Oliver Castle
| Oliver Castle | ||
|---|---|---|
 Oliver from Nether Minzion : Oliver House can be seen at the top left and the wooded area of the old hill fort at the top right |
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| Creation time : | 11th or 12th century | |
| Castle type : | Niederungsburg (Peel Tower) | |
| Conservation status: | Burgstall | |
| Standing position : | Scottish nobility | |
| Place: | Tweedsmuir | |
| Geographical location | 55 ° 30 '33 " N , 3 ° 25' 48" W | |
| Height: | 290 m ASLTemplate: height / unknown reference | |
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Oliver Castle is an Outbound medieval lowland castle of the type of a Peel tower in the upper Tweedtal in the Scottish management unit Scottish Borders . A hill fort of the same name was north of the village of Tweedsmuir , but the exact location of the Peel Tower is not certain. The tower, mentioned in a document from around 1200, originally belonged to a series of Peel Towers along the Tweed Valley. In the 17th century it was replaced by a house, which in turn had to give way to today's Oliver House at the end of the 18th century . During the Tower House era, most of the site belonged to Clan Tweedie members .
history
The castle was originally associated with the Fraser clan and is believed to be named after Oliver Fraser , who donated land to Newbattle Abbey , as noted in the abbey's register. It is not known to which family members Oliver Fraser and his nephew Adam inherited the castle , but the Frasers continued to draw power from Oliver Castle, with Sir Bernard Fraser and Sir Gilbert Fraser holding the hereditary office of Sheriff of Tweeddale . A descendant, Sir Simon Fraser († 1306), Knight Banneret , fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence .
By marrying Sir Simon Fraser's daughter or granddaughter, Oliver Castle fell to the Tweedies ; through this they also won the village of Drumelzier . The legendary lawlessness of the Scottish Marches arose around bitter family feuds and conflicts over cattle. In an incident typical of the time, Thomas Porteus of nearby Hawkshaw was charged on February 16, 1489, with stealing 74 lambs from the lands of Oliver Castle belonging to William Tweedie and Lawrence Tweedie .
In the 17th or 18th century, the Tweedies had a new house built, which was later replaced by today's Oliver House. Construction of the latter was started by Oliver Castle in 1780 on behalf of Thomas Tweedie . Building blocks from the old Peel Tower were probably used in both houses.
Location and remains
The site of the prehistoric hill fort is a Scheduled Monument . It is located on a low hill, about 60 meters above the valley floor and covered an area of about 60 meters × 55 meters. The two lines of defense are now visible as little more than the edges of grassy terrain. Inside, the existence of wooden houses is assumed, but stone foundations have also been found. The connection between these remains and the medieval Peel Tower has not yet been confirmed by excavations, even if it is assumed on site that the Peel Tower was on the site of the Wallburg.
Today's Oliver House is further down, about 200 meters southwest of the Wallburg; it is still inhabited today. A coat of arms is attached to it, which comes from the previous house, which was 50 meters further to the north-west. The house is a typical manor house , which has been changed a lot over the years. It bears the year 1734 and the initials of James Tweedie from Oliver Castle and his wife Margaret , nee. Ewart . The year 1649 was written on the old house.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fraser of that Ilk . Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ↑ Michael Forbes Tweedie: The History of the Tweedie, or Tweedy, Family . WP Griffith & Sons. Pp. 145, 1902. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ↑ Michael Forbes Tweedie: The History of the Tweedie, or Tweedy, Family . WP Griffith & Sons. S. 21. 1902. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ^ A b Michael Forbes Tweedie: The History of the Tweedie, or Tweedy, Family . WP Griffith & Sons. 1902. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ↑ Scheduled Monument - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ↑ Entry on Oliver Castle in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)
- ↑ Entry on Oliver in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)