Geordie Bourne, also spelled Burn in some records, lived along the English East Marches during the tumultuous 16th century, a time when the border between England and Scotland was plagued by raiding, violence, and lawlessness. These lands were notorious for “Border Reivers,” bands of armed thieves, smugglers, and raiders who made a living by crossing into enemy territory to plunder livestock, rob merchants, or settle personal vendettas.

Bourne was one of the more infamous characters to emerge from this brutal frontier. Very little is known about his early life — not his birthdate, family background, or how he rose to prominence — but by the late 1590s, he had already gained a reputation as a feared and reckless outlaw. He operated with a gang that frequently terrorized both English and Scottish settlements, with no regard for nationality. His activities, both criminal and personal, became widely known even among the garrisoned soldiers and law officials who were tasked to secure the peace in the region.

In 1597, Bourne's reign as a border raider came to an abrupt end. A patrol led by Robert Carey, Lord Warden of the English East Marches and later the 1st Earl of Monmouth, engaged Bourne and his men during one of their operations. In the clash, Bourne’s uncle was killed, and Geordie himself was captured after being severely beaten and forced to surrender.

He was quickly convicted of March Treason, a serious charge applied to those who betrayed peacekeeping agreements along the Anglo-Scottish border. His case, however, stirred controversy. Bourne was reportedly a personal friend of Robert Ker of Cessford, the Scottish Warden of the Middle Marches. Out of respect — or fear of political fallout — Carey granted a 24-hour reprieve and sent a request to Ker, offering him a chance to intervene. No reply came.

During the reprieve, Carey chose to interrogate Bourne in disguise. According to Carey’s own memoirs, what Bourne confessed was staggering. With no remorse, he admitted to having killed seven Englishmen with his own hands — not in war, but in acts of cold-blooded murder. He boasted of sleeping with over forty married women from both England and Scotland, bragging that he spent his entire adult life in drunkenness, theft, violence, and “taking deep revenge for slight offences.”

Bourne’s last night alive was spent in a prison cell, where he reportedly showed signs of repentance under the counsel of a preacher named Mr. Selby. He was executed the next morning in 1597. The exact date of execution remains unknown, but Carey’s account makes it clear that the sentence was carried out swiftly after the lack of intervention from the Scottish side.