Only a bigoted nationalist (not a patriot) defends, in historical debate, the actions of any ruler – Edward the first waged wars of aggression, and he waged them in a dishonourable way.

Turning to other matters….. “blackmail” is something the Scots (at least the Highland Scots) practiced among themselves.

“black” as in the black cattle.

The various Scottish clans would raid each other for cattle – and threaten to keep them unless money was paid.

This carried on into the 1700′s.

Border Scots tended to not raid each other – just the English.

And the defence (and counter raiding) on the English side was the province of families such as the Percy family.

By the way the regimental museum of the Northumberland Fusiliers is in Alnwick (nice town – as well as good castle).

People forget how big the influence of the traditional families was in the army – even as late as the 19th century.

And, unlike the Prussian Army, it was not really possible for an officer to make a living in the 19th century army (the main army – not the Indian army) as mess bills would take up too much of pay.

This land had a rather Republican Monarchy (or “mixed monarchy”) in that the Crown depended on the landed families – even for its army (and till quite recently, as late as the 19th century).

More the Rome of the Republic than the Rome of the Empire – where soldiers were not even recruited (normally) south of the Po river, and even the most wealthy family could be robbed and murdered (on trumped up charges) at the whim of an Emperor.

Either (or even both) of the InterNet-accessible definitions could be correct … tho I am entertained to see just how many of the Geordie dialect words are broad Scots … (prior to the rise of the Wardens of the Nothern Marches, the north-east of England regularly changed hands (between Scotland and England) – Berwick, in particular) …

Alasdair the Dukedom goes way back. There were dukes in Northumberland for centuries during which the Scots caused mayhem when allowed. Further to the south of course were the Prince Bishops of Durham also not by and large to be messed with.

You do know why (one theory) we are called Geordies?

are we actually discussing etymology ? Or is it more idiom

Both.

I’ll have to google the rest tomorrow:-)

(douce smile)

With that uttered, are we actually discussing etymology ? Or is it more idiom ? Or what is the technical term for something like “futtock shroud” or “ground futtock” ?

(Hmmm – does that last paragraph constitute thread-piracy ?)

It may well be that both are based in truth and history …

By the time of the Dukes of Northumberland, I have to suspect that most of the cross-border raiding was dying out …

Go back farther to the times of Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall, and you get the Romans invading and conquering England and Wales, and invading Scotland until they found that, even with Roman Roads, their supply lines were stretched too far, so they built the 40-mile Wall from Glasgow to Edinburgh and declared all Britannia conquered … and the Picts/Scots back then would just go round the ends and raid south to a bit south of the modern border between Scotland and England …

So the Romans strategically advanced southwards, about as far south as the Scots/Picts traditionally tended to raid, and built a second 110-120-mile Wall from coast to coast, and declared Britannia still conquered … and, quelle surprise (mirabile dictu, the Roman settlements south of the new Wall were no longer being raided … (grin)

(Can you tell that I miss my copy of “1066 and all that” ?)

Nor did they have much time for domestic tyranny in England itself – even from Kings.

“Percy what a silly name”.

Only believed by those who never faced the Dukes of Northumberland in battle – certainly the lost (and died) sometimes, but they were not people to be taken lightly.

Where is all this gone?

The old structional limitations on the power of government (such as the great familes – wary both of each other and, far more, of the King in London) are faided away into the grass.

Even the memory of the old traditions is dying – although they were living not so long ago.

After all even in 1914 there were two million people in the British National Rifle Association – and a vast network of “Constitutional Clubs”.

Now I doubt that one person in a hundred has even heard of such things.