Fogo is a village in the county of Berwickshire, in the Borders of Scotland, 3 miles south of Duns, on the Blackadder Water. The settlement of Fogo lies within the northern boundary of the historical region the Merse, an undulating agrarian landscape that provides rich ploughland and pastures of excellent quality. It has always been the centre of the parish of Fogo, harbouring both the parish kirk and the (now closed) parish school. Fogo is first mentioned in a c. 1152 deed as (Latin for Fogo church), whereby Gospatric III de Hirsel, Earl of Lothian and, later, of Dunbar makes a grant to the Tironensian monks of Kelso Abbey. Due to the importance of its kirk, and due to the fact that it once hosted both a chapel and a priory, Fogo, for a hamlet of its size, is disproportionately often mentioned in medieval texts. A selection of the earliest manuscripts is listed in chapter History. In the following century, c. 1250, the whole estate of Fogo was valued at 40 merks. The settlement of Fogo and its upstream mill are depicted on Joan Blaeu's map of the Merse, the first printed map of southeastern Scotland, published in 1654.
Etymology
The name Fogo has until now been derived from the terms "foggage pit, den or hollow" as well as a portmanteau of fog and hollow. Recent scientific research, published in 2022 in the treatise English Historical Linguistics also points to the Scots word fog, meaning grass left in the field during winter, suggesting a borrowing from early Scandinavian - compare Norwegian fogg long-stalked, weak, scattered grass or heather, typically growing on wet ground. In combination with the suffix hoh / hou, with the meaning heel in the sense of a projecting ridge of land or a promontory, the place name Fogo or foghou, as in the oldest deeds, could now be alternatively interpreted as a site where a ridge is covered with rough grass.
The website The Berwickshire Place-Name Resource has recorded numerous variations of names attributed to the hamlet of Fogo, ranging from CE 1139 to CE 1862; amongst these foghou (1139, 1152, 1166, 1203, 1240, 1250, 1280x1297, 1304) fogghou / Fogghou (1150, 1188x1200, 1198x1214) ffogghou (1153x1165, 1203) ffoghoh (1153x1166) foggou (1160, 1190) ffoggou (1165x1214) fogho (1160) Aldefoghou (1203) ffoghou (1240, 1280x1297, 1304) Foggho (1242) Fogeho (1243) territorio de fogo (c. 1270) Fogow (1408) Fogo (1516 and later) Fogoe (c. 1636) Foggo (1752) and even Fongu (1275)
History
The early history of the hamlet Fogo is recorded on a number of deeds, all related to the most important institutions in those days: Fogo Kirk and its belongings in the surrounding Fogo parish, and the Fogo chapel, later presumably adjunct to Fogo priory (see Donation of Fogo chapel and mill, 1297). These deeds, documenting donations or dedications by the ruling lord, were handwritten in Latin on parchments that were kept at the site of the ecclesiastical owner, in this case, Kelso Abbey. A book published in 1846 reproduces the text of this collection of 559 manuscripts, the from Kelso Abbey. These range from CE 1113 to CE 1567, and may be accessed online here (Volumes 1 and 2).
The importance of Fogo is emphasised by the fact that a surprising number of these 559 ecclesiatical manuscripts, namely 28, refer to some aspect of Fogo, be it the church (kirk), the chapel, or some involvement by a dean of Fogo. Apart from the omnipresent kirk and the chapel the texts mention ploughlands, meadows, pastures, a manse or villa, "croft ... with adjoining land", tenements, "tofts and crofts, and the dwellings that are on them", and a mill that explicitly belongs to the Fogo priory.
The historically most enlightening of the manuscripts that mention facts related to Fogo - apart from the Kirk - are enlisted here:
Donation, 1152 (Kel. Lib., no. 71) The Fogo church and some surrounding lands were donated to the monks of Kelso Abbey in c. 1152 by Cospatrick, Earl of Dunbar. This deed comprises various churches including "the church of Greenlaw, the chapel of Lambden, and the church of Fogo along with one carucate of land", in .
Fogo mentioned by Pope Adrian IV, 1155 (Scotia Pontificia, no. 35) The place name Fogo is explicitly mentioned in a letter dated 17 September 1155 that Pope Adrian IV wrote to Abbot Arnold of Kelso confirming the Abbey's possessions. The enclosed list includes amongst other estates "Kelso, Selkirk,[...] Home, Fogo, Simprim, and the church of Berwick".
Donation of lands adjacent to Fogo, 1211 (Kel. Lib., no. 303)
This deed describes the boundaries of the donated lands in great detail. The boundaries then set are roughly the same as the current boundaries of Fogo parish more than 800 years later. In c. 1211 William, son of Earl Patrick of Dunbar, granted to Kelso Abbey "the church of Fogo, with all its pertinents, namely with the toft (mansio) that John, the dean, possessed in his time and with the adjacent croft, and also a certain piece of land adjacent to the same croft, extending southward as far as Grenrigg. From across Grenrigg by an ancient path as far as my meadow, which lies between Grenrigg and Aldefoghou. From that place towards the west, to the stones (cairn / Pyat Knowe, double hillocks; both north of the Blackadder, west of Fogo) set as boundaries between the land of the same monks and the land of the village men. From the stones down to a certain stream (Howe Burn) descending from Blindwell. Another piece of land in the eastern part of the village of Fogo, with its tofts (homesteads), crofts (cottages with their enclosures) and the houses thereupon. I have also given to these monks proceeding through all that land in my territory of Fogo which John the Dean held in his time in the name of the church of Fogo within these boundaries. A certain thorn bush that stands between the land of those same monks, descending along a certain ditch toward the north as far as the Black Eder. Likewise descending to the blakeder toward the east with adjacent meadows, pastures, haughs (low-lying meadows by the side of a river), and heuchs (steep hills, precipices, crags or cliffs), as far as Ricardesfflatt. Likewise ascending directly south by a certain spring towards Estbucerterstrothir, then rising to the west along the path towards Westbucerterstrothir. From Westbuceterstrothir westward by a certain stream to the thorn bush. I have given to the same monks four acres of land adjacent to the land of the same monks, lying on the eastern side, on both sides of the road that leads to Berewic, which is called Ricardflat, next to Blackeder (Water)."[...] Finally "he therefore wishes the monks of Kelso to have and possess the church and all its pertinents in perpetuity, that is, with the lands and meadows that belong to it, and with all the liberties of the church, and all the revenues of the village of Foghou that John, the dean, used to have throughout his time."
Fogo chapel dedicated, 1242 On 2 April 1242 the chapel of Lord William near Foggho, Latin: , son of the Earl, was consecrated by David de Bernham, Bishop of St. Andrews, Scotland.
Fogo church dedicated, 1243 On 29 March 1243 the Fogeho church, Latin: , was consecrated by David de Bernham, Bishop of St. Andrews, Scotland.
Fogo valued at 40 merks, c. 1250 According to a document from c. 1250 the church and hamlet of Fogo, , were valued at 40 merks, equal to 40× 6 ounces of silver, again corresponding to 26 2/3 Pound Scots. Note that the deed does not indicate whether this amount equals the purchase value of the property or the annual rent due to the proprietor, in this case Kelso Abbey. Historical comparisons with other ecclesiastical estates do indicate that the amount was surely the latter. As such, in those days 240 ounces of silver would comprise a huge value.
Donation of Fogo chapel and mill, 1297 (Kel. Lib., no. 305) In 1297 yet another grant was issued by Patrick Corbet, Lord of Fogo, to Kelso Abbey, dated 20 August 1297; the subject of which is "the chapel of Fogo with the mill of the same, with [all] the lands[... ] [that were] conveyed to the chapel in the tenement of Fogo.[... ] The monks (of Kelso Abbey) will arrange to acquire three monks or three secular chaplains to celebrate divine service in the said chapel for the souls of his ancestors and successors." Note that the donated edifice is "the chapel of Fogo", as stated in every subsequent re-grant; the later term "priory", which would surely have applied once the designated monks had settled in, does not appear in any of the manuscripts of the Kelso mother house and thus may have indicated a separate building. Currently, apart from Fogo kirk, no further remains are known, neither of the chapel nor of any outbuildings.
Rough wooing (1545) In 1545 an English force invaded the Merse, one of a series of incursions known as the Rough Wooing. On Sunday, 20th of September 1545, coming from Kelso, the commanding Earl of Hertford razed first Coldstream, then marched through the parish of Fogga (Fogo), burning every farmstead, mill, manse, and kirk on the way. Thereupon he camped overnight in the vicinity of Fogo and subsequently proceeded to burn down both town and castle of Duns and to devastate all of Duns parish before returning to England via Ladykirk. The Earl compiled an account of his campaign together with a list of THE NAMES OF THE FORTRESSES, ABBEYS, FRERE-HOUSES, MARKET TOWNES, VILLAGES, TOWRES AND PLACES burnt, razed and, and cast down. The following selection of place-names from the list encloses all those belonging to Fogo parish:
A few sites within the parish boundaries, such as Ca(l)dra, Bogend, or the Bogend Mylne (later Cairn's Mill), are not included in this list, maybe not having then been reported to command. But as the first farmstead is just across the river from Fogo and the latter two reside on the road leading from Fogo to Ryslaw, both of which are mentioned, they were surely affected and most likely likewise devastated.
Fogo Bridge constructed (1641) The Fogo Bridge was constructed in 1641, with payment provided by James Cockburn of Chouslie and his wife Marion Douglas. Until then crossing the Blackadder Water had been restricted to the ford that was accessible by circumventing the Fogo churchyard to the left, the yonder track tracing from the river bank northwards towards Polwarth. Further details: see Listed buildings in Fogo and the Parish of Fogo.
Fogo Church / Kirk repaired (1683 and 1755) The Fogo Church / Kirk was repaired in 1683 and again in 1755. Further details: see Listed buildings in Fogo and the Parish of Fogo.
Schoolhouses erected (late 18th century / 1864) The first schoolhouse in Fogo was erected in the late 18th, maybe early 19th century, followed in 1864 by a larger schoolhouse immediately to the west.
Cottages at west and east ends of Fogo (pre-1858) A row of cottages at the western end of Fogo, nicknamed "Rashie", is displayed on the original 1858 Ordnance Survey map of Fogo. Also note a row of two or three cottages at the eastern end of Fogo, on the north side of the road to Bogend, opposite to the east wall of the manse.
Fogo Primary School closed in 1961 The Fogo Primary School closed in March 1961. Further details: see Listed buildings in Fogo and the Parish of Fogo.
Listed buildings in Fogo and the Parish of Fogo The village claims two Category A listed buildings;
, a single span, round-arched bridge spanning the Blackadder Water, erected in 1641, rebuilt 1843. A record from 1798 describes the bridge as 'the only one in the parish'. A sandstone plaque on the northern parapet displays the year 1641 and the initials of James Cockburn of Chouslie and his wife Marion Douglas. These are the parents of Sir James Cockburn of Ryslaw, who paid for the bridge's erection, also the bearer of one of the two sculpted coats of arms along with those of his wife, Marie Edmonstone. The Latin inscription below states .