Debatable Lands

The Debatable Lands, also known as Debatable ground or batable ground was land lying between England and Scotland, formerly in question to which it belonged, when they were distinct kingdoms. It signifies the same thing as litigous, or disputable ground.

The Debatable Lands extended from the Solway Firth near Carlisle to Langholm. For over three hundred years they were effectively controlled by local clans, such as the Armstrongs, who successfully resisted any attempt by the Scottish or English governments to impose their authority. The Armstrongs alone could put 3,000 men in the field and launched frequent raids on farms and settlements outside the Debatable Lands. The profits from these raids enabled them to become major landowners.

When the two thrones were united in 1603, King James VI of Scotland became James I of England. He embarked on the so-called "Pacification of the Borders" and purged the Border reivers, destroying their fortified tower houses, rounding up families and sending them to Ireland and elsewhere.

References

1.  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) [1]