HUME CASTLE A HOME OF THE HUMES
On a rough rocky ridge between
Earlston,Greenlaw and Kelso stands the odd looking late 18th century folly of
Hume castle raised by the Earl of Marchmont,which conceals within it's base the
fragments of the original late 13th century courtyard castle enclosing an
L-plan towerhouse and it's medieval well.
The castle was built for the Home
family (later known as Hume) and was attacked on numerious occasions because of
it's position on the border.Some of the main assaults being in 1515,1547,1569
and lastly 1651 when it was demolished by Cromwell's artillery under Colonel
Fenwick. Hume was the Home family's main fortress protecting the Merse.Though
branches of their kin also held Thornton castle,near Dunbar,Dunglass castle and
church,Fast castle and even Coldingham Priory(for a time) all on the eastern
march as well as lands in the west including Cowdenknowes.
But since there are many Home branches
ancestoral connections can be confusing.Some of the main branches were the
Homes of Cowdenknowes,of Wedderburn,Manderston, Renton and Kames,
Blackadder,Crossrigg and Broomhouse.From the Cowdenknowes line (through John of
Earlston) linked to the Douglases,descended Sir Alexander Douglas - Home the
famous Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister in 1963.The Homes of Wedderburn led
to the 'Humes' of Polworth and Marchmont,Sir Patrick being made Lord Polworth
in 1690,later Earl of Marchmont and Chancellor of Scotland in 1697.From the Manderston
Homes descended George Home of Spott who became Earl of Dunbar in 1605.
The Home family were anciently
descended from William the son of Gospatrick Earl of Dunbar and March,though
they changed their name to Home after their estate on the Merse.Interestingly
the Gospatricks of Dunbar castle also changed their name to Dunbar after their
main castle seat and estate.It was not unusual for families to name themselves
after their lands.For example the Douglas family's Flemmish ancestors took their
name from the dark water or 'dubh-ghlase' where they first settled beside in
the west of Scotland.
In 1400 the Dunbars sided with the
English resulting in them facing their old kin the Homes at the battle of
Homildon Hill near Wooler in 1402,where the Scots were defeated by 'Hotspur'
Percy's Welsh archers.Even after the Dunbars returned to the Scots side in 1409
the Homes continued to conspire against them by siding with the Dunbar's rivals
the 'Black' Earls of Douglas.In 1424 Alexander Home died at the battle of
Verneuil in France with his master Archibald 4th Earl of Douglas.In 1433 the
Homes turned Coldingham Priory into a fortified camp ousting William the 'Red'
Douglas from being 'Protector' there(the 'Red' Douglas being an enemy of the
'Black').He was prevented from attacking the Priory by King James I
(1406-1437)as it was an English monastic cell and such an attack would give the
English an excuse to invade.So the Douglas could do nothing to the Homes.
In 1460 King James II's (1437-1460)
wife and son Prince James (later James III 1460 - 1488) stayed at Hume castle
while he attempted to bombard Roxburgh castle (then held by the English) into
submission.Unfortunately one of his cannons the 'Lion' (which may have been
tampered with) exploded killing him and wounding his ally George the 'Red'
Douglas 4th Earl of Angus.The Queen and young Prince rushed to the siege to
encourage the Scots army on to complete the siege in the King's memory.The
Douglas was well enough several days later to crown James King at Kelso
Abbey.With their new boy King the Scots stormed Roxburgh and cast it down.
In 1473 Sir Alexander Home was raised
to the peerage by King James III.Later though in 1488 he sided with the rebel
Lords of Douglas,Hepburn,Hamilton and Halyburton at the battle of
Sauchieburn,near Stirling resulting in the King's murder.The rebel Lords had
used young Prince James (later James IV 1488 - 1513) as a figurehead,though he
never expected his father to be killed.Legend claims that King James IV was so
grieved by his father's death that he picked up a horse's bridle and fastened
it round his waist against his bare skin so that it chafed him as a reminder
and penance for his Father's
murder.There is a mention of "one
link for the King's chain" in James's accounts in later life which gives
substance to the chain legend.As with all men over the age of 25 his waist had
suddenly expanded so a link had to be inserted to accomadiate his wider frame.
In 1513 James IV invaded England taking
the castles of Wark,Norham,Etal and Ford.Instead of pressing on with his
invasion James spent several days dallying with Lady Heron of Ford castle(which
allowed the English time to mass their forces at Alnwick and Newcastle).The
King's actions angered his noblemen as for the Scots army to sit idle at
Flodden field was strategically unsound and several units began to drift
home.Having finished with Lady Heron James burnt down her castle and moved on
to join his men at Flodden.As the English forces appeared marching round the
Scots position,Lord Lyndsay requested permission to lead his horsemen in a
charge to scatter the English.James refused as such an action was unchivalrous
and insisted Lyndsay hold his ground or be hung for insubordination.Lord
Borthwick (the King's cannon commander) pleaded with James for an opportunity
to fire on the English while they were dragging their own cannons into
position.Yet James dismissed the sound advice of his men and insisted Borthwick
fire a salute to welcome the English to the field.Interestingly the salute was
taken by the English to be incompatance as they thought the Scots gunners were
unable to gauge their position.
Once both sides were ready a brief cannon
exchange ensued in which the Scots came off worst.The Homes who could not
tolerate the farce of James's leadership any longer charged down the hillside
with their horsemen and men at arms
close behind scattering the English right rank into chaos.At this point a
border fable claims the Homes who cried a "A Home,A Home" as they
charged into battle was misconstrued by their men to mean go home.So once they
broke through the English lines they fled home.Hence their name was changed to
a Hume so as to save any future mistakes!!!
Instead of trying to emulate the Homes
mounted charge,James squabbled with his nobles demanding that they dismount and
fight on foot with his pikemen.During this time the English right wing
regrouped.As the Scots charged ,the English billmen hooked the heads off their
pikes effectively leaving the Scots holding broom handels.With drawn swords and
dirks they continued to fight but were torn to pieces by the English
bills.James was also slain but the English had problems finding his body.Since
James prior to the Scots charge had ripped off his Royal surcoat to show his
nobles that he was prepared to fight as an ordinary man at arms.Also the body
later recovered by the English claimed to be the King ,didn't have a chain
round it's waist.So some historians claimed he removed his chain while dallying
in Lady Heron's bedroom.However,an ancient border poem claimed that during the
battle of Flodden four Home horsemen swept the field snatching up the King's
body as such a prize could not be allowed to fall into English hands after such
a humiliating defeat.This for many years was dismissed as a border fable.But in
the 1800's when the medieval well of Hume castle was being cleared the skeleton
of a man with a chain round his waist was discovered in a side cave,could this
be King James?Unfortunately this skeleton has since disappeared and is not able
to undergo modern DNA testing.So Hume castle was not only a "home of the
Humes" it may well have been the tomb of a King.
Andrew
Spratt.
spratt@supanet.com