road already mentioned, showing that it was necessary in going from the one place to the other to traverse the Parish of Maxton, which certainly would not be the case in going from Roxburgh to Newton Don. Newtown, a mile nearer Newstead, would better fit the line of the road. The village is an old one, and is mentioned in a Melrose charter of the reign of Queen Mary, 1559.[1] This, however, would be a very long way from Thirlestane.

The course of the road after passing Lauder is more clearly indicated in a confirmation by Pope Celestine III. in 1196, by which he 'confirmed to God and the Church of St. Mary at Dryburgh and to the canons serving God there and to my Mother Church at Channelkirk, a toft and croft in the village of Samsonshiels, one toft and croft, namely a toft of one rood in front and a croft with land contiguous to the same croft of three full acres, close to my house from the west, and also that land arable as well as meadow which lies on the west side between the aforesaid croft itself and the burn, the march between my land and Pilmuir, that is to say, beginning on the south side at a certain stone cross set up on the edge of the same burn and extending as far as Derestrete in length northwards. To this likewise an acre which belonged to William, the son of Robert, with the land which lies between the same acre and hank between Samsonshiels and Pilmuir in breadth, and from the aforesaid stone cross as far as the way which leads to Wenneshead in length, and so by the same road on the east side continuously from the ditch of Pilmuir as far as Bradestrutherburn, and thence going on towards the north exactly as that stream formerly ran to the Leader.'[*] The road is here following the line of the Leader

* Confirmasse Deo et ecclesie Sancte Marie de Driburgh et canonicis ibidem Deo servientibus et matrici mee ecclesie de Childinchirch in villa de Samsonchelis unum toftum et croftum toftum scilicet unius rode in fronte et croftum cum [trium] plenarum acrarum terre contigue eidem crofto proximo domni mee ab occidente et insuper terram illam tam arabilem quam pratum que jacet ex parte occidentali inter predictum croftum suum et rivulum metam inter terram meam et Pilemuir videlicet incipiendo ex parte australi a quadam cruce lapidea statuta in margine ejusdem rivuli usque in Derestrete versus boream in longum. Ad hec etiam acram que fuit Vilielmi filij Roberti cum terra que jacet inter eandem acram et fossatum inter Samsonchelis et Pilemur in latum et a supradicta cruce lapidea usque in viam que ducit ad Wennesheued in longum et sic per eandem viam ex parte orientali continue a fossato de Pilemore usque in Bradstrother­burne et inde tenendo versus aquilonem sicut rivulus ille antiquitus currebat usque in Leder. Liber de Dryburgh, p. 123, No. 176.

1 Liber de Melros, vol. ii. p. 649.

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