The Historians of Perth

t ‘d ( m ung

THE HIST OR IA N S CF PER T H

AN D OTH ER LOCAL AN D TOPOG R APH ICAL WR IT R S U P TO THE EN D OF THE E , N IN ETEENTH CENTU R Y

D RA D ITH P A . C WF OR M S . a n S . . S c , ( )

“ ' AUTHOR or THE HISTORY OF THE ANcmN r MASONIC LODGE or scoon AND mun!:

P E R T H J O H N C H R I S T I E

1 9 0 6

TO THE

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE CITY OF PERTH

AT HOME AND ABROAD

UNITED IN LO E FOR AND ADMI ATION V , R

or : P E r 1 1 v , tu DEAR LAC o mm m n rrv

P R E F A C E

H IS bundle of Essays on the lives of the Historians of I Perth and criticisms of their works, give forth to the n m local world with some conﬁde ce. Fm the encouragement I have received I am led to believe that this Bibliography of i wr ters on Perth will supply a felt want. I trust that my work will prove interesting to the citizens of Perth and to the M natives of the Fair City both at home and abroad . y review of these works may be useful to all who have not made much

u of of a st dy of the history Perth , and may serve as a guide to those who may wish to become better acquainted with an

interesting subject. These papers are the work of my leisure, and are chicﬂy appreciations of the works of the different

writers. I have striven to be correct in my statements and

i u . just to the wr ters of these histories , to whom we owe so m ch Every picture in this gallery is confessedly that of a minor

r historian ; but they have all shown conside able knowledge , and that which they have written is expressed for the most

part in a clear and distinct manner. The writing of this work

has b s b een to me a great pleasure, po sibly because it has een vii PREF ACE

’ I a h a labour of love . have done it for de r old Pert s sake , and if I have earned the approval of my fellow-citizens I

a am shall be s tisﬁed . I well aware that literary work of this

ﬁnanciall roﬁtable v description is not always y p , howe er educative it may be to the writer or useful to the reader.

Writers, however, cannot always choose their subject, but must write as they are led . I have to thank all those who have assisted me in any M way . y thanks are especially due to the Proprietors of the

w a r ﬁl Perth N e sp pe s for access to their old es. I also thank the large number of subscribers to this work, who have made i it possible for me to publish t.

D. C. S .

E TH rstM a 1 06 . P R , 3 y 9 CO N T E N T S

P REFACE L IST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

I NTRODUCTION

HISTOR ICAL S KETCH or THE Cm r or PERTH ACCOUNT OF THE L IVES AND AN ESTIMATE OF THE WORKS os

“ HEN R Y ADAM SON th e Po t-H stori f Th , e i an, Auth or o e ’ uses h renod e or rthfu Moum in s on th e D ath of M T i ; , Mi l g e ” Mr. G a l d nbur h r f l (E i g , eally a Poetical Accounto Excursions in and around Perth

’ . A ES CANT Ed tor of th e Second Ed ton of Th e uses II J M , i i i M ” hrenod e w th N otes and A end ces. Perth 1 T i , i pp i , 774

R V. TT n ster f P Th ld . E A ES SCO o erth Auth or of e O III J M , Mi i , Statstca Account of Perth P h 1 ev ral i i l ( ert, 794 and s e anuscri tVo umes in F o o re atn to th e H stor of Perth M p l li , l i g i y , ’ now in th e Advocates Library V I . THE M OR ISON S

r. F R ANC S on son Glaz er and ookb nder I M , i B i - 2 . R OBE T on son 1 22 1 1 Postmaster P r nter ook R M , 7 79 , , i , B seller - . AMES OR SON 1 62 1 80 L n ust riter Publ sher 3 J M I , 7 9, i g i , W , i - . ROBE Moxxson 1 6 1 8 P r nter 4 RT , 7 4 53, i - . AM OR SON 1 80 1 806 Enc c o ed st r tr 5 WILLI M I , 7 , y l p i , W i e , ” r t l Publ sh e Ed or of emorab a of Perth . Perth i , i M i i , 1 806 - 6. AV D M onts n r 2 1 8 n s r t Publ sh r D I o , 79 5 5 , Li gui t, W i er, i e , h C emist, Author of th e Letterpress of Sketches of ” i . P h S cenes n Scotland ert, 1 834 CONTENTS

DAG! “ ” V. GEORG E PENNY ourna stAuth or of rad tons of Perth . , J li , T i i

Perth , 1 836

“ VI . R EV. O N P R KER LAW M d r f Th ook S ON A. . E to o e J H A , , i B ” . 1 of Perth Edinburgh , 847

THO AS HAY RS HALL ourna st Auth or of Th e M MA , J li , ” H s r of h . P r h 1 i to y Pert e t, 849

' “ V . is r P It Annals III DAVID PEACOCK, Joum al g Auth o of erth : s ” d h v . P h 1 8 an Arc i es ert, 49

“ P . R . DR U OND uth or of Perth sh re in MM , A i ” o Da . ondon 1 8 Byg ne ys L , 79

“ th e X . I S IEVWR IG HT Auh or of Th e H stor of WILL AM , t i y P r Clu P rth 1 880 erth C icket e , - ” G reyfriars Burying G round : Its Epitaph s and Inscriptions.

Perth , 1 893 . Supplementto G reyfriars Burying-G round : Its Epitaphs and ” nscr tons. Perth 1 8 . I ip i , 94

- REV. I A AR S H LL D .D . of Cou ar An us Auth or W LLI M M A , ( p g ) , “ ” f H s or n i P r h . 1 o i t ic Sce es n e th s ire Edinburgh , 1 88

“ XII. THO S HUNTE ourna st uth or of oods Forests MA R, J li , A W , , ” an E f r h h . P rth 1 d states o Pe ts ire e , 883

X uar . OBE T S COTT F ITTIS H stor an, N ove st, Antqy, III R R , i i li i Auth or of The Ecclesiastical Annals of Perth to th e Period of ” the R ormat t. P rth 1 8 ef ion, e c e , 85

X V “ ” th I . C A. T m ook. Per OLIN HUN , Editor of Th e Ham ermen B , 1 889

XV. V. B T N D D d f Th R nta ooks RE RO ER MIL E , . ., E itor o e e l B ” th 1 K VI Ho Perth . Per 1 8 of ing James . spital, , 9 ” T h n h 1 8 . h e Blackfriars of Pert. Edi burg , 93

XVI . V. . T. . FA HA h or of The E sco a RE G EO S RQU R, Aut pi p l

H f P . 1 8 istory o erth Perth, 94 CONTENTS xi

PAGE

XV . PE ER B AXTER ournal st Auth or of in Perth II T , J i , ” sh re . P rth 1 i e , 898 ” Go f in P h and Per h sh re. P h . l ert t i ert, 1 899 ” The urf of Perth . Perth 1 0 1 . T , 9

“ XV E s th o i w . B E ourna Au r III JAM S R IDG S, J li t, r of Huntngto e : Ah ” H s ori t tc. Perth 1 0 i t cal Ske ch , e , 9 3

N N W. TE . . XIX. F RA C S UCH AN I B A WHI , M D , ” A h Th F of P r sh r . Ed n ur h 1 8 8 utor of e lora e th i e i b g , 9 L I ST O F I L L U ST R A T I O N S

‘ S KETCH or PERTH m om KINNOULL F rontzspzkce

By A. HARR IS ( 1 905 )

’ ' ' 1 - REV. AMES S o r t amoa N STER 01 PE TH 1 1 8 1 8 F aa n . 68 J c , S MI I R , 733 g p

P oto ra hed W B M ERCER Perth from a aintin in the h g p by . . . . P g session of th e Literary and Antiquarian Society of Perth

Davm Mo t x P B S R 1 -1 n so , U LI HE , 792 85 5 From a Daguen'eotype

M 1 n1 'r 1 82 -1 0 WILLIA S v 011 , 3 9 5

From a oto ra h . HENDERSON Perth Ph g p by J ,

1 - R EV. AM MAR SHALL D . D. 01 PA AN 1 80 1 880 WILLI , , COU R GUS, 7

From 11 Ph oto ra . HORSBURG B Edin ur h g ph by J . b g

HOMAS HUNTER 1 8 -1 0 T , 49 9 4

From 11 oto ra h . PORTER ert Ph g p by J , P h

'r'r F rr'n 1 - 0 ROBERT Sco s, 824 1 9 3

From 11 oto ra h HENDERSON Perth Ph g p by J . ,

' ' ’ Ftrrxs Ltmuuw AND STUDY . - a t ra h b W B M anc an P From Pho og p y . . e1 th

- V M m D . D 1 2 1 R E R BE m . 8 . O RT , , 3 895

h r h b qouson ert Fro m 11 P otog ap y J . . P h

AR REV . G EO. T. S . F AR QUH ,

' m a Pboto m h Tm: ART Fao ro Co. ert g p by , P h P ETER BAXTER From a Ph oto by Tm: ART P3 01 0 C0 Perth JAMES a c as From a Photograph

- F N HANAN W. a rm . . 1 8 2 1 8 RA CIS BUC W , M D , 4 94 F rom 11 hoto ra h MAG NUS 4 0115 011 ert P g p by 1 , P h IN T R O D UC T I O N

HE history of Perth literature embraces a period short

of three hundred yea rs . Previous to the seventeenth century there were no writers who devoted themselves to B writing the history of the town . arbour in the fourteenth B fifteenth f century, and lind Harry in the , re er to Perth . Hector Boece tells a remarkable tale about the destruction of Perth by a flood , which gained considerable currency in after years, but which has frequently been proved to be B . f fabulous uchanan, in his account of this flood , ollows

B F ordun ff r . But oece, but di e s from both writers because the references of these old historians to Perth are more

general than particular, they have not been included. There — is another kind of literature in which Perth ﬁgures that of ’ ' ’ D r M C&r om cle D D ia : ia ies, such as ercer s and undee s n a these might with advant ge have been noticed, although they r a e a somewhat scrappy description of literature. Loca l history and typography are the bypaths of historical s so a study, but where a place bulk l rgely as does Perth in the r its t ansactions of our country, history at once assumes a x iv I NTR ODU CTI ON

greater importance . In this gallery of local historians and u miscellaneous writers up to the end of the nineteenth cent ry, we have brought together the most important penmen who

have contributed to the elucidation of the history of Perth , and endeavoured to give some account of their lives and

x works . They form a goodly band of e ceeding interest, whose varied characteristics and abilities are well set forth in their

wn . o writings The selected passages from each writer will , w e think , be found interesting, and characteristic of the several

authors . In the works of these historians such material already exists as may enable some future historian to write a o History of Perth at once el quent and reliable . Perth is especially to be congratulated on having produced

z - such a citi en as Henry Adamson , the poet historian , whose ’ ' ' Tize M uses Tﬁ renoaze poem , , may be classed as the oldest

literary account of the town . This antique poem for more than a century and a quarter held the ﬁeld as the only history f C of Perth . Then ollowed James ant with his second edition ’ of Adamson s work , burdened with a load of notes as curious as the poem itself, and his many valuable appendices . The

v R e . James Scott , a painstaking historian , followed with his ’ unto P er m S tatistical A cco f . Unfortunately much of Scott s other work is unpublished, but it is carefully preserved in the ’ L brar atE Advoca tes i yi dinburgh . I n the Morison family we have a succession of able men who have given Perth a name in the annals of literature and of publishing. I n 1 836

' ' a Tr adztzons o P er t/z ppeared an unpretending volume, f , which

. although inferior in literary merit is very readable Penny, INTR OD UCTI ON x v the author of this the most entertaining of all the books o ab ut Perth, wrote mostly about what he knew , and he has ’ given us a picture of Perth in his own and in his father s time which we would be poor without. Thomas Hay M D arshall and avid Peacock , journalists of the old school , published almost simultaneously their histories of Perth in 1 8 us 49. These last two authors have given comprehensive accounts of the history of Perth ; and so has R obert Scott

F ittis . M , from an ecclesiastical point of view ostly all the other writers we have included write on sectional and special

M r s . has subject . Quite recently Samuel Cowan , issued

A ncientCa i tal o S cotla nd w his p f , but owing to this large ork having been published in this century it does not come within M s . r. ex the pre cribed limit of this book George Wilson , D Lord Provost of Perth , the eacon of the Glover Incorpora tion , also has just published an account of this old trade Of o incorporation . the eight trade inc rporations of Perth , only two have published some account of their ancient history. The Guildry Incorporation of Perth is in possession ’ of valuable unpublished archives. The Town s records, the and Presbytery records, the Session records might also be made to yield valuable information .

THE HI STO R I AN S O F PER TH

H ISTOR ICAL SKETCH OF TH E C ITY OF P ER TH

E R TH is one of the most ancient of Scottish towns, dating probably from the dawn of civilisation in

Scotland . The age or origin of the city cannot now be

a . A ascert ined Henry damson, the earliest topographical writer of Perth in his poetical way ascribes a Roman origin to the town , and nearly every writer on this subject since his time has not simply followed his lead, but has am liﬁed f p his exuberant ancy . It is quite probable that this comparatively late tradition may be correct, but there is no R substantial proof of a oman origin or even occupation . D 1 King avid . conferred important privileges on Perth, where he seems to have had considerable possessions. ’ H S t . e Possibly he built, or rather rebuilt, . John s Church “ ” called Perth his burgh, but he did the town a disservice when he gifted the church , the tithes of his lordship, his

n ﬁshin s ma sion , one of his g on the Tay, and a mansion or THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P ER TH

h M manse belonging to the churc , to the onastery of f r 1 1 2 6 Dun e mline in . There was anciently a royal castle at Perth situated on the north side of the town near the street

1 1 60 M now known as Castle Gable. In the year , alcolm IV . was residing in the Castle of Perth when he was besieged

‘

F er uhard E ﬁv e e . by q , arl of Strathearn , and other arls

M a alcolm quelled his advers ries, and the same year he held a

a i nal N to Council at Perth . This king was succeeded by his brother, William the Lion , who convened several National Councils at Perth ; and in 1 2 1 0 be granted a Charter to the town for the regulation of trade, from which it appears that

M e u the erchant Guild was in op ration then . There was q ite a number of Ecclesiastical Councils held at Perth in early times ; the ﬁrstone of which we have any record met in the

2 year 1 0 0.

BLACKFRIARS’ MONASTERY

A 11 M r King lexander . founded the Dominican onaste y at

1 2 1 Perth in 3 . It was situated on the north side of the town , contiguous to the royal castle and gardens . The Castle of

an rate Perth seems to have become ruinous , at y the king

r gifted the grounds to the monaste y. Henceforth when the kings of Scotland resided at Perth they took up their abode B M with the lackfriars, as was the custom of the times. any of these monasteries were of the most sumptuous character, — the privileged houses of the princes of the Church , having

e every comfort of the time , always b autiful in their a rchitecture, and often delightful in their situation . There

4 THE H ISTOR I ANS O F P ER TH

EARLY IMPORTANCE OF PERTH

Perth was a town of the ﬁ rstimportance in those days ; it was a free burgh , while all the district around was under feudal law . The kings of Scotland were crowned at

was Scone, only two miles distant, and Perth regarded as the capital of the country . What was then considered a large and extensive trade, was carried on by the merchants of

Perth .

reatTa throu h Perth throu towns trouh countr ﬂ es G y, g , gh , h g y i , ” t n m w r w th Perth he whole ki gdo ith h e eal supplies.

These lines are translated from the Latin of Alexander

N ckham E 1 2 2 e . , Abbot of xeter, who died in 7 The infant commerce of Perth , and indeed the prosperity of the whole

now r kingdom , was about to be udely shaken . Alexander

1 1 1 1 2 86 ff . died in from the e ect of a fall from his horse, M leaving his granddaughter, Princess argaret of Norway

e M o rwa M (call d the aid of N y) , to succeed him . omentous events in the history of S cotland follow in rapid succession

e - the d ath of the child queen, who never reigned ; the inter v ention of Edward King of England ; the setting up of John Balliol as king ; his deposition by Edward ; the conquest of Scotland by the English ; the revolt under Sir ’ William Wallace ; the patriot s success at Stirling Bridge ; his failure at Falkirk ; his renunciation of the governorship of Scotland at Perth ; and, with his capture and cruel death , E behold Scotland a conquered province of ngland . Edward reduced the fortresses in Scotland , but he rebuilt the walls H ISTORI CAL SKE TCH OF THE CITY 5

fortiﬁed He of Perth and the town . was a frequent visitor

1 2 6 at Perth , and in 9 he kept the feast of the Nativity of t S . B 1 06 R John the aptist there. In 3 , however, obert the B E ruce, revolting from his sworn allegiance to dward, was crowned King of Scotland ; but for many years he was but a E king in name. Sir Aymer de Vallance, afterwards arl of

E e Pembroke, was appointed by dward , li utenant and com E f “ mander of the nglish orces, with power to receive the ’ ” middling men of Scotland to the king s peace. De Vallance

la y at Perth expecting an attack by the King of Scots, who M with a small force was lurking in the woods of ethven . M B A battle ensued at ethven , where ruce was defeated and

obliged to ﬂy. The years which elapsed until Bannockburn were the most trying and perilous through which King R obert passed .

THE SIEGE OF PERTH

I n the year 1 3 1 2 Perth was besieged by King R obert

in person . The town was then gov erned by Sir William S de Oliphant , a cotsman , who like many others had sworn

ﬁdelit E B . y to dward . ruce lay before the town for six weeks Then raising the siege he marched away ; but returning a 8 1 1 week later, at midnight of January the th , 3 3 , he waded through the moat , scaled the walls, and took the strong

l r Ou th wa led town by su prise . the 7 June of the same

E 1 year dward . died while leading a great army against E 11 . . Scotland , and dward reigned in his stead The Prince

now of Wales became king, but he had none of the grit of 6 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P ER TH

R his father, and as a consequence the fortunes of King obert

now began steadily to mend .

BANNOCKBURN C E Stirling astle , which had been besieged by dward de ’ B was ruce, the king s brother, reduced to such straits that

M oubra the governor, Sir Philip de y, agreed to surrender if

he was not relieved by midsummer of 1 3 1 4. This arrange ment brought out all the chivalry of England against the

Scottish king. A great army was gathered together to

subdue the S cots and relieve the Castle of S tirling. This great force of about men was Opposed by a small army of about The English army was much better S Ou S equipped than the cottish . the other hand the cottish R army was commanded by King obert, one of the ablest,

bravest, and most experienced generals of the time. The S s — cot were united and determined, the very life of the D B t nation was at stake. efeat for ruce mean subjugation for

e Scotland , and victory m ant freedom . Happily for Scotland, ’ Bannockburn was one of the greatest of world s victories to t ’ . S B Da 1 1 a her . John the aptist s y of 3 4 is the re l date of

c u A the re overy of glorio s freedom for Scotland . fter this decisive battle King R obert devoted himself to setting his

kingdom in order.

KING ROBERT AND PERTH k n ’ f The i g s avourite residence was at Cardross, on the C d . lyde, but he frequently reside at Perth It was the fashion H ISTOR I CAL SKE TCH OF THE CI TY 7

of his time for kings to keep wild animals in captivity ; and so we learn from the royal accounts that King Robert t possessed a lion , which he took with him to Per h on one of its his visits, where a house was built for accommodation , the f or 6 1 s. d. cost of food the beast being , 3 4 Owing to the hardships which King R obert had under

afﬂictd as gone in his youth he was e with dise e, and had

M Malv inus frequently to consult his physician , agister , who

1 2 resided at Perth. In 3 8 the king issued a royal letter A to the bbot of Scone, desiring him to allow stones to be quarried at K incarrathie and Balco rmac for the repair of S t. ’ John s Church at Perth and the bridges of Perth and Earn . Possibly something was done then to keep those importa nt ’ ediﬁces Bu in good order. tthe king s reign was drawing h e to a close ; he died on the 7t of June of the following y ar,

six leaving an only son , a boy of years of age, who is known D 11 in history as avid .

BATT LE OF DUPPLIN

We now come to a second period of trouble fo r Scotland . 1 0 E B B l E In 33 , dward alliol , son of John a liol , the dwardian

King of Scotland, left France, where he had been residing, for E the Court of ngland . This move was ominous, as he was a Ba claimant to the Scottish throne. Shortly afterwards, lliol with his followers landed on the coast of Fifeshire, and marched as far as Dupplin on the river Earn ; here he was

E Mar R . Opposed by the arl of , egent of the kingdom A B n n R . battle e sued, in which the egent was defeated alliol the 8 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P ER TH m z fortiﬁed was arched to Perth , which he sei ed and , and he

S 2 th 1 2 crowned king at cone on the 4 September 33 , taking n of E 1 . ca the title dward . of Scotland The new king, who

s hardly be said to have reigned, then marched outh to R u E r 111 . oxb rgh, where he publicly acknowledged dwa d of E Ba ngland as his liege lord . No sooner had lliol left Perth than the city was recaptured by Sir Simon Fraser and Sir

R E M a obert Keith , arl arisch l . The supporters of the boy

u o u s king still str ggled , strengthened by the dis ensions

B 1 E 1 11 . amongst the party of alliol . In July 3 35 , dward of E E 1 . S ngland , accompanied by his kinglet, dward of cotland,

a difﬁ cult rrived with a large force at Perth , which was not to

as . E E take , the walls had become ruinous dward of ngland D ravaged the north of Scotland, which was loyal to avid , with

ﬁre He and sword. then returned to Perth , which town he

be fortiﬁed ordered to with hewn stone, the expense to be D S t. A defrayed by the abbeys of unfermline, ndrews ,

B Ab rbroth ck A Th e o u . e Lindores, almerino, , and Cupar ng s

A 2 80 Prior of S t. ndrews paid marks of good money in cash A for the building of one tower and a gate . The bbot of Lindores built the spy gate and the tower which stood at the M ’ riverside , which was known as the onk s Tower until its

demolition .

DEATH OF THE EARL OF CO RNWALL AT PERTH E While dward was residing in Perth , and possibly these E works being carried out, his brother John , arl of Cornwall , ca h s n r me nort to Perth , deva tati g southe n Scotland in the H ISTOR I CAL SKETCH OF TH E CITY 9

B most ruthless manner possible. efore his arrival the king ’ f has had knowledge of his only brother s savage war are. It been said that the brothers met in the church of S t. John . E dward reproached his brother, who returned a haughty answer. The king, highly incensed , stabbed him to the heart. On E ’ E dward s return to ngland, Perth was retaken by R R D obert, Lord High Steward , the egent, for King avid I n 1 34 1 the young King David and his Queen Joan E n F (sister to dward retur ed from rance, where they had

af been sent for s ety, and immediately proceeded to Perth , and were received with great joy.

J OHN R OF ER H MERCER, P OVOST P T

The ﬁrstProvost of Perth of whom we have any account M A B A B ’ was John ercer. ccording to ailie lexander lair s

1 6 manuscript he held this position in 3 5 . James Cant,

M 1 B however, in his List of agistrates, gives 374 . oth

M e authorities may be right. John erc r was a merchant

A B o fﬁc r ﬁrst . s e p ince, and the laird of ldie e ides holding the H of Provost he represented the town in Parliam ent. e stood S high in the counsels of tate, and the king honoured him frequently by appointing him his Ambassador to the Courts

a of England and France . For at least one year he acted s

R e ational R e . 1 6 ceiver of the N ev nue In 37 , when returning f h S a he rom France, w ere he had been on a mission of t te, was

o ff orthumberland wrecked the coast of N , and he then fell ” ’ e among thieves , for he with all his ship s company were mad H w prisoners and their goods co nﬁscated. e as lodged in 1 0 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P E R TH

Scarborough Castle ; but the imprisonment of the old man did E D not last long, for by the intercession of the arl of ouglas,

his feudal superior, he was released , although his goods were A M e . B not restored to him His son , ailie ndrew erc r, immediately ﬁtted out an expedition to revenge the capture

and spoliation of his father. Commanding a considerable S ﬂeet of cottish , French , and Spanish vessels, he made for S carborough, where he attacked and captured all the shipping

he found there. The raid of this Perth bailie caused terror E throughout the whole east coast of ngland, so that John

M n ﬂeet Philpot, ayor of Londo , hurriedly got a together, and 1 8 M in 3 7 he met ercer, laden with his prizes, and defeated

e him , taking his v ssels to London . The following year Philpot gave one of the largest of Mercer’s ships to the King E M E of ngland . ercer, however, was not slain , as the nglish d historians relate, but was liberated in order to avoi war between the two countries.

M a John ercer, or his ancestor, acquired a buri l vault in S t ’ . C e John s hurch , and popular tradition has credit d him with having gifted the North and South I nches (zl e. the M eadows lying on each side of the town) to Perth . The well-known punning couplet :

Fol s sa the ercers tr e th e town t h k y M i d o c eat, ” en for twa incite: te win sax at Wh h y did ﬁ ,

gives some colour to this tradition , which , however, on u M examination is fo nd to be incorrect . John ercer died 1 80 in 3 and was buried in his v ault.

1 2 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P ER TH

S o r ﬁ ht out well did Hen y g , and so skillfully, that he came of the battle unhurt . When asked on whose side he had f h ought, he said that he had fought for his own and,

- which saying became a local proverb . This clan duel is one of the chief and most stirring incidents in Sir Walter ’ Scott s romance of Tlze F a i r M a id of P er th .

COMING EVENTS CAST THEI R SHADOWS BEFO RE

1 0 1 0 n R E s wa s In 4 5 or 4 7, Joh esby, an nglish prie t, burned at Perth for preaching the doctrines of John Wycliffe . H e may be said to have been the ﬁrstmartyr for Protest u a tism in Scotland .

F C THE TH J AMES I . O S OTLAND AND CAR USIAN MONASTERY E 1 2 e 1 . In 4 4, Jam s was ransomed from the nglish , and

S H e e e e . was crown d, along with his qu en , at cone h ld

ﬁ rst D a his Parliament at Perth . uring the long ye rs of his captivity he had doubtless often thought of the important duties which lay before him when he should

H e - come to his kingdom. was a well educated and f intelligent king, more anxious for the wel are of his

country than for his own comfort. The year following his

M r coronation he founded at Perth the Carthusian onaste y . The young king was a reformer in th e Church as well as

S The M o ne in the tate. Carthusian order of onks was of

e the strictest, the members of which d voted themselves to H ISTORI CA L SKETCH OF THE CITY 1 3

religion as a matter of course , but also to silence and study. The order had been introduced into England more than

th its inﬂuence two hundred years before is time, where in

was ﬁ the community had been for good . This the rstand S only house of this order in cotland, and during the com paratively short time it existed its inﬂuence must have had

r ff and e h r a ma ked e ect in Perth , ind ed throug out the count y . Perth has been for long one of the most literary towns of

r Scotland, and who da e say that the work of these silent monks died with the R eformation ! Towards literature they occupied pretty much the same place as the printing press

- s of to day . They were the tran cribers of Holy Writ and the disseminators of what native literature existed in their day . The Carthusian Monastery stood on the site now ’ y r s occupied by King James the . Hospital, and the grounds extended southwards as far as Craigie Haugh

e (now used as a yard by the Polic Commission) , and possibly S t M as far as the one time Nunnery of . agdalene (now the S M f t. arm of agdalene) , which was suppressed and the

. Po mariun grounds given to the new institution , King S treet, and James Street are built on the lands of the Charterhouse ; also the western portion of the South Inch

B e and Leonard ank formed part of their d mesne.

al This stately monastery, which according to l accounts

the was was grandest in Perth , shortly to become the last

- resting place of the young king. 1 4 THE H I STOR I ANS OF P ERTH

THE T O OF K ASSASSINA I N ING J AMES I .

’ 1 I n 437 , while the king was residing in the Blackfriars M R onastery with his court, Sir obert Graham and his - ’ fellow conspirators gained access to the king s apartments ,

where they barbarously slew their king. The death of the reforming king was a severe blow to the welfare of n the cou try and a dire misfortune to Perth . This great

a calamity d shed the rising prosperity of the city, and from this time Perth gradually lost the high position she had Du occupied amongst the towns of Scotland . ring the reign of the third James ( 1 48 2 ) Edinburgh was recognised

E a as the capital of the country , and the st tes regularly

met there .

FRANCISCAN MONASTERY

r Yet another monaste y was founded in Perth , when in

1 60 ﬁ rst ranciscans 4 , Lawrence , Lord Oliphant, endowed the F

or Greyfriars . Their house and grounds occupied the site ” of the burial -ground known as “ Greyfriars on the south

side of the town . The site of the monastery being the north

- west corner of the burial ground .

a Notwithstanding the numerous religious houses, hospit ls ,

a chapels, and ltars in Perth ,

THE DOCT RINES OF THE REFORMATION

’

. O n S t. A Da were spreading amongst the people ndrew s y,

1 B , C 5 43 , Cardinal eaton came to Perth when six hristers H I STORI CA L SKETCH OF THE CITY 1 5 or Reformers (ﬁv e men and the wife of one of the men) s S S were arre ted and lodged in the pey or py Tower. Their trial was short ; possibly they were convicted on their own h evidence, as they made no secret of their opinions. T ey

ﬁv e e h were convicted of heresy, and the men wer hanged te

the next day, while woman was drowned in a pool of the b h river near y. It is said t at the Cardinal witnessed the execution from an upper window of the Spey Tower. Perth was then a walled town (Buchanan says it was the only

an walled town of Scotland) , with estimated population of

ﬁv between e and six thousand people . It was then one of the most populous towns in the kingdom . The harsh measures of the Romish Church did not have ff C ” the e ect of stamping out the hristers, as the Protestant

r f doct ines continued to grow in avour. Perth may be said to have been the Cradle of the Reformation . The town was then one of the most important in the country , and its inﬂuence Th e was felt throughout the whole land . effect of the high-handed procedure of the Cardinal was such that ’ men s minds were drawn to the consideration of the reform

e e doctrines for which th se martyrs so cheerfully di d . The

had h h laity begun to think for t emselves, and t ey rejected the false teaching of a licentious priesthood . The Church had waxed wealthy and grown corrupt while the people lay in poverty and ignorance . The wealth of the Church of Rome h a was astened its downfall , and when the fall c me it the

We are Oppressors who were spoiled . not surprised at the Reformation ; it would have been a greater wonder had 1 6 THE H I STOR I AN S OF P ER TH

e wa there been none . The spiritual life of the p ople s

awakening, and religious thought was ripening for the change. Knox’s famous Perth sermon was as a match to light the Ou 1 1 th Ma 1 tow. Thursday, the of y 5 5 9, John Knox m S ’ preached a ser on in t. John s Church which has been ” as described a discourse vehement against idolatry . After

s the sermon, when the major part of the a sembly had dis

ersed d w p , a priest unadvise ly began to celebrate mass, hen a riot in the church ensued , and the altars and images were

sa tisﬁed thrown down . Nor did the mob rest with this purging of the church , but proceeded to spoil and overthrow the four great monastic houses which stood just outside the m walls of the town . No ore did these great institutions

— inﬂuenc dominate Perth ; they had served their day , their e

a had gone, and their ecclesi stical architecture and grandeur

s C S t lay in the dust. Only the Pari h hurch of . John the B — -R aptist was spared, and still remains the only pre eforma — tion building to grace the city ; but the R eformation of

s was religion was launched , the pa t broken with , and a new

u -R e e and better era beg n . The Queen egent nd avoured to R suppress the eformers , and although the armed forces of

s was each party met on several occa ions, yet no battle l fought. Terms were frequent y made, but not kept by the

Queen . She considered Perth to be a place of some con w S sequence , for she garrisoned it ith six hundred cottish h f soldiers in French pay . John C arteris of Kin auns was

R e appointed Provost of Perth by the eg nt, and with the H ISTOR I CA L SKETCH O F THE CITY 1 7 soldiers of the queen he harassed the Protestant inhabitants of the city. “ The C R f c ongregation , as the e ormers ame to be nd a . called, raised an army sat down before Perth This

oﬁicered A R and army was by Lords rgyle , uthven , James D Stuart . Provost Haliburton of undee was also active in

e. the caus The garrison was summoned to surrender, but refused . The day was spent in fruitless negotiation ; and at ’ ten o clock of the evening of the 2 4th of June ( 1 5 5 9) the

ﬁre besiegers Opened , which was promptly returned by the ’ and Queen s soldiers . Little damage was done on either side

of few lives were lost, when the garrison sent out a ﬂag truce , offering to suspend hostilities until noon of the next day ; and

e should they not be reli ved before then they would surrender,

a on being llowed to march out with ensigns displayed . This

e was agre d to, and the Sabbath morning dawned in h peace . When the our of twelve struck on the bell of

S t allant . John the gates were opened , and the g six hundred ,

for ﬁ ht who evidently had not much stomach g , marched out . The army of the Congregation then took possession

R ofﬁce of the town , and Lord uthven resumed his of

Provost.

rf h Incipient wa are now raged throug out Scotland . It was ’ the queen s intention to seize S tirling and the passes of f the Forth , and in order to frustrate this a large orce was

e d spatched by the lords of the Congregation . 1 8 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P ER TH

PERTH VOLUNTEERS

With this army were three hundred volunteers from Perth ,

who wore , as a symbol of their resolution in this holy cause,

halters of rope round their necks. These ropes were after “ ’ ” hn to un s R h S t. o s wards called J ibbons, a name by whic ' M uses halters came to be locally known . Adamson , in his

' Tlzrenodze 011 h , dwells t is incident

’ uc were tese men who for re ons sake S h h ligi , cor of h em a outte r nec s did take A d p b h i k , o emn sworn to e te r ves tere S l ly yi ld h i li h by, ’ ” Or te the os e s ver t en h y G p l i y d y,

o u and so . The Perth Volunteers bore a creditable part in

ﬁ htin s the g g of the time, and were present at the seizure of 1 6 n Edinburgh . In 5 0 occurred the death of the Quee R egent, and the same year the Scottish Parliament formally suppressed the Prelatic Roman Church and established the

ﬁrst R eformed Presbyterian Church . The reformed minister

M r R ow was of Perth, . John , appointed this same year.

K E TH E VI ’ H ING J AM S . S OSPITAL

1 6 R e M th e I n 5 9 , eg nt oray, in the name of young King

e C e V1 . jam s granted a hart r to King James Hospital , which conveyed the properties and rents which had belonged to the four Perth monasteries to the ministers and elders of u Perth , as tr stees for behoof of the poor members of Jesus

C a was conﬁrmed Christ. This h rter by the king when he

20 THE H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH Majesty also granted a new and special Charter to the city ( 1 5 th November conﬁrming the old and giving new privileges . ’ ’ 1 6 8 A M uses Tﬁ r m odie I n 3 , damson s was published

E h e te . at dinburgh , being the year following death of the po t The poem is in reality a metrical treatise on the history and antiquities of Perth and its neighbourhood .

T OHN ’ H S . J S C URCH At this time Perth consisted of one parish , and the only ’

was S t. The place of worship John s Church . western part of the nave (now called the West Church) was c uto ff by partition walls from the main building very early in the seventeenth century (or possibly about It was called ” the New Kirk and sometimes the Little Kirk , and was “ used for various purposes . Lofts or galleries began to 6 1 0 . a be erected in the church about 9 The choir, or e stern

n 1 1 portion , was not separated u til 77 .

1 80 e In 7 the town was divided into four parishes , thr e

e s accom of which , nam ly, the ea t, middle, and west, were t ’ u ’ modated S . C S t in John s h rch , while for the fourth , . Paul s

Church was built. I n 1 6 1 8 the General Assembly of the Church was held at ” s A h Perth, and pa sed the Five rticles of Perth , w ich were

. 1 6 2 received with no favour by the people James died in 5 , 1 and Charles . entered on the ecclesiastical policy in Scotland

which his father had so much at heart. H ISTORI CA L SKETCH OF THE CITY 21

THE COVENANTERS

S r The people of cotland , ha assed by the measures of

C r s d ha le , entere into the bond of the Covenant, which was largely signed throughout the country alike by the nobility and C — the common people. The ovenanters rose in rebellion the

Tibberm uir scene of one of the battles of the time being at ,

M ﬁ rst a . E ne r Perth The arl of ontrose, who at had embraced ’

C . C the ovenant, was won over to the king s side harles issued to this nobleman a commission as his lieutenant in d Scotland . A small bo y of Irish soldiers, to which were e B joined a large numb r of Highlanders, assembled at lair

A : A tholl . Here his situation was critical rgyle was behind him the pursuing Irish , while the army of the Covenanters, numbering some six or seven thousand men , lay at Perth .

OuS rst 1 6 M unday, the of September 44, ontrose engaged C Tibbermuir but - the ovenanters at , the raw , ill led soldiers of the Covenant were no match for the wild Irish and the hardy Highlanders . It has been said that the leaders of

e - e the Covenanting army w re but half h arted in the cause. I n

few a minutes the battle, if battle it could be called, was — changed into a route the citizen army ﬂying at breakneck

chic fl speed in all directions, but y in the direction of Perth . It has been said of the Covenanting army that the men had ” fi h flee F neither the courage to g tnor the sense to . light was all that was left to them, and many were killed in the — — pursuit. Within sight of Perth the city of refuge and on the fields to the north of Needless Road (the old Glasgow 22 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P ER TH

R a oad), many of them met their death . A sm ll memorial

r tablet letinto the wall of a thatch cottage tells the sto y . ’ r w All Montrose s victo y as complete . the stores of the C f h ovenanters, with six pieces of cannon , ell into the ands of E the arl , and Perth surrendered the following day. A 1 fter the execution of Charles . by the Parliament of E I L ngland , his son , afterwards Charles , came to Perth , where

I S t he resided for some time, and on Wednesday, the of

1 6 1 e S January 5 , he was crown d at cone , this being the last

coronation in Scotland.

CROMWELL AT PERTH S Cromwell now invaded cotland, and making himself h master of Fife he marched to Perth , w ich surrendered to

rd A u 1 6 1 hy e him on the 3 of ug st 5 . Perth was one of the

s places where fort were erected by the Commonwealth . The fort or citadel at Perth was situated immediately to the south ’ a - e of the Greyfriars buri l ground, by the side of the riv r Tay .

- It was four sided, and surrounded by a moat, within which it

extended to 2 66 feet on each side .

THE RESTORATION A tthe Restoration the citadel was gifted to the town as some recompense for the hardships which had been endured

by the townsfolk by its erection . The stones and materia l

er v esta e 11 0 W w e sold for building purposes, and no g of it R remains. The citizens of Perth rejoiced at the estoration ,

x M and e hibited their loyalty in a variety of ways . any of H ISTORI CA L SKETCH OF THE CITY 23

ﬁnes them , however, were true to the Covenant, as the large

in which they were amerced amply testify . The title of Lord Provost of Perth began to be used by the

e r e chi f magist ate about this time, and he was so styl d when R B called to attend the Convention of oyal urghs. From the Restoration to the Revolution was indeed a

S . troublous time, not only in Perth but throughout cotland

A s A young unmarried woman of Perth , named Isobel li on ,

a was a martyr for the Coven nt, she being hanged at

E 1 6 8 1 dinburgh in .

THE REVOLUTION E ff ight years of su ering passed , and then came the dawn

e e and M r of bett r times . William Princ of Orange a y his

e th e and the a wife w re called to throne, g lling yoke of persecution was shifted from the shoulders of the Presby

s s terians to tho e of the Epi copalians. h Gra am of Claverhouse , who had been created Viscount

D e S f undee , raised an insurr ction in cotland in avour of

1 the 1 1 th M a e v1 . e Jam s , and took Perth by surpris on of y

1 6 8 M 9 . General ackay was sent to oppose him , and on the

1 th was e a a e 7 of June fought the m mor ble b ttle of Killi crankie ,

D his when undee lost life, although his little army was

e M e victorious . The Gov rnment of William and ary r ceived the hearty support of the great body of the people both in

England and S cotland .

A ee A e S u fter the death of Qu n nne , d votion to the t art cause was kept alive amongst th e pe rsecuted Episcopalians . 24 TH E H I STOR I AN S OF P ERTH

E S The Treaty of Union between ngland and cotland, which was 1 0 accomplished in 7 7 , helped to render the Government unpopular.

THE J ACOBITE REBELLION OF 1 7 1 5 The next great event of the eighteenth century was the f S E rebellion in avour of the tuarts, engineered by the arl of

Mar O n 6th S 1 1 . the of eptember 7 5 this nobleman pro

S t. s claimed James, the Chevalier de George , king at Ca tle town of Braemar. The Highlanders ﬂocked to support him .

Perth was taken for James by Colonel John Hay , the brother

E Kinnoull on 1 S a a of the arl of , the 4th eptember (C nt s ys

1 6 1 8th the th), and on the he was appointed governor of the

Mar town . , with his army considerably reinforced , entered

Perth , and after staying there some time he ventured south .

A was rgyle, who in command of the forces of the Government,

1 o vember met the insurgents on Sunday, the 3th of N , at

' S heriﬂmuir D , near unblane, where a battle was fought , in

Mar e which both sides claimed the victory. then retir d to

Perth . 1 C r o The hevalie arrived at Scone, and to k up his abode

on 8 u r 1 1 6 there th Jan a y 7 . Next day he made his public

r . He ent y into Perth , where he met with a cold reception

1n seems to have been bad health , and his appearance and

' eﬂ c manner had anything but an inspiriting e ton his followers.

R a was The ebellion was a f ilure. James much disappointed , but he did nothing to make his enterprise a success. Shortly

f the and a terwards rebel army left Perth dispersed, while the H ISTORICA L SKETCH OF THE CITY 25

C Mar in hevalier accompanied by , found refuge a ship lying

off M and A the coast near ontrose, so escaped to France . fter

this escapade the Government, recognising the importance of

Perth, made the town a military centre .

PERTH PRESS In the year of Mar’s rebellion there was issued from the

R F reebairn Perth Press of obert a quarto pamphlet, entitled

’ ' S c tla L t l tz nd r e o nd s amen Con aéua on a P a r . , f , y This book

s let, which is exceedingly well printed , is suppo ed to be the ﬁ rst-born of a press which during that century and the ﬁrst n half of the following, printed and published more books tha

were published in any other provincial town of S cotland.

THE PROVOST AND THE LAST PENALTY OF THE LAW

2 A tragic event happened in Perth in the year 1 7 3 . A

r ofﬁcer milita y having some quarrel with a dancing master,

ran He him through the body with his sword . was arraigned M before the Provost and agistrates, tried by a jury, found

a guilty, and sentenced to de th . The friends of the con ’ dem ned man bestirred themselves and got the king s pardon

for him, but before it arrived at Perth he had paid the last

a penalty of the law . Owing to this circumst nce the ancient

power of the Provost in criminal cases was ta ken away .

BEG INNING S OF DISSENT Atthis time the E piscopalians of S cotland were still

d v n labouring un er ci il disabilities, but the Presbyteria Church 26 THE H ISTORIA NS OF PE RTH

1 a of Scotland was a united body, the Church of the great m ss E n of the people. The piscopalia Church mainly consisted of

ow the nobility and their immediate adherents . N we come

ﬁ rst 1 2 8 to the real split in the Church of S cotland . In 7 the

A M R v e . Synod of ngus and earns deposed the John Glasse , minister of Tealing, on account of the divergence of his views n on Church gover ment, who thereupon became the leader of a small body of Christians which are still known by his name . E This community spread to ngland, where the members are S known as andemanians . A Church of this order was 1 A erected in Perth in 733 by John Glasse . nother break from the Church of Scotland, that of the Secession , occurred

- shortly after this split, much more important and far reaching. I n October 1 73 2 the Synod of Perth and S tirling m etat

R v E E e e . Perth, when the benezer rskine, the mod rator, then r S n ministe at tirling, preached a sermo which was published ,

' and which gave oﬂence to a large number of the members of S Ou n E ynod . account of his outspoken sermo rskine was libelled and prosecuted by the General Assembly of the Church

A e e which was held the following yea r. The ssembly r buk d him at the bar, declaring that he had departed from the Word of God and the Standards of the Church . To this sentence t f he would not submit, holding himself at liber y to testi y against

He all defections of the Church . was joined in his protest by A William Wilson , one of the ministers of Perth ; lexander

M ff A e e oncrie , minister of bernethy ; and James Fish r, minist r

r of Kinclaven . These four ministers were afte wards joined by 1 There was a small body of dissenters wal led Cameroni ans

28 THE H ISTORIANS OF P ERTH has refused to join the United Free Church is now known as the Free Church of S cotland . There is room in S cotland A for all her sects . fter all is said, they are united in more and greater things than those which keep them divided .

J ACOBITE REBELLION OF 1 745

The next great event in which Perth ﬁgured was the

R 1 Jacobite ebellion of 745 . Perth had been enjoying a moderate degree of prosperity ; the citizens had been partici pating in a fuller and more comfortable life . There was no cloud in the political sky, when suddenly the news was spread that Prince Charles Edward S tuart had landed at Mo idarto n 2 th n the s of July, and that the standard of rebellion was agai unfurled in Scotland . The jubilation of the Jacobites is com ’ ’ ” m m ra a e o ted . in the stirring song, What s the steer, kimmer

Men S risked life and fortune in the cause of the tuarts , but the Jacobite women were ﬁlled to o v erﬂo wing with an

o a it enthusiasm which like a ﬂo d c rried all before , and which was worthy of a better cause . s n Perth lay open to the Highlander . Her ancie t walls had

S he long since been demolished . had outgrown her old borders, which may still easily be traced from the river up by the S f ’ canal (now Canal treet), ollowing the branch of the town s b lo S M S lade ( y Canal Crescent, a ng outh ethven treet) on to M the main lade , and following it (down ill Street) to where it joins the Tay. The great body of the citizens favoured the

Hanoverian dynasty . Provost James Crie (who was a

' a Moncrieﬂ physician, and m rried to a daughter of the house of H ISTORI CAL SKETCH OF TH E CITY 29

Culfar ie M M of g ), the agistrates, and George iller the Town C ﬂed E lerk, with several others, to dinburgh when a party of

C m r rd a e on Highlanders, on the evening of the 3 of September, entered the town .

C N 0 harles made his formal entry into Perth next day.

us artist has put this gay scene on canvas for , but we can in m i agination picture it for ourselves . The present stone bridge

was St. not then built ; there was no George Street, nor had

John Street been formed . The principal streets were High f Street, South Street, Watergate (the ashionable quarter

Kirk ate S kinner ate —an of the town), g , and g . The cross — ornate structure stood on High S treet where K irkgate and n S ki nergate intersect it. The prince with his companions

entered the town by the North Port or Gate . Proceeding by

S kinn r at C e e . astle Gable, they crossed the lade and entered g Ou the arrival of the cavalcade at the Cross, the old Chevalier was immediately proclaimed king by the title of l - S James m . The house at the south west corner of kinner

was ff gate then being built, and the sca olding was crowded

ﬁckle s . with sight eers , whose shouts rent the air There were

' s doﬂ ome who refused to , and their hats were promptly

knocked off by the more enthusiastic Jacobites. Charles took up his abode in the town residence of m u Viscount Stor ont, an antiq e house with a timber front,

situated in High Street , the site of which is now occupied by

ational B S C the ofﬁce of the N ank of cotland . harles stayed 1 l th in Perth until the , drilling and arming his growing

a army. Then he marched south and began that camp ign which 3 0 THE H I STORI ANS OF P ERTH

s seemed for a time like to have changed the dyna ty. Oliphant of Gask was left at Perth as governor of the

town . Ou the 3oth of October oc curred the birthday of King

George 11 . (the Highlanders had all left the town ; only

a was f u Oliph nt le t with a small g ard) , when several of the young tradesmen of Perth took possession of the church

steeple and rung the bells . Feeling ran high the mob made

bo nﬁres on the streets , broke the windows of all who would

th e e not illuminate , and so celebrated birthday of King Georg .

was u e th e Oliphant shut up in the Council Ho s , and mob

h r r im . S ﬁ ed e equired to withdraw hots were on both sid s,

and a several lives were lost. Next day a sm ll force of Jacobites was brought in to the town and order was

restored . The fortunes of the rebel army are well known how the

how th e Highlanders won the battle of Prestonpans , Prince E entered dinburgh , and how he marched at the head of his

E fa r as D F . ew followers into ngland, penetrating as erby E D joined the Jacobite standard in ngland . issension spread a mongst the Highlanders, who were not subject to discipline,

a was and a retre t, much to the disgust of the young Prince ,

o n. S in a e agreed The rebels reached cotland s fety , follow d

' D u n o e by the uke of C mberland , commanding the ki g s f rc s .

M e The Provost and agistrates of Perth having now return d , H e . e received Cumb rland with open arms did not , “ C ” nu however, stay long in the Fair ity , but conti ed his

f s - a pursuit of the a t diminishing rmy of rebels, which he H ISTORI CA L SKETCH OF THE CITY 3 1

M 1 6th A defeated at Culloden oor on the of pril 1 746 . This

a victory was followed by a savage cruelty, which e rned for ” r a B the royal gene al the title of Cumberl nd the utcher. Ou R l n the suppression of the ebe lion the Governme t,

n a again recognisi g the importance of Perth , st tioned a large body of Hessian troops in the town . The Hessians were d t much like in Per h, and it became a proverb to say of

e s s anyon who pos e sed good looks, that he was as bonnie ” as a Hessian.

PROG RESS AND PROSPERITY OF PERTH

Quietness and peace being restored , there followed a period of prosperity for Perth . Various industries were t introduced, the most impor ant of which was the manufacture of linen . According to a Census of Perth taken by the Magistrates

1 66 m 2 . Of e in 7 , the population a ounted to 75 4 persons th se E 6 1 the stablished Church claimed 3 3 the Secession Church ,

1 8 8 E 1 2 e 1 6 7 ; the piscopal Church , 4 ; and the Independ nt, 4 . In less than ﬁfty years the population was more than doubled ;

1 8 1 M and in 3 , from an enumeration made by the agistrates , we ﬁnd that the population had increased to Accord ing to the last Census the population of Perth in 1 90 1 numbered

PERTH BRIDG E

The Bridge of Pe rth which like the Church was dedicated

S t B i a ar to . John the apt st, dated from very e ly period . 3 2 TH E H ISTOR I A NS O F P ER TH

was Towards the end of the sixteenth century , however, it undermined by a ﬂood , and was evidently considered beyond

n M lne repair. Joh y , a celebrated architect of that time, was ’ instructed to build a new bridge . Mylne s bridge was

ﬁnished 1 6 1 by 7, but it did not long survive, being carried

1 6 2 1 t trafﬁc away by a ﬂood in . From hat time the across the river was ca rried on by means of ferry boats until

1 1 77 , when the present handsome stone bridge, designed S O . by the celebrated engineer John meaton , was pened

S as George treet was formed an approach to the bridge. S S e t. A few years later Charlotte treet was formed , th n John

Street was opened up . With an increased population Perth m made rapid strides in i provement at this time .

THOMAS HAY MARSHALL

e one of the most celebrated of her Provosts, rul d the city

e in the early years of the nineteenth century, and und r his auspices both the north and south sides of the town

s e were feued, and spacious street , terrac s, and crescents M m were formed. arshall Place was na ed after this Provost , R and Rose Terrace took its name from his wife, ose

Anderson .

D L D D S O L . . A AM AN ER N ,

A a r atural Rector of the cademy, fte wards Professor of N

S t e e a t . Philosophy Andr ws , was one of the most l arned

H e and useful citizens of Perth at this time . designed

ﬁrst s s the ga work of Perth, the town being lit with coal H ISTORICA L SKETCH OF THE CITY 3 3

a 1 r A s r 2 D . g in Janua y of 8 3 . nderson was also the

e engineer and architect for the Perth Wat rworks. The Water House which be erected still stands at the south end of Tay Street, and is an elegant and striking memorial of

1 8 2 his connection with Perth . Previous to 9 the town was m f supplied with water fro the lade and rom wells , while now

u e ﬂo win we have a pure s pply of water from the cl ar g Tay.

C PH O OPHY ART POLITI S , IL S , AND

v r u R e A -C These were e y strenuo s times, form and nti orn Law meetings were being held in Perth and throughout the

r A - - whole count y . The nti Corn Law meetings were held in

t e a the Nor h Secession Church , th n one of the l rgest buildings Ou a in the town . one occ sion , at least, the representative R of the burgh in Parliament, the ight Honourable Fox M E D aule, afterwards Lord Panmure and arl of alhousie,

R e presided, and ichard Cobden addressed the large ass mblage .

was e - There then no public m eting place, such as the City

a H ll , although the proposal was before the Town Council .

R a f The adic ls were in avour of the City Hall scheme, while the Tories characterised it as useless and a waste of public money. A Philosophical Society for Perth was formed in

1 8 Andersonian 47, and was named the Society, in memory

A e n But of her eminent citizen, Professor nd rso . although it

ﬂ u v o rished for a short time it did not long survi e . During the ﬁrsthalf of the nineteenth century the drama

ﬂourished A in Perth , the theatre being situated in tholl

R e n Street. yder was the l ssee of the house, and he e gaged 3 3 4 THE H ISTOR I A NS OF PE RTH

- M e high class actors. acready frequ ntly acted at Perth , and,

e indeed, he there met the lady who afterwards b came his

i Vir inius wife, when she was playing Virg nia to his g . Later,

and comedy seems to have held sway, Paddy Weeks

was r f e. He u a g eat avourit died suddenly, and was b ried in Perth , where the superintendent of the cemetery, at his own expense, placed a stone to mark the spot, on which is ” a m c rved si ply the name Weeks. In 1 845 the Magistrates bought the statue of S ir Walter

ta a Scott which now s nds on the South Inch , at a s le of

o the works of the brothers Cochrane, who were then ab ut

A C c to leave for merica . The o hranes were the sculptors

M now of the statue of Provost T. Hay arshall which stands

r R unde the portico of his monument. The statue of obert

B e a a urns is from the chis l of Willi m Anderson , nother local sculptor, and was placed some years later in a niche in f the acade of his house in County Place. The sister art n of painting about this time found many patro s, and an E hi ﬂ M B x c c . . hibition of Pictures, promoted y by J arclay ,

- the well known artist, who was a native of Perth , was shown in the sideroo m of the new City Hall .

THE DISRU PTION

The religious life of Perth has at all times been active . The ecclesiastical conﬂictwhich preceded the secession of the Free Church in 1 843 was participated in by a large section of the community, and there were large secessions from four of the churches of the Establishment . The ministers of

3 6 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P E R TH way facilities have made Perth an important mart for the dis u posal of farm prod ce and cattle.

BEAUTY OF THE SITUATION OF PERTH S trangers visiting Perth and arriving by rail, enter the town as it were by the back door, and have to traverse many of the meaner streets before they can see the beauty of the

the place . The town is best seen from farther side of the

K innoull H river. Looking down from the slope of ill, such a view is presented to the eye that the beauty of it rema ins on

e S u our ar the tablets of memory for ver. ch a picture tist has drawn, and a reproduction is given as a frontispiece to this work .

ST OHNSTO N F THE NAMES . J U AND AI R CITY

oh Perth was frequently called S t. J nstoun from a very

o early peri d, probably owing to the fact that the church and

S t. B In u bridge were dedicated to John the aptist . p blic

e e e writs, however, the town has always b en d signated P rth .

The modern poetic name of Perth is the Fair City . The

ﬁrst was D M writer to use the name Fair City avid orison , in his account of the demolition of the monasteries in the

S cenes in S cotland 1 8 . , published in 34 From the title of Sir ’ Tlze F ai r M a id o P erf/z Walter Scott s novel , f , it would be F an easy transition to call the town the air City of Perth .

B ook o P er f/z Lawson , in his f , calls the town the Fair

Mar H istor o P erm City . shall , in his y f , uses this name

' s A 21212 13 and A r c/zzw s occa ionally ; while Peacock, in his , H I STOR I CAL SKETCH OF THE CITY 3 7

th e f C published same year, reely uses the name Fair ity, and this appellation is appropriately enough used by most writers

since that time.

In this short sketch of Perth much has been left o utwhich

might have been said, had space permitted . Perth may well u - - claim to be one of the most p to date of provincial towns .

has It is lighted by electricity, a system of electric tramways,

a public library, churches in plenty, a comfortable theatre , and

splendid facilities for sport . The City Hall, which was such a

e no w bone of contention wh n it was proposed and erected, has

x f wa ed old and rail , and the City Fathers propose to rebuild ’ - t. f u it. S R John s Church , the only pre e ormation b ilding

n a u which the tow bo sts, was, nlike the City Hall , built for all

M has e time . uch been done to r store it to something like its

u e former grande r. A complet restoration is much to be

a e desired, when the partitions sh ll be r moved and the church

open from choir to nave . S Here we stop at the Parish Church of t. John the

B t has e aptis , which from time immemorial b en the centre of Christian life and intellectual acti v ity of th e thousands and thousands of citizens who have lived their little day in Perth , the ancient capital of Scotland. HENRY ADAMSON — 1 5 8 1 1 6 37

POET-H ISTORIAN 0 1‘ PERTH ’ A UTHOR OF THE M UsEs T11 1 1 5 110 121 11

U R author is the literary Father of the Historians of

Perth, and the city owes him a debt of gratitude . Yet in these days his memory is somewhat negl ected ; his glory

f chic ﬂ has become clouded, and his poems are amiliar y to students of antiquity . Possibly a better knowledge of our poet and his work may help to dispel the clouds which obscure the merit of a worthy son of Perth . The few extracts which we give from his works may help to keep n gree his laurel crown , and bring back to memory the merry poem with the mournful title. Even in his own day the poet was hardly understood by the ordinary man . His main poem is ignorantly referred to in the minutes of the Town Council of Perth as the book “ ’ ” ca lled Gaw s Tears, Gaw being the local pronunciation for ’ Gall , the name of the poet s friend whose death he laments in his threnody. It was his lot also to be misinterpreted by succeeding generations, who read reality in his raptures and

f ﬁction. act in his Yet we cannot blame Adamson , but rather 88 HENRY AD AMSON 3 9

those on whom his historical but not his poetical mantle had

fallen . " ' ' n Tﬁe M uses Té renoa ze or Henry Adamso , the author of ,

’ M i r tﬁ ul M um zn s Me ear l D eaté o F ien M o on r d 7 . f g y f , l ob : G a l . t j , was a native of Perth His grea poem is divided

s into nine muse or parts, and is in reality a metrical history

u H e of the City of Perth and neighbo rhood . was baptized 1 M I ov ember 1 8 r. on the st of N 5 by Patrick Galloway, the

s R r M econd of the efo med inisters of Perth , and subsequently

o r Chaplain to the King. His godfathers ( witnesses) were

Oliver Peebles and William Fleming, both of whom were

magistrates. His father, James Adamson , was a merchant u and citizen of m ch consequence, who served the town at

ff B s D a di erent times as ailie, Town Trea urer, e n of Guild, l b P v s and for three years e ruled th e city as ro o t.

was M The mother of our poet argaret Anderson, sister Till lumb to Henry Anderson, proprietor of the lands of y . His maternal uncle was a merchant of Perth and a man

a E of liberal educ tion , having, like the unfortunate arl of

a e Gowrie, prosecuted his studies in It ly at the celebrat d

University of Padua. This uncle was an accomplished poet,

ﬂuentl writing y in the Latin tongue, then the language of

v1 . scholars and men of letters. When King James paid

1 ’ ’ H e ﬁlled a a e s c a r in 1 8 1 0 and 1 2 was owns reasurer B ili h i 5 7, 5 9 , 5 9 T T ’ ’ 1 th in 6 a a n h e was e ecte to the a strac in 1 . For e 5 94, 95 , 9 ; g i l d M gi y 5 9 7 ears 1 8 and 1 600 he was ean of u succee n his roter wh o in y 5 9 D G ild, di g b h , those tur uenttm m t ntme en H e was ean of u b l i es ca e o an u i ly d. D G ild ’ atthe tme wh en erts oun rovostth e Ear of owr e osthis fe in i P h y g P , l G i , l li w athas een he n ir h b called t Go wrie Co sp acy . 40 TH E H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH a state visit to Perth in 1 6 1 7 he was addressed in a Latin

He poem , the composition of Henry Anderson . is always

M r n designated . Henry Anderso , this title being in those

M . days , and for long after, used to distinguish asters in Art Like his brother-in-law (the father of our poet) he was a n ff ctively engaged in mu icipal a airs, and ruled the city as

M 1 1 1 —1 2 a agistrate in 6 . Altogether Hen ry Anderson was a citizen of whom Perth had good reason to be proud .

H e w are and his nephe lauded in a short poem , entitled,

two S M r S . In Perth anent two of her ons , her uns Henry

r e h ew Anderson and M . Henry Adamson his N p

Two H enr es ke two suns u on thee ros i , li p e, The nc e and the e ew and c ose U l N ph , did l , ’ The one a summer th oth er a w nter , i day,

Nor longer could on our horizon stay. th h ome- re eams the one on tee sh ne Wi b d b , h did i , ’ Th h ra oter with ys broughtfro m the coastLavine . ’ Buthere n th ese exce ] fai r Phoe us roth er i l b b , H e and his beams do rise and settogether he r ra s sh ne mostthemse ves when under earth T i y i , l , And shall perpetual splendor give to Perth So be ita u o n thee o e own y, p , N bl T , Ma r w man suc suns e an s n. y y h is , d o go do

A . These lines are initialed J . , and are the composition ’ of the poet s elder brother john , who from his eminence

in literature deserves some mention . John Adamson was born in 1 5 76 he received a liberal

n . . u education , taki g the M A degree of his niversity. In

as R E rly life he acted egent in dinburgh College . After B wards he successively held the charges of North erwick, and HENRY AD AMSON 4 1

i E H n m an . e L berton , near dinburgh was a disti guished , and well known as a Latin poet . H e collected and published the poems addressed to the king during his state progress

1 6 1 H e in Scotland in 7. also edited the Latin poems of

M 1 6 2 his friend , the celebrated Andrew elville. In 3 came to him the great prize of his life, when he was appointed E am Principal of the University of dinburgh , and at the s e u M a a M r. w time he bec me colle g e to Andre urray, minister of the Greyfriars Church there .

e Possibly Henry Adamson was , like his brother, d signed

as e to serve God and his generation a minister of the Gosp l ,

so a . but if , he did not prosecute his studies in th t direction He certa inly received the best education his country could give, and that was then perhaps the best in the world . Scotland was then famous for learning ; her scholars were known and ﬁlled high positions in all the uni versities of the

s e civilised world. Adam on is described in the d dication n ” of his poem as a student in divine and human learni g .

- was u we e Our poet historian th s, as have s en, born in the

no him municipal purple, which would doubt be a help to

a t f e o in his st r in li e. The Town Council was th n a cl se — corporation : a free election was unknown the retiring council practically elected its successor ; it was then the days of what has since been ironically called the “ beautiful ” order, which continued until the reform of the last century .

Henry Adamson Sprung from a fam ily of poets . His paternal uncle, Archbishop Patrick Adamson , was a poet, and n his , as we have see , maternal uncle and his brother 42 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P ER TH

s were poet . We are not so well able to judge the merits of the poetry of his relatives, as they wrote their verses in

us a ms Latin, but it is fortunate for , and lso for hi elf, that he

E e wrote his great work in nglish . Lik many great men , it was long before he found his vocation and got settled in life. To an outsider he may have seemed to be mooning his life

so ﬁttin away but this was not , he was unconsciously g himself for the work he was called to do .

1 6 1 M r o fﬁce t In 7 , . Thomas Garvy held the of up aker of ” the Psalms in the Parish Church of S t. John of Perth . “ ” B no r eing stricken in years , he was neither apt able for the o fﬁ ce duties of his , consequently his place had been for so me time supplied by Henry Adamson . The Session

a and Council , who held the p tronage of this appointment, had such a high opinion of the qualiﬁcatio ns of the assistant that he was asked to continue his services . Henry was now

-six was n thirty years of age, and naturally desirous of havi g some settled employment. At this time his brother, then minister of Liberton , having u him written him regarding a sit ation suitable for , and this being intimated to the authorities, the Session and Council formally appointed him to hll the o fﬁ ce of Precentor and

M s oﬁi ces a ter of the Sang School , which he retained until his fﬁ death . This o ce of singing master was o ne of greater con M sequence and honour than is now atta ched to it. usic was

a S then considered an import nt branch of education , and the ang

School of Perth was an old and much appreciated seminary .

1 6 20 Bu In he married Katherine chanan, generally recog

44 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P ER TH

th 1 6 2 1 to human frailties, for by the minute of the 7 June , we ﬁnd he had been suspended on account of certain amatory ” liaisons with a fair maid named Marjory Runciman . The minute referred to states that a meeting of the Town Council and the Church Session was held for the purpose of ’ - e deliberating anent Adamson s re entry. The po t having

o s expressed his contriti n , was duly admoni hed and readmitted

ffi o e e to his o ce of reader. From the very slight kn wl dg

u n ff e a e which is f rnished by the mi ute of his o enc , we are un bl

u ea M H istor to j dge of the m sure of his guilt. arshall , in his y , n makes no me tion of this incident. The Church of those

e days was especially severe in all cases of moral delinqu ncy,

a and its discipline was exercised without fear or f vour .

E ffe e a nd very o nce was th n brought to the light of day, “ ” o are the Cutty Sto l was an institution . We not more

n f : e moral tha were our athers only, our transgr ssions are

e h ard and judged more in private .

e our Judging from his writings, it is evid nt that poet

e a was blessed with an amiabl disposition , yet with l he had

e the a t mper of his own . In the S ession Minutes for year

1 6 2 w 3 an incident is recorded which, although of a some hat

u w e v lgar nature, thro s a sidelight on his character, and enabl s

us He e in some measure to estimate the man . had quarrell d w- with a fello townsman named Thomas Wilson, whom he ” c debo ished alled a dyvour, that is, a debauched bankrupt, but u with what tr th we know not. Thomas, on his part, did

fo r not deny the charge, but retorted that were it not his “ ofﬁ “ ce of reader he would thraw his nose . It is HENRY AD A MSON 45 pleasant to record that the parties were reconciled by the

S e . ession , and that they took each oth r by the hand In March 1 6 2 6 he is recorded as Clerk of the Presbytery

Buk Presb terie deliv er of Perth . The former of the y was yt

M r u to him by . John Cr ickshank at that time, but he seems to have been acting in this capacity for some time

He few before this date. was one of the laymen who have held the o fﬁ ce of Presbytery Clerk .

as In those days holidays, we now understand them , were

u u e u not known , altho gh our reg larly r c rring vacations take ’ their name from the Holy or Saint s days established by the

a C . e e rly hurch However, we l arn from the records of the Town Council that Adamson received a license of six days

M r a n in order to visit his brother, . John Ad mso , the Principal E e . of the University of dinburgh , th n lying sick We have no further account of this visit to his brother, but doubtless

a nd he would show him his poems, the brothers would have ’ ' ' Tlze ﬂf uses Tlzr en a z u a happy time together. o e is s pposed

a ﬁnished 1 6 2 0 was n to h ve been in , but it subseque tly revised .

a The poet was loth to give it to the world . His f lse modesty had well -nigh lost to Perth the labours of her earliest

a historian . As he says in his pology

do rotesta a nstm w I p , g i y ill, n were reftfrom un er m r l Th ese li es d y ude qui l . never inten so reata h e ht I did d g ig , ” ha th e sh ou touch the ress or come to ht T t y ld p lig .

us n e n an a a Let consider, before e t ri g on ex min tion of the

A a nd w e a te . poems, the times in hich d mson liv d wro In the 46 TH E H ISTOR IA NS OF P ER TH

En n e early part of the seventeenth century the glish to gu , S especially in cotland, had hardly formed itself into a

1 — language . Spenser ( 5 5 3 99) was not so long dead . — — Shakespeare ( 1 5 64 1 6 1 6) and Bacon ( 1 5 6 1 1 6 2 6) may be said ’ r to have been his contempo aries. King James authorised

d B 1 6 1 1 ﬁrst e ition of the ible was published in , and the ’ S 1 6 2 edition of hakespeare s works in 3. Without doubt Adamson would be familiar with the Holy S criptures as we

ﬁnished know them , but the poem was before he could have read the printed message of the great dramatist. The

was S ir Cavalier poets, foremost amongst whom William

D a rummond of Hawthornden , lived and wrote p rtly in his u B time. The a thorised edition of the ible and the printed page of S hakespeare—these two especially—were the forces at work making the English language the powerful factor it

has e . was since becom This, then , the time when our poet was engaged in the work which was to be the boast of Perth

t s and the monument of the author to fu ure generation . In criticising this man ’s life -work it would not be fair to — apply to it the modern standard of English verse rather let us look at it as far as possible from the standpoint of a the contemporary writer, and see it with the eyes of celebrated

S ir William Drummond . Fortunately we are in a position to

x do this to some e tent, for the manuscript had been submitted

ﬁrst to this eminent critic and truly great poet. In the edition ’ ' of Tlze M uses T[trenodze is published a letter from his friend D u sufﬁ c ient r mmond , which is to put away all doubt as to the propriety of publishing the poems . HENRY AD AMSON

Adamso n did not live to read the friendly message of his brother poet , and it is certain that he died without having the satisfaction of handling the printed volume of his l work! D ’ This letter of rummond s, then possibly the greatest

s M was n of living poet ( ilton alive and a you g man , but he had not come to his fame) , is as follows

R H EN R Y D MV W HY R IEND M . AMSON T . o ORT F , A

S IR — M r , These papers of your mournings on .

Alc ibiadis S Gall appear unto me as ilenti , which ridiculously

S Chimearas e look with the faces of phinges , , C ntaurs on

inwardlie containe artiﬁce their outsides , but rare , and rich jewels of all sorts , for the delight and weal of man . 2 deserv edlie s ut a They may bear the word, non intu extr . u n ff Yo r two champio s, noble zanys (bu oons) , discover to us many of the antiquities of this country , more of your w ancient town of Perth , setting do ne her situation , founders,

fousies u fortiﬁca her huge colosse or bridge , walls, , aqued cts, n tio s, temples, monasteries, and many other singularities.

Ha ie w s pp hath Perth been in such a citizen , not so other to ne kin dom e n of this g , by want of so dilige t a searcher and

r . S M prese ver of their fame from oblivion ome uses, neither o d n to themselves nor to others, do g o , nor delighti g no r

I u arch 2 1 6 the Perth res ter a o nte a rk i O M 4, 3 7, P by y pp i d cle n room ’ ' of Henr amson ecease . T/ze zlf uses l rm odze was ubl sh y Ad , d d p i ed in

1 638 . 2 Notwhatitappears. 48 THE H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH

fo u . e instr cting Yours p r rm both , and longer to conceal them

o u o f her due u who s will be to wrong y r Perth hono rs , de erveth no l ess of you than th at she should be thus blazoned and

s u registrate to posterity , and to defraud your elf of a mon ment

te e which , af r you have l ft this transitory world, shall keep your name and memory to after times . This shall be

e ﬁrst preserved by the towne of Perth for her own sak , and after fo r yours for to her it hath been no little glory that

a u e she h th bro ght forth such a citizen , so emin nt in love to I h r so e M e . W e . D , d ar to the us s ( nitialed) .

D B R 1 1 ul 1 2 1 6 E I N U 0 . , j y , 3 7

It is evident from this warm l etter of th e great poet and ’ m an s public that he thought very highly of Adam on s work,

da e a u and few men of his y wer better ble to j dge . It is curious to note that Drummond found leisure to

H e t write his friend at this time . was ac ively engaged in

o f th e e n w e s o the politics day, and ev as he rit s the t rm was brewing which was to burst eleven days later in th e church

E w e the e e e w h r at dinburgh , h n famous j nny G dd s thre e n ’ stool at th e minister. I the king s controversy with the

D e a e . p ople , rummond took a mod r te yet bold part ’ ' Tbe M uses Tlzr enodze was 1 6 8 published in 3 , when the ’ A m the author s brother, John da son , the Principal of University

E was of dinburgh , of great assistance in seeing the work E u e . thro gh the pr ss It was printed at dinburgh , in King ’

a e e e A . R d J m s College, by G org nderson From the ecor s of the Town C o uncil o f Perth we learn that the Principal H E NR Y AD AMSON 49 received an allowance from the Council fo r a book to be published . Ou the 2 1 5 tAugust 1 6 3 7 instructions were given for putting a person on trial to read the Psalms in the Parish ” h . 2 t o vember 1 6 Kirk Again , on the 7 N 37, the question was discussed by the Council as to whether the book called Gaw ’s Tears should be dedicated to the Magistrates and C 1 6 E Town ouncil , or to the recently ennobled ( 33 ) arl of Ki n ull l ’ n o . e The exact date of Adamson s d ath is unknown , butit is reasonable to conclude that he had died prior to the discussion in the Council as to whom the book should be

a e e e dedic t d , for had he be n alive th re required to be no

disc ussion on such a point. The original dedication was

a e llowed to remain , than which nothing could be b tter or more

appropriate.

B To His Native Town of Perth , The Lord Provost , ailies, and Council thereof, his worthy Patrons wishing them e Dedicateth all happin ss here and hence, these his — R . ecreations Their devoted Servant, H EN RY DAM SON A , “ u entin v ne an Hum Std Di i d an Learning.

This book was a work of love . It was written in the ﬁ rst f a o a M r. place to keep live the memory his very de r friend ,

john Gall, a young man of much promise, intelligence, u . was learning, and wit, who died of cons mption John Gall

n e was a a mercha t in P rth, as his f ther of the same name .

1 t a nte no e . See , p 47. 5 0 TH E H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH

’

M r. R re re George uthven , another friend of the poet s, is p M H . e e sented as the ourner was a physician in P rth , and is R supposed to have been a son of Patrick , third Lord uthven .

M F tis He r. it was then an old man , and according to was

' ' 6 scz ur a soci zs— a born in 1 5 4 . N o t man is often correctly

as judged by his company . Having such good friends this

a nd M r. esteemed physician John Gall , we are the more

u 0 ass red of the good character of our historian . N man is free f from the railties of humanity, and our poet would have been

f e more than mortal had he been without ault. Ther is one

e thought which must strike the reader of his vers s, and that is the chasteness of his style and the nobility of his thoughts . O uthe 1 2 th February 1 638 there was presented to the

. ’ ' w Tlze M uses Tlzr enodze To n Council thirty copies of , which u the were distrib ted amongst members . The whole edition

u an rate o wo ld not be large, at y an original c py is now a

u ﬁrst treas re . Only one copy of the edition is known to

s e has was exi t, and ev n it the title page supplied . This copy

a o ﬁ v e sold some years g for guineas . Another copy of this 1 work , published in 77 is in our possession . It is unique, “ being printed at Perth by George Johnston to the 5 2 nd ” e Perthensis page, the remaind r wrote by . The ﬁrstand principal title of the main poem is Tlze ’ ' M uses Tlzr enoa ie M , that is , the Tears of the uses ; and the

' M r /z ul M ur m n s n i t o on 111 3 B eul k M r . G al seco d title is f g of l . After the dedication comes the ﬁrstpoem ; it is ca lled an

Mr Inventary of the Gabions, or curiosities in . George

1 The ear efore ant u sh h y b C p bli ed is edition.

5 2 TH E H ISTORI A NS OF P ERTH

s is the arsena of o s Thi l g d , Of all the world this is th e odds s is the ace o o chuses Thi pl Ap ll , h s is the res ence of the uses T i id M , And to conc u e all th s in one l d i , ” is is th e R m h n Th o an Panteo .

e The next piece is an apology by the author, writt n in

e we o u a longer m asure, from which sh ld like to quote , but u . e m st refrain In truth , this apology is quite h roic , and the closing couplet

rustin in G od to ee m consc ence ure T g k p y i p , ” r f ll me secure Whose favous mosto a shall ,

ﬁn breathes a e spirit.

e Then follows an elegy on the arly death of the author,

a e written in Latin by Thomas Crawford , headm st r of the High

E s R e School of dinburgh, and afterward a gent or Professor C in the ollege there .

e e We now come to the great poem . It is writt n in nin “ Mu e divisions or muses , corresponding to the nine s s . The Muses were specially invoked by the older poets to assist them in their labours. They were nine imaginary

E e heathen deities, namely, Clio , Urania, Calliope, ut rpe ,

E M and rato, Thalia, elpomene , Terpsichore, Polyhymnia, f e abled to be the daughters of Jupiter, and accredit d by the heathen philosophers as the goddesses of Music and - Poetry . From the last named come our words Hymn and

Hymnary . HENRY AD AMSON 5 3

The introduction is contained in four lines

f M r r e R utven the tears and moum in s O . eo G g h g , ’ m stthe iddie course of fortune s tum in s A id g g , ’ on his ear fr en s eath M r. oh n a Up d i d d , J G ll, h r rn n re artand wretche n ll W e e his rare o ame ts bea p d Gabio s a . From this introduction it would appear that the poem

r R u was written by M . George uthven ; but altho gh put in

s so z muses his name, thi was not the were undoubtedly

ﬁ rst u written by Henry Adamson . In the m se the poet “ ” l calls on all his G abio ns to help him to mourn the death of his friend Gall, and he sets forth at length his many

F irst virtues . he calls on his

Bowes to begin the doleful song ; then An e m c u s ou mustno m ore re are d y y l b , y p p , To ma e our a s f ee wh stn in th e air k y b ll l i li g , But n our hea s and cm okéd crai s hi g y d g ,

And dress you all in sackcloth and in rags.

“ Next in order he calls on his loadstones of Lednochian ” abund lakes ; that is , his curling stones, then found in great ance in Lednoch on the Almond R iver near Perth The poet praises the men of Perth for their skill in noble ” w archerie, and then follo s an account of a shooting excur “ ” n H e sion alo gst the ﬂowery banks of Tay to Almond .

w Be vie s the place where ancient rtha stood, and tells in ’ B l be verse Hector oece s fabled story , which he evident y lieves as , indeed it was held as true by many for long after,

1 ’ a ons a wor of amsons own co n n fre uent use Sir G bi , d Ad i i g, q ly d by r Walter Scottin his dia y. 5 4 THE H ISTORI A NS OF P ERTH notwithstanding the clear account of the inundation given

F ordoun by , who wrote about a hundred years after the event B ’ From ertha they proceed to Low s Wark, about which he has a great deal to say . Thence they walked along by the banks of the town ’s lade or aqueduct to the “ Boot of Bousie then they viewed Balhousie Castle and the North B Inch , when the poet gives a long account of the attle of ’ “ W n ” the I nch and Perth s valiant citizen H enrie y de . ’ His next subject is the Blackfriars Monastery and the murder of King james from which by a natural transition he goes on to describe the Carthusian Monastery which was founded by that unfortunate king.

In descriptive poetry he excels, and his description of the Carthusian Monastery is good

Th e harter ouse of P rth m frame C h e a ighty , a s rtuts b a m stc name V lli Vi i y y i , ook n a on that a nted s ac ous he L i g l g p i p i ld, h ch doth w t easure sweet e d W i i h pl ly yi l , The fa r outh nch of ert and ban s of Ta i S I P h k y, ’ hi s Abba s stee es and its turrets sta T y pl ; y, e as the stoo butah ! wh ere s ns abound Whil y d ( i , ’ The loftiestpride lies level d with th e ground ’ ere cunn n contriv d w th cur ous art W i gly i i , ” And unt s n r qi es e ce of skill in every pa t.

ﬁrst The muse concludes as it began , with a lament for Gall . These laments are generally the least po etical parts of his po em c ma es me cr Whi h k y,

a sweetest a w ata e tee to die. G ll, G ll, h il d h HENRY ADAMSON 5 5

as ﬁ rst The second muse, which is not quite so long the , is descriptive of a trip to Luncarty and the Linn of Campsie ; ’ while in the third muse, the voyagers return to Perth by water, and the broken bridge , is described . In this division of the poem we ﬁnd an imaginative sketch of the coming

R ﬁ rst of the omans to Perth , in which occurs the conception of the supposed exclamation of the Romans on coming in sight of the situation of Perth Ecce Tiber ! Ecce Campus Martius ! Behold the Tiber ! Behold the ﬁeld of Mars ! R A Speaking of the omans, here is what damson says

And th ere ar b a r ver-s e the foun , h d y i id y d The fa restand most easant atof roun i pl pl g d, ats nce ban of ber th e h ad been Th i by k Ti y , The like for beauty seldom had they seen :

h ch wh en te es W i h y did py, ntn te Ca m us M a rtins I n co i enth y p cry. And as an ha i resa e th ha seen pp e p g ey d ,

They ﬁ x their tents amidstthatspac ious green. R twhere now erth doth stand and castthe r trenches igh P , i ’ E n w ere P rth s f ws e are betw n these nches ve h e o i s , ee i , The out and orth and bastilies th e ma e S h N , y k , r Th e power and strength of Scots and Fights to b eak .

1 These seeds of fancy lay dormant until about 75 7, when ' ' the spurious account of the situation of Britain (ae S ztu

B r itannia R ) , ascribed to ichard of Cirencester, was published , which strengthened the claim of Perth to have a Roman

. 1 6 origin Then in 7 9, Pennant, the celebrated traveller, “ writes : The inhabitants of Perth are far from being blind to the beauties of their river ; for with singular pleasure they 5 6 THE H ISTORI A NS OF PERTH

r R relate the t adition of the oman army, when it came in sight ‘ E of the Tay, bursting into the exclamation of cce Tiberius .

ﬁ rst E This is the appearance in print of cce, but the “ ” reference of Adamson to the Campus Martius is not re ’ Tlze M uses . C ferred to James ant , who published his edition of

' TIzrenodze 1 R in 774, speaks of the account of the omans view

r f no twith ing Pe th and settling there as a poetical able ; but,

f u 1 86 standing, the able gained gro nd . In 7 was published

0111 S tatistical A ccom zto P er th the f , in which the writer sums up his account of the foundation of Perth in these words

A ﬁrstsaw When gricola and his army the river Tay, and a the djacent plain on which Perth is now situated, they cried E ! E C u M ! out with one consent, cce Tiber cce amp s artius

saw comparing what they to their own river, and the exten R sive plain in the neighbourhood of ome .

M emor abilia o P er u 1 806 In the f , published in , the state u ment is repeated in other words. The tradition has p to

o this p int gathered considerable strength , and seems to have

S ir been fully accepted in Perth . It only remained for f l Walter Scott to bring it be ore the wor d, which he did in the professedly anonymous lines which head the ﬁrstchapter of his famous story of TIw F ai r M aid of P er l ]:

“ e o the et! the va n R oman cr e B h ld Tib i i d, ’ Viewing th e ample Tay from Baiglie s side ; ’ Butwh ere s th e cotthatwou the vauntre a S ld p y, ” And a th e un r f he Ta h il p y Tibe or t y.

f R Perth may have been ounded by the omans, as this

us d tradition would have believe, but there are no groun s for HENR Y ADAMSON 5 7

was f No saying that such the act . such account is to be f 1 ound in Tacitus or any classical writer. For how the poet

B B r tells of the attle of the ridge of Pe th , of the death of the M r R f arty s , of the e ormation , and of the destruction of the s s mona terie , and many other subjects of interest in our

r f e s . histo y, we must re er the r ader to the poem it elf In the sixth muse we have an account of a sail down the river from Perth in the early morning

en merrielie we leanche into the ee Th d p, ’ P oe us m newhile ne rose from s ee h b ea awak d l p, Athis a oint oure the easantmornin pp ed h , pl g, With gilded beames the cristall streams adorning The ear ew on n r rasse h n p led d te de g did i g, And heavenly quires of birds did sweetlie sing own b the sweet outh nch e we s n o D y S I lidi g g , Ten thousand dangling diamonds did show ’ Th e radiantrepercussion of Sol s rayes s r And prea ding sh owers did looke like A gus eyes.

The reader who reads through this long po em will come

on long passages of dreary doggerel . We have not thought

it wise to reproduce the worst, but rather we have chosen the

best ; and this last quotation , notwithstanding its antique u setting, is q ite charming. M The ninth and last muse tells of the death of aster Gall , and concludes thus

“ h en farewe ab ne farewe ab ons all T ll, C i ; ll, G i , Then mustI meetin h eaven with Master Gall

1 See article by the late James Macdonald in l e P roceedings of fluS ociety o ntu r tl - A i a ies o Sco and vol. 1 8 8 . f q f , 9 99 5 8 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P ERTH

And ti tattme I wi setf rt his ra se ll h i ll o h p i , In elegies of wo and mourning layes ; And w ee in for his sa e sti w l I cr , p g k , ll i l y,

a l sweetest a w atai e tee to d e. G l , G ll, h l d h y

No twithstandin v g the merit of his erses , it is much to be regretted that Adamson did not write the History of Perth in

-of-f matter act prose . Having written in verse, he has taken

o s the usual license of a p et, and many of his statements mu t

ﬁctitious f S be accepted as and anciful . till , amidst all the

a f has us we lth of his ancy, he given much that is true and

was reliable. His work is the earliest, and for long it the

r o . only, account ofthe antiquities of Pe th and its neighbourho d As a poet he is far inferior to his friend Drummond ; but he is much superior to many who have attained greater

al popularity. His style may be called Hudibrastic, though he lived and wrote before S amuel Butler composed his E humorous satire on the nglish Presbyterians . His lines ,

u and like those of H dibras , are often slipshod his numbers B uneven , but they are free from the vulgarity of utler. A damson wrote of and for a locality, hence his fame is H . e P circumscribed was a true son of erth , and sung of his H . e native city was a man of learning, taste, and wit ; in a

He ﬂi hts word, he was a poet . could not soar in g of fervour

like the great poets, but he was too sensible to think more of

. s his work than it deserved Unlike most poet , his modesty

e was as r markable as his genius .

60 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P ERTH u to Scotland . James Cant contributed fo r hymns or songs

' to the volume of Citri stzan S ongs used by the Glassite Church

at their social gatherings, but they are not of much poetical

H e merit . had a brother, William Cant, also a member of C the Glassite hurch , which included many eminent men in the At M social and religious life of Perth . this time George iller,

r the Town Clerk of Pe th , was a member of this Church , and

he was fam iliarly known amongst the brethren as the clerk . ’ M C s o fﬁc ial uch of the activity of ant s long life, out ide his

work, was spent in the service of God and the Church he

As a loved so well . he advanced in ye rs he seems to have

given much attention to the study of the past, and in his day

was H e an antiquary of some note. was generous in his

R r M lne service to other writers, notably to obe t y of London ,

- R ev R M lne a whose great grandson, the . obert Scott y of Gre t

1 8 Tbe Amwell , completed, edited , and published , so late as 93 ,

M aster M asons to t/ze Cr own o S cotla nd f , a work the material

e for for which had b en gathering generations. In the year 1 77 2 there ﬂourished a local periodical with

Tlze P er l ]: M z sur e the title of aga ine of K nowledge and P lea . James Cant soon became a val ued contributor to this early harbinger of the glorious summer of magaz ines which we now

C a enjoy. ant made this journ l the vehicle for the announce ’ ' ment of his intention to republish Tlze M uses Tﬁ r enodze of A Henry damson , with notes and observations. The republi

M a azine cation was indeed begun in the g , but evidently not

f z e to the satis action of Cant. The M aga in having ceased to

2 th D 1 exist with the number dated 4 ecember 773 , the way JAMES CA NT 6 1

’ was no w clear for our author to issue his edition of Tlze M uses

w Accordingly, in the follo ing year was published the ’ ' ' Tﬁe M uses Th renoa ze second edition of , with notes and appendices. This edition is the work which gives Cant a place amongst our local historians , although we feel assured he never would have claimed that position for himself. The

al work, though published in two octavo volumes, is generally f the ﬁrs ound bound in one volume , and often with only ttitle

a w p ge . The only illustration is a plan of the to n of Perth , l A . R utherfo rd 1 taken from an actual survey by , dated 774 ,

. o . R and engraved by J Kirkw od , watchmaker. Perth uther ’

a th e e S t. ford is lso etch r of a drawing of John s Church ,

th as 1 Per , it appeared in 775 , and which was published in

' '

S conzana 1 80 . The en rav er , 7 g of this interesting map, James

E 1 th 1 8 2 Kirkwood , died at dinburgh on the 9 of January 7, - H at the ripe old age of eighty one years . e is designated as formerly watchmaker and engraver in Perth . This plan of the town bears an impression of the arms of

P . e e erth It is a spirited drawing, but the eagl is r presented,

r - e contra y to the usual custom , as single head d instead of 2 double. The town then occupied a much more limited area ’ - n e . S B e and tha it do s to day meaton s ridge , th n still the

a e gre t boast of Perth , had only been op n to the public for S three years. George treet, so named after King George

1 rch ba R utherfor who was the raw n master in the then recent A i ld d, d i g ly h P ert ca em establis ed h A d y . 9 f th ert arms was use the t This design o e P h d by own clerk . 62 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P ERTH

the best of his name, had only been recently formed ,

and was not nearly all built. Where the now Royal

George Hotel stands, was then vacant ground. Charlotte

Street , which was to commemorate the name of the queen ,

was not then made. The principal streets were High Street,

K irk ate e South Street, Watergate, g , Castl Gable , part of

M R o w - Princes Street, ill Wynd , and New . The last named, u - - although still bearing its p to date designation , is really a M very old street. The eal Vennel was then an important M thoroughfare . ill Street is indicated but not named . Canal

e it Street, or the lin of , which was also the line of the city wall , R is called Spy idge ; while beyond, to the south , are the Spy ’ and Hospital Gardens. The outline of Cromwell s Fort on E R the South Inch is shown the dinburgh oad, with its avenue

of trees , intersecting it close to the west side . The course of R the Dunkeld oad is marked intersecting the North Inch .

f S t. O churches, there is of course the Parish Church of John , l - al the others being designated meeting houses, namely, the B Episcopal , situated in the Parliament Close ; the urgher, now - F . and A B U . the Wilson Church ; the nti urgher, now the tw U F . o l North . . Church The last have recent y been rebuilt - on nearly the same sites . The Congregational Meeting House completes the list of churches . The Grammar S chool is shown occupying its time immemorial site at the end of the t ’ S . A h School Vennel , now known as nne s Lane ; while te Academy was situated at the north -west corner of the Kirk f side . The Town Hall occupied the site at the oot of the

High Street, having the back to the river and the front JAME S CANT 6 3

’ C s s loo king up the street . The present ommi sioner Hall and M ’ Ofﬁces S t. Public are built on the site of ary s Chapel , an old

as building which existed then , but was not used a chapel . The present Guild Hall in High Street is the same building as

1 al ﬁgures in the plan of 774 . There is so a bank situated

irk a and A s between the K g te the Watergate. showing how M the citizens were employed , there is indicated the ill Wynd

R o w r Factory , the New Facto y, and a leather manufactory .

snuﬂ m There was also a ill , an oil mill , a barley mill , and the ’ Ofﬁ ce town s meal mills . The Post was situated in a shop in ’

S S . v 1 s High treet, looking up George treet King James .

Hospital was then a new building , and it stood almost alone in its neighbourhood . There were but a few houses built on w u the line of that old approach to the to n from the so th , the

now . Leonard Causeway, Leonard Street The Gowrie

u was was as Ho se then in existence , and occupied artillery barracks .

was 1 Such Perth in 774, when James Cant , following the

’ ' x m ﬁ rst T126 M uses Té renodze e a ple set in the edition of , dedi cated S ff the second edition to the then Lord Provost, heri , and C D M oroner ; the ean of Guild, agistrates, and Town Council .

H e begins with an introduction , which enables the reader

s better to under tand the poems which follow, and gives A some account of the author, Henry damson , and his friends

M a Dr R r. . George uthven and John G ll , who are the speakers introduced in the course of the threnody. There are several C ’ inaccuracies in ant s account of the poet, whom he represents as having died unmarried the year after his poems were 6 4 THE H I STORI ANS O F P ERTH u . t p blished In bo h of these statements Cant is in error. ’ n w was m B Adamso s ife na ed Katherine uchanan, and was a e of M n daught r of the minister of the parish ethve . She pre

sumabl as y predece ed her husband, for he erected a monument ’ to m al - u unfo r her me ory in the Greyfriars buri gro nd , but

unatl t e y the date of her death is indecipherable. Then as ’ we regards the date of the poet s death , learn from a minute

o f 2 th M 1 6 the Presbytery of Perth , dated 4 arch 3 7, that

Mr m n a . Ada so e because of the death of Henry , l st clerk of

P resb terie the y , it is appointed that in time coming ane actual

minister sal be chosen clerk. Cant gives some account of

S t. A Patrick Adamson, Archbishop of ndrews, but he does

H e e not say he was uncle to the poet. also r fers to John E Adamson , Principal of the University of dinburgh , but

n a e makes no mentio of his ne r relationship, that of broth r, to C ’ TIn our poet. ant s notes and appendices to this edition of ’ ’ ' M uses Tlzrenoa ze constitute his claim to be ranked as a local

H e historian . certainly has brought together a great mass of

material , which , properly digested, might have served for a

. e history of Perth His notes are of great value , mor

a especi lly when he writes from his own knowledge, although O sometimes they are trivial enough . ther of his memoranda

s are valuable, and pat illustration from ancient writings ; but the major part of his notes consists of quota tions from the

S e historians of cotland , who, having romanced somewhat th m 1 selves , have led both the poet and his annotator into error.

1 Hector oece es ec a ma be c te as v n a ﬁctitious accountof B , p i lly, y i d gi i g the nundaton and estructon of ert inwh c he is fo l owe uchanan i i d i P h , i h l d by B JAME S CANT 65 Some of the errors into which Cant has fallen in his notes

he corrects in his Introduction . Where he criticises the

poem he is generally just, and often appreciative. In his

has notes he , of course, to follow the poem, which , treating as s it does of a serie of excursions in and around Perth , has, as ’

f al . C a matter of act, no chronologic sequence ant s notes,

thus taken by themselves, form a sort of patchwork travesty ’ r A in of the Histo y of Perth . damson s poem was never t s tended to carry such a load of the weigh y fact of history , t and while we mus acknowledge the value of the notes, we cannot butrecognise that they distract the attention of the

reader of the poem . This method of writing notes to an old poem is a way of writing history which bears a striking

relation to mending an old garment with new cloth , or the

putting of new wine into old bottles. It is much to be regretted that James Cant did not write a new history

of Perth . His notes and appendices testify that he was

ualiﬁed u well q for this task , and to s cceeding writers his

v H e material has been a eritable storehouse. has collected u as quite a m seum of notes, nearly wonderful as the R Dr. Gabions of uthven , described by Adamson in the ” Inv entary. I t . ﬁ rs . The volume concludes with Appendix No , the subject of which is the Gowrie Conspiracy, that mysterious and unfortunate transaction about which so much has been written and so little is known . This article is ascribed to

D . C Sir David alrymple, Lord Hailes ant adds some extracts ’ ’ s R so H istor ies from Calderwood and obert n s . 5 66 TH E H ISTORI A NS OF P ERTH

’ Can v w 0 t s second olume opens ith Appendix N . I I . , ’ which consists of a translation of the Town s Charter of

Co nﬁ rmation v 1 . 1 8 1 granted by King James in 5 , and done

E D r P 1 6 — into nglish by John avidson , Nota y ublic, in 5 3 a

w ﬁft- a long document, hich extends to y nine p ges of his book . Then follows a listof the Magistrates of Perth for the years

1 1 6 a 1 374 and 4 5 , and regularly there fter up to 773 , with

M r such occurrences as happened under their agist acy. This f list of names is extracted rom the public records of the town . The footnotes which Cant supplies to this list are of great

value. When noticing the laying of the foundation stone of

1 66 the bridge in 7 , our author gives an interesting list of the

subscribers to this great undertaking. The next list which Cant gives us is one of the Ministers of Perth from the

R f . t e ormation to his time, with some account of each A shor

was a account is given of the Academy of Perth , which est b

lish d 1 6 u e 0 . in 7 The curric lum of the academy is given . This institution was afterwards joined with the more ancient

r r far G amma School of Perth , a list of the rectors of which , so C is d . u as is known , also printe James ant concl des his interesting collection of Perth memoranda with a short a postscript, in which he takes le ve of the public in as modest a way as in his introduction he ﬁ rstmakes his bow to his

f - z ellow citi ens. ’ ra f C The following pa graphs, taken rom James ant s u R 1 acco nt of the conclusion of the Jacobite ebellion of 745 , are interesting, and give a good idea of the style of this writer

V J E R E . AM S SCOTT — 1 733 1 8 1 8

N R H R C R ER A TIQUA Y, ISTO I AL W IT

H E R ev . James Scott, the senior minister of the parish

ﬁlled s of Perth , a large phere of usefulness in his day ; yet his valuable services to the town are now to a great f extent forgotten . We hope that this little sketch of his li e may be effectual in reviving the interest of the present

a gener tion in one who was a good citizen, a faithful minister of the Gospel , a careful translator of the ancient records of

P . erth, and a diligent recorder of its local history u Scott wrote much , but he p blished little. Fortunately,

v us howe er, for , his manuscript writings have found a safe resting-place in the Advocates of Scotland Library in

E . dinburgh , where they may be consulted These consist of several large folio volumes of extracts from the Church records, with remarks and illustrations ; extracts from the

- register of the Kirk Session of Perth ; register of deaths, baptisms, and marriages at Perth ; and superstitious customs at Perth . Part of this valuable collection we have examined , and our only regret is that these records have not long ere 68

E V J ME C 69 R . A S S OTT

i n s this been published ex ten o. The manuscripts are well bound, while the writing is clear and distinct, and as easily read as a printed page . They contain a mass of informa tion , which has been freely made use of by subsequent writers. We are indebted for many of the facts of Scott’s long life to an account of him , published after his death, by

R v D ﬁr . A D . t e W. s the . Thomson , . , the minister of the

M As then newly constituted iddle Parish. this little book is now out of print and exceedingly scarce , we gladly avail ourselves of all the assistance it is so well ﬁtted to R render. The R ev . James Scott was the third son of obert

S E almask R . cott, squire, of F , in the county of oxburgh

H e was 2 I S t o v ember 1 . born near Hawick , on the of N 73 3 H e received his education at the High School of Edin He burgh, and at the University of the same city. was t blessed with a pious mother, who early directed his though s to serious things ; and his ﬁrstwish was to serve God as A ﬁnished a minister of the N atio nal Church . fter having his college course he for some time wavered in his early

determination , and had some thought of devoting his life to

u r . the service of his king and co nt y as a soldier Fortunately,

' t eﬂect however, this inten ion was not carried into , as his after

life showed that his talents did not lie in that direction . In due course ( 1 75 8) he was licensed to preach the Gospel by be was the Presbytery of Jedburgh . The year following pre sented to the parish of Kinfauns in Perthshire by Lord President Craigie of the Court of Session and Laird of 70 TH E H I STOR I ANS OF P ER TH

l nd k For a G e oic . , and was there ordained three ye rs he had the

a a a c re of this p rish, when hewas translated to the p rish of Perth , R D B ev . which was then a collegiate charge . The avid lack

was the senior minister of Perth , and the colleagues worked

together with the greatest cordiality, which says much for the

good sense and sterling qualities of both of these ministers. This arrangement lasted until the death of the senior minister in

1 1 ﬁ . R ev . es ll 77 , when the Jam Scott was chosen to his place f ’ Long be ore this time the nave of S t. John s Church

s a had been eparated from the main building by dividing w lls, and was then known by the name of the New Kirk and ” as the sometimes Little Kirk, just as it is now known as the ” West Parish Kirk. The little church had not been used for h R m i e ev . preaching since t . Willia W lson had been deposed The secession of this much -beloved minister was such a se vere blow to the Establishment that the Magistrates did not think it ﬁll 1 needful to appoint a third minister to his place. ’

r R ev . I n later yea s, when The James Scott s voice had s f not omewhat ailed him , and he was able to preach in the

e r large church, he us d to preach regula ly in the West C hurch . ’

S t. The choir, or eastern part of John s, was separated in 1 2 77 . It was the custom then for the ministers to preach alternately in each of the churches.

R v The e . James Scott was a man of culture and broad views his catholicity was extraordinary for the times, and he

1 The E sco a ans w s to av the use of t un rc butts pi p li i hed h e he used chu h, hi cou n t ld o be arranged. V R E . JAME S SCOTT 7 1

worked hea rtily with the dissenting ministers of the town for the furtherance of whatever was for the good o f the people

C r H e the and the spread of h istianity . originated Perth ’ M as o issionary Society, and at the young s ciation s inception

: E a meeting there were present from the piscopali n Church , th e R ev . A B dam Peebles ; from the urgher Church , the

R ev . erv i R A John J e and the ev . Jedidiah ikman ; from the

A -B u R v r A e . D . nti rgher Church , the lexander Pringle and

R v R B the e . ichard lack ; while the R elief Communion was

R ev D represented by the . avid Sangster.

A s showing the liberality of his views, compared with

co - M r S iev wri ht us those of his Presbyters, . g tells , in his

isto ' o Me Con r e atim l 671 10 1 4 in P er m t H m f g g , tha when the Church in Paul Street was built by some secessionists

S R ev S from the ecession Church , the . James cott preached in

u r r it witho t leave from the P esbyte y , and was censured by

s that body, on which occa ion he declared he would preach in

r eve y house in his parish . H e was a poet and a musician he wrote hymns and sung his own compositions , accompanying himself on the harp .

t ama the Al hough fond of poetry and the dr , yet, like most of

Scottish clergy of his day, he disapproved of public dramatic H t . as represen ations e w a historian and antiquary. The H istory of P er tﬁ and its A ntiquities was a Special subject of H i . e s study to him translated, transcribed, and made annotat on of all the old manuscripts, registers , and charters on which he la d could y his hands. His labours in this direction extende to several folio volumes, which were after his death purchased 72 TH E H ISTOR I ANS OF P ER TH

’

A as . for the dvocates Library, we have already noticed In

1 8 A t 7 0 the Society of ntiquaries of Scotland was es ablished , and four years afterwards James Scott projected a similar institution fo r Perth ; and thus was formed the Literary and

Antiquarian Society which has, especially in the earlier years t of its exis ence, done so much for the furtherance of the study

r H e ﬁ rst of our local histo y. contributed the paper to the “ an S t. D young society, being Account of ominic and the ” t f Friars of his Order, and until his dea h he was a requent A t contributor of papers as varied as they were numerous .

1 th 1 0 a meeting of the society, held on the 5 of June 79 , Scott “ ” an B r read Account of the Life of lind Har y, after which ,

t a in recogni ion of his great services, he was sked to sit for

tr M r his por ait, which was painted by . Thomson , and soon f 1 a terwards hung in the hall . In 1 794 he wrote the old Statistical Account of Perth ’ otl n for Sir John Sinclair s S tatistical A ccountof S c a d. The

S tatistical A ccounto P er m s f was publi hed, along with that of

Kinnoul 1 6 , in a small volume in 79 . In the advertisement to this work he writes of a design having been formed for the

s t preparing and publi hing a more full history of Per h , which unfortunately was not carried out. This short account ,

a although it is but a plain st tement of historical facts, is vastly

has u interesting, and been of great service to s bsequent

writers. Perhaps the best bit of writing in this account is his

1 By the courtesy of the secretary of the Literary and Antiquarian Soc iety w are na . W B . e e bled to reproduce this picture from a photograph by Mr . r r f Me ce o Perth.

74 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P E R TH

S t ’ h . was active in this matter, wit the result that Paul s t a Church was buil , and it appropriately received the s me name as the pre-R eformation R eligious Hospital which stood

r 1 a sho t distance to the west. In 80 7 the parish of Perth

a M E was divided into four p rishes , namely, the iddle, ast, West, t . R v a S e S . At t and Paul this time the e . J mes co t r signed his

was a . charge, and one minister appointed to each p rish The

1 8 1 8 -ﬁfth aged minister of Perth died in , in the eighty year of ’ - his age , and was buried in the Greyfriars burial ground,

He was his wife who had predeceased him . was survived by

two M S one son and daughters, one of whom , iss usanna

S Cherr ba nk 1 8 cott, died at y in 5 4, at the ripe old age of - eighty seven years. ’ H istor o oi n The following extract from Scott s y f j ,

E a r l o G owr ie e e ﬁ rm f , gives some id a of the cl ar and style of the writer

A C d F ebruar ccording to alderwoo , it was the end of y 1 600 a E E th t John , arl of Gowrie arrived at dinburgh after n r He was e his long absence in foreig pa ts. th n about - a in twenty two years of age , and the young man was h ppy again seeing his native country . His arrival occasioned a A s general joy . his ancestors had been , he himself, from the cha racter given of him by pious and eminent m en

was e . e abroad , also high in the esteem of the p ople Th y considered that his Opulent estates would render him independent of the favours of a corrupt court, and that he would have it much in his power to defend what they th e But reckoned pure religion and their civil liberties. V J E T 75 R E . AM S SCOT

C there was no joy in the heart of the King. alderwood relates that the King showed that his temper was soured . When told that the Earl of Gowrie was passing up the E street of dinburgh with a number of his friends, and followed with the acclamations of a vast multitude of people, he peevishly replied , There were as many people who ' ’ f scaﬂ old conveyed his ather to the at S tirling. E f The arl , a ter his arrival , paid his dutiful respects to s the King, and there is rea on to think that it was his s to v M incere desire li e in friendship with his ajesty , and to H obey his commands in all things that were lawful . is t religious education had taught him that this was his du y. Butthe King’s mind was intent on accomplishing unpopular E designs , in which he was certain the arl never would H ff c concur. e did not improve in him any growing a e e tion ; but such was his hatred of him, as the determin d a opposer of his favourite schemes, that, though he v lued fo r himself his talent for dissimulation , he could not always f ” refrain rom uttering discouraging and sarcastical reflections. H E M R I S T O SON OF P ER TH , PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS

EW towns have been so fortunate as to number amongst their citize ns such a family as that of the Morisons

w has s en t s e of Perth , hich in its succe sive g era ion brighten d ,

n a the e livened , and stimul ted religious , the social , the

te th a f e e . li rary, and commerci l li of the Fair City

GENEALOG ICAL TABLE OF THE MORISON FAMILY

A I n m E z n FR NC S Mom so . u a nr uM ITCHELL

t R BE M m s r m anor . R USS ELL O RT o o . M

b. 1 2 2 d 1 1 b 1 2 0 d 1 8 0 0 ( 7 , . 79 ) ( . 7 , . )

J AM ES M ORISON R OBERT Mom son b 1 1 8 . 6 2 d 1 80 b. 1 6 d. ( 7 , . 9) ( 7 4, 5 3)

1 5 1 M AR GT. 5 1 11 011 11 14 . z ud G R ACE I NDSAY rst A Y I CHE LL , , L , M R M T d I 8 z u B ACK ( 7 9) d, L rd GN ES I LLE 3 , A M R

W M . O ISON A I D AMES F ANCIS M R , D V J R

C. E. M o mson Mo m son M om so n b 0 2 . 1 8 d. 1 8 06 b. 1 2 d. 1 8 b 1 8 d. 1 8 8 b. 1 8 00 d. 1 88 ( 7 , ) ( 79 , 5 5 ) ( . 79 , 7 ) ( , ) 76 F RANCIS M OR ISON 77

F R ANCIS M OR ISON GLAZ IER AND BOOKBINDER

M ﬁ rst Francis orison , the member of this family of

whom we have any record , was a freeman glaz ier and w ’ bookbinder in Perth . His ife s name was Elizabeth H w Mitchell . e as evidently a citizen of some consequence

- and repute . He built and owned a three storey house on the south side of High Street, then a most advantageous situation . This house has long been demolished, but its site is occupied by the hall of the Scoon and Perth Masonic

Lodge . We have here the picture of a careful and comfort

ﬁrst able burgess living quietly in the reign of the George, H and giving his attention to his business. e was respected

- z by his fellow citi ens, and intimately connected with many of the civic families whose names were then well known in the public life of the town . In after years the old Perth names M C F aichne S of iller, ree, y, Peat, and andeman may be found occ urrin in M f m frequently gj the pedigree of the orison a ily. The trade carried on by this old -time citizen was one — which appealed to the higher to the intellectual wants of mankind, and although the conjunction of the trades of

z bookbinder and gla ier seems strange to this generation, it was f quite amiliar and appropriate to our forefathers . I n those days window glass had only recently come into w general use . Previous to that time it as far too expensive a chic ﬂ for material, and it was y used church windows, and 78 TH E H ISTORI ANS OF P ER TH

a then sp ringly. In the windows of palaces in old days only

a t fitted the upper p r s were glazed, the lower being with wooden shutters, which were Opened or closed according to the state of the weather. In mansion houses the library would be the firstand sometimes the only room having its windows filled with glass ; hence the intimate connection of the trades of glazier and boo kbinder. Possibly the trade carried on by Francis Morison was

not a large one, but then the wants of his generation were

be a few ; however that may , his merit must have been gre t and f t fo r find his in luence ex ensive, we his name recorded as having filled the o ffice of Deacon of the Incorporation of

e Wrights , which body enfolded und r its ample protecting wing all workmen who wrought with edged tools. The “ ” sciences of bookbinding and glazing were thus licensed by the Wright Incorporation . The worthy deacon and his wife were blessed with a

a roﬁted e f son, who in future ye rs p by the exampl his ather had left him , and who is the subject of the next sketch .

ROBER T M OR ISON — 1 7 2 2 1 79 1 ER R ER BOOKSELLER POSTMAST , P INT ,

R M 1 2 2 obert orison was born at Perth in 7 , where, after possibly rece iving all th e educa tion obtainable at the Grammar f f School, he ollowed the same trade as his now deceased ather. ROB E R T M OR ISON 79

He was a man of activity and intelligence , rather than of cul

ture and education . A man without intellectual capacity will

e soon los and forget anything he may be taught, but a man

of an active mind will educate himself. When twenty years M “ of age, young orison was received and admitted a m o r ember of the Incorp ation of Wrights, for without becoming a freeman he could not be permitted to exercise

his trade. The minute of his admission is of an interest

ing character, and throws a light on the customs and habits of a past age it is in the following terms

“ E H D ecember 1 2 P RT , 74 .

Compeared Robert Morison Glaz ier and Bookbinder Deceast M D in Perth , son to the Francis orison late eacon

of the Wright Calling of Perth , who was a freeman Glazier and Bookbinder and craved to be admitted to the said two C sciences, which being considered by the alling they have admit received and admitted, and hereby receive and tthe said R obert Morison to be a freeman Glazier and Book binder or Stationer, and to the hail liberties and privileges thereto belonging for payment of Ten Merks as his freedom Money as Glaz ier and Four Pounds Scots as his freedom Money as Bookbinder or Stationer with Eight Pounds ’ D Ofﬁ cer s Scots for a inner and Four Pounds of Fee. s B And he also paid Four Pounds Scot as his Foot all , he being married, all which was instantly paid in to the present Bo x master R M , whereupon the said obert orison asked and took Instruments in the Clerk’s hands H MAS Y OUN (Signed) T O G . 80 THE H I STORI ANS OF PERTH Only three years after this time occurred that great R crisis in our national history, the Jacobite ebellion of

1 R M 745 . obert orison , still a young man , was then the

z Postmaster at Perth, he was full of eal for the Government, and anxious to discharge the duties of his o fﬁce to the A best of his ability. bout this time he issued a Table of

R Ofﬁce egulations of the Post , which must have been of great assistance to the citizens , and, at the same time, like a prudent man of business, he is careful to add a supplement

a n v u or advertisement det ili g the ario s articles sold by him. The advertisement is perhaps the most curious part of this broad sheet. t as D This in eresting document, published by the late avid A t S . M . . arshall , F (Sco ), is as follows

R EG ULA I NS or TH E Posr -ornc a ER H T O , P T

The S outlz P ostarrives every morning (except Monday) ’ at or before Nine o Clock ; and immediately upon its arrival the North Post is Dispatched ; therefore all Letters fo r the ’ North must be given into the Ofﬁ ce by Eight o clock at ’ w o D for farthest, otherwise they ill not g by that ay s Post ; B E the North ags will be Shut at half an Hour past ight , whether the South Post be arrived or not. As the Letters C M are to be Stamped , harged, and arked in the Vouchers , A ca n after which no lteration be made, it is expected People D will not isappoint themselves, by being later than the above in ﬁxed time for giving them . N or mP ost i i ht The arr ves every N g (except Saturday), at or before Eight at Night ; therefore all Letters for the

8 2 TH E H ISTOR I A NS OF PER TH

of Honey ; N ipple Ointment ; S hining Blacking Cakes for S c e e s hoes, whi h pr s rve the leather oft to the last, and does S s e E not soil the tocking or Fing rs ; ssence of Lemons, which entirely takes out Stains of any kind on Linen bri ks Cam c & c . , or Lawns , A w - B B lso Windo glass, ooks ound in the neatest manner e B just from London , a large Coll ction of little ooks for ”

e . Children , Catalogues wher of may be had gratis

It is a pity we cannot now have a sight of his catalogue

of little books for child ren . The Postmastership must always have been a position of

t e e re impor ance, but in those days the duti s w not of such magnitude as to take up the whole ti me and attention of the ffi holder of the o ce , and as a consequence the salary would R M . e was be proportionately small ob rt orison , however,

o fﬁce just the sort of man who would magnify his , and in his

e B hands it would be an honourabl position . esides his o ﬂi ce

s mas e of Po t ter he was, as we have se n , a glazier and book

e e e binder, as well as a books ll r, station r, and dealer in a variety of articles which may not now be purchased from a

bookseller. I n later years he had a branch business at

Du e nkeld , which , we have b en informed , was taken over by

James Cant . After the suppression of the R ebellion the Postmaster was an important witness again st the followers of Prince

ee Charles Edward Stuart. F ling was at this time very much M n . e divided in Perth any of the citize s , ev n of those who had u taken the oaths of Government, being rebels and s pporters R OBE R T M ORISON 8 3

but of the Jacobites ; , on the other hand, the majority of the townsmen and the municipal authorities were strongly in favour of the House of Hanover.

R S ir The year before the ebellion , John Cope , the M ’ S Commander of His ajesty s Forces in cotland , received the D C freedom of the city , and two years later the uke of umber w B land as made an Honorary urgess . R Du u B The oyal ke , altho gh he was called the utcher by the Jacobites , was hailed by the Whigs as the deliverer M of his country , and to him the agistrates in their generosity w presented the Go rie House , which he promptly sold to the

Government, who in turn converted it into an artillery barracks . Perth then became more than ever one of the chief military centres , a place of importance and modest prosperity. The population was increased by the Hessians and other

the troops , and many of soldiers ultimately settled there . E ducation was improved , trade received an impetus, and new A manufactures were introduced . s a result of this improved prosperity a printing press 1 was started in Perth in the year

1 o fﬁce 770 by George Johnston , and from his was published

Tlz r a az ine o K nowled e and P l r e P a t]: M g f g easu e. This R M early venture was printed for our friend obert orison , the e “ Postmaster, then the l ading bookseller in Perth, and sold h S ” by him and all ot er booksellers in cotland. It was a sort

e R eview o R eviews fo r u of pr cursor of the f , altho gh the editor solicited original contributions, yet he republished whatever

1 tth ﬁrst r ntin r s in s was no e e s ert. See ante 2 Thi p i g p P h , p. 5 . 84 THE H ISTOR IANS OF PERTH was z useful and entertaining in all the other maga ines, ”

e B . reviews , newspap rs, etc . , published in Great ritain

P ar t]: M a az ine In the third volume of this old g , on

a 1 0 1 p ge may be found a letter from James Cant,

- c the a well known lo al antiquary, who writes over pen name “ ” “ Priscus o f of , announcing his intention undertaking a new edition of an old descriptive poem of Perth and its ’ ' ' Tlze M uses T[trenoa ze environs, with notes and observations .

A m a of Henry da son , published more than a hundred ye rs

Priscus before, is the work to which refers , the book being then out of print and a copy ve ry difﬁ cultto obtain .

Following this communication , in a subsequent number

e n there appear d a letter from another correspondent , writi g ” nom de lume Perthensis h over the p of , and suggesting t at the publication should take the form of a supplement of eight pages, separately numbered , and attached to each alternate ” M z h n m issue of the aga ine. Perte sis at the sa e time

ff the h o ered to place at disposal of the editor, material whic

e s as Priscus he had collect d with a imilar object that of , and

e e which might be used along with his notes . It is r fr shing to notice the activity of the literary life in Perth at this

e time, and the nthusiasm of these correspondents .

u 1 th The genero s proposal was accepted , and on the s of ’ October 1 773 the ﬁ rst instalment of Adamson s P oems

i e Perth ns s. appeared, with the notes of e These not s

Perthensis were, however, not continued further, as declined to supply more on huding that Cant still proposed

c his na to arry out origi l intention. The tex t of the rest of

THE H ISTORI ANS OF PERTH

R The letter referred to above belongs to Mr. obert M u orison, Acco ntant, Perth , to whom we are indebted for much valuable information relative to his ancestors . It is “ ” ° S Ed 2 e W. . . . indorsed to . William Sandeman , then in E dinburgh on business . The letter, which is of an interesting

2 0th u 1 6 2 nature , is dated Jan ary 7 , and as it has never been published we have transcribed 1t

A ﬁve k o ur bout or six wee s ago, Provost received a letter from the Precess of the Committee of R oyal Boroughs advising him that they had agreed to send a person to London to be at the head of their application for accelerating E the post betwixt dinburgh and London , and to get the post E six days in the week from London to dinburgh , and also to u ’ apply for an a gmentation of the postmasters salaries, to all which our Provost agreed, upon condition that the post from u as E London sho ld come as often to Perth to dinburgh , and I suppose all the rest of the principal Boroughs would give the same answer. My design of writing you this is that if o u your time will allow , y may make what inquiry you can as if any person is yet sent, if they are to send any or

. as when Wishing you a good ride to Gl gow, and safe am ff arrival at Perth, I , yours a ectionately, “ R N (S igned) ROB ERT MO I SO .

R nom de lume Perthensis m eferring to the p , Willia M R r o f orison , the grandson of obert, and the acting edito ’' nc clo waza P er thensis th the E y p , was probably aware name had been used by his grandfather when he so M the great work of the orison Press . R OBER T M OR ISON

P er l ]: M a az ine Shortly after the demise of the g , Johnston E R M the printer removed to dinburgh , when obert orison succeeded to his business and thus was established the celebrated printing and publishing concern so long carried R on by him and his more famous descendants. obert M ’ M R orison s wife was named argaret ussell . She was a daughter of the manse, her father having been minister at

F E Tullide h Forgan in ife . Her mother was lizabeth p , the t S . daughter of a Andrews Professor. They had one

1 daughter, who was born in 75 9, and named Jacobina, a curious name for such an ardent supporter of the Government 1 ﬁrst- to give his born .

There were also two sons born of this marriage, James

1 6 2 R r 1 6 R M in 7 , and obe t in 7 4 . obert orison, the Post

s 1 1 . ma ter, died in the year 79 George Penny, in his

' Tr aditzons o P ar tlz us a f , tells (p ge 3 3) that in conformity the with the custom of times, the place of business of the

as On deceased w shut until after the funeral . the death

Ofﬁce of the Postmaster the Post was accordingly closed, “ an a and honest Highlander, who had come a dist nce of ’ s ra fo r ﬁndin eve l miles his master s letters, g how matters s ood anxious n t , ly i quired if there were no other shops in l ers town where they so d lett .

er u ter a so name and h da gh , l d

verbouse, near 88 THE H ISTOR I A NS OF PERTH

J AM E S M ORISON — 1 76 2 1 809

R ER HER LINGUIST, W IT , PUBLIS

M h As has been mentioned, James orison was born at Pert

1 6 2 H e b in 7 . commenced business as a ookseller (accord

' D icti na r o N ational B z 'r a lz H e ing to the o y f og p y ) at Leith . b could not, however, have een long established there , for he ’ was early admitted a partner in his father s business at Perth . M R james orison and his brother obert, like many of their

r . ace, were exceedingly precocious The two young men

r e f r married ve y arly in li e, and thei wives were little more R n . tha girls They then resided in ose Terrace in ﬂats, which a A were entered by one common st ir. story is told of the

v u An young folks, which we give without ouching for its tr th

old lady friend, on making a call of ceremony on the two young m arried couples , found them all four engaged running up the

otwithstandin stairs and sliding down the banisters . N g this M r story , james orison was a young man of g avity and ability , and under his management the business developed from being a small concern to one of the most important publish

e M ing houses in the country. Jam s orison was a cultured student as well as an active man of business ; he was the n author of many works, and to his other attainme ts he added u A that of being an accomplished ling ist. mongst the most ’ important of his writings are Morison s K ey to Me S cr iptures

ﬁrst B M A a ( four ooks of oses), with ppendices cont ining

90 THE H ISTORI A NS OF PER TH

’ B l ind H ar r s Wallace edition of y , in three volumes , which claims to be the only authentic copy from the manuscript in A ’ h the dvocates Library, whic manuscript was written in Perth by a monk of the Charterhouse . To give anything like a complete list of the many works published by this famous ﬁrm A is not in our power. mongst the more notable, however, may ’ S easons ff be named Thomson s , of which three di erent editions ’ ’ were issued from the Perth Press Buffo ns N atur al H zstmy ’ ’ Oliver Goldsmith s Wor d' s ; Pope 5 E ssay on M an Dryden s

' ' zl a a Vzrg and many others of loc l and gener l interest . I f we cannot mention all the books issued by this famous provincial press, we have at least shown the great variety and value of the works then printed and published at Perth . M James orison , besides his work as !a publisher and his labours as an author, was also a partner along with

-ia - the his brother law , Henry Lindsay, in paper works of

Huntin t r owe . Woodend , near g

H e was e an eld r of the Glassite Church in Perth , and

chieﬂ his works are y of a religious character. There is no

a work on the history of Perth which be rs his name , but we are strongly of opinion that the account of the demolition

ﬁrst Tlze S cenes of the Perth monasteries, which appeared in

l H e i n S cotand f . , is printed from a manuscript le t by him

1 80 - died in the year 9, in his forty seventh year. His theological

e 1 806— works were publish d in 7, shortly before he died , and 1 a . not after, as has been elsewhere st ted

1 . n l e P r t ar a u R ecord for o n nto . i e h Libr nd M use m J h Mi , M A , y anuar 1 0 J y 9 0. R OBERT M ORISON 91

ROBE RT M ORISON — 1 764 1 85 3 PRINTER

R M s was obert ori on , the younger brother of James , early

n ﬁ rm established as the pri ter of the , and most of the works R which we have mentioned bear the imprint Printed by . ” R 81 n R M n u M S o . M . oriso , j nior, for orison obert orison ,

a nd the printer, was three times married , he lived to a good

H e e P er i l: Cour ier f old age. was the print r of the rom its inception in 1 809 to nearly the year of his death in 1 85 3 . In 1 796 the Morisons were appointed printers to the A n S t. e e e University of dr ws, wh n th y issued what has

H or ace S allust been called the immaculate editions of and , edited by Professor john Hunter. Much of the success of this early publishing ﬁ rm is with R M R f out doubt due to obert orison . eaders are apt to orget the important work which is done by the printer in the

x making of a book . Those who have had e perience of a good compositor know how much they are indebted to his taste, and even genius, in setting up their thoughts . R M ” obert orison , the printer, did not write ; he evidently A nd took life easier than his brother. he had his reward he a e e 1 8 lived to a good old g , and di d in 5 3 , in his

- eighty ninth year. 92 TH E H I STORI ANS OF PERTH

W I LL I AM M ORISON

1 780- 1 806

ENCYCLO I’EDIST R ER P HER , W IT , UBLIS

William Morison was the son of James Morison by his ﬁ rst

f H e e wi e . join d the publishing ﬁ rm when he was but sixteen

—he years of age. His span of life was to be a short one

e n e but lived only ten years aft r e t ring into business ; , as if

e e conscious of the br vity of his lif , he did an extraordinary H e amount of work in the time allotted to him . liveth long who liveth well ; the space of this short life the slothful

th e B count by time , good by merit elieve that each day has dawned on you for the last time William Morison is described in the S andeman G enea

e as logical Tr e a civil engineer, but we cannot discover that

e e f he ev r practised this prof ssion . His grand ather, the

founder of the printing business, died while he was but a lad, and he was early called to take his place as a member of the

ﬁnmh

S o far as local literature is concerned, his name is associated with only one work ; but this much we can learn it from , that the author, or rather the editor, for it is in great

a p rt a compilation , was an enthusiastic son of Perth . The

we f M emor abil ia o P ar t/z book to which re er is the f , which

1 Free translation of a latin inscription on a stone builtinto th e north wall h ’ te c . of o r of St hns hurc P rth . h i Jo C h, e

94 TH E H ISTOR I A NS OF PERTH

V M e h Privileges of Perth ; . List of inisters of P rt from the

R f A R e m S e ormation , ccount of the ctors of the Gra mar chool, A u th A ub and an cco nt of e cademy ; VI . List of the S

the B 1 6 scribers for building ridge in 7 7 , and Public

1 8 — Seminaries in 04 5 .

the e ﬁrst The guide to Perth , subj ct of the section , is a

th c spirited composition . From the ridge of e O hil Hills he brings the visitor through the valley of th e B arn to within

M ff e sight of Perth on the shoulder of oncrie Hill . H re,

n he e us after admiri g the view , cond scends to give some

f H e information which is not to be ound in history. says “ From this S pot the invading legions of Rome caught an

v of e the E enraptured iew a vale, b autiful as fairest den of their native Italy. They descended and pitched their tents ;

‘ ex We ﬁeld for now they claimed , have found another of

e e Mars on the banks of anoth r Tiber. Th se sentences are

e elegantly xpressed, but they are only a paraphrase of Henry ’ n e Adamson , or an ema ation of the writ r s imagination . In

the e this he does not follow Cant , ditor of the second edition ’ A P oems e ti of damson s , who v ry cau ously and correctly ’ characterises the poet s ﬂight on the subj ect of the Romans 1

e e . viewing Perth and settling there , as a po tical fabl ’

n S t. C the I n describi g John s hurch , he styles it Kirk of ” the Holy Cross of S t. Johnston . This name is also given to ’ h M G uide to P er t/zs/zi r e our old churc in orison s , and it is

the P icture o S cotla nd n repeated in f , all the three works bei g published within a few years of each other. The proper and 1 ’ M u ’ ’ nts ed ton of l c ses 271renod1e . 8 . Ca i i , p 9 W I LL I AM M ORISON 95

h S full name of this old parish c urch is the Church of t. John

B . the aptist of Perth , and it never had any other In the second section of the M emorabil ia the writer again f R re ers to the supposed oman origin of Perth , where he works out an elaborate argument in favour of his pet theory . I n the ﬁrstplace he was misled by the writer o f the 01d

S tatistical A ccounto P er tlz R ev f , and neither he nor the .

’ James Scott was aware that de S zl a B r itannia ascribed to R C A ’ ichard of irencester, which gives some colour to damson s poetic conception, was a vamped piece of literary work , and a

r forge y . The remainder of the section is mostly a reprint C from ant , as are the other sections, with the exception of the

e . A last, which contains new and inter sting matter lthough

M emorabilia o P ar t]: the f is now very scarce, yet it is still

difﬁc ult much prized, possibly largely owing to the y of

a . obt ining a copy It cannot be said, however, that this book

sufﬁcient M is a memorial of William orison , who was more engaged at this time with the great work to which we will now refer. The history of the inception and production of the ' ' ‘ nc cl o a'a za P er th nsis E y p is known only in bare outline , but there can be no doubt but that it was the dream of William ’ h Morison s youth . The thoug t that he would produce this magnum opus of the Morison Press had come to him like an

s o ut Hi in piration , and he at once proceeds to work it . s

1 ames aterson un or of E n ur h in a a er rea J W , J i , di b g , p p d before the Ed nbur o ra ca oc et in 1 8 1 sa s tathe t n s Mr i gh Bibli g phi l S i y 9 , y h hi k . D. uchanan of ontrose ass ste in the com i aton f tis o or . B , M , i d p l i h w k 96 THE H ISTORI ANS OF PERTH

i ’ ﬁ rstcare was to get an editor. Alexander Aitch so ns name

stands on the title page. There was plenty of work for him to was do, but it is questionable if much done by him . William

a was Morison was the ssistant, nay, he the acting editor and

the moving spirit. ﬁrst a The preface of the edition be rs no date. It gives the greatest merit in the production of the work to

R al and Alexander Aitchison , member of the oy , Physical , E other Societies of dinburgh . The nature of the work may

s best be de cribed by a transcription of its title , which is as follows

' l cedzb P erthensis Um ver sal D ictionar o E acyc op , or y f led e K now g , collected from every source, and intended to supersede the use of all other English books of reference 2 : Illustrated with plans and maps, in 3 volumes . Perth

M . C. Co Printed for itchell and , and sold for them by O stell M a M r. Thomas , Ave aria L ne , London . Sold also

by Messrs . Vernon , Hood, Sharpe , London, and all ”

B . R . M respectable ooksellers orison, Printer.

f This great work, perhaps the most wonder ul which has

o was ever been pr duced and published in a provincial town , B dedicated to Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo, aronet, one of

e the most eminent Scotsmen of his time , an author hims lf,

a and extensively engaged in the business of b nking. It

e e is in truth an xtraordinary production for the time. Nev r had there been such a work published in Perth , and we ver it E are free to say there ne shall be another like . ven

98 THE H ISTORI ANS OF PER TH

D AV ID M ORISON — 1 79 2 1 85 5

warren HER LINGUIST, , PUBLIS

D M t avid orison , the eldes son of the second family,

1 2 H was born in the year 79 . e was at once a student of great ability and an active man of business . His early studies were made with the view of his adopting the pro fessio n of a lawyer, but his father having died when he was ﬁrst but seventeen years of age , his intentions were

ﬁrm set aside and he joined the publishing , where he found

a scope for his energy and undoubted genius . His educ tion was on the most liberal scale in every sense of the word . As u a ling ist his knowledge of ancient and modern classics, as

u . well as Oriental lang ages, was most extensive H is literary

a R el i ous H istm o M an ability was gre t. His ig y f was a great success, no less than three editions of it having been u 1 8 8- 1 8 2 He p blished ( 3 4 , was also the writer of ’ C M r O chtertre s S cenes in S cotland the text of olonel ur ay of y , 8 ﬁrm 1 . published by his in 34 , of which more anon Under his direction the business of publishers continued to prosper.

H e was not content to leave to others the practical direction , but made himself acquainted with every mechanical and business detail . His artistic taste led him early to perfect himself in the work of lithography, which became a useful adjunct in the business .

1 00 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P ER TH

a earlier days, stimulated and invigor ted the literary and

At ﬂ ris historical life of the town . this time it was a ou hing

society , and included in its membership the cream of the A men of thought both in the county and city . mongst its members were Lord Hailes the historian ; that eccentric but enthusiastic antiquary the Earl of Buchan ; Sir Walter

Dr. D Scott ; John Galt the novelist ; , afterwards Sir avid ,

B w A A e R v r e D . re ster ; dam nderson , afterwards Prof ssor ; . On E . . sdaile, etc etc the death of the untiring secretary ,

‘ Dr M Omie D M 1 8 1 e . , avid orison was in 9 appoint d to this

' M eﬂ o rts w e congenial post. ainly by his , funds ere rais d for

M G lenalmo nd who a memorial to Thomas Hay arshall of , had done so much to improve and beautify the town during his Provostship . This monument was designed by David

M . orison , and he superintended its erection The object of the building was to furnish a home for the Literary and

Antiquarian Society and the Perth Library . The Perth Library has no w become the property of the Literary and

au Antiquarian Society , although every prec tion had been

made in the rules to prevent such a contingency . The monument is still occupied by this old society (as its u museum) , which has done so much to f rther the study of u local and national history, altho gh it has in these last days u become somewhat morib nd . The plan of the building is R that of a circular oman temple, having a domical roof and an entablature to the front supported by four ﬂuted Ionic

u . col mns resting on a stylobate It is divided into two storeys,

although these are not shown from the outside . The lower D AVI D M OR ISON 1 01

one contains the library, and the upper the museum .

The entrance is bad , and the stair leading to the museum is wretched . The design has no pretension to originality . Adaptations from R oman and Grecian architecture were fashionable at the time of the erection of this monument. I n criticising this building we must remember that Morison H . e has e was not an architect succeed d , however, in giving us n a monument of a bold and striki g appearance, which is greatly enhanced by its site .

B a r A esides being Secret y to the ntiquarian Society, he was also appointed to hll the post of Librarian to the Perth

ar u and Libr y , when it was domiciled in the new b ilding ; he has left us a better monument of his ability in the catalogue of the library than in the design of the building itself. u l e Writing on the s bject of this cata ogue, one who is bett r able to judge of its merits than the present writer, says The catalogue is an excellent example of the classified l u M r M ta o e . g with author index , and shows orison to have been a thoroughly capable librarian , and far ahead of ” 1 r most libra ians of his day .

David Morison says in his preface to the catalogue of the Perth Library The proverbial dulness of a mere list of names of books has prompted the librarian to follow the example of those bibliographers who, by bibliographical or critical notes, have rescued catalogues from the humble station they were so

1 ' n nto . rar . o . ﬁrst rarian ol the an eman J h Mi , M A , lib S d Lib y 1 02 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P ER TH

long allowed to occupy, and given them a place in the ” history of literature.

n Ruddiman Following the example of the lear ed Thomas ,

us L atin R udiments best known to by his , who more than a h m undred years before this time, a ongst his other employ

E u o ﬁnd m ments in dinb rgh , sold bo ks by auction , we the any

D M 1 8 1 sided avid orison acting as an auctioneer . I n 7 he prepared a catalogue for the sale of the library which belonged

m E S outwells n to the late Willia Stewart, squire, of p , extendi g

8 1 e 1 to 3 pag s octavo, and numbering some 74 3 items. The d c 5 . 6 . atalogue is a goodly volume , and is priced at 3 This d R large library was sol in the Council oom of Perth , and

D M a S outwells a avid orison cted as auctioneer. The p libr ry was the most exte nsive and interesting which had ever bee n

e disp rsed in S cotland . I t embraced many works of the

E o wlis lzevir and F presses, besides many works in black

letter. Let us picture in imagination this great book sale The stage -coaches have brought from the north and from the south their freights of eager buye rs ; pa ssengers travelling

- e e in post chais s have rested ov r night in the large inns , the ” ’ A ” George, the Salutation , and the King s rms ; buyers journeying on horseback have baited their steeds ; parish

s o s et11 01: ministers, dissenting minister , scho lma ters , farmers ,

enus omne e f e e g , have rest d a t r their journey, r moved the

stains of travel , and are now fresh and ready to attend

this great sale . All now wend their way this summer

1 04 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P ER TH

With what joy the collector hears the hammer fall as some choice black-letter volume is knocked down to him how sinks the heart of the poor schoolmaster as some choice copy of his favourite classic author rapidly runs up to a price

w e - beyond his narro m ans ; see yon parchment faced scholar, how the smile of exultation wreathes his wrinkled brow as he stows his prize away in his capacious pocket . This is no

- a n . one day sale, but a mart of learning l sti g for a month When we think of it all we can only exclaim with the simple

ﬁctio n u ! but learned dominie of , and say, Prodigio s prodigious ’ o w N the day s sale draws to a close ; the buyers disperse, and each one collects his bargains ; the caddies stand about the doors waiting for employment ; the tired auctioneer comes down to the ﬂoor and mingles with the common throng ; and the clerk counts his cash . See yon civic dignitary, who has

e u come to patronis the sale, str t away well pleased with his u modest p rchase . Here is a country padre from the distant u hills, after caref lly paying his bill and pocketing his formal ’ receipt, packs his precious cargo in a grocer s sack and proudly takes his homeward way with a load of knowledge

e on his back. Watch this neatly dr ssed old gentleman in a

- cut away coat, with knee breeches, silk stockings , and shoes

h e with silver buckles. Possibly he is a banker is having some conﬁdential conversation with the sober-looking red -nosed ’ e clerk, who pr sently follows him to the King s Arms Inn , where they indulge in a pinch of snuff and some further talk about ’ H e the a the day s transactions . gives clerk speci l orders u w to send his p rchases to the bank on the morro , from D AVI D M OR ISON 1 05

whence he furtively takes them home volume by volume, in

fear of the wrath of his better half. If he is an inveterate book

collector, he is also a genial old gentleman . God bless him David Morison contributed many papers to the Literary

u oc be and Antiq arian S iety , and as secretary edited volume

’ Tr ansactzons o number one , the only one ever issued, of the f

Me S ociet y . This volume is now somewhat scarce. Amongst its contents are many papers of local interest which have f been reely used by subsequent historians . The editor contributed to it a paper on the Gowrie Conspiracy, with has te plans of the Gowrie House, a part of which been D produced by avid Peacock in his book . ’ M S cenes i n S cotla nd The copy of Colonel urray s (Perth ,

was D M the text of which written by avid orison , which l u nc m l s i o ete. we have before , is unfortunately p This work

ff as beﬁttin a ords a good example of his literary style, and, g

di niﬁed . the subject, he is g and impressive His description An m R A of the coast of gus fro the edhead to rbroath , with its

a m wild he dlands and mysterious caves, is done with uch care and even an occasional glint of humour. Writing of the ” Forbidden Cave, he says it was in early ages supposed

to be frequented by all the evil spirits of the country, and in more modern times known to be the receptacle of the éest ” s i r i ts A p from abroad . lthough he never obtrudes his personality, yet he reveals himself as an ardent admirer of

1 Outhe title-page of this book the letters are appended to his n w of the ame. This is a misprintfor F He became a fello oc et of nti ur 1 2 S i y A qa ies in 8 8 . 1 06 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF PERTH

t B the pa riots Wallace and ruce . In this book may also be

f a xa ound, in the Fri r of the Forth , an e mple of his power as a poet. In this book appears a drawing of Perth as it is supposed

-R a to have appeared in pre eform tion times . Whoever is

res M r M ponsible for this picture, ur ay or orison , there is no doubt that it had been drawn to illustrate the account of the

demolition of the monasteries. I t is a modern picture , and

ought to have been labelled as such when it was published .

! D M use Ah avid orison , little you thought of the , or rather h abuse, whic would be made of your fancy picture in another

a e - g , when the thumb nail sketches which were meant to s i repre ent the monaster es, the church, and castle of Perth in ’ - ma niﬁed your bird s eye view, have been g to represent the R u originals . egarding the acco nt of the demolition of the

monasteries , it is a modern attempt to depict an ancient

. ﬁctitious e event Whoever wrote those fanciful, , l gendary

f u . lines , wrote the most atef l of all the writings about Perth

They have been copied by many subsequent writers. We fi well remember, when a boy of twelve , rst reading them in ’ ' a A nmals a nd A r c/zzw s Pe cock s . Here was a message from the past ; here was a piece of writing different from everything

. u else in the book It was just as delightf l as, and more

e R obinson r us e C o . myst rious than, The substance of this narrative was furnished by his

M R a grandmother, argaret ussell , a descendant of Princip l Tullid h A e S t . p of . ndrews The style of this piece of writing,

D M s however, is not that of avid ori on, neither is the tone.

1 08 TH E H ISTOR I ANS OF PE R TH

u e near Paul Street, in a b ilding which had previously be n used

as . be u a church Here printed in colour in vario s textures,

- a He wall p pers , designs on velvet and cotton . also invented

e cretonne ﬂoral d signing and printing, but he did not reap

roﬁt the p of his discoveries .

He P er thsh i r e Guide ﬁ rst is presumably the editor of the , published in This book is embellished by many

e r beautiful drawings of the castles and sc ne y of Perthshire , but it bears the marks of having been produced in haste . D - oubtless it was only intended to be a temporary guide book . A great part of the sketch of the city of Perth is taken from

m r i i P er th M e o ab l a o . the older work by his brother, the f David Morison retired from business and le ft Perth in

1 8 H V l r . e i lev o d B u 1 S e 3 7 died at , r ssels, on the 3th ptember 1 8 H . e the he 5 5 was perhaps most distinguished, as certainly M e . was the most v rsatile , of this eminent family uch of his

u e us but s e geni s li s beyond ; so far as local hi tory is conc rned ,

e e . the promis was, with him, great r than the performance His excellence in any of the branches of learning in which be f delighted would have been ame for most men , but he

e n u strove to exc l in all . Universal ge i s is not given to mortals.

D M and avid orison was twice married , left a family of e E e a R . thr e sons by his s cond wife, lizabeth J ne ichmond D M ’ M avid orison s brothers were James orison , accountant

e the R M in P rth ( father of obert orison, who succeeded his

M the father) , and Francis orison , who was for many years

1 c Se ond Edition in 1 8 1 3 Fourth Edition in 1 8 2 4 . D AV ID M OR I SON 1 09

P er thshi re Cour ier A C editor of the , also ssessor for the ounty , w and after ards County Treasurer. The merits of James and M Francis orison were, however, overshadowed by those of h their more distinguished broter. We are co nfidentthat this sketch of the Morisons of u Perth , associated with our local literat re , is very incomplete , but we have tried to make it as full as possible . Such as it is, it is more than any one of them would have done for them selves. Their merit was great, but their native modesty was M . is greater any of their writings are anonymous, and it sometimes diffi cultto find out which member of the family wrote certain articles . To this family Perth owes much of the fame it has acquired

e M in the literary world , and for many g nerations the orisons were the literary salt of the town . GEORGE PE NNY J OURNALIST

' ' H E writer of the Tr adztzons of P er th was in his day

one of the best known men in the city. His father. although not a native of Perth , was a resident there for the 1 greater part of his life , and from him our author received much of the quaint information which he has embodied in his

' ' R D P er h P . t r adztzom . . shi r e i n B e one T rummond , in his y g

D a s has us a y , left an account of George Penny, which , lthough very interesting , is sadly lacking in detail . Penny must have been born some time in the last quarter of the eighteenth century . In his youth he learned the then lucrative trade of a weaver ; but following the bent of his mind he took to

. He journalism , and it is as a writer that we know him was

P er thshi re A dver tiser long connected with the , then the great

Liberal paper in Perthshire , of which he was the responsible

2o th u 1 8 publisher up to the of Aug st 40. The paper was then ’ ’ o fﬁ ce printed by John Taylor at his printing , King s Arm s C S was o fﬁ ce lose, High treet, and there the of the editor, where communications and advertisements were received .

nn a s Pe y was m rried, and on one occa ion his wife went to

1 ’ Penn s father sette in Pert s ort after 1 y l d h h ly 74 5 . 1 10

1 1 2 THE H ISTORI ANS OF PERTH

’ ’ wi Ba . and his wbee Yes, said George, that s no the warst ’ o t fo r ; a few years afterwards , when we were able to haul us little Geordie between , along the same street, the little s Eh ! ragged ra cal , or another of the same sort, cried , there ” - - goes a penny three fardens .

D a rummond has given this story a wide circul tion , but it is none the worse of being repeated, and , besides, it is a very fair specimen of the style of that writer. George Penny cannot be ranked as a great writer, but he was a useful one ; he was H a literary hewer of wood and drawer of water. e was a walking embodiment of the P er thshi r e A dver tiser ; he was alternately reporter, paragraphist , collector of accounts, traveller, machinist, and general factotum . George stuck at 1 S trathmor nothing, and was always ready to support the e and stand up for the Whigs. w How he searched diligently for ne s, often with success, his contemporaries bear witness, although sometimes in his simplicity he was imposed upon . His paragraphs were and always understandable , clearly distinctly expressed . He

ff -of- made no grandiloquent e orts ; indeed, his matter fact

H e so editor would not have allowed him . was diligent in

as his work, whether canv sing for advertisements, collecting accounts, or assisting the pressmen in bringing out the paper, that it was thought the great Radical paper could not survive f him , or that another George Penny would never be ound.

u ff r H e was a genial so l , without a ectation , beloved by eve yone.

1 The secon tte of the P eﬂ hshi re Adwﬂ i rer was the Strathm n ournal d i l j , n est n and the one by which itwas the b know . GEORGE PENNY l 1 3

In the exciting times in which he lived the paper was often

s delayed in publication , and crowds of anxious purcha ers

Adw r tiser patiently waited for the appearance of the . Then , D according to rummond , he was ready to answer every ’ ’ ’ 0 applicant , N , min , it s no ready ; but it s in the press and

- when at last he hands out the folded, printed news sheet, he ’ Hoom e s foshen remarks apologetically, in a motion, or ” E e brington has stopp d the supplies .

In appearance, Penny was a tall dark man (grey in his old

As age), of sallow complexion and good features . became

a a a newsp per man , he was well informed, talk tive, and

s plea ing in his manner.

He c was proud of his native city, and carefully colle ted

r Tr adi every sc ap of tradition concerning its history . His

tions o P er th was e f the work of his leisure, the r sult and

reﬂects . outcome of his happiest labours. The book the man

He E o . writes simply , clearly, and in g od plain nglish His boo k will live when the more ambitious efforts of other men

shall be forgotten .

He r is a man with a sto y to tell , and he tells it in his own

e . ex qui t way His personality is never obtrusive, cept when from the style we may judge that the part was intended to be

Tr aditi on P er h has f ts anonymous. The s of t many aul ; his

and r s knowledge is sometimes lacking, some of his acy storie t his must be taken with a grain of salt . The au hor pours out He traditions with little sequence and not with much order.

us has given a very inadequate index , and the book is devoid

all has of chapters . Notwithstanding its drawbacks , Penny 8 THE H I STORI ANS OF PERTH

given us a word picture of Perth in his own day and his ’ as father s, such few towns possess . ’ ' T itz ns t 1 The m a o of P er h was published in 836 . The publishers ’ names are those of the principal booksellers then in D S id M e e t D . Perth , nam ly , ewar, y, orison , Pea , and rummond

It has no dedication ; in size it is an octavo, and extends to

2 no w a 35 pages . This book is very scarce and comm nds a ' ' P er thshi re A a ver tzser 1 good price . In the for 4th January

1 8 1 4 , appears a long letter on railway enterprise over the D signature of George Penny. In ecember of the same year the Town Council voted him a sum of two pounds sterling a remuneration for his self-imposed task of taking a census

D undee a nd P er th our nal 1 8th of the city. In the j for

D 1 8 1 ecember 4 , appears a contribution from Penny in

the P er th D i rector . rhyme , on surnames in the y

As exhibiting the credulity of Penny, we give one or two sentences from his description of the Mill Lade : The Lade by which these various mills are driven , is taken from the A river lmond, about four miles west from Perth . It is said to have been dug through the different proprietors’ grounds in one night by the military , and has been hence styled the ’ A King s Lade . The admission of the water from the lmond is regulated by a sluice, and an extensive embankment of ’ masonry called Low s work, and the whole is subject to the ” inspection of the Magistrates . In whichever way we may ’ ’ try to account for the origin of the king s or town s lade, we ’ have no faith in this childish theory of Penny s it will not hold water.

1 1 6 THE H ISTOR IA NS OF PERTH

ff white cu s, the sleeves hanging down loose by the side of his arms, and the pipes were carried under the cloak . The l be con unc principa duty of Johnny Smout appeared to , in j M o r al R tion with Gordie unro , as he was c led , the ough B Do o ﬁv e lack g, to g round the town every morning at ’ o clock, summer and winter, and disturb all and sundry with - their ill timed harmony . There was also an evening perform ’ ance at seven o clock, when these musicians were always accompanied by an immense number of idle women and M ’ S B children . After unro s death , one andy ell , a regular

bred drummer, succeeded him , when the improved quality of the the music created quite a sensation in town , as they paraded the streets playing R osslyn Castle and other old S An fﬁ c . o er cottish tunes , who had been in the Indian war r against Hyder Ali , elated the following anecdote in allu ’ sion to Johnny s pipes As the soldiers were ascending the S o fﬁ cer Ghauts, a piper struck up an old cottish air, when the of heard one the soldiers in his rear say to his neighbour, ’ ’ L —d ! ou0 , man does na that mind y Johnny Smout in the Shoegate in the mornings A M J W . N A KE . OH P R R LA SON, H ISTORICAL AND GENERAL WRITER

PAR K E R S The B ach o OHN LAW ON , the writer of f

P er th s w , is locally perhaps the lea t kno n of the literary

workmen who are sketched in these pages. On the

r other hand, he was , in the litera y circles of his time, very well

known as a writer on historical and general subjects. He is one of the few who ﬁgure in this gallery who has found a niche

Dictiona r o N ational B i o r a h in the y f g p y , and the little that

excellent work tells us of him is nearly all we know . As his

' ﬁrst The L i e l sha r tthe M artr contribution to literature, f qf y , 1 8 2 appeared in 7 , it is probable that the year of his birth was near the end of the eighteenth century or the beginning of the

H e E l following one. was a deacon or priest of the piscopa

u and w Ch rch in Scotland, certainly in all his writings he sho s himself to be a strong supporter of Episcopacy and a declared opponent of Presbyterianism . For some time he held an m A appoint ent as Chaplain in the rmy, but for the latter and E greater part of his life he resided in dinburgh , where he H wrote for the booksellers . e was a voluminous historical n the - and miscellaneous writer. His name sta ds on title pages

- - a of some three and twenty subst ntial volumes, at least the ’ catalogue of the Advocates Library gives that number. 1 1 7 1 1 8 TH E H ISTORI ANS OF PERTH

' The H zstm o the S cottish E isco al Chur ch y f p p , which

1 8 - appeared in 43 , is perhaps his best known book, and it is still regarded as an authority . The following year he edited , ’ S S ﬁ rst o for the pottiswoode ociety, the two v lumes of Keith s

istr A i r h S t e in otla H o y of the f a s of C ur ch and at S c nd. The work which connects him with the Fair City The B ooh of

P er th 1 8 e , was published in 47 , and a few y ars later the author

1 8 a 2 . had ce sed his weary labours, having died in the year 5 ’ e A e Lawson was a r gular frequenter of the dvocat s Library,

R ev where he early made the acquaintance of the . James

M e e . S cott s S . volumes r lating to P rth These manuscripts are the source from which he got the material for his B ooh

The happiest thing about this book is its title. It is an

1 8 octavo volume extending to 3 pages, the full title being

The B ach o P er th M E cclesi f , an Illustration of the oral and astical S R State of cotland before and after the eformation , with Introduction , Observations, and Notes . The publisher, - G . Thomas Stevenson , was a well known antiquarian book

E he seller in dinburgh , and , conjointly with the editor, dedicated the book to William Turnbull , advocate, then

S a S A e ﬁ rs ecret ry to the ociety of ntiquari s . The tissue was

2 1 e ﬁne restricted to 5 copi s, ten of which were printed on paper, and one was printed on vellum . The price of the

n 1 2 5 6d . ordi ary copies was . each . The illustrations are the S eals of the Dominican and Carthusian Monasteries of Perth

S Re a the eal of Perth prior to the form tion and , for a frontis h R te e . piece, a drawing of Perth before formation This last

1 20 TH E H I STORI ANS OF PERTH

ara w - ro ed ir m o p ges the ell p portion sp e, calling it a clu sy w oden erection of pyram idal form covered with lead : he says that

c the tower was anciently mu h higher, and that the nave of the w church extended much farther west ard , but gives no authority for these statements, with which we disagree ; M f w although arshall , ollo ing Lawson, says the church was anciently much longer. Lawson is in error when he says M ’ that the church was granted to the hospital (p. orison s

s l account of the demolition of the monasterie is a so given , and the book concludes with extracts from the Kirk-S ession register. These extracts certainly reveal a very lax state of society ; but the writer does not show us what the morals of

f R resum the people were be ore the eformation . It is a fair p p tion that the low state of morals after the R eformation was but

r ﬂ x a e e of what they were before the Church was reformed . There can be no doubt that the efforts of the Reformed r - ministe s were strenuous and sincere. However ill directed we may now think them to have been, they were probably the best means for the times. It was no easy task to reform the corrupted lives of the people . I n this work the Pres b terian C y hurch was successful , and we do not think an E piscopalian Church would have been more so . We do not deny that an Episcopal Church might have been equally successful ; but this is no question of Church government . Our author’s great grievance is that the S cottish Reformers were Presbyterians .

The B ooh o P er th f is largely composed of extracts, but it is all the more valuable on that account . In his introduction J OH N PARKER LAWSON 1 21

s s and ob ervation , John Parker Lawson writes with a ready

E isco pen his style is good and terse, but his bias towards p pacy is so all-pe rvading that only the most bigoted of readers can ﬁnd pleasure in perusing the work of this Episcopal R apologist of the oman Church . THOMA S H AY M ARSH AL L

1 808—1 88 2

J OURNALIST

H S R H L L OMA HAY MA S A , the historian of his

native city, was born at Perth in a house situated in

S huttleﬁeld f S Close, a thorough are which then led from outh

S S . Street to Canal treet, in line of the new part of cott Street u These closes or lanes were striking feat res of old Perth , which are now fast disappearing . The exact date of his birth was

M 1 8 8 the day before the term of artinmas of the year 0 . His f M was a ather, William arshall , in good circumst nces ; he was a combmaker to trade, and employed a number of men .

' ' Tradztzons o P er th Penny, in his f , says of him, that he carried on a considerable trade, circular combs being then f very ashionable both for boys and girls, the hair being worn ” ﬂ wi a o n . long, and g over the shoulders The tr de of horner,

- was of which comb making a branch , is not now practised in

Perth , but at one time it must have been a considerable

ﬂ urishin industry . The only memorial of this once o g craft ’ ” s is found in the name Horner s Lane, which still designate 1 one of the vennels of the town .

1 In une 1 8 1 w e wor menwere n for the foun aton of a ouse J 5 , hil k diggi g d i h

1 24’ TH E H ISTORI ANS OF PERTH

‘ u ' Thomas Hay and James, were brought p, and received an

the excellent education at a private adventure school , master D R of which was avid eid. ’ r e Halkerstons 2 H istor In a note Tower, page 34 of his y ,

M us arshall gives a glimpse of his youthful life, and refers ’ H alkersto n s incidentally to his school . Writing of Tower or

was prison , he says This place above the door of the West

and was -ﬁv e Church, taken down some twenty or thirty years

. oo since The writer when at sch l , in an old house Opposite ’

S t. C John s hurch , remembers well of the entrance to ’ Halk rstn e o s . a Tower It was in a very ruinous st te , the wooden stair which led up to the building being very much

decayed, and requiring considerable daring in those who ” attempted to reach the top. This note is very interesting, although the writer does not express himself as clearly as is

his wont. The north porch of the West Church is the lower ’ r H alkerstons sto y of what was Tower, the upper stories, to

which access was gained by a wooden stair, having been

N otwithstand taken down owing to their ruinous condition . n ing the attendant da ger, we doubt not but that the brothers Marshall and their schoolfellows were frequent visitors to the

. D R top of the old tower avid eid, the master of this school ,

s was a man of education , who, be ides teaching the usual branches of elementary knowledge, communicated to his pupils the principles of science and all that was then known

. H e e e of electricity was a true t acher, who instill d in the

1 ’ James Marshall subsequently conducted a ﬂourishing h ouse-painter s s ness a r n u bui tCoupa A g s. THOM AS HAY MA R SH A L L

minds of those under his care a love of learning and inquiry . M D R arshall loved and respected his teacher, and avid eid must have been a good and talented man to have called forth

' aﬂection the and respect of such a youth . O u leaving school young Marshall was apprenticed to a fashionable hairdresser named Taylor, who had a shop in

George Street near the George Hotel . The profession of s hairdre sing was then a most lucrative one. Wigs had not n n go e out of fashion , and both ladies and gentleme wore their

Ma e - hair powdered . rshall soon became an exp rt wig maker and an adept at his business. There was a custom in his day of attending old gentlemen in the morning at their residences. This pa rt of the business he entered into with zest ; and he then made the acquaintance of many of the older citizens of

Perth , whose interesting conversation as he attended to their t u toilet may have led him unconsciously to urn to literat re,

a and which cert inly stored his memory with old world stories. During his apprenticeship he had a great thirst for know d le ge, and one of his haunts then was the bookselling shop D kept by James ewar, afterwards Lord Provost, where he

e . spent much of his leisure in r ading This Perth bookseller,

o re M was who t ok a g at interest in young arshall, in after

e The N or ther n Wa rder a y ars part proprietor of , a newsp per

D M was published in undee, and arshall the reporter for it in

Perth . M In politics arshall was a Liberal or Whig, and an ardent

C The N or thern War der Free hurchman . was in the Whig

c and interest, and when politi al feeling ran high parliamentary 1 26 THE H ISTORI ANS OF PERTH

candidates appeared on the hustings, a placard was posted

D the Wa r der the bearing the words, own with , Provost , ” B e N or ther n and the arber. The ref rence being to the

Wa r der v De Ha M , Pro ost war, and Thomas y arshall , the

e But o . report r. we anticipate, and must g back After young Marshall had ﬁnish ed his apprenticeship he

e migrated to London , the great centr of fashion , to improve

e e e for himself in his business , wher he r main d a year or two , but soon returned to his nativ e city and comme nced business

1 8 1 was the for himself. I n 4 he elected a member of Town

Council for the Third Ward, but resigned his seat after serving two years . Literature was more in his line than local politics .

D all e was e uring these y ars he writing for various n wspapers ,

The and soon he became editor of a local weekly paper,

P er th and Dundee S atur da our nal y j , published by John

Fisher, Perth. To this paper he contributed many articles A and stories . mongst these articles was one on a local “ character ” who was best known by the name of “ Coal ” H e Sandy. was a worthy gifted with a strong imagination , 1 and an utter disregard for truth . In the pages of the long-fo rgotto n publication which we “ have named may be found A Tale of the Rebellion

1 0 E —a R (p. 5 ) and The arl of Gowrie, omance (page T M H . by . but they will hardly repay perusal . In the

1 “ oa an accor n to his own account ke ohn was C l S dy, di g , li J u n ccas on he w r tn h h he a greattraveller. O o e o i as ela i g ow e had been att ’ ’ r i w r s n An what e see ta e as ed one f t . H s o ld e d . did y h k o his audi ors ’ ’ re came uc d rea naeth n buta w n ro n ply qi k an dy, O , i g hee auld suns an b ke ” munes.

1 28 THE H I STORI ANS OF PER TH

fo r it has brought to his task a love , a clear head , a mature judgment, and an easy yet forcible style of com position . was We remember having seen the historian , who then well

H e e . advanced in y ars was of medium height, and inclined to

— r be stout dark , almost swa thy in complexion and , although

- e an old man , he was not grey haired. His f atures were large and strongly marked . In his younger days he must have H been a man of ﬁne presence . e was a man of powerful mind

nd e B e a good sense, som what ohemian in his tast and careless

His e . in dress, yet mentally he was above all th se externals

e a H e was an able writ r, perfectly conscious of his own limit

a tions and of his speci l weakness . Those who kne w him best were quick to recognise that even his follies leaned to ’ H e was e virtue s side . a d lightful companion , one who never

Spoke ill of anyone .

e o m niv erous was B ing an reader, his mind stored with

e v ev ry variety of lore ; his conversation was impressi e , and

a o H e was mostly bout history, religion , and p litics . of a

e e a decid dly r ligious cast of mind , although he made no p rade

s of piety . The humorous side of his nature was al o well

e e the are dev lop d , and amusing things he said and did often

e a r remember d when the more serious e forgotten . Through

out all his life he was perfectly happy . In his declining years he was often urged to leave Perth so that he might have enjoyed t t e e . e gr ater comfor , y he steadily refused Lif away from his

e e own Perth , wh re he had spent his years , would have b en

no pleasure . Like the old prophet and saint of Israel , who THOMA S H AY M A R SHA L L 1 29

loved the very stones of Jerusalem , so was he in regard to

the Fair City . On the 1 stof August 1 88 2 his eyes closed for the last

time on the beloved scenes of his youth , his manhood, and

his old age . ’ ’ Marshall s H zstomr of P er th was issued from the press of

1 8 John Fisher in 49 , in monthly parts, which were sold at

S ixpence each , and when afterwards collected and bound they

60 ﬁrs form a handsome volume of 5 pages octavo . The t 1 issue , and very possibly there was no second , was limited to

00 5 copies , so that the work is now somewhat scarce , and

1 2 5 . 6d 2 readily fetches in the open market from . to 05 . per

volume , according to condition . There is but one illustration,

which is given as a frontispiece. It is an engraving of Perth

- - W . from the north east, by . J Gardiner, then a well known

ﬁ rm of Perth engravers . This picture shows the river in the f b s S oreground , with oat sailing on it to the left, the spire of t. ’ C i John s hurch and part of the br dge in front and to the right, C appears part of the North I nch , harlotte Street, the steeple t ’ A S . C R of Paul s hurch , tholl Place, The Crescent, and ose

Terrace. The picture is very much the same as may be seen - to day , looking towards the town from the grounds of Tayside, R the residence of Sir obert Pullar. It is characteristic of the writer that he has no Dedication . The Preface is manly yet ’ Ma m modest, and from it we learn that rshall s work ust have been published before that of Peacock . After giving a List C of Authorities consulted, there follows a Table of ontents,

1 secon e ton was a vertse a out1 860 butit nota A d di i d i d b , did ppear. 9 1 3 0 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF PERTH showing the work to be divided into Twelve Chapters and in A a Supplement, a memoir of Henry damson , with a reprint of ’ ’' ' s r en a e v ntr th Ga hz ns The M ues Th o z and the I n e o y of e o . The ﬁrstsix chapters give the history of the town in chronological u order, while the last six give an acco nt of ancient manners ’ - and customs : Kirk Session records ; S r. John s and other churches in Perth ; account of the Monasteries ; account of ’ VI s King James . Hospital , and other institutions Literary and

A ra ntiquarian Society, libraries , schools , incorpo tions, political

o constitution , r yal visits, etc. etc. The same year was ’ e P er th its Am m]: and A r chives publish d Peacock s work , , ; ’ but his rival s collection makes a poor show beside the well

planned work of a man who could write, and knew what he

was As writing about . a writer he was quite free from jealousy he rather rejoiced in the success of his brothers of

a the pen , and was able more than most writers to v lue appropriately his own work . The only reference which he makes to Peacock is in a ’ ' t D H isto o P er h . note (p . 347 , m f ) Speaking of the ragon s K innoull Hole , a cave in the precipitous front of Hill , he ’ “ quotes Cant s remark that none but resolute people dare ” it : venture in to , and goes on to say We daresay few grown -up persons would hazard the climbing up of a per

endicular p rock of some sixteen or eighteen feet, at least M r it would have required resolute daring in . Cant to do so obesit two , especially if his y was as great as that of the

al com iler s H istor o P er th h r i v p of the y f , alt ough the writer

e ﬁ v e e of these r marks , some and twenty y ars ago, did not

1 3 2 TH E H I STORI A NS OF PER TH

‘ ’ o 0 ! ch ked voice, Lord ye ll surely no drown poor Peter ’ ’

M . ackie this way , gaun ye r ain errands

D The following passage , from an account of the issenters, graphically depicts the state of feeling in the e ighteenth century

s M r. Gla and those who adhered to him were really

fi rst e e o the . In 1 the diss nt rs fr m Church of Scotland 73 3 , u M r. e e e Glas erect d a ch rch in P rth , when s paration from v m the E stablishment was ery unco mon . It was thought a e e highly arrogant for a sm ll number thus to unit , pr tending to be a Church of Christ and fo r unlearned men to act as s e t ! mini t rs , how extraordinary and presump uous The clergy u fi re . e of the place took One of them , in partic lar, very z al the n e e ous for natio al syst m , and highly enraged , endeavour d much to influence the Magistrates to extirpate them from o w inflam mato r the t n , and preached a very y discourse for this ‘ o e S us purp s from the ong of Solomon , Take the foxes, the e o v n e little foxes , that d str y our vines for our i es hav tender ’ l e grapes . t is said also, that a c rtain lady , in the height of M r h er e ee n . religious z al , on s i g Glas walking along the e e stre t, said to some bystand rs, Why do they not rive (tear) ’ him to pieces .

The H istory bears the mark of haste ; there is no errata

o e The to the book , but there sh uld have b en . Church of

S t e e D . John of P rth was grant d to the monks of unfermline

1 1 2 6 1 2 2 6 . the in , not as stated His description of old

e Parish Church , so d ar to all the natives of Perth , is rather THOM AS H AY M ARSHAL L 1 3 3 M poor. arshall had not the knowledge of architecture which would have enabled him to write well on this subject even his dimensions are incorrect. C His account of the ity Hall , then recently built, is in

good taste, although very short, and with this quotation we will conclude

The City Hall was erected a few years ago to hold

public meetings and other assemblies . It is one of the S 8 66 largest public rooms in cotland, measuring 9 by feet , r and capable of holding nea ly two thousand persons . To - it is attached an elegant ante room , the walls of which are adorned with several well -executed ancient and modern

paintings . It may interest the antiquarian reader to know that the City Hall stands on the site of the great college VI yard , gifted to the town by the Queen of James . in D A VI D PE A COCK — 1 78 7 1 8 5 3

J O URNALIST

A D P EAC CK P er th i ts A nna ls a nd VI O , the editor of , A r chives was a native of the neighbouring C ounty of Forfar , having been born there about the year 1 8 7 7 . Handloom weaving was then a most prosperous

s industry throughout Scotland , and at that trade his early year

v were spent . The wea ers of that day were a remarkably intelligent class much of their spare time was devoted to the study and discussion of politics , and not a few of them left the sea t of the loo m to hnd their vocation in the more congenial ’

. a editor s chair Peacock , having been e rly attracted to

x e . In m journalism , was no e c ption the pri e of his manhood

o e e he rem v d to P rth , which became the city of his adoption

his - and home for the long period of thirty three years . Here

es e . he was a highly esteemed , r pectabl , and useful citizen

Be e was ing a good sing r and a musical enthusiast, he ” e “ ﬁll chos n shortly after coming to the Fair City , to the o fﬁ c e E e of Precentor in the ast Parish Church , and T acher

M B S a of usic in the urgh S chool or eminary . Th t he had

a a good knowledge of music is gener lly allowed, but he was

1 3 6 TH E H ISTORI A NS OF PERTH only one of which we have heard ; and as they have never

fa r been published , so as we are aware, we give the one which we have heard recited

’ We hae a P eacock o 001 ain, ’ ’ m are wi ou he s buta s arraw Co p d y , p , F ive hunder pund would mak h im fain s n from un anu To i g J e to J ara.

e n e e e Thes li es are int nd d for a tribute to J nny Lind , and a re s e o no di parag ment to the l cal singer. We think that

' they rather indicate that he held a warm place in the aﬂec

o tions of the pe ple . Wha teve r his merit as a teacher of music may have

is been , there no doubt that he was an enthusiast, and was

t v his a tenti e to duties as precentor. It is recorded of him

o e t e u that for the l ng p riod of hirty y ars , d ring which he held the o fﬁce of leader of psalmody in the East Parish

e e e e Church , he was n v r once abs nt from the r gular Sunday

s w d . e e ﬁn services Thi would willingly believ , but we it

w e A nnals a d e e see . 0 n else her r cord d ( Notes , pp 45 , 45 4, of A r chives) that on two occasions he led the singing at Blair Church on S undays when Queen Victo ria visited the Duke

A 1 2 H of tholl in 84 . e was an intimate friend and a great

o f the e e s admirer c l brated John Wilson , then the be t

o f H e s exponent S cottish song . organi ed an annual concert

e e e c riti in P rth , and som times the performers w re severely c ised by the opposition ne wspaper. Itis a curious co incidence that our historian should have been the holder of the same ofﬁce (that of teacher of music) D A VI D PE A COCK 1 3 7

as Henry Adamson , the poet, and the earliest of the writers

o n the history of Perth , who more than two hundred years

f e M r be ore had writt n his lamentations of the uses . Sho tly

after his settling in Perth , Peacock was employed as reporter

P er th Cour ier by the proprietors of the , and he afterwards - acted as sub editor of the same paper . For twelve years he

was f e e on the sta f of this the oldest of the Perth n wspap rs, it which , when he joined , was the only journal printed and

. 1 8 B published in the city In 3 5 , George uist, a Forfarshire

Constitutiona l D man , transferred the from undee to Perth, when Pea cock severed his connection with the Cour ier and

af joined the st f of the new Conservative journal . After B D wards, uist removed to Cupar Fife, and avid Peacock ' ‘ ee C nstztutional succ ded him as editor of the o . Our historian had now atta ined the highest position he was to reach as a journalist : the editorship of a struggling concern established to advocate views which were not those

a The Can of the gre t majority of the citizens of Perth .

1 f n str r. r th e estson o h R m e D eo e ustwas e te ev. ohn ust G g B i ld J B i , i i

tu ent. of anna ce. H e was e ucate for th e urch and was a ents T di d d Ch , dilig d n rtd the He was atone time editor of the D undee Courier . I 1 83 5 he sta e Constitutional in un ee butver s ort afterwar s he transferre the D d , y h ly d d a r to rt H t th onstitutiona l f r n wh en he e e . e no con uct e C o o p p P h did d l g, ' remove to ar w r he i r of the R shzre our na l . He d Cup , he e became ed to ﬁ j afterwar s wentto nd a to ecome e tor of the B omba Timer w c h e d I i b di y , hi h con ucte w t a t untl ow n to a d sa reementwith the ro r etors d d i h bili y i , i g i g p p i , his en a mentwas term n e H h n starte the B omba Standar d e at . e te g g i d d y , wh ch ha suc a run f s h mes w r tto terms and i d h o uccess thatte Ti as b ough , tn t an esce w th a da rd. w a man of a d ultimately coal d ith e S Dr. Buist as bili y a geologistof some note ; he died in 1 860. 1 3 8 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF PER TH stitutiona l now Con was then , as it is , the organ of the serv ativ es of Perthshire, and Toryism was then most him unpopular. This situation was not for a bed of roses,

n He and he had ota free hand from the proprietors. was too easy -going a m a n to have been a successful editor ; he

n a the took thi gs s y came . His working motto might have ” been sufﬁ cientunto the day is the evil thereof. The

sufﬁ cientl truth is , he was not a y able or strong man for the

e position he h ld . The courtesies between the opposing editors of Perth were in those days severely strained . We hnd the editor of the P er thshi r e A dver tiser describing the editor o f the P er thshi r e Constitutional as a vain -glorious

him as e mortal , and reporting having said, r garding the annual present of two fallow deer which the Marquis of Breadalba ne sent to the Incorporated Trades for their “ ’ Michaelmas Dinner : For a the time I hae bee n in Perth ’ ” te A dver iser I hae na got n a bit . The pages of the t are

e 1 8 0 disgrac d by allusions, of which this is a specimen ( 4 ) S eldom does a week pass but the columns of the Con stitutiona l furnish abundant evidence that the description

P eacoch given by naturalists of the , that it is a silly bird, is " s e mo t accurat . “ ’ About this time ( 1 84 2 ) the ten years conﬂict of the

ee u Fr Ch rchmen was occupying the minds of men . The proprietors of the Constitutional were Andrew Davidson and

Da o vid Clark , b th solicitors , or writers , as they were then m An l more com only called . article was supp ied to the editor in which a herce attack was made on the R ev .

1 40 TH E H I STOR I A NS OF P ER TH

His gifts of song and story-telling must also have been part n n of his attraction . We could ame ma y of his friends and n w t i timates , but hat would be the use ; al hough they were all

e e n highly resp ctable gentl me , not one of them has distin

uished he g himself even as has done .

A s e a journalist, Peacock did not achi ve much , and it was fortunate for him that the appoi ntment to the Mastership of ’ n v 1 H s w O u s a . Ki g James . o pital c me to him hen it did the

th e 1 8 h e was a n e t o fﬁce w 4 of Octob r 4 7 ppoi t d to his , hen he retired from the editorial chair ; but his connection with litera

e was no t e n A s m as e s he tur ded . t r of the ho pital had charge of the records of th e four pre-R eformation religious

e n es e r a nd o te r n e es n a frat r iti of P th , h i t r ti g old m nuscripts, which do ubtl ess inﬂue nc ed him to study the anci e nt history

e r a S ta n of the a ly c pital of co l d . In 1 849 h e publish ed the work by which he is now

' e e P e th its A z ls a n A r ch zz'es r m a d . rememb r d , , The book was well printed by William Belfo rd of the Pe rth Printing ’ ' n a nd e o f the P er thshi r e A aver tzser w Compa y, propri tor , in hich

r wa r n Th jou nal it s favo u ably oticed . e author did not live many years after th e publication o f his work he died suddenly

- rd A 1 8 ea . on the 3 of ugust 5 3 , in the sixty sixth y r of his age

He was in Wellshill e his w buried Cemetery, Perth , wh re idow

e a n n Atthe er cted mo ume t to his memory . time of his

a P er thshi r e A dver tiser e a de th the , then the great Lib r l organ in rts e s e a n a e a tv a Pe h hir , publi h d ppr ci i e ccount of the life

a o s P er th Cour ier and l b ur o f its political opponent. The

s e a n o e also publi h d obituary n tic , but it does not refer to his DA V ID P EACOCK 1 4 1

history of Perth . We have been unable to discover the nature of the account which would likely appear in the

P er thsh i r e Constitutional n , as u fortunately that journal does ﬁ A not possess a le for the year 1 8 5 3 . tthe time of his demise he held the ofﬁces of Property and Income Tax

fo r u Assessor the City of Perth , and S rveyor to the Water M Commissioners of Perth , besides his astership of the ” M s n Hospital , his a tership of the Sa g School , and Leader E u of Psalmody in the ast Parish Ch rch . From each of these o fﬁ ces he had some emolument, so that he must have had a considerable income. H e held for many years the honorary post of S ecretary

e and Treasurer to the Soci ty of High Constables of Perth . This last ofﬁ ce kept him in close association with most of the

M as notable citizens of his time. While he was ter of the Hospital he exerted himself with the authorities in getting a large gas lamp placed at the South Street Port . In his time

was also, the wall which formerly surrounded the Hospital

a n u t ke down , and the present handsome railing substit ted . For his various local services he was entertained to dinner

2 th M 1 8 1 in the County Place Hall , on the 7 of arch 5 , by a number of citizens .

' P er th its Amul l s and A r ahzves , (Perth , is the result D of the labours of avid Peacock. This book is the most

r pretentious of all the works relating to the histo y of Perth .

6 2 u It extends to 3 pages octavo, and is handsomely got p , being bound in cloth , with ornamental embossed work on the 1 42 TH E H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH

front and sides, and showing the arms of the burgh in gold. The name of the publisher is that of a once well -known

s R t re citizen , Thoma ichardson , who in af er years was a spected Lord Provost of the city. We think the author must have been assisted by R ichardson in the ﬁnal stages of pre

aratio n s so p for the pre s ; but if , he has not helped him n to e ough , for, strange tell , there is neither Index nor Table of

u e Contents to the vol me . There is, how ver, a List of

ﬁne n r Illustrations, some of which are drawi gs , namely , Pe th ” “ B e w from ridgend and Perth from Craigi , dra n and

n e C D e graved by G rshom umming, undee Perth from the “ ” “ Huntin to wer North Inch , g Castle , and The Parish ” w B S W. t. Church of John , dra n by anks and engraved by “ ” C H e r w R H Lizars . 1 8 2 W. . ; owry ous , d a n by Gibb in 7 and engraved by Lizars The Central Bank o f S cotland

B a S n e Lizars Ma (now the nk of cotla d), also ngraved by ; a p R S e e S of the ailway yst m of C ntral cotland , engraved by

Gershom Cumming, bookseller and engraver ; and a plan in

H s e e Lizars a en two plates of Gowrie ou e, ngrav d by , t k from a

' draw ing published in the Tr ansactzons of the L iter a ry and

nti uar ia n S ociet o P er th 1 8 2 a nd ra A q y f in 7 , lithog phed by

D M r o zl . a M r. e D . . J ( avid o is n , Junior) , but origin lly drawn in

‘ th e in M O m ie L L D 1 806 e e . . , b for build g was razed, by John , ,

a then a te cher in Perth . These drawings give a value to this book which it would not o therwise have they a re mostly the work of the best

n a v e r e e e gr s of the tim , and th y would have graced a worthier

t o his f e st s produc ion . The auth r in Pre ac mode ly di claims

1 44 THE H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH

s with monastic institutions, which for several centurie ‘ ’ o R e o e and previ us to the formation ad rn d the Fair City , whose inmates were safe in the religious halo which was held n e was as surrou ding them , and th ir religious dignity , which always respected . The early importance of Perth must therefore be loo ked for in something else than as a mart for commerce or manufactures , a seat of learning, or a place of defence .

Although the population of Perth in ancient times did not ’ e e — in f exce d that of P acock s day, act it must have been very it— far short of , still the ancient town was, comparatively

e n e s o ne. sp aki g, a larg and prosperou Instead of saying the

“ e m e number must have be n co parativ ly small , even in the ” l s en e u A pa my days of its exi t c , he o ght to have said , lthough w w small , compared ith modern to ns, the population of Perth must have been comparatively large in the palmy days of its existence . Then he speaks of the splendid domes connected

n ns w with mo astic i titutions, when it is well kno n there were

S t e H h r no domical buildings in cotland in hos days . e e e uses

th e a word meaning of which he carelessly forgets. His conclusions regarding the early importance of Perth being

e e drawn from wrong pr mises, are entirely erron ous. Perth of

e w as anci nt days one of the greatest of commercial towns .

e n e co nﬁned The l arni g of thos days being to the Church, it

e And may be said to have been a seat of l arning. it was a

a e n pl ce of defence, b ing the o ly walled town in the kingdom .

was It because Perth possessed all these three things, trade, DA VI D P E A COCK 1 45

learning, and defence , that she was a place of importance and the early ca pital of Scotland . Here is a paragraph from Peacock which cannot be substantiated

Upon the whole, Perth is generally recognised as the most ancient town in Scotland , and dates its origin from a u period within less than a cent ry of the Christian era. It is in in some degree traditional , but never called question , that R it was founded by the omans, when Agricola and Lollius a U rbicus preferred it as a grand central militry station . Every one has heard of the exclamation ascribed to the R u oman invaders, when, coming from the south, the bea tiful B plain and river broke upon their view . ehold the Tiber behold the Field of Mars ! is said to have been the n simultaneous shout . No wo der they were struck with the e be matchl ss scene, as Sir Walter Scott pronounces it to , especially as it was so much superior to their own favourite w u river, which ith its d ll current and yellow mud , can never ” r compa e with the crystal waters of the Tay .

We have already traced this legendary story in our u it n a . acco nt of Henry Adamso , who is the poetic l father of — It is a beautiful story one of the best of the poetical con c ti ns e o but . p of the poet of Perth , it is pure romance Perth may have been founded by the Romans—itmay have been their Victoria, but there is not a vestige of proof that it was .

We suppose it must have been carelessness, but if so it

a 1 is inexcusable , which le ds Peacock to write, on pages 3 and I O 1 46 THE H ISTOR I A NS OF P E R TH

“ ’ ’ 6 A a s 4 , of d mson s notes to Gall s poem , when he quote ’ ’ l large portions of James Cant s notes to Adamson s poe m] ’ Peacock s conception of what he is writing about is as “ — Our clear as mud his mind is thoroughly jumbled . com ” e e e S ir piler, as he call d hims lf, makes a fr e use of Walter ’ S o Ta les o a G r and ather c tt s f f in connecting his history, which he duly acknowledges . Here is a piece of irritating namby-pa mby which he perpetrates when writing of Macbeth (page A s the m o st important circumstances of his history may be known to comparatively few who have not ’ re ad S hakespeare s celebrated drama founded thereon (and there is at least a portion of those under whose notice this

o fa e d b ok may ll who never r ad plays), it has been deeme ’ e S ir S proper to xtract, at length , Walter cott s simple

Tates o a G r a nd a ther e narrative, as given in f f , and found d ’ llinsh d on H o e s history of the period . The story is very

n as u u m a interesti g ; and it is minute, witho t being tedio s, y be perused with some gratiﬁcatio n by those who are pretty

e e e a n w ll inform d in r g rd to the great leadi g facts, from their ’ a w S e acquaint nce ith hakespear s inimitable historical drama, ” s in which the e are prominently and graphically brought out .

e n e S ir is Th th re follows eight pages from Walter, who u frequently quoted thro ghout the book. The account which Peacock gives of the clan Battle of the

1 ’ ’ The oem referre to is The M uses Threaodze wh ch w wr H r p d , i as itten by en y sh in 1 6 8 m Adamson and publi ed 3 . Ja es Cantpublished a second edition o f ’ th s oem in 1 w th notes an th s k i p 774, i , d i boo is sometimes called Cants

Histor o P er th. al was one of the s ea ers in th m y f G l p k e poe .

1 48 THE H ISTOR I A NS OF PER TH u but if the truth m st be told, their bravery was never con s icuous — p , they were tradesmen and merchants ; they were

- - not men atarms . They were conscious of their weakness ; consequently they always allied themselves with the neigh bourin f d g nobles, and rom that warlike class they selecte w their Provost . In support of such a statement we ant

s n D a better in ta ce than that of a hero of romance. oubt

the was less Henry of Wynd a brave man , although some

us what rash and foolhardy ; but all that history tells of him ,

e is that for half a french crown , with the promise of a p nsion should he survive, he took the place of another in the B u pitched clan attle on the Inch , and his side was successf l.

R et Then in reference to the motto , Pro ege, Lege, Grege , but it was unknown to the Perth of those days , was adopted

R -of- was after the eformation , when the previous coat arms

as discarded being reminiscent of popery . S everal subjects connected with Perth and its history are

ﬁ rst given in the concluding portion of the volume , the of r which is one on royal visits, where the author gives ve y good and graphic accounts of Queen Victoria’s early visits to Perth . His narrative is not altogether of his own com position (as he himself says) he has occasionally preferred e the language of others to his own, when he found it mor ” w - suitable. The book concludes ith a well written memoir A n and of Henry damson , givi g all the known facts of his life ,

' ' The M us r es Th en dze. a reprint of his poem, o Writing of the characte r and manners of the citizens of Perth of his own “ e n tim , he says (page They are intelligent rather tha D A VI D P EA COCK 1 49

intellectual ; speculative ; and in their communication , political

r t and controversial rather than lite ary and sentimen al . ’ D r uring a thi ty years intercourse , he scarcely ever found a in social party disposed to engage literary conversation . We n believe this descriptio to be generally correct, but fortun ately there were some exceptions ; these would not be found u D u in the company freq ented by avid Peacock, who, altho gh

u o f not a native of Perth , was a product of s ch a state

Society. D ND P R . R U . MMO , — 1 80 2 1 8 79 ESSAYIST

H E Drummonds had long been tenant farmers in the

s M s e pari h of adderty, Perth hire, wh re they were highly

Atthe e respected . beginning of the ninet enth century , John

D e n th e a Dubh eads o f rummond was t ant of f rm of , Craigs

Ma e t M s es dd r y , which he held of i s Pr ton , who afterwards

arr S ir D B S e m ied avid aird , the hero of ringapatam .

This Perthshire farmer had a number of sons , one of

R D was whom , Peter obert rummond , the subject ofthis sketch ,

n 1 2 H e bor in 80 . received his early training at the Parish

M o f R v S e e . chool of adderty , which the th n master was the L D D L . e M . avid alcolm , , a po t and a scholar who is now very much forgotten ; but a delightful sketch of him by his

P er thshi r e in B e s quondam pupil may be read in ygon D ay .

Dr M D u . alcolm found in young r mmond an apt pupil

of u one who delighted in the glories nat re and art. Little ’ did S ir David Baird imagine that the small farmer s boy

h e ff in whom accosted on the road to Crie , was after years to write of him and his doings in Perthshire nor would it have

e R b en then thought likely that the celebrated painters, aeburn 1 5 0

1 5 2 TH E H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH

u Dr D ring the three years that . Thomas Chalmers was ’ u an S t. s d minister of John s Parish Ch rch of Gla gow, when

E s D u e dward Irving was his a sistant, r mmond was a s at

B 1 8 2 holder in the church . y the year 3 he had left Glasgow ,

ta in and had s rted a library and bookshop Perth , where he

a R ] e made the acquaint nce of obert Nicol , the P rthshire poet ,

H e e whose life he afterwards wrote. occupi d three shops in

—ﬁrst 1 Perth , No . 5 High Street ; then the shop opposite,

S t. . 2 at the corner of John Street, No 3 ; and afterwards,

6 . N o . 4 George Street

1 E 8 d. In 47 , in conjunction with Glover, he brought

Jenny Lind , the famous vocalist, to Perth , where she sang in

H a n C . e the ity Hall, then recently erected was ingenious

ﬁrst E u mechanic, and showed at the London xhibition a ch rn ,

1 8 for which he was awarded a medal . In 5 9 he exhibited

e in E his coll ction of pictures the xchange Hall, Perth , and B ’ D the same year he attended the urns Centenary at umfries. n n His old love for cou try scenes returni g on him, he retired

Bamblair from business and leased the farm of , near Perth ,

H e n which , however, he soon gave up the retired to

Ellen owa n g , near Almondbank, where he devoted himself to

n P er thshir e in B one D a s writi g his yg y , which was published

1 8 in 79 shortly before his death . P R Amongst the many writers on Perth and Perthshire, . .

' D His P er thshi r e zn B rummond takes a high place . ygone

D a s 1 8 e n y (London , 79) is a most instructive and ntertaini g

ﬁ rstf book , and with general readers it is a avourite amongst

- . r local works His humour is rollicking . As a sto y teller he D . M M 1 P R . R U OND 5 3 t excels ; his sketches of the men and women of Per hshire, its

all H e scenery and poetry, are done with love and feeling. f may occasionally rate his poets too highly, but that is a ault ’ H e u ﬂi s which leans to virtue s side . sometimes ind lges in ght

e of philosophy, which the critical reader may consid r the

e w akest parts of his work . As an art critic he is decided in his opinions and as his knowledge of painting is extensive , he may be considered a safe guide . If he introduces his own ff personality too freely, it only heightens the e ect ; we never knew a good r aconteur who did not have conﬁdence in H himself. e has written his own life in his sketches of the lives of other men . D n rummond was a man of great i dividuality and power .

H e r was pe fectly conscious of this himself, and he was never

f He a raid to match himself with the best . wrote about the things he knew and loved be admired the varied scenery of Perthshire ; he revelled in its songs and ballads ; and be delighted in the men , gentle and simple, of whom he has written . Although a Conservative in politics , yet he was

R e icoll t the constant friend of ob rt N , the poe and radical journalist. In appearance he was of medium height, stout, f u almost burly ; intelligence shone in his ace, and h mour P R D constantly twinkled in his eye. . . rummond died on ﬁrst S 1 8 Wellshill the of eptember 79, and was buried in C emetery, Perth . The following quotations from his sketch of Thomas

L nedoch D Graham , Lord y , shows rummond at his best as a — writer vigorous, yet tender and sympathetic 1 5 4 THE H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH

In my youthful days I paid many visits to the old house B as of algowan , the birthplace of Thom Graham , some of s them befo re he fought at Baro sa or even at Corunna.

There was a charm in the desolate look of the place , and in the unchecked p rivilege of peeping in at the half-shuttered n ’ windows, and counti g the hundred swallows nests perched a in the eaves, and in the sorrowful t le of the handsome l th e young ady whose death had blighted gilded corridors , in s e e - e and place of who e g ntle hand and ev r w lcoming smile, . there was nothing but great rusty bars and iron-clenched

doors . These raised an awe and regret hardly of this world. Many times have I stood for hours while the beams of the setting sun struggled ee rily through the half-opened case en a na o en e u M m ts , and in im gi ti n se the b autif l ary Cathcart , h er - and n S with riding whip ti y gold pur, come tripping o w i her along the l bby, and ith sl ght aid from groom place

e o e o . hers lf in the saddle, and g curv ting acr ss the lawn But a ! was e , al s there was no lawn the place engulf d by huge e as - tre s , m ses of impervious underwood , and grass covered ’ roads that had no treceived the imprint of a horse s hoof for — seventeen years ; and Mary the beautiful and acco mplished Mary Graham lay silent and solitary in Methven ” Kirkyard .

We will give one more extract from P er thshi r e i n By

one D a s D u o e . g y , which shows r mm nd in quite anoth r mood Writing about a h o tel in Londo n at which he frequently

h e e s lodged , proc ed This is the house to which a Perth friend of mine went

to board on the occasion of his ﬁrstvisit to London . On

1 5 6 TH E H I STORI ANS OF P ERTH

’ ‘ ’ ? . r s want a bed , sir she asked timidly I want the mist e s , fi ‘ B rst . said luebeard, striding up the flight of steps She is ’ ‘ ’ o B . in bed, sir, said slavey . I will g to her, said luebeard ?’ Oh no, sir said slavey, and ran to intercept him ; but with undaunted presumption and mysterious geographical know n ’ in ledge , he we t straight to mistresses room , and , going , proceeded to shake up the dame . The poor girl listened n ervously , expecting to hear a shout of murder. She did not conflict wait long when a round oath came from the scene of , followed by a loud scream and a half-smothered under-current of swearing. Speedily the stranger came out of the room , and that with greater force than a man was likely to come of as his own volition , and a pair of boots followed him with herce impetuosity as if they had been charged with gun ‘ . no t powder The stranger remonstrated , but they knew ’ B joseph . luebeard walked into the parlour, and , throwing o ff f his cap and coat, ordered break ast (p .

1 5 8 TH E H I STORI ANS OF P ER TH

last stick to the . A new career opened up for him , when in 1 8 5 2 he was appointed an agent of the Edinburgh City

M o issi n . For eight years he laboured amongst the poor and neglected of the Greenside district of the capital . His next S appointment was one under Government, that of cripture

R fo r S t w eader in the General Prison cotland at Per h , here he O u faithfully laboured for more than thirty years . his retiral

w was he continued to reside at Perth , here he an esteemed

n A f the a d respected citizen . lthough retired rom active duties of life he was never idl e ; to the end of his long life his pen was eident with work of some sort for the good of his fellows . The following list gives some of the works published

wh o e r by our author, di d suddenly at his residence in C aigie on the sth of May 1 90 5

r th h o te er th Cr chetCtub 1 88 isto ica S ete h P i 0 . H f . Perth , t tS c th r e ati nal er is or iea keth o e Con o Chur ch P th . H f g g ,

1 8 8 . Perth , 5 ita hs ua int Cunbus and M iscella neozes collected Ep p , Q , , ,

n d with N tes. t 1 a nd a r r a e o 0 2 . g , Per h , 9 ’ ' G rqf r ia r s B ury i ng -Gwound its Epitaphs and I nscr ip 8 tions. 1 . Perth , 93 ’ ’ S u l ementto G r e r ia r s B u in -G r ouna its E ita hs pp yf m g p p ,

etc. 1 8 . Perth , 94 ‘ t t ketch o the ld D e t is or iea S o é . e 1 8 H f p P rth , 94 . he ch the G r l P r ison er h istor icatS t o ene a P t. H f , Perth ,

1 894 . Com lete H i stor o P er th Cr ichet r om 1 8 1 2 tilt1 8 p y f f 94 ,

with S hetthes o P la ers. 1 8 6 . f y Perth , 9 W I L L I A M S I E VWR I G H T 1 5 9

William S iev wrightwas grave in his appea rance and gentle in his manner ; of medium height and erect bearing

buoyant in mind and body , he carried his tale of years well , H e looking much younger than he really was . was intimate

R S F ittis with obert . , who was only one year younger than t he was ; the subjec s which interested both men being many . F ittis was very generous in his appreciation of the work of ’ S iev wri hts S u lementto the our author. When g pp G rey ’ ' r ia r s B ur zn -G r ound a nd its E ita hs f y g p p was published , the notice which appeared in the P er thshi re Courier newspaper

was en from the p of his brother historian , and with this able H criticism we are heartily in accord . e who had made

r lite ature his lifelong work, and more especially local

s literature, ays

M i v wri hthas r. S e g now crowned his painstaking and eminently useful labour by publishing an elaborate supplement to his previous collection of Epitaph : amtI nsenf tions in the ’ ’ - G re r ia r s B u in G r ouna . B yf m g y thus completing his work,

he has undeniably laid the public of Perth, and everybody

else connected with Perth , under a deep obligation, which will r as its be more and mo e acknowledged time rolls on course. The want of such a collection a s the compiler has now us n enabled to possess, has often bee felt by local genealogists and others interested in disputed successions to heritable and as s movable estates, as well by inquirers re pecting obscure points in the history of the municipality. It was reserved for

M r. S iev wri ht r g to devote his leisure, du ing many months , to the transcription of all the decipherable inscriptions in the r o n f a Greyfria s gr und , and certainly his i de atig ble assiduity 1 60 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P ERTH

n s D has bee succe sful beyond expectation . aunted by no difﬁc ulties — — he , and many presented themselves, patiently r overcame eve ything in his way . It may well be said , we and say it with unavailing regret, that, like virtue, the i v arduous work accomplished by M r. S e wrightw ill have to W him be its own reward . ith it has been wholly a labour of M r S iev w ri ht love. To . g , however, is left the enduring satis faction of having produced books which will carry down his

name to posterity.

In many respects these two w riters were widely different

n F itti r - e . s in charact r and temperame t , although wa m hearted , t was asser ive and often violent, his voice rising to a shriek .

S iev w ri ht an ﬁrm g , on the other h d , although in his Opinions,

a wa u In was l ys calm and q iet . their love for literature and

s local hi tory , however, they were united .

S ie v wri ht g , although no sportsman , was an ardent spectator

hue e was u of the game of crick t, and he a reg lar attender at

e a the N H e n the gr at m tches on orth Inch of Perth . ofte “ said that he had fa ith in this pastime as a beautiful form

t e e a nd en e . A w of r crea iv lif amusem t ccordingly, iththe desire n u n of inciti g young lads to c ltivate a healthy, braci g , and

fu 0 - e e se to delight l pen air x rci , he set himself write the

H istor o the P er th Cr ichetClub the y f , premier club of

t 1 S o t . o 2 0 c land This work, which extends pages of small

s u 1 88 o wa 0 . e and ctavo, p blished in The crick ters of Perth Perthshire must be congra tulated in having this ex cellent record of the a nnals of the ﬁne game which h ad Perth for its

S cottish birthplace .

1 62 THE H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH

We have some difﬁ culty in selecting some passages for quotation from the writings of our author, for although what he has written is extremely interesting, it is not what may be ‘ ﬁn H i stor ical S hetch the ld D e ét e . o o called writing The f p ,

ff us or prison for French prisoners of war at Perth , a ords some passages , which we transcribe in order to show the style of the writer :

During the comparatively brief struggle between the E l o 1 . ﬁna l Nap leon and powers of urope, which y e terminat d in his complete overthrow at Waterloo, many thousands of French prisoners of war were sent to spend a r M r n their c ptivity in this count y . ilita y priso s were built

in various places throughout the kingdom Perth , as is well w known , being chosen as one of the cities to hich large con tin ents g of men were to be sent, for whose reception extensive

buildings had been erected , which were originally known and o f— b D 6 are still spoken y the name of the ep t. They

occupied the site of the General Prison , a considerable portion n of them, as we shall see, being still intact, having bee utilised during these past ﬁfty years for various purposes

by the General Prison authorities . I have often met persons inquiring about this old French ﬂoatin prison , and come across various g and contradictory it traditions regarding , but have never seen any accurate or t i . reliable account of I have hence endeavoured, by some D 6 little research , to draw up a brief sketch of the ep t, which

to many may possibly be of some interest . Originally the Dep0t occupied somewhere between eight and nine imperial u h urthase 1 8 1 1 in acres of gro nd, which was acquired y p in W I LL I AM SI EVWR I G H T 1 63

D M ff r f the time of Sir avid oncrie e, the g and ather of the

R . present proprietor, Sir obert I have, of course, no means of knowing how it came about that that portion of ground ” had been so acquired, instead of by feu .

’ S iev wri hts H istor itatShetch o the G ener al P oi son g f ,

P er th with N otes on Cr ime and Cr imina ls , , is an octavo

0 8 volume extending to 3 pages , the latter and major part of

ﬁrst which is devoted to his notes on crime, while the chapters give an account of the history and management of the institu

a tion . The history is of loc l interest, but the notes are of ’ f - general interest, and are the outcome of the writer s li e work amongst criminals. The keynote of the whole book is struck A He in the words of the postle James, which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death , and shall hide a multitude of sins.

A S iev w ri ht lthough long a resident in Perth , William g never forgot the place of his birth , and much as he loved Perth he kept up his correspondence with his friends in

B He rechin . was a regular contributor to the pages of the

A r f m n B r echin dve tiser for many years . O the a y articles and serials of his which have appeared in this newspaper only

a -f : B r echin F aces o two have appe red in book orm , namely f the Olden Time being B r ief S hetches of 011! Citizem

B 1 0 2 The Old P or ts B rechin in Olden and ( rechin , 9 and , ,

M oder n Times B ( rechin , Our author made no claim to be regarded as a literary

e . R own man , save in his love of lit rature egarding his work 1 64 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P E RTH — he was extremely modest ; he wrote for his own pleasure not — fo r fame or money in the hope that what he did write would prove useful to others. What he has written may be regarded as minor work, but had he not been moved to tackle it the work would very likely have been left undone. His books

f S iev wri ht are much used for re erence, and William g well merits the high appreciations which we have quoted .

D W A M R H L L D . . I L L I MA S A ,

01? COUPAR ANG US — 1 80 7 1 880

IL L IA M MAR S HA L L was born early in the year

1 8 0 Meado wm ore c 7 at the hamlet of , in the Logi

a ﬁlled Almond district of Perthshire . His p rents a humble

sphere, but were most anxious that their son should receive

the best education which it was in their power to give him . Perhaps his mother had a vision of her son as a leader of

s r men at all event , she was not wrong in ecognising him as ” s e u a proper child . The rudiment of his d cation he received

s n at an adventure chool in the hamlet of Tulliebelto , in the

Aucht v s f er a en . parish of g , and some mile away rom his home This humble educa tional institution was a one roomed

ha ﬁre the the ﬂ t tched cottage, with a in middle of oor, the smoke from which found its way to the outer air by a hole in

. for ﬁre c rs the roof The fuel this was supplied by the s hola , n u each of whom brought a peat every mor ing. S ch sc hools a s u were common throughout Scotland in those d y , and nder such untoward circumstances the scholars were grounded in

s r a the element of eading, writing, and rithmetic, besides being

s C . ﬁne sc ool taught mathematic , Latin, and even reek A h THE H ISTOR I A NS OF P ER TH

ﬁ n does not always make a e scholar. The name of the D M teacher of this modest academy was avid arshall , after

wards a minister of the Secession Church at Lochee. The

n e R icoll ame Tullieb lton recalls to our memory that obert N ,

f Tulliebeltane the poet, was born at the armhouse of Little

some seven years after the birth of William Marshall . His birth and upbringing was quite as lowly and hard as that of

M H e h arshall , but his genius was greater. had that in whic

was the elder man lacking , the gift of imagination and poesy. From his ﬁrstschool William Marshall was sent to the

e he Academy at P rth, where he studied for a short time before

e s ent red the University of Gla gow, which he did in his A ’ n thirteenth year. fter two years study at Glasgow, he the E for some reason removed to dinburgh , where he passed n other two years at the university there. The young stude t

a his had early been imbued with a love for le rning, and

e n At c colleg career was a successful o e. this time he be ame

e ﬁ rst s teach r of the village school where he learned letter ,

Cottertown and afterwards at the village school of of Nairne ,

n the Mone die i Perthshire parish of y . He was admitted a student of Divinity at the hall of the

2 D D 1 8 r. C . United Secession hurch in 4 ick, the minister of ’ C Greyfriars hurch , Glasgow, was the theological professor,

and the students met in the vestry of his church. The

D h y e ivinity course at this time extended to years, but the attendance of the students was only required for two months A D . s of each year, namely, ugust and September uring all thi

Airntull th time he supported himself by teaching, at y in e

1 68 TH E H I STORI ANS OF PERTH

' the TenYea r s Con ictwas entitled by Free Church historians , ﬂ ,

r was about to commence . TheVolunta y question, also, stirring the hearts and minds of the United Secession ministers and

M s people. Into this last controversy arshall threw him elf with an ardour which never slacked throughout his long life.

H e was strenuous for that which he thought to be right.

1 R D 8 ev Dr. I n 3 5 he married Leah , daughter of the . avid

ec C h . Young, minister of the North United S ession hurch , Pert

-in- was all His father law an eminent man , one of the ablest round men who ever ﬁlled the high position of a minister in

M -in- n e Perth . arshall found his father law to be likemi d d th with himself on many important questions. They were bo members of the same Presbytery . His intimate relationship

Dr. ex with Young did not , however, prevent his forcible

e ff his pr ssion of a di erence of opinion upon occasion, and

- - father in law did not spare Marshall in debate. Yet witha l

s these two were faithful and loving brothers in Chri t.

Dr . H h Marshall loved and respected . Young e wrote te memoir of the doctor for a memorial volume of his sermons

1 8 8 M which was published in 5 . I n this memoir arshall pays an eloquent tribute to the goodness of the heart and the - n- greatness of the mind of his father i law.

1 86 M ree In 5 , William arshall received the honorary deg

D D and of octor of ivinity from the University of New York, one month afterwards he had the same honour conferred o n w him by the Presbyterian College of Hamilton . This as for

e - e e ar him a year of w ll d s rved honours, for he was the same ye elected Moderator of the United Presbyterian Synod. W I L L I AM M ARSH ALL 1 69

M 1 8 The o the Dr. arshall published in 73 f

Westminster Standa rds P er secutin M en , g , and , two years later, o M r h in B r ith hur ch t H e r f a is C H is my . also w ote for the

' Weehl N ews f f y , Historic Scenes in For arshire , in Fi eshire ,

Kincardinshire e - in , and in Perthshire . Thes last mentioned works were written evidently more for relaxation than as a At n serious study . this time his health had somewhat broke

and down , his congregation arranged to have a colleague and successor appointed to enable him to carry on his ministerial

duties .

' The H istone S cenes of F affhr shi r e and The H istor ic

S cenes P er thshi r e a qf were published in sep rate volumes , and ﬁnds it is in consequence of the latter work that Dr. Marshall

r a place in this port ait gallery. This local historical work is

m a a handsome volume in s all quarto, and lthough published

n 81 P E 1 88 1 by Olipha t, Anderson , errier of dinburgh in , it was printed at the o fﬁce of the Dundee Cour ier a nd A rgm a mtWeehl N ews o y . The b ok opens with an account of - C t ﬁft hy e a . the ity of Perth , which akes up some y p ges Following our custom of quoting from the works of our ’ w t H istor ic S cenes M r e riters, we ake from the , a shall s notic of an eminent man who did much for the improvement of

her z has Perth and the elevation of citi ens, who not up to th is writing been sufﬁc iently referred to in this volume

d L L D was R r . . A am Ande son, , appointed ector of the ad 1 80 1 8 was r C r Ac emy in 9 , and in 37 he aised to the hai of atural S r t. N Philosophy in the United College of And ews, ﬁll in 1 6 He was the which he ed till his death 84 . one of 1 70 TH E H ISTORI ANS OF P ERTH

scientific m en his e most of age, and shed much lustr on both H the Academy and University. e left se veral memorials of e hims lf in Perth , which are highly honouring to his memory . H e originated the idea of supplying the city with water from Moncrieff Island formed the plan for carrying the idea into ff e it e ect ; and superintend d the execution of . The water M reservoir, which overlooks the Tay at the foot of arshall the h Place , is one of most admired arc itectural ornaments of f Perth . Only a few days be ore his death he cyphered with chalk the inscription which the edifice now bears in cast-iron l A u u m ' a m ne eta a ha i o. letters, g ig q D r. Anderson l aid Perth under a like obligation in con H as e first nectio n with its gas supply . e acted engine r in the it we e inscri introduction of gas into , and presum that the p tion on the old gaswo rk in Canal S treet was of his sugges ' D X X N n umum ex ul or e sea ex ume M C C . o tion , C IV f f g , f uem da r e tc .

n s r e f The H istor ic S ce e is a ve y us ful book of re erence .

e and It was written for a popular we kly newspaper, it served its purpose well .

Dr M s atD 2 rd 1 880 . ar hall died ysart on the 3 August ,

d fulﬁl e whither he ha gone to a cl rical engagement. Although

S fo r feeling out of sorts, he set out on the abbath morning n the church where he was expected to preach . O reaching

he the vestry became worse, and was forced to give in and h E retrace his steps to te manse . verything was done for him which medical skill could devise . His wife was able to be

1 te r r an w ter . steam I draw wate by ﬁ e d a ( . ) . 1 l t k fr m s en our but tfr m otto e c smo e o o smo e. N i i pl d , ligh k

1 72 TH E H I STORI ANS OF PERTH

At C r A u home in oupa ng s he was loved by his people,

and he gave them his best service, preached to them his

r . best sermons, and was never wea y in attention to his ﬂock a d His people were robust folks, and they admired their t lente

minister. They were not given to showing their deepest

the feelings, but when death cut bond which united minister

e and peopl , then were their hearts softened . Women shed a te rs and strong men were moved .

1 74 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P ERTH

H corner of Argyle and Glassford Streets. e was never content in a subordinate position ; accordingly we ﬁnd at a later period he became one of the founders of the Glasgow ’ R ev Shorthand Writer s Association , of which the . William A Simpson , lyth (then a student, but now the Parish minister D B . of onhill , umbartonshire) , was President

a u Although born mid the smoke of Glasgow, brought p

and educated in all the stir and bustle of that great city, he was destined to spend the greater part of his life in one of

the most beautiful of the provincial towns of Scotland . I n

1 8 2 7 , while yet a young man , he came to Perth to occupy the position of reporter and compositor on the staff of the

ur i er H e s P r thshi r e Co . e was , however, but a few month

e r connect d with that paper, when the proprieto of the

ttt al M r P er thshi r e Cons i uion . ff , James Watson Lyall , o ered

o - him the situation of rep rter and sub editor of his paper.

A bargain was concluded, which ended for Thomas Hunter,

ﬁr - stin a joint partnership, and afterwards in the sole pro

- o prieto rship of that well known county journal . N tonly o was he an able journalist and an active citizen , he is als

Woods F or ests and the author of that standard work, the , ,

tes o P er thshi re fo r was Esta f , and this book he awarded the highest honour at the International Forestry Exhibition

E 1 88 . n held in dinburgh in 4 That perennial publicatio , ’ ter s G uide to P er th a nd P er thshi r e H un , is also his work , i and is regarded as a model production of ts kind . As a

z citi en of Perth , Thomas Hunter took an intelligent interest

ff He en in her a airs . was for many years an active and THOM AS H UNTER 1 75 thusiastic M member of the asonic Lodge of Scoon and Perth , holding for six years the position of R ight Worshipful M H h aster. e was one of the founders of the Pert Swim B u ming aths, an instit tion now under the management of

a the town . For many ye rs he was a member of the session M of the iddle Parish Church . Some years before his death

had he a severe illness which much impaired his usefulness, and indeed he never recovered his old energy .

2 th r r 1 0 Thomas Hunter died on the 4 of Feb ua y 9 4,

lshill Wel C r . and was buried in emete y His funeral , which was a public one, was attended by a large number of the

con rer es citizens of Perth , his f in journalism and his brethren in Freemasonry.

H e was a man of good understanding, and he possessed a singularly clear mind . In manners he was frank and ff f f e t . a abl , being perfec ly ree from all alse pride His f experience of li e being large and varied, he was a most H e f entertaining companion . was a good riend , and spa red not himself in serving those whom he loved and respected ;

r on the othe hand, he was a doughty opponent, and used E all the skill at his command to defeat his foe . ver u ready with his pen , he was equally good as a p blic speaker, marshalling his facts and deducing his arguments in a cool and collected manner.

Woods F or ests and E state: o P er thshi re th The , , f is e r work by which he will be best emembered in Perthshire.

was d in 1 88 This handsome octavo volume publishe 3 , and met with the complete success it so well deserved . The 1 76 THE H ISTORI ANS OF PERTH

prepa ration for this work involved long journeys throughout

a r the length and bre dth of Perthshi e, but he was so keen a

n r hunter after facts and illustrations, that he ever ti ed in a his labours. His information was inv riably sought and a a o found at the fount in he d. His book is rec gnised as the

as an best authority on the subject ; in style it is simple, e y, d f per ectly clear. The text is embellished by frequent and

appropriate quotations from the poets . The nobility and gentry of Perthshire have found in Thomas Hunter an admiring historian lovers of scenery must admire his descrip tions of nature and art ; while arboriculturists owe him a

debt of gratitude for this excellent work. We may ﬁtly conclude this short sketch by a few

Wood s F or ests a nd E states o P er t sentences from the , , f h shi re , where the author refers to Perth

For picturesqueness of situation it may safely be said

that Perth has no equal in Scotland . Flanked on the — north and south by its magniﬁcentI nches the huest public a a —ithas o n p rks possessed by any town of the s me size , f s s the east and west an extensive range of delight ul lope , while at a little distance it is surrounded by bold and ﬁr h as clad hills, w ich impart to it a truly romantic grandeur a seen from a slight elevation . We have alre dy alluded to the more prominent of the wooded eminences surrounding rem the ancient and historic city, but there yet ain to be noticed several arboreal features of interest in close r

x . rse pro imity to the town The Inches , as a matter of cou ,

us . S provide with the richest material The outh Inch , h d alt ough the smaller of the two, is much better woode ,

R OB ER T SCOTT F I TTI S — 1 8 2 4 1 90 3

H R E R ISTO IAN , NOV LIST, ANTIQUA Y

O R more than ﬁfty years the name which stands o n the title -page of this essay has been familiar to the S reading public of cotland , and especially to the natives of

Our Perth and Perthshire . author gave his long life to

ﬁckle letters, and although the goddesses who are supposed to preside over the liberal arts have sometimes proved

- s themselves to be but poor pay mistre ses, he never swerved Man in his devotion or abated one jot of his ardour. ,

as however, does not live by bread alone ; indeed, only such

e ff d he who has work d and fought and struggled and su ere ,

v . e do li e His industry, his perseverance, his indep ndence, and his literary skill have been rewarded by the approval of his own conscience and the appreciation of the intelligent

H is e his of his countrymen . lit rary genius will preserve memory when the names of those of his compeers who ’ merely collected the world s goods and made themselves

f e comfortable have ad d into nothingness. Robert S cott F ittis was born at Perth on the 2 5 th day 1 2 H i of November 8 4 . s birthplace was a house situated 178

1 80 THE H ISTOR IA NS OF P ER TH awakening from the sleep of winter a Sabbath stillness

s reigns save for the joyou song of the birds. The morning hours are marked by stated peals of the famous bells of

t hn un a n S . o sto d J , by and by outrings the lively chimes which have called the citizens of Perth to worship for hundreds of years :

’ - Din in n i cr our crown. g . d g. d o g, Chr sts oss Then might have been seen the doucely dressed folks

e e wending th ir way to wait on God . Ther , amongst them ,

ittis — young F in his blue Kilmarnock bonnet even then , with look and bearing different from the ordinary youth giving his arm to his mother, who, dressed in plaid and

- e ca is e well frill d p , proud of the budding g nius of her son . Together they make for the house of God to attend the

R v Dr f e . o ministrations of the . Thomson , then minister M ’ e . A the iddl Kirk s S t. John s bells ring in imagination in e h our ears, we cannot h lp thinking that t is last scene of

e u and h the pictur , which is tr e not imaginative, betokens t at the youth who thus reverences and lovingly attends his

o mother, cannot g far astray .

A e e u ittis fter r ceiving a common lementary ed cation , F was M a 1 8 n apprenticed in y 3 7 , whe he was only twelve M e r. n fo r and a half y ars of age , to Joh Flockhart, writer, the u con us al period of three years, and with whom he R OBER T SCOTT F I TTI S 1 8 1 tinued for two years longer as clerk. Previous to this

e M r C time h had made application to . James ondie, then

- o fﬁce a well known writer in Perth , to be taken into his , — M r. f when Condie, who, as was the ashion of the times, even — amongst the educated and well to do, spoke broad Scotch , ’ ” a remarked , Laddie, ye re owre wee ; come back in a ye r. As a schoolboy Fittis had the reputation of being quiet and studious ; butwhen we consider the limited advantages he had at school , we cannot but recognise that in his youth ,

was . and all through his long life, he his own teacher His life was a steady process of gathering knowledge, for which Ou he ever had an unquenchable thirst . leaving the service

ittis d of his apprentice master, F was employe in the law o fﬁ ce M r A R of . rchibald eid, then one of the two Town C 1 8 lerks of Perth , and from there he was transferred in 44

o r R M f o n fﬁce M . to the of obert ac arlane, solicitor, who,

K nzi Mr. A M ac e e the sudden demise of lexander , Joint Town

C 1 8 . lerk , in the spring of 47 , was appointed in his room The

o fﬁce new Town Clerk did not long enjoy the fruits of his , for he died as suddenly as his predecessor, in the month of

Ma 1 8 8 r y 4 . For the greater pa t of the two following years ’ i i r M F tts was engaged in the winding up of M . acfarlane s law business. For upwards of another year he was similarly

r D employed in the settling of the business affairs of M . avid ’ C ittis lark, writer, who also had died suddenly. This was F

law o fﬁc s last connection with e .

We now come to review his literary career, which he had pursued for some years in the spare hours of his regular 1 82 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P ER TH

er e employment. Literature, which had hith to be n the

e e avocation of his l isur , was now to become the vocation of his life . The seeds of imagination which had first germinated

’ in the dry details of a lawyer s business were no w to spring up and ﬂower in the numberless stories and romances which came so freely from his youthful pen. Perhaps the period of his early manho od when he was engaged in romance

a s e writing was the h ppie t of his whole lif , for the writer of

ﬁ c tio n in o wn lives his dreamland , and troubles himself as ff littl e as possible with the mundane a airs of life . Our author

e a e A 1 8 1 commenced his lit r ry care r in ugust 4 , not long after

had M r e . he completed his apprentic ship with Flockhart, who

had e n a was a some literary tast of a si gul r cast, and the uthor

M or a l E ssa s h was of a small volume of y , w ich very popular

M r in its day . About the end of the above month . John in Fisher, who carried on a printing business the Old Ship

e S e e Clos , High treet, started a small we kly pap r of twelve

P er th atur da ur na e S o l . pages, und r the title of the y j It

h c was te ﬁ rstweekly periodi al issued in Perth at a penny .

was M r R e The editor . William nnie, then a tobacconist,

having his place of business in H igh S treet. This venture met with so much success that the twelfth number was issued

new in an enlarged form , with the and more ambitious title of

The P er ur ur na th a nd D undee S at day j o l . In this form it

continued to be issued weekly for some two and a half years .

M r. R e When the change in the name took place, nnie went ’ E o n H a s I nstr uctr to dinburgh and found employment gg o .

M r D n The editorship was then assumed by . James avidso , a

1 84 THE H ISTOR IANS OF P ER TH

’ readers , and went on for some months, until the publisher s

difﬁculties our na l caused the stoppage of the j altogether,

e r e M r B much to the g ne al r gret. . ayne at once threw himself into the breach by issuing The P er th and D undee

r n l ne w The M oss r oo er j ou a . In this venture t p was con

tinued e and e u e for som time , would hav been concl d d in it

a e w but for an unfortunate dis greem nt ith the printer. This circumsta nce led to an arrangement with Fisher for a new

e s Tates o p riodical , which was publi hed under the title of f ’ S cotla nd Or i nal and S elect N ew a Da 1 8 sa w , ig . Ye r s y of 45

ss th e ﬁ rst e e the i ue of numb r, with a suppl ment containing the

The M oss r e F ittis conclusion of toop r . was the sole editor A th and chief contributor . mongst e other writers to this

a o f mag zine were George Hay ( the town steelyard), James

D s h a M a a s avid on , and T om s Hay arsh ll (journ li ts) ; while quite a number of songs and poems a re from the hand of ’ es S e and e S ew Charl p nce, som of James t art s sketches of

o a a Sc ttish ch r cter grace its pages, although the poet was dead t . e o by this ime The young dit r was untiring in his labours , a nd many of the pieces which appeared under different initials

e e m o wn e n The w o was w r fro his p . rk completed in four

- a ea r me . It m e e h lf y ly volu s proved an i m nse succ ss . The ﬁ rsttwelve numbers of th e ﬁrstvo lume were reprinted three

e so a e was a e tim s , l rg the dem nd . Fisher push d the sale in

c t s e . H e n e e E all dir ion e gag d books llers in dinburgh ,

ndo n D ee A e ee a nd as Ta tes Lo , und , b rd n , Gl gow, and sold his

in a r e antt The n l g qu i i es . keepi g up of the stories week

f e w e was ea ff F ittis ru a t r e k a gr t e ort, but st ggled manfully ROB ERT SCOTT F I TTI S 1 85

f through the our volumes, doing the greater part of the work f himsel .

1 8 S cottish M iscella n In 4 7 the y was started, which after a brief interval was succeeded by a second series of Tales of S cotla nd , the greater number of the tales being contributed by o ur 1 8 1 editor. In 5 he edited a short series u nder the title

M iscellan o S c ttish Tr ad t 1 of y f o i ion. In 85 2 he rewrote

The M osstr oo er was p , and as it still much in demand he issued it in numbers, forming a volume, under the title of

The M osstr oo er a nd Ta les a nd Tr aditions o S cotl a nd p ; f , the

e f B the 1 8 ittis tales b ing all rom his own pen . y year 5 3 , F ’ had given up his employment as a la wyer s clerk and

P er thshi r e Cour ier w connected himself with the , hich at this D M n time had been acquired by James ewar from the oriso s,

e e wh re he r mained for eight years . During the time Fittis was engaged on the staff of the

Cour ier o he underto k a labour of love, in which he was

D w testiﬁes a rec ia assisted by James avidson, hich to his pp tion of true poetry and the memory of a brother writer.

v e James Stewart , a nati e of P rth , who followed the occupation

D was e of a shoemaker at unkeld , a Scottish poet whose m rit has H 1 8 r . e been somewhat obscured died in 43 at Pe th , and ’ u - u was buried in the Greyfriars b rial gro nd , where no stone

e - H e th n marked his last resting place . was a contributor to ’ isher s P er th S atur da our nal 1 8 1 ittis F y j in 4 , when F must

occ ured D have made his acquaintance. It to avidson and our author that S tewart’s poems might be collected and published

e roﬁts in a memorial volum , the p accruing from which might 1 86 THE H ISTORI ANS OF P E RTH

v be de oted to placing a monument over the grave of the poet .

ittis This work was carefully done by F and his friend , and

S hetches o S cottish Cha r a eter a nd other P oems th f , , by e late

S tew James art , with a memoir of the author, was published at

Cour ier o fﬁce 1 8 u now the in 5 7 by s bscription , and a stone

the marks grave of a true poet. This little volume of

00 8 y o e i S 3 pag s is dedicated to Will am tirling of Keir,

w s t illiam S M after ard bet er known as Sir W tirling axwell ,

n the M e e a a e fo r lo g mb r of P rli m nt Perthshire. The book

a e o e as e D could h v d n well , how ver, without any edication , for

e e S ir all the support it rec iv d from William , as he only

s e fo r e and fo r ﬁ v e . sub crib d two copi s, which he paid shillings

e no w t This volum is out of print, but those who are for unate

e in having copi s , feel that this posthumous collection of the

’ e m ittis r poet s writings is his best m orial . F disclaims w iting

reﬁx ed the memoir which is p to the poems , and indeed it is not quite in his style . Our author soon gave up his employment in the Cour ier o fﬁce ; he was notthe sort of man to be long tied down to

H is u routine work . life was an industrio s one in many

e and d partments of literature, in romance, tradition , history , ” 86 his S n u . 1 a tiq ity I n 4 story , The ecret Witness, was ’ s P eo le s our nal publi hed in the p j , and his last contribution to that paper was a series of articles on Haunted Houses ' 1 86 G itaer o d the in Perth . In 5 his novel , y , was publishe in

S cottish our na l j , Glasgow, and was issued , the following

R R r r year, by outledge in the ailway Lib ary. Other sto ies of

ea w P enn P ost E his app red in the Glasgo y , the dinburgh

1 8 8 TH E H ISTORI AN S OF P ER TH

The other publications which Fittis issued in book form

: The H er oi nes S cotla nd 1 88 S cottish S or ts a nd were qf , 9 ; p

P astimes 1 8 1 Cur ious E isodes in S cottish istor 1 8 , 9 p H y , 95

R omantic N a r r atives r om S cottish istor and Tm dition and f H y ,

1 0 His s e a o n u 9 3 . mi c ll ne us co trib tions during the past years have been Eccentric Characters in Perth and Perth ” “ " “ e e shire, Tal s of P rth, Chronicles of the Tolbooth of " ” R e r Perth , The surrectionists of Perth , The Old Tave ns " ” e e a of P rth , and The Witch s and W rlocks of Perth, all of

a e e H e which appe r d in local n wspapers. has also written a

e e to a gr at vari ty of articles various London periodic ls . B esides doing all this work he had been extensively employed in making genealogical researches in the Registers of Perth

e S n s a shir and tirli g hire . I n this last c pacity he had several times been cited as a witness before the Law Courts in E London and dinburgh . Fittis was all his life a book collector ; but he was a

lover of books as well , and his extensive collection of books

has th Dr A C e e e . , by enlight ned lib rality of ndrew arnegie ,

e e n e u b en pr se te d to the S and man P blic Library of Perth . We are no taware of Fittis having ever inv aded the realm

o e as to of p etry, but as an editor he has oft n had occ ion

s e e F ew poli h the v rs s of others . men , however, have had a

ee ne a c a k r ppre i tion of poetry, and his library contained a

a e mbe es S o s o l rg nu r of the b t editions of c tti h poetry, s ng ,

a nd a a e a B u was u b ll d lit r ture . ook h nting the sole lux ry of

h is fe a nd h e w as the a ess li , h ppy poss or of many rare and

a a k m ss v lu ble wor s now i po ible to procure. In historical ROB ER T SCOTT F ITTI S 1 89

hue works he had also a collection of standard authorities , including many of the expensive volumes of the v arious

r u e He Scottish Histo ical Cl bs and Soci ties . guarded his

few library with jealous care , and during his lifetime , even of his intimates, were permitted to explore its treasures. H e was an admirer of all that is good and true in Scottish

s literature ; a despiser of all that is mean and ba e . Whether we consider him as a historian , a novelist, or an antiquary, we have good reason to be proud of the only literary son of

Perth who made his living by literature alone . To strangers he was shy and retiring, but amongst his intimates he was u w genial and mellow, nless when he was roused to defend hat he considered to be the right ; then he spa red neither friend

H was . nor foe . e an ardent and patriotic Scotsman In

H e politics he was a keen Conservative . was no sycophant ;

He f . never rich , yet per ectly independent never could descend to specious arguments ; had he been more plausible

v e in his temperament, life might ha e been asier for himself. Even when well advanced in years he was dignified in his bearing ; to almost the end of his life his natural force was not

u ﬁ ure was much abated , and his picturesq e g and easy gait H well known on the streets of his native city. e was of

u man v . medi m height, well built, and for an old very acti e His complexion was pale and sallow ; his fea tures were good

s r fo r and expre sive ; his eyes were brown , and rema kable their brightness lighting up his whole face. In dress he us u ually wore a long s rtout coat of grey cloth , his head u He ua w being co vered by a cord roy peaked cap . us lly ore 1 90 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF PER TH

w r a hite shirt ; but, unlike the ordina y individual , towards

s a e the end of his life he di c rd d the wearing of tie or cravat .

e a H followed no f shion , but dressed to please himself, or rather he used clothes to keep him warm in winter and cool A f in summer. lthough clean shaven he was not pro essional

u r looking ; no one co ld guess his business from his appea ance .

’ outr e was There was nothing about him , and not much that R w as Fittis. odd ; he like no other, only himself, obert Scott The Ecelesiastim tA mul l s of P er th to the P er i od of the Kef ar

n 1 88 Co . matio was published in 5 by Samuel Cowan ,

E a Perth . The name of James Gemmell, dinburgh, also appe rs

- on the title page as joint publisher. The book was printed u at Perth , and is well got p , the size being octavo, and

extending to 349 pages . Following the example of Henry e C the a Adamson and Jam s ant, author has dedic ted his work M e to the Lord Provost, agistrat s, and Town Council of Perth.

De a C After the dic tion follows a Table of ontents, showing the work to be divided into two books : the ﬁ rstone treating of the general history of the subject, and the second devoted to R e s Ch giving an account of the ligious House , apels, and

s a Altars . The illu tr tions are seven in number, and call for

he u w no special remark . T y are witho t exception oodcuts, but

he st appropriate to t text and illu rative of the subject. The ’ a nd Historian s Preface is tasteful modest. The book con

e cludes w ith an Appendix and g neral Index . ’ F ittis M r. style is easy and natural , and from beginning to end the book reads well . To show how well it is written we cannot do better than reproduce the following passage

1 92 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF P E R TH

O n for he brings dow n his story to a much later date . page 1 r 1 2 5 we read S hortly before the g anting of this Charter, the t ’ western portion or transept of S . John s Church had been

a o o ff as a p rtiti ned a sep rate place of worship , and was known ” tr anse t the ttle a nd N ew . as Li Kirk , the Kirk The word p

nave here must be a mi sprint for . We will conclude this review by a quotation , in which the author will speak for himse lf in his kindli est vein but ﬁrstwe would say that there is he re far mo re to pra ise than to blame the book is well put

e e e tog ther, compr h nsive and authentic

r i r s itl tL eona r d P o y and H o p a of S . Perhaps the busiest sight in the environs of the F air City is th e northward v iew of the approach to the General S ta tio n fro m th e railway bridge leading to the New Town a nd a S net e . a e Cr igi tanding on th t levation , you behold a ’ w ork of ra ils stretching below like a monstrous spider s w eb in c o se o f o m n s ur f r ation , alongst which detached engi e , uffin a nd o n a nd p g sn rti g, rush to and fro , and trains arrive a t e a ear dep r , h r lding their movements with shrieks , fell and splitting a s tho se of de mons just emerged from the bowels o f th e e a a nd arth to pl gue upper air, whilst clouds of smoke e a s e the al n st m ob cur natur charms of the surrounding sce ery . B utw a tch a lucid mo ment : loo k up from the nether region v e o e a nd of dri rs and st kers , and guards , pointsm n , signalmen , o nd es s e a e a nd e e a m i n cript up rnumer ri s , the y meets an ph o f s e ee 11 theatre hill n ar and afar, and sw ps 0 at a gla nce to w v ue the a y bl line of the Grampians . To the right, th e i or ent e c filled K inno ull prosp t is by the broad breast of , 1 Char ter ueen Ann onsortof K n a V1 by Q , C i g J mes . ROBER T SCOTT F I TTI S variegated with green woods and embowered mansions ; M S ’ southwards , and oredun , the glory of cotland , rises in its - verdant slope, foliage crowned and shutting in the south and west are the Cloven Crags and Craigie Hills . Forty years have not elapsed since all that nether region of rails and ’ ’ - o steam was covered with bonny corn rigs and rigs barley, ’ mellowing in the sunshine, where the craik s call in the hushed gloaming was the wonder and the mystery of the fluttered wandering schoolboy , and whence laverocks up from ‘ ’ R among the dewy weet to salute the morning beam . e m emberin e g w ll the former aspects of the locality , we can well understand how it was chosen as the seat of a little o s o e sisterho d of nun , from whose cl ist r it acquired the name n by which it has ever since been disti guished . The olden religious houses were usually erected in picturesque situations, which diligent culture and care improved ; and so when a Priory of Cistercian Nuns was esta blished on the Leonard a Lands, there was a manifest adapt bility in the site for this ” pious purpose.

There is a passage for you ; it is a little prose poem .

F ittis Who will say that our is not a poet, after such a poetic quota tion ?

This aged man of letters died at Perth , where he had lived l oth 1 0 his long life, on the October 9 3 , and was buried in

hi r A Wells ll Cemete y . mongst those who attended his funeral

S ir R r were Lord Provost Love, obert Pulla , many members of

r the lea ned professions, and others his friends and admirers.

‘ v M G lashan M R e . . The J Scott, the minister of the iddle

s Parish Church , conducted religious service in the house . 1 94 THE H ISTOR I ANS OF PERTH

s o ks he In his study, surrounded by his silent friend , the b o

hewas a t h loved so well , and from whom only p r ed by deat , was placed on trestles the cofﬁn containing the mortal remains

rafﬁc f of the lately living tenant . The sun shone and the t o

al ﬁlled ea the the city went on as usu , while sorrow the h rts of

M s mn mourners . any looked on with reverence as the ole n procession passed up the High Street. O entering the

r a s and fo r a gates of the cemete y the sky bec me overca t, d s while the sun was hid by heavy clou s . A torm of wind

a co fﬁ n was and as and rain r ged while the being lowered,

e r E s to the minist r engaged in p ayer, arth to earth, and du t " hu dust, the rain poured on the assembled mourners . T s Y the mortal remains of a brave spirit were laid to rest. et

ﬁ nished s hardly had the sexton his labour, when the sun hone

new through the clouds on the made grave .

COL I N A . H UNT — 1 8 2 5 1 895

“ EDI 01? T11 11 AM ME MEN B oo x 1 8 TOR H R , 79

OWA R DS the e nd of the ﬁ rstquarter of last century there resided in Bridgend of Perth a shoemaker named E Thomas Hunt, whose ancestors were of nglish extraction .

He e was a man of consid rable mental power, a philosophic workman, whose lifelong hobby was algebra, and who spent his leisure, and possibly many of the hours which should have been devoted to his business, in the solution of abstruse

He algebraic problems . was then a young man , but he was married , and we may be sure that hope sprung eternal in the breasts of both he and his wife. To this pair were born eight sons, and to the upbringing and education of their large f r all amily, in a time of gene al poverty and distress, their

s energies were devoted . Thoma Hunt lived to a good old age and had the satisfac tion of seeing his sons com fo rtabl f y established and even airly prosperous in life. The eldest son , Colin Anderson Hunt (the subject proper of this 1 8 2 B a paper) , was born in January 5 at ridgend , in the p rish of

Kinnoull - n - s , and was a well k own , useful, and much re pected

R ev . H citizen of Perth . The second son , now the John unt , D D s n . vicar of Otford, Kent, after pas i g through the 1 “ 1 96 TH E H I STOR I ANS OF P E R TH

E S t. A and University of ndrews , joined the Church of ngland ,

has e for nearly thirty years h ld his present preferment. H e has been a pro liﬁc writer on theological and ecclesiastica l

e a istw o R el i ous subj cts , his most import nt works being a H y f ig

Thau htin u la nd istor o P antheism Contem g E g , a H y f , and t pard ey Essays in Theo ogy .

Hu e e e e Colin A . nt r c iv d an elem ntary education at a

’ R a nd e s M s o s a s r. cho l itu ted in the I la oad , aft rward at Greig s

A a e K inno ull S ree e e he s c d my in t t , wh r di tinguished himself

n n fﬁc nc r by a u co mmo n e ie y in mental a ithmetic. Although

oo a e e e d his sch l d ys w re now don , he nev r consi ered his

u o ﬁ nished a nd he ue ed cati n , contin d his training by teaching

se In ur o ed him lf. this way he acq i ed a working kn wl ge of

the e c and a n e v Fr n h L tin la guag s, which pro ed of much

H was servi ce to him in after years. e of a studious and re

r n s o s t n a r ti i g di p i io , re ding and mentally digesting every sc ap

ic a A s of literature wh h c me in his way . a young lad he was appre nticed to a ﬁ rm of d rapers in Perth named Clark 81

r s M r B d M o n th e e e s . r son S t. ort , p d ce ors of William y , John h S ee and e e . r tr t , there sp nt some years After acqui ing te e e r nce - f 1 8 fur h r xp ie in Cupar Fi e and Paisley, he in 5 2 began business o n his own account as a clothier in a shop in

e r e S r e he a G o g t eet, wh re c rried on a large and successful

e the ea e a o f trad for gr t r part of his life, with the assist nce

ree o f ro . S o e e w h th his b thers m y ars later, in conjunction it

e o ter s ﬁrm B s two oth r br h s , he establi hed the of Hunt rother ,

Du ee and s s ness o a nd , thi bu i he als c rried on until he retired . H e was a member of the Wilson Church (the mother

1 98 THE H I STORI ANS OF P ER TH annual summer ex cursion to S cotland he died suddenly at

a 1 8 Wellshill C L rgo in July 95 , and was buried at emetery ,

e H e was P rth , beside his wife, who had predeceased him .

e s surviv d by two son , both distinguished members of the

a E . medic l profession in ngland , and one daughter ’ An e -in- incid nt in the life of Colin A . Hunt s father law casts a light on the bygone powers of the trade guilds. I n the minutes of the Hammermen Incorporation for the 6 th

S e e e 1 80 8 D and Bo x maste r pt mb r , it is recorded that the eacon w e s M er appointed to pro ecute John iddlemas , a stranger,

o u 2 th b for encr aching on their privileges. O the 9 Septem er “ D r r M the eacon p oduced a letter f om John iddlemas, cart ” w a e and plo m k r, acknowledging his error in encroaching on ’

e e e . the trad s privil g s , and applying to be entered a freeman H e was requested to make an essay to show his skill and w n oo a . e e orkm ship This sp cim n of his skill was an iron h p, “ ” e with which the ssay masters were well pleased , and he was accordingly admitted a freeman of the craft on payment ' u 2 e e . of A 5 st rling of fr edom money , and the usual small d es

I his A n s r . the hi to y of own family , Colin Hunt could have found several instances of th e powers of the Incorporations ;

e B w o ut inde d the fact that he was born in ridgend , hich was th e . with burgh , was one of them

ﬁrst r th e Thomas Hunt, the of the family in this pa t of

o the tof c untry , was sixth son and ninth child of John Hun

B ra eswo rth S ffo 1 . y , u lk, and was born there in April 734 That his culture a nd education were above the average of his M w ic e S S . time, is evid nt from the and commonplace books h h C I A U 1 99 OL N . H NT

n are now in the possessio of his direct representative , Thomas

D . M . 1 stR Hunt, After serving some time in the 3 egiment of

m Mac Lauchlan Foot, and having married a daughter of Ja es , D hatmaker in unfermline, he left the service, acquired the

s f -in- trade of hatmaking (pre umably from his ather law), and

He settled for a time in Cupar. maintained that having ’ M r served his ajesty he was a King s Freeman , with the ight

s in u n to settle in busine s any burgh, witho t the conse t of any

s . trade guild The Cupar hatmakers were, however, too

o n. H e a strong for him , and he had to move then c me to

a Perth, where he seems to have been allowed to settle pe ce

r fully, and where he ca ried on his hatmaking business till his

1 8 2 death in 0 .

was E C His eldest son , James , born in dinburgh astle in

1 6 2 f oe April 7 . His ather apprenticed him to the sh making B trade, and his indentures were registered in the Guildry ook

1 6 H n sh . ﬁ i ed his of Perth in July 77 e apprenticeship , but m C never beca e a Freeman of the raft, nor followed the H a . e occup tion became a candlemaker instead, in associa

- - ia a . tion with his brother law, Osw ld Lawson It may be that ’ h e F also claimed to be a King s reeman , having been born in

. Atan rate ﬁnd in 1 was the service y , we that 794 he a member of the committee of the Society of King ’s Freemen t ” of Per h , an association founded by his father and some o h old in 1 88 t er service men 7 , for the protection of their

. am s in 1 a o mutual interests J e Hunt died 795 , ged nly

t- w and am thir y three years, leaving a wido young f ily but

scantily provided for. 200 TH E H I STOR I ANS OF P ER TH

e in His eld st son , Thomas Hunt, was born at Perth

1 8 was oe June 7 9, and apprenticed by his uncle to sh making.

as his father had been , his indentures being registered in the

B M 1 8 H e Guildry ook in arch 0 3 . duly served his

s e a man apprentice hip, but , like his fath r, he never bec me a Free

s of the Craft, and so he could not enter on busine s within the

Th . burgh . e reason in his case was probably want of funds

H e e e B fa settl d , th refore , at ridgend , and there his mily of eight

e sons were born and r ared .

The P er th H ammer men B ooh 1 1 8 1 68 a n , from 5 to 5 , with 88 s A . 1 . introductory ketch by Colin Hunt, was published in 9 This interesting record of an ancient trade incorporation was

r a e H approp i t ly printed and published at Perth by James .

s M Jackson , the succes or of the orisons, a member of the

r Ham -D C . o m aft of mermen, and an ex eacon It is a hands e

e and reﬂects e all volum in large quarto , the gr atest credit on

er conc ned in its production . There are seven other trade incorporations in Perth besides the Guildry Incorporation or

M s s erchant Guild , but only in thi in tance has any consider

e o rt s s abl p ion of their record been publi hed . There is with out doubt equally interesting matter hid away in the old

s o minute and accounts of the other inc rporations, which only

a s c no te o aw it u h a h r accomplished , careful , and judicious edit r

as A H n h . as Colin u t . The Hammermen Incorporation

ee o u b n f rt nate in its editor, for such a man is not to be found

r a r eve y d y . F e w w iters have the requisite ability for this

t o se h sor of work, and th who have are often so occupied wit e w ft oth r and more lucrative ork , that they have no time le

202 THE H ISTORI ANS OF PERTH

B 1 6 8 1 86 1 6 ailie in 5 , Provost in 4, a Knight in 74, and a B 1 68 aronet in 8 . The honours from the crown were received for services rendered in the interests of despotism . The e sacrifices for burg sses, who in previous years had made religion and liberty, must have felt bitterly their condition under a Government that rejected the principles for which and they had striven ; , besides, they had to endure the spirit of tyranny that animated the municipal rulers . “ ’ Th reipla nd s rule as provost was imperious and in uisito rial 1 666 q , little else than a reign of terror. I n , at a Threi land meeting of the Town Council , p complained that he had been subjected to the scolding tongue of Euphan and Fleming, who had disapproved of his doings, had let him he r Eu han know mind about him . The Council ordered p , ’ fo r ff her o ence, to be imprisoned during the Provost s ’ e fi E ha ne 00 . u ns pleasur , and to pay a of 5 merks p honest indignation at the local tyrant cost herself and her husband S h . e D dear was no gangrel woman , but the wife of a ean h e of Guild ; and , as he well might, was wroth at the e fficers t s ntence passed upon his wife. When the o went o take her to prison he deforced them from his house, and drew r f f a swo d in her defence . The de ence of his wi e only ’ eas D a s fine incr ed the e n s trouble , for an additional was ” 1 e impos d on him, and both he and his wife were imprisoned . 1 tr m n n uctr s t am er e k xx . o o e c to H m B oo . v I d y k h , p l iii

204 TH E H ISTOR I ANS OF P ER TH

w Andrews, here he laboured for a short time, when he was presented by the Town Council of Perth to the West

th M 1 8 . Kirk Parish , and was ordained on the 5 of arch 5 7 Atonce he took a high place amongst his brother ministers

ff . of the city, and won the a ection of his congregation His

e work in Perth was remarkably succ ssful, and he was one of “ r he the best beloved of he cle rgy . Throughout all his life ” H e was was a scholar, a ripe and good one . one of the — kindest and most gentle of men one who faithfully served his M a e ew . Great st r, and in serving Him gr like Him I ntellect

uall y and morally he was a man of great strength . In per sonal appearance he was moderately tall and well proportioned

e e his t car ful in his dr ss , as became posi ion grave and com

his a posed in m nner ; his sense of humour was keen , and a kindly smile w as ever ready to mantle his grave features upon

s H ! occa ion . appy the church that has such a one for her pastor fortunate the city that has such pastors among her clergy ! While maintaini ng his own views he was able to li v e at

e n w p ace with all denomi ations, and to ork together with them

for tha t which was for the good of the whole community .

The x e good e ampl he left in his life , and the gentle kindness

s e t w a e c he how d to all wi h hom he c m in ontact , surely made

t s H e was for righ eou ness in Perth . a conscientious minister

th e e ﬁrst e . of Gosp l , his care b ing always for his work The historical works which bear his name were the labours of his

s l ei ure . What he has done in the elucidation of the local

e h has ee history of P rt b n so well performed , that it is a

matter of great regret he was not spared to do more. V B E M L E R E . RO RT I N 205

1 88 2 R M In , obert ilne received the honorary degree of

D o D atma mater S t oct r of ivinity from his , the University of . At Andrews . this time , also, the members of his congregation presented him with gifts expressive of the delight they felt in

e the honour he had received , and the elders pr sented him with an illuminated address on the completion of the twenty ﬁ fth year of his ministry.

1 1 Dr M 8 . In 9 , ilne published , at the request of the

The R ental B oohs o K i n ames V1 31 H os ital trustees, f g j p ,

P er th r , with a short histo y of the institution , and Notes,

In 1 8 e Th which was well received . 93 app ared e B lathf r iar s

o P er th The Cha r tula r and P a er s o thei r H ouse f , y p f , with

m a niﬁc nt o . e an Intr duction This book is a g volume , extend

ing to 334 pages large quarto. The charters are carefully

t r transcribed, and li hographs of many of the w itings are

and given . These books are very valuable, especially so

fo r students of local and general history .

Dr M . ilne had made considerable progress with a similar

fo r ﬁni volume the Carthusians of Perth , but before he could sh H it he received that summons which we must all obey . e

e 2 nd M a 1 8 di d on the of y 95 , lamented by the whole com

a munity of Perth . His mortal p rt lies buried in the beautiful

cemete ry of Kirriemuir. There by his side rests Jane

R s fe w am ay, his loving wife , who survived him but a years.

1111 0111111 11 m s BELO ED S EEP V L .

The concluding paragraph of the introduction to The B lath

Dr M r ia r s . f , which we reproduce, shows ilne at his best 206 THE H ISTORI ANS OF PERTH

-m simple, yet rich and clear in style, broad inded and charit able in judgment

Atthe Reformation we see the friars neither at their Ou h best nor at their worst. the one and they had departed e from their early simplicity, on the other they had b en making r some attempt to return and do the fi stworks . All the while e diffi cult -e they mind d found it to avoid arthly things. e a Th ir documents and papers, indeed , both e rlier and later, refer c hic fly to matters of a somewhat mean and sordid char — r acter transactions in prope ty , or strivings with debtors and But deceitful spoilers . let it be allowed that they had also regard of what was more excellent . Three hundred years f hence , would it be quite air to estimate the work and aims of

s a Prote tant ecclesi stics by mere Presbytery records, or the w t t like, hich of en con ain but too copious details of the keen ness w ith which little passing and personal questions were f agitated , of processes threatened or instituted with re erence al ? are f i to to glebes , manses , or garden w ls Nay, we a n believe that the better part of our history is that which

a nc rem ins, and shall remain , u hronicled and unrelated, written th e be neﬁcial f s only in impression which, in spite of our de ect , we tru st God may grant us to make on the hearts and lives of us those around . With like judgment let those who have gone —it before bejudged . Let it be held is the more Christian creed — s that the good, rather than the evil, men do live after them us t t and , so believing, let have a kindly hought to hink of ’ -‘ these preachers of a former age, not deeming them sinners l f above all others because of what eventua ly be ell them, but d owning that our life to ay is, on the whole, richer and better

the n for work they wrought and the things they mi istered.

T EV. G EO . T. s. F A U A HE R RQ H R, HISTORIAN

F A R R . HA H R EV G E T . S U E . O . Q , better known

Tlze E isco al !stor as Canon Farquhar, the writer of p p H y

R v . W T o P t e . M A . er lz . f , is the son of the late aylor, , some E ’ time incumbe nt of the piscopal Church of St. John s in

ro Forfar, who on his marriage with Miss Farquhar, the p

rietrix Pitscandl f p of the estate of y, For arshire , assumed her T bo rn i name. here were six children of this marr age, of whom the subject of this sketch is the third . Y oung George Farquhar received the rudiments of his education at a E 1 868 preparatory school in dinburgh . I n he was entered a

T G lenalmond institu scholar at rinity College, , that famous tion which has done so much fo r the Episcopal ians of

a rom e e Scotl nd. F his earliest y ars he had b en a diligent

e r student, and it go s without saying that he studied ha d at

G lenalmond 1 8 s r , for in 75 , the la t year of his esidence there ,

ff old me l fo r he carried o the Buccleuch g da Classics . O u

a lmond O x ford r leaving the b nks of the A he went to , whe e

K . In 1 8 f a he matriculated at eble College 77, a ter t king the

fo r the his e fo r s and e - a prize year in colleg Cla sics, a s cond cl ss

l Ho nour od ra his eal ro in Classica M e tions, h th quite b ke down , and he was obliged notonly to give up the honour course in

Un rel u for a tme f v ur e s u es the iversity, but to inq ish i his a o it t di . 208 THE HISTORIANS OF PERTH

By the year 1 88 2 he had so far recovered as to be able to take ’

O n S t. B A M . A . . both his . . and degrees Barnabas Day ( 1 1 th June) of the same year he was ordained a deacon of the

E isw al u S t p p Ch rch by the late Bishop Wordsworth of . ’ and Andrews, licensed as curate to his father s old church in

R v L R . V. . M At e . A . an Forfar. this time the orison , (also d b S t lm o n o . D D G lena . . old y) , now Dean of Andrews and of

U . Aberdeen niversity , was Incumbent of this church

M r For a year and a half . Farquhar held this position ,

Curac S t when he accepted the y of the church of . Mary

Magdalene of Dundee , where he got some insight in work amongst the poorer classes in a large city . While in Dundee he was ordained Priest by Dr. Jermyn , the Bishop of Brechin , ’ 1 88 2 Th tT . e S . on homas Day following year, at the joint

S t. V R ev invitation of the Bishop of Andrews and the ery . S t Provost Burton , he came to Perth as chaplain in . ’ r I Ninian s Cathedral and Supernumera y of the Diocese. n

1 88 5 the genial Provost Burton died, and was succeeded by V R V L . Rev . h . a the ery orison , with whom our author d

ﬁ rst . At a served in his curacy this time also, on the resign

M A . R ev . tion of the . Canon Mackey , , he was appointed

1 8 Precentor of the Cathedral . In 95 he was appointed

Diocesan Inspector of Schools by the bishop, Dr. Wilkinson .

T o fﬁc e ﬁv e his he held for years, when he resigned it on

S nod the A being elected Clerk by the y of Diocese . tthe

s o ﬂi ces n n pre ent time , besides holding the me tioned , Cano

a Farquhar is a member of the Laity Commission , which is t ’ present at work ; a member of the Church s Board o f

21 0 THE HISTORIANS OF P ER TH

Tbe H istor o one oppression does not justify another. y f

' Episcopacy zn P er i l: is well told ; the style is reverent and

di niﬁ d The g e throughout. triumphant emergence of a

as persecuted Church from oppression to power, told by

Canon Farquhar, reads like a fairy tale . E Writing of the imprisonment of the piscopalian Jacobites ,

1 u on page 74 , Canon Farquhar professes to q ote from Penny ; but the quotation is not quite the same as given in Tﬁe

' ° Tr dztzons o P r Th a f e t/z. e jail described by Penny was not ’ It S t . close to . John s Church was, in fact, the building ’ H known as S t. Mary s Chapel at the foot of igh Street . The present Municipal Buildings are built on part of the site V XX . of the old chapel . In Chapter , under the title

H o w of the land lay desolate , he writes

“ After Primus Skinner had gathered together the fragments of the Church that remained after the Repeal o f th e a afﬂic ted Penal L ws, these remnants were found to be

with extreme poverty and lack of corporate organisation . Each congregation aimed at simply struggling along fo r f T th h h . e h ad itsel hey hailed permission to exist, w ich t ey

now gained , as a great gift, and an aggressive mission policy t s did not come within the range of their practical poli ic . And it is a curious fact that not the Scottish Church alone was e The c invad d at this epoch by this passive spirit. Chur h E it th of ngland , too, shared in , and had to be roused by e O xford movement of 1 8 33 ; the Scottish Establishment shared in it until it was roused by the Secession of the F re e K 1 8 it to irk in 43 and the State itself shared in , and had b e 1 8 2 roused by the Reform Bill of 3 .

TH E HISTORIANS OF PERTH

The young apprentice looked with admiration at the

energy displayed by the editor, who was a man of great him force of character, and who soon gathered around

s am be the be t local writers of the day, ongst whom may

— H S h riH- . e mentioned Dr ugh Barclay, the respected Sub

stitute u o f of the county for more than half a cent ry , one

r the best of the citizens of Perth , foremost in eve y good

wito f work , a humorous lecturer, a learned judge, and the

a many a dinner t ble ; Charles Wordsworth , the cultured

R v . R t S t. e . e he Bishop of Andrews ; the Dr ob rt Milne ,

ri kindly, grave historian and minister of the West Pa sh

R v i e . Church ; the Dr. john Anderson , the able min ster

K inno ull of the Parish of , a naturalist and a genial disciple

P R se of the gentle Isaac Walton ; . . Drummond , the book ller,

a man of many parts , his mind replete with a knowledge

e of the contents of his own books, and stored with stori s

F tis R . it S . ose of Perthshire men of the last century ; , wh

T H a n . . d books were his friends ; Marshall , humorist ’ a r R u histori n ; Dr . Lauder Lindsay, of Mur ay s oyal Asyl m ,

s To m E scienti t ; Morris , of dinburgh , writer on antiquarian

R v T H wlis e . o th e subjects ; the homas ardy, of F Wester, genial writer of short Scottish stories ; James Bruce (o f

85 Condie the literary critic, and many others.

M r f M r . Baxter looked also to the hand of his oreman , .

of h w r f h uide was one un er the u t r o te o k o te G d d s perin endence of M . J hn R obertson then foreman in the Constitutional Oﬂice afterwards oint ro , , j p rieto r butno w retired to the uietof Wester Tarsa ie in iew of th p , q pp , v e T i thi earn beautifu a e of the a where he en o s a e sured restwor ed. l v ll y y, j y l ly PETER B AX TER 21 3

R af John obertson , little thinking that in ter years he should H occupy the same responsible position . ere, to a thoughtful

lad such as the subject of our sketch, a new life appeared ,

r as he saw newspapers from all parts of the world, the ve y names of which he had never before heard of while the antiquarian and biographical articles appearing in the columns

Constitutiona l e of the were a revelation and a d light to him . He was often sent out to loca l contributors with the proofs

of their articles, and the receiving of verbal instructions regarding corrections and other matters tended to foster

a r his rapidly developing t ste towards antiquarian lite ature .

T la R F tis . i t hirty years ago the te S . did not have such a large library as that which now forms the F ittis collection

r in the Sandeman Public Libra y, but young Baxter was amazed to see the number of books which F ittis had even

then amassed around him in his study in Canal Street, where

r T u was he then esided . h s commenced an acquaintance with

ittis F which ended only at the grave of the old man of letters.

r ax f Although M . B ter has been all his li e a lover of books he has never fallen into the extreme of being a book H a worm . e has t ken an active part and interest in all

s hi outdoor sports and pa times, and t s early love has led him to become the historian of local sport. Although actively engaged in the regular work of producing a news

e has pap r, and in general printing work, he found time to study for and write several small but comprehensive books

a r dealing with sport in Perthshire . This branch of loc l histo y h h n e as made peculiarly his ow . 21 4 TH E HISTOR IANS OF PERTH

' I n 1 898 appeared F ootball in P er tﬁs/zzre (Perth : Thomas T f Hunter) . his work was ollowed in the subsequent year by

' G oéf in P er l ]: and P er t/zs/zzr e (Perth : Thomas Hunter) ;

1 0 1 Tlze Tm and in 9 , the last of this trio was published, f

: T H The e of P er l ]: (Perth homas unter) . contents of th se

' three books ﬁ rstappeared in the columns of the P er t/zsﬁ zre

Constitutional r ub as special articles , and were afterwa ds p

M r l h . e is ed in book form . Baxter is a fr quent contributor

Constituti onal to the columns of the , but he has not thought it worth while to collect or publish in book form any portion o f the miscellaneous articles from his pen which have appeared

- . M r in that well known newspaper I n his two later books .

a — B xter has adopted a most original form of page , the text

a being small type , and the marginal titles produced in - V medium sized enetian . Possibly to no one but a practica l printer would the thought of such a unique arrangement i have occurred, and many of the press notices commend th s

The - b . u idea compositor author not only wrote the works, t did everything necessary for their production until ready

e for the press, and in this he had an advantage over oth r writers .

a M r. B xter has the method of a good historian : before

n to o n begi ning write he gets up his subject, and this to e it n who loves , is not only a real pleasure but an educatio . The number of works he has consulted would surprise any o ne

t His but a pains aking author. style is clear and forcibl e ; t his ma ter is comprehensive , but never verbose ; while his f u w o . H e an acts may al ays be relied is still a young man, d

21 6 TH E HISTORIANS OF PERTH

e the r the oldest members of the club, gav new g een a push off well in keeping with the earlier proceedings . The membership of the club since the opening of the course has the ﬁ ure e gone up by leaps and bounds, present g b ing slightly over four hundred. Ladies are eligible for member

. The ship , and play over the full course surroundings are of the most delightful description , with Perth to the west and nno ull H f At Ki ill a nice protection rom east winds. the southern extremity of the course the fresh breezes from the Ta u Firth of y are wafted across the gro nd , giving an influenc A s invigorating e to the participation of the game . G o u h was remarked by gf when the co rse was opened, Pert u r is widely known for the beauty of its surro nding scene y, and a visitor to the island will be charmed with its m agnifi ’ ur - s cence . Bunkers, t f dykes, mounds, tree , the river on both sides, and rough ground have all been laid under contribution ul ” to form interesting and diffic thazards.

21 8 TH E HISTORIANS OF P ER TH

' I n 1 8 76 he joined the staff of the P er t/ts/zzr e A dvertiser as descriptive writer and reporter, but long before this time Th he had been contributing to the press . e following year he was chosen to ﬁll the editorial chair of the old Radical

M r K t . Per hshire newspaper in succession to Alfred innear, who had removed to London .

1 8 T In 79 he entered the own Council of Perth , where he remained for fourteen years . During part of this time he ’ ﬁlled o fﬁce T T sat the of own s reasurer, and afterwards he

1 8 2 was R as a Magistrate . In 9 he appointed egistrar of

fo r Births , Marriages , and Deaths the City of Perth , in succession to the late james Dewar, a gentleman of the old school , who at the time of his death was proprietor of the

' P er t/zs/zzr e our ier O n n R C . bei g appointed egistrar he E resigned his position as ditor.

Besides attending to his o fﬁcial duties M r. Bridges is a

m an H very busy public . e was a member of the Perth

School Board , and for nine years he was Convener of the

' Finance Committee ; he is a Director o f Sharp s Educa tio nal I nstitution M ember of the District Committee of the Perth County Council ; Convener of the Law and Finance Committee of the Perth Parish Council ; a Manager of the County and City of Perth Savings Bank ; and a Director of d n H the Perth Model Lo gi g ouse .

As a Lecturer he is much in request, and is ever ready to

- place his time and talents at the disposal of his fellow citizens . Much of his writing has been contributed anonymously to the

He pages of the local newspapers . is a versatile and well J AMES B RID G ES 21 9

f r He h in ormed writer on subjects of local histo y. as collected

r material for a histo y of his native city , and he has for some time been occupied with a work of great importance , namely , Ecclesiastical Scotland from the Revolution to the Present T ” ime, dealing with the Church life of all sects and denomina it tions , which is to be hoped may soon see the light. I n 1 90 3 he wrote the local guide for the Photographic Convention of the United K ingdom when the Annual

Meetings were held at Perth , under the Presidency of Sir

R T —a obert Pullar. his guide is short , but comprehensive

a rm veritable multzm z in p . Being got up in great haste ’ there are several printer s errors , one of which was the joke H of the convention . aving occasion to mention William the

us Lion , the printer has given William the Lear, which the

L i r members of the convention would have to be William the a . ’ Another small work of Bailie Bridges was printed in 1 90 3

an H istori cal for private circulation , entitled

S ketc/z Thi T s . s little work , which is well printed by homa

H local histo rian unter, Perth , is a gem , and in it we see our at his best .

M r r . Bridges was intimate with the late Bishop Wo dsworth E of the piscopal Church , and he possesses many historic and

H e H istor valuable letters received from him . also wrote the y ’ o Glenalmona Calle e fo r . f g , which was printed private circulation Considering the numerous interests which take up the

M r s can ﬁnd attention of . Bridge , it seems surprising how he time to attend to them all ; but his secret is industry and t R me hod . In his younger days he was a keen adical, but he 220 THE HISTOR IANS OF P ER TH

is now under the impression that he has found political salva H tion in the fold of the Liberal Unionists . e is of medium

e height, and proportionally stout ; his hair and beard , onc

no w . h be black, is turning grey I n movement e is inclined to H ﬂ . e a slow, but mentally he is ever active is a uent, e sy

and . speaker ; homely, yet forcible in manner language I n

e s. writing he is more polish d , but equally clear and vigorou

e m In private life he is a most agreeable companion , fre fro

fuss, and brimming over with funny stories .

' Selection from H untzngtower

The river Almond is not one of the large rivers of

Scotland, but it is one of the most romantic in its scenery

that any lover of nature could wish to explore . From its no t K t source , far from illin , ill it mingles its waters with the Ta i lordly y above the Woody Island , it traverses a distr ct t not only rich in beau y , but associated with some of the most T stirring events in Scottish history. here are not many who have traversed its banks above Newton Bridge—the point where it crosses the road as the holiday-maker goes to ﬂ Amulree , and ows down that romantic strath or gorge which ’ — we call the Sma Glen but even on that stretch one can da spend a summer y in a solitude that may be felt, and hold o communi n with the hills and his own spirit, that will send him back to the world refreshed and strengthened as only H s nature can do. ave we ever thought how beautiful thi world is—what a gracious provision has been made for our ‘ a ? The sol ce here In the middle of his poem , Golden ’ fe tl a Legend , Long llow makes his hero exclaim , I a y, It ly ’

. H w a land of the Madonna o be utiful it is .

N B A NAN W W F C S U CH . RA I HITE,

M . D . , F . E . S .

H IS writer was more of a scientist than a man of letters

he has a , however, in his all too brief day, wielded f Tize F l r a o r acile pen . o f published afte his T ﬁ W H . . . t a death , and edited by Dr James rail , is a memori l

the of life and work of this eminent son of Perth . The father of our author was an able and respe cted

n for u physicia , who practised his profession in Perth abo t half

N o . 2 fo r a century , residing in the same house, Atholl Place ,

n he o t . T ra almost if the whole period name of Dr. F ncis J . White will long be remembered in Perth ; he was a citizen

s of the be t sort, doing his duty without fuss . Any day he

co ns i might have been seen on the streets , or taking his ttu tional Ta walk on the North Inch by the side of the river y . The fashion of his dress little changed he wore at all times a

- - long skirted frock coat buttoned up to the neck, and a silk ha t of a make peculiar to himself.

The son of this gentle physician , Francis Buchanan White

was 20 th o f 1 8 2 White , born at Perth on the March 4 , where

His he received his early education . studies were further E U w prosecuted at dinburgh , of which niversity he as a

224 TH E HISTORIANS OF P ER TH

all thoroughgoing evolutionist, he yet knew that, after , evolution is but creation under a new name .

rd 8 1 . Dr. Buchanan White died on the 3 of December 94 f t We have referred to the appearance of the a her ,

was but that of the son even more striking, for amongst a po pulation of trouser-wearing men he constantly wore a kilt t and jacket of drab weed , and in keeping with this costume a blue highland bonnet. Possibly he found this dress the most

ta n sui ble for his long walks , climbings, and journeyi gs throughout all parts of Perthshire.

H e di niﬁed was a handsome specimen of a man , g yet pe rfectly unassuming in his manner. We daresay it never

a occurred to himself, and cert inly it never occurred to those t ff d wi h whom he came in contact , that he was di erently dresse l t from the ordinary morta . Al hough a native of a lowland

o s town , the d ctor became his dress like a son of the hill .

H e f us his has le t a noble example of energy and zeal , and writings and researches will always be best appreciated

u e by those who , by similar studies and purs its , are most abl

a to estim te their uncommon merit . I N D E X

a o ohn . B lli l, J , 4

B 1 . amblair, 5 2 berdeen Un ersit 20 A iv y, 3. anno urn 6. B ckb ,

ca em of erth 66 . A d y P , ar a Dr. u 2 1 2. B cl y, H gh, am eor e teac er 2 1 7 . Ad , G g , h , J M 34 amson Henr ‘ 1 8 Ad , y, a » 591 te at of r e of Perth . B l B idg , 57 1 65. 84. 36. 1 4s of D lin . upp , 7 ames J , 39 of th In 1 1 e c . h, ohn Princi a of E in ur J , p l d b gh of T ibbermuir, 2 1 . ni rs 0 8 U ve ity. 4 1 45 . 4 . 64 - a ter Peter 2 1 1 2 1 6. B x , , Patr rc s o 1 ick, A hbi h p, 4 , 64. - l iam 2 1 1 . Wil ,

man R ev. e iah 1 . Aik , J did , 7 a ne ohn 1 8 . B y , J , 4 t son e an er . Ai chi , Al x d , 95 eaton ar na 1 . B , C di l, 4 e an er eat of . Al x d d h , 4 eaut of th e s tuaton of ert 6. B y i i P h, 3 mon er Al d Riv , 53. e i nn n s of ssent2 . B g i g di , 5

n erson am . . 2 too 1 6 . A d , Ad , LL D , 3 , , 9 elfor iam Pert rintin Co. B d, Will , h P g , ater n 1 . h i e, 2 3 C 1 40. or Ge ge, 48 e l s of St. ohnstoun 1 80. B l J , e r H n v, 39 a R ev . a 6 . Bl ck, D vid, 9

ar are . M g t, 39 R ev . ar 1 . Rich d, 7

R ev. o n D. D . 2 1 2 . ’ J h , , te 2 a fr ars onas r . Bl ck i M y, , 54

i l am . W l i , 34 l s ue e o e 1 . Bl b l Cl , 79 nna s and rc i es of Pert 1 06. A l A h v h, oece ector 6 . B , H , 53, 4 nti ut of 1 . qy Pert, ’ A i h B ook l ertk 1 0 1 1 8 1 of , 7, , 3 1 .

rt er arrac s o r e ouse 8 . ” A ill y B k , G w i H , 3 ootof Boosie . B , 54 Assassination of James 1 4. re in 1 . B ch , 57

re ster Sir a 1 00. B w , D vid, - r es ames 2 1 22 1 . B idg , J , 7 B .

of ert 1 . P h, 3 , 35

Baird Sir a i 1 o. ruce ames 2 1 2 . , D v d, 5 B , J ,

allio ward . Kin Robertthe B l, Ed , 7 g , l 5 226 INDEX

C n ti ” u an ar of 100. o re a on Th e 1 . B ch , E l , g g , , 7

u anan ater ne 2 6 . Con re atona urc i treet B ch , C h i , 4 , 4 g g i l Ch h, M ll S ,

D . f on rose . 1 6 1 . , o M t , 95

am . Co » Sir o n 8 . Willi , 43 x , J h , 3

ustDr. eor e 1 . orn Law mee tin s . B i , G g , 37 C g , 33 u a . o r n us 1 uter amue 8 6 1 2 . B l , S l, 5 C p A g , 7 , 7 t Th o enan ers e 2 1 . C v , ,

Cra ie a 1 8 . g , D vid, 3

Crawfor T oma 2 . d, h s, 5 Cri cketClub P erth Hi sto o 1 , , ry f , 60.

u 2 1 . r am s ro am e e e ost1 1 . C pb ll, H gh, 5 C i , J , P v , 74, 75

. W. 2 1 . rom l a r P e t e t 2 2 . , 5 C w l P h, — u s an n Cant ames 0 6 6 82 8 r o . , J , 5 , 5 , 59 7, , 9, 94, C ick h k, J h , 45 ul o en t ate of 1 . 1 0. 9 C l d , B l , 3

. um er an u am 60 e of 1 8 . Willi , C b l d, D k , 3 , 3

' ” utt oo arme te onaster . t . C li M y, 3 C y S l , 44 Cu ar Hat arne e Dr. n re 1 88 . a ers 1 . C gi , A d w, p M k , 99

artus an onaster . C h i M y, 54

astl e Ca e 2 2 . C bl , , 9

rt 2 . of Pe h,

a mers Dr. T omas 1 2 . Ch l , h , 5 ’ a e of Our a or St. ar s avid 1 . 1 . Ch p l L dy, M y , 3, D ,

62 . 7. 2 i ar es 1 . e ea e 2 . av son n re 1 8. Ch l b h d d, D d , A d w, 3

t ert 2 . ames 1 82 1 ar tuarta P 8 1 8 . Edw d S h , 9 J , , 4, 5

in P rt 2 2 . o n N . . 11 . es e P 66. resid h, J h , ,

arter rante ames 20 . eat of ames 1 . at ert 1 . Ch g d by J D h J P h, 4

the on 2 . of s W . rante am ame . 20 g d by Willi Li , J ,

arter ouse . of o n ar of o rie 1 . Ch h , 54 J h , E l G w , 9 arter s o n of nfauns a o nte of th e ar of rom e l atPert Ch i , J h , Ki pp i d E l C w l h,

o 1 6 . 8 , Prov st,

h ri sti an S on s . emo iton of th e onasteries 1 6 C g , 59 D l i M , , 1 06 .

n ester ar of . e otTh e 1 62 . Cire c , Rich d , 5 5 D p , , ’ o t at e S im B ri ta ia ta e rom e s r ert D nn . Ci d l (C w ll F P h) , , 95 ames 2 2 62 . e ar or ro ost 1 2 . , D w , J (L d P v ) , 5

. es st 1 t a am e rar 8 2 1 6. Ci y H ll, 33, 34, 37 J (R gi ) , 5 ,

1 8 1 8 1 . o n A . or st ar a ro o 2 1 . Cl k, D vid, 3 , J h , (L d P v ), 5

r res ter 6 . R ev. Dr. as o er of e t 1 66. Cl k P h P by y, 4 Dick, , Gl g w, ” 6. u ton Th oa an 1 2 sr e . C l S dy, Di p i , , 34

oates enr 2 2 . o tr nes of th e Reformaton 1 C , H y, 3 D c i i , 4.

r u tors . om n n o ranes e t s a onaster 2 . C ch , P h c lp , 34 D i ic M y,

andie ames 1 80 . rama at ert . C , J , D P h, 33

228 INDEX

a es or 6 1 00. il , d, 5 , il ecran e attl e of 2 . H L K li ki , B , 3 ’ 1 2 . Halkerstons To er, 4 w King George 6 1 .

a e a e Ro ert2 1 . ll y, ili b , 5 tion of 1 . H B James assassina , 4, 5 4

k 1 1 8 . H a mmerm en B oo , 97, 9 James 1 4.

ar R ev . T omas 2 1 2 . dy, h , W os ta of 1 1 8 6 . ames . H J , H pi l , 3, , 3

Ha eor e 1 8 . ’ y, G g , 4 ames o e e n ur 8 . J C ll g , Edi b gh, 4

r of th e n 1 1 . en y y d, H W Kinnoull ar of . , E l , 49

8 . ess an troops, H i 3 r oo at ma er ert 6 1 . Ki kw d, w ch k , P h,

stor al etc of erth 1 . Hi ic Sk h P , Knox o n 1 6 oo of Common , J h , ; B k ’ istor o P er th ars a s 1 2 . H y f , M h ll , 7 r . Orde , 43

H a i s I nstructor 1 82 . gg , ’ om er s ane 1 22 . H L , - unter T omas 1 1 2 1 . H , h , 73 77, 9 - unt o n A . 1 202 . H , C li , 95

R v . D . D . 1 . e John, , 95

Th o 1 1 200 . mas, 95, 98 , Latin inscription on a stone in East 2 1 9. ur ert 2 . Ch ch, P h, 9

utton eor e C. now rin a , G g , P cip l - H a son ohn ar er .A. 6 1 1 1 2 1 L w , J P k , M , 3 , 7 ,

uto D . D . 1 8 . tn, , 3 H 1 3 1 . Os a cand e ma er Perth w ld, l k , , 1 99 .

h . Lednoc , 5 3

e end : o P eru 1 8 . L g f , 3

erton 1 2 . Lib , 4 , 4 In es Th e N ort and out 1 0 . ch , h S h, n enn 1 1 2 . Li d, J y, 35 , 5 In or oratons of ert 200. c p i P h, n sa a i 8 . Li d y, D v d, 9 In ustr es of ert . d i P h, 35 D r. au er 2 1 2 . L d , Ir n ard 1 2 . vi g, Edw , 5 ra e 6 8 . G c , 7 , 9 enr ' 0 H y. 9

nn of am s e . Li C p i , 5 5 J . terary and ntiquarian o iet 7 2 Li A S c y, ,

a son ames H . 200 . 1 00 l 0 J ck , J , 93, 99. . 5

a o t R e l on of 1 1 . Kirk e e 2 tte 0 . J c bi b l i 7 5, 4, 79 Li l , 7

R e on of 1 28. n on . e st e Dr. a i 1 b lli 745 , Livi g , D v d, 73

s ss s tion of 1 . o T omas o ame a as na e r ro ost1 . J i , 4 L v , h , L d P v , 93 ’ ’ 1 . of otan and th e artusian o s or o e s ar . Sc l d C h L w L w W k, 54

onaster 1 2 . uncart M y, L y. ss

VI I I . ro a m e at ert 2 . a am es atson 1 2 2 1 . p cl i d P h, 9 Ly ll, J W , 74,

am eson exan er 2 1 . Ro ert1 . J i , Al d , 5 b , 73

ervie R ev . o n 1 . L nedoch or Sir T omas J , J h , 7 y , d ( h G raham L ) ,

o nston eor e r ntr 0 8 8 . 1 . J h , G g , p i e , 5 , 3, 7 53 INDEX 229

iln Wi am 20 . M e, lli , 3

N tes 0 10 1 . into o n . . o M , J h , M A , ( ) 9 ,

a ona awren e scul tor 1 1 . ssionar o etof ert 1 . M cd ld, L c , p , 5 Mi y S ci y P h, 7

a far ane o r t e t 6. e tso citor 1 8 1 . za e M c l , R b , li , Mi ch ll, Eli b h, 7

a k enz e Al e an er TownC er 1 8 1 . ar aret 6 8 . M c i , x d , l k, M g , 7 , 9 La Mac u . chlan as a r 1 . ar 6. , J , h tmake , 99 M y, 7

M Omi . c e Dr 1 00 1 2 . o r ames er 2 1 . , , , 4 M i , J , teach , 7 a rea or s u s r 6 8 at e . on a i e 6 M c dy P rth, 34 M i , D v d, p bli h , 3 , 7 , 9 ad ert 1 0 M d y, 5 .

a o m 1v. es e e atPerth 2 . ran is e itor of Courier 6. M lc l b i g d , F c , d , 7

R ev . a . . 1 0. ran s azier and oo n er 6. D vid, LL D , 5 F ci , gl b kbi d , 7

ars a ames 1 2 . a o ina 8 . M h ll, J , 4 J c b , 7

R ev . a s o t . i Loch 1 . ame ac untan 6 D v d, ee, 66 J , c , 7

T omas Ha of Glenalmond or ames u s er 6 0. h y , L d J , p bli h , 7 , 9

Pro ostof er 2 1 00 h is Press 8 8 . v P th, 3 , 34, 93, ; , 7, 9

monument1 2 . Ro erta ountant86 . , 3 b , cc , T omas Ha istorian 6 Ro ert ostmaster and u is er h y, h , 3 , 44, b , p p bl h , 1 22 - 1 1 33, 83 , 1 84.

R e er 6 6 . illi . o rt n W am, 1 2 2 b , pri t , 7 , 9 - u s r 8 2 . am D . D . 1 6 1 2 . illiam i e 6 Willi , , 5 7 W , p bl h , 7 , 9, 9

nte r nters to St. artr om of Reformers 1 . orisons a o M y d , 4 M pp i d P i ’ ason od e of coon and Pert n re s Un ers t 1 . M ic L g S h, 77, A d w iv i y, 9

l orr s Tom n ur 2 1 2 . 74 M i , , Edi b gh,

M aster M acom to 01: f w o tIand M osstroo er The 1 8 . C a n f S co , p , , 3

urra 1 . 60. M y, Andrew, 4

a we l Sir i am tir in 1 86 . M x l , W lli S l g, “ ’ Meadowmo 1 M uses Tbrenodze Tﬁt 20 6 r 6 . e, 5 , , , 39, 45 , 4 ,

e e n re 1 . 6 1 6 8 1 0 m M lvill , A d w, 4 59. . 4. 4. 3 . ‘

M m orabzlzh er un u o 8 . P th 2 . e qf , 9 , 108 iqc py, 5 o t er er ai e ndre 1 0 M lne R ev . o ert t 60. M c , B li A w, . y , R b Sc ,

o ro Ro e tof on on 60. n ostof Pert . r J h , P v h, 9 b , L d ,

Vau 1 . lt, 0

u . MerchantG ild in Operation in 1 2 1 0, 2

et en . M hv , 43

ro ostr of . P v y , 43

atte at . B l , 5 ounc e atPert in 1 1 60 emas o n 1 1 8 . Nationa Middl , J h , 97, 9 l C il h ld h ,

i er nes 6. 2 . M ll , Ag , 7

eor e 60. N o ham exan er . G g , ck , Al d , 4

atr 8 . New Kirk 0. P ick, 9 , 7

i Ro et1 . ne R ev . Dr. o n 1 . N coll ert o Mil , J h , 9 , b , p , 53 - o ertR ev D. D. 20 206 2 1 2. North erwic 0 . R b , , , 3 , B k, 4 INDEX

Pert ibr r 1 00. h L a y,

t f t P leasure 8 O an o Cas o ernor of er 60 . liph k, G v P h , , 3 t o for h e a o tes 0 . martr for th e enant2 . J c bi , 3 y C v , 3 t Sir or f O an am de o ern o ress 2 . 8 liph , Willi , G v P , 5 3 ,

t for a of E . 1 er r n land S aturda oum al 82 1 8 . P h Edw d g , 5 y j , , 5

O x ord e e o 0 . t f 6 e e 2 statsta a oun o . f , K bl C ll g , 7 i ic l cc , 5

mmin ats 1 . Swi g B h , 75

th e a ta of otan . c pi l Sc l d, 4

V un 1 . ol teers, 8 P ertlmm lr Ro ert or son 0 8 ( b M i ) , 5 , 4 ,

85 . ’

a ua U n ers t of . P ertim r v erti ser 1 1 0 1 8 2 1 8 . P d , iv i y , 39 h e A d , , 3 , ’ ton M r . a na . a ters 2 1 Consttutona l 1 2 1 1 8 1 P gi i , B x , 4 i i , 7, 37, 3 , 74 ,

r s of t nto our . a er e 2 1 1 . P i h P h divid d i f , 74 ar amentes a s es th e Reforme t a ide 1 08 . P li bli h d , 94,

ur 1 8 . i n B one Da s 1 2 ; se ections Ch ch, yg y , 5 l ea o a stor an 6 1 0 1 0 from 1 1 . P c ck, D vid , hi i , 3 , 5 , 3 , , 54, 5 5 — 1 1 . M emor ab l a 6 . 34 49 i i , 43 , 5

ee es R ev. am 1 . o et of N atural ence P bl , Ad , 7 S ci y Sci , — O er liv , 39. 223 .

ennant . et for ert . P , 5 5 Philosophical oci y P h, 33 — S enn eor e 8 1 1 0 1 1 6. P otS ir o n a or of o n on P y, G g , 7, hilp , J h , M y L d , ’ P eo le s oum a l 6 . p / , 1 8 . 1 0

ert 2 seato f earn n tra e and Po uation of ert 1 . P h, l i g, d , p l P h, 3

efen e 1 . P . Dr e an er 1 . r n e R ev . d c , 45 i gl , Al x d , 7 ” a m 1 . t8 e 66 Priscus ames a n . Ac d y, , J C , 4 t f a nd Dundee ourna l 1 8 . Pro ost and the as ena t o th e j , 4 v , l p l y

and D undee atu da ournal w . S r y j , la , 2 5

ul ar Sir Ro ert1 2 1 . P l , b , 9, 93

efore th e Reformaton 1 1 0 1 1 8 . b i , ,

oo se ers of 1 8 6 1 1 . b k ll , 3 , 4

B r 1 . idge, 3

tzens ra er of 1 . ci i , b v y , 47

er of Pres ter 6 . Cl k by y, 45 , 4

Cour er 1 1 2 1 1 1 8 . a a entre Pert 2 . i , 9 , 7, 37, 74, 3 R ilw y c , h , 35

F a r a d R e ert 1 . M . eformers es e i i qf, 43 b i g P h, 7 H to in n e of n s r 1 2 . Re ent ora am am es i y 44, 7 g M y, Ki g J nk 1 0 ts arter to the os t I or s . W . ran a al w k , 7 , g Ch H pi ,

its nna s and r es 1 0 1 8. A l A chiv , 3 ,

os fﬁce 80 . Regulations of Perth P tO ,

r of . eid r hi a To n C er 1 8 1 . Ki k , 43 R , A c b ld, w l k,

INDEX

torn in al o a 1 6 . Whi h G l w y, 7

l iam th e on and ert 2 . Wil Li P h,

so ur 1 . a a e Sir am . n 6 W ll c , Willi , 4 Wil Ch ch, 9

al s of ert re u t and to n o n s n er 1 6. W l P h b il w J h , i g , 3

fortiﬁed T omas . , 4. h , 44

ater su of ert . or s ort har es is o of W pply P h, 33 W d w h, C l , B h p

aterson unr. ames of n ur n re s 2 1 2 . W , J , J , Edi b gh, A d w ,

Notes . r tIn or oraton 8 ( ) 95, 97 W igh c p i , 7 , 79. W d r e 1 ee s a n e en . W k , P ddy, 34. y , H i , 54, 47 t Dr F ran uh n Wh t Wh e . cis ana e i , B c i , - 2 22 2 24. Y

Dr. s . 22 2 . Franci J , ’ Y un Dr 1 68 fr r on ter . o . a i . White ia s M as y, 3 g, D v d,

n Gm ua n n Edinbur h M M by Mon soo L , g