Records of the Pringles of the Scottish Border, by Alex Pringle

Chapter 35

FRANCE

IN 1419 the Earls of Buchan (created Constable of France) and Wigtown took an army of 7000 Scotsmen over to France to assist the French against the English invaders, and in 1424 Archibald, Earl of Douglas (created Duke of Touraine) took over a reinforcement of several thousand. The Scots shared in the victories of Beaugé and Crevant, but in the battle of Verneuil in 1425, the allies, owing to a blunder in the command, were defeated, Douglas and Buchan slain, and the Scots contingent nearly exterminated.

The famous Scots Guards of France, founders in 1422, consisted of 100 men-at-arms and 200 archers. The Body Guard of the King consisted of 24 Scots, whose duty it was to be guard to him night and day, while on State occasions one of them appeared on his right hand and another on his left, in splendid uniforms (Burton's The Scot Abroad).

In 1460 on reviews of troops held at Dax and Bayonne we find in the Scots Guard, under Capt. Pitilloch, Thomas Pringle, man-at-arms, and again in 1469 in the review at Melan, together with Martin Pringles an archer. In October 1498 at a review at Dijon, in the Guard under Sir William Stuart, appears Archibald Pringles, man-at-arms, and again in the review in 1499 at Melan, together with Jehan a'Pringles an Archer. In 1508 Thomas Hoppringill, younger, of the Court of James IV., with a man, is granted by the Treasury a sum of money to pass to France (T. A.).

Adam and. John Cockburn, grandsons of Christopher Cockburn of Choicelee, Duns, and his spouse Margaret, daughter of Alexander Hoppringill of that Ilk, were members of the King's Body Guard (G S., 1664 and. 1583).

In 1538 James Hoppringill of Tynnes says that he and 20 of his Surname are to go to France to bring over Mary of Lorraine to marry James V. (see Buckholm).

According to Francisque Michel in Les Ecossais en France et Les Français en Ecosse, " The prominent family of Quinemont were Pringles descended from a Pringle who had married a daughter of the house of Kynninmond, Fife." There was a family of Despringles established at Nuits near Dijon in 1480. In 1578 Jean Despringles obtained letters of " rehabilitation de noblesse,'' confirmed in 1621. His son Jean, born 1576, advocate and state official, published an esteemed work La Coutume de Bourgoyne. Antoine son of the latter was buried at the Cordeliers de Dijon in 1636.

The Scots Guards, " Les Gens d'armes Ecossais,'' existed in name to 1788; but, owing to the abrogation of the Old League and the Union of Scotland and England, Frenchmen gradually displaced the Scots, and in 1730 there was not a single Scot in it.

See Michel's book, also the Ancient League in J H. Burton's The Scot Abroad.

Of the thousands of Scots who thus entered France many married and settled down; but few of them would have the splendid fortune given by Scott to Quentin Durward of the Guards, the hero of his novel of that name !