Editing Border reivers (section)

===Border Warfare and the Rise of Surnames===
The Border reivers emerged between the end of the [[First War of Scottish Independence|First Scottish War of Independence]] and the [[Wars of the Roses]], as fortified defenses in England began appear during this period.<ref name="auto25"/><ref name="auto19"/> The earliest example for an elaborate nickname appears in this period, with John "Out with the sword" Turnbull (early 15th century).<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto27">Scott Elliot, George Francis. The Border Elliots and the Family of Minto. David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1897.</ref>

It was during this turbulent period that surnames and heidsmen emerged, reflecting the region's descent into endemic warfare and banditry. These kinship groups and leaders were vital for organising defence, raids, and social order in a lawless frontier where traditional authority had broken down.<ref name="Ellis, Steven G 1995, p.62"/>

During [[Edward II of England|Edward II]]'s reign, men in the liberties of Tynedale and Redesdale received immunity from land confiscation, a deliberate policy to secure their loyalty for Scottish campaigns. These liberties often provided sanctuary for raiders and fugitives, with a formal protected status emerging through Edward's policies.<ref name="auto25"/>

The [[Wars of Scottish Independence|Wars of Independence]] severely impacted the Borders, leading to the displacement of many local gentry families due to violence and instability.<ref name="auto25"/> After the [[Battle of Bannockburn|Battle of Bannockburn (1314)]], the weakened English crown effectively abandoned northern England, issuing [[scorched earth|scorched earth retreat]] orders that were often ignored by English borderers who joined in the plunder. Many families who did leave never to return.<ref>Ralph Robson, The English Highland Clans, (Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers, 1989), p33</ref> However, following the English victory at [[Halidon Hill|Halidon Hill (1333)]], both older and newly emergent Surnames began to re-establish themselves in the region.<ref>Ralph Robson, The English Highland Clans, (Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers, 1989), p35</ref>

In the aftermath of the Battle of Bannockburn, a new type of soldier emerged from the northern counties: the hobelar. These lightly armoured cavalrymen, mounted on hardy fell ponies and equipped with lances or bows, rose to prominence during the reign of Edward III.<ref>Ralph Robson, The English Highland Clans, (Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers, 1989)., p33</ref>

Following [[Edward Balliol]]'s defeat at the [[Battle of Halidon Hill]] (1333), England expanded into southern Scotland and neglected governance of the traditional border region, creating a power vacuum that fostered lawlessness.{{sfn|Neville|1998|pp=30-31}} Despite the Treaty of Berwick ending the Wars of Scottish Independence after [[David II of Scotland|David II]]'s return from English captivity in 1357,<ref>Magnusson, Magnus. Scotland, The Story of a Nation. London: HarperCollins, 2001, pp204-5</ref>  border raiding continued as an established way of life.