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monks of Kelso the church of Greenlaw to their proper use, with the chapels of
Halyburton and Lambdene, in consideration of the great waste of the suc-
cession war (k).    When the monks made up an estimate of their estate at the
beginning of the 14th century, they stated the rectory of Greenlaw at the
accustomed value of  �26.  13s. 4d. (l).   In Bagimont's roll, the tenth of the
vicarage of Greenlaw was rated at �3 6s. 8d.   The rectory of Greenlaw, including
the chapels of Halyburton and Lambdene, continued to belong to the monks of
Kelso till the Reformation introduced a very different regimen (m).   [The parish
church is old, but has been repaired at various times;  communicants, 316;
stipend, �357.    A Free church has 295, and a U.P. church has 162 members.]
The parish of ECCLES, as the name evinces, is as ancient as Celtic times ;
the British Eglys, and Gaelic Eaylis, signifying a church.    This word appears
in the names of various parishes and places where churches were of old, in
North and South Britain (n).    The church of Eccles was dedicated to St. Cuth-
bert.    In 1156, Gospatrick, the Earl of Dunbar, founded at Eccles a convent
for Cistercian nuns.    To this convent he annexed the church of Eccles with
its pertinents, and the dependant chapels of Brigham, Mersington, and Letham.
The piety of Gospatrick was respected by his descendants, and confirmed by the
bishop of St. Andrews (o).    In the ancient Taxatio, the church of Eccles, with
the chapels of Brigham, Letham, and Mersington, were rated at 100 marks.
The chapel of Brigham stood on the northern bank of the Tweed, at the village
of this name, from its location by the Saxon settlers at some bridge.  The lands
of Brigham were forfeited, by the treason of George Earl of Dunbar, in 1400;
and when he was restored in 1409, he was punished for his folly by various
dilapidations of his property.    Walter Halyburton, who had married the regent
Albany's daughter, and had negotiated his restoration, was rewarded by a grant
of the forty pound land of Brigham.    The chapel of Letham stood in  the
village of that name, within the parish of Eccles ; and when Earl George emi-
grated in 1400, Robert III. granted the lands of Letham to John de Letham (p).
The chapel of Mersington stood in the village of this name, within the same
parish; and David II. confirmed a grant of Patrick Earl of Dunbar to Adam
Hepburn  of Mersington,  and  some  lands   in   Colbrands-path (q).    On  the
(k) Chart. Kelso, 308.                         (l) Chart. Kelso.
(m) For other particulars of the parish of Greenlaw, see the Stat. ACCO., xiv., 501, and the Tabular
State annexed.
(n) Adams's Villare. In Scotland there are Eccles-machan,Eccles-fechan, Eccles-greig, Eccles-
John, and Eagles in Ayrshire, and EayLes-ham in Renfrew.
(o) Reg. of St. Andrews, 59-60.                  (p) Robert. Index, 149.                  (q) Ib., 42.