Editing Border reivers (section)

==Border surnames==
[[File:Hermitage Castle 06.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hermitage Castle]], the strength of [[Liddesdale]] and an important stronghold for the Scottish Marches. Its holder, the Keeper of Liddesdale, usually had equal status to the Scottish Wardens of the Marches.]]

Surnames in the Anglo-Scottish Borders were not merely hereditary identifiers, but functioned as markers of kinship and power. These familial groups emerged during a period of sustained conflict, particularly following the Scottish Wars of Independence, where the need for organized, often violent, defense and raiding operations reshaped social and political structures along the frontier.<ref name="Ellis, Steven G 1995, p. 59-60">Ellis, Steven G. Tudor Frontiers and Noble Power: The Making of the British State. Oxford University Press, 1995, p. 59-60.</ref>

A variety of terms describe the Border families, such as the "Riding Surnames" and the "Graynes" thereof.<ref>Mervyn E. James, ''Society, politics, and culture : studies in early modern England'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986) pp. 93–96 [https://books.google.com/books?id=WGXw7aR3AckC&pg=PA93]</ref><ref>Ellis, Steven G. Tudor Frontiers and Noble Power: The Making of the British State. Oxford University Press, 1995, p.59-60.</ref>

Surnames, understood as defensive kinship groups, weren't recorded until [[1498]] in a royal precept issued to the [[sheriff of Northumberland]] that the term "Surnames" was used to describe certain families inhabiting [[Tynedale]] and [[Redesdale]].<ref>Etty, Claire (2008). "Neighbours from Hell? Living with Tynedale and Redesdale, 1489–1547". In Prestwich, Michael (ed.). Liberties and Identities in the Medieval British Isles p. 121. Boydell & Brewer. Available from: VitalSource Bookshelf, Ingram Publisher Services UK - Academic.</ref> Though it is generally assumed that these kinship groups emerged as a consequence of the Scottish Wars of Independence.<ref name="Ellis, Steven G 1995, p. 59-60"/>

This can be equated to the system of the Highland Clans and their [[Sept (social)|sept]]s. e.g. [[Clan Donald]] and [[Clan MacDonald of Sleat]], can be compared with the [[Duke of Buccleuch|Scotts of Buccleuch]] and the Scotts of Harden and elsewhere. Both Border Graynes and Highland septs, however, had the essential feature of patriarchal leadership by the chief of the name, known as 'Heidsman' in the Borders and had territories in which most of their kindred lived.<ref>Moffat, Alistair. The Reivers: The Story of the Border Reivers. Birlinn, 2011. pp18</ref>

In an Act of the [[Scottish Parliament]] of 1587 there is the description of the "{{lang|enm|italic=no|Chiftanis and chieffis of all clannis ... duelland in the hielands or bordouris}}" – thus using the words 'clan' and 'chief' to describe both Highland and Lowland families. The act goes on to list the various Border clans. Later, Sir George MacKenzie of Rosehaugh, the Lord Advocate (Attorney General), writing in 1680 said "By the term 'chief' we call the representative of the family from the word chef or head and in the [[Irish language|Irish]] (Gaelic) with us the chief of the family is called the head of the clan". Thus, the words chief or head, and clan or family, are interchangeable. It is therefore possible to talk of the [[Macdonald baronets|MacDonald]] family or the Maxwell clan. The idea that Highlanders should be listed as clans while the Lowlanders are listed as families originated as a 19th-century convention.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/clans_families_septs.htm|title=Clans, Families and Septs|website=www.electricscotland.com}}</ref>

===Surnames in the Marches of Scotland (1587)===

In 1587, the [[Parliament of Scotland]] passed a statute: "For the quieting and keping in obiedince of the disorderit subjectis inhabitantis of the borders hielands and Ilis."<ref>Great Britain III Acts of the Parliament of Scotland pp.466–467 (1587)</ref> Attached to the statute was a roll of surnames from both the Border country and Highlands. The Borders portion listed 17 {{lang|enm|clannis}} with a chief and their associated Marches:
[[File:Anglo-Scottish Marches v1.png|right|thumb|Regions of the Scottish marches]]
'''''Middle March'''''
* [[Clan Elliot|Elliot]], [[Clan Armstrong|Armstrong]], Nixon, Crozier
'''''West March'''''
* Scott, Bates, Little, Thomsons, Glendenning, Irving, Bell, [[Clan Carruthers|Carruthers]], [[Graham (surname)|Graham]], [[Clan Johnstone|Johnstone]], Jardine, Moffat, and Latimer.

Of the border clans or ''Graynes'' listed on this roll, [[Clan Elliot|Elliot]], [[Clan Carruthers|Carruthers]], [[Clan Scott|Scott]], [[Clan Irvine|Irvine]], [[Clan Graham|Graham]], [[Clan Johnstone|Johnstone]], [[Clan Jardine|Jardine]] and [[Clan Moffat|Moffat]] are registered with the Court of Lord Lyon in Edinburgh as Scottish Clans (with a Chief), others such as [[Clan Armstrong|Armstrong]], [[Clan Little|Little]] and Bell are [[armigerous]] clans with no Chief, while such as [[Clan Blackadder]], also an [[armigerous]] clan in the Middle Ages, later died out or lost their lands, and are unregistered with the Lyon Court.

'''The historic riding surnames recorded by [[George MacDonald Fraser]] in [[The Steel Bonnets]] (London: Harvill, 1989)<ref>George McDonald Fraser, ''The Steel Bonnets'' (London: Harvill, 1989) pp.&nbsp;56–65</ref> are:'''

'''''East March'''''
* Scotland: [[Clan Home|Hume]], [[Clan Trotter|Trotter]], [[Dixon Baronets|Dixon]], [[Bromfield (surname)|Bromfield]], [[Craw (surname)|Craw]], [[Clan Cranstoun|Cranston]].
* England: [[Forster (surname)|Forster]], [[Selby family|Selby]], [[Gray (surname)|Gray]], [[Dunn (surname)|Dunn]].
'''''Middle March'''''
* Scotland: Burns, [[Clan Kerr|Kerr]], [[Clan Young|Young]], [[Clan Pringle|Pringle]], Davison, Gilchrist, [[Tait (surname)|Tait]] of East Teviotdale. [[Clan Scott|Scott]], Oliver, [[Clan Turnbull|Turnbull]], Rutherford of West Teviotdale. [[Clan Armstrong|Armstrong]], Croser, [[Clan Eliott|Elliot]], Nixon, [[Clan Douglas|Douglas]], Laidlaw, [[Routledge]], Turner, [[Clan Henderson|Henderson]] of Liddesdale.
* England: Anderson, [[Potts (surname)|Potts]], [[Reed (name)|Reed]], [[Clan Hall|Hall]], Hedley of Redesdale. Charlton, Robson, Dodd, Dodds, Milburn, Yarrow, [[Stapleton (surname)|Stapleton]] of Tynedale. Also Fenwick, [[Ogle family|Ogle]], Heron, Witherington, Medford (later [[Mitford family|Mitford]]), Collingwood, Carnaby, Shaftoe, Ridley, Stokoe, Stamper, Wilkinson, Hunter, Huntley, [[Thomson (surname)|Thomson]], Jamieson.
'''''West March'''''
* Scotland: Bell, [[Clan Irvine|Irvine]], Irving, [[Clan Johnstone|Johnstone]], [[Clan Maxwell|Maxwell]], Carlisle, Beattie, [[Clan Little|Little]], [[Clan Carruthers|Carruthers]], Glendenning, Routledge, [[Clan Moffat|Moffat]].
* England: Graham, [[Hetherington]], Musgrave, Storey, Lowther, Curwen, [[Salkeld]], Dacre, Harden, [[Hodgson]], Routledge, Tailor, Noble.

Relationships between the border clans varied from uneasy alliance to open, deadly [[feud]]. It took little to start a feud; a chance quarrel or misuse of office was sufficient. Feuds might continue for years until patched up in the face of invasion from the other kingdoms or when the outbreak of other feuds caused alliances to shift. The border was easily destabilised if Graynes from opposite sides of the border were at feud. Feuds also provided ready excuse for particularly murderous raids or pursuits.

Riders did not wear identifying [[tartan]]s. The tradition of family tartans dates from the [[Victorian era]] and was inspired by the novels of [[Sir Walter Scott]]. The typical dress of reivers included [[Jack of plate]], steel bonnets ([[helmet]]s), and [[riding boot]]s.