J. W. Buchan and Rev. H. Paton. Published 1925-7.
This small property adjoins the lands of Wrae on the north, and lies along the west side of the highroad; it includes a small property known as the Acre. The Duckpool, the Acre and other adjoining property comprised what was known in early times as Bertram's land, and there are stories about that which, unfortunately, do not seem capable of verification. Pennecuik (1715) says nothing about the stories, and refers to the 'Dukepool' as 'a little small room, of a long time possessed by the name of Bertram, and still is, who pretend to be chief of that surname.' Armstrong (1775) gives the tradition of his time.
'Duckpool, formerly an extensive property, granted by James V. to a John Bertram, in consideration of his escorting that monarch through the demesnes of Sir James Tweedie, Thane of Drumelzier; who, being informed that a stranger had passed his mansion, without paying the wonted obedience to its lordly owner, pursued the King with sixteen attendants, uniformly arrayed and mounted on white horses, to Glenwhappen, where, having found the refugee among his friends assembled, he imperiously demanded corporal satisfaction for this ideal affront: but the King discovering himself, brought the proud Sir James on his knees for pardon, which was then more readily granted, than forgiven by the Thane. The present proprietor is the lineal descendant of that gift, now reduced by the more powerful lairds to little more than an acre: which, however, acknowledges no superior, tax or assessment: his name is John Bertram.'
That is one story, but there are variants. One is that the King, in recognition of the hospitality and services of Bertram who was a cobbler by trade, granted to him as much land as his wife, who was stoutly built and slow of foot, could walk round in a given time. While the King sat and watched - his stone seat in the garden of the Acre can still be pointed out - Bertram's wife succeeded in encircling a tract of sixteen acres, and this was duly granted, together with the right of pasturing a mare and foal, a sow and nine pigs, on ground near Helms Water.
Another and more circumstantial account tells us that the King (either James IV. or James V.) in disguise came upon Bertram while he was tending his cows and amusing himself with a tune on the bagpipes. He was hospitably entertained, and spent the night in Bertram's cottage. In the morning the King revealed his identity, and promised Bertram a grant of lands adjoining his house, with the pool in the centre - these lands to be called Drone instead of Duckpool in memory of the tunes of the bagpipes - and as much ground at the foot of Holms Water as would keep the mare and foal, sow and pigs, but they were to be driven no faster 'than a woman could walk knitting a sock or spinning with a distaff.' Bertram was also to have five soums on the common of Holmshope. Thereafter Bertram accompanied the King on his way to Badlieu. They passed Drumelzier Castle, and did not stop to render tribute, and Tweedie in great wrath set out in pursuit. They were overtaken at the march between Badlieu and Glenbreck, and the pool in the river at that spot was, according to the writer (Rev. Hamilton Paul) of the second Statistical Account (1834), still called in his day the Drone pool. The King sounded his bugle, and in a few minutes four and twenty belted knights came to his assistance. Tweedie was completely discomfited, and in the trial which followed in Edinburgh, Bertram was given the place of honour.
These are the stories, and all that need be said about them is that there is no evidence whatever that Bertram's land was originally a Crown holding, and that the later titles, which are extant, show that the superiors of the land were the proprietors of Rachan. There are one or two early references. In 1541, in a charter by Malcolm, Lord Fleming, and his wife, Janet Stewart, to their son John, it is stated that one of the part occupiers of the 50s. lands of Rachan was John Bertram; on 23rd July, 1564, James Bertram of 'Dukepule,' in implement of the contract of marriage of his son John with Helen Tailzefeir (Telfer), gave sasine to them of one-third of the Duckpool, otherwise Bertram's lands, and the house occupied by Thomas Porteous, weaver; and in 1564 (30th August) Mariota Geddes designed as lady of the third of 'Dukpule' alias Bertramland, renounced it in favour of the said John Bertram and Helen Telfer, his wife, but under reservation of one rig in the Nuke.
William Bertram of Duckpool petitioned in 1730, along with the other proprietors in the parish, for a share of the common of Helmshope. No share was given to him, and the reason is significant - no titles were produced.
The next reference is not till 1793, when William Bertram conveyed 'the third part of Bertramland or Duckpuill' - there is no trace of any of the writs of the remaining two-thirds to John Bertram and Agnes Seton, his wife. John Bertram's son, also called John, was a writer in Edinburgh, and against him Christian Seton, residing at Huntley, near Linlithgow, obtained in 1804 a decree of adjudication, in virtue of which the property was declared to belong to her in satisfaction of a loan by her to John Bertram's father of £323 and expenses. To Christian Seton her only brother, Robert, was served as heir in 1814, and lie was succeeded by his only surviving sister, Margaret (wife of James Thomas, rector of Grammar School, Linlithgow), who was served as heir in 1839. She sold Duckpool in 1840 to John Fowler, residing at Rachan gate, and he in 1848 sold it to John Tweedie, tenant of Patervan, [He lived for a time in Rachan Cottage, as it was then called, now Merlindale] who in 1850 conveyed it to his brother, Thomas Tweedie of Rachan.
This information is reproduced from A History of Peeblesshire by J. W. Buchan and Rev. H. Paton, published in three volumes between 1925-7 by Jackson, Wylie and Co. of Glasgow. The original book includes many refences to the sources of the information, pedigrees and plates.
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