A BRIEF (AND INCOMPLETE) HISTORY OF THE TAIT CLAN
Patrick Tait wasn’t just a fixer for old Lady Buccleuch (Elizabeth Kerr) – he was also a Knight of the Scottish realm. Sir Patrick was an official ‘procurator’ responsible for moving Lady Buccleuch’s cattle around and also looking out for them. He was placing her cattle on land in 1539 with the consent of her husband, the Knight Walter Scott of Branxholm, and was representing her at days of truce at the Redden Burn regarding stolen livestock from around 1536. He’d also been accused of pasturing sheep in England, with others of the family, in 1523, and of being involved in reiving with a number of the most notorious Armstrongs and Elliots at Jedburgh in 1499. In 1494 a Patrick and William Tait had received a remission from a court at Peebles. It seems fairly likely that the Taits that inhabited land near Cessford castle and were loyal to the Kerrs were relations of Patrick’s either placed in that area to look after his interests, or who had moved there and he had maintained close contact.
The Sir Bryce Tait who witnessed a charter in 1398 will similarly have borne his own arms, while in 1362 a John Tait was a cleric who was awarded an annual pension 20 years later, though there was some confusion whether it was due to him.
If you follow the Scottish naming pattern then there is a probability that Sir Patrick Tait was a blood relation of the Patrick Tait who won the grange of ‘Keltoun’ in Kirkcudbright in 1456. While the Gordon family are famously closely tied to Lochinvar, Alexander Gordon was leased some land in the area from Patrick that year, while John Tait was granted ‘sasine’ of Sorranhill. In 1482 a Dand Tait of Lynton was involved in a legal wrangle with Thomas Stewart of Minto over land, while William Tait (most likely the one receiving the remission with Patrick in 1494) was a witness to Thomas Kerr appealing to the Archbishop of Glasgow in 1518. Two years later he was witness again as Thomas Kerr (Archdeacon of Teviotdale) granted a wedding license to members of the Scott family, and in 1531 William signed again for Thomas Kerr in a land deal with Patrick Murray of Falahill. An Andrew Tait was also a witness and signatory on a document for Andrew Kerr of Primsideloch along with John Pringle of Galashiels, Walter Turnbull of Minto, William Pringle of Tofts, and others, while in 1533 a James Tait witnessed another deal for William Dickson at Ormston.
George Tait was the laird of Pirn in 1441. Ralph and Thomas Tait were witnesses with the Scotts and Kerrs in a land deal that year. In 1464 George Tait of Pirn was a member of the assize at Jedburgh with such leading Scottish Border Lairds as Sir Walter Scott, Andrew Kerr, James Rutherford, Andrew Kerr jnr, Robert Rutherford of Chatto, Archibald Douglas, Walter Scott, Will Pringle, Adam Scott etc.
His (son or grandson) and heir Alexander Tait of Pirn was involved in a couple of big legal documents in 1525 with George Kerr of Lynton, providing for the children of the deceased John Liddle, with Anthony and James Tait also appearing as signatories.
Alexander Tait of Pirn is one of the barons and lairds of Selkirkshire who was summoned to appear before the justice and in 1539 Alexander, who was the procurator for Sir John Brydon, a chaplain in Glasgow, and his son and heir John Brydon junior in Selkirk, was granted lands from the churchman. That year his son George Tait in Pirn appeared at Selkirk in a case to decree that Adam Scott of Burnfoot’s son Thomas was illegitimate, along with David Scott of Buccleuch (son of Walter Scott of Branxholm) Robert Scott of Allanhaugh and others.
In 1564 William Tait was forced to ‘flit and leave’ the Ettrick Forest with John Stewart of Traquair, Alexander Stewart of the Sheillaw, James Hoppringle in the Tinnes, James Scott, and James Dodds by Alexander Lord Home.
The Alexander Tait who was laird of Pirn in 1629 (probably the grandson of the earlier Alexander) his son George Tait, and his un-named grandson, were all involved in a dispute over the lands at Innerleithen mill and forced to produce writs. John Horsburgh, elder, and his son John, both of Hillhouse in Innerleithen, were also involved.
Back in 1498 Dand Tait, the son of Roger Tait, had robbed the church at Innerleithen and Edward Tait robbed the church at Henterland in 1493 while in 1502 Thomas Tait, the son of William Tait in the parish of Culvene, burned Barshaloche and killed John Sinclair. In 1501 George Tait and William Murray killed Archibald McCulloch of Ardwell and William Tait, alias ‘Foul thumbs’ and David Pringle lifted cattle from a William Murray. The Taits of Adamhill in Ayrshire were also a prominent old family.
A full record of the Tait’s involvement in Border Reiving activities can be read here: http://www.mybestseller.co.uk/books/163384
