John Balliol The land opposite Norham Castle known as Upsettlington Green and Holywell Haugh was used for meetings during the
wars of Scottish Independence.
Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale, the father of
Robert the Bruce, and the
Competitors for the Crown of Scotland convened at Holywell Haugh on 2 June 1291, and met
Robert Burnell the English
Bishop of Bath and Wells. On the following day
John Balliol acknowledged
Edward I of England as his feudal superior.
James IV James IV established his headquarters at Upsettlington on 5 August 1497 during an attack on
Norham Castle. Here James played cards with the Spanish ambassador
Pedro de Ayala. The approach of an English army led by the
Earl of Surrey forced James to abandon the siege of Norham. Surrey marched towards
Ayton Castle and by 21 August 1497 peace was negotiated and James sent orders to stop re-inforcements coming to Ayton. Soon after, James IV built a new church called Our Lady Kirk of Steill at Upsettlington. Originally, the church served two parishes, Horndene and Upsettlington. It is said that James founded the new church in gratitude for his safe crossing of the
River Tweed, or to commemorate the siege of Norham Castle in 1497 and its peaceful conclusion. An inscription already illegible by the late 18th-century recorded that the church was founded by James in 1500, marking the
Christian jubilee year. The construction was first supervised by Sir Patrick Blacader from 1500 when he was allocated £40 from wool customs for the construction. Blacader's chaplain William Wilkinson managed the accounts, and was given money by Walter Ogilvy. From 1504 onwards the works were directed by George Ker of
Samuelston. In May 1504 the glazier
Thomas Peblis visited to measure the windows for glass. James IV visited in August 1501, and a church organ was brought for this occasion. Payments for the Kirk were listed in the royal accounts under the same 'buildings' heading as for the king's palaces and the ships of the
Royal Scots Navy. A
chasuble embroidered with the royal arms, with an
alb, and an
altar frontal of
arras-work were provided in March 1505, and the building work continued. In legend, the foundation of the church became associated with visits of James IV to Lady Heron of
Ford, and the defeat of the Scottish army at
Flodden. Subsequently, the church was an important meeting place on the border. James gave the lands of Upsettlington and Holywell, with fishing rights, and the patronage of the new church to
Alexander Lord Home. Lord Home had been the patron of the previous church. In the 16th-century fishing rights at Holywell were disputed between
Lord Home and the English Norham castle.
Later sixteenth century The
Earl of Angus and his allies
Lord Home, Lord Livingstone and
John (Red-Bag) Somerville of Cambusnethan met at the Kirk of Steill in 1521. They were leaving Scotland to avoid
Regent Albany their political rival who had returned from France. Angus sent his uncle, the poet
Gavin Douglas to
Cardinal Wolsey from Ladykirk on 13 December 1521. The gentlemen of Selkirk, Jedburgh and Duns were summoned to meet
Mary of Guise at Ladykirk on 24 November 1551, as she returned from France. The 15th century church and village are known as the place where a
treaty supplemental to the
Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis was signed by the English and Scottish commissioners. The Treaty of Upsettlington, May 1559, (as it is known) was concluded within the Lady Kirk and exchanged at the church of Norham in England. The commissioners of
Mary, Queen of Scots and
Francis II of France were the
Earl of Morton, Alexander, Lord Hume,
Henry Sinclair, Dean of Glasgow and
James MacGill of Nether Rankeillour. The English commission included the
Earl of Northumberland and the
Bishop of Durham. Another meeting was held in the church on 22 September 1559 to discuss the management of border disputes. The English delegates were
Ralph Sadler and
James Croft, and the Scottish delegates were
James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell,
Richard Maitland and
Walter Ker of Cessford. ==Notable people==