Border Reivers

The figures in the section represent those who are dressed and equipped for a Ride on another familys property, or to collect Blackmeal, or to take part in a 'hot trod'. They would normally wear some form of armour or a Jack, plus a steel bonnet.

This is also how reivers serving in the armies or the Kings of England or Scotland would also have looked.

Glossary of terms:

Bairn: A child - also a term for the reivers who followed a particular leader to carry out rides and blackmeal etc, ie Kinmonts Bairns would mean Kinmonts gang of thieves

Bastle House: a defensive property used throughout the borders. It consisted of two floors with the cattle safely secured in the ground floor and the owners residing safely in the upper floor - with all the ladders pulled up for security! Often the only way to capture a Bastle was to burn the residents out.

Blackmeal: a payment made in answer to extortion. The origin of the word 'blackmail'

Broken Man: a Reiver without the affiliation of a Name, or the protection of that Name. Normally a rogue who has contravened the word of his Laird, or committed some grave offence to him.

Caliver: An improved version of the arquebus

Dagg: a pistol

Footloon: borders militia

Galloway Nag: A breed of stocky little border ponies, now extinct, much favoured by reivers

Heidsman: Border family leader - literally 'head man'

Hot Trod: The legal pursuit of reivers in an attempt to apprehend them and recover the stolen livestock. They were allowed to cross the border and must do it with hue and cry, horse and hound. Smouldering peat on a lance signified a hot trod

Jack: the ubiquitous garment of the border reiver. Normally a sleeveless jerking with horn or iron plates sewn between two layers of canvas

Jeddart Stave: a polearm unique to the borders

Lang Spear: A light lance

Latch or Latchbow: a light crossbow that could be used both mounted and on foot

Peel Tower: a larger defensive structure similar to a small castle, where the Laird or Heidsman lived with his family and retainers

Pricker: A light lance

Ride or Riding: a raid mounted by one family against another

Steel Bonnet: a catch all term for a number of styles of armoured helmet

***Please remember that any mounted figures are riders only. Horses need to be ordered

seperately from the 'Elizabethan Horses' section***