceedingly anxious to hang Kinmont at the Harraby gallows, it seems that quite a bit of time passed between his capture and his rescue. Six days after the former, Scrope records:
Kinmont ... brought here, where I detain him, thinking it best to do so till good security be given for better behaviour of him and his in time coming, and recompense of damage lately done to the people here.
Increasingly abrasive correspondence passed between Scrope and Buccleuch. Scrope complained of Buccleuch displaying
a backwardness to justice, except that of the kind that he desired, which was solely for the profit of his own friends, and showed his disposition to disquiet the frontier, and disturb the peace between princes.
Almost a month after his incarceration, on Saturday, 12 April, Kinmont's supporters met at a horse race at Langholm to finalise their plans. Then, in the dark of the pre-dawn Sunday, a troop of riders gathered at Kinmont's tower at Morton Rig, including many Scotts but also Armstrongs (including the prisoner's own sons) and Elliots. The number assembled is not certain -- Buccleuch said there were 80, but Scrope reported to the Privy Council in London that the castle at Carlisle had been attacked by 500.
After crossing the Border on a black and rainy night, they arrived at Carlisle. There they must have had the assistance of individuals within, for they knew exactly where Kinmont Willie was being held.
The day after the raid, Scrope reported to the Privy Council:
I thought it my duty to acquaint you with 'the proud attempt' which the Scots have made on this her Majesty's castle and chief strength here, praying you to move her Majesty for such redress as may stand with her liking. Yesternight in the dead hour thereof, Walter Scott of Harden, the chief man about Buccleuch, accompanied with 500 horsemen of Buccleuch's and Kinmont's friends, did come armed and appointed with gavlocks and crows of iron, handpicks, axes and scaling ladders, unto an outward corner of the base camp of this castle, and to the postern door of the same -- which they undermined speedily and quietly and made themselves possessors of the base court, broke into the chamber where Kinmont was, carried him away, and in their discovery by the watch, left for dead two of the watchmen, hurt a servant of mine, one of Kinmont's keepers, and issued again out of the postern before they were discovered by the watch.
The warding place of Kinmont, in respect of the manner of his taking, and the assurance he had given that he would not break away, I supposed to have been of sufficient surety, and little looked that any durst have attempted to enforce in time of peace any of her Majesty's castles.
Spottiswoode's History follows the raiders on their escape from Carlisle:
Buccleuch commanded those that entered the castle, and the prisoner, to horse ... made to the river at Stony-bank, on the other side, whereof certain were assembled to stop the passage; but he causing to sound the trumpet, took the river, day being then broken, and they choosing to give him way, he retired in order through the Grahams of Esk, and came back into Scottish ground two hours after sun-rising, and so homewards.
It is said that, when Buccleuch was later presented to Elizabeth I, the monarch demanded to know how he had dared to undertake an enterprise so desperate and presumptuous. According to Sir Walter Scott,
'What is it,' answered the undaunted chieftain, 'that a man dares not do?'
Elizabeth, struck by the reply, turned to a lord in waiting: 'With ten thousand such men,' said she, 'our brother in Scotland might shake the firmest throne in Europe.'
Most authorities believe that the ballad 'Kinmont Willie' was not a traditional song, but rather that it was written by Sir Walter Scott himself.
Taken from Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border by Sir Walter Scott, Harrap, 1931.
O have ye na heard o' the fause Sakelde?
O have ye na heard o' the keen Lord Scroope?
How they hae ta'en bauld Kinmont Willie,
On Haribee to hang him up.
Had Willie had but twenty men,
But twenty men as stout as he,
Fause Sakelde had never the Kinmont ta'en,
Wi' eight score in his cumpanie.
They band his legs beneath the steed,
They tied his hands behind his back;
They guarded him, fivesome on each side,
And they brought him ower the Liddel-rack.
They led him thro' the Liddel-rack,
And also thro' the Carlisle sands;
They brought him to the Carlisle castell,
To be at my Lord Scroope's commands.
'My hands are tied, but my tongue is free,
And whae will dare this deed avow?
Or answer by the border law?
Or answer to the bauld Buccleuch!'
'Now haud thy tongue, thou rank reiver!
There's never a Scot shall set ye free:
Before ye cross my castle yate,
I trow ye shall take farewell o' me.'
'Fear na ye that, my lord,' quo' Willie:
'By the faith o' my body, Lord Scroope,' he said,
'I never yet lodged in a hostelrie,
But I paid my lawing before I gaed.'
Now word is gane to the bauld Keeper,
In Branksome H', where that he lay,
That Lord Scroope has ta'en the Kinmont Willie,
Between the hours of night and day.
He has ta'en the table wi' his hand,
He garr'd the red wine spring on hie
'Now Christ's curse on my head,' he said,
'But avenged of Lord Scroope I'll be!
'O is my basnet a widow's curch?
Or my lance a wand of the willow tree?
Or my arm a ladye's lilye hand,
That an English lord should lightly me!
'And have they ta'en him, Kinmont Willie,
Against the truce of Border tide?
And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch
Is Keeper here on the Scottish side?
'And have they ta'en him, Kinmont Willie,
Withouten either dread or fear?
And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch
Can back a steed, or shake a spear?
'O were there war between the lands,
As well I wot that there is none,
I would slight Carlisle castell high,
Tho' it were builded of marble stone.
'I would set the castell in a low,
And sloken it with English blood!
There's nevir a man in Cumberland,
Should ken where Carlisle castell stood.
'But since nae war's between the lands,
And there is peace, and peace should be;
I'll neither harm English lad or lass,
And yet the Kinmont freed shall be!'
He has call'd him forty marchmen bauld,
I trow they were of his ain name,
Except Sir Gilbert Elliot, call'd
The laird of Stobs, I mean the same.
He has call'd him forty marchmen bauld,
Were kinsmen to the bauld Buccleuch;
With spur on heel, and splent on spauld,
And gleuves of green, and feathers blue.
There were five and five before them a',
Wi' hunting horns and bugles bright;
And five and five came wi' Buccleuch,
Like warden's men, arrayed for fight;
And five and five, like a mason gang,
That carried the ladders lang and hie;
And five and five, like broken men;
And so they reached the Woodhouselee.
And as we cross'd the Bateable Land,
When to the English side we held,
The first o' men that we met wi',
Whae sould it be but fause Sakelde?
'Where be ye gaun, ye hunters keen?'
Quo' fause Sakelde; 'come tell to me!'
'We go to hunt an English stag,
Has trespassed on the Scots countrie.'
'Where be ye gaun, ye marshal men?'
Quo' fause Sakelde; 'come tell me true!'
'We go to catch a rank reiver,
Has broken faith wi' the bauld Buccleuch.'
'Where are ye gaun, ye mason lads,
Wi' a' your ladders, lang and hie?'
'We gang to herry a corbie's nest,
That wons not far frae Woodhouselee.'
'Where be ye gaun, ye broken men?'
Quo' fause Sakelde; 'come tell to me!'
Now Dickie of Dryhope led that band,
And the nevir a word o' lear had he.
'Why trespass ye on the English side,
Row-footed outlaws, stand!' quo' he;
The nevir a word had Dickie to say,
Sae he thrust the lance through his fause bodie.
Then on we held for Carlisle toun,
And at Staneshaw-bank the Eden we cross'd;
The water was great and meikle of spait,
But the nevir a horse nor man we lost.
And when we reached the Staneshaw-bank,
The wind was rising loud and hie;
And there the laird garr'd leave our steeds,
For fear that they should stamp and nie.
And when we left the Staneshaw-bank,
The wind began full loud to blaw;
But 'twas wind and weet, and fire and sleet,
When we came beneath the castle wa'.
We crept on knees, and held our breath,
Till we placed the ladders against the wa'
And sae ready was Buccleuch himsell
To mount the first, before us a'.
He has ta'en the watchman by the throat,
He flung him down upon the lead --
'Had there not been peace between our land,
Upon the other side thou hadst gaed! --
'Now sound out, trumpets!' quo' Buccleuch;
'Let's waken Lord Scroope, right merrilie!'
Then loud the warden's trumpet blew --
'O wha dare meddle wi' me?'
Then speedilie to work we gaed,
And raised the slogan ane and a',
And cut a hole thro' a sheet of lead,
And so we wan to the castle ha'.
They thought King James and a' his men
Had won the house wi' bow and spear;
It was but twenty Scots and ten,
That put a thousand in sic a stear!
Wi' coulters, and wi' fore-hammers,
We garr'd the bars bang merrilie,
Until we cam to the inner prison,
Where Willie o' Kinmont he did lie.
And when we cam to the lower prison,
Where Willie o' Kinmont he did lie --
'O sleep ye, wake ye, Kinmont Willie,
Upon the morn that thou's to die?'
'O I sleep saft, and I wake aft;
Its lang since sleeping was fleyed frae me!
Gie my service back to my wife and bairns,
And a' gude fellows that spier for me.'
Then Red Rowan has hente him up,
The starkest man in Teviotdale --
'Abide, abide now, Red Rowan,
Till of my Lord Scroope I take farewell.
'Farewell, farewell, my gude Lord Scroope!
My gude Lord Scroope, farewell!' he cried --
'I'll pay you for my lodging maill,
When first we meet on the Border side.'
Then shoulder high, with shout and cry,
We bore him down the ladder lang;
At every stride Red Rowan made,
I wot the Kinmont's airns played clang!
'O mony a time,' quo' Kinmont Willie,
'I have ridden horse baith wild and wood;
But a rougher beast than Red Rowan,
I ween my legs have ne'er bestrode.
'And many a time,' quo' Kinmont Willie,
'I've pricked a horse out oure the furs;
But since the day I backed a steed,
I never wore sic cumbrous spurs!'
We carce had won the Staneshaw-bank,
When a' the Carlisle bells were rung,
And a thousand men, in horse and foot,
Cam wi' the keen Lord Scroope along.
Buccleuch has turned to Eden water,
Even where it flowed frae bank to brim,
And he has plunged in wi' a' his band,
And safely swam them thro' the stream.
He turned him on the other side,
And at Lord Scroope his glove flung he --
'If ye like na my visit in merry England,
In fair Scotland come visit me!'
All sore astonished stood Lord Scroope,
He stood as still as rock of stane;
He scarecely dared to trew his eyes,
When thro' the water they had gane.
'He is either himself a devil frae hell,
Or else his mother a witch maun be;
I wad na have ridden that wan water,
For a' the gowd in Christentie.'
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