The History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland, Volume 1. By Joseph Nicolson, Richard Burn, published London 1777.

CHAPTER VII. 
Of the State of the Borders during the reign of King Edward the Sixth.

In the beginning of this reign, in 1547, in the month of February in that year, is a manuscript account by Sir Thomas Carleton of Carleton hall of a forray in Scotland conducted by himself, who commanded a party under the (then) lord Wharton.

“The first day (he says) we made a road into Tevidale, and got a great booty of goods, and that night we lay in the old walls of Wawcop Tower, and builded to-falls ; but for lack of housing both for ourselves and horses, we could not remain there the weather was so sore ; and so we came to Canonby, where we lay a good space, and then went to Dumfries, and lay there, who submitted themselves to become the king's majesty's subjects of England. And the morrow after my coming hither, I went into the Moot hall, and making a proclamation in the king of England's name, that all manner of men should come in and make oath to the king's majesty, every man at his peril, they all came and swore, whereof I made a book and sent it to the lord Wharton. And I so continued about ten days. And so making proclamation, that whoso would come in and make oath, and lay-in pledges, to serve the king's majesty of England, he should have our aid and maintenance, and who would not, we would be on them with fire and sword; many of the lairds of Nithsdale and Galloway came in and laid-in pledges.

But the town of Kirkobree, being 24 miles from Dumfries, refused: insomuch that the lord Wharton moved me, if it were possible, with safety, to give the same town of Kirkobree a preisse (proof) to burn it. And so we rode thither one night, and coming a little after sun-rising, they who saw us coming barred their gates, and kept their dikes: For the town is diked on both sides, with a gate to the water-ward, and a gate in the over end to the fell-ward. There we lighted on foot and gave the town a sharp onset and assault, and slew one honest man in the town with an arrow; insomuch that one wife came to the ditch, and called for one that would take her husband and save his life. Anthon' Armstrong being ready said, Fetch him to me, and I'll warrant his life. The woman ran into the town, and fetched her husband and brought him through the dike; and delivered him to the said Anthon' ; who brought him into England, and ransomed him. - The tutor of Bombye, near adjoining the said town, impeached us with a company of men; and so we drew from the town and gave Bombye the onset, where was slain of our part Clement Taylor; of theirs three, and divers taken, and the rest fled.

And so we returned, seized about 2000 sheep, 200 kye and oxen, and 40 or 50 horses, mares, and colts, and brought the same towards Dumfries. The country beyond the water of Dee gathered, and came to a place called the Forehead ford. So we left all our sheep, and put our worst horsed men before the nowte and naggs, and sent 30 of the best horsed to preeke at the Scots, if they should come over the water, and 1 to abide with the standard in their relief. Which the Scots perceiving, stayed and came not over. So that we passed quietly that night to Dumfries, leaving the goods in safety with men and good watch. In the morning we repaired to the goods, a mile beyond Dumfries, of intent to have divided and dealt the booty; and some claimed this cow, and some that nagg, to be under assurance, and ran through the goods. Above all, one man of the laird of Empsfielde came amongst the goods, and would needs take one cow, saying he would be stopped by no man, insomuch that one Thomas Taylor, called Tom with the bow, being one of the garrison, and being charged with keeping of the goods, struck the said Scotsman on the head with his bow, so that the blood ran down over his shoulders.

Going to his master there, and crying out, his master went with him to the Master Maxwell. The Master Maxwell came, with a great rout after him, and brought the man with the bloody head to me - saying, with an earnest countenance, "Is this, think ye, wele; both to take our goods, and thus to shed our blood?" I, considering the Master at that present to be two for one, thought best to use him and the rest of the Scots with good words, and gentle and fair speeches, for they were determined even there to have given us an onset, and to have taken the goods from us, and to have made that their quarrel. So that I persuaded him and the rest to stay themselves; and for the man that hurt the other man, he should be punished to the example of all others to commit the like, giving him that gave the stroke sharp words before them; and the goods should all be stayed, and none dealt, till the next morrow, and then every man to come that had any claim, and upon proof it should be redressed; and thus willed every man quietly for that time to depart. Upon this we all agreed, and so we left the goods in safe keeping, and came to Dumfries about one of the clock in the afternoon, giving every one of the garrison secret warning to put on their jacks, and bridle and saddle their horses, and to meet me immediately at the bridge end, and so they did. I sent 42 men for the goods, and to meet me at a ford a mile above the town, where we brought the goods over, and so came by Lochmaben, and divided them that night, and brought them to Canonby where we remained before: And thus with wiles we beguiled the Scots."