History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 85

The hamlet of Rutherford enters into the Scottish record during the reign of William the
Lion shortly after 1165. Since the time of James Rutherfurd II the Rutherfurd chieftains
have always been from Edgerston which is to the south of Rutherford on the Jed River
flowing through the town of Jedburgh. The other close relatives of the Rutherfords are
all of Flemish origin. Like the Homes, Hopringles, Lauders and Nisbets, the
Rutherfords were the ancestral escutifers [squires] of the Douglas chiefs. Because of
the similarity between the Rutherford and Balliol arms it is thought that they too may
have family connections. The Balliol family also came to England with William the
Conqueror and were also from Flanders. They fought under the flag of the Counts of
Boulogne [Boulonnais]. Their heraldric charge is the reversed tinctures of the de
Wavrin family and identical to the Rutherfords. Baldwin of Bailleul, castellan of Ypres
was married to Agnes de Wavrin in the 1130s.

Rutherford of that ilk
The town name of Rutherford or Ruderforde is no doubt of great antiquity. The nearby
moor of Rutherford has the vestiges of a Roman encampment, with a Roman
causeway. In its glory days Rutherford had a hospital dedicated to Saint Mary
Magdalene. Hospitals in those days were as much an inn as a hospital. Therefore, the
mission of Saint Mary Magdalene's Hospital was to take in travelers and care for the
poor and sick of the area. In those days, there was no church at Rutherford, only a
chapel within the hospital. The chapel churchyard also had a cemetery. In 1296 the
master of the hospital swore fealty to Edward I "Longshanks" of England along with
three other Rutherfords; Nicholas, Aymer and Margaret. These were the days of Sir
William Wallace's fight for Scottish independence from the English and this "fealty"
was achieved at the point of a sword. Later when Scotland had won its freedom, King
Robert the Bruce granted the newly created hospital to the protection of the Abbey of
Jedburgh. As of yet, no archaeological work has been done on the former site of the
town or its hospital. In about 1770 the cemetery was ploughed under. The
gravestones were broken up and thrown into field drains by a farmer. In 1296 there
was no parish attached to Rutherford, however, the present parish of Maxton
comprises the ancient parishes of Maccuston/Mackiston and Rutherford. After its
destruction by the English, Rutherford was absorbed into Maxton parish, a small town
to the west.
During the reigns of Saint/Queen Margaret and Saint/King David [mother and son]
abbeys were created at Kelso, Melrose, Dryburgh and Jedburgh. These were
strategically placed defenses against English invasions. This defensive line across the
Cheviot Hills also included the smaller parishes, such as, Rutherford, Roxburgh,
Makerstoun and Maxton. The Cheviot Hills are a region of heathered moorlands and
smoothly rounded hills divided by deep glens. The Tweed River itself has always been
a barrier against the English and the river made Rutherford very important militarily. If
Jedburgh Castle fell, the next line of defense was Rutherford on the Tweed and
nearby Roxburgh Castle.

The Royal Burgh of Jedburgh
Jedburgh has always been the political, religious and military center of "the lands of
Rutherford". Jedburgh was made a royal burgh in the reign of Saint/King David I and
received a charter from Robert the Bruce. Central to the town of Jedburgh are the old
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