History of the Johnstones, 1191-1909, with ... - Electric Scotland

64 THE INFANT QUEEN
Saulside ; and Tweedie of Drumnelzear." The Laird of Johnstoun and his
son, also Maxwell, were still prisoners in England.
Only a month before the death of Henry VIII., May 17, 1547, a letter was
written in the young Scottish Queen's name to remonstrate about the English
invasion, and the capture of the Abbot of Dryburgh, "who was passing to the
ports of France on his own affairs," and " Master John Hay sent to the most
Christian King of France to perform such business as was committed unto
him." They were taken on the sea by English ships of war, and imprisoned,
although Scotland was nominally at peace with England and France. "Also
your subjects have lately by open foray invaded our realm upon the West
Borders at the parts of Annandale and there taken the Laird of Johnstoun on
his own ground for defence of his lands and goods. The which unjust attempts
are not only against the ' peace ' foresaid ; but also most unnaturally enterprised
against us and our lieges without any respect unto the proximity and
tenderness of our blood and mutual friendship, that should continue between us
and our realms. Therefore we pray you, our dearest brother and cousin in our
most effective manner to put the said Abbot of Dryburgh, Master John Hay,
Lord Johnstoun and others taken with them to liberty and freedom, so that
they may without any impediment freely pass on to the realm of France, or if it
please them to return again within our realm," etc.
This letter, dated from Stirling, had no effect, and the ravages continued.
The official list of the towns, monasteries, castles, villages, mills and hospitals
destroyed by the English in 1547 is given as 287, and fills ten closely written
pages of a State paper, still preserved in the London Record Office. Graitney,
Sark and Cavertholme, belonging to Johnstoun of Newbie, Blacket House,
Ryehill Castle, and all within fifteen miles of the English frontier are included,
and Dumfriesshire was subject to the King of England for a year and a half.
But in the meantime the King of France sent a contingent from Gascony to
assist his Scottish allies. The English Privy Council, hearing they were
expected, not only ordered the enlistment of Germans, Italians, and a Spanish
corps for service in Scotland, but instructed Wharton to execute some of the
pledges at Carlisle, which was done, and among others who perished was the
Warden of Greyfriars at Dumfries, and the Vicar of Carlaverock, who was
pledge for Lord Maxwell, his near relative.
The war spread to East Scotland, and the actual peril of the young Queen,
when the enemy advanced upon Edinburgh, which was burnt, induced the
Regent to send her to France in 1548, and there she was brought up. Her
marriage to the delicate Dauphin Francis, who was thenceforward styled King of
Scotland in legal documents, gave Henry II. the pretext for making her sign a
document bequeathing Scotland to him in the event of his son's early death
and with this in view he compelled the English forces to quit Scotland by
attacking Dunkirk and Calais.
A truce was signed for ten years at Norham in March 1550, when the
Laird of Johnstoun was released. It provided that the Debateable Land
between the Esk and the Sark should belong to neither kingdom but lie waste