Meg Merrilies is in Galloway considered as having had her origin
in the traditions concerning the celebrated Flora Marshal, one of
the royal consorts of Willie Marshal, more commonly called the
Caird of Barullion, King of the Gipsies of the Western Lowlands.
That potentate was himself deserving of notice from the following
peculiarities:--He was born in the parish of Kirkmichael about
the year 1671; and, as he died at Kirkcudbright 23d November 1792,
he must then have been in the one hundred and twentieth year of
his age. It cannot be said that this unusually long lease of
existence was noted by any peculiar excellence of conduct or
habits of life. Willie had been pressed or enlisted in the army
seven times, and had deserted as often; besides three times
running away from the naval service. He had been seventeen times
lawfully married; and, besides, such a reasonably large share of
matrimonial comforts, was, after his hundredth year, the avowed
father of four children by less legitimate affections. He
subsisted in his extreme old age by a pension from the present
Earl of Selkirk's grandfather. Will Marshal is buried in
Kirkcudbright church, where his monument is still shown, decorated
with a scutcheon suitably blazoned with two tups' horns and two
cutty spoons.

In his youth he occasionally took an evening walk on the highway,
with the purpose of assisting travellers by relieving them of the
weight of their purses. On one occasion the Caird of Barullion
robbed the Laird of Bargally at a place between Carsphairn and
Dalmellington. His purpose was not achieved without a severe
struggle, in which the gipsy lost his bonnet, and was obliged to
escape, leaving it on the road. A respectable farmer happened to
be the next passenger, and, seeing the bonnet, alighted, took it