Nisbet, East and West

   NISBET, EAST and WEST, a village, in the parish of Crailing, and Jedburgh district of the county of Roxburgh, 1½ mile (W.) from Eckford; containing 320 inhabitants. Nisbet was anciently a parish, and is famous, by tradition, for being a stronghold of some of the ancient marauders of the border. By the forfeiture of William Soules in the reign of Robert I., the barony of Nisbet became the property of Walter, steward of Scotland; and in 1371 the baronies of Nisbet and Ednam were granted by Robert II. to Sir Robert Erskine and Christian de Keth, his spouse. The church was demolished many years ago, but its cemetery is still used by the old families: for a long time after the union of Nisbet with Crailing, divine service was performed in the church of the former place, on alternate Sabbaths. The village is small, but pleasantly situated on the north side of the river Teviot, and on the road from Roxburgh to Ancrum; and is the property, with the lands around it, of the Marquess of Lothian. There is here a good parish library, the gift of the marquess. At the village are the ruins of two strong towers, where stones of excellent workmanship have been occasionally dug up. The hamlet of Upper Nisbet lies at a short distance northward.