The English-Scottish borderlands in the 1590's were a violent and troubled place. Robert Carey's memoirs give a first-hand account of what it was like to be a March Warden: responsible for stopping the plundering and murderous raids of the Border reivers. DETAILS Immortalised in the history books for his ride from London to Edinburgh on the death of Elizabeth I, there was much more to Robert Carey than that. He was the most successful of the border wardens or March Wardens - a dangerous and violent occupation. In the 1590's the English-Scottish borderlands were a violent and turbulent place. Thieves (the so-called Border reivers) would steal over from Scotland and plunder the English countryside, by force of arms if necessary. Robert Carey had to stop them. His memoirs (written in 1625) give a first hand account of what life was really like in those troubled times. They include his famous feud with the Scottish fyrebrande Robert Kerr. His memoirs also gave a rare glimpse into the personality and temper of Queen Elizabeth I - where losing her favour could be synonymous with losing one's head. I shall leave it up to the reader to discover if Carey was more troubled by the Queen, the reivers or the Spanish Armada... CONTENTS LISTING Chapter 1. Early Days Chapter 2. The Spanish Armada Chapter 3. In France with Lord Essex Chapter 4. First Actions on the Scottish Border Chapter 5. Marriage and the Queen's Disapproval Chapter 6. Wardenship of the East March Chapter 7. Wardenship of the Middle March Chapter 8. The Death of Queen Elizabeth and the Ride to Edinburgh Chapter 9. In the Court of King James