THE BORDER REIVERS.

[urbanspaceman]

I'm a Graham; at least I was until my father married my mother.
Her family finally settled down to farming in Ford/Etal but her father ran off with the circus and became a lion tamer.
We were not alone in our infamy: the bloody Armstrongs and Robsons were equally unpleasant... they are still a thorn in my side - having employed both over the years.
It has now become fashionable, up here on the borders, to take pride in your Reiver ancestry.
The value of such prestige is as debatable as the borderlands; although our Port wines can inspire such confidence.
Here's our crest:

[Interested Party]

What, who is the hawk, eagle eating?

Never mind. I found an answer https://www.scotsconnection.com/clan_crests/Graham.htm . I did not find out what the stork represented.

[urbanspaceman]

It is a falcon killing a stork... don't ask me about the provenance or intention.
If anyone knows - please enlighten us.

[M ELEY]

To be fair, many of the clans did not get along. There was frequent fighting between families and even in-fighting between members. The Highland clans didn't typically like the Lowlanders, etc. We even see this division when it came to the Rebellion periods. Not all Jacobites were Highlanders and vice versa. I've heard of the two separate groups of Clan Campbell, for instance, one supported the Bonny Prince, while the other King George I. So the Reivers weren't exactly a standout in this area. I think what made them 'infamous' was their ferocity, their refusal to 'take a side' and the fact that they did most certainly shake up the establishment on the English border. During their raids, no one was spared some grief, I imagine!

[urbanspaceman]

I have dragged this thread in an irrelevant direction I'm afraid; sorry Peter.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by urbanspaceman

The value of such prestige is as debatable as the borderlands; although our Port wines can inspire such confidence...

You know Keith, you could by a high-end sword for the price of a bottle of Graham's 'Ne Oublie' Tawny Port ? .

[urbanspaceman]

Originally Posted by fernando

You know Keith, you could by a high-end sword for the price of a bottle of Graham's 'Ne Oublie' Tawny Port ? .

Hello Fernando; late in responding: I've been AWOL this weekend.
Graham's Port is available in any of our supermarkets and is an acceptable drop; but I visited a shop in Lisbon on several occasions (corner shop on the edge of the city-center close to the river; sadly, I forget its name) that brings the truth of my previous satisfactory experiences into disrepute. This shop, and its owner made me realise just what a truly wonderful product Port can be. I love Lisbon... especially at Christmas in a tuc-tuc after a couple of glasses.

[fernando]

Just browse the Net on "Ne Oblie" selective Graham's Port cast, to better see what i meant .

[M ELEY]

Here's another sword of the era. I'm assuming these were just the European types that were circulating during the time of the Reivers. I've always been attracted to this sword-type, similar to the 'bird-head' style swords of the 16th/early 17th c.


https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/798614946435429884/

[Peter Hudson]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Here's another sword of the era. I'm assuming these were just the European types that were circulating during the time of the Reivers. I've always been attracted to this sword-type, similar to the 'bird-head' style swords of the 16th/early 17th c.


https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/798614946435429884/

This is an interesting name which could be Northern meaning Hanger...I note from The Free Dictionary that it states;

whinge (wɪndʒ)
vb (intr) , whinges, whingeing or whinged
1. to cry in a fretful way
2. to complain
n
a complaint
[from a Northern variant of Old English hwinsian to whine; related to Old High German winsan, winisan, whence Middle High German winsen]
ˈwhingeing n, adj
ˈwhinger n


As kids we were often told to stop Whingeing and get on with it!!

Regards,
Peter Hudson.

[Peter Hudson]

Further more ... It also meant to give someone a thrust of the broadsword ..To give someone a Whinge .

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Peter Hudson

This is an interesting name which could be Northern meaning Hanger...I note from The Free Dictionary that it states;

whinge (wɪndʒ)
vb (intr) , whinges, whingeing or whinged
1. to cry in a fretful way
2. to complain
n
a complaint
[from a Northern variant of Old English hwinsian to whine; related to Old High German winsan, winisan, whence Middle High German winsen]
ˈwhingeing n, adj
ˈwhinger n


As kids we were often told to stop Whingeing and get on with it!!

Regards,
Peter Hudson.

From "Hunting Weapons", 1971, H.L.Blackmore, p.14:
"...whineyard, whinyard or in its Scottish form, whinger, is defined by Minsheu (Compendium, 1625) as a hanger".