Rise of the Border Reivers | Background and Context | Part 1
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- Welcome to my channel! Here you'll find history and folklore from across the British Isles. This is my first history video on this channel, and it is part one in a series on the Border Reivers that raided and pillaged both sides of the Anglo-Scots Border for centuries. This video focuses on the background of the region, and how conflict between England and Scotland brought about the culture of Reiving.
Music Used:
'The Spirits of England' by Robert Powell
'Achaidh Cheide' by Kevin Macleod
'What it is/ Fare Well' by Kathryn Tickell
If you enjoy my content and would like to support my work, you can help me out via PayPal, which is much appreciated: www.paypal.me/...
DukeOfAvalon | Duke Of Avalon | Border Reivers
ANNOUNCEMENT: As History content proved quite popular in the poll I ran, here’s the first video in my series on the Border Reivers. Hope you enjoy. A HUGE thank you to the good people that sent me a bit of money in the last couple of days. As you likely saw in my announcement, my laptop is broken and the only way I could continue to make videos was my purchasing a good quality mobile edition, which was quite pricey. So that’s what I did and I’m back to making them again. There’s some left over so I’ll be putting that towards repairing or replacing my laptop, and getting ahold of some new folklore books to keep putting out content. I greatly appreciate your help!
Good video and interesting topic! Its nice to see a video series dedicated to a, in the wider world, largely unknown topic. As a swede I only came upon this topic a couple of weeks ago when the reivers where mentioned in another UA-cam clip. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series!
Jonathan Ahl Glad to hear it mate. Next part is up very soon
😅
@@TheJollyReiver Do you know how the Nixon's cam to be in Cumberland? I am a Nixon, I have traced back to 1500's. It seems they were possibly clan MacNicol from Skye. The chief sent warriors to the borders in the 1300's, and it seems this is how Nix/Nixon attained their family seat in Cumberland. My other theory is that they were there since Strathclyde. Which would still remain a mystery how they got named sons of nicols. The haplogroup is r1b1b2a1b p-312. My Nixon paternal line was definitely not Anglo, or Norse.
I was born and raised and still reside in a town called "Hell on the Border" in Arkansas. I'm five minutes from Oklahoma which was "Indian Territory" and a totally lawless land. Everything you described about the way of life for these border peoples and the way that morality changed to suit and make people loyal to themselves alone and family names being very pivotal in commanding respect or otherwise is still a mentality that rules where I live today in many many ways. I am excited about this series because I'm of Scotts Irish and English heritage myself on my mother's side and they all came here from West Virginia in the early 1900's although their families came in the 1500's from the clearances of Scotland. That's a Scottish lambswool Henderson plaid scarf made in Oban that you see around my neck in my profile picture because I had a beau that lived on the Isle of Seil several years back and he sent it to me from a 200 year old stone cottage 40 meters from the sea. It smelled like heaven and so familiar even though I've never seen an ocean in my life. I feel that preserving this history and keeping the old ways and language and culture alive is a big part of my life's purpose. I know someday I'll see the lands that made my ancestors and myself so strong. x
Great comment, thank you for sharing :-)
I'm also of Scots Irish descent. A lot of Americans with that heritage don't know that "Scots Irish" doesn't exactly mean a mix of Scottish and Irish, but rather refers to people who came from the borderlands of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. You should check out the book 'Albion's Seed'. It has tons of great information on them.
@@AugustusRay Yes indeed! I love the song Spirit of Albion by Damh the Bard as well. So lovely to hear from someone who knows!
I have always had an affinity for knives,axes, pieces of chain,the mountains etc etc...my children and grandchildren seem to have
the same affinity as did my father
and grandfather...Im thankful to have this warrior blood flowing
through my veins...clan Hay..keep the yolk..
@@AugustusRay the term scots irish is misleading, we call ourselves ulster scots in northern ireland as very little scots settled anywhere else in ireland than the northern part ie ulster, in turn huge amounts of ulster scots migrated to the new world ie appalachia, maine, etc etc,a huge chunk of Americans who claim irish heritage are actually ulster scots.
After the crackdown on reiving, many reivers would find themselves in America, particularly here in my neck of the woods in Appalachia. So much so that I would say a good half of my family tree is from the Anglo Scottish borders. I myself am descended from the Hedleys of Redesdale, my ancestor fleeing here following the English Civil War. Likewise, many other border clans are present in my family tree; Armstrong, Scott, Glendening, Reed - the list goes on.
Ever since I've learned this bit of history, I always found it funny how we moved from one lawless land to another.
A noble heritage. I’ll actually be doing a video eventually on the Reivers in America and Northern Ireland :-)
My family did the same, it seems they couldn't help themselves from fighting the English whether they were in Scotland or America
I was told the Logans were reivers
Hedleys ar bloody everywharev
Good to hear from the American clans. I often wonder at their original transit and the difficulties they must have faced to establish themselves all the way over in America. No weakness there.
Thank you for your erudite and accurate background to the Border Reivers. As descendants of a Border Reiver family, I thank you on our behalf,for making the subject so easy to relate to the next generation.
My grandmother was an Armstrong too. Hello cousin 😁.
Some of us here in Appalachia know our peoples story. Born fighting! A resistance exists in my blood that i never understood until i knew who's blood flows in my veins!
A lot of good border stock in Appalachia!
I love hearing this type of history, my family comes from a reiver clan, and i like to pretend some of my tenancies are lingering genetic habits from this era of my ancestors
Great content mate descend from border reivers myself it's interesting history
Cheers mate. There’s hardly anything about them on YT so thought I’d fill the vacuum
@@TheJollyReiver definitely tried looking for history on the reivers myself on here hardly anything worth of note look forward to the next installment
DukeOfAvalon
That’s awesome! I’ve been looking everywhere for content about this period I can’t wait for more. This is one of the most interesting periods in British history with some of the most interesting families and characters, and I not just saying that because I have the same last name as some of them!
Me tay and I still live there. Jed. Hawick n the stone make me feel like an reet at home
Thank you! Doing my genealogy I discovered my family, the Burrells, are an ancient family from Northumberland and Berwick. We are Boernician and called the Border People. My first ancestor to America was in 1625/1635 to Massachusetts. I discovered that this was too early for the crackdown by King James, so not sure why he came over so early.
Clan Elliot here. From the reiver region. Lost of very interesting family history
My family (Elliot) lived in Liddesdale before moving to Ulster under James VI and then finally to the US. It makes sense we settled in Oklahoma in 1800's considering we had a tendency to thrive in chaos.
Descendent of Clan Bell here, thank you!
Me too, born Bell
Great series. There are many fortified farmhouses in Cumbria/North Lancs.There is a piel tower still in Dalton-in-Furness. Might be worth another chapter in your excellent series. I was born in Barrow-in-Furness and there are many families with border names in and around the town.
Lovely video mate. Kinmont Willie rescue from Corbies Nest by Bold Buccleuch, Bastard Heron's wild charge which rescued Howard at Flodden, Jock Pott the Bastard, the Hot Trod, Bastles, towers and Peles, Spur on the Dish, Moss Troopers and of course 'Steill Bonnett, Jak and Hobbler - those names/things are ingrained in my brain from studying the Borders. Angus McBride's artwork of the Borderers is some of my all time favorites (I see you have a picture of his 'Hot Trod at 5.20)
I love the account of Piccolomini of a border village in the 1430's. He shared a meal, and once evening came the men folk went to the Pele to wait an incoming raid. The Italian then enquired that do the women not fear attack - to which they replied 'we do not count rape as harm' - which indicated what a hard life is was up there as raid and counter raid was a daily occurrence. They were tougher than old leather those folk!
Fascinating, thank you for your comment!
Just wonderful finding this gem. Thank you!! As descendants of the Armstrong Clan, my sons and I are looking forward to this series.
Very good explanation of the reasons for the border reivers coming into existence.
Great historical video! I love Border History, ever since I read the great book "Steel Bonnets" it sounds like you did a lot of research for this video, well done mate! Keep them coming!
Yeah that’s a really good book! Cheers mate, glad you enjoyed!
A fine history lesson, thank you!
Now, if I may.... No more brother wars, people! Our folk simply can't afford them these days! 🏴🏴🇺🇲
Great video. It's fascinating to see the parallels of the border reivers and their descendants who settled the backwoods in America. The Hatfields and McCoys are just another clan-feud.
i see several ancestral Border Collies in the excellent illustrations. A nice touch
Definitely want to add some Reivers to my range of toy soldiers. My father was a highlander from Banff but I now live in the east Borders having moved from North Northumberland. Love your items relating to the Borders.
so Scotland was just as horrific as Cromwell. what a barbaric time. poor, poor people.
so this when the clans formed and how they were so important and strong. very interesting and complicated history. appreciate your video very much, although it’s hard to realize humans can behave like this! (and still do.)
have a wonderful, peaceful day. 🌤️🌷🌱
Thank you for letting me discover this historical period unknown to me.
Proud to be part of Clan Elliot.
Thank you very much for making this video Me, my family and many of my friends ancestors are border reivers
There isn't much info on them so I watch and listen and read everything I find about them
Again cheers mate
:-)
We're related to H Lauder
The Border's have interested me since the release of steel bonnets
I really enjoyed Osprey book's Border's issue looking forward to the rest of your series
THANK YOU
Being from Saint John, New Brunswick Canada I recognized almost all of the names on the register of reiver families as living in the city. The province has long been a home of exiles from reivers and Jacobites to British loyalists in the American Revolution and one of the largest dumping grounds of Irish immigrants during the famine which resulted in one of the largest urban riots in North American history. Thousands died on a small island used as a quarantine center from that time just off in the Bay and kids still sneak out there to scour it's ruins. Ironically there a stone memorial made by the orange order of Canada. All quietly forgotten for the most part but even on my childhood the city was fiercely carved between different geographical areas where the different ethnic groups had settled. Most have forgotten why they dislike and fight eachother but the still did. I didn't think much of it until I left and look back in hindsight.
Nice video, good stuff.
I read a few books about the Reivers a few years back, they echo a lot of what you are saying.
Great video. Looking forward to more in this series. I have known that my ancestors were reivers for some time now, and it's great to hear the history of these people told in such an interesting way.
You've spoken about accents a few times in your videos. I am personally fascinated by different accents and how easily they change from place to place. Your accent is obviously a border accent but I would be grateful if you could tell me where. Sometimes it sounds Scottish, sometimes it sounds Cumbrian.
I found it interesting how quickly the accent changes in the 4 miles between Eyemouth in Scotland and Berwick in England. It probably didnt in the time period you speak of. But it does nowadays. Its definitely noticeable. I also read somewhere that the Berwick accent has changed a lot in the past 50 or so years. The older generation had a much more Scottish twang to their accent than the younger generation nowadays. They actually put this down to the popularity of shows like Geordie Shore and how young people in Northumberland want to be more like Geordies because its trendy..
Its the same as how the Glasgow accent has spread out everywhere, even into parts of Ayrshire....where it never was before. You see the same thing there. The older generation sound just like normal Lowland Scots whereas the younger generation sound more Glasgweigan.
Anyway sorry for dragging it on. I was just wondering if you could pinpoint your accent for me. Love your shows. Very very well done mate
The Jolly Reiver has a distinct Northumbria accent, so you're well off the mark !
Excellent video mate. Can't wait for more of these Duke. I learn almost everything I know about history from videos (I know, I'm low information) so I'm always looking for new history content.
Been a Northumberland born lad and a Forster a true border Revier now living in Canada
You should tie this into their legacy, being both the Ulster-Scots of the Plantations, as well as the people of the Appalachians. Both are rather erroneously known as "Scots-Irish", sadly obfuscating their Borderer origins.
Johnny Haigs I will do mate. I’ll have a video in the series dedicated to this very topic.
Border Reivers begat the Ulstermen who begat the Scots/Irish in America. I know where my blood comes from. I now know why i have never been one to listen to so called "authority".
Yes
@@smartacus88 fake Ulstermen
@@johnq4951 And who/what might you be? I don't claim to be an Ulsterman. I wasn't born in Northern Ireland. But my forefathers we're Ulstermen, and Reivers before that. I am an American. A Southerner in particular, if you wanted another reason to talk shit.
Really enjoyed this and looking forward to next episode!
:-)
Really interested in this series.
Our family history is from the Border Reivers.
Bell of the border here. Awesome content.
Born Bell as well.
Same here.
I've recently discovered the border reivers but through out my life there have been people I've met who I naturally felt a bond with . They all had true inner character and a sense of individuality . Then I got to understand the reiver family / clan system and realised these people I'd known had the surnames Bell , Elliot , Wilson , Storey , Moffat etc .
Could be my imagination but after hundreds of years maybe these people still carry some these reiver traits ? . Could be why myself and all my male ancestors are so obstinate .
oh boy you've opened a can of worms. hail mr nixon, from a clan bell lass. I've felt the same since childhood. I also had an uncanny attraction to drumming. From 6 years old, whenever a local high band school practiced outside on the field, I'd stop playing and freeze, listening as in a trance. I felt pulled in and still do. I truly believe that the pioneering spirit commonly ascribed as a core American attribute by many other countries is the direct spiritual contribution of Reiver's undaunted bravery, creativity, and strength of survival at all costs. what say you?
I do not believe in ancestral memory, but I cannot (and do not wish to) deny a lifelong attraction to Scotland. I have been fortunate to visit The Borders three times, can't wait to get back. The loacals welcomed me in the spirit of a long-lost cousin. Lovely, lovely country, equally lovely people, they are honestly welcoming of their visitors.
Oh, and don't trust a man that doesn't love dogs and the pipes.
Mom/Dad have border names. I am about as big of an independent person as possible. Ancestral memory is real.
Johnston here, biggest rivals were the Moffatt's. Crazy history between the two clans. Luckily we came out on top
Non Quam non paratus
Spero Meliora
It was the Maxwells.Look into the battle of Dryffe sands.
@@davidjohnston7512
Lockerbies licks 👍🏻
Good vid matey! Interesting to learn of the plight of the border folk back in the day. Btw did u ever hear the southern folk tale of 'The Dragon of knuckerhole'? Tis a good'n :D
Indeed I have! I’m making a video on types of British dragons atm coincidently, it’ll be making an appearance
I’m descended from the Musgraves in Cumbria, England.
My brother is currently doing our family tree, we knew we had revivers due to the Stokoe name, but add to that the other surnames he’s discovered that we descend from like the Robsons, the Stevensons and the Armstrongs, we were probably up to our necks in it.
I'm a Robson, my ancestors are Swedish, Scottish and English from Northumberland.
My family on my mums side were Stokoes, its a well known popular
Northumbrian name.
My name is Horn but were from the Scottish Highlands ( origionally way back)
I was born & bred in Northumberland in Corbridge & now live in Seaton Deleval on the North East coast.
Nice to know the Stokoes travelled down to the south!
Regards
🇬🇧👧
This is great ... I've just discovered that I have a direct line of Hetherington's from my great grandmother back through a male line of 10 Hetheringtons to 1500. Many family traits still exist - still so much to learn. Thankyou so much for this ♡
I am canadian and and most of my family have been here for 300 years I can trace many of my family back to this region
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
My father was an Elliott and my mother a Howard. Scottish and English Reivers .
Great video mate,good to learn more about local history
That’s where my Armstrong ancestors came from.
Armstrong here as well
At 08:38 we are treated to a glimpse of Hermitage Castle; remarkable, imposing and atmospheric.
My family is a small one, and we were reivers. We also had a few knights in the family, as shown in my helmeted heraldry. Fuckin dope
Great stuff. Bring more! I'm a Thomson through my mother.
Looking forward to listening to part two
Thanks for posting video. I am very proud to be a descendant of these tuff people. From the boarders to ulster and right here in Appalachia. We are still the most badass group around. We need to stay that way and not conform to the rest of the world and there weak ways.
I can say the fierce, independent and loyal spirit is strong in the Revier’s descendants in Appalachia, my maternal great great grandmother’s maiden name was Elliott and my paternal one was Bell, my grandfather said he got weird looks even in recent times when he told people he had Elliott blood when he moved to England for a time
Corncracker Kid In glad to hear it fella
Those damn Elliott's 👍
Perfect for a winters night in the middle of October.
Having done a little looking into this topic, it's almost eerie how similar the border reivers were to pre-Genghis Mongols. A society where family honour and might-makes-right are the law, land is divided between sons, sheep and cattle are herded instead of agriculture, raiding is a normal and pervasive part of life leading to an unending low-key war, and whose warriors are pony-mounted light cavalry dedicated primarily to raiding. Just put the border reivers in tents (which isn't that impossible, as at the worst periods of the war, people built houses from turf as they would be cheap to rebuild) and have them fight with bows instead of lances and swords (and the Mongols used lances as a secondary weapon) and there'd be no functional difference.
Robert Trevor Thompson here from Clan Thompson 💪⚔️
Love it. Thank YOU.
Descendant of clan Hall here. As no one in my neck of the woods (Utah) has sheep I guess I will have to steal their cars and ransom them back!
Another HALL..! ✊ Living in Yorkshire.. (north England) 🇬🇧
@@glennhall8665 My understanding is after James became King of both England and Scotland he crushed the border reiver clans, deporting many of the young men to other places. For clan Hall that would be Northern Ireland and many of their own accord left for the new world which is how my line ended up in Virginia. However I have read that James also expelled a great many Halls to the south around Yorkshire! It could be that you and I share more than just a common sir name. Could be that you are a descendant of clan Hall as well. It would cost you some pounds but have you given any thought to a Y-DNA test? Halls of the border reiver clan are part of what is called the Little Scots Cluster, a grouping of Y-DNA testers that all share a common male ancestor.
are you considering any videos on the reivers in the jacobite rebellion just asking because Ive recently discovered my ancestors may have been reivers
Reivers in the Jacobite rebellion? Which rebellion?
Really good vid.😊 Thanks Duke!👍
:-)
Great video please keep it going. My family name is from the borders and there is so little info out there...
Thank you. Your doing a great job. 👍
Thank you. Great video!!. It is November. We eagerly await
Hopefully next part up by Sunday :-)
@@TheJollyReiver We appreciate it. Life comes first though. 👍
Good video about an very interesting time in history.
This is really interesting, I hadn't realised my ancestors were border reivers so it's another story I can tell and add to the history of the 'Trotter' clan.
I'm a Pringle on my mother's side and we believe the Cranstons on dad's. Thank you for this information.
Great content
Thanks for posting this, and I'm sorry I only got to it three years late. I'm a Little, and I was told the story that we were somehow tossed out with the Douglases, Scotts, Elliots, and others, after having been lairds of Meikledale.
My family name is Elliot. I grew up in New England. . .I haven't a clue as to much of any of my family's origines or history (relative inter-famlial names: Jones , Fish, Bowdich, Bergren). . .so I subscribed, for the very first time, to your channel. . .
Only Elliot is a reiver surname & Jones is a Welsh one.
@@theseeker4642 thank you seeker. . .
Thanks for a wonderful video.. if I may, I’d also suggest that the Great Famine that lasted from 1315-1317 due to a Volcanic Winter and also the Bubonic Plague that arrived in the Borders around 1350 are very significant.. 🧐
How very intresting :)
:-)
I descend from the Dixons, Forsters and Bells from Northumberland!
I had family on both sides of the border (Foster/Forrester/Montgomery/Fraser/Graham
I’m a graham as well
in canada from clan gray two of my bestfriend are elliott and johnstone and i also know coziers, nixons, and maxwells.
Great video mate
Elliott Clan here. Boldly and Rightly baby!
Fortiter et Recte brother!
Armstrong here
My maiden name is Bell from the Scottish side, my Grandfather Bell always gave me his standard answer when I would ask what the Bells did in Scotland, the answer was horse thieves and murderers.😎 I am sure his Grandmother Bell told him that when he was a boy although I do suspect that her late Husband, John Bell knew it was truth.
Oooooh yes! I love the reiver history and the history of Northumbria. I have reiver bold in me anall! REALLY looking foreward to this series. Make sure you include lots of pictures of the strongholds and the windswept moors, duh! this is a given LOL
Yeah I’m looking forward to making the video on the Strongholds. I’ve got pictures of castle interiors, as well as footage from bastle houses, peel towers, and castles.
Awesome video. Do you know the name of the painting at 4:02, of the shepherd?
If I remember correctly, I remember reading about an English Warden of one of the southern Marches who would not accept bribes or be in any way corrupted or take sides... He didn't last long, they all ganged up on him in the end and killed him. You better get on the right side of at least one or two prominent clans and families or suffer the consequences!
When is the next Part coming out? Thanks! :)
Glen Foster Novenber :-)
Glendinning. Land gifted by Douglas evidently long ago but probably no more. Male clan line evidently gone but a woman possibly related. So many connections all around. Lucky to be here really if so.
Would love to see if you can find any interesting folklore from gloucestershire
Clan Armstrong here. ❤
Names that featured in American history... Johnson, Nixon, Armstrong.
Neil Armstrong is allegedly descended from reivers. Pretty based.
There is a picture from the 1960s which shows Billy Graham, Neil Armstrong and Richard Nixon - all three looking as though they belonged in a rugby front row or under a morion.
My own links to the Border clans are Kerr and Laidlaw. I'm Kerr-handed.
CLAN RUTHERFORD REPORTING IN FROM WEST COAST AMERICA DESCENDED FROM THOMAS RUTHERFORD ~1600 NEC SORTE NEC FATO THEY MOVED TO IRELAND CARGYCREEVY CO DOWN AND SENT THEIR SON ALEXANDER TO NEBRASKA HASTINGS
Long live clan Armstrong! Invictus Maneo!
Clan Hall! A lesser known, but nonetheless brutal clan. Per Ardua ad Alta!
Fortiter et Recte!
@@smartacus88> Hurray! At last somebody mentions the HALL family..! Thankyou. 😀 👍
Nice video mate, if my last name is Little and my dad and grandparents are from Carlisle, do you think that means my ancestors were Scottish or English Reivers ?
Sam Little Well I’m pretty sure that name was first recorded in Roxburghshire, but there is of course a big presence of that name in Cumberland. Realistically, given the clan/family’s placement around the Esk, you hail from both English and Scots Reivers. Remember that borderers have always mixed and interested with each other. It’ll be hard to come by many Cumberland folk that don’t have Scots blood too.
Yes King!!!
Where’s part 2 ?
I beir the bel!
The Elliott’s are here! FORTITER ET RECTE!
I was wondering where we were! We were the real thing.
@@doellt4753 we still are
@@Scott.Elliott i know, not that you'd notice. the secret in plain sight lol
aye ah'm a Thomson 🏇
Where is "Part 2"?
Direct descendant of the Gunn clan here 👋
Excellent video! Do you have any materiel that goes further back to the celts and Gaelic kings?
Border Reiver Clans are not descended from Gaels, those would be the Highland Clans.
excellent stuff. Have you considered entropy alongside paypal for donations?
Afraid I’ve not heard of that my friend
@@TheJollyReiver entropystream.live/app/Shaggy
Where can we find pt2 on the boarder reivers?
Sam Harvey Haven’t made it yet fella. I will do soon when my sore throat clears up
Do you have the other parts to share?
not yet fella, will work on the next part (fortifications of the reivers) in november
Geordies are still here. Its our Land.
You're all mix with the irish so it doesn't count