The Steel Bonnets
From the author of the famous ‘Flashman Papers’ and the ‘Private McAuslan’ stories.An historical narrative about the Anglo-Scottish border raiders in the 16th century
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George MacDonald Fraser
THE STEEL BONNETS
The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers
“If Jesus Christ were emongest
them, they would deceave him, if he woulde heere, trust and followe theire wicked councells!”
RICHARD FENWICK 1597
HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge, London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk
Previously published in trade paperback by Harvill 1989
Reprinted five times
First published by Harvill 1986
First published in Great Britain by Barrie &Jenkins 1971
Copyright © George MacDonald Fraser 1971
The Author asserts the moral right to
be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library
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Ebook Edition © JUNE 2012 ISBN 9780007474288
Version: 2018-01-16
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In memory of
Corporal IKE BLAKELEY of the Border Regiment, killed by a Japanese sniper at Kinde Wood, Central Burma, 1945, and for BOB GRAHAM and SLIM IRVINE wounded in the same action.
CONTENTS
Introduction: The Border Reivers
Part One: THE MAKING OF A FRONTIER
III: England v. Scotland, 1286–1500
Part Two: PEOPLE OF THE MARCHES
Part Three: “SHAKE LOOSE THE BORDER”
XIII: Nothing too hot or too heavy
XIV: A parcel of rogues (William Armstrong of Kinmont, Walter Scott of Harden, Geordie Burn)
XVIII: The Wardens of the Marches
XXII: Terror, blackmail, kidnapping and “decaie”
XXIII: “Fyre and sword upon Tuesday next”
Part Four: THE LONG GOOD-NIGHT, 1503–1603
XXIV: Flodden and after. Biographical note on Thomas Dacre
XXV: The Devil, and Lord Angus
XXIX: The road to Solway Moss. Note on the prisoners of Solway Moss
XXXVI: The Countess and the reivers
XXXVIII: Reidswire and Windygyle
XXXIX: The stirring world of Robert Carey
XLV: Malefactors of the name of Graham
Appendix I: The Archbishop of Glasgow’s “Monition of Cursing” against the Border reivers
Appendix II: The ballad of Kinmont Willie
About the Author
By the Same Author
About the Publisher
At one moment when President Richard Nixon was taking part in his inauguration ceremony, he appeared flanked by Lyndon Johnson and Billy Graham. To anyone familiar with Border history it was one of those historical coincidences which send a little shudder through the mind: in that moment, thousands of miles and centuries in time away from the Debateable Land, the threads came together again; the descendants of three notable Anglo-Scottish Border tribes—families who lived and fought within a few miles of each other on the West Marches in Queen Elizabeth’s time—were standing side by side, and it took very little effort of the imagination to replace the custom-made suits with leather jacks or backs-and-breasts. Only a political commentator would be tactless enough to pursue the resemblance to Border reivers beyond the physical, but there the similarity is strong.
Lyndon Johnson’s is a face and figure that everyone in Dumfriesshire knows; the lined, leathery Northern head and rangy, rather loose-jointed frame belong to one of the commonest Border types. The only mystery is when the “t” which distinguishes Border Johnstones from the others of the name was dropped from his surname. Billy Graham has frequently advertised his Scottishness, perhaps a little thoughtlessly, since there are more Grahams on the southern side of the line than on the northern, but again, the face is familiar.
