Jedburgh

Jedburgh, the county town of Roxburghshire, is beautifully situated on Jed Water, 56 miles by a branch-line (by road 49) SE. of Edinburgh. Of its magnificent Augustinian abbey, founded by David I. in 1118-47, and finally spoiled by the English in 1544-45, the ruined church only remains. This, Norman to Second Pointed in style, is 235 feet long, and has a central tower 86 feet high. In 1823 a jail (now disused) was built on the site of the royal castle (razed 1409), where a skeleton appeared to Alexander III. at his marriage-feast (1285). Other memories has Jedburgh—of Mary Stuart and Prince Charles Edward, of Thomson, Burns, Scott, and Wordsworth, of Mary Somerville and Sir David Brewster. A border town, it nurtured a warlike race, whose slogan, 'Jeddart's here!' was seldom long silent. Their chief weapon was the 'Jeddart axe,' a stout steel-headed pole, 4 feet long; and 'Jeddart justice' is still a byword for hanging first and trying afterwards. Ferniehirst Castle (rebuilt 1598; restored 1889) was the seat of the Kerrs. Jedburgh has been a royal burgh from time immemorial, and till 1885, with Haddington, &c., returned an M.P. Woollen goods have been manufactured here since 1728. Pop. (1841) 3277; (1881) 3402. See Watson's Jedburgh Abbey (2d ed. 1894).