Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

136 MINSTHELSY OF
THE LAIRD OF MUIRHEAD.
This Ballad is ajyagment from Mr Herd's MS., commu-
nicated to him by J. Grossett Muirhead, at Breades-
holvi, near Glasgow ; who stated that he extracted it, as
relating to his own J'amily, from the complete Song, in
which the names of twenty or thirty gentlemen were mentioned,
contained in a large Collection, belonging to Mr
Alexander Monro, vierchant in Lisbon, supposed now
to be lost.
It appears, from the Appendix to Nisbet's Her-aldry, p.
264, that INIuiRHEAD of Lachop and Bullis, the person
here called the Laird of Muirhead, was a yuan of rank,
being rentaller, or perhapsfeuar, of many crown lands in
Galloway ; and was, in truth, slain in " Carapo Belli de
Northumberland sub vexillo Regis." i. e. in the Field of
Flodden.
Afohe the King in order stude
The stout laird of Muirhead,
Wi' that sam twa-hand muckle sword
That Bartram fell'd stark dead.