Hobby Hall's Stone - closeup

Hobby Hall of Haughhead, near Grahamslaw was a powerful antagonist; he refused to surrender his property to Ker of Cessford and ‘boldly maintained his right’. An old ash tree still exists near Haughhead where Hobby Hall used to baptise his numerous children, one of whom became the zealous covenanter, Henry Hall.

This stone tablet to his memory is situated on a small knoll on the Grahamslaw side of the B6401 between the crossroads and Eckford Quarry. It says:

Repaired and restored
by
Lady John Scott 1854
Here Hoby Hall bold maintained
his right
gainst REFC Plainforce
armed w lawless might
for twenty pleughs harnesd
in all their gear
could not his valid noble
heart mak fear
but w his sword he
cot the foremosts soam in two hence drov
both pleughs and
pleughmen hom
1620