and his son Thomas, as also Robert and Mungo Turnbull, besides John and William Turnbull in " Corscleuch," and various other Turnbulls and two Ainslies, came in a very disorderly manner to his (Stewart's) lands at Huntliehill and contrary to law cut down a great quantity of greenwood and young trees, of which they took away twenty-four horse loads. The defenders failed to appear in court, and accordingly were denounced rebels. Although Turnbull of Bedrule continued to be a figure of (decreasing) note for a time (see Tancred, " Rulewater," p. 241), the Fulton sept apparently disappeared henceforth from record.

Hence the lands and barony of Bedrule, the lands of Fulton with its dwelling-house (Latin " cum maneria," evidently referring to the tower or peel), as also the lands of "Corscleuch, Mensles, Speirmanislandis, and Rowcastle," were granted by James VI in 1623 to Thomas Ker of Cavers-Carre by a charter issued under the Great Seal. Another such charter given in 1649 by his grandson confirmed these (and other) lands to Andrew, eldest son of Sir Thomas Ker. In 1678 the lands and barony of Bedrule, and the lands of "Foultoune," besides other properties, were recorded as being the possessions of Sir Thomas Ker of Cavers-Carre. On July 5, 1684, his son John Ker was retoured his heir in these and other lands (including "Reucastel").

About seventy years ago, the walls of this disabled stronghold, now the only remaining tower in the lower valley of the Rule, were repaired with a view to preserving the substantial remains of the historic ruin. An etching of the romantic peel has been fittingly reproduced in Tancred's "Rulewater and its People" (p. 235), but it hides the fact that the farthest wall is almost completely gone. A fine illustration from a photo forms the plate facing p. 256 of Gauld's "Brave Borderland."

Near the ruins is a spring, whose percolations eventually flow into the Fulton (or Huntly) Burn. It rises west of the tower, and being thus situated on the other side of the highway (and hence also south of the brook), waters a piece of land called the " Deidlie Field." Though owing to its proximity to this fortalice one may be excused for picturing this field as a scene of sanguinary frays (whether in hostile or in trial combats or joustings), it may have acquired its name from the conceivably pestilential nature of the ground, just as the hamlet close by secured the name of " the foul toun."

These lands were owned by the Cavers-Carre family until 1801, when Willlam Elliot of Wells bought them for the sum of £19,240. In the advertisement of the sale the various properties (with their gross rentals) were thus detailed: Part of Bedrule held by William Pringle (gross rent £422 8s); Fulton, held by William Pringle (£252 8s); ground at Bedrule (£60); Dunionhill and Dunion-shank, Dr. Lindsay [of Jedburgh] (£20); Bedrule Mill (£30); Gourlaybog (£14); small possession at Bedrule held by W. Murray (£10); Poinderhaugh (£3).* It is thus seen that Bedrule and Fulton were even then worked as one farm, as they continued to be. When the estates of Bedrule were thus sold in 1801, the right of patronage of the parish church by a curious inadvertence was overlooked, and therefore remained vested in the Cavers-Carre family or its representative. Thus in 1866 the patron was James Ross Hume (minor) of Ninewells.

On his death in 1818 Elliot of Wells bequeathed his landed property in this county to Sir William Elliot of Stobs, as heir of line. In 1896 Elliot of Stobs sold the Wells estate, with Bedrule and Fulton, to Sir John Usher of Norton, Midlothian.