Hawick Common Riding

After the Chase, toasts and songs on the Friday morning the riders mount their horses once more. On leaving St. Leonard's they proceed to ride the marches of the common land.

The riders proceed to the farthest corner of the Common. They ride past Williestruther Loch and on to the Acreknowe Reservoir. The horses walk in single file along both sides of the reservoir. For some people this is the finest sight of the Common-Riding.

In the olden days the men who rode the marches followed a much longer route. They followed the boundary of the Common. At one point at Whitlaw, the boundary line passed through a house. Half the house was in Hawick Common and half was in the neighbouring property. At first the boundary was marked here by the placing of a turf or divot on the roof (rigging). Later, when the Flag was introduced into the Common-Riding, it was handed up one side of the house, across the roof and down the other side.

Today the Cornet and his mounted supporters ride from Acreknowe to the corner of a field where the “Three Lairdships” meet. Land which belongs to three different owners meets at this point. Here the Cornet dismounts. He ceremoniously cuts and turns a sod (piece of turf). In this way he marks the boundary of the Common for another year as ancient custom demands.

Today it is not necessary to ride the marches to drive off neighbours' sheep. Nor is it necessary to confirm the boundary line in people's minds. The division of the Common and the later erection of dykes and fences saw to that. Nor is the Auld Ca' Knowe visited. Nevertheless, “ Cutting the sod” is one of the most important of all the Common-Riding ceremonies as it commemorates the time when riding the marches or common riding was vital for the people of Hawick.

After cutting the sod the riders move on to the Race Course. Here the Cornet and his supporters gallop round the Course and they are greeted by cheering crowds. The Cornet then places the Flag on the roof of the Committee Rooms and receives his traditional present of a riding-crop.

At the end of the programme of horse racing the riders remount. They go by the way of Crumhaughhill to Myreslawgreen. Here the Cornet and the Right and Left-Hand men and Acting Father leave the followers and ride to the Coble Pool in the River Teviot. The three horsemen, excluding the Acting Father, enter the water and the Cornet lowers the staff of the Flag three times. This is to mark the spot that once formed part of the old march of the town.

On their return to the main party the procession moves off to Mill Path. Here a proclamation is made. It announces that the Marches have been ridden and marked for another year. “ Teribus “ is sung once more.

This ceremony is usually called the “Song Singing”. It takes place on a specially built platform. Until 1859 the Song was sung from the top of “Tibby the Fiddler's” house in Millpath. This was a low thatched cottage which stood on the boundary of the burgh land and that of the Duke of Buccleuch at a point where the railway bridge now crosses the road. The cottage was demolished to make room for the railway. Today the Song is sung from a platform as near to the old site as possible.

Why this ceremony should take place in Millpath at all is something of a mystery. The street is in no other way connected with the Common Riding. However, the ground where Allars and Slitrig Crescents are, used to be a level green haugh. It was known as the Deidhaugh. Archery contests used to be held there. Other military exerAcises, games and sports also took place and these became part of the Common-Riding celebrations.

In less war-like times horse racing was introduced and the larger field at the Common Haugh was used instead. The Song, however, was still sung at the spot where it had always been during the events-in other words “It's aye been”.

After the ceremony of the Song Singing in Millpath the Cornet, now on foot, carries the Flag to the Town Hall. The supporters, also on foot, go with him. At the Town Hall the Flag is displayed from the balcony to show that it has been safely and honourably carried round the marches for another year:

“Safe Oot, Safe In..”