Willie with the White Doublet

In the annals of Scottish history, few figures capture the imagination quite like Sir John de Home, famously known as "Willie with the White Doublet." This legendary border raider's exploits during the late medieval period left an indelible mark on the turbulent landscape of the Anglo-Scottish borders.

The Homes: A Family of Distinction

The Home family, one of the oldest and most celebrated in Scotland, traces its roots back to the Saxon kings of England and the princes of Northumberland. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, Cospatrick, the great Earl of Northumberland, fled to Scotland, where Malcolm Canmore granted him the manor of Dunbar and extensive lands in the Merse and the Lothians. From these origins, the Home family rose to prominence, becoming formidable guardians of the eastern Scottish marches.