Who were the Border Reivers?
The Border Reivers were made up of the farmers and families who lived along the Anglo Scottish border between the 1290s and the early 1600s. They began raiding during war time under the advisement of the English and Scottish monarchs but then continued this during times of peace.
One of the hot beds for their activity was the so-called Debatable Lands. This area was a small strip of land on the western end of the border where the monarchs of England and Scotland were unable to agree on ownership, this meant that lawlessness was harder to punish as both sides were at odds over the control of the area.
How many Border Reiver families were there?
There are at least 77 different family names that can trace lineage to the Border Reiver families, some of whom were much larger and therefore more powerful than others. A lot of these names live on today in families like the Armstrongs, Elliots, Maxwells, Kerrs, Grahams and Bells to name but a few.
How long did they operate for?
The start and end of the Reivers is hard to pin down, but most agree that we begin to find evidence of them from around the 1290s. One major event that really kicked the hornets' nest and stirred up the Reivers into action was in 1314 with the defeat of the English army at the battle of Bannockburn. This caused a chain reaction that destabilised the border and caused almost 300 years of turmoil.
Likewise, the end of the Border Reivers is hard to pin down but the beginning of the end for them was in 1603 with the ascension of James IV of Scotland to become James I of England. This unification meant that he was able to standardise laws across the new United Kingdom and both sides of the border were able to work together. The ascension did not fully bring an end to strife in the area as raids were ongoing through the 1600s, and even later into the 1700s we see the rise of the “Moss Troopers”, Reivers in all but name.
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How violent were the Border Reivers?
The Border Reivers were well known for their violent nature, even in the waning years of the Reivers raiding become a rite of passage. An account of a raid in 1584 shows the numbers of Reivers who could be involved in a single raid with this single raiding party consisting of over 300 men.
One of the most common crimes that Border Reivers committed, theft. An account from 1590 shows a list of items stolen from one middle class family, which includes, livestock, clothing, weapons, jewellery, and a feather bed. This shows the wide array of items that the Reivers would steal.
Another incredibly common crime was blackmail, paying for protection by or from Reiving families was commonplace. The infamous Reiver Hutcheon Graham had a blackmail racket that covered the entire village of Cargo. The word blackmail itself comes from the Border Reivers, as whitemail was the rent paid to a landowner whereas blackmail was the money paid to Reivers for protection.
Who were the most notorious Reiver families?
There are many notorious Reiver families, the Grahams among them. Many of these families were in a constant state of feuding, the reasons often lost to time. However, during these feuds there was sometimes a strong sense of camaraderie with families fighting alongside each other against wardens and other families.
Other notorious families include Armstrongs, Elliots, Kerrs and Bells. And, within these families, there were notorious members. One of the most infamous Armstrong members was William Armstrong or Kinmont Willie Armstrong who was captured during a day of truce and subsequently rescued from imprisonment in Carlisle Castle by his allies in the Graham and Carleton families.
Why were the Borders so violent?
There are lots of causes for the Borders to be as violent as they were. One of the background causes for this was an ancient law brought in during the Norman conquest called Gavelkind which is a form of land division between a farmer’s sons.
When a farmer died his land would be divided evenly between his sons, which over time caused the sons to inherit smaller and poorer quality plots of land.
During this time the nations of England and Scotland were at war, so the first places to be attacked during invasions were the border towns and villages. To combat this, the monarchs of both nations gave weapons, armour and funding to the border families to attack each other and the supply lines for any invading force.
During times of peace however the border families kept their weapons and kept raiding each other. If a Reiving family attacked and stole another family’s cattle the second family could call what was called a 'Hot Trod'. The family calling the Hot Trod could light a section of turf on the end of a lance or spear and chase down the thieves and take their cattle back within six days, often by force, while under the protection of the law.
Did any get punished?
Many Border Reivers were punished because of their actions, the punishments varied depending on the severity of the crime and also the status of the family. Fines were used in some cases, but they did not dissuade richer Reivers from committing crimes.
Executions were commonplace, particularly with the introduction of 'Jeddart Justice', which was a swift execution without a trial. While hangings are often seen as the main execution method, drowning became more widely practiced. Drowning holes were easy and cheap to use so many Reivers were drowned as punishment.
Other punishment methods included forced conscription with Walter Scott Buccleuch himself taking 2000 men to fight in Spain. At the start of James I’s reign, banishment and transportation was also used with many Reivers being sent to America, where many of the family names also survive to this day.
What happened to the Reivers?
When the Stuart king James VI of Scotland was crowned as James I of England in 1603 he continued strict justice against the Reivers, stepping up the Jeddart Justice, transportation and punishment of Reiving families. He also abolished many of the border laws, removing old laws like the Day of Truce and the Hot Trod, which further restricted the actions of the Border Reivers.
While this started to end the Border Reivers there were still a lot of problems in the border region. In the year 1626 Scottish raiders attacked Bowness on Solway stealing the church bells, causing the residents to retaliate and steal bells from Dornock and Middlebie. Even going into the 1700s moss troopers were active in the area continuing the strife that the Border Reivers began.
How did the Reivers influence the countryside?
During the time of the Border Reivers the region changed dramatically. One of the most major changes was in 1552 when Scots’ Dike was constructed. It is a three-and-a-half-mile long earthwork that marks the division of the debatable lands. While it was also built to attempt to restrict the movement of the Border Reivers it did not achieve that goal as it is short enough to circumvent easily.
There were a huge number of pele towers built and destroyed over the 300 years that the Border Reivers terrorised the area. There were at least 90 different pele towers built over this time with a few still remaining. One of the most famous pele towers is Gilnockie Tower, the stronghold of the Armstrong family.
How can people find out more about the Border Reivers and discover places to visit?
There are many great places to visit relating to the Border Reivers, one of the best places to visit is Hermitage Castle as it covers a lot of the history of the area. Carlisle Castle is fantastic for seeing where the Wardens of the West marches worked and often held prisoners. Tullie Museum also has a fantastic array of Reiving artefacts on display.
Another recommended activity is to walk in the footsteps of the Reivers by trekking around the areas the Reivers roamed. Along the River Esk, across Burgh marsh, around Scots’ Dike, all these places give definitely give the atmosphere of the borders, especially on a day when the cold wind bites through you and you take a moment to pause and breathe in the past.
On the border between England and Scotland in Carlisle's historic quarter, Tullie House is one of the region's top cultural attractions. Tullie cares for a collection of almost 1 million objects and hosts temporary exhibitions of regional, national and international importance in its large purpose-built art gallery.
Top image: Reivers at Gilnockie Tower in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, from a 19th-century print. Credit: G Cattermole, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons