Bowden is a village in the

Roxburghshire Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh () is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the northwest, and Berwickshire to the north. T ...

area of the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the we ...

, situated south of Melrose, west of

Newtown St Boswells Newtown St Boswells (; ) is a village in the Scottish Borders council areas of Scotland, council area, in south-east Scotland. The village lies south of the Eildon Hills on the Sprouston and Newtown burn (topography), burns, approximately sout ...

and tucked in the shadow of the Eildon Hills,

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

History

In 1113, when King David I of

granted lands to the monks of Selkirk, he also granted them the land at Bothandene (Bowden) and Hailiedene ( Holydean). The charter was renewed in 1124 when the monks moved to Kelso, where they founded the magnificent

Kelso Abbey Kelso Abbey is a ruined Scottish abbeys, Scottish abbey in Kelso, Scottish Borders, Kelso, Scotland. It was founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland in the reign of Alexander ...

. At the same time a religious establishment was founded at Bowden. The abbot of Kelso built a tower at Holydean which was destroyed in 1296. The tower was rebuilt and extended by Isabel Ker of Cessford and renamed Castle Holydean. The castle became the home of the Ker family, later the

Dukes of Roxburghe The Duke of Roxburghe () is a title in the peerage of Scotland created in 1707 along with the titles ''Marquess of Bowmont and Cessford'', ''Earl of Kelso'' and ''Viscount Broxmouth''. John Ker, 5th Earl of Roxburghe became the first holder ...

, who lived there for two centuries before the castle was finally destroyed in 1760 by the 3rd Duke, John Ker. The Roxburghes moved to their new home,

Floors Castle Floors Castle, in Roxburghshire, south-east Scotland, is the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe. Despite its name it is an estate house rather than a fortress. It was built in the 1720s by the architect William Adam for John Ker, 1st Duke of Roxbur ...

, in the early 18th century. In 1531, Bowden village was granted the right to hold a market, the first non-burghal market in Scotland, and a

market cross A market cross, or in Scots, a mercat cross, is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, where historically the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by the monarch, a bishop or a baron. History Market crosses ...

which still stands today was erected - such was the importance of the village in mediaeval times. The cross is now used as the parish

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

. The present Bowden

Kirk Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning 'church'. The term ''the Kirk'' is often used informally to refer specifically to the Church of Scotland, the Scottish national church that developed from the 16th-century Reformation ...

was greatly enlarged in the 17th century, but parts of an older church are still evident. The church is unusual inasmuch as it has three bells, two of which are still in use. The third bell is contained inside the church and bears the inscription ''SOLI DEO GLORIA JOHN MEIKEL ME FECIT EDINBURGHII ANNO 1690'', meaning "I was built by the grace of God at Edinburgh in 1690 by John Meikle". John Meikle was an eminent bell maker and tuner in 17th century

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. The old kirkyard contains many interesting gravestones and, under the east wing, a burial vault which contains 22 members of the Ker family, six of them Dukes of Roxburghe. The church is embellished with some wonderful stained glass windows including the Priest's Door, built at the old priest's doorway. Bowden has been blessed with education since just after the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...

in 1590. The last school was built in the middle of the 19th century but closed in the mid 20th century. The school and schoolmaster's house are still standing and are used as private homes. The Bowden village well was erected in 1861 and still stands in the atmospheric village adjacent to the old school. The village hall was erected in 1896. While the first mention of Bowden is in the early 12th century, its original name of Bothanden is from the

old English language Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo- ...

meaning houses at the stream, the stream in question being the Bowden Burn which cuts through the village. Many artifacts from the Iron-Age have been found in and around Bowden, and there were even traces of an old military road from the Romans in Scotland period. It is known that ancient British tribes lived on the Eildon Hills. The Romans built a fort at nearby Newstead and named it Trimontium, meaning three hills. Originally the people of Bowden were farm labourers and weavers, but in modern times the village is inhabited by many professional people, including doctors, nurses and schoolteachers. After local government restructuring in the early 1970s, Bowden became part of the newly formed

Scottish Borders Council The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the ...

. The war memorial in Bowden dates from 1915, reflecting the early local sacrifice made by this community during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The memorial was designed by Sir

Robert Lorimer Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer, Order of the British Empire, KBE (4 November 1864 – 13 September 1929) was a prolific Scotland, Scottish architect and furniture designer noted for his sensitive restorations of historic houses and castles, f ...

Community Facilities

Bowden has a refurbished village hall in the centre of the village. Bowden Village Hall was built and opened in 1897. The money for erecting the building was all given locally. Many gave services in assisting with the building, including the local farmers who gave their services free for executing the haulage work. The building was designed by Mr Wallace who was the son of a well-known village family. His father having a thriving joiners' business in the village in the 19th century. Mr Wallace gave the design and plans as his contribution to the erection of the hall. The hall was completely refurbished in 2003 thanks to a grant from the National Lottery. This enabled the main hall to be extended by removing the stage and a stepped gallery to be converted into the existing Scott Room. Other improvements were provision of disabled access, a new kitchen and upgraded toilets. A stone inserted into the front wall of the village hall commemorates the legacy from one of the village benefactors, Mr William Dick. He was educated in the village, and then left and spent his life on the railway system. On his retiral he came back to his native Village and resided here until his death in 1925. He left the residue of his estate for the light and improvement of the village. Electric lights were switched on in 1930 to light up the village. Further monies were used to fund extra cloakrooms and to install a hot water system in the village Hall. To the south of the village lies the village kirk, which dates back to 1128.

Notable people associated with Bowden

Thomas Aird Thomas Aird (28 August 180225 April 1876) was a Scottish poet, best known for his 1830 narrative poem '' The Captive of Fez''. Early life and education Aird was born in 1802 at Bowden, Roxburghshire. His parents were James Aird, a builder, an ...

* Lady Grisell Baillie * Lauder Brunton * William Dick, Stationmaster (1847 – 1925), supported Bowden's village development with his legacy * Sir Angus Stewart Deaton, FBA (born 19 October 1945) is a British economist and academic. Deaton is currently a Senior Scholar and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professor of Economics and International Affairs Emeritus at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the Economics Department at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. His research focuses primarily on

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

, inequality,

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

, wellbeing, and

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

. In 2015, he was awarded the

Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (), commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics(), is an award in the field of economic sciences adminis ...

for his analysis of

consumption Consumption may refer to: * Eating *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically known as consumption * Consumer (food chain), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of n ...

, poverty, and

welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...

. * Dr. James Jamieson F.R.C.S.E (1841-1905), a surgeon, born in Bowden. Chairman of the Council, Border Counties Association. Father of James Jamieson (dentist). * Andrew Scott (1757 – 1839), ''The Bowden Poet'' * Thomas Scott, (1854–1927), Painter, lived in Bowden after his marriage to Agnes Buckham. Painted ''Bowden Kirk, near Melrose, Roxburghshire, 1906'' * James Thomson (1827 – 1888), Poet and songwriter (not to be confused with poets: James Thomson 1700 – 1748, James Thomson 1763 – 1832, or James Thomson 1834 - 1882). Born in Bowden, best known for penning the words to ''The Star o' Rabbie Burns.''

Listed Buildings

There are many listed buildings, of various categories, in around the village of Bowden, including the kirk, schoolhouse, market cross and the well. File:Bowden, Scottish Borders.jpg, Mediaeval kirk (extended 17th century) File:Bowden Church 1690 Bell - geograph.org.uk - 866466.jpg, Bowden Church bell (1690) File:BOWDEN_MARKET_CROSS.jpg, Market cross (1531)

References

* Groome, Francis. ''The Ordnance Gazetteer for Scotland'' pages 181-182 * New Statistical Accounts for Scotland 1799 and 1834.

External links