Charles I turner, second issue

Charles I (1625–49), whose reign ended in civil war and his own execution, did not have his Scottish coronation until 1633. This turner issued during his reign shows the English crown above ‘CIIR’ for ‘King Charles’ on its heads side. A thistle in a circle is on the reverse.

Worth two pence Scots, this turner is an example of so-called Earl of Stirling coinage. The earl had thought it would be useful to issue low-value copper coins for use in Scotland.

The legend translates as ‘Charles by the grace of God King of Scotland, England, France and Ireland’. In Latin, it reads: ‘CAR DG SCOT ANG FR ET HIB R’.

The motto on the reverse means ‘no one shall hurt me with impunity’. It is written: ‘NEMO ME IMPVNE LACESSET’.

This coin is from the second issue (1632–39) of Charles I copper turners. Never before had an issue of coins in Scotland been milled rather than hammered. Nicholas Briot, a Frenchman, introduced the milling process. The quality of English and Scottish coins improved noticeably as a result.

Smailholm Tower

Smailholm’s 20m-tall tower house, its walls 2.5m deep, dominates a rocky craig. The Pringles, who built this border stronghold in the first half of the 1400s, were a prominent local family.

As the laird’s residence, the tower housed:

cellars on the ground floor
a great hall on the first floor
a bedchamber on the second floor
further chambers at the top

Views from the battlements are impressive: on a good day, you can see mighty Bamburgh Castle, 33 miles away in Northumberland.

The ruined foundations of an outer hall and kitchen block lie in the shadow of the tower. A stout defensive wall encloses the barmkin (courtyard).

Border families and reivers

As squires of the powerful earls of Douglas, the Pringles had the role of warden of the Ettrick Forest – a profitable position. But like everyone else either side of the border, they suffered at the hands of the reivers (cattle raiders).

During two raids in 1544, Northumberland reivers got away with more than 700 cattle and 100 horses. This may have prompted the family to relocate in the later 1500s to Galashiels (their burial vault was in Melrose Abbey).

In 1645, the Scotts of Harden, near Hawick, bought the tower and estate. They already had a fine house, so they leased Smailholm to a kinsman, Walter ‘Beardie’ Scott – better known as Sir Walter Scott’s great-grandfather.

Smailholm and Sir Walter Scott

Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh in 1771, but was sent by his parents to Smailholm as a sickly infant for the good of his health.

Scott was 18 months old when he came to Sandyknowe Farmhouse, the dwelling that replaced Smailholm as the Scott family home. There his grandmother and aunt told him tales of the border countryside.

In his old age, Scott described the powerful effect on his imagination of these border ballads and the sight of his ancestors’ ancient tower, “standing stark and upright like a warden”.

In 1802, Scott published his much acclaimed Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He paid an emotional visit to Smailholm shortly before his death in 1832.

Find out more about Smailholm Tower