Ancrum () is a village in the Borders area of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, northwest of

Jedburgh Jedburgh ( ; ; or ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and the traditional county town of the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Roxburghshire. History Jedburgh began as ''Jedworð'', the "worth" or enclosed settlem ...

. The village — which currently has a population of around 300 — is situated just off the A68 trunk road on the B6400, which runs through Ancrum. Lilliesleaf lies further along the B6400 and Denholm can be reached along the unclassified road which runs parallel to the

River Teviot The River Teviot (; ), or Teviot Water, is a river of the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and is the largest tributary of the River Tweed by catchment area. The Teviot is an important river for wildlife, especially the Atlantic salmon, but ...

. The name of this place, anciently Alne-crumb, is derived from the situation of its village on a bend of the River Alne, now the

Ale Ale is a style of beer, brewed using a warm fermentation method. In medieval England, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typically has a bittering agent to balance the malt and act as a preservative. Ale ...

. There were formerly two villages distinguished by the appellations of Over Ancrum and Nether Ancrum, of the former of which nothing now remains. The principal event of historical importance is the Battle of Ancrum Moor, which originated in an attempt made in 1545, by Ralph Evers and Bryan Layton, to possess themselves of the lands of the Merse and

Teviotdale Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh () is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the northwest, and Berwickshire to the north. T ...

, which had been conferred upon them by a grant of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, king of England.

Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (c. 148922 January 1557) was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. He was the son of George, Master of Angus, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden, and succ ...

, who had considerable property in that district, determined to resist the attempt, and a battle between his forces and those of the English took place on a moor about a mile and a half north of the village, in which the latter were defeated with great loss. In this conflict, both the villages of Ancrum were burnt to the ground; the village of Nether Ancrum was soon afterwards rebuilt, but of the other nothing remains but the ruins of one or two dilapidated houses. AncrumWarMemorial

Etymology

William J. Watson derived ''Ancrum'' from the river-name Alne +

Cumbric Cumbric is an extinct Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup spoken during the Early Middle Ages in the ''Hen Ogledd'' or "Old North", in Northern England and the southern Scottish Lowlands. It was closely related to Old Welsh and the ot ...

or Gaelic ', meaning 'bend of the river Alne'.

History

In the 13th century the Bishop of Glasgow William de Bondington had a residence here but the location is still being investigated. Much of the history of the area has been written about by Alexander Jeffrey in his paper to the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. There is also wider background information in his 4 volume work ''History and antiquities of Roxburghshire and adjacent districts, from the most remote period to the present time''. This latter work also has a section on Ancrum. Two local landmarks which are visible from certain areas around the village are the

Waterloo Monument The Waterloo Monument near Ancrum in the Scottish Borders is a 150-foot tower, built between 1817 and 1824 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo.

and the

Timpendean Tower Timpendean Tower (tim-pen-deen) or Typenden Castle as it was once known, is a ruined 15th-century tower house near Lanton, around north-west of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders. History It is built on rising ground between the River Teviot a ...

. Ancrum sits in a loop in the

Ale Water The Ale Water is a tributary of the River Teviot, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It rises at Henwoodie Hill and flows through Alemoor Loch. It meets the River Teviot, Teviot south of the village of Ancrum, and it runs through Ashkirk ...

which is where the name derives from (crooked land on the Ale). The Ale joins the

just to the south which in turn then flows past

Monteviot House Monteviot House is the early 18th century home of the Marquess of Lothian, the politician better known as Michael Ancram. It is located on the River Teviot near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. History The house which sits ...

. Walter Kerr, laird of Cessford, seized the House of Ancrum in January 1544 which belonged to the Earl of Bothwell.

Regent Arran In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

sent a force against him. The area just north of the village was the site of the Battle of Ancrum Moor in 1545 when the village was substantially destroyed. Nether Ancrum became a

burgh of barony A burgh of barony was a type of Scottish town (burgh). Burghs of barony were distinct from royal burghs, as the title was granted to a landowner who, as a tenant-in-chief, held his estates directly from the crown. (In some cases, they might also ...

in 1639.

Notable people

* William de Bondington,

chancellor of Scotland The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally titled Lord High Chancellor, was an Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland. The Lord Chancellor was the principal Great Officer of State, the presiding officer of the Parliament of Scotland, the K ...

* Robert Bennet of Chesters, prisoner on the Bass Rock. *

Archibald Elliot Archibald Elliot (August 1761 – 16 June 1823) was a Scottish architecture, architect based in Edinburgh. He had a very distinctive style, typified by square plans, concealed roofs, crenellated walls and square corner towers. All may be said t ...

(1760–1823), architect. * John Livingston (1603–1672), a leading

Covenanter Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...

, was minister in Ancrum from 1648 to 1662 when he was exiled to Rotterdam. His house in Ancrum still bears a mark "The Manse of John Livingston". *

Robert Livingston the Elder Robert Livingston the Elder (13 December 1654 – 1728) was a Scottish-born merchant and government official in the Province of New York. He was granted a patent to 160,000 acres (650 km2/ 250 sq mi) of land along the Hudson River, becomin ...

, (1654–1728), born in Ancrum, was the secretary for Indian affairs of the New York Province and the first lord of

Livingston Manor Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the Province of New York granted to Robert Livingston the Elder during the reign of George I of Great Britain. Located between the Hudson River and the Massachusetts border, the Livingston Manor was locate ...

. * William Rutherford, physiologist * John Veitch (1752–1839), the founder of the

Veitch Nurseries The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into ...

business, was born in Ancrum.

References

;Citations ;Sources * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

*
The Battlefields TrustScran Battlefield siteBordernet

Scotsman
{{authority control Villages in the Scottish Borders Parishes in Roxburghshire

Etymology

History

Notable people

See also

References

External links