History of Glenbervie
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Geo. H. Kfimcar, Gtenbcruie. EX LIBRIS JOHN GRIBBEL ST-AUSTELL HALL HISTORY OF GLENBERVIE. BY MONTROSE : PRINTED AT THE " STANDARD " OFFICE. 1895. RE near approach of the centenary anniversary of the death of Burns suggested to the author of the following pages the desirability of having some account, however meagre and inadequate, of the past and present history of the parish from which sprung the family rendered now world-famous by the genius of the great Bard. The author, alike from observation, traditionary report, and his own reading, was for a considerable time impressed with the conviction that there was enough of material for a history of the Parish of Grlenbervie, either already recorded, or to be got from trustworthy sources, sufficient to make a small volume, having some interest for natives and residents, it not for a larger public. Besides the very considerable reading and research involved in its preparation, there was necessarily a considerable discrimina- tion to be exercised, not only as to the relative value of whatever came to hand, but also a careful sifting, as to whether it was fact or fiction. The author, therefore, while endeavouring honestly to " prove all things and hold fast to that which is good," trusts that the public will look with an indulgent eye on the many short- comings and inaccuracies which no doubt will be apparent to many of those who honour him by reading the little work. The history of the neighbouring parishes of Fordoun and Laurencekirk has been ably dealt with already, but the author, whilst possessing the good sense and humility to recognise their complete superiority in respect of matter and merit with the present work, yet ventures to hope that there may be here and there scattered through these pages something, however small, towards the elucidation or composition of a complete county history. Amongst the many who have rendered valuable assistance to the author only a few can be mentioned, although grateful thanks are extended to all. 488244 To Mr James Badenach Nicolson and Mrs Nicolson, Glen- The Manse the Rev. W. Gordon and Mrs Gordon, ; bervie ; the E.tt Rev. R. M. Boyd, E.G. Manse; the Rev. John Brown, of and Manse, Bervie, Clerk to the Presbytery Fordoun, the Author many others in the parish and neighbourhood word is indebted for much of his information. A special oldest of thanks is also due to Mr W. Reith, one of the reminiscences of the residenters in the parish, for many past. valuable counsel and have In the publication of the work help Montrose Standard and to Mi- been afforded by the editor of the ; is under a William Watson, of the same office, the author deep in obligation for his kindness and help many ways. rewritten The Burns Chapter has been revised, and in great part for and extensive by Mr Edward Pinnington, whose enthusiasm of the correctness of knowledge of Burns' matters are a guarantee a the matter contained therein. It is almost entirely taken from some time in series of copyrighted articles published by him, ago, Montrose under the the Glasgow Evening News and the Standard, " is his title of Burns in the North." These papers, it intention, The amount of Burns literature to republish in book form. access that the author did nowadays is so vast, and of such ensy exhibit not feel called on to do more in this special chapter than connection of the Burnesses the salient points of the historical of the work will it is with the parish. The general scope tend, circumstances and condi- hoped, to show rather the environing the Burnesses lived. tions of the parish under which many of In addition to the sources of information already noticed, the have been consulted: Jervise's following works, among others, " " Dr Fasti Eccksiae Scotieana ; Roger's Memorials ; Scott's " " " " of Burns Eraser's History of Laurencekirk ; Genealogy ; " "The Annals of Fordoun," Mollyson's History of Fordoun "; The Cullen Robertson's Survey ; by Dr Cramond, ; Agricultural The Old and New Statistical Black Book of Kincardineshire ; The Glenbervie Kirk-Session Records, Accounts of the Parish ; &c., &c. The author will be obliged to those who point out to him any be errors in matter of fact, so that they may, if necessary, corrected in future editions. 1bf8tor\> of (Slenbervie, G. H. KINNEAR, Drumlithie. CHAPTER I. IXTRODTJCTIOX NAME OF PARISH SlTCATIOX - EXTEXT DIVISIONS POPULATION. Kincardineshire, or as it is commonly called, the Mearns, cannot be said to have been the scene of many of the outstanding events of Scottish history. Hedged in between Aberdeenshire on the north, and Forfarshire or Angus in the south, it stood far removed in the past from those more central districts of the country in -which the great struggles for Scottish independence and Scottish religion were being bitterly fought out. But although not thus so as a scene of historic perhaps distinguished " action and the achievements of the Men of valour," the Mearns in the past will bear comparison in their respective walks of life with almost any other county in Scotland. " Possessed," says Jervise in his lecture to the Fettercairn Farmers' Club in 1858, "of no more important seminaries of learning than ordinary schools, the county had the honour of giving birth to some men of great literary attainments. John De Fordun, author of the celebrated <Stfi Chrotiicon, and the most trustworthy of our Scottish historians, is supposed to have been born at, and to have assumed his name from, the ancient town of Fordoun, about the year 1350. Bishop Wisjiart of St Andrews and his more celebrated namesake, who suffered martyrdom during the Reformation, are sup- d to have / Pf^. been born at the family mansion of I \J itarrow. The ancient house of Falconer gave no fewer than three senators to the College of Justice, of whom one was for some time the Lord- President. Cadets of the Burnetts of Leys and of the Douglases of Tilquhilly, were Bishops of the see of Salisbury, and the first of them was one of the greatest men of the age in which he lived. Dr Thomas Keid, the celebrated philosopher, was born in the manse of Strachan, and two of his an- csstors, who were respectively and eminentasphilosophers physicians in the time of Charles I. were sons of the minister of Banchory - Teruan. author Keith, of the celebrated Catalogue of the Scottish Itixhops, was a cadet at the family of Keith, v Marischal, and born at Uras. Douglas, compiler of the Baronage of Scotland, was Baronet of Glenbervie. Bishop Mitchell, of Aberdeen, belonged to Garvock. Dr John Arbuthnott, the friend of Pope, was born at / Kinghoruy. Dr Beat tie, the celebrated author of The Minstrel, was a native of Laurencekirk." Lord < Monboddo, one of the greatest scholars of his age, and one of the most upright of men, must be added to the list. More names might be adduced to swell the Mearns roll of fame, but enough has been said to show that there is here a record of which the county may well indeed be proud. It is not our purpose, however, at the present time to of speak the general history of the county, but merely to offer the following pages as a small contribution towards the history of one of the most attractive and interesting of her parishes. There is abundant material in the parish life and parish records of the past for the local historian to make use of, and can nothing indeed be more gratifying than the increasing interest which of lute years has sprung up regarding the past annals of our parishes and shires. unwritten Many legends and traditions there are, as well as the already written records and accounts, which in the present transitional and busy age it is advisable to lay hold of and secure in more per- manent form than what the vicissitudes and chances ot traditionary lore can afford. Even more than in the past will these be valuable to the future historian. Our rapidly changing customs and modes of living, as well as the exigencies of a highly complex civilization will soon obliterate from view many picturesque incidents and associations which now invest the different localities with a romantic and enticing charm. These few introductory remarks will enable us, therefore, to begin a short account of Glenbervie, in the preparation of which the author has laid himself under contribution to every available source of information, both written and traditionary. GLEXBERVIE, as the name implies, takes its name from the river Bervie which flows through it. The parish was formerly known as Overbervie, a name which also carries with it its own meaning. Many of the names of the parishes in the county have been changed. Laurencekirk was St formerly Conveth: Cyrus was Ecclesgreig ; previous to the twelfth century, as documents in the possession of the Arbuthnott family show, the name of the parish of Arbuthnott was not written as now, but Aberbotheuothe. In the fourteenth century it had become Aberbuthnott, and about the end of the first half of the fifteenth century Arbuthnott. Marykirk was formerly known as Aberluthnott. S or, as expressed in old writings Aberluthuett, whilst the royal burgh of Bervie at the mouth of the river the same name, is still designated in official docu- ments by the appropriate name of Inverbervie.y Glenbervie lies nearly in the centre of the county, and is bounded on the west by the Water of Bervie and the of Fordoun on the east parish ; by Dunnot- tar and Fetteresso parishes ; on the south and south- east Arbuthiiott Kiuneff by and ; and on the north by the parishes of .Strachan and Durris, the march between them and Glenbervie beiug on the ridge of the heath-clad slopes of the Grampians.