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Edward I, who thereupon granted protection to her and her convent (/).
The battle of Halidonhill was fought near Halystan, on the 28th of July 1333.
Edward III. now showed his gratitude to the prioress and nuns, who had been
ruined by the war ; and who, no doubt, contributed to his victory. He
ordered their convent and houses to be rebuilt at his own expense; he
directed an altar to be erected in their church in honour of St. Margaret, on
the eve of whose festival he had gained so decisive a victory; he appointed
services to be performed annually, on the eve, and festival of St. Margaret,
for ever, at his own charges (g). As this establishment thus lay within Berwick-
bounds, at the noted epoch of the annexation of religious houses, King James's
courtiers could not partake of the plunder of Halystan; which, may, indeed,
have already fallen into the impure hands of Henry VIII.
Of friars, there were no fewer than four convents, as we have seen, in the
town of Berwick. There was a house of Franciscan or Grey Friars, who were
of the order of minorites, who were introduced into Scotland in 1219. The
minorites, with their warden, swore fealty to Edward L, in 1296, and were
protected by him (h). They submitted equally to Edward III., after the battle
of Halidonhill, in 1333 ; and seem to have been patronized by him during his
reign, while the other orders were removed, and English friars placed in their
convents (i). In 1230, Alexander II. founded in Berwick a convent of his
favourite Dominican or Black Friars, who were called Fratres Prcedicatores.
He endowed them with a revenue of forty marks out of his firms of Berwick;
and this endowment was confirmed by Robert Bruce, who added an annual
rent out of a mill at Berwick (k). In 1291, various persons swore fealty to
Edward I. in the deserted church of those brethren (I). They submitted to
Edward, and were protected by him (m). In 1333, when Edward III. entered
Berwick as a conqueror, he removed those preaching friars, and placed
English friars of the same order in their room ; and to them he was studious
to give protection during his lengthened reign (n). A convent of Red or
(f) Prynne, iii., 663. There was another convent at Halystan, on the Coquet, in Northumberland.
Wallis, ii, 512. We may see, in Ayloffe's Calend., 3, the protection granted to Marjorie and her nuns
was to the prioress and convent of Leonard, extra Berwick.
(g) Rym., iv., 571. He continued, as we may learn from Rymer, through his whole reign to make
beneficent grants to the prioress and nuns of Halystan, extra Berwick.
(h) Ayloffe's Calend., 115.                       (i) Ib., 145.                       (k) Robertson's Index, 23.
(I) Bym., ii., 572. But Edward did not here hold his parliament, as Spottiswoode intimates ; and
lie held his parliament and gave his decree in favour of Baliol within the hall of the castle of Berwick.
Ib., 588.
(m) Ayloffe's Calend., 113.                               (n) Ib.. 153-193.