Bowden, Scottish Borders
Encyclopedia
Bowden is a village in the Roxburghshire
area of Scottish Borders
, situated 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Melrose
, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Newtown St Boswells and tucked in the shadow of the Eildon Hills, Scotland
.
of Scotland
granted lands to the monks of Selkirk he also granted them the land at Bothandene (Bowden) and Hailiedene (Holydean
). The charter was renewed in 1124 when the monks moved to Kelso where they founded the maginificent Kelso Abbey
At the same time a religious establishment was founded at Bowden. The abbot of Kelso built a tower at Holydean which was destroyed in 1296. The tower was rebuilt and extend by Isabel Ker of Cessford and renamed Castle Holydean
The castle became the home of the Ker
family, later the Dukes of Roxburghe
lived there for two centuries before finally being destroyed in 1760 by the 3rd Duke, John Ker. The Roxburghes moved to their new home Floors Castle
in the early 18th century.
In 1531, Bowden village was granted the right to hold a market, the first non-burghal market in Scotland, and a market cross
, which still stands today was erected - such was the importance of the village in mediaeval times. The cross is now used as the parish war memorial
The present Bowden Kirk was greatly enlarged in the 17th century but parts of an older church are still evident. The church is unusual in as much it has three bells, two of which are still in use. The third bell is contained inside the church and bears the inscription
SOLI DEO GLORIA JOHN MEIKEL ME FECIT EDINBURGHII ANNO 1690 meaning 'I was built by the grace of God at Edinburgh in 1690 by John Meikle'
John Meikle was an eminent bell maker and tuner in 17th century Edinburgh
. The old kirkyard contains many interesting gravestones and, under the east wing, a burial vault
, contains 22 members of the Ker family, six of them Dukes of Roxburghe. The church is embellished with some wonderful stained glass windows including the Priest's Door, built at the old priest's doorway.
Bowden has been blessed with education since just after the Scottish Reformation
in 1590. The last school was built in the middle of the 19th century but closed in the mid 20th century. The school and schoolmaster's house are still standing and are used as private homes.
The Bowden village well was erected in 1861 and still stands in the atmospheric village adjacent to the old school. The village hall was erected in 1896.
While the first mention of Bowden is in the early 12th century, its original name of Bothanden is from the old English language
meaning houses at the stream, the stream in question being the Bowden Burn which cuts through the village. Many ancient finds from the Iron-Age have been found in and around Bowden and there were even traces of an old military road from the Romans in Scotland period. It is known that ancient British tribes lived on the Eildon Hills and the Romans built a fort at nearby Newstead
and named it Trimontium (meaning three hills)
Originally the people of Bowden were farm labourers and weavers but in modern times the village is inhabited by many professional people including doctors, nurses and schoolteachers.
After local government restructuring in the early 1970s, Bowden became part of the newly formed Scottish Borders Council.
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
area of Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
, situated 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Melrose
Melrose, Scotland
Melrose is a small town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders, historically in Roxburghshire. It is in the Eildon committee area.-Etymology:...
, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Newtown St Boswells and tucked in the shadow of the Eildon Hills, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
History
In 1113 when King David IDavid I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
granted lands to the monks of Selkirk he also granted them the land at Bothandene (Bowden) and Hailiedene (Holydean
Holydean
Holydean is a Scottish feudal Crown Barony and Lordship which lies in Roxburghshire in the neighbourhood of Kelso, in the Borderlands of Scotland, along the River Tweed...
). The charter was renewed in 1124 when the monks moved to Kelso where they founded the maginificent Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey is what remains of a Scottish abbey founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Scotland in the reign of Alexander I. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot waters, the site of what was once the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
At the same time a religious establishment was founded at Bowden. The abbot of Kelso built a tower at Holydean which was destroyed in 1296. The tower was rebuilt and extend by Isabel Ker of Cessford and renamed Castle Holydean
Castle Holydean
Holydean Castle was a castle sited near Kelso in Bowden, 1.25 miles SW of the village, in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, and the former Roxburghshire....
The castle became the home of the Ker
Ker
-People:* Allan Ebenezer Ker* Ker Chien-ming* Crawford Ker* David Ker* George Ker* Humphrey Ker* John Ker* Lucas Arnold Ker*Neil Ripley Ker, a scholar of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts* Richard Ker* Robert Ker* William Ker* William Paton Ker...
family, later the Dukes of Roxburghe
Duke of Roxburghe
The Duke of Roxburghe is a title in the peerage of Scotland created in 1707 along with the titles Marquess of Bowmont and Cessford, Earl of Kelso and Viscount Broxmouth. John Ker, 5th Earl of Roxburghe became the first holder of these titles...
lived there for two centuries before finally being destroyed in 1760 by the 3rd Duke, John Ker. The Roxburghes moved to their new home Floors Castle
Floors Castle
Floors Castle, on the western outskirts of Kelso, south-east Scotland, is the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe. Despite its name it is a country house, rather than a fortress. It was built in the 1720s by the architect William Adam for the 1st Duke, possibly incorporating an earlier tower house...
in the early 18th century.
In 1531, Bowden village was granted the right to hold a market, the first non-burghal market in Scotland, and a market cross
Market cross
A market cross is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in most...
, which still stands today was erected - such was the importance of the village in mediaeval times. The cross is now used as the parish war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
The present Bowden Kirk was greatly enlarged in the 17th century but parts of an older church are still evident. The church is unusual in as much it has three bells, two of which are still in use. The third bell is contained inside the church and bears the inscription
SOLI DEO GLORIA JOHN MEIKEL ME FECIT EDINBURGHII ANNO 1690 meaning 'I was built by the grace of God at Edinburgh in 1690 by John Meikle'
John Meikle was an eminent bell maker and tuner in 17th century Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The old kirkyard contains many interesting gravestones and, under the east wing, a burial vault
Burial vault
Burial vault may refer to:*Burial vault , protective coffin enclosure*Burial vault , underground tomb...
, contains 22 members of the Ker family, six of them Dukes of Roxburghe. The church is embellished with some wonderful stained glass windows including the Priest's Door, built at the old priest's doorway.
Bowden has been blessed with education since just after the Scottish Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
in 1590. The last school was built in the middle of the 19th century but closed in the mid 20th century. The school and schoolmaster's house are still standing and are used as private homes.
The Bowden village well was erected in 1861 and still stands in the atmospheric village adjacent to the old school. The village hall was erected in 1896.
While the first mention of Bowden is in the early 12th century, its original name of Bothanden is from the old English language
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
meaning houses at the stream, the stream in question being the Bowden Burn which cuts through the village. Many ancient finds from the Iron-Age have been found in and around Bowden and there were even traces of an old military road from the Romans in Scotland period. It is known that ancient British tribes lived on the Eildon Hills and the Romans built a fort at nearby Newstead
Newstead, Scottish Borders
Newstead is a village in the Scottish Borders, just east of Melrose, coordinates 55.599704, -2.691987. It has a population of approximately 260, according to the 2001 census.It is reputedly the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Scotland...
and named it Trimontium (meaning three hills)
Originally the people of Bowden were farm labourers and weavers but in modern times the village is inhabited by many professional people including doctors, nurses and schoolteachers.
After local government restructuring in the early 1970s, Bowden became part of the newly formed Scottish Borders Council.
Notable people associated with Bowden
- Lauder Brunton
- Grizel BaillieGrizel BaillieLady Grisell Baillie was a Scottish songwriter.- Biography :The eldest daughter of Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth, afterwards earl of Marchmont, Lady Grisell Baillie was born at Redbraes Castle, Berwickshire. When she was twelve years old, she carried letters from her father to Scottish patriot...
- Thomas AirdThomas AirdThomas Aird , Scottish poet, was born at Bowden, Roxburghshire.Aird was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he met John Wilson, Thomas Carlyle and James Hogg, as well as other men of letters. Under their influence, he decided to devote himself to literary work...
- William DickWilliam DickWilliam Thomas Dick was an Australian politician.Dick was born in Sydney and educated at Fort Street and Newcastle Superior Public Schools. He taught at the state school in the Newcastle suburb of Wickham from 1881 to 1884, at Fort Street Training School 1884 to 1885 and Dulwich Public School ...
Listed Buildings
There are many listed buildings, of various categories, in around the village of Bowden, including the kirk, schoolhouse, market cross and the well.See also
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of places in East Lothian
- List of places in Edinburgh
- List of places in Midlothian
- List of places in West Lothian
- List of places in Scotland