Journey Through The Past

The Cursing Stone, originally uploaded by SXV74.

Designed by Andy Altman of Why Not Associates the ‘Cursing Stone’ is a collaboration with sculptor Gordon Young and it’s a 7.5 ton granite boulder situated in Carlisle, England inscribed with a curse which was issued by the Archbishop of Glasgow Gavin Dubar in 1525. The pavement features the names of the families on whom the curse was directed. The curse is quite disturbing to read, here’s an excerpt from it:

“I curse their head and all the hairs of their head; I curse their face, their brain (innermost thoughts), their mouth, their nose, their tongue, their teeth, their forehead, their shoulders, their breast, their heart, their stomach, their back, their womb, their arms, their leggs, their hands, their feet, and every part of their body, from the top of their head to the soles of their feet, before and behind, within and without.”

the curse, originally uploaded by GWcumbria.

The curse of 1525 was aimed at Reiver families known for terrorising the region. The curse was read out by priests in every parish, in an attempt to curb the illegal activities. Dunbar’s curse was a sort of mass produced excommunication designed to frighten the lawless people of the Anglo-Scottish borders generally. It makes no specific reference to Carlisle; the only place name references being to various ‘dales’ of the Scottish side of the border. It was made nearly 500 years ago, for general proclamation from churches. It excommunicates the ‘common traitors, Reivers and thieves’ dwelling in ‘Teviotdale, Eskdale, Liddisdale, Ewesdale, Nithsdale and Annandale’ that is the Scottish Middle and West Marches of the Anglo-Scottish Border. The curse was to apply until such times as they ‘forbear their sins and make satisfaction and penance’. It is written in a southern Scottish dialect. The curse is one of the longest on record and runs to over 1500 words. The text used on the stone is 383 words long - The ‘Archbishop’s stone’

Here is what the 14 ton stone says:

to be hang syne revin and ruggit with doggis, swyne, and utheris wyld beists, abhominable to all the warld. I denounce, proclamis, and declaris all and sindry the committaris of the said saikles murthris, slauchteris, brinying, heirchippes, reiffis, thiftis and spulezeis, oppinly apon day licht and under silence of nicht, alswele within temporale landis as kirklandis; togither with thair part takaris assistaris, supplearis, wittandlie resettaris of thair personis, the gudes reft and stollen be thaim, art or part thereof, and their counsalouris and defendouris, of thair evil dedis generalie CURSIT, waryit, aggregeite, and reaggregeite, with the GREIT CURSING. I curse their heid and all the haris of thair heid; I curse thair face, thair ene, thair mouth, thair neise, thairg toung, thair teith, thair crag, thair schulderis, thair breist, thair hert, thair stomok, thair bak, thair wame, their armes, thair leggis, thair handis, thair feit, and everilk part of thair body, frae the top of their heid to the soill of thair feit, befoir and behind, within and without. I curse thaim gangand and I curse thaim rydand; I curse thaim standand, and I curse thaim sittand; I curse thaim etand, I curse thaim drinkand; I curse thaim walkand, I curse thaim sleepand ; I curse thaim rysand, I curse thaim lyand; I curse thaim at hame, I curse thaim fra hame; I curse thaim within the house, I curse thaim without the house; I curse thair wiffis, thair barnis, and thair servandis participand with thaim in their deides. I wary thair cornys, thair catales, thair woll, thair scheip, thair horse, thair swyne, thair geise, thair hennys, and all thair quyk gude. I wary their hallis, thair chalmeris, thair kechingis, thair stanillis, thair barnys, thair biris, thair bernyardis, thair cailyardis, thair plewis, thair harrowis, and the gudis and housis that is necessair for thair sustentatioun and weilfair. All the malesouns and waresouns that ever gat warldlie creatur sen the begynnyng of the warlde to this hour mot licht apon thaim. The maledictioun of God, that lichtit apon Lucifer and all his fallowis, that strak thaim frae the hie hevin to the deip hell, mot licht apon thaim. The fire and the swerd that stoppit Adam far the yettis of Paradise, mot stop thaim frae the gloir of Hevin, quhill thai bere and mak.

Thanks to Allan Argue of Woodville, Ontario for providing this scan of Gertrude Raney’s obituary from the Cannington Gleaner dated Wednesday, January 15th, 1969. Gertrude was my Helen Lottie Good’s sister.

Photo courtesy of William Nicholson, All rights reserved, used by permission.

Several places called Charlton can be found in England but the surname is so closely associated with Northumberland that the hamlet of Charlton near Bellingham (pronounced Bell-ing-jum) in North Tynedale would seem to be the most likely place of origin for the surname. In the Elizabethan days of Border Raiding, the Charlton clan were active in North Tynedale and carried out sheep and cattle thieving forays throughout the north.

[1] Hesleyside has been in the possession of the Charltons from the time of Richard II., who is recorded to have lent the sum of £100 to an ancestor of the family: the Hall is a handsome structure of white freestone, commanding a varied prospect embracing the picturesque scenery along the vale of the Tyne; attached is a neat Roman Catholic chapel.

[2] Hesleyside Hall is a privately owned 18th century country house and the ancestral home of the Border reiver Charlton family situated near Bellingham, Northumberland. The Charltons have been at Hesleyside since the 14th century The present mansion, believed to be built on the site of a 14th century peel tower, was built in 1719. The grounds were laid out by Capability Brown in 1776 and the east front was remodelled by architect William Newton in 1796. Edward Charlton was created a Baronet in 1645. Later Charltons served as High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1721 and 1837, and as Deputy Lieutenant. The adjacent stable block incorporates a 1747 date stone.

Related entry: The Borders

Hesleyside Hall is the subject of a Northumbrian tune called ‘The Hesleyside Reel’.

In Genealogy, one often wonders, where is this all headed? Where will my journey through the past lead me?

When researching the Charltons of Northeast England it seems that the answer is clear. To the border lands of Scotland and England.

This is the land of my ancestors. Here lay my Charlton Family roots. It was a lawless land where people lived by their wits and the sword, constantly prepared to do battle.

When King James ascended the united thrones of England and Scotland in 1603 he metered out swift and uncompromising “justice” to the border lands.

Exercising a short but brutal campaign against the reivers described by some as “ethnic cleansing,” James wiped the debatable lands clean of the lawlessness and corruption that had existed there between the two realms for some 300 years. Entire families were decimated or scattered. Some that survived, like my ancestors, fled south.

This is the story of my ancestors, the Border Reivers.

The excerpt that follows is from BorderReivers.co.uk

The almost constant warring between England and Scotland changed the lives of the families living immediately north and south of the Border. Owing to their geographical position they were frequently harassed by passing armies who, at the very least, would require provisioning, often without payment, but were usually hell bent on destroying everything before them and causing as much damage and misery as they could.

Crops were destroyed, homesteads burnt and the people murdered or dispersed.

Those living in places known as Liddesdale, Redesdale and Tynedale were the most affected as, for reasons of geography, the invaders regularly used these routes. It is no coincidence that these people, having their crops regularly destroyed and their livestock stolen, looked for other means of sustaining themselves and their families. They took to reiving.

Reiving, raiding for cattle and sheep, and whatever else which could be transported, was the only way to survive and it became an established way of life, a profession, which was regarded with no discredit amongst the Borderers.

The practice spread and was passed down through the generations.

Reiving was not confined to cross boundary targets. Indeed the borderers had a much closer allegiance to their family than to their country. Raids were made, not in the name of Scotland or England, but in the name of their family or clan.

Not only did the Scots raid the English and the English raid the Scots but they took to raiding each other, especially when some act, real or imagined, sparked off conflict between families which often resulted in feuds lasting for generations.

Reiving was not limited to the poorest people, and many a nobleman condoned and even participated in the activities. Officials such as the Wardens of the Marches, who were there to uphold the law, were not above indulging in reiving if they had the opportunity.

The excerpt that follows is from Reivers.com

For over 350 years up to the end of the 16th century what are now Northumberland, Cumbria, The Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway rang to the clash of steel and the thunder of hooves. Robbery and blackmail were everyday professions, raiding, arson, kidnapping, murder and extortion an accepted part of the social system.

While the monarchs of England and Scotland ruled the comparatively secure hearts of their kingdoms, the narrow hill land between was dominated by the lance and the sword. The tribal leaders from their towers, the broken men and outlaws of the mosses, the ordinary peasants of the valleys, in their own phrase, ’shook loose the Border’.

They continued to shake it as long as it was political reality, practising systematic robbery and destruction on each other. History has christened them the Border Reivers. They gave blackmail and bereaved to the English language.

The stamp of the Reivers is still to be seen on the Border Lands - in it’s architecture, culture and people. From the secretive fortified towns and farms to names that once struck fear into men’s hearts - Armstrongs, Grahams, Kerrs, Nixons, Robsons - the legacy of the Reivers remains.

About the Charltons

The excerpt that follows is from The Northeast England History Pages

Visitors to the National Trust’s Wallington Hall near Morpeth can see a huge fresco entitled The Spur On The Dish by Sir William Bell Scott depicting the Charlton family assembled for lunch at Hesleyside.

The Lady of the house has brought in a salver and dish for her hungry family but the salver has been lifted to reveal an empty dish, empty that is except for a riding spur. It was a great tradition of the Charlton family that when the larder was empty the spur would be presented in this way as a hint that it if the family wanted food they would have to go raiding. The Charltons don’t seem all that disappointed at the prospect of raiding enemy territory for mutton or beef. In the violent past famous Border raiding Charltons included John of the Bower and Thomas of Hawcop but Charltons can still be found throughout the Borders today and are a well known family name in the North East.

Thanks to Renae Grubb for forwarding this picture of Betty and Lois Deakin with their cousin Bill (W.B.) Charlton. The photo was apparently taken at St. Stephen, New Brunswick in 1917. The document was found amongst Lois Scott’s genealogical papers.

Submitted by Renae Grubb:

What a lovely surprise I received today from relative Carolyn Graves (Holden, Wallace, McLeod) and her husband Floyd from Moncton, New Brunswick! They were in Regina for their daughter’s graduation this weekend. Carolyn personally hand delivered to me a huge family tree chart showing the many McLeod branches!

The chart was originally meant for Lois Scott however since Lois’ passing, Carolyn wanted me to have the chart. I shall treasure this chart right along with Lois’ research. It will help give the whole view of the many McLeod branches. Lois would have loved all of this exciting genealogy connecting that was going on!

The following is a map of places related to my Charlton, Green, Nixon, White and Nesbitt ancestors of Durham County, England. Click on a marker to view the reference.

View Larger Map

my-ancestors.kml

Dear Renae:

When you ask me if I remember things about the Good family you must remember that I am old enough to be losing my memory, but I do remember most of them quite well.

When I attended high school in Fillmore I lived with Grandpa and Grandma the first year and was a real experience. You have to remember that this was right after the great depression so they were living on a meager pension. Grandpa smoked a pipe so he limited himself to a half pound of the worst smelling tobacco each month. Each morning the routine was that Grandpa would take the ashes out to the back yard and then when he came back Grandma would be ready to hand him the commode pail {there was no sewer or water} and he take it out to the outhouse. Well one morning while he was out with the ashes the telephone repairman came to the door and Grandma, not seeing to well, handed the pail to him. They were a great couple and I regretted not being able to stay with them in my last year but Grandpa took sick and passed away and Grandma moved to farm to live with Uncle Ira and Aunt Mable.

Uncle Ira was a very quiet man but Aunt Mable made up for him. We usual spent Chriistmas with them also Uncle Cliff and Aunt Mildred. Now when those two women got together with my mother Gretta nobody else had much chance. Uncle Ira was my barber for all my boyhood years and he was very good at it. I visited them on other occasions as they had two boys, Ed and George, who were a bit older. Ed is now deceased and George lives in Ontario.

Uncle Cliff was an easy going guy that took a lot to excite. His marriage to Aunt Mildred was a memorable occasion in more ways than one. To start off the car I was in going to Regina [where they were married] rolled south of the city. Nobody was seriously hurt but with a bunch of bumps and bruises we were not really an asset to the wedding. To top the day off when they were leaving on their honeymoon that evening they took their suitcase out and set it beside the car and went in to get another bag. Being that it was Halloween night somebody ran off with the suitcase.

I only met aunt Ethel once so I don’t really remember much about her. She was very kind to our family during the great depression as she always sent us a big Christmas parcel including nuts, candy and dulce. In case you don’t know what dulce is it is a sea weed, purple in color and rich in iodine. Mother of course had been brought up on it so we soon learned to eat it too.

Aunt Gertrude Rainey reminded me of my mother Gretta. I vaguely remember her visiting us in Sask. I was in Ontario one year to pick up a new truck at Oshawa so I stayed with Aunt Gert in Cannington for a few days.

All I remember about Elbridge is that he was killed by bull in Manitoba, and nothing about Helen.

- Uncle Ernest

See also Part 2 of this remembrance

Hi! this is Renae’s mother, Donnett Elder.
So nice to meet you and to hear from you on all this history.

I do remember my mother in law, Gretta Ruth (Good) Elder talking about her younger sister, Helen. She always spoke so fondly of her, her marriage and with sadness of her early death in England. I could tell she felt a very deep loss there. My brother in law, Ernest Elder will be able to tell you many more stories about these times with his Mother and Father. So I will have Renae forward some of this to him and he can relate some stories for you.

The Good family came to Saskatchewan in April, 1905 and Saskatchewan became a Province that year, September 1, 1905. Their arrival at that time made them pioneers and when Saskatchewan celebrated its 75th birthday, 1980, Gretta, her two brothers, Clifford and Ira all received plaques honoring them as pioneers in Saskatchewan. I thought that was the coolest thing that my mother in law was a pioneer. They were all still living then, of course, but Gretta died in 1981. Howard Elder died in May, 1976.

My Mother in law, Gretta Elder, was a great cook with many of her recipes coming from New Brunswick such as the one dish I particularly liked, fish chowder. Ymmm ! Another was brunt sugar chiffon cake but not sure if this was an eastern recipe. She made it with perfection. Her hospitality was always great with wonderful food, all of it home made. She canned everything and all was good.

There were four Good daughters, Ethel married a Deakin and lived down east in New Brunswick, Gertrude married a Rainey and lived in Ontario, Gretta married Howard Elder and lived in Saskatchewan, and Helen married to a Charlton.

Nice visiting with you,
- Donnett