William de Soulis

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Lord of Hermitage 1318 –1320.

A Scottish Border Lord. History has left him with the reputation of a tyrant in a time where brutality was part of daily life.

There is evidence to suggest that de Soulis died in captivity in Dumbarton Castle while under arrest for his part in a conspiracy to kill Robert the Bruce.

Tradition, however, maintains that this thoroughly evil individual was a practitioner of the Black Arts who kidnapped the children of the neighbourhood to use their blood in his sinister rituals, during which he would conjure up his demonic familiar, Robin Redcap, met a far more dramatic end.

In 1320 de Soulis was attacked by an angry mob. Some versions imply de Soulis had killed the father of a girl he had abducted. He was saved by Alexander Armstrong, the Laird of Mangerton. But rather than owe a debt to someone he considered his social inferior, de Soulis killed Armstrong after inviting him to dine at Hermitage Castle.

On Armstrong’s grave in Ettleton Cemetery family and Clan members would later erect the Milnholm Cross as a memorial to the event.

Further complaints of de Soulis’ behaviour were made to King Robert the Bruce, begging for the relief from the scourge of their wicked Lord. "Boil him if you must" replied Bruce "but let me hear no more of him".

Taking his words literally, the locals stormed the castle and overpowered de Soulis. From there he was taken to the nearby Nine Stane Rig, an old stone circle. There, a huge cauldron and fire had been prepared and the Lord Soulis was wrapped in lead and placed in the cauldron where he was boiled to his death.

The story of De Soulis being boiled in molten lead was derived from an 18th century ballad.