Ettrickhall, Ettrick, Selkirkshire, Scotland

Notes:
Showing Ettrick only.

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STRANGE PAGES FROM FAMILY PAPERS

By T.F. THISELTON DYER, LONDON

SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY

LIMITED

St. Dunstan's House,Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, E.C., 1895



Ettrick Hall, for instance, near the head of Ettrick Water, had such a history. On and around its site in former days there was a considerable village, and "as late as the Revolution, it contained no fewer than fifty-three fine houses." But about the year 1700, when the numbers in this little village were still very considerable, James Anderson, a member of the Tushielaw family, pulled down a number of small cottages, leaving many of the tenants—some of whom were aged and infirm—homeless. It was in vain that these poor people appealed to him for a little merciful consideration, for he refused to lend an ear to their complaints, and in a short time a splendid house was built on the property, known as Ettrick Hall. What was considered by the inhabitants far and wide as an act of cruel injustice incurred its own punishment, for a prophetic rhyme was about the same period made on it, by whom nobody could tell, and which, says James Hogg, writing in the year 1826, has been most wonderfully verified:



Ettrick Hall stands on yon plain,

Right sore exposed to wind and rain;

And on it the sun shines never at morn,

Because it was built in the widow's corn;

And its foundations can never be sure,

Because it was built on the ruin of the poor.

And or an age is come and gane,

Or the trees o'er the chimly-taps grow green,

We kinna wen where the house has been.

The curse that alighted on this fair mansion at length accomplished its destructive work, because nowadays there is not a vestige of it remaining, nor has there been for these many years; indeed, so complete was the collapse of this ill-fated house, that its site could only be identified by the avenue and lanes of trees; while many clay cottages, on the other hand, which were built previously, long remained intact.



Described in the Selkirkshire OS Name Book, 1858 as follows...

"A comfortable dwelling, two stories high, and, having steading offices and a large farm, partly Arable and pasture land attached; the peoperty of J Patterson Esqr. Galashiels - On the wall, dividing the V. [Vegetable] garden from the main road, is a small plain stone with (" J. H. Poet) rudely cut upon it; and which, marks the site of the hearthstone of the house in which James Hogg (Ettrick Shepherd), was born"

Location : Latitude: 55.420883756989255, Longitude: -3.1462141661133955

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