Walter Scott , 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch Walter Scott , 5th of Buccleuch , 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch ( 1565 – 15 December 1611 ) was a Scottish nobleman and famous border reiver , known as the “ Bold Buccleuch ” and leader of Kinmont Willie ’ s Raid . Scott was the son of Sir Walter Scott , 4th of Buccleuch ( himself grandson of Walter Scott of Branxholme and Buccleuch ) and Margaret Douglas . Family . Scott married ( contract dated 1 October 1586 ) Mary , daughter of Sir William Kerr of Cessford and Janet Douglas . They had four children : Scott also had ( apparently by Delia , daughter of Captain Thomas Butler in Holland ) an illegitimate daughter , Jean , who married Robert Scott of Whitslaid . He further had an illegitimate son , John ( probably to be identified with John Scott , Provost of Crichton , who died in 1646 ) . Biography . Knight ed by King James VI of Scotland in 1590 , Buccleuch was then appointed by him Keeper of Liddesdale and Warden of the West March ( borders ) . In 1594 , Buccleuch was re - appointed Keeper of Liddesdale , and it was in this capacity that two years afterwards he effected the rescue of Kinmont Willie Armstrong , an exploit famous in border lore . Armstrong , a well known border reiver , was captured by English soldiers led by Deputy Warden Salkeld on 17 March 1596 , in violation of a truce day . He was taken to Carlisle and imprisoned in Carlisle Castle . Buccleuch , in his capacity as Keeper , petitioned the English Warden Sir Thomas Scrope for Armstrong ’ s release without success . Unable to effect Armstrong ’ s release by diplomatic means , on the night of 13 April 1596 Buccleuch led a party of about eighty men to Carlisle . Leaving the main body of his men a small distance outside the city to ambush any pursuers , Buccleuch took a small raiding party on to the castle where Armstrong was imprisoned . Finding their ladders too short to scale the walls , the raiding party breached a postern gate - or more probably bribed a contact inside the castle to open it for them - located Armstrong ’ s cell and freed him , returning him back across the Scottish border . No fatalities were occasioned on either side . The raid on Carlisle created a diplomatic incident between England and Scotland , and war between the two nations appeared imminent until Buccleuch surrendered himself to the English authorities . Tried and found guilty , Buccleuch was placed in the custody of the English Master of the Ordnance at Berwick , Sir William Selby , and was afterwards sent to London . When Buccleuch reached London , and , having been presented to the Queen , was asked by Elizabeth I of England how he dared to undertake an enterprise so desperate and presumptuous , Buccleuch is reported to have replied , " " What is it that a man dare not do ? " " Unaccustomed though she must have been to such rejoinders from her own courtly nobles , Elizabeth not only did not resent the answer , but turning to a lord - in - waiting , said , " " With ten thousand such men , our brother in Scotland might shake the firmest throne of Europe . " " Buccleuch ' s kinsman , the author Sir Walter Scott , transcribed a well known ballad about the raid entitled " Kinmont Willie " in his collection " Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border , Vol . 1 " . He was created a Lord of Parliament , as Lord Scott of Buccleuch , in 1606 ( pursuant to a commission from King James dated 18 March 1606 ) . From 1604 until the truce of 1609 , Buccleuch led a company of Borderers in the service of Maurice of Nassau , Prince of Orange during the Dutch Revolt . Buccleuch died on the 15th of December 1611 , and was interred at St Mary ' s Kirk , Hawick .