button to main menu  Clarke's Survey of the Lakes, 1787

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Page 158:-
slain at the battle of Bannock' Burn on 24th of June 1314, where fell on that day, say the Scots Historians, 50,000 English. This much, however *, we may believe of the traditions of this country, that it was so much depopulated, that the men left were not suffered to sleep more than two nights with one woman, but went from house to house to raise seed in the land.
The advantage gained by the Scots there, and shortly after, made them claim an equal right with the Kings of England to appoint governors of the marches; but I do not find they obtained it till the beginning of the reign of Richard the II. when it was settled each to choose one, viz. Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland on the part of the King of England, and Archibald Douglas Lord of Galway on the part of Scotland. The messages which past between these two Wardens before their meeting is no ways interesting, but a fulsome ceremony, for which (see Nicholson and Burn's Westmorland, p.24.)
After the meeting of the said Earls Percy and Douglas, the following indenture was made, in which he is called only Lord of Galway, but the Scots historians call him Earl Douglas.
'Yis endenture, made at ye water of Eske, besid Salem, ye xv day of Marcz ye zher of our Lord i/m ccc xx/iiii and iiii. betwixt noble lardes and meghty Siris Henry Percy Erle of Northumbr' of the ta part, and Archibald of Douglas Lord of Galway on ye tayir parte, conteneys and berres witnes, that day of radress sal be halden betwixt yem in propre persons, at the place beforesaide, ye xix day of Averil next for to cumme, wht ye continuation of days, for to do and tak full radress and execution of all things don betwixt yair boundes apan the west marche, begynande ye xiiii day of Octobr to Candlemas day last passyt: And yan it fell in speech betwixt the forsayd Lords, that in entent of common profit of bathe reaumes gif hit meght happen of langer trewes, or els of pees (gif God vald vouche saufe,) and also, for the time is to schort to make full redrass beforsayd, the forsayd Lords are accordit in specialite, as after folowes: yat is for to say, the Erle of Northumbr for him and for the Lord Nevill, and the Lord of Galway for the Erle of Douglas and for himself, yat special and assurance sall be betwixt thaim and thair boundes, betwixt this and the first day of July next for to come, contenant and hav and the force and effect in all poyntez as the next trew gangand before. Als it is accordit, that durant the tyme beforesayd nane of the Lords beforesayd, ne nane of their boundes, sal do skaithe to the of tha boundes of the tothir partie; bot the sal ger it be redressit, als lawe of marche will enterchaungeably. And gif it happins that any gretter awir of the ta reaume, or of the tothir, schapes for to wht Ofte, ilken of the Lords beforsayd, enterchaugeably sall set let thairin at thair powar; and in cas tha ma noght let it, thai ger warne the tother part of xv days, and thai sall noght be at that rydyng, but thay sall lely thaim of thair boundes at thair power, for owten fraude or gile. And also it is accordit, that this condition of speciall trewe and assurance sall stand and be ephit fullely by see als well as for theis boundes be lande, as the trewes beforesayd askys. And also it is accordit, that giff hir specialx trewes likes to the Erle of the marche to be compriset whtin, thanne that thei sall stand furght for hym and his boundes, and he sall stand for hym and his boundes under the samen condition anentys thaim and thair boundes. And giff thir covenantez beforesayd likis or mislikis to the forsayd Erle of Northumbr', or to the Lord Nevill, they sall certifie be thair letters, or be on of thaires, upon black Monday that next commis, before none, at the chapel of Salom, be the water of Eske; and in the samen manere gif it likis or mislikis to the Erle of Douglas or to the Lord of Galway, thai or ane of thaim sall certfie be letter, at the place, day, and oure, beforesaid. And in case giff thai certifie that this specialtie stand, that that day that chuld be halden xix day of Averil chall be chot to the xv day of May next to cumme, to be halden inall force and effect as the xix day of Averil; and the day on the east march sall be delayd in the samen manner as it is indentil to be halden the xxix day of May. And also it is accordit, that all prisoners taken on both the sidis sall be freely delivered, and all their bows frethit. Also it is accordit, gif ony stellis, authir on the ta part or the tothyr, that he sall be hengot or heofdit, and the remnant sall restore the gudys stollen in the double. In the wittnes of the wische thinges, lely to be halden and fullfillyt, the foresayd Erle of Northumbr' and the Lord of Galway hath sett their signetts enterchangeably in absens of thair selles, day and the yer beforesayd."
The
* Says Speed.
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