Marchmont Estate facts for kids
The Marchmont Estate is a large area of land located near the village of Greenlaw in the Scottish Borders, about 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Edinburgh. It sits in a special area called the Merse, which is between the Lammermuirs hills to the north and the Cheviots to the south. This part of Scotland is known for its beautiful scenery, with different types of land, from high, open moorland to rich farmland. The estate has changed a lot over time, growing and shrinking, since it was first started in the 1400s by the Hume family.
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A Look at Marchmont's Past
The story of Marchmont Estate is told by how it changed over hundreds of years. Many old papers and records about the estate can be found in places like the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh. These documents often show how the estate's size changed and why.
How the Estate Grew
Marchmont Estate really started to grow thanks to a man named Sir Patrick Hume, who was born in 1641. He lived in the area of Polwarth, which was the main part of what became Marchmont Estate. His family's old home was Redbraes Castle. The Humes had owned land in Polwarth since 1470.
Sir Patrick was a strong supporter of William of Orange, who later became King of Great Britain. Because of this, Sir Patrick had to escape to Holland in 1686, and his lands were taken away. But he came back with King William III in 1689. The King rewarded Sir Patrick for his loyalty. He was given back his lands and was made Lord Polwarth in 1690. Later, in 1697, he became the Earl of Marchmont. In 1698, he was given a very important job as the King's High Commissioner to the Parliament. These important jobs brought him a lot of political power and wealth. This new wealth helped the Marchmont Estate grow very quickly as the Earl bought more land and houses nearby.
Marchmont's Changing Size
The late 1600s and most of the 1700s were a time when the Marchmont Estate expanded rapidly. The Hume family of Marchmont was very rich and powerful in Berwickshire during this period.
Building Marchmont House
It wasn't until 1755 that the Hume family moved from Redbraes Castle to their grand new home, Marchmont House. This house was built to suit such an important estate. Plans for the house had been made earlier by Alexander, the 2nd Earl, but it was Hugh, the 3rd Earl, who actually had it built.
Much of the money for building this large house and buying more land came from selling other estates. These estates came into the family when Alexander, the 2nd Earl, married Margaret Campbell, who was very wealthy. This meant the Hume family continued to have great political power and wealth. Lord Marchmont was very interested in his estates. He spent a lot of money improving his property and made it much bigger by buying Home Castle and other farms.
How the Estate Expanded
Records from 1779 show just how fast the estate grew. They list all the lands bought from the late 1600s through most of the 1700s. Many of the farm names from that time are still used today. Some of the lands bought included Greenlaw (1697), Foulshallow (1700), and the Barony of Hume (1766). The estate even bought farms many miles away, like Headshaw and Kelphope, which were halfway to Edinburgh. It's not clear why these distant lands were bought, as they didn't seem to fit a clear geographical plan.
Measuring the Estate Over Time
Two important documents help us understand the estate's size over its history. One is a detailed map and survey from 1825, when Sir William Purves-Hume-Campbell owned the estate. The other is the sales information from when the house and estate were put up for auction in June 1913. This was done by Sir John Hume Campbell, the last Hume owner.
The 1825 survey shows that the estate covered about 21,000 acres (85 km²). The estate was so important that a railway station was built for it. This station was between the Duns and Greenlaw stations on the Berwickshire Railway line, which opened in 1849. The railway tracks at Marchmont were removed in 1953.
However, by the time the estate was put up for sale in 1913, about 90 years later, its size had shrunk to about 13,500 acres (55 km²). When it was finally sold at auction, it was only about 5,000 acres (20 km²). This reduction happened because the Hume family's wealth was decreasing. Many of the farms further away were sold off, especially those south of Greenlaw. A map from 1902 shows these areas were part of Marchmont, so they must have been sold in the early 1900s. The main part of the estate, north and northwest of Greenlaw, was mostly kept.
The parkland around Marchmont House has changed little in over 250 years. Even though some trees have been cut down, the beautiful avenue, which is one of the longest in Scotland, still leads to the house from the northeast. During most of the 1900s, the estate included farms like Woodheads and Whiteside Slegden. However, two of these, Elwartlaw and Cothill, were sold in the late 1970s and early 1980s. More recently, some land has been bought back or added. Today, the estate has about 5,500 acres (22 km²) of land it owns outright and another 3,500 acres (14 km²) of land it leases. This total of 9,000 acres (36 km²) is still a significant size today.
Daily Life on the Estate
Old documents also give us a glimpse into the daily lives of people on the estate. The Marchmont estate "Work Book" from 1743-1745 lists the daily tasks of the estate workers, where they worked, and how much they were paid. For example, Jo Nisbet, one of the workers, was listed as "digging Marle" on a Monday. Marl, like lime, was added to soil to make it better for growing crops. This was important in areas like Berwickshire, which had clay soil.
Jo Nisbet also did other jobs like "moeing" (mowing) or "forking hay," "holding up plow," "threshing oats," and "draining nursery." For four days of work, they would typically be paid a quarter of a pound, going up to two pounds for six days of work. Most of the 25 or so men worked six days a week, even on holidays like Christmas Day.
See also
Images for kids
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View of Marchmont Estate from the Green Ride
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Kippet Law, Marchmont Estate
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Pages from the 1825 illustrated survey of Marchmont Estate
