{"id":60746,"date":"2016-02-28T16:26:47","date_gmt":"2016-02-28T16:26:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scotclans.com\/?p=60746"},"modified":"2022-03-12T14:31:33","modified_gmt":"2022-03-12T14:31:33","slug":"lang-sandy-armstrong-of-rowanburn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/?p=60746","title":{"rendered":"Lang Sandy Armstrong of Rowanburn"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Lang Sandy Armstrong of Rowanburn was a 16th century leader with a large family who were all hanged by the English warden at Carlisle Castle<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To get the title of ‘The Worst Reiver Ever’ you must have been really bad, the worst of the worst. \u00a0Lang Sandy Armstrong of Rowanburn is known as ‘The Worst Reiver Ever’. \u00a0He gained this nickname mostly because of his height he was well over six foot tall which was a giant 400 years ago. \u00a0He also was one of the most successful and daring freebooters of his clan – Clan Armstrong.<\/p>\n

Clan Armstrong were the most\u00a0dangerous and feared riding clan on the whole Scottish Borders. \u00a0They could put 3,000 men into the saddle and are reputed to have done more damage by foray than any other border clan. Clan Armstrong were now\u00a0broken and without a leader. \u00a0Their last chief,\u00a0Alexander Armstrong of Mangerton, died about 1610.<\/p>\n

Alexander Armstrong was known as\u00a0‘Lang (Long)\u00a0Sandy’. \u00a0He and\u00a0\u00a0his family lived in a tower house in the nearby fields at Cleughfoot. \u00a0It was generally known by the name of \u201cLang Sandy\u2019s Keep,\u201d and was situated on the side of the Tarras, about ten miles from Langholm.<\/p>\n

The village of Rowanburn and Cleughfoot in the borders was part of the notorious Debateable Land, one of the most dangerous places in Europe.<\/p>\n

Sir John Carmichael\u00a0 (1542-1600) was described by the Bishop of Durham as\u00a0\u201cthe most expert borderer.\u201d \u00a0Known as an honest official. \u00a0But to the reiver he was a thorn in their side, he was made\u00a0Warden of the Scottish West March in 1598. \u00a0It was his job to police the area – to bring law especially to the Armstrong Clan. \u00a0In 1600 Carmichael tried meeting with The Armstrong Clan\u00a0sent one of Kinmont Willie Armstrong\u2019s brothers. Alexander Armstrong was known as Sandeis Ringan. Some of Carmichael\u2019s men set about humiliating Ringan.\u00a0 At some point in proceedings for a jest Ringan\u2019s sword was removed from its scabbard and egg yolks put in.\u00a0 The sword was returned and became stuck.\u00a0Not surprisingly Sandeis Ringane was furious and swore vengeance.\u00a0 The meeting did not finish on a positive note. In June that same year\u00a0Carmichael was ambushed by a party of Armstrongs including Thomas Armstrong and his father along with a Taylor, a Forrester, a Scott and a Graham at Raesknowes, on the way to Lochmaben.\u00a0 Richard Lowther commented that it was the third warden that had been killed in Scotland.<\/p>\n

The Armstrongs then proceeded to raid Stanwix, just across the river and up the hill from Carlisle Castle.\u00a0 As the bishop preached his sermon \u2013 the Armstrongs were helping themselves to the available horses.\u00a0 They then moved on to Linstock for some cattle. \u00a0In 1601\u00a0Thomas Armstrong, son to Sandies Ringane, was tried for his part in the murder, had his right hand cut off and was then hanged at the Mercat Cross at Edinburgh. His body was left to hang in chains. \u00a0In 1606\u00a0Lang Sandy Armstrong of Rowanburn.<\/p>\n

evaded capture for his part in Carmichael\u2019s murder until 1606.\u00a0 He was hung together with all eleven of his sons and Willie Kang was indicted. \u00a0Lang Sandy agreed that he\u2019d taken part in the murder but added that he felt forced to the act of violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the men that hangit the theves in Canonbie, be the king\u2019s command, 13 shillings.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The following verses are said to have been composed by one of the Armstrongs, probably Thomas, \u00a0executed for the murder of Sir John Carmichael, of Edrom, Warden of the Middle Marches.<\/p>\n

ARMSTRONG\u2019S GOODNIGHT<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

This night is my departing night,<\/em><\/p>\n

For here nae langer must I stay;<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s neither friend nor foe o\u2019 mine,<\/em><\/p>\n

But wishes me away.<\/em><\/p>\n

What I have done thro\u2019 lack of wit,<\/em><\/p>\n

I never, never can recall;<\/em><\/p>\n

I hope ye\u2019re a\u2019 my friends as yet;<\/em><\/p>\n

Goodnight, and joy be with you all!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1603, Scotland\u2019s King, James VI, travelled south to be crowned King James I of England, and that coronation was the beginning of the end of reiving as it had been known. What had once been to some extent tolerated on James V\u2019s southern boundaries of his Scottish kingdom was no longer acceptable during the reign of James I of England, with the Anglo-Scottish Border an important hub in his new kingdom.<\/p>\n

In the purported \u2018pacification\u2019 of the Anglo-Scottish Borders, Reivers were rounded up so that James could return this particular part of his kingdom to a state of peace. Armstrongs, Elliots, Grahams, Little\u2019s and many other border families were either eradicated in a variety of disposal procedures of the time, shipped to Northern Ireland, or sent to fight in Europe.<\/p>\n

A life sized red sandstone figurine of Lang Sandy can be seen during your tour in the village of Rowanburn. \u00a0The original wooden statue stands guard at the entrance of the Armstrong Museum in Langholm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To get the title of ‘The Worst Reiver Ever’ you must have been really bad, the worst of the worst. \u00a0Lang Sandy Armstrong of Rowanburn is known as ‘The Worst Reiver Ever’. \u00a0He gained this nickname mostly because of his height he was well over six foot tall which was a giant 400 years ago. 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