| 025 Dead
Wife's Grave, Dawyck, Stobo. |
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Description
Although marking on Ordnance Survey maps as "Dead Wife's
Grave", no obvious signs of a grave can be seen. However,
the south gate pillar bears the inscription, "Dead
Wife" and may give name to the location. The only stone in
the area lies beside the same pillar. It is partly buried and it
is not known to have any association with the location. However,
it may be a fallen boundary stone as this location marks the
junction of the parishes of Manor, Stobo and Drumelzier. About
250m from this location, on the south side of the Thief's Road
and overlooking Manor Water, more than 6 small cists were found
which may have some bearing on the name of this site.
Directions
From Manor valley to the south-west of Peebles. Enter Hallmanor
Forest at Hallmanor and follow the main trail. After a sharp
U-bend, turn right up the Old Drove Road. The location is at the
top of the hill along the fence line. The track is rough and
suitable for a mountain bike.
Parking
At entrance to Hallmanor Forest.
Folklore
Here, according to Armstrong, (M J Armstrong 1775)
"it is said, a female Hibernian, sharing the perilous
fate of her husband, fell a sacrifice to the forward zeal
and inveteracy of the country people". Chambers, (W
Chambers 1864) who also records this tradition, suggests
with much probability that the victim was a fugitive from
the battle of Philiphaugh in 1645. Montrose's army
included a large contingent of Scottish MacDonald's from
Antrim, who would naturally have been regarded as Irish and
many of these with their female followers were massacred
after the battle by country fold, or, as John Buchan
considers more likely, by the Covenanting troops.
Fieldnotes
The Dead Wife's Grave is located where an ancient drove road,
The Thief's Road, crosses a parish boundary and would be a
likely place for meeting to take place as can be seen in many of
the stories relating to the Border Reivers. It would not be
inconceivable that traditions or folklore would become
associated with such a location.
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