Volume 3 — 184 THE LADS OF WAMPHRAY
Reading edition
Glenriddell MSS, XI, 34, 1791.
‘Lads of Wamphray, ane old ballad, sometimes called The Galiard,’ is the superscription in the manuscript. Printed in Scott’s Minstrelsy, I, 208, 1802, II, 148, 1833; with the omission of 4 and 36, the insertion of four verses after 8, two transpositions, and some changes of language.
“The following song celebrates the skirmish, in 1593, betwixt the Johnstones and Crichtons, which led to the revival of the ancient quarrel betwixt Johnstone and Maxwell, and finally to the battle of Dryffe Sands, in which the latter lost his life. Wamphray is the name of a parish in Annandale. Lethenhall was the abode of Johnstone of Wamphray, and continued to be so till of late years. William Johnstone of Wamphray, called the Galliard, was a noted freebooter. A place near the head of Teviotdale retains the name of the Galliard’s Faulds (folds), being a valley, where he used to secrete and divide his spoil with his Liddesdale and Eskdale associates. His nom de guerre seems to have been derived from the dance called the galliard. The word is still used in Scotland to express an active, gay, dissipated character. Willie of the Kirkhill, nephew to the Galliard, and his avenger, was also a noted Border robber.”
“Leverhay, Stefenbiggen, Girth-head, etc., are all situated in the parish of Wamphray. The Biddes-burn, where the skirmish took place betwixt the Johnstones and their pursuers, is a rivulet which takes its course among the mountains on the confines of Nithesdale and Annandale. The Wellpath is a pass by which the Johnstones were retreating to their fastnesses in Annandale. Ricklaw-holm is a place upon the Evan water, which falls into the Annan below Moffat. Wamphray-gate was in these days an alehouse.” Scott’s Minstrelsy, I, 208 ff., ed. 1802.
This affair is briefly noticed in the Historie of King James the Sext in the following terms: “Sum unbrydlit men of Johnestons ... hapnit to ryd a steiling in the moneth of Julij this present yeir of God 1593, in the lands and territoreis pertening to the Lord Sanquhar and the knyghtis of Drumlanryg, Lag and Closburne, upon the watter of Nyth; whare, attoure the great reaf and spulye that thay tuik away with violent hand, thay slew and mutilat a great nomber of men wha stude for defence of thair awin geir and to reskew the same from the hands of sik vicious revers.”[301] P. 297.
It is hard to determine whether the first eight stanzas of the ballad are anything more than a prelude, and whether 5, 7 note the customary practice of the Lads of Wamphray, or anticipate, as is done in 3, certain points in the story which follows. The gap after 8 is filled by Scott with verses which describe the Galliard as incapable of keeping his hands from another man’s horse, and as having gone to Nithsdale to steal Sim Crichton’s dun. The Galliard makes an unlucky selection from the Crichton stable, and takes a blind horse instead of the coveted dun. Under the impression that he has the right beast, he calls out to Sim to come out and see a Johnstone ride. The Crichtons mount for pursuit; the Galliard 459sees that they will be up with him, and tries to hide behind a willow-bush. Resistance is vain, for there is no other man by but Will of Kirkhill; entreaties and promises are bootless; the Crichtons hang the Galliard high. Will of Kirkhill vows to avenge his uncle’s death, and to this end goes back to Wamphray and raises a large band of riders, who proceed to Nithsdale and drive off the Crichtons’ cattle. On the return the Johnstones are followed or intercepted by the Crichtons; a fight ensues, and the Crichtons suffer severely. Will of Kirkhill boasts that he has killed a man for every finger of the Galliard. The Johnstones drive the Crichtons’ nout to Wamphray.[302]
There is a story, not sufficiently authenticated, that Lord Maxwell, while engaged in single combat with Johnstone, at the battle of Dryfesands, “was slain behind his back by the cowardly hands of Will of Kirkhill.” The New Statistical Account of Scotland, IV, 148, note[B].
1
Twixt the Girthhead and Langwood-end
Livd the Galiard and Galiard’s men.
2
It is the lads of Lethenha,
The greatest rogues among them a’.
3
It is the lads of Leverhay,
That drove the Crichtons’ gier away.
4
It is the lads o the Kirkhill,
The gay Galiard and Will o Kirkhill,
5
But and the lads o Stefenbiggin,
They broke the house in at the riggin.
6
The lads o Fingland and Hellbackhill,
They were neer for good, but aye for ill.
7
Twixt the Staywood Bass and Langside Hill,
They stelld the broked cow and branded bull.
8
It is the lads o the Girthhead,
The diel’s in them for pride and greed.
9
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
10
The Galiard is to the stable gane;
Instead of the Dun, the Blind he’s taen.
11
‘Come out now, Simmy o the Side,
Come out and see a Johnston ride!
12
‘Here’s the boniest horse in a’Nithside,
And a gentle Johnston aboon his hide.’
13
Simmy Crichton’s mounted then,
And Crichtons has raised mony a ane.
14
The Galiard thought his horse had been fleet,
But they did outstrip him quite out o sight.
15
As soon as the Galiard the Crichton he saw,
Beyond the saugh-bush he did draw.
16
The Crichtons there the Galiard hae taen,
And nane wi him but Willy alane.
17
‘O Simmy, Simmy, now let me gang,
And I vow I’ll neer do a Crichton wrang!
18
‘O Simmy, Simmy, now let me be,
And a peck o goud I’ll gie to thee!
19
‘O Simmy, Simmy, let me gang,
And my wife shall heap it wi her hand!’
20
But the Crichtons wadna let Willy bee,
But they hanged him high upon a tree.
21
O think then Will he was right wae,
When he saw his uncle guided sae.
22
‘But if ever I live Wamphray to see,
My uncle’s death revenged shall be!’
46023
Back to Wamphray Willy’s gane,
And riders has raised mony a ane.
24
Saying, My lads, if ye’ll be true,
Ye’s a’be clad in the noble blue.
25
Back to Nidsdale they are gane,
And away the Crichtons’ nout they hae taen.
26
As they came out at the Wallpath-head,
The Crichtons bad them light and lead.
27
And when they came to the Biddess-burn,
The Crichtons bad them stand and turn.
28
And when they came to the Biddess-strand,
The Crichtons they were hard at hand.
29
But when they cam to the Biddess-law,
The Johnstons bad them stand and draw.
30
Out then spake then Willy Kirkhill:
‘Of fighting, lads, ye’s hae your fill.’
31
Then off his horse Willy he lap,
And a burnishd brand in his hand he took.
32
And through the Crichtons Willy he ran,
And dang them down both horse and man.
33
O but these lads were wondrous rude,
When the Biddess-burn ran three days blood!
34
‘I think, my lads, we’ve done a noble deed;
We have revengd the Galiard’s blood.
35
‘For every finger o the Galiard’s hand,
I vow this day I’ve killed a man.’
36
And hame for Wamphray they are gane,
And away the Crichtons’ nout they’ve taen.
37
‘Sin we’ve done na hurt, nor we’ll take na wrang,
But back to Wamphray we will gang.’
38
As they came in at Evanhead,
At Reaklaw-holm they spred abread.
39
‘Drive on, my lads, it will be late;
We’ll have a pint at Wamphray Gate.
40
‘For where eer I gang, or eer I ride,
The lads o Wamphr[a]y’s on my side.
41
‘For of a’the lads that I do ken,
The lads o Wamphr[a]y’s king o men.’
Not divided into stanzas in the MS. Scott makes stanzas of four lines.
31. Leuerhay.
After 8 Scott inserts:
For the Galliard, and the gay Galliard’s men,
They neer saw a horse but they made it their ain.
The Galliard to Nithside is gane,
To steal Sim Crichton’s winsome dun.
201. let Willy bee, in the text: or the Galiard, in the margin.
211. In the margin: Will of Kirkhill.
382. Breaklaw: changed in the MS. to Reaklaw.
461