TWEEDSMUIR PARISH HISTORY.
25.4. Bourhouse. Various Spellings.
According to Armstrong(1), writin in 1775, Alexander Hunter Esq of Polmood owned Polmood, Patervan and Bourhouse. On a map of 1741 the parish boundary was near the Crook Inn but it subsequently moved north to the Polmood Burn and the Bower became part of the Heartstane Estate. The Bourhouse was still occupied as a dwelling for the first census of 1841 - but not for the following census of 1851. There is now no sign of this building on the ground. One suspects that the stones from the building could have been recycled and included in the construction of Polmood House c1887(5). However as the Bourhouse was latterly on Hearthstanes land the stones could have been used in the expansion of the stable block or even in the construction of the main house at Hearthstanes.
The Bourhouse was previously known as the Bower and in the Ragman Roll of 1296 there is listed a "Lauren atte Boure."(2)(3). It is a great pity that his seal, that may have depicted a hunting horn, does not seem to have survived and is not listed as such by McAndrew(4).
References.
1) Armstrong, Mostyn, John; A companion to the map of the County of Peebles, or Tweedale, W. Creech, Edinburgh, 1775. p30 & p34.
2) Buchan, J.W. & Paton, Rev. H; History of Peeblesshire, Jackson, Wylie, Glasgow, 1927. Footnote 2 for Bower, p452.
3) Bain, Joseph; Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland - Ragman Roll, H.M. General Register House, Edinburgh, 1884.
4) McAndrew, Bruce, A; The Sigillography of the Ragman Roll - Proceedings Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Edinburgh. 129(1999), pp663-752.
5) Strang, Alexander, Charles; Borders and Berwick, An Illustrated Architectural Guide to the Scottish Borders and Tweed Valley, Rutland Press, Edinburgh, 1994. p248-249.
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