Volume 3

388
various portions of their domain of Ersildun to several tenants in fee. The most
remarkable of all those tenants was Thomas the Rymer, the earliest poet of
Scotland, who flourished here during the latter half of the 13th century (p).
Earlston appears now to have followed the fate and the forfeitures of the suc-
cessive Earls of Dunbar. In February 1505-6, the king and parliament dis-
solved the annexation of the barony of Ersildon to the crown, in order that it
might be given to a favourite (q). It was. on the 4th of March 1505-6, granted
by James IV. to Mungo Home (r). John Home and his son Mungo had
established their residence at Coldenknows on the Leader, below the village of
Earlston three quarters of a mile ; and from this circumstance became known,
in the tradition of the country, by the designation of Home of Coldenknows (s).
The church of Earlston has undergone as many changes as the barony. It
was given, as we have seen, at the middle of the 12th century by Walter de
Lindsey to the monks of Kelso (t). It was by them, with the church of St. Lau-
rence at Berwick, transferred in 1171 to the monks of Durham at Colding-
ham, in exchange for the church of Gordon (u). It was confirmed to them
by the lord of the manor, and by the diocesan, Richard, the bishop of
(p) Chart. Soltre, 24; Fordun, 1. x., c. 43. Popular tradition tells us that Thomas the Rymer
lived in a tcwer at the west end of the village of Ersildun, the ruins whereof may still be seen by
willing eyes. A stone which is built into the front wall of the church, says the minister, bears this
inscription :
" Auld Rhymer's race
Lies in this place."
(q) Parl. Rec., 523.
(r) Dougl. Peer., 346, who quotes the charter in the Pub. Archives for the grant of Ersildun.
James IV. seems to have already given Earlston, before the passing of that act, to the father of
Mungo Home. In 1489, John Home of Whiteriggs, the second son of Alexander, the apparent
heir of Home, and the father of Mungo, obtained from James IV. a charter, " terrum et vill� de
Ersilton." Ib., 346, wherein the charter is quoted. It should be recollected that the Homes,
in the year before, 14<S9, had greatly contributed to dethrone and slay James III. on Stirling field,
whereby the granter of those charters ascended the bloody throne of his father at the age of
sixteen.
(s) Their lineal descendant, Sir James Home of Coldenknows, succeeded in 1636 to the earldom
of Home, upon the death of Earl James without issue. The Kirktown of Earlston had, on the
1st of February 1500-1, been made a burgh of barony in favour of John Home of Coldenknows,
the great grandson of Mungo; and the grant of James VI. was confirmed in 1592. As a burgh
of barony, Earlston has two annual fairs ; one of great resort on the 29th of June, for sheep,
cattle, and horses ; and the other on the third Thursday of October, for cattle and horses. Stat.
Acco., iv., 252.
(t) Chart. Cold., 19.                                       (u) Ib., 71.