Blackmail
The practice of protection money was begun in this area. The first use of the word 'Blackmayle' stems from here. 'Greenmayle' was the word for rent paid by tenant farmers for their agricultural land. 'Blackmayle' was the word for rent collected at night, by the reivers. 'Blackmayle' was paid to a powerful reiver or outlaw and in return the reiver not only left the farmer alone, but also was also obliged to protect him from other raiders and to recover his goods if they were carried off. There was no secrecy about this. The Grahams were inclined to view themselves as rather robust insurance companies than extortionists. However, the poor and those unable to pay blackmayle were "ridden upon daily and spoiled" and had their goods carried off by the Graham raiders. In 1596 Rowland Robson of Allenstead testified that more than 60 tenants in the Lanercost areas were paying blackmail to Richie Graham of Brackehnill. The Hot Trod
Whilst the debateable land sat outside crown law and order there was an informal system of border laws and as a result, occasional peace. Days of Truce were called when the wardens from either side of the border would meet and discuss troublemakers, grievances would be aired and fines imposed. These informal meetings were known as the 'courts of the border'. One of the mainstays of border law was the Hot Trod. This was the 24 - 48 hour time limit allowed for reivers to give chase, catch their rivals and reclaim goods. If they couldn't do it within this time then the reviers would have to appeal to the warden and lodge their complaint. However, as many wardens were as corrupt as the reivers, to ensure any action was taken, extortion money was often paid back to the crown! Brutal lives
Reiver life was brutal especially when it came to issues of crime and punishment. The border marches were occupied by a series of towers and beacons every few miles interspersed with large castles, such as Hermitage in Liddlesdale, which were the warden's residences and important as prisons as well as for defence. For those reivers that were caught by wardens, they met a sticky end. Many were executed. Some of the castles had dungeons which were deep holes fitted with iron spikes pointing upward out of the floor. The reivers who were caught stealing or pilfering on their land would literally be thrown overboard onto the dungeons lethal spikes, and to their deaths. For some, a stranger fate awaited. Some of the dungeons were fitted with human cages, built for captive reivers who were more socially significant and 'worth something'. Kidnapping was a legacy from the old Border wars, in which it had been recognised as a legitimate practice to hold prisoners for ransom. In peacetime, the taking of prisoners was unlawful. However, it was common for reivers to operate this kind of kidnap system too. The penalty for this was imprisonment and payment of compensation, and the legislation, which was passed from time to time to prevent kidnapped persons from entering into bonds and assurance with their captor, was generally disregarded. In practice, reiver prisoners were normally ransomed, sometimes for a few shillings however a hostage might be lifted to use as a bargaining tool for the release of another captured reiver by a rival clan or warden. Ritchie Graham would have used Brackenhill Tower to house rival reivers as prisoners. However, unlike the wardens, reivers would not risk incurring the wrath of rival clans by killing their captors. The prisoner would be fed and watered but not abused. Rather they would utilise their captive to for the return of stolen goods, or for bartering for the return of someone from their family who had been kidnapped. This way of life meant that no man could walk about unarmed, no householder could sleep secure, no beast or cattle left unguarded. Life was tense. | 
