March of the 500
First of all its best that I explain to you how truly unstable and undefined the border was between the English and Scottish West marches. So much so that an area was even referred to as the Debateable Lands. This was caused as both England and Scotland claimed the land but neither had any jurisdiction over it. It stretched from roughly Newcastleton in the north all the way down to the Esk estuary in the south. The northern boundary of the Debateable land was marked by a set of standing stones found about three and a half miles west of Kershopefoot. (Map ref: 79 431 839)
Debateable Lands
The Debateable land was not the only area still in dispute when the border was established, in fact there was two others but this was the largest by far. It is about 1450 when the area is first described as the 'Debateable Lands' and is still present on Maps as late as 1590 that I know of. Due to its sheer size it dwarfed the land and problems caused by any other disputed areas. Both Scotland and England made a joint declaration outlining their involvement, and rather foolishly and some what naively, declared that everyone should refrain from conflict and conduct themselves in an orderly manner. The Border Reiver families that spread in to the Debateable lands, such as the Armstrong's Elliots, Crosiers, Nixon's and of course the Routledge, had no interest in declarations and strangely enough continued to go about the lives as usual.
When ever either side tired to dislodge families they simply dispersed into nearby wastes, such as Tarras Moss or the Solway Moss and once it was safe simply returned and the problem just continued. Another solution was attempted in 1551 with the creation of the Scots Dyke. This was a three mile long ditch that cut across the land from just south of Canonbie three miles in a westward direction. Of course a ditch may have solved this problem in the eyes of those in control but it was very naive of them to think that 250 years of lawlessness would be settled and controlled by a ditch or a line on a map. The Debateable lands were still very much a troublesome area for many years afterwards. In the end both countries were forced into making a joint declaration to the affect,
'All Scotsmen and Englishmen from this time forth shall be free to rob, burn, spoil and slay any person or animals or goods belonging to all who inhabit the Debateable Lands'
Add this to already existing ferocious family feuds and existing reiving and this must have turned the area into a even bloodier free for all!
Tarras Moss
In the early years of the Routledges we are often described as having a prominent seat in the Debateable lands in the north and in Tarras Moss. This is surely no coincidence that not far north of Tarras Moss is Hawick, our origins. The Moss was not so much a home to Reivers but more of a refuge. It was a dangerous place to enter to those who did not know it, although today you can not see how. Today it is no more than a slightly boggy moor on heather and grass covered high ground, like so much of the area along the borders.
But back in the midst of the border reivers it was an unforgiving and unwelcoming place. The Moss was a huge expanse of treacherous danger, not only from bogs and mires but also from prowlers. It was certainly a place to be avoided and described as
'a sea of moss and pit-mire... the wildest spot in all the country side'
Seemingly solid ground could swallow a man whole or even a horse. Routes in and out of the Tarras Moss, and patches of dry ground were well known by certain Reiver families and they intended it to keep it that way.
There is one account where the Armstrong's were chased onto the Moss but instead of pursuing the attacker waited for days until starvation was close. None of the locals would feed them until just before he was about to give up he was sold some very healthy oxen. In no time at all they bought them and the wait for the Armstrong's continued, but not for long. It soon transpired that not only had the Armstrong's escaped via a different route but they had stolen the attackers best oxen and sold them back to him to eat. The siege was soon called off and they returned to England very red faced.
The Moss was over looked, and policed from the eerie and formidable Hermitage Castle in the east. Which on first sight appears to have the biggest doorway ever. It stands tall and proud in an otherwise desolate landscape. On cold, wet days the large stone walls seem to amplify the depressing weather and even on sunny ones it still seems a dark and overbearing place.
Although at this point I should remind you that it is our own fault it looks as it does. If you remember the attack I mentioned previously regarding sacking and burning the Manor at Buccleuch in 1494 was so destructive that the Keeper of the castle at the time, David Scott, made large additions to its defences. As to what extent I'm unsure but as there was no more additions to it that I know of after this I suppose you have the Routledges to thank or blame for its current appearance. Even though it is a large uninviting place on the edge of the Moss it is still never the less one of the more majestic feats of castle architecture in my eyes and has often turned up in the history books. The most famous when Mary Queen of Scots met her injured lover, the Earl of Bothwell there. It should be noted that he had been injured by none other than a Border Reiver.
25th May 1528
"Run Routledge, Run"
So what does all this have to do with the Routledges you ask. Well I couldn't tell you what the March of the 500 was without explaining and describing the geography and landscape of the area we lived in at the time. The 25th of May 1528 was the day that brought to an end the Routledges as a powerful and fearsome family. The Warden of the West Marche, Sir Christopher Dacre, was determined to make an end to the Routledges and their associates. And that he did. In the 'History of Liddesdale' by Bruce Armstrong it tells the tale of what happened on the that day in 1528
"Sir Christopher Dacre with a force of 500 men entered The Debateable on the night of the 25th of May 1528. The expedition, which was principally against the Routleges, called ' the Qwyskes', met with little success as they had retired, with their goods to the shealings in the head of Terres, which was the uttermost part of all the debateable ground. Dacre failed to overtake them on account of the great strength of the woods and mosses but he succeeded in securing 80 nolt, 100 sheep and 40 goats."
It goes on further to say how the Routledges had gotten away with most of their moveables and had unthatched their dwellings, but that General Dacre burned what could be burned but "failed to dislodge them" from the Terres. From this point onwards the Routledges are always referred to as "a broken clan". This meant a clan with no chief or home. Dacre may have not slain nor capture any Routledges but his attack, or chase, had devastating consequences to the Routledges.
For what he did not realise was that he had chased them from their homes and had forced them to flee. At first they fled to Tarras Moss which was a safe refuge, but was no place to call home. So this forced the Routledges to flee further or trickle back into the Debateable lands. The Routledges broke at this point into three main groups. The first group venture back into the Debateable Lands and eventually into Liddlesdale and Bewcastle. The Second group fled the border into Scotland and were said to have taken clans names. This meant that they probably joined larger families and dropped their Routledge name taking those of the clans they merged into with out a trace. And the third fled to Ireland and at this point changed their name slightly. Whether it was intended or a clash of languages and accents we may never know but the point was that the Irish Routledges became Rutledge or Ruttledge.
In the eyes of Sir Christopher Dacre he may have failed. But it was a failure which cost the Routledges dearly. Those that returned where a shadow of their former selves. A broken family weaken by those that had fled. The Routledges were now ready to become 'every mans prey'.