~ Scottish Place Names: jkl~

Jedburgh...

  ... lies on the Jed Water, a tributary of the River Teviot. It's only ten miles from the border with England, and is dominated by the substantial ruins of Jedburgh Abbey. Other notable buildings in the town include Mary, Queen of Scots' House and Jedburgh Castle Jail, now a museum.

The history of Jedburgh dates back many centuries. Around AD 830, Bishop Ecgred of Lindisfarne formed two settlements on the Jed Water, calling them both by the same name. The oldest written form of this name is Gedwearde - meaning "the enclosed settlement by the River Jed" - which dates from around 1050. By the mid 16th century, the name ‘Jedworth’ was being used. This became "Jethart" and "Jeddart" 

Bishop Ecgred's church was improved and added to until it became the abbey itself, which was found in 1147. Wars between Scotland and England in the 16th century reduced the place to rubble in many sections, but the ruins are substantial

 There is an expression "Jeddart Justice" or "Jethart Justice", where a man was hanged first, and tried afterward: this is believed to have its origins in a case of summary execution of a gang of villains, to avoid rescue by their compatriots before justice could be done. .

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The Capon Oak Tree -reputed to be nearly 2,000 years old -  is one of the last surviving trees of the ancient Jed Forest,  It stands 2 miles south of Jedburgh, to the west of the A68 road.

Nowadays, because of a massive split down the middle of the trunk, the Capon Tree is held together with concrete, bricks and timber beams supporting its trunk and branches . However, in spite of this necessary aid to nature, it still continues to grow.

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