*Thieves of Liddesdale

AGAINST [OR, AGANIS] THE THIEVES OF LIDDESDALE by RICHARD MAITLAND – Poetry Explorer – Your Free Poetry Website for Classic and Contemporary Poetry

There is ane, callit Clement’s Hob,
Fa ilk puir wife reivis her wob,
And all the lave,
Whatever they have:
The devil resave therefor his gob!

The History of Liddesdale, Eskdale, Ewesdale, Wauchopedale and the … – Robert Bruce Armstrong – Google Books

Aganis the Theives of Liddisdaill

Of Liddisdaill the commoun theiffis

Sa pertlie steillis now and reiffis

That nane may keip

Hors nolt nor scheip

Nor yit dar sleip for thair mischeiffis.

 

Thay plainlie throw the countrie rydis

I trow the mekill devil thame gydis

Quhair thay onset

Ay in thair gait

Thair is na yet nor dure thame bydis.

 

Thay leif richt nocht quhair ever thay ga

Thair can na thing be hid thame fra

For gif men wald thair housis hauld

Then waxe thay bald

To burne and sla.

 

Thay have neir hand hereit haill

Ettrik forrest and Lawderdaill

Now ar thay gaine

In Lowthiane

And spairis nane that thay will waill.

 

Thay landis ar with stouth sa socht

To extreme povertie ar brocht

Thay wicked schrowis

Hes laid the plowis

That nane or few is that ar left ocht.

 

Bot commoun taking of blak maill

thay that had flesche & breid & aill

Now ar sa wraikit

Maid puir and nakit

Faine to be staikit with walter caill.

 

Thay thefis that steillis and tursis hame

Ilk ane of thame hes ane to name

Will of the lawis (William Ellot of the Hill)

Hab of the schawis (Robert Ellot of Shawis; Trees)

To mak bair wais thay think na schame.

Hermitage Lawis and Shawis

Where lawis became of the hill.

Mark Ellot of the Hill

Thay spuilyie puire men of thair pakis

Thay leif thame nocht on bed nor bakis

Bayth hen and cok

With reill and rok

The lairdis Iok all with him takis. (laird’s Jok;

Armstong’s man likely John Ellot of Copschaw)

Correction laird’s Joke, is of the laird (landholder) of Mangerton, an Armstrong, and John is an Armstrong also.

ELLOT OF LIDDESDALE;

Ellot of Liddesdale

 

Blaeu 1654 LIDALIA Liddesdale

 

Thay leif not spindill, spone nor speit

Bed, boster, blanket, sark nor scheit

Ihone of the park (John Ellot of Park)

Rypis kist and ark

For all sic wark he is richt meit.

 

He is weill kend Ihone of the syide

(John Ellot of Syde)

A gretar theif did never ryide

He never tyris

For to brek byris

Our muire and myris our gud ane gyide.

 

Thair is ane callit Clementis Hob

(Clement’s Hob; Clement Croyser’s

Robert Ellot, of Gorranberry, Robert

Ellot is the nephew of Clement Croyser)

Fra ilk puire wyfe reiffis thair wob

And all the laif

Quhat ever thay haif

The devill ressaif thairfoir his gob.

 

To sie sa greit stouth quha wald trowit

Bot gif sum greit man it allowit

Richt fair I rew

Thocht it be trew

Thair is sa few that dar avowit.

 

Of sum greit men thay have sic gait

That redye ar thame to debait

And will up weir

Thair stollin geir

That nane dar steir, thame air nor lait.

 

Quhat causis theiffis us our gang

Bot want of Iustice us amang

Nane takis cair

Thocht all forfair

Na man will spair, now to doe wrang.

 

Of stouth thocht now thay cum gud speid

that nather of men nor god hes dreid

Yit or I die

Sum sall thame sie

Hing on a trie, quhill thay be deid.

 

Ralph Stewart

Acadia

 

 

 http://www.elliotclan.com/history/map-of-elliot-territory/

 Been working for years to get it in it's proper location.
It is felt that Redheugh, which the clan chief is; faught on the side of the Buccleuch in a feud against the Gorrenberry and Braidley Ellot, and her husband being in support of wind farms, and part of the aristocracy of the UK which are willing to destroy the ancestral, historical, antiquities of the UK by putting wind farms anywhere and challenging the centuries old protection of the Buccleuch family of the Hermitage Caste, is willing not to relocate Braidley to its proper locality so a wind farm can be built on Hermitage Castle Hill.
(feel that Martin Ellot owned land in Teviotdale called Braidley/Braidlie, and lived on Bothwell's lease land east of Hermitage Castle also called Braidlie/Braidley giving confusion. In Calandar of Border Papers Martin Ellot is "of the" Braidley, in Liddesdale, which differs from "of" Braidley, which shows ownership, and oldest son leased from Bothwell, no tower built by the Hermitage Castle was nearby. Martin Ellot was "of the" Braidley in Liddesdale  9/5/2018 MSE)
Mark Elliott     4/19/2014
Please support;

Hermitage Action Group

Hermitage Action Group are a local community group who aim to successfully defeat an industrial-scale ‘Windy Edge Wind Farm’ application, adjacent to …

4/19/2014

Been trying for years to get Braidley located by the Elliot Clan Society it’s proper location between Gorrenberry and The Hermitage Castle. Now that I am riding with the Armstrongs, and Buck (Buccleauch), it is felt I found the answer why the Elliot Clan Society is not willing to move Martin’s Braidley to it’s proper locality.

 

Though the Elliot Clan say Braidley is in Treviotdale,

Braidley was in Teviotdale

it is in Liddesdale, near Gorrenberry;

Ellot of Liddesdale

Martin’s Braidley is high (north) in Liddesdale on land from the Armstrong’s Whitehaugh Tower north to the Hermitage (Armytage) Castle.

The reason The Elliot Clan Society does not want to support moving Braidley to the locality it should be located at because they support the propose INFINIS wind farm which will vandalize the Hermitage Castle.

 

Maggie Eliiott Chistopher Powell Wilkins

Christopher Powell Wilkins is the husband to the clan chief.

Christopher Powell Wilkins wind director Redheugh Newcastleton

As one can see he has an Redheugh, Newcastleton, Roxburghshire, plus a lot of connections to many a wind farm company.

No vote donors

One can see he has links to MI6 and likely a knowledge of covert activities.

dukes chasing wind farm subsidies

One can see also that a lot of aristocracy a putting money, and may be more power from that money a head of land protection. It should be noted that the Buccleuch family has been providing and today in going up against the Infinis proposed wind farm on Hermitage Castle Hill are still providing protection for the Hermitage Castle and it’s surrounding, so people like myself who may want to visit Scotland their family homeland from across the sea will not have there homeland desecrated by electric power wind turbines.

Prince of Wales opposes wind farms.

It should be noted that even the Prince of Wales, does not want to have a small wind turbine near him in the month of August.

 

MSE    4/29/2014

Hermitage Castle Wind Farm Proposal

http://www.hermitage-action-group.com/about.html

Windmills Hermitage Castle

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

 http://www.poetryexplorer.net/poem.php?id=10104291
AGAINST [OR, AGANIS] THE THIEVES OF LIDDESDALE, by RICHARD MAITLAND
First Line: Of liddesdale the common thiefis [thieves]
Alternate Author Name(s): Lethington, Lord
Subject(s): Capital Punishment; Crime And Criminals; Lynching; Hanging; Executions; Death Penalty
Of Liddisdale the common thievis
Sa pertlie stealis now and reivis,
That nane may keep
Horse, nolt, nor sheep,
Nor yit dar sleep for their mischiefis.
They plainlie through the countrie ridis;
I trow the meikle devil them guidis;
Where they onset
Ay in their gate
There is na yett nor door them bidis.
They leif richt nocht; wherever they gae
There can na thing be hid them frae;
For, gif men wald
Their houses hald,
Then wax they bauld to burn and slay.
Thae thievis have nearhand herreit haill
Ettrick Forest and Lauderdale;
Now are they gane
In Lothiane,
And sparis nane that they will wale.
Thae landis are with stouth sa socht,
To extreme povertie are brocht;
Thae wicked shrewis
Has laid the plowis,
That nane or few is that are left oucht.
By common taking of black-mail,
They that had flesh and bread and ale,
Now are sa wraikit,
Made pure and naikit,
Fain to be slaikit with water-kail.
Thae thievis that stealis and tursis hame,
Ilk ane of them has ane to-name:
Will of the Lawis, 
Hab of the Shawis;
To mak bare wa’is, they think na shame.
They spuilye puir men of their packis;
They leave them nocht on bed nor backis;
Baith hen and cock,
With reel and rock,
The Lairdis Jock, all with him takis.
They leave not spindle, spoon, nor spit,
Bed, bowster, blanket, serk, nor sheet:
John of the Park
Ripes kist and ark;
For all sic wark he is richt meet.
He is weil kend, John of the Side;
A greater thief did never ride:
He never tires
For to break byres;
Owre muir and mires owre gude ane guide.
There is ane, callit Clement’s Hob,
Fa ilk puir wife reivis her wob,
And all the lave,
Whatever they have:
The devil resave therefor his gob!
To see sa great stouth wha wald trow it,
Bot gif some great man it allowit?
Richt sair I rue,
Though it be true,
There is sa few that dar avow it.
Of some great men they have sic gate,
That ready are them to debate
And will up-wear
Their stolen gear,
That nane dar steir them, air nor late.
What causes thievis us our-gang
Bot want of justice us amang?
Nane takis care
Though all forfare:
Na man will spare now to do wrang.
Of stouth thoch now they come gude speed
That neither of men nor God has dreid
Yet, or I die,
Some sall them see
Hing on a tree whill they be deid.
MSE   5/8/2014

 

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