M R S D A W S O N R O W L E Y

F H ALL O MORCOTT , RUTLAND

Whi z H a lu mz

I S D ED I C A T ED B Y

TH E AUTHOR

P R E F A C E .

TH E substance o f this volume a ppea red first

o f which o r in booklets, the contents were igi na lly popular lectures delivered in connec f tion with my congregation . I have requently been requested to gather the matter of those

te booklets into one volume . It may be

a s w for garded some hat venturesome, one

who is blind, to undertake such a task . That would have been so in some circumstances ; but with the effective aid which I have te

f r i d f M F. c e ve . M rom my riend W elvin , it has been in my case a light and easy task .

fo r In preparing the volume the press, and

te in passing it through the press, I have ceived such able help as only a large ex peri ence in similar matters would have enabled f him to con er. Duplicate passages have been

removed , and new matter is added . The original lectures be ing in connection with the

congregation, it was deemed unadvisable, and

it might have been invidious, to introduce

into the narrative such a history of the Free

Church as will be looked fo r in what pur

ports to be a parochial history. Much o f the information given I had acquired myself

fo r during my stay in the parish, but a large

of F e part, especially the early days the re M Church, I have been indebted to iss J . A . o f M f o f Scott ontrose, ormerly Dysart, and

to I desire express my thanks to her here .

Of course it will be understood that for the

comments made on the information so re

ived ce that lady is not at all responsible . f f fi There are many other riends who, rom rst

a to last, have aided me, and I desire to o knowledge my indebtedness to them all . Notwithstanding the important assistance which I have received, I am aware there will be found defects to tax the equanimity of the critic and the forbearance o f the general f l reader. I trust those de ects wil be neither

a l rge nor many, and that they will be such o n ly as must be regarded a s unavoidable in

s u . fi ch a work I con dently believe, however, that there is no imperfection such as will m a r the pleasure of any reader who is inter e st If d ed in the subject . the volume succee s to any extent in exciting that kind of in terest in any mind where it does not exist

a f lready, I shall deem mysel amply repaid .

W IL A FR ER . LIAM R . S

C O N T E N T S .

CH APTER I.

H I S T O R I C S U M M A R Y. va c : — — — Introductory Modem di visions Tra di tions Ancient — — divisions Old Montrose a nd Ana nie Bonniton — — a nd Fullerton Ma ryton a nd Ma ryton La w Powis — — a n d Pow Bridge Dysa rt Even ts in the Civil W a r — Incidents in the Rebellion of 1 7 I s Episodes in — the Rebellion of 1 745 The troubles of the eigh teenth centu ry

C H APTER II .

LANDED PROP RIETORS.

— Division of Scotla nd into pa rishes Extinct na mes — — — Fullerton Bonniton The Middletons The Ha ys — — of Ba lhousie The Stra tous The Mills a nd Stir — — lings Ov er a nd Nether Dysa rt Mona stery of — Aberbrothoc Agricultura l holdings of the eigh teenth century

AP III C H TER .

H F E I S T O R I C A M I L I S. — Introductory Woods of Bonniton An excommuni — — ca ted Pa pist The brothers Da Il An interesting Contents .

— — letter Crea tion of baronetcy W isha rts of Dru m — — Ca uses of the Reforma tion Visits of John Kno x — Melvilles of Dysa rt Melvill es of Ba ldovi e Andrew Melville Fa mily of Richa rd Melville — — Ja mes Melville Fa mily of Da vid Mel ville Ea rly — history of the Gra ha ms The first a nd second ea rls — The third a nd fourth ea rls A tu lz ie in Edin — — bu rgh The Ma rqu is Estima te of his cha ra cter — — Summa ry of his life H is execution Incidents con — nected with Old Montrose Interesting episodes in — a nd a bout Montrose The sisters a nd wife of the — Ma rquis The second Ma rquis a nd his descenda nts

AP R IV C H TE .

E C C E S I S T I L A C A L . — — — Churchya rd The chu rch Chu rch centena ry Pa rish ministers Free Church min isters Schools a n d — schoolma sters Prea ching of eighteenth century A clerica l humorist

A P C H T E R V.

K K- IR SESSION . — A ca s e of su perstition in the seventeenth century The — — — elders Collections Pews A domestic sca ndal 222

C H A P T E R VI.

O C NC LUSION .

Two most distinguished na tives a contra st

INDEX ST MARY’S OF OLD M NTR O OSE.

C H APTER I .

C Y HISTORI SUMMAR .

I N TRODUCTORY MODERN DIVISIONS TRADITIONS — ANCIENT DIVISIONS OLD MONTROSE AND ANAN IE — BON N ITON AND FULLERTON MARYTON AND MARYTON — — — LAW POWIS AND POW BRIDG E DYSART EVENTS IN — THE CIVIL WAR INCIDENTS IN THE REBELLION OF — — l 7 l s EPISODES IN THE REBELLION OF I 74S THE O OF TR UBLES THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

TH E o f purpose this volume is to give, as shortly and as completely as circumstances

o f o f will allow, a history the parish Maryton from the earliest records that are extant

o f down to the close the last century. It would not only be inconvenient, but it would

' n be u necessary, to encroach in personal matters upon anything within the memory A ’ rose 2 S t M a ry s of Old M on t .

“ o f that proverbial personage the oldest inhabitant — the researches must be carried much farther back than his legitimate do

n — mai , and the likelihood is they will stop short in most things a considerable distance o f the time when his faculties came i nto play . S uch being the case, it will be understood , o f course, that the only responsibility incurred is that of a faithful recorder o f information gathered from whatever source is open ; and it may be stated now that the chief o f those

‘ ’ H o f sources are the istory the Carnegies , which does credit to the judgment alike of

n o f the lear ed compiler, and the noble Earl

e under whose supervision it was carri d out,

o f erv ise e and the various works Mr J , whos unwearied industry has done so much fo r

F f a nd or arshire and other counties besides ,

o f whose authority is the highest order . There has also been much information de

’ ‘ ’ rived from Dr Scott s Fasti Ecclesiae o f the kind of which it possesses such an abun

dant store . Other works have been con s lt d a n d t u e , occasionally it may be hat records yet unwritten may be pressed into service . Care shall be taken to remind the

of f reader the act , whenever anything is r H is toric S u mma y . 3

a dvanced upon the mere strength o f hear

a s y.

A due regard to ancient history requires

s ome allusion to a fact o f modern geography . M aryton is a small parish , and not a very p opulous one ; but it has this mark of dis

tinction over most other parishes, that it is made up of n o less than four detached por f tions and starting rom any point, it would be impossible to visit all its families without having traversed less or more four different

ma i n n of parishes . The divisio it needs not

second o f be particularised . The in point size

is Dysart , the only direct road to which is

through the parish o f Craig. Its detached

f r b - - position will be accounted o y and by.

' tlzzrd a The division is Drum , which is p p roa cha ble by land only through a portion

o f Dun . It is to be presumed that , either

with or without its own connivance, Drum

parted company with the parish, because

rivers , like people, are prone to change their

S for courses . ometimes the change is the better ; but in this case all parties will agree ‘ fo r that it has been rather the worse . The f on rt/t and remaining fragment of the parish ’ 4 S t M a ry s of Old M on trose. is s a till more remote, and can be got at, in direct course, only through the neighbouring parishes of Farnell and Ki nnell . The con n ectio n of Gra ha msfi rth with Maryton is

for ff accounted in two di erent ways , one

r with a little romance about it, but not ve y probable the other entirely prosaic, but extremely likely. Both shall be given and the choice can be made between the two

f fo r only, whatever avour may be had the more romantic account, it does not rest upon f any sure oundation . But who has not heard o f the man who, when asked to what parish

n he belo ged , replied that he did not know, — when he stood at his beds ide he was in

of the parish Maryton, and when he went to his bed he was in the parish o f Kinnell %

The tradition about Gra ha ms firth is that when the Marquis of Montrose espoused the

H on . Magdalene Carnegie, the young lady f f claimed rom her noble ather, in addition to her substantial dowry, something in the shape o f pin -money and the noble lord ff o ered to give her, on that account, as much o f the land of M on ro mmo n as she would

n walk round within a given time . The lege d

’ M n ro 6 S t M a ry s of Old o t se.

ha s to count in favour o f the parish . It

H Shiells a been often alleged that ospital , f did arm in Marykirk , belongs strictly or belong to Maryton . The presumption is , f t i there is any truth in the allegation , tha at some remote period it had been gifted ’ to St Mary s of Old Montrose (the original name o f the church) as a place for recruiting the health o f all a nd sundry the ecclesiastics H and their dependents . The name ospital Shiells would be consistent with this sup — ' positio n the meaning of Izospzta l being self

’ of slzzells evident, and that , cots or cottages .

fi n It is curious , also, in this connection to d

e h a tradition, a merely v rbal one also, t at in ancient times the ministe r o f Maryki rk

n was under obligatio , when required, to o fii cia te in the church o f Maryton once eve ry three weeks, while the incumbent there had

e to giv him his dinner on the occasion , and set apart an acre o f the gle be for the use

o f n . e his po y That tradition , it ne ds not be

n said, was not lo g observed .

It will be well n ow to classify the lands

e Fo r according to their separate own rs . nearly a hundred years the whole parish H st ri m r i o c S u ma y . 7 ha s been in possession o f the two respected f amilies to which it now belongs . But six hundred years ago there were separate pro prieto rs for the following lands : The lands o f 0c M on trose , which were subsequently

n erected into a baro y, and still later into an

of B on ni ton earldom ; the lands , which also were e rected in to a barony ; the lands o f A n a n ie; the lands of Fu llerton ; and what in the language of that day was called the

’ A btlcen o S t M a r s n o f f y , consisti g the lands o f O r e ve and Neth r Maryton . In the thir te e n th century there was an estate in the

na e o f f p arish, the m which will not be amiliar — — to any one nowadays B a lna non a property w hich in later times was known as the H eugh

I f B n m on e e rvise e ands o a l a o . Mr J describ s this as an estate o n the banks o f the South ” h f r If e sk in t e o . , situated parish Ma yton

e f o f h is correct, it must now orm the part

Powis nearest the river . It must be stated ,

o f H o f however, that the author the istory ’ the Carnegies fi x e s the situation o f H eugh

o f lands in the parish Brechin . Where two

e ff re s u m such authoriti s di er, it would be p p f tu o u s to do more than frankly state the act .

ervise be According to Mr J , this property ’ 8 S t M a ry s of Old M outrose. longed in the thirteenth century to the Arra ts of t a n f o f Fo rfa rshire n A rat , old amily lo g t ago extinct , and that it became the proper y o f f of n d the amily Car egie by charter, grante to the grandfather o f the first Earl by Jame s

f B n ni n 1 he o o to . t Wood in 549 These, with

of D sa rt a n d lands y , complete the parish ;

to perhaps it will serve the purpose. best f o f h the ollow the order this division, wit f short notice which may be available o each .

fi Old M ontrose of old The rst is , which was

M u nross n o f designated Alt . The derivatio

o f the this name is disputed . The author

‘ ’ H istory of the Carnegies seems to be in

n the O n doubt regardi g it, accepting pinio that it was from the fi rst named Auld

M u nro ss n , which would imply some relatio

But or other to the neighbouring town . the derivation which meets with the great

f f e est avour is that rom three C ltic words , “ which may be translated the point o f ” “ o f the mossy burn , or the burn the

mossy point . One well versed in these

n e matters suggests a oth r derivation , which

‘ v r f : M o n a d/z appears e y easible . It is this

’ ‘ [d/t silent] Rois means the hill o f the ’ ravine, or rough den , or chasm ; and in H istoric u mma r S y. 9 the days before the Den of Bonn iton was

c d lothed with woo , the chasm would be

a conspicuous object in the landscape . ’ ’ ‘ ‘ - T hen Alt is a burn . H ence Alt Mona ‘ f ’ o . r is, the burn rom the den on the hill

The n no cha ge came about this way, doubt

‘ ’ ‘ ’ ‘ ’ Alt became Ald , and Mona Rois

’ ‘ ’ M u nross Auld M u nross ; and that being s upposed vulgar was Englified to Old Mont

‘ ’ ‘ Altba r rose . In the same way the ’ n — Au ldba r clear bur became , and perhaps ” l r f they will call it O dba be ore long. Be fi this as it may, the rst authentic notice o f the lands is a charter in 1 3 2 5 granting

Sir f them to David Graham, a great riend

o f n Ki g Robert Bruce, who received in exchange for them the lands o f Cardross

in Dumbartonshire . The Grahams were f f a power ul amily, and considerable land

in 1 1 owners Angus and elsewhere . In 45 the lands were erected into a barony in 1 504 into the earldom of Montrose ; and

1 6 fi f nd in 44 James, the th Earl, a most

n o f f disti guished the amily, was created a Marquis in recogn ition o f his services to

n f t n f the u or u ate King Charles. The amily had ceased to possess the lands before ’ 1 0 S t M a e f s o Old M ontrose j f . a a i the a 1 tt ning to duc l rank in 707 . The Marquis wa s married at the ea rly a ge o f

H o n seventeen , to the . Magdalene Car ne ie of v the fi g , daughter Da id , rst Earl of Southesk , and the marriage contract made due provision for herself in the event of her becoming a widow without a s on to “ r l f inherit the pat imony, securing her in y

n of l ft me re t during all the days her y y , in all and ha ill the landis a n d ba rro ny o f Auld

f m ln es Montrose, with the toure, ortalice, y ,

n fi o f Sou thesk the multures, salmo d shing ,

of Fulla rto ne s landis , and thrid pairt landi of Anna n ie n of M a rietown th , the la dis , wi a ikeris f fi u o ne thereo , and salmond shing p

o f So u thesk to the said watter , belonging the said landis all lyau d within the

o f M a rietown a n d shirefdo m o f parochin , ” Forfar The you ng Earl at first favoured the Presbyte rian cause ; but soon from a zealou s Covenanter he became the most

H is zealous o f Royalists. name was a terror to his enemies, and he spread havoc and desolation over many parts of the

n e of country. O the houses which he de voted to pillage was the neighbouring man

o f sion of Dun . The inhabitants Mont H 1 1 istoric S u mma ry . ro f se, earing his approach , had removed th for s f eir valuables thither a ety, as they th ought ; but they were disappointed . The next part o f this ancient division o f the e of parish is A n a u i . The orthography th n fo r e i n is ame is various , it is record d ’ a l l f s— Anna ne A n na nie these orm Annand , , ,

I n a ne In ienen In on e In a nee y y, y, y y, y , In n e Inia n e ane, and y, besides that its more m odern shape was Ananias . Probably it h a d s f got disgusted with it el , on account o f - f these never ending trans ormations, and f p re erred going out of existence altogether . There is no appearance that any mansion o r homestead exists, but the estate lay b Bonn iton F etween and ullerton , and its lands are mainly divided between these f r arms . It appears very early in histo y,

1 1 8 1 1 8 w between the years 7 and 9 , hen William the Lion appointed one named Crane gatekeeper o f his Castle of Mont rose, and as a recompense allowed him the

In a n H e heritable fee of the lands of y ee . S was succeeded by his son wayne, and he

five by his son Simon, who died leaving

n o son daughters and . The probability is

' that the part of the present farm of Fuller ’ 1 2 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose. ton lying beyo nd the den formed the third o f

of o n the ancient estate Anani , the remaini g thirds being the adjacent parts o f Bo n n ito n ld and O Montrose . Up to a comparatively recent date the De n of Fullerton was very

of a s generally called by the name Anani .

n wa s u n Very early in the prese t century, it happily known as the frequent resort o f a

of o f o n little band atheists, men good positi

o f a s in Montrose, who met in the Den Anani ,

S f S fi e abbath a ter abbath , to con rm each oth r f in their oolish and impious opinions . They

f- a - d numbered about hal dozen, and it is sai they burned the Bible in wicked bravado a t

of S d one their meetings . trange they shoul have selected one o f the most beautiful spots

s in the neighbourhood , teeming with evidence o f o f f the handiwork God , to cast this oul dis

H is f h honour on Word , and vaunt their oolis denial of H is very existence % It has been said by more than one who knew all the

of u n circumstances well, that not one the

f rf happy brotherhood but died a ea ul death ,

o f if n one them, not more , by his own ha d , and the others with all the agonies o f bitter

remorse .

B onn iton Next in order is , town in the

’ d 1 4 S t M a ry s of Ol M on trose. adhered to it pretty much to the present

n day. There are two slabs belongi g to the old castle built into part of the farm

1 666 o f steading, both dated (the year the

r baronetcy creation), one showing the a ms

of S of cotland , and the other those the

family o f Wood .

1 2 ff In 3 7 King Robert I . granted to Geo ery of Fo u llerton e and Agnes his wife the lands of Fou llertone ffi o f f , with the o ce alconer

within the shire of Forfar . It is to be hoped the lady did not share the responsibilities o f the office a s well as the benefits o f the

F a lso e state . The alconer was allowed ’ entertainment in the king s house at Forfar

fo r f a (when the king was there) himsel ,

two b u t servant, a boy, and horses, not , f or f . it would appear, Agnes his wi e M a ryton originally constituted what wa s

a btlzeu — o f called an , that is, property or

The connected with an abbot or abbacy . ’ church was called St Mary s o f Old M ontrose, and was dedicated to the Virgin . It is said to have been a Vicarage of the

o f Cathedral Brechin ; but, with all its belongings, it was given at a very early f date to the Abbey o Arbroath . The earliest H s t c u r 1 i ori S mma y . 5 charter existing is one between the years

- f a n 1 1 78 98 . Those gi ts were made d con fi rmed by kings (notably King William the

o f n Lion), popes, and bishops Brechi , and the presentation embraced the church o f

M u n ross Auld , with its chapels, lands, tithes , o a s blations, and all their just pertinents, well as a grant to the monks of the said M onastery o f Arbroath of the right to

e fo r convert to th ir own use , and their

u fi of s stentation , all the rents and pro ts that church, and to appoint in the same church s u ch chaplains as they pleased . The church lands consisted o f what is now the farm o f

M of aryton , and course the glebe which i 1 of s still attached . In 447 one the F ullertons o f that Ilk disposed o f at least

of of M n a portion the lands aryto , which implies that he had held some right of f p roperty in them . The Re ormation , how ’ e ev r, put an end to the monks possession , a nd converted the a bthen into a secular

r o e o f p rope ty, which was disp s d at the will o f e Bishop Al xander Campbell, on whom the power devolved o f giving away the bene

fi ces . within the diocese That gentleman, acting on the old principle of blood being ’ t a r o d o t s S M y s f Ol M n ro e.

n f ow n thicker tha water, did not orget his

a nd of — o f relatives , one them the Earl

u fl the Argyle (thro gh whose in uence, by

hi s way, Alexander Campbell had obtained — bishopric) in 1 566 received the handsom e donation of the various Church property

F of M r in arnell, the whole lands a yton — with the salmon fi shin gs and the lan d s

of Esa u x t n me o . The noble Earl at the sa time was invested with the offi ce of bailie of the whole lands under the jurisdiction

‘ of the Bishop and it may be presu med tha t

ffi of on e the o ce a bailie was a remunerative , or it would not have been dignified by the ’ s Earl s acceptance . In due time the land of Maryton passed into the Graham family being mentioned in the Marquis’s marriage — f d contract and since then , they have orme

o f o f Old M a part the estate ontrose .

M a r ton La w a y , which commands such

fi of magni cent view the surrounding district , is one of those eminences which are pop u la rly believed to have been used as sites

f r f u o the administration o j stice . Last century it was a separate holding ; and, f judging rom the Session Records, it would seem that even in one of its proper centres H to c 1 i s ri S u mma ry . 7

la w the was not always observed , as the following extract o f minutes will show “ 1 1 1 28 — S A u u s t . g , 7 ession being met and constitute by prayer the minister signified

ro re na td that he had called this meeting p , by reason of a scandalo u s breach of the last ’ e Lord s day, and oth r miscarriages committed

M r by William Greig in a yton Law, whereby

o f H H is the majesty eaven was dishonoured , f holy day and sacred name pro aned , and the hearts of the observers o f his carriage and

of i hearers his express ons, grieved and there being many things thus offensively done by

a d him , which probation cannot be given or d u ce d fo r f in the ordinary orm , the minister told he had comprehended those things in

the General, as above ; which the Session

fi nd su mmo n considering, it necessary to d

f for the said William Greig be ore them, and that effect give warrand to the kirk offi cer to charge William Greig in Ma ryto nla w to com pear before the Session of Maryton u pon

f On 1 h o . 8t the eighteenth August the , “ William Greig in M a rytonla w compeared ’ and confessed his Breach of the last Lord s

fo r day, which he was suitably exhorted , and if rebuked, also warned by the Session , that B ’ 1 8 t M a r s o ld M n trose S y f O o . he should be found guilty of such miscarriage in co w time ming, he would be dealt ith in a ” ’ more severe way and manner. Mr Greig s

o f n penitence, however, was not long duratio ,

of 2 2 as witness the minute September , just fi ve weeks after his compearance : Accord

the of f ing to minutes the ormer sederunts, this day it was inquired if any o f the Session had due opportunity to convers e with William

Ma r tonla w sca nda ll Greig, in y , anent the committed by him . It was answered none had Opportunity save that Andrew Preshew took occasion to converse with him upon

o f that subject, the result which was that he seemed to him to persist in his obduracy

of and contumacy. The rest the Elders made report that by reason of the H arvest the y had not opportunity to speak to him on that subject, but that they would embrace

fi fo r e the rst opportunity that purpos . The ’ minister this day s ign ify d that he was sorry to hear the re port o f the Elder who had con verst with him ; as likewise, that he had ground to fear he was u nder no Christian concern for that sca nda ll he is guilty o ff ; and the ground o f the suspicion was a sca nda ll committed by four o f his servants H s u mm 1 i toric S a ry. 9

S fi of upon abbath, the rst September instant

o f and that, about the time Reigning the fi rst Bell, they were employed in gathering o f f Pies [peas] on the oresaid day ; and , in w regard , the minister kne not their names , referred the ir citation and censure till next ” e o f f m eting Session . The ollowing Sabbath,

the f as recorded , minister preached , orenoon “ f e of and a t rnoon , on the duty bridling the ” f . S tongue The second abbath a ter, his subject and text were the same in the f orenoon , and probably would have been

f f for in the a ternoon, but, ortunately Mr W illiam Greig, he had then to be preach H in . e fo r g at Dun made up it, however,

S f e f the abbath a t r, by preaching rom the “ ”

x &c . te t Be ye angry and sin not, , f forenoon and a ternoon . That was plain

dealing, which would hardly be popular

nowadays. Before leaving this part o f the parish it m a y be well to say a word in regard to

is of P ow . There is no evidence its ever

f a nd having ormed a separate possession ,

o f ld e the Powis O Montrose, a nam by which

it is very generally known , would suggest that it formed a part of the original barony ’ 20 S t M a ry s of Old M on trose.

f u nr of o Auld M oss. There is no certainty t If Mr e rvise t his, however. J is right hat the H eu ghla nds of Ba ln a moon e were in M if aryton , and it has been correctly sup posed that they formed at least part o f the

f of present arm Powis, it is not unlikely that Powis may have belonged in whole,

o f . or in part, to the barony Bonnington

H eu hla nds The g , at all events , were once the

of o f t property the Woods Bonning on . The n o f e t f Pow ame Powis is viden ly rom , the

for old word stream or burn , and the origin o f f the name is there ore apparent. The Pow-bridge has an interesting history o f

. fi 1 6 1 its own It was built rst in 7 , while King James was visiting at the Castle o f

Kinnaird , and enjoying the hunt in the

f fo r royal orest . And the purpose which S it was erected , according to the ession “ o f fo r Records Brechin, was leading his ’ Maj esty s provision while he was the guest

of f o f o u h k his avourite, the Earl S t es . The Bridge o f Dun was founded on 7th

1 8 fi 2 th 1 8 June 7 5 , and nished 7 January 7 7 .

f o f It was erected by the amily Dun . A

- f person in the parish who was well in ormed , gave her assurance that the contractor who

’ r l 22 S t M a y s of O d M on trose.

When the transference came to be arranged the good folks of Dysart had the great sense to prefer attachment to Maryton ; but whether the connection of the Melvilles with the parish had not more to do with the choice than any special merit of its own

is a question which ca nnot n ow be answered .

the f f Such was act, however ; and rom the year 1 649 to 1 890 Dysart form ed a con

stitu en t o f part, civilly and ecclesiastically,

this parish . The earliest propri etors of whom anything

can be discovered are the Melvilles . The name of Melville is found in Scottish charters

o f f as early as the middle the twel th century . But in connection with Dysart it is n o t

F r 6 1 expressly mentioned until ebrua y , 457 , “ when Johannes Ma lveyn de Disa rt appears

of o in a charter Arbroath . There is reas n

e to believ , however, that a John de Melville, to whom a hundred years before that date

M of r Christian de elville, lady Glenbe vie ,

of Lie ev in granted the lands g , in the parish

f of o Glenbervie, was proprietor Dysart and it may have been in possession o f the f family long be ore. It is certain that the two families of Glenbervie and Dysart were H is r u 2 to ic S mma ry . 3

o ne o f cl sely related . O the Kincardineshire

M elvilles was the famous Sheriff, whose s harp practice as a judge made him a n o b e of j ct dislike to his neighbours . They

o o f him c mplained to the king, when , in

a n unguarded moment, his Majesty replied , “ Sorrow gin the Sheriff were sodden and s u pped in broo. James was take n at S ff’ his royal word ; and the heri s Pot, or ’ B e H o f r rowni s Kettle, on the ill Ga vock , s till marks the place wh e re the Mearns

o f fi f if lairds the teenth century prepared ,

u they did not enjoy, their nusual repast . The fi rst information afforded by our

R e o f Parish ecords giv s, as proprietor Dysart, — M r John Milne represented as o f Dysart

1 1 . On 2 th 1 in 7 9 9 November 7 39, David Carnegie acquired possession of the lands o f Meikle and Little Dysarts (it would ’ appear from the H istory of the Carnegies ) f through his wi e , Margaret Dempster, heiress

n d o f Logic a Dysart . It needs not be added

of C a rn e that, on the death Thomas gy in

1 6 f 85 , they ell by conveyance to the present

of proprietor. A considerable part the pres ent house of Nether Dysart is evidently very — old the newest portion upwards of a ’ 2 t M a r s o ld M ontrose 4 S y f O .

the century . But what is believed to be Melville arms is still found on a carve d stone in the building.

At a n early period the Ch u rch courts had

r m ve y serious responsibilities laid upon the , as is indicated in the following extract from the Presbytery Records 6 F — 1 0 eb. 1 5 , 7 . John Cuthbert, murtherer,

f Presb terie now in Dysert, cam be or the y

f his a b in sack cloth, being the day be ore f solution, and is to be re erred to Mr William ” if fi nd Raitt to be absolved he it expedient.

M r Raitt was minister at Brechin , and Dysart had not yet been transferred from the ecc lesi a stica l o f jurisdiction Brechin , notwithstanding ’ the General Assembly s recommendation o f

s of M r the previous year. The se sion a yton had thus escaped the responsibility o f deal

n ing in any manner with Joh Cuthbert,

murderer. — Mr 1 6 1 u l 1 0. 5 , 7 y John Lamy (minister, M a rieton ) shew to the Presbytery that his

Pa rochiners , being called to the watch at the sea coast to defend and resist the in

va dein t o f g enemy by sea, hat one them killed his neighbour with a gun , and culd H st c mma r 2 i ori S u y . 5 not lea rn that there was e n mitie betwixt the

s t partie . Requests Presby ery to investiga te the c a s e .

The n invadi g enemy, however, by sea or

a n a of by l d , eluded the prec utions the parish io n e rs o f Maryton and others ; for twice in the fo llowing September the Presbytery were “ e n f n prev ted rom meeti g, be reason the Eng lish e fo rces were marching to a nd fro through ” their fi elds ; and twice in October the Pres ” b te r y y record bears, No meeting this day, on ce be reason the English troupers were lyin g in ga ris o nes through this wholl Pres ” “ bitrie En lishe , and again , be reason that g

tro upers were lying in Brechin .

In the beginning of last centu ry the neigh

b o u rhood o f u was in a state great dist rbance, and the inhabitants generally suffering the d troubles o f the Rebellion of 1 7 1 5 . In a dition to the hardships which were due to

a loc l participation in the Rebellion , the dis trict wa s exposed to the ravages of the rebels

in their march northward , when they made free with all the eatables that came ready

to their hand, and conducted themselves not over-civ illy in some cases converting the ’ n r se 26 S t Ma ry s of Old Mo t o .

implements o f husbandry into fi rewoo d . Then they were followed by the Royalis t w e d army, who were on the hole more inclin

e fr f o m to be civil , though th y did not re ain r exacting what they had a mind to, especially

f f H S n d the oreig ners rom olland and witzerla ,

f of The m e who ormed parts the army. sa may be said o f the return o f the two armie s and fo r a considerable period the more peac e ably disposed o f the people were at the

of r mercy rebels, who took up their quarte s

o f in Montrose . It will give some idea the troubles of that period to quote a few sen ten ces from an interesting letter by one o f

of o f the ministers Montrose, James Trail ,

6 H e h 8 1 1 . date March , 7 begins stating t at

e the Presbytery met ev ry week, and were going on to purge out some ministers and schoolmasters who had gone along with the

n e o f antichristian rebellion . O the ministers in question was William Dunbar, who had been minister o f Laurencekirk from 1 677 was deprived of his charge in 1 693 fo r not praying fo r their Majesties William and Mary ; and was deposed by the Presbytery of Brechin for intruding at Montrose during H . e 1 2 the rebellion died in 7 9, aged eighty, H is toric r S u mma y . 27

“ a nd w hil e minister a t Lauren cekirk he oh ligod his pa rishioners publicly to swear in the chu rc h that they should never bear armes ” n t a n of the o f agai s y race a nd name Stewart . H e g o e s on to say the Pretender was pro claim e d o n the 1 7th of September in Mon trose . The proclamation was made by the

a o f Sou thesk c th E rl , whose onduct in e

be l n the f Re l io led to attainting o the title. H e then continues : “ B e pleased to know that we continued

c n M r prea hi g in ontrose, and p aying publicly

in the f church as we used to do be ore, till

S u 8th O e at rday, the ctob r, at which time the re was (through the solicitations o f our ’ tow n s pe ople) an order sent by Young of

A u ldba r f u s , rom Mar, to turn out, except we should give over praying for King George

A ldba r &c. u and Prince, But when came

w t of ou r ith a par y horse, and spoke with

M for M r agistrates and Curates, he sent

Arrot f , and positively discharged us rom preaching except we should pray for King

a s o f Ta bea ll James ( he called the son ), and ,

he ff he to make t discharge e ectual, seeing

thought we would not much regard it, he put

his hand to his broad sword, and the Magis ’ o ntr se 28 St M a ry s f Old M o o .

trates got up early by two o f the cloc k Sabbath morning to order the church fo r

u ha d d e s the C rates, and their pretende eld r f m at the church door an hour be ore the ti e,

h d w e lest we s ould have entere ; and so ,

u h nderstanding this, made no attempts t at

u f n t way. But my colleag e a ter a while we

he out to his own country house, where ’ f stayed till the King s orces came, and I with some other ministers who were forced to flee from their houses preached every ’ H edderwick Lord s day at , where we had

r d no t a ve y consi erable auditory all winter, withstanding a ll the endeavours that were made to break it. All our ministers in this Presbytery have

u F kept tr e except Mr Geddie at arnell , whom we deposed at our second meeting f ” o Presbytery . Mr Geddie is elsewhere “ if n reported to have said that, he had know h the censure would have been so heavy, e ” d for the would not have praye Pretender. I cannot tell particularly of the bad treat ment the ministers met with in this country ; ff d only, in general, there was not one su ere to live in peace or enjoy their homes, but was either driven from their houses or had

’ 0 S t M a r s o ld M ont se 3 y f O ro .

a t drawing up at the Cross , about eight night, to flee away. “ n o f As to our town , I can say nothi g them , but that as they have been so they ” w be— F The ill still alkirk bairns or worse . F proverb says , alkirk bairns die ere they thrive %” We have a great many rebels

n lurking amo g us, but not so much as one of of m them is troubled ; nay, some the

walk publicly in the streets, and nobody

troubles them .

o f The writer this letter, who was minister o f the second charge o f Montrose from 1 709

1 2 u to 7 3 , having subscribed a g inea towards building an Episcopal chapel in the parish (St ’ e b Peter s , it may be presumed), was libell d y

b for the Pres ytery encouraging Malignants,

of and is said to have died a broken heart,

of f - f f at the age orty our, be ore the process

was concluded . The following extracts from St Cyrus seem to show that the representatives of Mr John Lamy retained the peculiar senti ments which rendered him a staunch a d

of herent his distinguished master, the great Marquis “ October 1 1 . 9, 7 5 This day Mr John c u H istori S mma ry .

L a rela tica ll my, sometime p incumbent here , d id violently in tru d himself upon this church a n d b parish, being assisted y ane armed b a n o f ru fli a n s f d brought rom other parishes ,

’ e s f Ferna ll p ecially rom and Kinnaird , who d i d violently deforce our minister when he

w a s f coming to per orm divine worship, as he ha d done twen ty years before ; but such was

the f r o f u y the mob, that they would not

s u ff he er him to come near t churchyard , Mr Lamy in the mean time be ing po ss est in the

u f p lpit, so that he was orced to retire to his

own house, where he preached to such as

co uld have access to hear him . “ — bells Febru a r 1 1 6. re y 5 , 7 This day, the having all past by this church about two a

c f lock in the orenoon , the minister ordered

ossest m f the bell to be rung, and he p hi sel

a o f f gain his pulpit, to the great satis action o f all prese nt ; and there being but fe w that

n day in the church , it bei g about three a f clock be or divine worship could be begun , the minister lectured from the 3d Psalm so

long as the day would permit . “ F 2 1 1 — ebru a r 1 6. y , 7 This day , the parish

fu ll o f S being wees and Dutch souldiers, the

people could not leave their houses, so that ’ 3 2 St M a ry s of Old Mon trose . there wa s this day in the church some Swees

ffi o f f . o cers, and some heads amilies The

u 1 minister lectured from Exod s xiv. 3 and ” “ 1 F r 4 v . ( o the Egyptians whom ye have

- seen to day, ye shall see them again no

m fo r &c . ore ever, ) The Brigadier had sent word to the minister that he could not ” - stay above three quarters o f ane hour. “ F a 1 1 1 — ls ebru r 6. a o y 9, 7 The parish this day being thronged with Swees and Dutch

few of f souldiers , only some heads amilies were in the church . They could not stay from the ir houses fo r fe ar they should be spoiled a n d plundered as many were that ” day . From the facts narrated it may be con cluded that the parishioners o f Maryton s hared , with others in the district, some o f the troubles of the Rebellion of 1 7 1 5 and

u 1 eq ally so in those o f 745 . There is no doubt that the infl u ence o f the Jacobites was strong in the parish ; and one o f its keenest u pholders was Walter

n ffi Greig, who was brought i to di culties with his ecclesiastical superiors fo r his share f o 1 . One in the Rebellion 745 Sabbath ,

wa s during the service, a Royalist army H is oric u r t S mma y . 33

a s the u . p sing church , on its way to C lloden I t was too good a sight to be missed by th e congregation at large , whatever their p o litics happened to be ; and the whole of th e o f congregation , with the exception the m i n M r f ister and Greig and his amily, rose a n d went out to gratify their natural curi o s it e y . The minist r, it may be presumed , ha d o f e thought it right , as a man p ace, not to leave the pulpit ; and the elder had too l ittle respect for Royalty and Royalists to p a y such a tribute to their soldiers as leave f f his pew . The members o the amily did n o t share the feelings o f their sire to such an e x n t ff te t, and hey made an e ort to get out ; b u t the old gentleman , who was sitting at the e n d of the pew, kept his seat, unmoved by

h of t eir appeals , and would not allow one h t em to go .

o f o f The capture , at the mouth the river, ’ H f of the King s ship azard , by the riends

P of o f rince Charlie, was one the events the

R ebellion in the neighbourhood . It was a w arship with sixteen guns and a crew o f e ighty men ; so that a good deal o f heavy fi ring might have been expected on the

o . ccasion Now, as it took place on a C ' l 34 S t M a ry s of O d M ontrose.

S a f enoo n e not ha abb th or n , we e d wonder t t the services of the church of Maryton were

d n cc isturbed by the oise . A ordingly we

fi nd o f 1 r 2 : this minute date 745, Novembe 4

1 - s Lecture Acts xxv. 3 end . No ermon . The congregation being disturbed a nd all in aghast by the rebels attacking the King’s m ship in the neighbourhood . So e young men o f the congregation had not waited even

for the w lecture, but (young men ill be foolish) preferred the un u sual sight o f the ’ a o f r c pture a king s ship, to obse ving the demeanour which was proper on the occa

o f sion , and walked out the church to the

f o f A urther disturbance the congregation .

few o f fo r them had to answer it, however, by

f a an appearance be ore the congregation, and

f ne public rebuke or their impropriety . O o f

m w the the inutes may be quoted , in hich

case is concerned , just as a sample

1 6 u ne 1 — f m 74 , f . The minister in or ed the S session that one Alexander tephen , a young

of man this parish, had been applying to him

' fo r marriage, but that he had ordered the said ’ Alexander s proclamations to be stopt , until he should give satisfaction for his scandalous behaviour in going out of the church upon c u H istori S mma ry . 3 5

th e 24th day of November last in the time o f th e fi r f s n rst p ayer, and be ore lecture or ermo

w a s u f beg n , and a terwards travelling in time o f p u blic worship to behold the rebels a ttack ’ i n not g the King s ship, all which could but g i v e great offence to every seriously disposed p e rson ; and withal the minister acquainted the session that he had ordered the sa id A l exander to attend their meeting this day,

w ho , being called , compeared and acknow

l e d f f ged the whole act, and pro essed his

s o w fo r rro it . Being removed a little, and

th e ff session deliberating upon the a air, they w ere of O pinion that the said Alexander

s h ould appear publicly, and be rebuked in ’ the face o f the congregation next Lord s D a y for the scandal and offence he had given

i n of contemning the ordinances God, pro ’ fa ning the Lord s Day, and countenancing a rebellious mob that was threatening to d eprive us of everything that wa s dear and

v u . al able Being called in , the same was inti mate to him and he willingly submitted to

the censures. By - and - by the tables were turned upon the session and they had to give an account to their superiors o f their o wn doings in the ’ ld rose 36 S t M a ry s of O M ont .

of he o f the matter t Rebellion . A committee

t Mr F of F a n d M r Presby ery, erguson arnell

o f Knox Kinnaird , were sent to interrogate

e d e the l ers present, one by one, as to th ir behaviour during the late unnatural Rebel

o f for lion . And each one them themselves answered that they had not ca rried arms themselves nor had any way meddled in the s o f a n aid Rebellion, or had been guilty y d isloyal practices . Only they owned that

u of f thro gh the influence orce , violence,

fi re terrors, and threats, and kindled in their

e x neighbourhood , some money had been torted f m the rom the by the Rebels, under name o f Levy money as the Rebels called w f it, hich, they acknowledged with great grie , was contrary to their inclinations and pro ” fessed principles to give. The names of the elders who gave this satisfaction were d David Mitchell, John Leach , Alexan er d S F Mit Belly, Alexan er mith, and rancis

. t chell , session clerk Walter Greig, the o her

his a s elder, did not make appearance ; and he was reported to have deserted his duties, and besides that he had hired out a militia ’ e Mr e s man , it is to be presum d that Gr ig conscience had proclaimed him a bond fi de

’ ros 38 S t M a ry s of Old Mont e. o f specia l destitution fro m the dearth o f

of w h provisions, much hich was due to t is

a u s fi c e, though occasionally a de cient harvest is assigned as the rea son for a larger amou n t of poverty than u su al prevailing. It is pleasant to remark that on these occasion s the Church wa s not re miss in her efforts to f cope with the distress o the people . The

f f n e session unds were reque tly devot d , in

o f o f e seasons dearth , to the purchase m al i at a high pr ce to be given to the poor, or to be sold at a reduced rate, to meet the circumstances of those who were able to give

o f part the cost . It must be said, to her

r f credit, that at a time which is ve y requently

e of characteris d as one spiritual deadness, she did not neglect this important offi ce o f

And Christian charity . perhaps were many of those who are loudest in the denunciation o f those dead times to inquire more partie

u la rl r y into their histo y, they might be spared some o f the necessity under which they lay themselves to defame the past in a way which must be distressing to their own f of eelings charity ; and they might, more

d a over, erive little benefi t in the shape o f H istoric S u mma ry . 39

exa m st u s v n the mo re ple, and im lu e e , in — ordinary offi ces o f charity such a s clo thing the i f e n the u r a nd o her dest tute, e di g h ng y, t wise supplyi ng the wants o f the needy a ro u nd them. H C APTER II .

L A N D ED P R O P R I ETO R S.

— DIVISION OF SCOTLAND INTO PARISHES EX TINCT NAMES — FULLERTON BON NITON THE MIDDLETONS TH E — — HAYS OF DALHOUSIE THE STRATONS TH E MILLS — — AND STIRLINGS O VER AND NETHER DYSART MONAS — TERY OF ABERBROTH OC AG RICULTURAL HO LDINGS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY .

TH E division of Scotland into parishes cannot be traced further back than the time o f David I f f . , in the twel th century ; and rom his reign ,

of too, may be dated the establishment the

w o f National Church . Very little is kno n the principle on which the division was carried ’ out ; but, as a rule, every lord s manor was

erected into a parish, and the parish church was ordinarily under the charge o f a secular

fo r clergyman . It was customary the patrons o f of churches , with the consent the bishops, to confer them on the nearest monasteries ; L a P ro rie rs 1 nded p to . 4 and some of the larger o f these institutions ha d possession o f as many a s thirty parish c 1 1 8 hurches, with all their belongings . In 7 K ing William the Lion founded the Mo n a stery o f Aberbro thoc ; and among the c f hurches con erred upon it, at an early date ,

of M was the parish church aryton , or, as it ’ w a s t r of ld M . then called , S Ma y s O ontrose On e o f the rights conferred was the appoint ment o f chaplains in the church ; and though the ministrations were sometimes intrusted to a u secular clergyman, it was common eno gh to have all the d u ties o f such a parish per formed by a monk from the convent . The w re hole system , though adapted in some s ects the of r n ot p to state the count y, and w fi few o f ithout its bene ts, a which have come down to the present time, was attended

difli cu lties o f with , and productive the abuses which in due course led to the Reformation . From the close o f the twelfth century a continuous succession of families in the parish ma . O y be traced ccasionally, indeed , the

of line connection is somewhat obscure, and f it seldom continues long in the same amily. f f But rom the earliest date, be ore it is broken o ff f m in one a ily it has appeared in another, ’ r s o ld Mon r se 42 S t M a y f O t o .

s n at s if who e ame lea t, little more regarding

A nd h s . it, a come down to the present time it is a singu lar coincidence that the two families which are the fi rst to be found on record were respective proprietors of the only two estates in the parish which have lost their original names Ana n ie and

l n Ba na no . The fi rst name identifi ed with the parish is Crane, and the person who owned it was

- H e gate keeper o f the Castle o f Montrose. had been appointed to that offi ce by King fi William, who was the rst monarch to make occasional residence in the North of Scot f land . This act is cited by a learned author as evidence that the bounds of civilisation were extending in his reign ; though from various sources it appears that his expeditions were sometimes for a warlike purpose . At 1 1 8 M w one time, 7 , a certain ac illiam , in the fa r w north , had raised a rebellion with a vie to the throne ; and the king went to quell ’ the attempt, and bring the rebel s head

1 1 southward as a trophy . Another year, 97 , the royal journey to the north was to deal

a n o f - be with Earl Caithness, another would usurper , who was taken prisoner, consigned La nded P ro r p ietors . 43

R b te to oxburgh Castle, and su sequently

on of leased promise better behaviour, leaving

Tor hine f r fi his son p a pledge o his delity. ’ The poor youth for his father s new te bellions i of , was depr ved his eyes , and other

r wise c uelly treated , so that he died miserably — not a very gratifying token of the kind of civilisation which prevailed . It was probably during one of these expeditions that the king M took up his residence in ontrose, when he rewarded his faithful gate keeper with the

o f An a nie f lands , the gi t having been made

1 between the years 1 1 78 and 1 98 . It lay immediately to the west o f the den of F ullerton , which until a comparatively recent d ate was known by the n ame o f An a n ie . The lands o f Fullerton west o f the den f f te ormed a third part o the estate, the ma in der o f being made up two equal parts, taken respectively from the adjoining lands o f l O d Montrose and Bonn iton . The latest record o f it as a separate property is probably

o f 6 S of that on a tombstone date 1 70. ome the workmen on the farm of Fullerton lately came on what appeared to be the foundation

o f fi o f a house or houses, in the eld south the

of public road , which was undoubtedly part ’ r se 44 S t M a ry s of Old Mont o .

f Ana n ie the estate o . The material may have been the remains of the ancient home

It t An a nie n stead. is a pi y that has bee allowed to slip from the nomenclature o f

its be the parish, and restoration might yet f w d worthy of being seen to. Crane was ollo e

n of son in the possessio the estate by his , S S wayne, and grandson, imon , successively ; a nd the closing records of the family leave ’ Ana n ie 1 26 1 o f S fi v e , in , in the hands imon s

- wa s daughters as joint proprietresses . There an attempt to dispute the succession of the

of ladies, but the gallantry the age prevailed , and an assize of the chief barons of the ’ county in 1 26 1 divided their father s estate

fi v among the e lady Cranes . Whether that was in view when it received its name is not it f known, but is said to be derived rom “ ” o f Gaelic words meaning the island birds . H ow long it continued the property o f the ladies is not known ; but sixty- seven years afterwards it appears again as a royal gift

f e to a avoured s rvant. Meanwhile the line of succession is main ta ined f by the act, which is on record , that during the thirteenth century the proprietors o f Ba lna no n Arra ts of Arra t were the , an old

’ M r ld M n r e 46 S t a y s of O o t os . may still have been enjoying the friendship of tt o f Ba ln a no n S o f the A ats , and the ociety

of the one or more old ladies, the Cranes,

n o s o f though that is t o likely. The records the period ma ke the reader acquainted with the name o f a nother family which about that time wa s added to the notables o f the parish. The next name on the roll o f proprietors

of Old is Graham Montrose but, passing it

n F o f F in the mea while, ullerton ullerton

for fi 2 h a 1 . ppears the rst time, in 3 7 In t ose early times the kingly occupation seemed to

w fa alternate bet een war and hunting. A v ou rite relaxation with most o f the kings was the use o f hawks and the royal falconer was

o f a person consequence . Usually he wa s

’ o f one the king s closest companions, and it was fi t that his services should be hand s mel ff o . r y rewarded Accordingly, Geo e y,

f o f r the alconer King Robert B uce, had the

f o f f gi t certain lands in Maryton, which rom the occupation o f their new owner received ’ of F F e the name ullerton (or owl r s Town). Forfar and Gla mmis were ancient domains

f o f and requent residences the kings, and Geoffery Fullerton was chief falconer fo r nded P r ri ors La op et . 47

A . S of if ngus ome estimate the extent, not i m r o f ma ra po tance , his charge y be d wn from an account o f expenses given in by one o f 8 his predecessors, which included % c halders of corn co nsumed by him during ’ his F f s f stay at or ar, with the king alcons , fo r - twenty nine weeks. In the same time ’ his majesty s horses had only consumed 24 c halders ; while 4 chalders were put to the

a o f t a nd ccount seven puppies and heir dam , 4 % chalders for consumption by the wild b oars. The last particular seems to indicate that already (in 1 263) the wild boar of the forest had wellnigh been extirpated in the

u o f . co nty, a mark progress in agriculture

The F f ullertons, a ter a hundred and twenty ’ years proprietorship, seem to have dissolved

1 their connection with the parish about 447,

1 2 8 though so lately as 7 , when the lands and barony o f Lunan were bought fo r John Car

m c of Bo sa ck F of egi y , John ullerton that Ilk

for f became security the money. The amily may then have been resident at Fullerton in

Meigle . In 1 394 the name o f Melville appears in connection with Dysart ; and about the middle of the following century part of the ’ r ld M e 48 S t M a y s of O on tros .

o f F Ana n ie Ba ln a non lands ullerton , , and were in possession of a family o f the name of w f Cra mou n t. Re erence may be made here

of orbie billock f to the coincidence C , a cro t

o n mentioned in the Session Records, being

the property held by a Cra wmou nt. In re

f e of erence to it the Rev . Dr Campb ll Bal

merino, an authority in antiquarian subjects, “ writes : Many o f your names of places pre

a fi n e fi for sent eld etymological inquiries . What do you make o f Corbie-hillock % There is a place in this parish called Corbie -hill

of which is said (Corbie) to be a den birks, now Birkhill Is there any such den at your place % Den/rea d o f Fullerton suits

the description, and there is other ground for believing that it is the place which was

- formerly named Corbie hillock . In a Scots ’ “ ” man s c a r the word corbie will identify f itsel most readily with the raven , and the writer has been assured that it is the habit of that bird to frequent thickets where the

H ow birk abounds . long this property con tinned in the possession o f the C ra wmo u n ts

1 0 is not known, but in 5 3 it was owned

of Ardestie by Durham , and conveyed by

' him to the Woods, when it became part o f La nded P ro rs prieto . 49 what was afterwards erected into the barony o f Bo nn iton , or Bonnington .

of Ardestie John Durham , who conveyed

1 0 these lands in 5 3 , was probably John

f of Pitkerrow Durham , a terwards designated . The surname of Durham came originally from England ; but at an early date there were persons of considerable distinction bear ing it in Scotland , especially in the south , where it is still retained in the name o f the

- fi parish Kirkpatrick Durham . The rst o f the name known to be connected with

F f wa s Sir or arshire William Durham , to

m for f f r who , aith ul milita y service, Robert Bruce granted a charter of the lands o f

Mon ifi eth Grange, or , which continued in

f f r fi the amily o many generations . The rst Durham o f Pitkerrow was second son of

e n of Al xander, the sixth baro Grange, and

o f of Janet, daughter John Erskine, baron ’ e f Dun . Alexand r s ather, who also was

of named John , had got a charter several

1 lands in Forfarshire from James IV. in 507 .

e of H e died early in the r ign James V . The grandson was bred a merchant in f Dundee, and having made a ortune in

of Pitkerrow trade, purchased the lands , D ’ 50 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

m hi a f h i n a c e &c . a o O , , ch rter whic he got

w his f a e conjunct ith wi e Is bel Kyd, daught r o f l o f r i of l th O e the aird C aig e, date g ctob r

e f i l 1 5 34. On o his descendants w ll be du y n oticed in connection with the parish as w f o f o f i e John, Earl Middleton . From this time henceforth Fu llerton c rt eases very much to be a distinct prope y , being incorpo rated alternately with Old

Bo n n ito n Montrose and .

of Inv e r effer f Patrick p and his wi e, Mar

Fa ssin ton garet g , entered then into the

f nn i n fi f the possession o Bo to . The rst o ’ f W a lkel n n amily was y , the ki g s brewer, who

o f o f Inver effe r had a grant the lands p , near

f 1 200 Arbroath, rom William the Lion about ,

as f and sumed his surname rom the estate . The lady wa s probably related to a William

Fa s sin ton Ba lma dit F de g , to whom y, in ern,

1 62 o f of was granted in 3 ; but whom , or his f name, nothing is known beyond the act that

Fa s sin ton of o f a William de g , the county

f o f Edinburgh , swore ealty to Edward I .

n 1 2 E gland in 96 . The Inv erp effer family were succeeded as

of Bon niton the Tu llochs proprietors by , who f were in possession o the estate in 1 377 . On La nded P ro rietors 1 p . 5 the 1 8th March Walter Tulloch received c harters o f Bonn ito n on the resignation of

o a of J hn de C pella (or John the chapel). There is known to have been a churchman o f in Inver effer f that name the p amily, who i n 1 384 was appointed to the kirk o f Lethnot w hen it was erected into a prebend o f the

C f o f athedral o Brechin . Many the secular c lergymen belonged to families of the first p osition in the country . There was a Walter T ulloch, probably the same individual who w a s Deputy Chamberlain o f Scotland north

f o f o the Forth . Towards the close the cen t u ry the Tu llochs were appointed hereditary k o f o f M on rommon ffi eepers the Moor , an o ce w hich was transmitted to their successors on

for the estate . They were in possession more

h r of t an a centu y, and the last laird the name d two of ied , leaving daughters coheiresses

of Bon n iton a n d Ba ln a non the lands . Janet w a s f of the wi e David Garden , son and heir o f of non s h F r few the laird C o yt . o a years s he ha d re signed her share of the property to Lord In nermea th of Redcastle ; but it w a s ed 1 8 convey back to her in 50 . It was through the marriage o f Dorothy Tulloch that the estate passed into the hands o f the ’ 2 S t M a r s M n r se 5 y of Old o t o .

ood f of hi f t b e W amily, w ch uller de ails will

b - a nd -b given y y. For n early half a century the barony o f

Bonniton F ro , including ullerton, was the p

e t of a f n o p r y amily named Mill . There is evidence to show any relationship between

M of the them and the ilnes Dysart, though different spelling may be a mere clerical t accident. It is cer ain that they were both intimately connected with Montrose and its

fi the merchants . The rst intimation in records of Mill of Bonnito n is the fact o f the

f Ba llv a ilov tutors o being consulted , along

S of in with Col . traton and the laird Dysart,

of 1 2 8 the appointment a schoolmaster in 7 . f m It may be presumed , there ore, that Willia f fi h Mill , whose name is a terwards identi ed wit

of of the property, was the son Robert Mill

Ba lw llo f o f who y , ormerly Provost Montrose , had amassed a fortu ne in trade and pur

in F f In chased various properties or arshire .

‘ ’ ’ Douglas s Baronages his name is given as “ James Mill of Ba lweylo and it is stated that his daughter Katherine married Charles,

of of third son the third baronet Balmain . This Charles Ramsay had been bred a ’ merchant, and his only son, by Provost Mill s

’ t M a r s o ld ose 54 S y f O M on tr .

M o f which had belonged to James, arquis

M n e him o tros , and had been disponed by to ra f F t i John G hame o in r e .

of M The surname iddleton is local , being

ri f o f M d the de ved rom the lands i dleton , in

r f o pa ish o Laurencekirk . Charters relating t the family are found as early as from the

of m be time Willia the Lion, and it can traced from his reign down to the beginning o f Gilbertus the sixteenth century, when

' domin us de Middleton was sherifl of the F f d f of . o county or ar The lan s Middleton ,

H usba ndtown o f Middleton , and Drum quha rbir (Dru mforber) were conveyed by M d John id leton, who may have been son or

of F o f grandson Gilbert, to David alconer

H a lkerton n , who gave in exchange the la ds of Nethersea t o f H a lkerton Kilhill , or , and

- f o f two thirds o the lands Bent . This ex fi change was con rmed by two charters, under

h - 2 t 1 0 . the great seal, dated 7 January 5 39 4 From that time the Middletons were desig n a ted of Kilhill until the property was con ve ed son y into other hands by his , also b d named John , ycharter dated 3 November 1 f f 606. The same day he was in e ted in the

of M n Ca u ldha me Roishill lands urto , , , and r e ors La nded P rop i t . 5 5 o t f n e a hers, and the amily desig ation b c me

M n of a u ldha me Ca dda me . iddleto C , or

o J hn, having no issue, was succeeded by hi s brother Robert, who married Catherine

tra a u chin of S th Thornton , and was the

H e fa ther of the first Earl of Middleton . w a s murdered while sitting in his chair in the Castle of Ca ldha me by soldiers of the M arquis of Montrose when they were over r n u 1 6 u n ing the co ntry in 45 . Though it was late in life when the Earl a of Old M t cquired the property on rose, a b rief sketch of his previous history may not

of f b e out place . A ter a short military c F r ampaign in rance, he entered the se vice o f E wa s the nglish Parliament , and engaged i n the civil wars in 1 642 . Subsequently he r S eturned to cotland , and received a com ’ For man d in General Lesly s army. his ’ share in the Marquis o f Montrose s defeat at Philipha u gh he obtained from the Parlia M 1 6 6 ment a gift of marks . In arch 4 ’ M o f he took ontrose s Castle Kincardine, in f Perthshire, which was de ended by young

of fif For Napier and a band about ty men. fourteen days it held out against the full f o f s orce the besieger, by which it was at la t ’ s 56 S t M a ry s of Old M ontro e.

a f e d red u ced . The br ve de ender, accompani

a h by cousin, made a gallant escape throug

-fiv e the midst of the invading host. Thirty of a nd the his men surrendered , were sent to tolbooth in Edinburgh ; twelve were shot by ’ Middleton s orders ; and the castle was con f n . sig ed to the flames Soon a ter, his per sistent efforts in the North led to the

of M capitulation and exile ontrose, though , f f d two years rom that date, he was oun fi among the Royalists, gallantly ghting at the of battle Preston , in which, having his horse shot under him, he was taken prisoner f and sent to Newcastle . Escaping rom cus H tody there, he next appeared in the igh

a t o f of lands the head a band Royalists, f who were de eated ; and when Charles II . S 1 6 1 came to cotland in 5 , he was joined by

Middleton , who was appointed commander o f H the horse in the royal army. e dis tingu ished himself highly at the battle o f

e Worcester, but was wounded , taken prison r,

w of H and consigned to the To er London . e narrowly escaped execution at the instance of o f Cromwell, on the plea having been a deserter from the Parliamentary army ; and

f e shortly a terwards he join d Charles in Pa ris, La nded P ro rie r p to s. 57 w he nce he returned in 1 653 to command the

R o yalists in the H ighlands . The following y e a r he was defeated at Lochga rry by Gen e ra M l onk , but he made his escape and re 1 6 jo ined the king at Cologne . In 56 he w a s o f created Earl Middleton , Lord Cler m o nt and Fettercairn ; and he remained in F ra nce until the restoratio n of Charles to the On S throne. returning to cotland he r c of e eived the patent his earldom , which 6 w a s dated I st October 1 6 0 . The honour a b le appointments we re also confe rred upon hi m o f Commander-in -Chief o f the forces in

c o n of S tland , Gover or Edinburgh Castle, and

C o mmissioner to the Scottish Parliament .

e fi ffi H lled these o ces with much splendour, bu t with a severity which made him odious

o o f t the people, and a regard to the laws m o rality which was not very creditable to

e f f hims l . Let it be noted in his avour, how

ever, that his conduct, though generally the

e o f w r v erse praise orthy, was not unmarked

b y honourable action . When Montrose cap

itu la ted o f r on conditions leaving the count y, M iddleton resisted all the efforts that were made to induce him to depart from the te rms and deliver the Marquis into the hands ’ t M ld M on ros 58 S a ry s of O t e.

h of . w e n his more vindictive enemies Again , a ppointed to Open the Parliament in Sc o t

d he e f m lan , xpostulated against the in a ous

o f to n letter Charles the Presbyteria s, which had been composed by Archbishop Sharp to ’ put the m o ff their guard as to his maj esty s design of introducing Episcopacy into the f co u ntry. O his conduct on this occasion Dr “ Cook the historian writes : Even Middle k ton, loose as his morals were, was shoc ed with such disingenuity, and honestly answered

fo r that the thing might be done , but that , his share , he did not love the way, which ’ made his majesty s fi rst appearance in Sco t ’ u n o land to be in a cheat . To the Earl s p p u la rity in the country succeeded the with ’ dra wa l o f the king s favour he was deprived o f ffi o f e his o ces, and by way gente l banish ment he received the appointm ent o f Gover

o f f i n nor Tangier, in A rica , where he died

1 e he ha d 67 3 . Through his many excess s contracted considerable debts , and his vari ous estates were taken possession o f by his

f e e his creditors , to be a terwards r d emed by

- in - f o S . son law, the Earl trathmore

w H is fi f The Earl was t ice married . rst wi e, who had been twice previously married (fi rst La nded P ro r p ietors . 59 to e Fo thrin ha m of Ba llindea n Al xander g , a nd n e Sir a fia r o f xt to Gilbert Rams y, Bal

u o f main) , was Grissel Durham , da ghter the i f Pi la rd o tkerrow . She died in September 1 666 a n d in December of the following year

’ w a s St H n he married at Andrew s, olbor , to

M of of Lady artha Carey, daughter the Earl M m on outh . The second marriage was with

s s fi out i ue, but by the rst Cou ntess there

e two wer daughters and a son Lady Grissel , who w a s 1 662 married in to William , ninth

o f -in - o f Earl Morton, nephew law the second

u o f n Marq is Mo trose, and died in March

1 666 H 1 662 and Lady elen, who in became

w f o f o f S the i e Patrick, Earl trathmore, the marriage ceremony being performed by

Archbishop Sharp .

Clza rles the o f , second Earl Middleton ,

H e succeeded his father in 1 673 . had been member fo r Winchelsea in the Long

Parliament“ H e had been bred at the Court

f r of . o Charles II , and he was Ambassador

On some time at Vienna . his return home in 1 682 he was appointed one o f the Prin ci a l S o f S for S p ecretaries tate cotland , and two years afterwards an Extraordinary Lord of s wa s Se sion . About the same time he ’ 60 S t M a ry s of Old M on trose.

sworn a Privy Councillor in England a n d a . month after he wa s appointed one o f the

n s of S ffi c s Pri cipal Secretarie tate, which o e

1 688 H e h n he held till the Revolution in . t e

F n for he joined King James in ra ce, which was outlawed by the Court of Justiciary i n

1 On 2d 1 6 a n d 694. the July 95 his estates

f f of e titles were or eited by Act Parliam nt. A writer of the period gives the following interesting account of Earl Charles : H e was against the violent measures o f King

for e a James, and that reason made no gr t figure at Court while that prince was upo n

et fi rm his the throne, y he continued to ’ majesty s interests to the last ; was pro o f against all the offers made by King William

f f e i n and, a ter being requently imprison d E f F ngland, ollowed King James to rance , where he had the chief administration give n

H e o f e n to him . is one the politest gentlem

E of d in urope ; hath a great deal wit, mixe with a sound judgment ; of a very clear

of ff understanding ; an easy, indi erent access ;

o f wa s but a careless way living. When he in England he fi rmly stood in the gap to

o f stop the torrent some priests, who were driving King James to his ruin and had so

’ tr se 62 S t M a ry s of Old M on o .

a fte r she died at Paris, at an advanced age,

1 a f of S i r 773 . L dy Mary became the wi e

n ff ri n e Joh Gi ard , Knight ; and Lady Cathe , h l the youngest daughter, who married Mic ae ,

1 6 e d Comte de Rothe, died at Paris in 7 3, ag

t - seven y eight years .

In the H of H a istory the Carnegies, y of Ba lho u sie is given as proprietor of O l d Montrose towards the end o f the seventeen th

r H e e th e centu y . may hav acquired it, at f f o f o f o n or eiture the second Earl Middlet ,

1 6 H a o f Ba lho u s ie who in 95 Thomas y , was descended from a brother o f the first

of Kin nou ll Earl , succeeded his own brother

1 1 e in 67 5 . In 69 3 he was elect d member of Parliament for the county of Pe rth ; and he was created Viscount Du pplin by paten t

H e w a s date d 3 l st December 1 697 . one

' o f fo r w the Commissioners the Union , hich

n f o f he supported in Parliame t . The chie

f fi f of Kinnou ll who his amily, the th Earl , was then at the Court o f St Germains with

e Jam s VII . , resigned his titles into the hands o f e h Queen Anne, and rec ived a c arter in 1 704 permitting him to bear the honours

f 1 during his li e . At his death in 709 he

D u lin was succeeded by Lord pp , who thus L nded P r a op rietors . 63 b e o f Kin no u ll a n d came sixth Earl , was s o f on a ter elected a representative peer. H e was a supporter o f the Tory Administra t o f 1 1 ion ; and at the Rebellion 7 5, having f n alle under suspicion , he was committed a of prisoner to the Castle Edinburgh .

H is eldest son , who had been created Baron

H a i d n y, was taken nto custody in Lon o

o n H is H on . the same occasion. third son ,

o H a of romlix C lonel John y C , accompanied the of Earl Mar to the North, and joined him in proclaiming the Pretender, who

e a e For cr t d him Earl o f Inverness. his s ha re in the Rebellion Colonel H a y was fo f r eited by Act o f Parliament . The Earl

e 1 H is f di d in January 1 7 9. wi e was only dau ghte r o f the fi rst Lord Strathallan . It is curious to fi nd the nam e by which he must have be en chiefly known in the

1 6 parish, surviving until 7 9 in the stable o f one whose ancestors and himself had been long farmers on the estate o f Old

M o f ih ontrose, the valuation Redcastle “ ” u n e Di lin e cl ding a horse am d p . Walt r

ff e Greig had su ered , though in a small r,

for e way, the Tory principl s which had

u f bro ght his lordship to grie . Perhaps ’ 64 S t M a ry s of Old M o ntrose. it wa s a fellow - feeling that induced him in this hu mble fashion to preserve the ’ m r o f his l f r emo y own, or certain y his athe s, landlord . This closes the proprietorship of the parish

s e r in the ev nteenth centu y, and it may be well to note that the eighteenth century opened with its whole lands in the posses s of f Bonn iton ion three amilies . was still

mi in lingering, no nally at least, the hands of Sir o James Wo d, the last representative of a ba ronia l family which had been rooted in the parish fo r more than two cen turies.

Old M c u ontrose , now in luding the vario s lands which had been joined to it during

n the previous ce turies, was the property of Du lin Lord pp , who was virtually the head of a noble house which had been long dis tin u ished g , as it still is in the neighbouring f L t o . coun y Perth And William yell , laird of wa s f e Dysart, the chie living repres ntative of a family which from an early period had been o f considerable influence in the

Mearns . Perhaps Old Montrose was the fi rst to if change its owner, it passed immediately from the Kin no u ll family into the hands La nded P ro rietors p . 65 of H e ra to wh the onourable Charl s St n , o

o f f 1 2 1 was certainly proprietor it be ore 7 .

H e o f the Stra itons Stra tons of was , or ,

a e e Lauriston, who are supposed to h v com

n f a a s origi ally rom England . As e rly the fourteenth century the family wa s of con sidera ble u M r conseq ence in the ea ns . Two “ of the name o f Ale xander Stra to n e de

La u reston r n are well known in histo y . O e of m f t e o f H a rla w a s te the ell at the bat l , corded in the old ballad

An d then the kn icht of La u reston ” W a s sla in i n to his a rmou r s hee n .

Various representatives of the family were m e of S emb rs the cottish Parliament, the last o f whom sat fo r Kincardineshire in

1 6 f f 63 . The amily estate went rom their

in 1 6 possession 95 , or at an earlier date . The name o f the barony of Lauriston was changed into Milto nha v en by its new pro

ir F o f Phesdo rieto r S . p , James alconer Some o f the principal families in Montrose

Stra to n s o f a last century were , cadets L uris ton . It does not appear in what re lation Colonel Straton stood to the last o f his family and name who owned the original E ’ r 66 S t M a ry s of Old M on t ose. e ta e H e e ro s t . may have b en the last p

rietor o f it f s o n p himsel , or more probably h i of the la st proprietor. At all events s nea r relationship may be pres umed fro m his desire to change the name of Old

wa s d esi Montrose into Lau riston . It so g na ted a n d in certain legal documents,

i s proba bly so called fo r a time. But it doubtful if the old name ever gave place ge nerally to the one which sought to us urp

o f me it . In most the parish records the na of Old Montrose is the only one which

of occurs . And the good old name Lauris

fi e ton has been perpetuated , without sacri c

Old M n e to ontrose, by bei g restor d to the lands to which it legitimately belonged . Colonel Straton seems to have taken con s id r ble ff f h e a interest in the a airs o the paris . H e was succeeded in possession o f the

1 2 8 ha d estate by his son John , who in 7

S of married Janet traton, daughter Samuel S traton, apothecary in Montrose . John had

o f i f resigned possession t be ore 1 765 . In 1 765 the proprietor o f Old Montrose

of was John Mill, another son Provost Mill of Ba lw llo y , who previous to its purchase had been a merchant in London . H e La nded P r r 6 op rieto s . 7

e r sided some time in the parish , and erected a loft in the end o f the church for him s e f f l and his amily . There are still in the p a rish those who have heard old people s p eak of the good reputation which John M ill and his successor on the estate main ta in ed i in the distr ct . No pains or expense w a s spared in the improvement o f their

l e p ace, and verything about it was kept in b e f auti ul order. They also excelled in their c harities ; and John Mill ha s the distinction o f being the only proprietor in the parish w ho has left behind him a perman ent s o e o f f H is urc bene actions to the poor. e arly years had been spent in Montrose, a nd his connection with the trad e o f the town had probably continued durin g his f li e . At his death, which took place in

1 1 f e o f mo rtifi ca tion 77 , he le t a de d to the “ following effect : I leave to the Town and Parish o f Montrose the sum of On e thou s n S e n of and Pou ds t rli g, and to the Poor

o f r H the Parish Ma ytown , in which my ouse a t ld o f O Montrose is situate, the sum Two

hundred Pounds Sterling, to be distributed i n such manner as the Magistrates in the Town of Montrose and the Kirk Session ’ 6 S t M r s ld M on trose 8 a y of O . of the Parish o f Marytown shall resp ec tivel n of o r y, with the Approbatio two

o e o f t m r my Executors or Trustees, direc

. own n and appoint Written with my ha d ,

H in and signed by me, at ampstead , the

o f o f County Middlesex , this thirtieth day ” 1 6 S o f May, 7 7 . ( igned) John Mill . Two

u — his exec tors were nephews James Mill,

Sir who succeeded to the property, and

o f Alexander Ramsay Balmain, who in 1 765 had been elected member o f Parlia ment for Kincardineshire in the room o f

Sir . e James Carnegie Another trust e, Cap

n tai Mill, merchant in Montrose, probably stood in the same relationship to the deceased .

James Mill , who succeeded his uncle in

of Old possession Montrose, is described in

‘ ’ The Land o f the Lindsays as laird o f

Noranside . As already stated , he was an executor of William Mill o f Bon n iton ; but it does not appear that he had a personal interest in that property. The records bear that during his proprietorship he was frequently consulted in the affairs of the

- n parish by the minister and kirk sessio . H e sold the estate o f Old Montrose i n

’ 70 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose. n in a ld s s of , had been in po se sion the Car ne i l of g es o f Craigo from 1 739. The ist landed proprietors from the twelfth century

now r f be is , the e ore, as complete as it can drawn from the sources o f information f t available . That the list is an imper ec

o f one, especially in the earlier the cen tu ries f t , may reasonably be in erred ; and tha the information conveyed may be partially

f is inaccurate, and ragmentary at best, f n u t ra kly acknowledged . The only claim p forth is one which the reader will gener — o u sly recognise that the task has been performed with a sincere desire to make the short history as interestin g as a bare

o f f narration acts would permit, and as reliable as possible from the materials at command . Following the families already noticed there has been a succession o f proprietors of whom little information can be obtained . The lands in Forfarshire chan ged own ers very frequently durin g the seventeenth cen

. f tury The account, there ore, which remains to be given may not be very abund a nt in w detail, but it ill be as accurate as possible. The courtesy o f a gentleman in the neigh n P ri 1 La ded rop etors . 7 b o urhood e f su h , who has devot d himsel to c s u d f n in for bjects, has supplie the ollowi g m ation o f one o f the earliest successo rs to the Melvilles in the possession of a po rtion “ o f r : h 1 6 Dysa t 4t November 53 . There is a retour of this date to be seen in C hancery in favour of John Guthrie of

O e - of his u v r Dysart as heir male ncle , John Guthrie of In n erlu na n (the part o f

u L nan now possessed by Colonel W. Blair f l Im rie). The sas ine upon the precept o l o w in g on this retou r is registered in the P a rticular Register the 1 1 th o f February

n 1 6 54. This Joh Guthrie disponed the l a n ds and teinds o f Lunan to Sir Francis

v of New ra n e Bra ikie O gil y g g and Easter ,

‘ a n d his sasine on this conveyan ce is reg i s tered in the Particular Register the 8th S eptember It was probably about the same time as the Middletons came to be connected with the parish that Dysart fell into possession o f the Lyells The fi rst proprietor of the

name is believed to have been Walter Lyell , w ho was the son of James Lyell o f Balma

leddi e H a of and Jean y, daughter the Laird

H e 1 o f Urie . was born in 595 ; and it is ’ 72 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

s upposed that Dysart wa s purchased to wards i f n the close o f his life. H s ather having bee

s ss of f dispo se ed the amily estate, Walter Lyell procured for himself the offi ce o f

o f wa s hereditary clerk Montrose, which held by himself a n d his son in succession

u th 1 688 l ntil e Revolution in . Walter Lyel

wa s — first d twice married, to a lady name H f b amilton, rom the South Country, y

w a s whom he had one son , David , who

of Ba lha ll minister in Montrose and laird .

o f of Ba lha ll James, the elder son Lyell ,

e b came an advocate, and died unmarried ; and Peter, the younger son , married Dow

H a lke rton u ager Lady , but died witho t issue.

f of By his second wi e, who was daughter

F o f Ga ie o f inlayson g , Provost Dundee,

so n Walter Lyell had a , Thomas, who

fi ffi o f inherited Dysart, and lled the o ce

M H e clerk in ontrose . married Jean Maria

of H Lindsay, daughter the onourable Col o n el o f E o f Lindsay, a brother the arl

f of z Craw ord , and cousin to Lindsay Ed ell . H e r father was killed at the siege o f

Bra eda w in 1 68 . Thomas Lyell died 9, leaving a son to succeed him . P r La nded rop i etors . 7 3

William Lyell o f Dysart is said to ha ve

Bonn ito n for H e owned some time. had t o f the hree sons, the second whom was f f r f ounder o the Ga dyn e amily. Thomas

o f G a rd n e his f wa s Lyell y , by wi e, who

u o f in da ghter a merchant Montrose, had

o f r — o n e seven sons, two whom su vived him ,

t the Ga rd n e t to inheri y es ate, which is now possess ed by his great - grandson ; and the o u o f ff f of the ther, St art Lyell Kinne , ather ’ a n of l te mi ister Careston . William Lyell s a ff a airs h ving got into disorder, Dysart was

o u 1 1 sold ab t 7 5 . On a stone in the garden wall o f Nether D P ysart a re to be seen the letters . S . w e 1 1 S e ith dat 7 4, and a Latin inscription, p ” r n u r o f vi es a u ge t . They are the initials

P o f H O e atrick S cott Rossie and Margaret p , his f o f Ra nkeillo r wi e, a daughter Lord .

But n of he was never in possessio the estate,

a s H is has been supposed . grandson , also

P S o f atrick cott, having disposed Rossie,

ot o f fo r n i neteens g a lease Dysart two , a nd on entering upon it [built the present

hou se. The stone in question had come from Rossie. The parish records bear that the proprietor ’ 74 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose. o f D sa rt in 1 1 was hn Mi n a a i s y 7 9 Jo l e, m g

In a min f 1 2 tra te of Montrose . ute o 7 7 there is refe re nce to a bon d by John Mil n e o f D sa rt da ed a t M tr e ec mb e r y , t on os , D e

d 1 1 ea rs The r w a s the 2 . , 7 9 y ministe reco mm en de d to co nvers e with Bail ie

Mi ne a bo u i n s n l t the tere t, being [seei g] the sess ion kn ew n ot how many years a re res ti n g o r paye d sin ce the date o f his ” i o n . hn ln e f 1 1 b d Jo Mi e had d d be ore 73 , a nd be en su cceed ed in the property by his so n ; for that year it was reported tha t the Min ister a nd three o f the Elders ha d waited u pon James Milne o f Dysart i n order to have the Bond granted by hi s Father fo r the behoof of the poor o f thi s

to Parish, and the said bond was put in ” ’ no the box . James Milne s lairdship had t

- n been a prosperous one, and the kirk sessio were summoned to a meeti n g o f his creditors

s on the third o f January 1 739. Some day after a bill was d e livered to them on his “ f S o f behal , accepted by Jas cot Loggie;

S o f H edd erwea k S t John cot , Archibald co

of of Ba lla chie Rossie, Alexander Mill ,

o f n Alexander Turnbull Nether Woodtow , ” a d n James Mill , shipmaster in Montrose ; La nded P rop rietors . 75

dis and the same year, in December, a charge was granted to his trustees . S The , relations between the cots and Mills o f the district seem to have been f very intimate , probably rom the close con n ectio n o f both families with the town and

o f trade Montrose. At the same time, it is doubtful if such a combination of names could have been procured to a friendly document a quarter o f a century before . In the famous Fifteen the lairds above ff n oted were ranged on di erent sides . The

H edd e rwea k of fi d that period was certi e , “ o f in the interests loyalty, as having kept ” his ground very well ; and it was at his place the ministers o f Montrose ofli cia ted on Sabbaths when they were driven from

of their pulpit. At a later date , one the gentlem e n rebels who had to flee from “ s of Ba llochie Montro e was Alexander Miln , who assaulted Mr Ker (minister of Logic ) ” in the pulpit and brought him out of it. “ ” While o f Logic Scot it is recorded that he had the management o f affairs in Mon

f of n trose in behal the ki g, though his con duct seems on the whole to have been

fu ff of doubt l . In the a air a prisoner who ’ r l 76 S t M a y s of O d M on trose. wa s i r ed for f b e nt ust to him sa e custody, ,

t o f along wi h the commandant the garrison, quarrelled over their cups with the captor o f the r a nd t ebel , withou ceremony ordered

for him to prison, which criminal letters were taken out against M r Logic and the commandant. Previous to the discharge being granted

o f M to the trustees James ilne, David Carnegie had acquired possession o f the lands o f Meikle and Little Dysarts through

f M of his wi e, argaret Dempster, heiress

Lo ic o f g and Dysart, the nature whose connection with the properties, or the f n ot amilies who owned them , has been discovered . It must be stated, however, f M that a year or two a ter, James ilne, then a merchant in Montrose, made good to the session the loss which they had sustained in accepting the composition offered to his other creditors . The leading families o f the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries havin g now received

of their share attention , it may be well to

fo r go back a little to the monks, and

o f Aberbrothoc the Monastery , which had a con siderable interest in the parish for

’ n s e S t M a ry s of Old M o tro .

n Ba ldov ie o f a nd includi g , course), the glebe ts e i pertinents, and (there is reason to believ ) a small portion o f the present farm of Old d Montrose . There are no details recorde o f the management of the Abthen of St

’ Mary s ; but it is possible to form an idea o f its probable condition from particular accounts which have been handed down o f

- other church lands similarly situated . Some were farm ed almost entirely in the immedi ate interests o f the Monastery ; others were wholly in the hands of tacksmen paying a yearly rent ; and a fe w conjoined the two

r n fo r systems, a po tion bei g retained cultiva

o tion and the remainder let t tenants . ’ The monks barony usually consisted of what was called the Grange or prin cipal f - h arm steading ; adjoining it, the mill, wit a hamlet of houses for cottars and their f a n d f amilies ; arther outlying, the husband

f f r lands or cro ts . It was not unusual o the cottars to hold from one to ten acres o f land at rents varying (as in the case of Kelso in the fourteen th century) from one to six shillings a year, with services not exceeding ’ nine days labour The tenants o f a hus ba ndla nd had each ground suffi cient for the La nded P ro rietor p s . 79 maintenance of two oxen and six of those tenants were clubbed together, having a common plough to till the whole o f the

of land, each one supplying his quota service . The plough of the period was drawn by twelve oxen ; and the extent o f a husband

- n land was about twenty six acres . Somethi g like this community o f land -tillage may still be few seen , or might have been a years ago,

not in Belgium ; where, however, oxen , but the milk - cows of two or three adjoining f w . amilies, ere thus utilised Whethe r this exactly describes the Abthen ’ of St M o f ffi ary s cannot, course, be a rmed ;

but probably it does . There is no mention of a milltown having been on the farm o f

M r a yton within the last two centuries, though one or more were to be found on the other

fa hu sba n dtow n of Old rms . But a Montrose wa s a separate holding during last century ; a nd it is not unlikely that it had derived the n ame from having once formed the

h A t e n of b h . usbandlands the The tradition , that H ospital Shiells in the parish of Mary ’ k to Abthen o f St M irk belonged the ary s, is one to which some countenance is lent by the dedication of the church of that ’ t M a r o d n r s S y s f Ol M o t o e. parish ; and in times o f old the two parishes may have borne other relations to one another .

if e of It seems that part, not the whol , the lands had been out o f possession of the

fo r monastery a period , as there is a deed of resignation o f the lands o f Maryton in

1 F f 447 by William ullerton o that Ilk . With that exception there is reason to believe that the Abthen continued in the hands of the f monks until the Re ormation . It was then rather summarily disposed o f by Alexander

o f e of the Campbell , Bishop Br chin , brother

o f Ardki n la ss o f S laird g , Comptroller cot f land , who was un ortunately empowered to make away with all the ben efi ces within the

o f n diocese . In the discharge this importa t commission he was influenced more by personal feeling than any strict sense of

H e justice . had been appointed bishop through the influence o f the chief o f his

o f clan , and in token gratitude to his patron he bestowed upon him all the church pro

F l n e perty in arnel and Maryto , tog ther with

o f Esa u x to n the lands , near Brechin ; the total value o f them all being a yearly sum

f 1 3 8d . o 0 . g 3 57 , , a comparatively large rental, d r 1 La n ed P roprieto s . 8

e S ven in cots money, in those days, though greatly under the figu re o f the present rental

in sterling money. It is understood that the bishop did not con fine benefactions of f this sort to his riends, but appropriated to f himself a goodly share o the spoil . The nobleman who in this wa y had the fortune to become a proprietor in the parish wa s fif l o f who Archibald , th Ear Argyle, in the stirring events o f his time distin guished himself as the most powerful leader among

For the Protestants . a while he adhered to the party o f the Queen Regent ; and he endeavoured to act a friendly part to the

f M d n un ortunate ary in her nee , ever con curring in her imprisonment, and engaging

f H is in her cause at the battle o Langside . strict Protestantism would not allow him to

e e o f n be pres nt at the christ ning the pri ce, on account o f the Popish ceremonies intro du ced , though his Countess was a sponsor on the occasion in the room of Queen f Elizabeth . Be ore his death , which occurred in 1 the f - of a e 57 5 , in orty third year his g , he had attained the dignity o f a Privy Councillor and the office of Lord H igh

H is Chancellor . brother, who succeeded F ’ 8 2 S t M a ry s of Old M on trose.

him wa s f of who , grand ather the Argyle

f H ow opposed the Marquis o Montrose . long the Argyle interest continued in the

not the Abthe n parish is known , but entire , with the e xception o f the glebe and church

to pertinents, had been added the estate of Old Montrose prior to the time o f the

Marquis . Before taking leave o f the landward his tory o f the parish it may be interesting to give as correct an idea as possible o f its agricultural divisions during the eighteenth

f e century. Besides the leading arms, ther appear to have been nearly thirty smalle r

n holdings, with distinctive names, in additio to a fe w small pendicles of an acre or two

in size . The population must have been a t f f t the least a thousand, judging rom the ac

o f re that the number communicants, as

2 80. corded , averaged about A good many of the names o f those separate holdings

n ew e u v l will be to most p rsons, tho gh se era of them are still familiar as names of a

of l M portion their respective farms . O d o n

F u t trose, Dysart, and llerton had all heir

ot c towns as well as milltowns . There was

of B o nniton hu sba ndtown o f a milltown , a La nded P ro rietors 8 p . 3

Old M of M r ontrose, and a cottown a yton

Law. Then , in addition to the leading f arms which still exist, there were connected

o f ld M Ba lfield with the estate O ontrose, ,

Berma in s H a u hbrid e M . Brewlands, , and g g ill The name o f Ba rnhea d appears on the

o fo r fi 1 6 rec rd the rst time in 77 . Pow

u mo th was a separate holding ; and, as

M r already said , Over and Nether a yton f and Maryton Law were distinct arms . Co rbie - hillock was situated at the top o f

F D keside ullerton Den , while y occupied part o f the field above the glebe . The

of estate Dysart , besides the two larger

C rookwa rd divisions , comprehended , Even w ward , Eastward , West ard, Newbigging,

Ba ls tou t of Gi ht bu rn S , North Room g y , outh

of Gi ht b u rn Bu ckiemill F Room g y , , and isher — land of Du n n in a ld the last named being also called either M orrockhill or Sturrock

it f o f hill, is doubt ul which the two . H C APTER III .

F H I S TO R IC A M I L I E S .

— — INTRODUCTORY WOODS OF BONN ITON AN EX COMM U NI — — GATED PAPIST THE BROTHERS DALL AN INTEREST I NG LETTER CREATION OF BARONETCY W ISH ARTS — — OF DRUM CAUSES OF THE REFORMATION VISITS OF — — J OHN K NOX MELVILLES OF DYSART MELVILLES OF — — BALDOY IE ANDREW MELVILLE FAMILY OF RICHARD I L — — OF M ELVI . E J AMES MELVILLE FAMILY DAVID MEL — — VILLE EARLY HISTORY OF THE G RAHAMS THE FIRST — AND SECOND EARLS THE THIRD AND FOURTH EARLS — — A TU LZIE IN EDINBURGH THE MARQUIS— ESTIMATE — OF HIS CHARACTER SUMMARY OF HIS LIFE— HIS EX — EC U TION INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH O LD MON — TROSE INTERESTIN G EPISODES IN AND ABOUT MON — TROSE THE SISTERS AND WIFE OF THE MARQUIS O THE SEC ND MARQUIS AND HIS DESCENDANTS.

ABOUT the middle o f the sixteenth century

if of the greater part, not the whole, the ’ of of lands the parish , exclusive the monks

o f f f property, was in possession our amilies , whose names appear with striking promi

' r 86 S t M a ry s of Old M ont ose.

is immortalised by the great Marquis . It chiefly in their relation to the parish of Maryton that it is proposed to touch the

o f t the history hose remarkable men , with memory o f whose public life the dearest i nterests o f the country are so closely asso cia ted r if to . O , larger space is devoted them than to the other members of their

f on respective amilies, it will be excused the o f o or ground , partly the better pp tu nity there is of acquiring information in

t o f regard to hem , and partly the temp ta tio n , which is natural , to dwell at greater length upon characters replete with universal interest . An old account o f the families o f Scot land bears that the chief o f the Woods

of C ol n a was Wood p y, in Aberdeenshire, now extinct . In old documents they were called De Bosco . The same account gives that in the days of King William and

u li l Alexander II . G e mu s de Bosco was

Chancellor, and was a witness in many f o their charters . It also mentions a tradi F tion that leetwood , Kirkwood , and Calder

o f f wood are all cadets the amily, who have varied their old name by adding their H t r F m i is o ic a il es . 87

t s yle. The same authority states that the

fir of Bonnito n the t son st Wood was hird , while the founder of the Wood family of Ba lbegn o wa s the second son of Wood of ol n C p a y.

As already stated , Walter Wood succeeded to B o nniton through his marriage with D r f o othy Tulloch . A ter he had been in

f r n o s . possessio some time, King Jame IV , 1 fi on July 3 , 493 , con rmed a charter by

D l of orothy Tu loch , with consent her

of of Bonniton husband , the lands and

Ba lna non re to John Wood , their son ,

- serving their life rent. John died without

a n d of n issue, the right successio passed

1 20 is to his brother William , who in 5

n e The des cribed a s the so and h ir. time of c o f his su cession, or his death, is not recorded ; but he is know n to have married

of Margaret Ogilvy, eldest daughter the

f 1 2 second Lord Ogilvy o Airlie, and in 53 certain lands were resigned to him by f o M . is William , Earl ontrose It his

of monument, parts which are to be seen

of on the churchyard wall , and enough the inscription is preserved to show that he had died in possession o f the estate. M o 88 S t a rys f Old M ontrose.

H is M f o f daughter, arjory, was the wi e

o f William Ramsay Balmain , who received f rom James V. a charter under the great

o f of Ta rren z e a n seal the lands and barony ,

r 1 1 th 1 in Ay shire, dated April 5 34. Their

s on of only , David Ramsay Balmain , mar

o f ir ried Catherine, daughter S Robert

o f o f Carnegie Kinnaird , an ancestor the

o f Sou thesk Earl . The old authority already quoted states that David Wood of o f Craig, Comptroller in the time King

V of B n i H e . o n ton . James , was was prob

o r of ably brother, son, this William ; but there is evidence that in 1 549 the laird

was James Wood , who married Elizabeth,

o f daughter Lord Ruthven, and who granted the lands o f Ba lna n on by charter to the

f o f fi f ou thesk grand ather the rst Earl o S . H is daughter Elizabeth married George

o f Ba mff Ramsay . There is a blank in the records of Bo nn iton

f- and the Woods during the next hal century. Their share in the time o f suffering which f preceded the Re ormation, and in the years

o f w f anxious labour hich ollowed it, is not t known ; hough , doubtless, they had not been allowed to stand by as uninterested

’ d n tr 90 S t M a ry s of Ol M o ose. relieve him o f the sentence of e x c om mu n ica tion him ; otherwise, to cite to a ppear before the Council within fi fteen

f o f da ys therea ter . The accounts this young ma n see m to indicate that his family a dhered to the principles o f the Refo rma ’ if he tion ; but the Bishop s interposition ,

his o wn did interpose, was unavailing in

a f f c se, as the ollowing extract rom Cham

’ ‘ ’ bers s Domestic Annals fo r the year 1 60 1 will show

a r — — of James Wood , fi that is, heir

Forfa rshire Bonnington , in , was a Catholic, and received excommunication on that

few f H e account a years be ore . had at the same time had quarrels with his father

o f h regarding questions property . In Marc of the present year he again drew observa tion upon himself by coming to Edinburgh and attending the mass in Andrew Napier’s f f hi t house . It was urther alleged o m tha he h a n had arboured seminary priest. O

1 6 o f M the th arch, accompanied by his

- in - m of n brother law, Willia Wood Latou ,

Da w m by two blacksmiths named , and so e f ’ other persons, he broke into his ather s house and took therefrom certain legal papers Fa 1 H istoric milies . 9

e lo a b nging to the Lady Usen , besides

u n of n . q a tity clothes, napery, and bla kets

The circumstances connected with this act, d id d we know them , woul probably exten

% u the f ate criminality. The ather made no m H e ovement to prosecute his son . was,

o f n however, tried, along with Wood Latou , f t be ore an assize in Edinburgh, when bo h f were ound guilty, and condemned to be

o f t i re hanged . Wood Latoun ob a ned a

r a for mission , and g e t interest was made

the principal culprit by the Catholic nobles, H H . untly, Errol , and ome James might f have listened avourably, and been content,

’ ‘ fi n e as in Kincaid s case , with a good pay

’ ‘ able to us and our treasurer ; but the ministers were instant with the King to ’ f o f — s o have a proo his sincerity, says

r Calde wood, without telling us whether it was his sincerity against Papists or his sin cerity against malefactors in general that

was meant . The young man regarded him

f of sel , by admission the same author, as

ff for — su ering the Catholic religion though,

for perhaps, he only meant that, but his

a a being a P pist, his actu l guilt would not

H e wa s have been punished so severely. ’ r d 92 S t M a y s of Ol M ontrose.

’ beheaded a t the cross a t six o clock i n the

for to morning, ever looking pardon the ’ last gasp . It is not recorded whether punishment was “ also inflicted upon the two blacksmiths ” who named Daw, encouraged the young

i is e ih laird n h misd meanour. It may be

terestin a n g, however, to give here epitaph

of in upon one the older tombstones, which

the n ff ame occurs di erently spelt, but evi dently belonging to the same family

Blessed a re the ded vhich die i n the Lord yea sa ith the Spirit tha t they ma y rest from h r l vr n d th ir h m t ei a bo a e vorks do folov t e .

H eir Iyes JAM ES DALL hvsba nd to AG NES P E ‘I‘ ER A SON his spovsse . Theis tvo persones desesed September 22 a nd Febrva r the 1 0 the yea r of G od 58 a n d 55 a nd of a ge 45 a nd

’ ‘ 6 . n ne E 3 A d Iso u . R A I spovse to Thoma s Da li vho decea sed in S eptember the 1 0 the eir of od 2 a nd o f a y g 4 ge 44 . M emen to

mori 1 643 . In connection with this stone the extract

above quoted has additional interest, con ’ fi rming the accuracy o f Mr J ervise s desc rip of tion the carving upon it. To a casual observer it has the appearance of a coron et

a n and eagle, which has led to the belief

’ t M a r o d n t 94 S y s f Ol M o rose. men o f the parish in the seventeenth century i must have be en n good circumstances.

f t me Un or unately, their associates were so times not so creditable to their position in s ociety a s these silent memorials o f their f f li e and death . When ou n d in the company ’ o f n m of lairds so s, it was in the co mission a m e burglary, and not demeaning the selv s

- - as decent, well to do parishioners . But it is o f for nly air to acknowledge that, anything

o f w v recorded it, the crime, which ould ha e been comparatively venial in any age, may have been still more pardonable in the

t e circums anc s , as prompted by honest sym h f pat y with an un ortunate young man , whose

o f indiscretions, the result unjust persecution ,

and grave as they may have been, were

for bitterly atoned . It may be interesti n g a ls o to add that so lately as 1 7 39 a collection was made o n “ f of a ca rt- wired w r ht behal Robert D ll , ig in

who r w a s Brechin , , by a hu t he had got,

e ff o ff a n d oblig d to su er his leg to be cut , was now reduced to poverty with his whole — “ family the session knowing that s aid f ” Robert was a real object o charity . The eldest son having met this unhappy H i storic Fa milies . 95 fa te, the estate in due course passed to

H n 1 6 2 e ry Wood , who died in 4 , leaving two

s ns d o a n . e rv is , Patrick John The late Mr J e

n e f p ri t d a letter, ound among the Panmure

e wa s p ap rs which concerned Patrick , who the

e de of n l st son . The date the letter is ot

v n gi e , but it must have been between the

ea 1 2 1 1 6 n y rs 6 and 33 . It was writte by a

r of f lai d Dun , Alexander Erskine, a terwards

n f k ighted , whose history is interesting rom the fact o f his having been the survivor o f two young boys to whom poison had been

a m The d inistered by their uncle and aunts .

e letter is address d to another uncle , the

of n o f laird Panmure, and a portio it is here tra nscribed in modern form “ Sir o f Bonitou ne , the laird has spoken to me o f a purpose which he tells me he proposed to you himself at your last being

in fi nd Scotland . I him very willing and desirous to bestow his eldest son upon your

d u ir e a ghter. S , he has desired me to writ

to you , to let you know that he will be willing to remit the whole conditions to

ou f w y rsel , what you ill be pleased to give

w fee ith your daughter, or what conjunct

s hall be given to your daughter, and at your ’ t M a r s o ld M 96 S y f O on trose.

fee o f Sir sight to give his son a his estate. ,

w s one no I ill a sure you thing, there is t a , better disposed youth in this kingdom nor

n i n If young Bo to u e is . you mind to bestow your daughter in this kingdom it is not a n ff H o er to be neglected . owever, sir, you are ’ obliged to the laird of Bon ito u ne s respect to you and your house. There is to my knowledge the occasions of good fortune ff m d o ered to him , but he has a greater in

e to deal with you than with any whatsoev r, and will not enter in terms with any till he

a n f me. have answer rom you , written to

Sir if fi ha , you mind to deal , it will be ttest t t the matter continue till your own coming to

ir me S . S cotland , according as you enjoin by your letter I shall most carefully a nd ” secretly obey your desire . It will be acknowledged that a cause pleaded so well ought to have been success fu l ff n . But the o er, urged by his importu ate f f of Bon n ito n riend, on behal young , was not ’ u accepted , Pa mure s two daughters having

married the Earls o f N o rthesk and Kinghorn . “ ” The good fortunes offered to him was

o f a f for probably the promise wi e elsewhere,

1 6 of in 34 he married Lady Anna, daughter

’ 98 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

F f i m de in or arsh re, who arried Phillis, el r

a u o f o f F no in d ghter Archibald Adam an ,

Rescobie o f Fa the , who sold the lands nno in f of I. O reign Charles , and acquired those

u een sma n ou r the o f F fa r Q , in parish or . This Andrew Wood probably belonged to

f o f Bon n iton if s the amily , and so, he al o ma o f H H is y have been a son enry Wood . ’ fe of H a wi s mother was daughter John y, merchant in Montrose . The lands of Bo n n iton were erected into

1 666 for a barony in , when their possessor

ne the time, John Wood , was created a baro t

e by Charles II . It do s not appear whether

fi o f the rst baronet was a son Patrick Wood ,

u or his brother John, who had previo sly usurped the functions of the parish minister. Nor is it known what special se rvices com

mended the family to the honour bestowed .

f influ It may be in erred , indeed , that their ence had been devoted to the Royal cause. And the fact that the first or second baronet ’ married a daughter o f one of the king s chie f supporters in Scotland may be taken

f H is f as evidence o their loyalty. wi e was

O o f Lady Mary gilvy, third daughter the

of a nd second Earl Airlie, whose labours H c milies istori Fa . 99 sa c rifices in the interests of the king were

u o . w nd ubted The two slabs, one ith the a rm s of Scotland and the other with the f m a a ily rms, which are still to be seen on the f r - a m steading, are the only relics which f remain o the old castle . Both are dated

1 666 n , and the probability is that it had bee f bu ilt in the year o the baronetcy creation .

Its o f site is well known , but no account its

e of siz or other description it exists . Besides

Bo n n iton the f o f , amily owned the estates Letham and Idv ies ; and outward prosperity ma y have characterised the fi rst years o f th e ir new dignity. But it did not last long. “ “ A M r e rvise e bout writes J , th ir affairs became much embarrassed and their es tates (Letham and Idvies being in the num be r) were adjudged to be sold in the time o f

i r H e S John Wood . was succeeded in the

i of f t tle, and possibly in any part the amily

e inheritance that remained , by his eld st son

a Sir J mes, who was alive in James is su pposed to have been residing at that time

I ies with some friends at or near dv . The

r Bon nito n p esumption, however, is that the estate continued to be held by the family

f of a ter the loss their other possessions, as ’ 1 a s M 00 S t M ry of Old on trose. there is a min ute in the Session Records o f 1 7 27 which takes for gra nted the possibility of t rn i in the heir retu ng to reside parish. A n t parishio er, whose grandmo her was a cot

a r in Bonn iton ha s her of t ge , heard speak a repo rt which wa s common in her younger

t e w days, hat the Woods disapp ared some hat

f One n mysteriously rom the parish . eve ing they were known to have sat down to supper, a n d r a next mo ning they had disappe red,

n the r never agai to be seen in parish , and ve y

of Sir little heard until James, as it has been

f a n stated , was ound to be sojourning in

o f other part the county.

W isca rd The name Guiscard, or , came f originally rom Normandy, where it was

n used to describe a wise or cunning perso . f In Britain it passed through various orms, fi f and nally settled into Wishart . The amily had taken root in Scotland before the

o f thirteenth century. In the reign Alex

1 2 1 1 2 ander II . ( 4 49) John Wishart was

ff f i H is Sheri o K ncardineshire . descendants fi held large estates in the Mearns , and lled

ffi S Sir high o ces in Church and tate .

fif of John Wishart, the th baron the name, was the first to be styled of Pita rrow in

’ 2 t M a r s o Old M ontrose 10 S y f .

of M ca boy (Montboy) was granted to

o e of Dr mme a nd Ge rg Wishart, elder y ;

a e e s rt of Dr mme th t, by G org Wi ha y , son

of the o f M enbo wa s preceding, the moor y on the 26th July 1 605 sold to Alexander

a B of H e e C mpbell , ishop Brechin , and l n

f a Cle ha ne n . p , his seco d wi e It will h ve been observed that all the lairds above named have been called by the name of

M m o f f nown George. e bers the amily are k

o d to have settled in Montrose, and rec r s relating to the town show that during the

e r the rob s venteenth centu y name, and p

f ed ably the amily, were well represent

the m a nd among agistrates , councillors,

n ge eral citizens . There is no certainty as ’ to the nearness o f the martyr s relationship

f o f to the Drum amily his time. But it may be conceived that while he wa s resi dent in Montrose the home o f his kinsman f had been a requent resort, and that the

o f f f influence the youth ul , gi ted, and pious teacher and evangelist had been felt in the

f the amily and immediate neighbourhood .

of f In the absence direct in ormation , is it unreason able to hazard a statement that the W isha rts o f Drum had in all likelihood H istoric Fa milies . 1 03 exe rci s ed a beneficial influence upon the distri c t fo r many years o f the century du ring which the parish had numbered them among its proprietors % There are

a f sever l things tending to this belie . The hous e to which they looked as their head had given the best of its sons to the work o f the Reformation when it seemed most

e l e o f hop ss success . In all its branches

e who f ther were some , then and a terwards, f took an active part in urthering the cause, whi c h almost seemed to draw its first ray of p romise from the flames in which the

body o f their martyred kinsman perished . Livi ng under the shadow o f the house o f

f i nflu Dun , could they have ailed to be enc ed by the ardent spirit and irrepres si ble example o f John Erskine % And nearest of all to certain evidence is the assurance that no person in the position of a land

lord could , however willing, avoid taking a part on one side or other o f a struggle in which every in terest was most deeply

concerned . S Though , strictly peaking, it is alien to

e the present subject, it will be d emed not

for inexpedient, perhaps, to digress a little ’ M r s o l on tr e 1 04 S t a y f O d M os .

on some of the causes which led to this

m a great work o f the century . Facts y have to be sought beyond the boun ds o f the parish ; but its social condition thre e hundred years ago can only be inferre d from an acquaintance with the state o f the

And n s nation at large . to have impressio revived as to the necessity o f a work to which they devoted their lives will prepare in some measure for a due estimate o f the characters that are yet to presen t themselves in the ordinary course o f the

narrative. It has already been said that the eccle s ia stic a l system adopted by the n ation wa s f l rom the beginning iable to abuse, and gradually the evil process went on until it reached a poin t at which forbearance

o f . was impossible . The reign James V ( 1 5 1 3 - 1 542) is n otable for the growing

“ o f power and intolerance the clergy, who had long departed from the simplicity o f ffi the gosp el ministry, to usurp o ces in the State inconsistent with their sacred

l o f re cal ing. The purity the Christian ligio n in life and ordinance had been gradu ally waning, until it was completely lost

' t M a r s o ld M ontrose 106 S y f O .

f of the ea n s Protestant aith . A sample m employed will tell its tale of the unhapp y

n of a n f me n conditio Scotl d . At Perth our

the for e r were condemned to stake, one int ru pting a friar who taught that a m a n cou ld not be saved without praying to

the s h f r dis saint , the ot er three o showing

r of espect to the image a saint, and eating flesh on a day when its use was forbidden

f to by the Pope . A like ate was adjudged another ma n for having kept compa n y

w ff the ith the men who had su ered , and wife of one of the four was sentenced to

d o n be drowne because , when in the ag y

of a f the l bour, she had re used to invoke

r a ffi she a Virgin Ma y, rming that would pr y

of to God alone, in the name Jesus Christ . It was to deliver the country from this

terrible oppression , and establish its deliver

of t ance on the basis a pure Christianity, tha

the Wishart gave his body to the flames, and two Melvilles encountered years of toil a nd

ff be persecution and su ering . It needs not

ffi ed enlarged upon here what di culties attend ,

e f and successes rewarded , the arly Re ormers .

1 Coming down to the year 5 5 5, when John

fi f a r Knox rst returned rom Geneva, there e H i storic Fa milies . 1 07 incide n ts i n w hich the Melvilles a nd W isha rts of the p a ri s h were doubtless actively con

e H e vi o e cern d . made two sits t the immediat

o u rho re s of neighb od . At the urgent que t John E rs k i n e he spe nt a whole month at his

n c e i n of a nd reside the parish Dun , preached — every d a y the principal inhabitan ts of the

d r b i is n his ist ict e ng among h hearers . O

e v 1 6 s cond isit, early in 55 , he preached still

mor e n e s e op ly, and administ red the acrament

of S u a u e of the p per to large n mb r people , incl udin g m any of the most influential gentle

o f the M f men earns . The Protestant aith

ha d mad e great way in both counties . The fervent app eals o f Knox made a powerful impressio n on the minds of the gentlemen

res a n d p ent, they bound themselves by a

n e solem pl dge, subscribed by all, to renounce

P s h m the opi co munion , and maintain with all their infl u ence the right o f Protestants to

ha o f ve the pure doctrine the Gospel taught ,

a nd its fi p recepts obeyed . This was the rst of those covenants in the interests of religion

whic e fi a nd h w re solemnly rati ed , the circum stances o f the country justify an act which m in s aller emergencies might be superfluous, a nd on some occasions wrong. Combina ’ e 108 S t M a ry s of Old M ontros .

u f for f tions, nlaw ul in themselves or unlaw ul

r s . pu pose , are to be condemned But not to be classed among such was this solemn bond,

of a ll to use all means, and avail themselves

o f suitable opportunities, having the doctrine of a n o f the Cross pre ched, and the ordina ces Christianity administered to a willing a nd believing people. It would hardly be possi ble to over - estimate the service which was rendered to the Christian religion by many of S the cottish nobility and gentry, at that ’ of r trying period the count y s history . Not a few gave indication of talents which have seldom been surpassed in any age, and they were devoted with a single eye to the regen c of ration the country . Influence, estate, and

f f the li e itsel , were willingly surrendered to

o f f work the Lord . Nor is it to be orgotten that their faculties were taxed to the utmost during the dependence of that arduous con

fli t - c . The ever varying circumstances needed

o f f a n d the exercise many varied gi ts, though there were failures incidental to all human undertakings, it was seldom , on the whole, that peculiar emergencies did not call forth the peculiar faculties which were adapted to meet them .

’ 1 1 0 t M a r o ld M on trose S y s f O . was the a ncestor o f another o f the families

n M The who have bee proprietors in aryton . ‘ name o f Soba n nes M a lvey n de Di sa rt appears in 1 n of six 457 . About the begin ing the teenth century the laird o f Dysart was John M elville, and his successor on the estate was

H e n also named John . may have bee

o succeeded by Thomas Melville, who is repr “ f f H is fe sented in 1 542 as ear o Disert. wi

r u r - e ons was Janet Sc ymgeo . The inter r lati o f the Melvilles and Sc rymgeou rs seem to

n us have been umerous . This Thomas m t

o f a nd have been a man genial disposition , lived to a good old age. James Melville,

1 o f in his diary under 57 5 , speaks having “ e M c lvill of buri d guid auld Thomas Dysart,

irri the m e [merry] man . The son who succeeded him had previously acquired the

of La w a v in for property g , in Glenbervie ;

e o f fi d there is a chart r con rmation, date “ 1 2 ra tefiea nd January 57 , ye Charter dona tion and gift in it con ten it maid be his lovit Thomas Melville of Dysart to James M elvll o f Liega v in his son and a pp era nde air his a iris and assignais of all and ha ill ye landis

o f &c l a nd w tin e and baronie Dysart, . , y y y ” cherif a m f i e S d o forfare. H s wife was Isab l F H is toric a milies . 1 1 1

of Sir Douglas, eldest daughter Archibald

o f r n f Douglas Glenbe vie, by his seco d wi e, who wa s a daughter of Sir Alexander Irvine

f H r f - ir o . e Drum hal brother, S William , succee d e d to the earldom o f Angus as heir

1 88 M orreson n male in 5 . William , mi ister of f 1 1 8 Benholm rom 577 to 5 9, married a d of M e lv ill of aughter James Dysart, and had an only child , Isobel . Whether he had

n the other children , or how lo g property

e n t n Bu o . t remain d in his hands, is appare t

M . 1 the initials I . , with the date 594, are still f to be ound on a stone in the garden wall . And the following extract from “ Act Buik ” mmisa ri t o f o f Co a S . es the Andrews, relat “ : Feb 1 — wi . . erse t to a brother 7 , 595 Caus p

M cl ill o f c be David v burges Dundi agt . David Melville o f Ba ldov ie and Mr James

Melville his tutor. M a ka n d mention that upon 24 April 1 586 the said David Melville of B a ldovie became obliest to have payit to

Mc lvill ca llit M cl i l Thomas now Mr Thos. v l l chfu ll u m le l a u sone to q Thos . M c v ill o f Dysart 1 00 merks or an annual rent of 1 0 ” f o f o f Ba l v i merks urth the lands do e &c. This David of Ba ldovie will be noticed by

- and by. ' 1 1 2 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

Though the Melvilles o f Dysart were the

f r of n e d chie b anch the house, and ack owledg to be so by Andrew Melville in a letter to

n f of Ba ldov i e his ephew, it was the amily that produced the most illustrious o f th e

e r name, and it may be traced to a much lat

M of m e period . John elville, laird Dysart, ca

of Ba ldovie 1 h into possession in 505 . It a d previously b e longed to a branch of the family o f cr m eou r of e S y g , who were long considerabl

in re res e n influence the county, and whose p ta tive of Birkhill now is the laird , hereditary

l - f Roya Standard bearer o Scotland . The charter confi rming the transference is dated “ 1 0 F oa n n i 5 5, ebruary 9, and bears J Mel vill de Disa rt hae redibu s suis et a ssign a tis super ca rta m sibi fa cta m per J oa n ne m Scrymgeou r de Ba wdovy de data 20 die

a nu a rii 1 0 et inte ris J 5 5 , de totis g terris suis de Ba wdovy cum ten entibu s ja centibu s infra

f c Viceco mita te m F & . de or ar, While the Dysart property was inherited

' by John , who was probably the eldest son, the Ba ldov ie estate passed into the hands

f e o his brother Richard , who is d signated by “ Mclv ill of Ba ldow his grandson Richard y, ” - o f el ill f brother german John M v o Dysart .

1 1 t M a r s M r 4 S y of Old on t ose. of Fem 1 66 a nd e min o f th , 5 , di d ister Arbroa ,

al m i i r a t 29th Au gu st 1 596. y wa s m n ste

a i a nd ha d re io een re to hi s Cr l, p v usly b ader

R be t D v d brother at Ma ryton . o r and a i were

t sch h t rde a nd w a r kep at the oll till t ey y , ” cra fti v wh b put to s. The Mel illes ose tom stones a re found in the churchya rd w e re probably desc endants o f o ne o r other of the

l - tw o ast named . The eldest and youngest of

he f t amily must be noticed at greater length.

R icha rd the so n a nd e r , eldest , next propri to

of Ba ldovie wa s rn 1 22 d i s , bo in 5 , and soon tingu ished himself for his scholarly atta i n

s a nd e e n e ment by his g ntl ma ly charact r .

n a f r he Soo ter eaching his twentieth year,

e r was appointed tutor to James Erskine, h i

o f o f he apparent the laird Dun, whom

he H e accompanied to t Continent . e avail d himself of this Opportunity of promotin g

a n d his studies in literature and theology, was fo r the space o f two years a studen t f M un der the amous Philip elanchthon . H e made diligent use o f his opportun iti es both — at home and abroad was the frequent co m

o f of e e panion John Erskine , as well as G org

n e Wishart, during his residence in Mo tros

— wa s o f and evidently one those learned , H istoric F li a mi es . 1 1 5

r earnest, and pious men who , though thei personal work has no prominent place in

r o f f the histo y the Re ormation , must have

contributed largely, by their labours and

r fi f H e sac i ces, to its wonder ul success .

m Sc r m eo u r of arried Isobel y g , sister the

of Gla swell laird , and had two sons, David

and James, and three daughters , Isobel ,

H is f Marjory, and Barbara . wi e died within ’ o f w a year James s birth , hen he had been

of fo r in possession the estate ten years .

F f 1 62 ive years a terwards, in 5 , he began

In chbra ock his stated ministry in y , having

M n 1 6 aryto also in charge, and in 5 7 removed

r fi to Ma yton , being the rst Protestant min

f 1 wa s ister o the parish . In 575 he seized

f fift - with bilious ever, and in the y third year

of n f n his age died surrou ded by his rie ds, to whom his last words were : I am glorify

for o f H is ing God the light Gospel , and resting in assuran ce o f H is sweet promises of life made unto me in my Saviou r the

i n Lord Jesus Christ. The respect which he had been held is borne witness o f by “ % o f n his son Ther was nane his ra k, and

verie few sa above it, that was honored and loven as he ; qu hilk kythed [which was ’ 1 n e 1 6 S t M a ry s of Old M o tros .

f s eca lie bu ria ll a n d made mani est] p at his , hes been often tauld me be men o f a ll

de ries g sen syne .

Andrew u a nd u s , the yo ngest son , most ill

triou s of b u t all that bear the name , was twelve years old when his mother died ; bu t the place of the parents whom he had lo s t wa s dutifully supplied by his eldest brothe r

a n d f a ll his wi e, whom he regarded with

ff o H e hi s the a ection f a son . received l earlier education in Montrose, at the schoo

of M r d Thomas Anderson , who is describe

as the best master of his time; though not

the most learned . In due time he was

f St w a s trans erred to Andrews, where he f the most distinguished scholar o his years . On completing his cou rse at the Un iversity F f he went to rance, and was a pro essor at

Po ictiers for F the three years . rom this

o f F troubles rance compelled him to retire, f when he betook himsel to Geneva . There he was associated as professor with the fa mofis o f Beza, whose estimation his char acter and ability may be gathered from a remark in his letter to the Church o f

S o f a ffec cotland , that the greatest token tion the Kirk o f Geneva could show to

' 1 1 8 S t M a r s o M ros y f Old ont e. ing to restore old corru ptions and intro duc e new ones n of e . Ma y th nobles who ha d

o o rv in fo r d ne g od se ice their day were, se fi en r n t l sh ds, bet aying the cause the Rege a nd his su pporte rs were at o n e with the m ; not a few of the leading churchmen were their a bettors ; a nd the difficulties met a t every sta ge would have dishea rtened a n y ma n who lacked the courage o f heart a n d promptitu de of action which distinguished

H o l Melville. e was s on made Principa o f

New o f t he the College S Andrews, and a pplied himself with unabated zeal to the

f of m e re ormation learning there, at the sa time continuing his fearless course as a n

o f r ecclesiastic . Accusations treason we e

a c t made gainst him, but his intrepid condu before the king and Council stood him well

n e of w on his trial . O or more his intervie s

in Fo r with the king took place Montrose. a while he had to take refuge in England ;

' but he returned before long to remonstrate

o n ff of with the king the a airs the Church, only to bring upon himself an act of ex communication by the Archbishop of St

Andrews , which issued in his being again committed to ward . H istor c Fa es 1 1 i mili . 9

I t would be impo ssible here to give the b a re o f f S ffi st details his active li e . u ce it to s a y that though he long survived the crown i n g o f his labours in the establishment of

P e s r 1 2 fa r f r byte y in 59 , his trials, so rom ta k n i g end with that event, were only multi p l i e d and intensifi e d during the remaining

e f y a rs o his life . Banished to London with

s o f f e w everal his ri nds, among hom was his

fa f e e ith ul and loving n ph w, occasion was sp e edily taken to bring him before the king

a n d w m Council, by hom he was com itted to

the e f r e Tower. Kept ther o years in clos

a n d ff e su ering enduranc , not , however, with o u t many opportunities o f counselling fri ends f and advancing the sacred cause, he was, a ter long- continued solicitations on the part of

e e others, and only with great r luctance, lib r ated on condition o f expatriation from the

for ff country, which he had done and su ered

e H e so much, and which he lov d so well .

e F e retir d to rance , where he died an exil , at

- 1 622 . Sedan, in , aged seventy seven years The particulars o f his death have not been handed

w fe do n but such was his li that, next to the

n m o f a cile ri nce s o f a e John Knox , f p p her sons, must that of Andrew Melville still live in the ’ r s o 1 20 S t M a y f Old M on trose. grateful remembrance a nd unfeigned admi ra

n of o tio the Church f Scotland . When Richard Melville died in 1 57 5 the estate of Ba ldovie came into possession o f

Da vid o f his elder son, , who inherited none the mental qualities or excellence of charac

f e a n d ter which had distinguished his ath r, which his younger brother more than sus

ta ined . H e 1 a n d was born in the year 554, when between eight and nine years o f age wa s put under the charge o f Mr William

r o f Lo ic e G ay, minister g , then called Logi

M o f f i n ontrose, a kinsman his ather, who addition to the dutie s of parish minister kep t what in these days would be called a board

- H e e r ing school . was aided in the latt

o f capacity by a sister, a godly woman , whose character and influence upon the

s M h pupil James elville, who was along wit his brother, speaks with the utmost rever

s ence. The training to which those pupil were subjected shows that , at least among

o f children their class , Scottish education had

e reached an advanc d stage . James Melville gives a syllabus o f the instruction through which his brother and he passed during the

o f e five years th ir stay at Over Logie. They

' r M 1 22 S t M a y s of Old ontrose.

ma m e d re nde red to friends. It y be presu tha t David ha d not shown any desire fo r

lea a s he a t h u d rning, was kept ome to st y husbandry a nd acquire the ordinary e x pe ri

of f w n e nce country li e. Little more is kno ’ of him u f f th ntil shortly be ore his ather s dea , w n f r e he he made an un o tunate marriag , which is somewhat humorously narrate d

t e n by his bro her, who seems to have be

in d a staunch believer dreams . I hai ” h id drea med , he says, t at my brother Dav wa s ha n it certea n n u hilk g , with circumsta ces q

ouble t H is m tr me uncle Andrew, to who

ha d a s he recited his dream , interpreted it ’ betokening his brother s marriage o f which he wa s o f f a s of s on a terwards in ormed, as well

of f H e f the death his ather. re ers to bo th events in these words : With the n ewes o f ’ my father s death he was in fo rmit that he

ma ried a n haid his sone David , in a summar d

fe w f hastie manner, a dayes be or his de pa rto u r ; whilk was almost a wra k to him ” M f and his house. David elville a terward s became insane ; and in 1 592 his brother wa s hi appointed s tutor. The year of his death is not recorded . Of the daughters o f Richard Melville little o c i i s 1 2 H i stori Fa m l e . 3

1 i s k n own. Their brother relates that in 57 3

s a b e I lla and Marjory, the two elder, were m a rri ed on the same day, and that the

o u n e the f o f M r y gest, Barbara, b came wi e

a m f . J es Bal our, minister at Guthrie Isabella

d e d f i in childbirth the year a ter her marriage, a n d her death was mourn ed by her loving b rother a s the loss o f his natural mother the

s e n n e of fi of co d time . O the greatest bene ts his early years he ascribes to the influence o f “ h l vi f eidin . o t h e x c t is sister I hir, t ere or, g ” i li H e r re d e r e . , and sche me by the rest l igio u s impressions seem to have been very

s o tr ng, and the influence which she exerted upon her tender- hearted brother was corres “ p on dingly great : With hir speitches and teares sche maid me to quak and chout

bitte rlie uhilk f e o f , q le t the deep st stampe ’ God s fear in my heart o f anie thing that ever I haid hard befor That her teaching

of was a practical kind , too, will be perceived from the fo llo wmg quaint narrative of one of “ r H e : ff he lessons . says I was gi en to a bernlie cv ill and dangerous use o f pykin g ; the qu hilk she percea ving o f pu rpos ga iff me

of of ha iffi n the credit the key hir kist, and g

sum schottle small silver in a lytle , I tuk ’ 1 24 S t M a ry s of Old M on trose.

' sum of it not h a i fi , thinking sche would ” ss of th e mi et it. Whatever may be thought

e s m the c it l e d littl che e, detection to whi h wa s followed with such grave reproof a n d lov ing a dmon ition that he abstained fro m

pilfering a ll the days o f his life . But it is time to ta ke sepa ra te notice o f

f of u o s e the li e this disting ished man, wh services to the cause of the second R efo r mation were not fa r behind those of hi s

e s n a n d r i n mor illu trious u cle, whose sha e

o H e its persecu tions were so meekly b rne . wa s born a t Ba ldov ie on the 2 5th o f July

1 6 H is of his 5 5 . mother died within a year

a nd of fi few birth , he disposes the rst years of his life i n his own quaint way I haid an cvill in clyned woman to my

r therefter nu is, speaned and put in a cottar

b a f f ve d ous, and bout our or y year aul brought hame to a stepmother ; yet a ve rye

of M ontros hes honest burges , Robert Clark, oft tauld me that my father wa d ley me

le in mic down on my bak, p y g with , and

lauche at me because I could nocht ryse, I

sa f k was att, and wald a s mie what e a led

‘ sa f mie ; I wald answer, I am att I may ’

. trewlie nocht geang And , sen my remem

’ 2 t M a r s o M ontrose 1 6 S y f Old .

H e l u rd Fetteresso . there committed twa

s fa u ltes a s f re a n d [ tupid] , it war with y

w a s o f e n il e swor hich , a specimen juv

r n th e u a r a o b e p a ks r e h ndred ye s g , may given in his own words “ H a iffi ng the candle in my hand o n a win a r n e f sa x c o o l t ight, b ore hours in the s h ,

t the a s u ne li entl i e sit ing in cl s , ber lie and g g

le in e t o r p y g with the b n [that is, the rushes bent-gras s with which it was usual to strew

fl o s kendlet sa f re the o r in winter], it on y that we ha id all ado to pu t it out with o u r f w a eit. The other a s being molested by

- wha strin es o f con disciple, cutted the g my

a n d -kn ff pen inkhorn with his pen y , I minting [aiming] with my pen -kn yff to his legges to

fle f re a n d f la y him ; he ea d , li ting now a g, n ow a m the other, r sht on his lag upon y knyff and strak himselff a de ipe wound in

of u hilk r r the schin the lag, q was a qua te ” of a yeir in curing. H e escaped punishment at the hands of

o f o f the master, because the sincerity his f penitence ; but retribution ollowed, to put him in “ remembrance what it was to ‘ be def ld whowbeit ne li entlie y with blude, g g ; for f ca u s it , within a short space e ter, I haid a H i storic Fa mili s 1 2 e . 7 cutla r n e w c s , ome to the town , to poli h and scha r e the -kn ff u p sam pen y , and haid bo ght

e e w o rthe o f a les a p nni p , and cutting and c atting the sam in the Linkes , as I put the

cheive i e in h [sl c ] my mout e , I began to lope

n a a ha ifli n the upe upo litle s ndie bray, g

en-k n ff in f p y my right hand , I ell , and thair

w a k selff ithe str my , missing my womb, an inche d e ip e in the i nwa rt syde of the left

kni e the e u itie e, ev n to the bean, whereby q of Gods j udgment and my conscience strak

me sa t a wa s of kn ffes , h t I the mair war y

all my dayes .

H e r Ba ldov ie 1 1 retu ned to in 57 , having in m f the eantime, though only in his our

teenth a fo r fi o f ye r, partaken the rst time the

ho m H e ly co munion . was immediately em ployed at harvest work, but had little

lea i he H is p sure n t labour. mind was bent

on n o f learni g , but he stood in such awe his fa ther that he dared not complain The stipend o f Maryton added to the in come f rom Ba ld o vie was insuffi cient in those pre cariou s times to mee t all the claims which wei e f put upon the laird , and it was only a ter

the n e o f e i t rposition James Melvill , minister

Of e Arbroath , and William Collac , a regent ’ 1 28 S t M a r s o l r s y f O d M ont o e.

’ o f St e of St w who L onard s College Andre s,

oved belonged to the district, that he was m

the e h s to send his son to Univ rsity . T i resolution wa s come to within a few days after an incident which is thus affectingly recorded in the autobiography “ I remember a certea n day my father send me to the s meddy fo r dressing of hewkes wa and sum yron instruments, the y

Ma riekirk M r e n lying hard by ( a yton), wher i

f retched be ou de l oa my ather p , I g to weir e s r of my lyff and as my cou sto me haid bein fra

bern heid m my to pray in my hart, and mein y estea t o f rk to my God, c ming ornent the ki ,

lu ikin steirit u e a n and g to it, the Lord p ex tra ordin a r u hilk m d motion in my hart, q ai

a ttea n s f on me [at once] , being alean, to all

ru iff o out g [prostrate] to the grund , and p ur

a a schort and ernest petition to God , th t it wald please his gu idnes to offer occasion to contin ow scholles a nd in cl ne m me at the , y y ’ father s hart till u se the saming [same] ; with promise and vow that whatever missour Of kn a wla e e me g and letters he wald b stow on ,

sou ld im lo m n I , by his grace, p y the sa i g fo r his glorie in the calli n g o f the min isterie ; and rysing from the ground with joy a nd

’ 1 30 S t M a ry s of Old M on trose.

efo God m nd en ing b r , it cam in my y to p a sermont u n of S a ve po a part cripture, and le

it a o f f in buick my ather, whar he might ” fi wa s nd it. The subject which he chose the beginning of the ninth chapter of St ’ n f uc Joh s Gospel ; but his ather, though m h

s f in the plea ed , still le t him suspense , until arrival of Andrew Melville at Ba ldovie brought abo ut the decision for which he so

m was v ehemently longed. Fro that time he f devoted to his uncle, to whom his ather delivered him over ha ilelie to v ea k [wait] u is a nd to pon him as h sone and servant, ” la d e of be a p g his love. The remainder of his life was spent awa y f d f e rom the neighbourhoo , and be ore adv rt ing to his public career it may be interesting to notice one or two things referred to in

o f h he these earlier years his Diary. W ile was at school in Montrose he mentions there was there a post that frequented Edin bruche and brought ham [home] Psa lme ” b ike a lla es o f ca r u s and b t . The name this

n of rier, on whom rested the whole burde the ordinary communication between Mon “ ” Finhea vin. trose and Edinburgh, was John

H is on arrival , no doubt, created a sensati % 1 1 H istoric Fa milies . 3

n - a nd amo g the literature loving inhabitants, it w a s the books and ballads of which he wa s the bearer that made the greatest im pres sion on young Melville. It was a va st ’ f W isha rt s change rom time, thirty years

f a n ff s e be ore , when it was o ence puni habl by death to be the means of supplying copies h of t e Scriptures to any . The ballads were

e w th n hat newspapers are now, the bearers

f e a w o public int lligence, and the ch nge hich three centuries have effected in this respect may be conceived by imagining Montrose a nd the district dependent for the news on the of f services one man , with such acilities

Finhea in a s were Open to John v . The only m of o ode c nveyance available , combined with the o f n r general state the cou t y, would not , f on the whole , tend to per ect regularity in the postal delivery. It may interest the golfing portion of the community to know that their favourite game was practised on

the links by Melville and his companions, “ for ff d who archerie and go hai bow, arrose, ” lubs did g , and bals, with which they not fail to take relief from the more serious

of : occupations those troubled times. What the nature of those occupations sometimes ’ 1 3 2 St M a ry s of Old M ontrose. wa s ma y be inferre d from a n inciden t in the

ou r n r d in the a r neighb i g city, reco de Di y for 1 1 : so M S e o f 57 Al athew tewart, Erl

e wa s schosine n ha t L nnox, Rege t, wha t h rv s ca m Brea chine bes ei it a tell e e t to , g the c s

tha irof ba l the su dda r s r , ding be t [soldie s ]

of the E of H o u n tlie com ellit to rle , p them

ha n it threttie tha irof u hilk rander, and g , q ‘ wa s he of Br in ca lled t Bourde ea ch e . O n

r f a t Ba ldovie e leaving the pa ental roo , Jam s

M a w elville ccompanied his uncle to Glasgo , a nd a t nineteen beca me a professor in the

e e. F f n University th r ive years a ter, whe Andrew wa s appointed Principal of the St d f d University at An rews, James ollowe , to fill the i chair o f H ebrew and Orie ntal

u . On 1 1 8 d Lang ages May , 5 3, he marrie

E z r of r li abeth Du y, daughter John Du y, min

of f r of ister Edinburgh, a te wards Montrose . The renown which his father-in -la w obtained for stoutn ess and zeal in the good cause is witnessed in the Diary in terms which a re “ highly significant of the times : For the

a f B ble o f gown was na sooner , and the y out

d fra han the kirk, when on ged [went] the

fa n it b ha croslet, and g was the agbot [the g ” u bot was snatched p] and to the fields.

’ s 1 34 S t M a ry s of Old M ontro e. is u n now bu t he wa s su d on k n , cceede the es a e his son R icka rd orn t t by , who was b in

1 H s o 8 . e s e t 5 3 tu di d a St Andrew , and to k h f M A f r he t e e o 1 60 . S d gree . . in 3 oon a te married a sister-in-la w of the fi rst Earl of

Sou thesk his f n H r of , wi e bei g elen , daughte Sir Da v id Lindsay of Edz ell and Lady H elen

dsa who a of t Lin y, was daughter the eleven h

a of r f f E rl C aw ord . Like his grand ather,

s e he a of who e name he bar , bec me minister

M r t n a e f the a y o , h ving been admitt d be ore

28th 1 6 1 1 6 he r f m August 3 . In 39 etired ro the f of son charge in avour his , and died two years afterwards in the fifty-eighth year of H is w ma r his age. wido subsequently r w of Fiddes ied Andre Arbuthnott , brother of Viscount Arbuthnott.

A ndrew M r 1 6 1 0 elville, bo n in , and also a u o f t n grad ate S A drews, succeeded his father a s minister of Maryton ; but he died

Ba ldovie 1 6 1 e at the same year, 4 , and it do s not appear whether he su rvived long enough to be put in formal possession of the estate. ’ P a tric/c M was elville, Andrew s brother, served heir on the 6th December 1 642 ; a nd he wa s the last Melville identified with H 1 i storic Fa milies . 3 5

Ba ldo v i e o f of -1 , which Colonel Scott Com mies to n b e came proprietor in 1 7 1 7 . An o ld a uthority already qu oted writes of the Grah a m s : The original of their surname is from tha t Famous Greem who was Father in - La w to F u erg s the Second , and governor d the of his uring minority son Eugenius .

H is s c e s fi uc sors, when xed surnames came

i n u se of to be , made choice the proper n o f he ame t ir predecessor . They were great

r in the days of Alexander the Third . Fo I

find h e e o f m t r that name David de Graha e,

Patrick de Grahame, and Nicoll de Grahame among tho se who were appointed by King Edward o f England to hear the claims of

the Bruce and the Baliol , at Berwick, One o f the most distinguished of the Grahams “ of the thirteenth century was John the

G o r Sir of reem , the wise John Graham Dun ff ’ da , Wallace s companion , who joined the

1 2 8 f great liberator in 9 , and ell gallantly fighting at the battle of Falkirk the 2 2d July of F the same year . A monument at alkirk bore this inscription

Men n u u e oten s et Va llae fidu s Acha tes te ma q p , ,

Con r mu s e o interfectu s a b An lis . ditu s hic G a , b ll g ’ 1 36 S t M a ry s of Old M on trose.

It is not necessary here to refer to the ma n y

ifts of the s o r g land bestowed upon Graham , even to bring u nder notice the estates el s e where own ed by the successive proprieto rs of ld M v e r O ontrose , which were spread o the of S n counties Kincardine, Perth , tirli g , a nd fi o f f mi l Dumbarton . The rst the a y connected with the parish was Sir Dav id

f H e e d Graham o Kincardine . was carri 1 2 6 prisoner to England by Edward I . in 9 , f and released the ollowing year, but only on condition o f serving the king in his foreig n

H e f a l wars . was exempted rom the gener pardon conferred by Edward on the Scots

1 S for f a in 304, and banished cotland hal

H is of d year. signature was one those attache

f a t to the amous letter to the Pope, written

M of Aberbrothoc 1 20 the onastery in April 3 , giving particular information o f the state of the of F kingdom since the days King ergus, “ as also of the preten dit tytill o f the tyrant of F England , K . Edward the irst , and his successor how vn iu st [unjust] and foolish it

contra re of was, y the lawes both God and ” man . This letter was signed by the princi

of in pal nobles and barons the kingdom ,

n cluding David Graham and two kinsme ,

’ M r d M tr e 1 38 S t a y s of Ol on os .

rst f Graham and fi Earl o Montrose. The creation of the earldom wa s on the 3d “ M 1 0 a arch 5 5 , when charter was granted

of o f n s to William , Earl Montrose, the la d o f s d Auld Montross, which land belonge hereditarily to him by the donation o f

fi o f I. King Robert , and the con rmation t d . o King Davi II , under their great seals, the predecessors of the said William a n d him their heirs, which were resigned by ,

a n d and which we now unite, create, annex, f incorporate into a ree barony and earldom , to be called the barony and earldom of ” the Montrose . It needs not be said that title had never any connection with the

o f a m town Montrose. There was dukedo o f M n fe f o trose con rred on another amily, f fi which became extinct long be ore . The rst

f o f F th Earl ell at the battle lodden, 9

‘ ’ S 1 1 M o f the eptember 5 3 . The iscellany Spaldi n g Club contains the following i n “ O of complete riginal testament William ,

fi of M t the rst Earle ontrose, bearing tha

s s u b he was lain apud Northumberland , v ex illo he Regis, wherein he acknowledged owed Domino Luss ratione dotis filie mee

u niori he and Domino Luss, j , xxl H o l s is t ric Fa mi ie . 39

s his to G od ea v ir ini request soul , b te g

M et o mn u s sa n s a n d o arie ib cti , his b dy to be buried in e cclesia fratrum predicto ru m

tirl n H e e prope S y . leav s to Patrick, his

son ona e , omnia b mobilia ; l go Margarette et Elisa bethe filia bu s meis ma rita gijs dotum Will filij mei et he red is and appo ints tutors teste me n ta r to William his so n and

Va v a n e w f ir e heir ; Christian , his i e ; S Walt r ” r a e Knight ; and Mr Robe t Gr ham .

h f She C ristian Va va n e was his third wi e . is elsewhere design ated Christian W a wa n e

o f S o f s W a wa ne of egy, daughter Thoma

S of tevenstown, relict Patrick, sixth Lord

H l bu rt n o f a y o Dirleton .

second o f William, the Earl Montrose, was

e so n fi f the ldest , by the rst wi e, Annabella, f H o . e daughter John , Lord Drummond

u o f married Lady Janet Keith, da ghter the third Earl Marischal ; and he was one of the peers to whom the charge of the

o n V y u g king, James . , was committed d uring the absence in France of the Duke o f Albany. At a later date, when James h lf imse crossed the Channel, the Earl was o n e of the commis sioners appointed to man

' a e a fla i rs . 1 g public In 543, along with ’ t M a r o ld M on ro 1 40 S y s f O t sc.

E he n e Lord rskine, was chose by Parliam nt to reside continually in the Castle o f Stir

for the s e o f o o f ling, ur keeping the pers n

M H e 1 1 wa s Queen ary. died in 57 , and

succeeded by his grandson .

t/zird E of so n John, arl Montrose, was the

of f the Robert, Lord Graham , who be ore birth of his heir ha d fallen at Pinkie with s o

o f f f H is fe many the chie men o Angus. wi

s o f d was the elde t daughter David , Lor

n h o f Drummond . I t e General Assembly 1 578 he was one of the faction against

M f s Regent orton , and along with the in amou Arran he led the party of soldiers who con veyed Morton a prisoner from Dumbarton to

H w f the Edinburgh. e a s also chancellor o 1 jury who condemned the Regent in 1 5 8 . The chief honours o f the nation were b e

F Ex ra o r stowed upon him . rom being an t dina ry Lord of Session he was constitute d

H o f S H igh Treasurer cotland, and then igh

1 e Chancellor, in January 599. The same y ar he was elected Chancellor of the University f f o St Andrews . As showing that rien dly relations subsisted between the Graham a n d

M f a t elville amilies, as well as to indicate th at that time he must have been a staunch

’ M a r s o d M o rose 1 42 S t y f Ol nt .

t i s well to state , however, that this comba ascribed by some not to the youth of h o t

d the a v e bloo , young Lord , but to the gr

f t of n s senior, his a her, whom better thi g

ffo rd might have been expected . It may a some idea o f the unpeaceful nature of th e times to relate this incident as it is fou n d

‘ at greater length in the Domestic Annals o f ’ Scotland . Earl John married Lady Margaret Ru th

of fi E ven , eldest daughter William , rst arl

w 1 626 e of Go rie . In July he was constitut d

o f b e President the Council , and in Decem r

fi v e of the same year he died , leaving

u s daughters and an only son, the most ill f trion s o his name . A great tu lz ie or street combat this d a y f took place in Edinburgh . The Earl o

o f o f m Montrose , head the house Graha , — was of grave years towa rds fifty ; he wa s of a fe w such a character as to be chosen,

f of years a terwards, as Chancellor the King

for a dom ; still later he became, time ,

of S n Viceroy cotland , the king being the

Y et in England . this astute noble was s o entirely under the sway of the feelings o f the age as to deem it necessary and proper H is toric Fa mil s 1 ie . 43 that he should revenge the death o f John G r aham upon its author, under circum s tances similar to those which attended that s On t laughter. its being known hat the Earl was coming with his son and retinue to

S recom Edinburgh , andilands was strongly mended by some o f his friends to withdraw f the e E rom town, b cause the arl was then

- H o ver great a party against him . is mind w a s u nda ntonit , notwithstanding, sae and u n f of f fi mind ul his ormer misdeed , nding hi m f sa c sel not weel accompanied as he wald , he for f a nd convokit sent riends, them to E d fi inburgh, upon plain purpose rather rst to invade the said Earl than to be inv a dit b of y him , and took the opportunity, baith ti me and place within Edinburgh, and made a furious onset on the Earl at the Salt Tron i n H the igh Street, with guns and swords in w g reat number. The Earl , ith his eldest son, d efendit f Sir man ully, till at last James was d ung on his back , shot and hurt in divers

of p arts his body and head , and straitly i n v a dit of if to have been slain out hand, g he had not been fortunately succoured by the powers of a gentleman ca llit Captain

Lockhart . The Lord Chancellor and Mon ’ 1 M a r o ld 44 S t y s f O M ontrose. t s e e a t th bu t th e r ro e wer togeth r at time, nei reve re nce n or respect wa s ha d unto him a t

n t the f wa s sa e a o n h e r this co flic , ury gre t eit side ; sa c that the Chan cellor retirit hims e lf

ss the o f with gladne to College Justic e .

a r es of the f b l e The M gist at town, with enci

ns se a ra tit for me weapo , p the parties that ti , and the greatest skaith Sir James got on his

r for he f wa s f for a n d pa ty, himsel le t dead ,

- r o f ca llit f o f a cousin ge man his, Craw ord,

M wa s a n d Sir erse, slain, mony hurt ; but

conva lesct a rec o m James ag in, and this

he o bteinit for n pence his arrogancy. O ’ s wa s the Earl side but ane slain, and mony ” h urt . The fata l skirmish seems to have passed w s ha d ith impunity. The assa sination which

f a n d led to it took place two years be ore, within a few months after Sandilands wa s living at Court unmolested . Contrast this

f o f Bon niton wa s with the ate young , who beheaded a few years afterwards for a very — ordinary case of housebreaking the house ’ — being his own father s and a curious co m mentary is afforded on the administra tion

The of justice at the period . two heirs apparent met with very unequal justice ; and

6 t M a r s o ld M ontrose 14 S y f O . a nt ser b u t vices not only lost to them , thrown in the balance against them . And the zea lous Royalists would scarcely have been human if they ha d failed to expres s their delight in terms of e xaggerated praise on finding one of the most terrible of thei r e ne mies become the staunchest adherent o f the king, whose cause they had espoused . It is not easy to determine whether one is in greater danger of forming an incorrect ’ notion of Montrose s character from the

o f f harsh periods adverse historians, or rom the painfully overdrawn eulogium of tha t comparatively modern champion of the great

M . arquis, Mark Napier, advocate Probably the middle way between the two extremes

f . is the sa est in this , as in many other cases That his intellectual accomplishments were o f v f m no mean order is e ident , not only ro

the o f f m testimony his contemporaries, ro which it appears that he wa s a diligent and

f o f b u t success ul student books and men , also from such fragments of his composition as have come down to us. It is impossible to conceive that his disposition was o f the cru el and relentless kind which his enemies

o ne paint it , when reads such lines as these, H to c Fa mil is ri ies . 1 47

i n the composition of which he employed some of his last moments on ea rth

“ Letthem estow on ever a irth a im b y l b, hen o en a ll m veins tha I ma wim T p y , t y s To he m M a r in tha t ri son T e, y ke , c m la k e ; hen m a r oi h u o t T pla ce y p b led ea d p n a s a ke, — Sca tter my a shes strew them in the a ir or sinc hou nowes here a ll h e a re L d e T k tw t es toms a , ’ ’ I m ho fu hou t recover nce m pe l T l o y dust, ’ And con fi en t hou t ra ise me with th u s d T l e j t.

H is demeanour during his trial and exe cution n , while not inconsiste t with his having mistaken his mission in espousing the Royal cause, is entirely alien to the supposition

conscien that he was not at heart a good ,

f of his tious, and pious man . The ervour sentiments at such a trying period could not have come from a heart approving of the

e excesses which , with every allowanc made, must have ma rked the conduct of his soldiery in the unhappy civil conflict . With other great men he has borne the b o f runt a superstitious age, in having his c hildhood even represented as givi ng indica tion of the monster he was destined to become . “ S a H is ys one historian , mother consulted ” h — f M r wit witches at his birth , in ormation ,

of w Napier takes the trouble explaining, hich ’ 1 48 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

is due to the fact that his mother was siste r

H e to the necromantic Earl of Gowrie .

d a n dis ains, however, very properly to expl i ’ of the e s away another same chronicler s charg , ’ “ M f n that ontrose s ather said to a gentlema , who was sent to visit him from a neighbou r

S ot Earl, that this child would trouble all c land ; he is said also to have eaten a toa d ” M a r while he was a sucking child . The ’ qu is s keen advocate might safely leave tha t

the edible to digest, or do otherwise, in

of stomach the reader. From his youth Montrose was character ised by great energy. It is recorded that within a few days o f his marriage it w a s

M c suggested to him , when on a visit at orphi , to have his portrait taken by Jamesone a t

. H e off h Aberdeen started at once, had t e

o f n requisite number sittings, and retur ed

M o r hie a to p , paying visits at Arbuthnott n d

H a lkerton by the way. There is a portra it o f the Marquis in his wedding - dress a t

Kinnaird Castle. For some years after his marriage M on

f f- b trose devoted himsel to sel improvement , y On e of travel and otherwise . his preceptors f w was John Lammie, who a ter ards became

’ 1 50 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

O n e mbra ed the ca se 1 6 he pe ly c u in 3 7 , a nd among his first services wa s a miss i o n to Abe rdeen to press s ubscription up o n

the inh a n s the f o f w e re abit t , chie hom w not un fa voura ble to Episcopacy a n d the

H e wa s the s o f king. toutest champion the a ggrieved nobles in the famou s Assemb ly of 1 638 ; a nd in the matter of a commissio n

m n the fro Brechi Presbytery, he opposed

i o f his a n d elect on own brother in law, advoca ted the sustaining of a commission i n

of h favou r of Erskine Dun . This broug t

him in c o f ou thesk onflict with the Earl S , ’ who maintained his son s election . In 1 639 Montrose met the king by reques t t at Berwick, and the impression made at tha interview was no doubt the turning - point

of fo r f w s his conduct, he was soon a ter ard

r i n brought into trouble with his pa ty, and

H e re time became an ardent Royalist. ceived his commission as Lieutenant- General

of 1 6 wa s Scotland in 44 , and the same year

H is s created a Marquis . brilliant exploit

f f o f were unsuccess ul . Be ore the death

H e Charles I . he was in exile . returned to

d o f . Scotlan in the interests Charles II , moved by promise o f foreign aid which was c F ies 1 1 H istori a mil . 5

e hO es n ver realised , and by royal p which f were only to be disappointed . A ter severe

f Co rbiesda le i n losses, he was de eated at ,

- Ross shire . (Was it a coincidence that he was defeated at Corbies dale when he had a Corbies hillock at his very door %) H e

for escaped the time, but only to encounter ff f great su ering, and yield himsel at last a

M of Ass n t wa s prisoner to acleod y , who

o f once an adherent his own . Consulting his own interests in preference to the safety of f his ormer leader, Macleod surrendered him to his enemies , and is said to have received four hundred bolls o f meal as the reward of what can only be regarded as a treacherous deed . f A ter his capture, on the last sad journey to Edinburgh , the Marquis was not permitted to visit his home ; but one of the halting places of the melancholy cavalcade was the

n of neighbouri g Castle Kinnaird , where with characteristic firmness he bade a fi nal adieu to those members o f his family who were under the protection of his father in - law . The barbarous senten ce which followed his apprehension and trial is recorded in ’ ld M 1 52 S t M a ry s of O on trose.

’ ‘ ’ f Frida 1 tlz M a . Bal our s Annals y , 7 y

ession 1 — m S . Act ordaining James Graha to f be brought rom the Water Gate on a cart ,

h c ov bare eaded, the hangman in his livery,

e ered, riding on th horse that draws the cart (the prisoner to be bound to the cart with a

of f rope) to the tolbooth Edinburgh, and rom thence to be brought to the Parliament

H a nd of ouse, there, in the place delinquents, — on his knees to receive his sentence viz . , to be hanged on a gibbet at the Cross

‘ of Edinburgh, with his book and declara

rO e tion tied in a p about his neck, and there

for o f to hang the space three hours, until he were dead and thereafter to be cut down by the hangman , his head , hands, and legs

o ff u f to be cut , and distrib ted as ollows ffi viz . , his head to be a xed on an iron pin ,

' and set on the pinnacle on the west gavel of the new prison o f Edinburgh ; one hand to be set on the port o f Perth ; the o ther on the port of Stirling ; one leg and foot on the port of Aberdeen ; the other on the port f of Glasgow. I he was at his death penitent

f n and relaxed rom excommunicatio , then the trunk o f his body to be interred by pioneers in the Gray Friars ; otherwise to be interred

’ o 1 54 S t M a ry s of Old M ontr se. ma n S o in v e that c tland , rich heroes , e r

n for a i n k ew. The reason such a compl t h w a s no been happily removed . The popular story o f the heart o f the Marquis is confirmed by a descendant o f the

wa s h lady by whom it recovered , the Rig t

H on . ir f f S Alex . Johnston , ormerly Chie f b Jus tice of Ceylon . The acts attested y

a s f M n him are ollows : The arquis, in toke of his affection for the wife of the secon d to Lord Napier, his nephew, had promised

e f a nd leave her his h art . A ter his ex ecution,

ffi she f s not without great di culty, ound mean

f o f through a riend obtaining it, had it em balmed and put into a case o f steel made from the sword o f Montrose The case wa s put into a gold filigree box which had been

n o f give by a Doge to Napier, the inventor logarithms . This was enclosed in a silver urn which had been presented by the Mar quis to her husband . It was transmitted to the n second Marquis whe abroad, and there

of n lost sight . The gold box was subseque t l fif y recovered by the th Lord Napier, who gave it to his daughter before she went out to India . There it was stolen , and sold as a

for f talisman a large sum to an Indian chie . H i storic Fa m l 1 i ies . 5 5

H e restored it to the lady from whom it had b e n F en stole , who was in rance with her hus b a f 1 2 For o . nd , during the Revolution 79 s a fety it was intrusted to an Englishwoman n a f med Knowles , who died shortly a ter, and w of ith her death all traces it were lost . It may be interesting to notice a few i n cidents connected with Old Montrose in

of o f the time the Marquis . A document the period describes his residence as the

C of Old M r astle ont ose, two miles westward

f of o the town New Montrose. It is prob able that a large portion o f his youth wa s s fi pent at this residence, as well as the rst

f s u b year or two of his married li e . But sequently to his return from the Contin ent his public career left him little leisure to be more than a casual visitor at any of

his castles . The occasions on which he is known to have been at Old Montrose are

few , and a letter addressed to a kinsman , which is o f suffi cient interest to be quoted

o f here, shows that the ordinary results

absenteeism were realised in his experience . It is addressed to James Graham of Craigo

COSSING — LOVING , There be so much ’ 1 56 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

amiss and so many abuses committed tou c h ing my directions there at Old M ontro is (a s Robert Grieme i n the same will she w

a s re a you at greater length), I must int t you to take the pains to goe and p u t

o u ane order to them, in such ane way as y

t m fitt Fo r u a rs shall hink ost . the partic l

remitt ou to I will be sparing, and only y

r n a n d what you may lea n at greater le gth , f continue your very loving chie , “ M E ONTROS .

z otb October

In the month of March 1 639 he paid a h notable visit to his home in the paris . It was when preparing for his fi rst exp e

a cco m dition to Aberdeen , and he was

a nied of f r d s p by the Earl Argyle, a te war

a n d ‘ his bitter opponent, Lord Couper,

he others . While here he received t com missioners despatched by the Marquis o f H fi untly, proposing that he should con n e his military operation s to the south of the H Grampians , untly promising in the mean h time to use no hostile measures in the nort , until the result of the pe nding treaty between

n the king and the Cove anters was known .

’ 1 58 St Al a ry s of Old M on trose.

the is ea s u of a en i n d pl re P rliam t, and was wa i n E nbu h s his ff en t rd di rg Ca tle, di er residen ces were s earched for treasonab l e

oc u men a nd S l d e d ts, palding thus quaint y “ sc ribes the ra id on Old Montrose : Vpon e the fo irsa id W itso nda the S e e r y, Lord in kl ca m to the place o f Old M ontrois be d i rectiou ns of the Committee o f Esta ite s a t

E in r v iolen tlie u d bu gh, and thair brak p

the ti a n d is tha irof e nterit the ye s durr ,

' ss serchit the ha ill cofle ri s hou , and socht ,

kistis a nd tronkis i sa f e r , with n the men , e t

a ll brokin u mis they were p , to sie what sive s or letteris pertening to the Erll o f

M o ntrois o f his freindis b e , or ony , micht

f e u hi s w reitis s . ound , b ca se lay in this hous Thay took to Edinburgh with thame a lso

erllis e c a llit h the secr tar, Lamby, to try w at ” f w a s he kend . The Lamby re erred to

f e John Lammie, who in the ollowing y ar was ordained mi n ister o f Maryton,and w ho in the course of a long life gave ma n y proofs of his adherence to the p rinciples which characterised the late years of the M arquis . 1 6 6 f In 4 , a ter disbanding his troops by f M m order o the king, the arquis spent so e ri H isto c Fa milies . 1 59

O ld M com weeks at ontrose. The royal m n b e h a d had en received wit deep regret, a nd it was n ot carried out before repeated e n xpostulation with Charles. O this u n happy o c ca s io n he had a personal inter

h G e a n f view wit ner l Middleto , a terwards to be his s u c c e s sor in possession of Old Mo n

who ha d trose, been appointed to stipulate w o n the f r ith him conditions o su render.

n 2 2d The meeti g took place on the July, “ on n s of the ba k the Isla, where they con ferred fo r the of two h space hours, t ere being n one n ear them but one man for ” ea of ch them to hold his horse . Permis sion was g iven to the Marquis to go

n f n i to oreig exile, though the Parliament yielded a most reluctant assent to the fa vourable terms . The army was dissolved

at the of Rattray on last day July, and the Marquis betook himself to his seat at

Old M o H e ontr se . was allowed until the I st of September to remain in the coun

try, and the Parliament agreed to provide

a ves r sel fo his transportation . There were

s n of tro g suspicions, however, their good fa i h f t , and various s igns o their intention to capture him after he had gone to sea . I ’ 1 60 St I Ia ry s of Old M on trose.

H e wa s entrea ted to ta ke refu ge in the H ighla n ds u ntil his enemies gave better

f hi f t i n f n g ua ra n tee or s sa e y. But de ere ce

i es s o f the n he d l ne to the nter t ki g ec i d, a nd refus in g to avail hi mself of the vessel

vi e he n his s the pro d d, se t ervants and friends who were to accompany him to

S e embark at tonehaven, while he contriv d himse lf to esca pe from Montrose in a small

s uis the r of a vessel, and di g ed as se vant h clergyma n w o attended him in his flight.

s s f t ew The commis ioner , a ter heir intervi

Old os at Montrose, were lodged with Prov t

t of M w e Rober Keith ontrose, and they er put in some peril by an alarm which wa s

he ft raised in t town . The incident was a er wards narrated by a son o f one of the commissioners

the w o f That night to nsmen Montrose, espying some fi re in the night-time in the

Inv r hills towards e ma rk and Edzell Castle, fell upon a strong conceit that it was H untly f h and his orces, who were already come wit

o r of w in two three miles their to n , making

o f f havoc all be ore him with fi re and sword. Nor were they fa r from falling in upon the

n ff a s Commissio ers, to a ront or do by them

’ on 1 62 S t M a ry s of Old M trose. country the su n shining in a perfect blo o d ” The t w ho colour. narrator already quo ed , wa s n on the the prese t occasion , described a ppeara nce a s follows That day his colo u r

to f s o f t looked like re h blo d, whereo a lit le qua ntity is poured into a bright silver basi n

l a the or ike red rose , or like that blood in ch sa n u is ori du s eek which physicians call g fl . ” wa s h s It evident enough , he added , that t i day he keeped that colour most part o f the f re oo f e o n n , and be or he did part therewith ’ clouds arising abo ut eleven o clock in the forenoon took the su n out of their sight and he confirmed his own belief in it as a prodigy by the evidence of the commi s “ sioners of to , three whom were well known ” have been able scholars and philosophers. ’ Of M five ontrose s sisters , the eldest, Lady m Sir . o f Lilias, arried John Colquhoun, Bart

Luss .

M the The next, Lady argaret, became f f fi T o . he wi e Archibald, rst Lord Napier

-c 1 th 1 6 1 marriage ontract is dated s April 9 .

n d When he had lost his ow parent, Lor “ Napier acted the part of a most tender ” f M H e d in ather to the young ontrose . die f 1 6 o f o . 45 , when upwards seventy years age H istoric Fa milies 1 6 . 3

H is wa s successor, the second Lord Napier, the unfailing friend a nd close companion o f his u H e him his e ncle . accompanied in xile, “ a n d at Paris it was ever saydo yt Montrose and his nephew wer like ye Pope and ye ” H u . e Ch rch , who wold be inseparable

E u married Lady Elisabeth rskine, da ghter

f of M a r ff for o the eighth Earl , whose a ection the great Marquis equalled that of her hus It f ban d . was this lady whose inde atigable efforts procured the heart after his exe

cu tio n . d The third sister, Lady Dorothea, marrie h . S e James, second Lord Rollo died with

o n 1 6 M a 1 6 8 out issue the th y 3 , and was buried o n the 8th June following at H oly H rood ouse.

e f m Lady B atrix, the ourth sister, ade good her claim to the tocher to which the strange m condition was attached , by her arriage to M d a ert . David , third Lord y h Lady Cat erine was the youngest sister. Of the prisoners taken at Newcastle and brought to Edinbu rgh on the 7th November 1 6 S “ 44, palding describes one as H a rie

Mon trois Grahame, brother but either the

old historian had mistaken the relationship , ’ 1 6 t M a r s o ld M ontro e 4 S y f O s .

or the prisoner in question must have bee n ’ e of M f an ill gitimate son the arquis s ather . Little is known of the domestic life o f

M r ontrose, and ve y little has been recorded of wa s M h his Countess , who agdalene , sixt

of and youngest daughter David, Lord Car ne ie of f e g Kinnaird, who a terwards becam

fi f o h k the rst Earl o S u t es . There is a tradition that she expected to become the

f of of his wi e Lord Ogilvy Airlie, and that lordship was on his way to propose when f his horse re used to cross the river. The

re rider, thinking it a bad omen , at once

e for f e e turn d and looked a wi e lsewher . The

a r lady took her disappointment much to he t, and her father consoled her in the best

e e possible way by t lling her n ver to mind , as he would soon fi n d a better husband fo r If her than Airlie. a more distinguished husband came under that description , the f f noble Lord most aith ully kept his promise . It is surmised that she had died soon after

of n f he r the birth her you ger son, be ore ’ 1 6 husband s going abroad , in 33 . The long

o f o a n d est the poems written by Montr se, still preserved , was probably addressed to

f a his wi e, though there are allusions here n d

’ 1 66 S t M a r s o ld M on trose y f O .

ra E of th e Lord G ham , the arl Kincardine, “ elder~ son a n d , described as a proper youth , of s n u e th e i g lar exp ctation, had accompanied Marquis du ring his campaign in the North i n

’ e f o m 1 645 . H had marched with the army r

E in of Gi ht he n lg to Bog g , Gordon Castle, w the you ng Lord was seiz ed with sickness a n d

in a few f o f hi s died days, to the great grie f H o f ather. e was buried in the churchyard

Bellie no re , but stone or other memorial

s cord the melancholy event. The Marquis was succeeded in possessio n of a a rnes the the est tes and titles by y ,

u 1 6 yo nger son, who was born about 3 3 . ’ At the time of his brother s death James wa s “ of M m in the town ontrose, a young bai

a learning at the schools, attended by his ped ” ir H . a gog in quiet manner S John urry,

who good soldier though a worthless man , fi had been rst a Covenanter, then a Royalist ,

n when he was knighted by Charles, and agai

his an active Covenanting leader, went with

M n n o w troopers to o trose and seized James,

of who Lord Graham and Earl Kincardine, with his tutor was despatched to Edinburgh and lodged in the castle . When young ’ Napier released so many o f Montrose s H istoric F m i s a il e . fri of ends, the son the Marquis was not in

he t u . M r n mber In relation to this, Napier ’ f ‘ St S rf g ives a quotation rom e , in the d e dication of the work to the second Ma r “ u f : of q is, as ollows The soul the great

M son ontrose lives eminently in his , which b egan early to show its vigor, when your

Lo e f rdship, th n not ull twelve years old , was c o f o f l se prisoner a ter the battle Kilsyth , in E d f m inburgh Castle, ro whence you nobly

fu re sed to be exchanged, lest you cost your

re f fi of g at ather the bene t a prisoner, wherein he gladly met your resolution , both so con sp iring to this glorious action , that neither o u tdid the other, though all the world f f ’ be sides . Some years a ter his ather s

x e F f e ecution he spent in xile in landers, rom

h f 1 6 w ich he must have returned be ore 54, as in tha t year he was in the Royalist army in of 1 6 the north Scotland . In 59 he was imprisoned by the Parliament . Two years

a o f l ter, under a change circumstances, he refused to vote at the trial of the Marquis “ o f Argyle, owning that he had too much

e n res ntme t to judge in the matter . In this he only followed the example which Argyle

f n o f himsel had set, whe , as it is recorded ’ M a r r s 1 68 S t y s of Old M ont o e.

“ f th e him , he honourably re used to assist at

of u the n c e trial , or conc r in barbarous sente

th e pronounced against, his personal enemy,

Ma s of M Ma 1 6 0 i n rqui ontrose, y 5 , declar g that he was too much a party to be a judge. On the 3oth March 1 66 1 the Marqu is

e a l rd s addr ssed etter to his kinsmen , the lai of M c F r to orphi and int y, asking them request the Provost and Magistrates o f

of f r Aberdeen to deliver the leg his athe , which had been placed upon the tolbooth of h f t at city by order o the Parliament. It had been bu ried in the chu rch of St

wa s th Nicholas, and it disinterred by e

2 th F 1 66 1 The local authorities, s ebruary . “ ffi n coverit h leg was put in a co , wit

crim son e d ane reid p velvet cloth, and carie

H c the of by ari Graham , sone to Laird ” Mor h e - p y , to the town house, accompanied “ by the magistrates , the inhabitants goe ing before in armes with sound of ” of trumpet and beat drum , and there it was to be kept until requested to be given over to the son of the laite mu rthe rit

u Marq es . In 1 668 the Marquis was appointed o n e

’ 1 70 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose. which the title was derived having pa ss e d into other hands before the death of the

M f o f second arquis, a ter being in possession the Graham family for the long space o f

rs 343 yea . C H APTER IV.

E C C L E S I A S T I C A L .

C H U RCHYARD THE CH U RCH CHURCH C ENTENARY PARISH MINISTERS FREE CH U RCH MINISTERS SCHOOLS AND SC HOOLMASTERS PREAC HING OF — EIGHTEENTH CENTU RY A CLERICAL H U MORIST .

T H E tombstones in the churchyard are ln te re sting chiefly fo r the names which they b e of f n ar, being those amilies who lo g held a prominent place in the parish, and some o f e th m in the district . These tombstones a re much finer than those which are ordin a ril f f m y ound , and indicate the a ilies to have f b een o good position . There are two epi ta phs which probably relate to some of the f M elville amily. It will be remembered that two of the brothers o f the Reformer stayed a t home in the occupation o f small farms in the parish, which they and their descendants ’ l 1 7 2 S t M a ry s of O d M ontrose.

continued for some generations to culti v a te . Many of the inscriptions refer to the G reigs

a nd the Le itches s e h , which eem to indicat t at those families were among the longest re s i i dent a the parish . The following inscription bears the n a me of a holding which is now extinct

M ES ORR hu s a n to An n a m ton JA , b d H p , who lived sometime in the Bea rmea n s of Old

M ontr se e a rt this ife 1 1 N ov. 1 o , d p ed l 745 , a e g d 57 .

i of t By the way, t is worthy notice tha in n ea rly the whole of these old inscriptions

f o f : rr this is the orm designation James O , H “ husband to Ann ampton James Dall , “ husband to Agnes Pea terson Alexan der

Bea ts &c . & c . Litch, husband to y Ramsy, , ’ In these degenerate days the wife s d esig n u f ation is us ally taken rom the husband, ’ f H fr . and not the husband s om the wi e ere, h however , is one in whic the good old

not practice was observed, but which con tains the name of Ana n ie in one of its forms to make it interesting to the reader

H eir a es Eu z a na rn LONKINE a fu l y , l l s ovse to Va ter Da i n Ana n i se a n d p l ll, , th r to hn ra in a mo e Jo G y, C ottovne,

’ r s o d M on trose 1 74 S t M a y f Ol .

f r a a s rea for i n bloom, there o e be ye lw y dy, r n n t th fi na l su ch a n hou a s ye thi k o , e

summons will come .

The next reminds us somewhat o f th e denun ciatory lines on the tomb of Shak e

a r the speare, and curiously be s upon it

o f the a n d initi a ls W . S . It is one oldest

o f the n o w quaintest tombstones, and it is

r not o o r in the vest y. It is very c mplete,

r s a l a s ve y h pe y, but it will be remembered h n . On t e a lo g, narrow slab the top are

And of o f e e words, ye ages Then th r is carved a shield charged with a black ’ f s n a nd e . w mith s crow , initial d W. S , ollo “ a re W o him ing which the words , be to — yat puttis yis too any uder us wha desec it ”

An noa X . MDCL . xxiv in var The two parts of what must have bee n

u a pretty elaborate mon ment, which may

r fa r a s be seen in the vest y, represent, as

fi u of of the they go, the g re one lairds

f Bonn it n o o . , William Wood They were found at the levelling of the chu rchyard

of u n fo r on the site the old church , and tu na tely it was only discovered that they were objects of so much i nterest when it was too late to make a proper search for ica 1 Ecclesia st l . 7 5 the u o f fi pper portion the gure, which,

o u b s m a nd d tless , lies near the a e place, it is f r to be hoped will yet be o thcoming. It i s the effigy of a baron dressed in the

o s t f u r On c ume o the sixteenth cent y . the lo w e r portion is a shield charged with the a rm s of the family of Wood (an oak-tree gro w ing out of a mou nt) between those o f T ulloch o f Bonnington (two cross cross w lets) . The initials V. V. are belo the

e f of shi ld , and the ollowing traces an in sc ription are u pon the sides o f the ston e

L M . . U EL US W OD. OLIM DOMIN

It belongs apparently to the fi rst half o f

e the sixte nth century, and is probably the

of tombstone William Wood , who is de scribed ia 1 5 20 as the son and heir of Dorothea Tulloch of Bonnington and her

husband Walter Wood .

There is nothing very striki ng in the

r o f few histo y the church, but a words may no t be altogether out of place regarding its

n predecessors. It is uncertai whether they numbered two or three since the Reforma ’ M r s ld M n r e 1 76 S t a y of O o t os .

e e e fi n i te tion , but th re is som thing very d

r f attached to the histo y o two of them . I t is kn own that the site of former pari s h

h o the fi of th e churc es , since ab ut rst quarter

ee t r wa s th e sixt n h centu y, that on which Iona cross stands over the grave of the la te

F i f a M rs alconer. They ncluded rom th t period the burying-place of the family o f

o f a ev i Woods Bonnington , and the e rliest dence o f the fact is about the time when the Tu llochs of Bonnington merged into the

f evi family o Wood . There is no certain dence that it ever served as such to the

f mi s Tulloch a ly. There are two object attached to the present building which m u st

r be rega ded as links with the striking past, the church bell and the monument on the

north wall . The mu ral monument which was trans ferred from the last church commemorates

m r of Mr the inist y David Lindsay, extend

H e ing as it did from 1 673 to 1 706. was the

of last Episcopal minister the parish, and his ministry was spent in troublous times

u a times which incl ded , however, the gre t

ca n n ow Revolution , which be looked back to as the foundation of civil and religiou s

’ 1 78 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

to accompa ny them to Edinburgh. These

a rs e e e f m s p pe wer vid ntly not the a ily paper , but letters addressed to the Marquis and his

wn na m c o n o perso l emoranda, which might

vict him of complicity with the Royalists . . This is positive proof that much o f his retire ment from active service was spent in his

is r home at Old Montrose. It no ext avagant

n t conceptio , hen , that during those early

o f its n d years existence, when it summo e

the of n o e worshippers to house God , the bl soldier might have been seen we nding his

H e wa s a of e o way thither. man d ep religi us

a nd n ot f his feeling, he was likely to orget service o f God when he had retired fo r the

f his m time rom severe conflicts with e n . W hen it is thought that while that nob le

f a n d tongue which so delighted its riends, wa s for ev e r such a terror to its enemies, was

s t f rs on thi ear h silenced a ter eight short yea , the inanimate church bell is still performi n g

r n w h the se vice which it then rendered , o t a t two fif a hundred and ty years are passed aw y , might not one be surprised at the working s o f Providence if he were not ass u red also o f that fervent hope to which the martyr gav e feeling utterance prior to his death % The 1 Ecclesia stica l. 79

i s s bell which, with unabated tone, st ll ummon

of r weekly to the house p ayer, may outlast

in centuries . It may only be destroyed the

con fla ra tion general g . The first church in the parish of which

a n h t of 1 2 y relic remains was t a 53 , when the effigy of a baron wa s placed in it to

r d m of ecor the emory William Wood . That c hurch may have served the parish in the

s m of f m If tormy ti es the Re or ation . , as has

b e wa s a n ew a s e n indicated , there church

w e a fo r Mr m ll as new bell erected La mie, it m u st have been the scene of the sacrilegious

r e it perpetrated by John Wood, who assumed the sacred duties of the minister in baptising

his F own illegitimate child . urther on in its

h s f i tory, the building re erred to may have w itnessed many a curious scene, as that i n d icated in an extract from the session

le i m inutes . They ordered their Bedd n p resentia to sett the stools belonging to the w o men in such places of the church as they ” j u dged most proper. The church o f the parish from the time of the Reformation had as its fi rst minister R i M f chard elville, eldest brother o the dis ti n gu ished Reformer Andrew Melville ; and ’ 1 80 S t M a ry s of Old M on trose. if the sa e 1 6 2 m building continued until 4 , when a new church is supposed to have b e e n

u ha d a s i the b ilt, it ts two last ministers n e a - of f m e r eph w nd grand nephew the Re or , d i who were a lso successive lairds of Ba l o v e . That is the church to which reference is m a d e in the qu aint words which have already be e n

ted see 1 2 f o f quo ( p . 9) rom the Autobiography

m M ho f rd a es w o . J elville, was the son Richa

now w i c e Coming to the present church, t during the century it has u ndergone conside r

’ a a — 1 8 1 8 n o f ble lterations, once in , whe one the two ga lleries which it then contained w a s

d a nd it remove , the pulpit was placed where

now a nd a r e n is ; gain within recent yea s, wh

f o u the area o the church was reseated . Ab t thirty years ago the adjoining ground was s e t in order a t the instance o f the late M r Charle s

of Old M f e r Lyall ontrose . Some years a t wards the churchyard was altered to its pre s ent condition and now no great effort o r expense would be needed if it were proposed to make the interior of the church worthy in all respects of what everybody acknowledges

the exterior to be . The church was Opened on the 1 7th d a y of 1 2 r June 79 by Mr James Wilson, ministe

’ S t M a ry s of Old M on trose.

ha s often pa ined . me to hear the many flippa nt rema rks which are made by i n considera te persons regarding those old churches which still remain as mon uments of the eighteenth centu ry. Generally speak

fi e m ing, it is justi abl enough to call the

but u u plain , s rely s ch contemptuous expres

‘ ’ sions a s hideou s and the like are unde s r d u o f ti s e ve by them, and nworthy the cri c

H o who thus lightly characterise them . w often a re such expressions to be met with in the writings of some enthusiasts on church

n f service a d kirk abric. Usually it is their desire to make it appear that the b u ild e rs of ou r rn e d mode churches are, as compar

c ss e r with their prede e ors , animated by strong religiou s principles and greater zeal for the

of . d o house God Curiously enough, they

c f fi v e a n d not arry their minds back our, , six centu ries to the abbeys and monasterie s

c which were then erected in Scotland, to whi h the lines o f the poet are still appropriate

hose tem es a a ces a nd i es stu en d u T pl , p l , p l p o s, ’ Of which the very ru in s a re tremen dou s .

To follow out their reasoning on the church

of architecture a hundred years ago, they cle a 1 Ec sia stic l. 83 would require to lament the degeneracy of the present generation a s compared with times which are profess edly the darkest in

Scottish history. “ The fact is that such reasoning is alto f gether allacious, and it would be as unwise in the one case as in the other to indicate that their respective works form any criterion o f their religious character or piety. It is true that the most fastidious of those critics w i ll not include our pretty little church and its picturesque s urroundings in the number o f ff r those which are o ensive in thei eyes,

‘ a n d of which their description as barn -like

’ b u ildings has become stereotyped . I have th ought it well, however, to direct your a tten tion to the unfairness which is very often m f ani ested on the subject. The practice is to o much to compare the recently erected c hurch simply with its predecessor o f a h undred years ago, whereas such comparison , i f just and reasonable, is altogether a more c omplicated thing. A practical illustration w ill, perhaps, make clear what I mean . In many places over the country there may be s een two buildings in close vicinity which

r ne cont ast very much with one another. O ’ o l M ontrose 1 84 S t M a ry s f O d . is a mod rn fa m com e r house, handsome,

odiou s . t a m , and elegant The o her is

rv n ow b e humbler building, se ing , it may , a s a f rm o a o a c tt ge, or more likely built int , f - Th a n f n t of m n . e d ormi g par , the ar steadi g one is for the a ccommodation n ow of the f m a nd his f o wa s ar er amily, while the ther deemed s uffi cient for the purpose a hu ndred

is fa r f in years ago . It , indeed , rom my tention to cast reflection upon any person who a vails himself of all the comforts and

of h conveniences that improved position, whic ’ f is as much God s gi t as common food is. A ’ c r ff entu y s prosperity has a orded us time, l u m n n eisure, and c lture to i prove ma y thi gs

e if b longing to us, and it would be strange ,

r among our other prog essions, that improve ment did not also extend to the house in which God is to be worshipped . The point if f is that, the superiority o our modern church and its furnishings over the church erected last century and its appurtenances is so much greater and more marked than is the superiority of the modern over the ancient human habitation, we may lay some part of the credit to an excess of religious f spirit and an increase o piety.

’ M on o 1 86 St M a ry s of Old tr se. the men of tha t generation were ca lled

‘ ’ n to a n o upo build house unto the L rd, a nd a s ha s , already been indicated , they did so with a liberality greater than that w ith which they provided a habitation for themselves .

I think I can assure you, brethren , that during these hundred years the Gospel mes sa ge has been proclaimed in this church in i m ts purity, and that message was the sa e in the beginning as it is now. I know no

ou to other Gospel to recommend y , either

r believe O to practise . Many changes occur in the space of a centu ry : customs alter ; old habits are cast off and new ones assumed ; the fas hion of our speech is not the same now a s it was with our ancestors a hundred

n years ago . K owledge increases and ex

erience e . in p ext nds It would be strange,

if s deed , we did not understand some thing more clearly now than they were understood f if fi nd ormerly, and we did not out many new ways of giving praise to God and doing

‘ f - f n service to our ellow men . But other ou

n o d dation can man lay than that is lai , ’ fi e which is Jesus Christ . The rst messag which I was privileged to declare to you cc E lesia stica l . 1 87

w wa s If ithin these walls , ye then be risen w ith Christ, seek those things which are a b ove, where Christ sitteth on the right hand ’ o f G d o . t And to hat, dear brethren, I can a dd f ca n nothing, and rom it I take nothing

You have been left very much to gather u o f p the lessons this lengthened narrative , a nd I commend them seriously to your f fi p rayer ul meditation . It will be a tting — close to it to say and if the words are the l a st solemn words which I am permitted to a ddress to you they will have been timeously

n — chose Whatever your condition, whatever f w your belie s, never give illing assent to any policy or scheme the purpose of which is to defraud you and your children of the noblest inheritance that has been handed down to f you rom your ancestors . When these ven era ble u walls have cr mbled into dust, and when other walls have taken their place and

o f become alike venerable by length years, ma y the Church of our fathers be dispensing

exten din its ln its blessings, g privileges, and '

creasing its usefulness in the land . And may all who love the Lord be found fervently

of desiring, as in days old ’ 1 88 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

Pra y tha t Jeru sa lem ma y ha ve Pea ce a nd felicity Let them tha t love thee a n d thy pea ce ti r rit H a ve s ll p ospe y.

Therefore I wish tha t pea ce may still th r ma in Within y wa lls e , An d ever ma y thy pa la ces r r ta in P osperity e .

’ ’ N ow for m fri n s a nd brethren s sa es , y e d k , ’ c in th I Pea e b e ee, ll sa y. And for the h f d our r ouse o Go Lo d, ’ ’ I ll seek thy good a lwa y.

Ma the of y grace our Lord Jesus Christ ,

of F the love God the ather, and the com

of H S . munion the oly pirit, be with you all ” Amen .

RICHARD MELVILLE ( 1 567- 1 57 5) was the

o f e eldest brother Andrew Melville, and b

In chbra ock now gan his ministry at y , which f o f 1 62 H e orms a part Craig, in 5 . had

M 1 6 aryton also in charge, and in 5 7 he removed to Maryton when the parish of

o f St Lunan was added , the parish Kaa or

Du nn na id y being also put under his care. From that time until 1 598 (thirty-one years)

w of o f the hole the present parishes Craig,

’ o 1 90 S t M a ry s of Old M on tr se. is s w e s a t aid, hil here, to have a sisted the consecra tion of a bishop of Aberdeen ; a n d

in 1 8 a e wa s tra nsla ted to Dun 5 3 . Being g d

fi he e re i n and in rm , demitted his charge th

1 6 1 he m M a n d 4, when re oved to ontrose,

e f died ight years a ter.

- o n c ANDREW LEITCH ( 1 58 5, 1 6 1 1 ) was e ma f - of c h n ster o the grammar school Bre i ,

o f F n H e w a s and subsequ ently minister er .

ra to M 1 8 e t nslated aryton in 5 5 , and thirt en years after the charge was reduced to Mary to n n H is f and I chbra yock. wi e was Mag d of M alene Adamson , ontrose, and he died

s in that bu rgh in 1 6 1 1 . During his mini try (in 1 607) Inchbra yock was disjoined from

M f D un n na id St aryton , and rom it, with y or

d 1 6 1 8 of Kaa adde in , the present parish f “ Craig was ormed . It is recorded that, not having suffi cient moya nce and provision fo r serving the cu re as the worthiness of his tra vellis re u ret f q y , Mr Leitch had a urther gift fo r life from the teinds o f the towns and

of le lek B t u n lands C y and ony o . I ME N A M 1 6 1 R CHARD LVI , . . ( 3, was a nephew o f the Re former ; graduated in St

1 60 M r t n Andrews in 3, was admitted to a y o

f 28th t 1 6 1 in be ore the Augus 3 , and died Eccles tica l 1 1 ia s . 9

1 6 1 fift - H is s 4 , aged y eight years . two ons, w d Andre and Patrick, succeede to the pater

of Ba ldovie Two r f nal estate . yea s be ore his dea th he seems to have retired from the

charge of Maryton in favour of his son . EW M E N A 6 M . 1 ANDR LVI , . ( 39 was

for minister less than two years , and died

Ba ldov i f at e the same year as his ather, at

o f - of the age thirty one. An inventory his effects contained the followin g items : Cer

m 5 a bu lz e ents o f 1 . body li . 3

a ne strekin 63 insict g knok xvi li . .

1 0s v and plenishing xxx li . ] , In entar

a nd im vc H is debts lx li . brother Patrick wa s served heir o f the estate of Bal h dovie on the 6t December 1 642 .

E 1 6 2 A M . JOHN LAMMI , . ( 4 was tutor and servitor to the Marquis of Mon

o 1 62 8 f tr se in and ollowing year, and was ordained and admitted as minister o f Mary

ton on h f 1 1 6 wa s the 9t o June 642 . In 49 he suspended by the Assembly fo r the active part which he took in promoting the Views of

Da of o u thesk o f vid, Earl S , to be a member

the 1 6 8 Assembly in 4 . The Earl had joined “ in the unlawful engagement against Eng ’ 1 2 M a r s o M on tro e 9 St y f Old s . la nd a nd wa s discountenanced by the As sembl o n n Mr wa s y that accou t. Lammie r to in 1 6 0 a nd estored his charge , however, 5 ; from his antecedents it will not be wondered that he readily a ssented to the establishment

of E 1 662. piscopacy, which took place in The whole members o f the Presbytery of Brechin conformed to the change of ecclesias tica l govern ment when Episcopacy was intro d uced f n e , with the exception o Andrew Spe c ,

M . A. o f to the , minister Craig, who adhered

r of ed p inciples Presbytery, and was depriv o f his charge for doing so by the Acts of

1 662 Mr Parliament and Privy Council in . Lammie continued minister o f this parish

1 6 n wa s Fa r until 7 3, whe he translated to

1 680 the nell, and died there in , about

- of H is ed eighty second year his age . pr e

o f F d cessor, as minister arnell , was Davi

rn M o f Ca e A. gy, Dean Brechin , who pur

o f f nd chased the estate Craigo, and was ou er

f o f f of o the Carnegies Craigo , grand ather the fi rst Carnegie o f Dysart . f DAVID LINDSAY ( 1 67 3 - 1 706) was son o

of Rescobie ed the minister , and was present by the Bishop o f Brechin to the church

r of H e and pa ish Maryton . married Cecil,

’ M o tro 1 94 S t M a ry s of Old n se.

Th i e n e s lver cups ach bear this inscriptio ,

s c cu a nd e to Thi ommunion p, another lik

f e the o f M a r tou n b it , gi t d to Church y y

r e to Katha in Lindsay, youngest daughter

M r vi 1 1 Da d Lindsay, minister there, 7 4 a nd the silver plate has an inscription “ n fo r n upo it, This plate the communio e t of f of lemen Bread , gi ted to the Church

Ma r tou n Cicil of Mr y by Nisbet, Relict ”

n . wa s David Li dsay, minister there There a curious matter connected with those

f s of f f n gi t , which the ollowing brie accou t is extracted from the Session Records Up to December 1 743 they had continued

of S w r in the custody John pence, to n cle k of M of had ontrose, and the use them only

The been given at Communion times.

- f f o kirk session , in erring rom the inscripti n that they had a right to their full posses

wn sion , lodged their claim with the to M r H S r clerk and ercules kinner, shipmaste ,

f s who were the nearest o kin to the donor . Those gentlemen refuse d to give them up “ unless on the condition that this session should give their obligation to lend them to Episcopal congregations within seven

of h s miles round this church . With t i ia 1 Eccles sti ca l . 95 the - f kirk session re used to comply, and

o o k l of t egal steps , the result which was, “ i n the f M ef ollowing arch, a decreet b ore

the S ff of F f heri or ar against John Spence , to w n of M H clerk ontrose, ercules Skinner,

s h ip master there, and Colonel Lindsay there, ” f r o a delivery of the cups a nd plate .

he T y were given up accordingly, and the s e s s io n enacted that no minister or session sho u ld receive the use of them for Com m u n ion service without a written obligation to res tore them in the same condition as

he a nd of t y were given , the payment two shil lings until the expenses of the kirk s e s s io n in procuring their right were re i mb ursed . G EORGE STEPHEN (1 707 - 1 7 24) was trans

e f of M lat d rom the second charge ontrose, in which he had been minister for nine

e y ars, having been licensed by the Pres

te r 1 8th by y on the , and called to the

he 1 h a 1 8 H e c t t M 6 . harge on 9 , y 9 died

8 M 1 2 n w M th arch 7 4, leavi g a wido , ary B fif arclay, who survived him ty years, and

two sons and two daughters . It was during his incumbency that the famous Patronage Act o f Queen Anne was ’ 1 6 S t M a r s o ld M on trose 9 y f O .

ss a nd the M m to pa ed , aryton people see have taken the first Opportunity in their offer to protest against it ; for in the Records of the General Assembly there a re two cases of disputed settlement from the is two he par h in the next years . Whet r they both referred to the same presentee

me does not appear, but considering the ti which elapsed between his call and settle

n e n s me t, the second dispute at all ve t

ed concern the next minister. CHARLES IRVINE ( 1 7 26- 1 7 37) was trans

f I st une lated rom Lunan, being called J ,

d 1 S 1 26 The and admitte 4th eptember, 7 . Session Records date from his admission ;

f a o f but, un ortunately, the det ils nearly two years at the close o f his ministry a re

H e es amissing . was related to the Irvin of of Drum, and is represented as a man excellent character and scholarship , and a collection of his discourses wa s published

f H e long a ter his death . was a strong

of H on supporter the anoverian successi , and roused against himself the active re sen tment of the Jacobites in the neigh bou rhood H e un . sustained on this acco t

of a nd wa s considerable loss property,

’ 1 8 M a r s i ld M o tro 9 S t y f O n se.

f o B . had c nsisted o eighteen days by a N . The stile wa s altered a t this tim e by ” Act o f a n Pa rliament . While the c le dar

a o o f 6 r ye r c nsists 3 5 days, the sola year

6 s 8 8 s e is 3 5 day 5 h . 4 m . 4 . , the conseq u nce being that the sun had got e leven days in a e o f a nd dvanc the clock, to remedy this the New Style was adopted . I A M I 8 E . JAM S W LSON , . ( 77 was s on o f the of last minister Kinnaird , as

s e H e wa s 2 th a eparat parish . ordained 4 1 8 June 77 . It was during his incumbency that the present church was built , and he

c for fi 1 prea hed in it the rst time, June 7,

1 2 f for 79 . It must have taken ully a year

n fo r 1 1 1 completio , on the 4th June 79 “ the minister intimated to the session that, as the Kirk of Maryton was n o w taking

n ew down , and a one to be built, he had obtained liberty from Mr Charles Greenhill of Bolsha n to preach in the large barn at ld M O ontrose, till such time as the Kirk

fi M r is rebu ilt and nished . Wilson was F S 2 1 translated to arnell , eptember 4, 794, and got a n ew church built there in 1 806. In 1 797 he married the daughter o f Sir

n of a nd William Nicolso , Bart . Glenbervie, E c l 1 c es ia s tica l . 99 d d O 1 82 a n o ie ctober 9, leaving nly son a n d a l of wa s sever daughters, one whom the M rs Ba dena ch n of late Nicolso , lady

G lenbervie.

N EW FE N A M 1 A DR RGUSO , . . ( 795 w a s son and grandson o f two ministers of

F H is f arnell . grand ather was settled there in 1 1 6 7 , so that the three generations had ministered between the two parishes fo r the

of 1 2 M r F long period 7 years . erguson had f been ordained assistant to his ather, and ’ on Mr Wilson s translation wa s appointed

of minister Maryton , and continued in the

1 8 charge until 43, when he demitted , and died in the same year minister of the Free

Church.

A. 1 8 L E M . WIL IAM R ID , ( 43 was his successor, having previously been parish

of M H e schoolmaster ains . was ordained 86 1 8 1 . in 43 , and died in 7

F A n X E . M WILLIAM RU TON RAS R, . was bor

1 2 in Laurencekirk, 83 ; was educated at the

- parish school there, and the grammar school, 1 8 2 Aberdeen , under Dr Melvin ; 5 , gradu ’ 8 ated at King s College ; 1 54, parish school master o f Auchterhouse was licensed in

1 8 of 57 , and assisted in the parishes Lundie ’ 200 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

a nd Fowlis for several years ; wa s ordai n ed

m n st r of Ma r in 1 86 r ti i i e yton 7, and e red i 8 2 from the pa rish n 1 9 . M B D R H EN N A. . . RICHA D DERSO , , a

na of s s tive Aberdeenshire, was ordained as i t

1 ant a nd successo r in 893 .

The Free Church is the only disse nting community which ha s formed a congregatio n

the d a k e in parish. It is not intende to m these pages a medium of religious or eccles i

a stica l a e controversy, otherwise it might h v been ea s ily shown that the strife a nd bitte r n ess which pervaded the rest of Scotlan d

n n s were not u known in the parish . The rui

of the fi 1 8 a rst church, erected 43, stand as monument of the unwisdom of the Free C hurch in selecting sites which would su bse quently prove inconvenient to its own a d

er n s a nd r i n h e t , do ve y little to supply Christ a

ordinances where they were really needed . Even the present church would only have been an admirable site if there had been n o ‘ other efli cient church within six or eight

of miles it ; but as it happens, the churches both in the country and in the two neigh bou ring towns must contain some dozen s

’ 2 M a r s o M ro e 20 S t y f Old on t s . se l a of w om vera prob tioners, the principal h h w t . Mr N a s e Rev WATSO . JOHN THAIN DAVIDSON wa s ordained in 1 857 to the charge : he re mained but a ye ar or two e o n , wh n he was removed to Islingt , a n d he is now minister o f the Presbyterian

r fo r Chu ch in Ealin g. H e has been s ome yea rs one of the leading Presbyterian min isters M in the etropolis, and a short time

a o e D . g r ceived the degree of D. E E M of A. . G ORGE WALLAC , , a native

o f Dundee, became minister the church,

H e subse having been ordained in 1 8 59.

of quently removed to the North England,

h he f B f where he a d t degree o D . con erred F upon him, and is now ree Church minister of H amilton . AN DREW CAMERON from Edinburgh was ordained in 1 866. In early years he had been associated in literary matters with H ugh

h f of Miller, and was imsel editor the Chris ’ z tian Maga ine. While he was a member of the Brechin Free Presbytery the pro posed union of the Free Church with the

United Presbyterians was being discussed . Mr Cameron took the lead on the side of union ; but he was no match in debate for Ecclesia s tica l . 203

M r William Nixon . The result was that the controversy collapsed in the Presbytery of Brechin , as it did over the whole Church . After a few years he was called to be assist ant and successor to the late Dr Cairns in f Melbourne . Some time be ore his death he

e of D D r ceived the degree . . The successor of Mr Cameron was WIL I EEK F E A M H C . e L AM M AL ON R , . was a son of the Free Church minister of Ferry

- - o u 1 8 1 . Port Craig, and was ordained in 7 H e was no polemic like his predecessor ; f but he was a diligent pastor, and a ter some years he found a higher sphere in St Paul ’s

F . ree Church , Edinburgh

M . f M Y A . o a te THOMAS URRA , , son s e cted F p ree Church elder in Aberdeen , was ordained min ister of the congregation

1 8 H e e for in 77 . was well equipp d the charge both in theology and general scholar

H e H S a . e ship marri d elen cott, member of his own congregation and a native of the f parish . Soon a ter, he removed to Gibraltar, f and was minister o the church there, besides ’ being Presbyterian chaplain of the Queen s

e of forces . H had discharged the duties both positions so well that when a Presby ’ l r e 204 S t M a ry s of O d M ont os .

teria n cha pla in for Ma lta wa s required he

received the a ppointmen t u nsolicited. Mr Murra y wa s su cceed ed by WILLIA M

F I W n of who A R EATHER, a ative Dundee, ha d for so me time held a charge in the

rth f H e wa s i n No o England . ordained

n a f r r to 1 886. Soo te he became Secreta y

the e f e of Y c e W l ar outh Scheme , and on a -year the re is a monster meeting in the

F e h of M o w f a ll r e Churc aryt n , dra n rom

the a in r for ro p rishes the P esbytery, the p

of motion that Scheme .

No apology is offered for placing the S f l chool under the heading o Ecclesiastica . The Church has been much longer the guardian of the school than the Schoo l

of a n d Board , which is a thing yesterday, which ha s yet in a great measure to w in

its spurs . It appears from an extract from the Presbytery Records that there were n o schools within the bounds o f the Pres

b te r ‘ y y duly established until 1 650. The

o f f grand design the Re ormers, admirable

as it was, and never excelled as it has

f in yet been, got scant justice rom men

’ M r o ld M on rose 206 S t a y s f O t . k -sess n s e s s r irk io , uppl mented when nece a y

the he i s . fi e a d by r tor The rst, it has alr y

i 1 6 re i s n s wa s e n 0. bee aid, erect d 5 The evidence that a new school wa s b u ilt

f 1 2 f a re shortly be ore 7 7 , and rom that date freque nt e ntries o f small sums expend e d

f of d n on the repair or urnishing the buil i g . During last century the site is suppos e d to have been a little to the south o f the

u a . ch rch, ne r where the quarry is now The first schoolmaster n oticed is M r

ALExANDER who fo r he BRAND, appears t

fi s e 1 1 th o f 1 2 r t tim on the November 7 7 , only to give intimation o f his intended “ removal . The minister reported that he had demitted by reason of the unbecoming

o f o f him carriages some the Parish to ,

of of s and also not paying him his Due , which thing the Session taking under their consideration did Intreat the above Mr

Al x r e . Brand to remain as their school master and precentor ; but he told them he could not remain with them for the

reasons above said , and that this place was not suffi cient for him to live in all his f Days ; there ore he would leave it, and

f o f cast himsel in the hands Almighty God , E 2 cclesia s tzca l. 07 w ho -su ffi c ien t is an all Being, and one who ” w a s ffi able to support him in all di culties . M r Brand at a future meeting intimated tha t he was to wait upon the profession o f D ivinity either at St Andrews or Edin b u rgh ; had a testimonial granted in his fa v o ur ; and received promise of the balance “ o f his salary when the annual rents due ” a rri ch to this p o are gote up . It does not a p p ear whether he carried out his Divinity

s u d commu n ica t ies or not, but there is a

n f S o f St te tio rom the ession Vigeans,

c 1 of orded in 744, with the signature “ Al x r . e . . Brand, Sess Clk , and the proba b ility is that he was then fi lling the offi ce

o f schoolmaster there . H is successor in all the offi ces was M r

A EX E M E of L AND R ILN , a native Durris, a nd recommended among others by the

m of H on ir inister D u rris and the . S Alex

ander Burnett of Leys . The appointment was to be in force “ during his good beha

viou r fa r , and so long and in so as the f ” reverend presbytery shall approve thereo .

It seems, however, that Mr Milne did not f f justi y the recommendations in his avour, for within eighteen months he was depose d ’ 2 8 t M a r s o ld M on rose 0 S y f O t .

f rom the precentorship, and warned to leave under pain of being libelled if he

ref th ffi t o t used . Wi some di cul y he was g

ffi a nd w a s to demit his o ce, his successor

Mr H C H RY TI H is o f ffi c e UGH S E. term o

h r he f o n was s o t, but had given satis acti

the of c h in discharge his duties, and on Mar fi ff 1 1 1 2 r c t. , 73 , received ce ti cate to that e e Mr Chrystie had been transferred to the

- o f M wa s grammar school ontrose , where he

r he fo some time principal teacher. While ‘ held that ofli ce he was appointed clerk to h l the Brec in Presbytery, and apparent y discharged his duty in the clerkship to

f o f H e the satis action the reverend court .

wa s published a Latin grammar, which extensively used by his own scholars a nd by a considerable number in the district .

Mr F N E m n RA CIS MITCH LL, a young a belonging to the parish , was with the con currence o f the heritors elected next school

a d i n terim master. The appointment was ; but his probation must have been s a tisfa c

ffi for tory, as he continued in o ce the very lengthened period of sixty years and u p F 1 2 1 wards. rom 73 to 779 the minutes f seem to have been written, and care ully

’ M r s o d M o rose S t a y f Ol nt . in conseque nce o f the infi rmities of the

d is r e ch r. ll pa ish t a e At a events , it was ’ continu ed ou Mr Brown s appointment to the parochia l school.

H is su cce wa s M r M N who s e ssor U RO, f a H e n ame will be amilia r to many re ders . wa s a na t of t for co n ive New yle, and a sidera ble time a teacher in Brechin : he

H e wa s also a licentiate of the Church .

e s b e had many p culiaritie , which will still

rf e remembered , but, on the whole, he pe orm d the duties of the situation tolerably well.

H e wa s e H E Y B N succe ded by Mr NR GI SO , who soon gained for himself the name o f

a n e being xcellent teacher, but in other respects his connection with the parish was r H e ather disappointing. resigned the

offi ce and emigrated to Australia . M r DAVID MARR followed in the offi ce o f

: w a s of a nd schoolmaster he a native Dundee,

f r L ch H e was o some time teacher in o ee. f was trans erred to the Montrose Academy, where he held the offi ce o f teacher o f arith

1 8 metic until 75 , when he was appointed

o f H e 1 8 . schoolmaster Maryton . died in 94

On S his death the chool Board, which had

f re been ormed in the parish meanwhile, Eccle I sia s tica l .

d t f solve , as an experiment, to appoin a emale teacher ; and though the first gave promise of n fi she a fo r excelle t quali cations, t ught a few f months only , and it is still in the uture for the Board to determine whether the ex

eriment f p is to be success ul . There have been several endowed schools w in the parish . It a s attempted to establish one in connection with the Free Church : either the selection ha d not been a good one

of or the site was out place, and the attempt did not go further than two teachers. There was also an endowed school built and supported for some time by Lady

Sou thesk , and it was a great boon to the

wa s parish. It placed by her ladyship in

of the o f charge the Church, and at time the School Board the members preferred to save the rates rather than continue a highly

useful institution .

Whatever shortcoming there may have

been in other respects , the people were

n t w of o stinted in their allo ance preaching.

r S a nd There were two services eve y abbath,

all the days of the Communion season . Fo r a long period a register was kept of the ’ 2 r r 2 1 S t M a y s of Old M on t ose. n e of c o f e s am the prea her at each the di t ,

nd of h s a a n a i texts . Occ sionally there is en try of No service in the afternoon be ’ cause of the minister s absence assisting at ” a n eighbouring Communion ; and some “ times we fi n d No service this day because ’ ” of Mr the minister s bodily indisposition .

t f rt Beattie, hough minister nearly o y years,

of h seems not to have been robust healt , judging from the frequency with which probationers supplied his place. There is no evidence of there having been tent service h on t e Communion Sabbath . Probably the smallness of the parish and the proximity o f so many parish churches had obviated what would have been considered a necessity in other circumstances, and what was a f common practice in the county . O course there is nothing from which to form an estimate o f either the quality or qu antity o f we for the preaching, and may take it granted the sermons had been of the usual length o f those which have been tran smitted f of rom that age . Whoever has read many the published discourses o f last century will readily believe that there was no lack of abundant fare provided fo r the people every

’ 2 1 4 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

Allowing for two Sabbaths when strange rs

r s i a the were p ea ching, thi ndic tes that se rmon in question ha d bee n preached e ig ht

In s e rd s times su ccess ively. om old reco “ f re is th e the way o cording it , This day

his r h c h minister preached upon ordina y, w i

the s ff u t su ra a s e . is to ame e ect as p , abov And in most records o f kirk - sessions there i s

r a o f h ce t in evidence the same practice , whic S m wa s if n ot . es general, universal ometi the intimation is recorded as having be en made by the minister that on the followi n g

S u r abbath he wo ld change his ordina y , which meant tha t he would lay aside the . serm n whi e n o ch had been preached sev ,

n a t eight, ine, or ten weeks or more, and tre t t f how hem wi h something resh, to last,

a s ever, long as that the people might be expected to have acquired a sufficien t a e r cquaintanc with it. A retu n to the old syste m would not be very acceptable n ow i n , though doubtless it had ts a dva

a tages, and was perh ps well adapted to the

of the circumstances people. It must be remembered there were few books in those f days, and not many acilities to those which were. This practice will probably account Ecc s a 2 1 le ia stic l . 5 fo r the many divisions and subdivisions i n old sermons to which referen ce has a l r eady been made . They had assisted very m uch both the intelligence and the memory o f the willing and attentive hearer, and “ b efore the time o f changing his ordinary the minister had very likely imparted a g ood deal of solid doctrine to a considerable

of . p ortion the congregation At all events, b S y this and similar means, the cottish p eople o f last century acquired the char a of for cter apt theologians, which they w ere distinguished . Among the ministers whose assistance is recorded at Communion seasons and on o ther occasions about the middle of the c entury is one who was well known in his t ime, and whose eccentricities were long r t emembered in the dis rict .

H o f Rev. arry Ogilvy was minister the

o f f ne p arish Lunan rom 1 727 to 1 78 1 . O o f his ministerial duties was to baptise as a babe the young lady whom precisely eigh f f teen years a terwards he took to be his wi e .

S he of o f was a daughter Mr Wyse, laird

Lunan . H e had to be at Forfar on a certain ’ 2 1 6 S t M a ry s of Old M ontrose.

M d on e a n d a s on ay som county business, tra velling wa s not easy in those days he w a s

n h obliged to lea ve on the Sabbath . A eig bou ring proprietor undertook to give him a s r a u r eat provided he was ready by a ce t in ho ,

f r H e which inter ered with the usual se vice.

u u the was p nct al to the appointment, and gentleman asked him what he had done with ’ his people. I ve gien them a been to pike, was the reply ; the fact being that when i t was necessary for him to leave he had given

1 1 th out the 9 Psalm , and told the congrega tion they might continue to sing until they thought prope r to dismiss. H e was noted fo r personal allusions in the pulpit ; people went from all quarters to hear f him , and their curiosity was not un requently

fi n grati ed at their ow expense. The school master of Dun had been presen t on on e

H e occasion . had gone in rather late, and when looking fo r a seat was addressed by “ ’ sta ive rin the minister, What are you about ” fori — see, sit down there, pointing to the

H e seat next the pulpit . gave out his text “ : f in these words My riends, I wish this da o f S y to test your knowledge the criptures, ’ ’ lea v in ou rsels and I ll read the text, it to y to

’ 2 1 8 t M a r s o Old M on tr se S y f o .

n es u — a nd m a n ot , yo ng man the young

collapsed .

H e not e he did spar his own people eit r,

of o f whatever position . A laird , probably

Arbikie ha d e o r rc h , giv n ve going to chu , a nd the min ister expostulating with him on the impropriety of such an examp le a his the to the p rish and to own servants, “ ’ e M r v a n laird r plied, Weel, Ogil y, I ll be pl i wi ’ ’ ’ if I yo u . I ve been so lang awa that ’ were to come noo you would be makin som e ’ ’ r u n a n e emark po me, I ll no submit to b ’ ’ ” made a wa rld s wonder o The ministe r

ed of to promis to do nothing the sort, and

it e On allow no other body to do ither.

he f S the r wa s t ollowing abbath, when se vice d well begun, the door opened and in walke

h r d his t e laird . Eve y eye was turne in ‘ n e to the directio whil he went his pew, and “ min ister rebuked the congregation : I won ’ ’ ’ ’ low erin der, sirs, what you re a g at. It s ’ ’ Arbikie only the laird o , honest man . It s

r o f t ue he disna c me a ten to the kirk, and when he does come he comes gie late, but ’ ’ ’ you n eedna mak a wa rld s wonder o the f ’ ” man or a that . During a parliamentary election two law e 2 1 Eccl s ia stica l . 9 y ers from Arbroath were canvassing on be h f of of a n al one the c ndidates . O approaching the Manse of Lunan they met the minister o n o f a horse, and one them thinking to take a of rise out him, addressed him in the words, “ ’ We didn t think o f meeting you on such ’ a high horse ; your Master was won t to “ ” r ide on an ass . Very true, replied Mr O “ F f gilvy, but you see the asses in or ar s hire are all needed to help the candidates ” f r o Parliament . Mr Ogilvy was sometimes employed to w for a nd rite epitaphs his parishioners, the following is one o f his compositions

H ere ies the smith to wit Ta m G ou l , k , h H is fa ther a n d his mot er, ’ W i Dic a n d N e a n d M e a nd oc k ll, g J k, ’ i r An a the Gou ks theg the . n n h ir m ife a n I Whe o t e y d, y w d ’ ’ ’ r r te ill wi ither G eed desp a , B u t here withou ten strife or di n ’ W e ta k our na p thegither. It devolved upon him to trace the pedigree o f of Bra ikie a certain Mr Gavin , laird , who wa s the son of the famous beadle of that

H e s urname at Lunan . had acquired a f large ortune abroad , and was anxious to f H establish a amily reputation . aving con ’ 2 2 t M a r s o Old M ontrose 0 S y f . su lted Mr O v he u t the gil y, was ass red tha fi rst ancestor of the Gavin family was A u lu s

a biniu s a f u r e to G , amo s gene al, who cam

B ta a e f w ri in with Julius C sar, and the ollo ing lines a re re corded on a monument in the Church of Kinnell

’ ’ From ye Scottish shore o er N eptun e s wa ves i d n to f nd I went my k ng a n cou try de e , wal e After set shi s to sea In blood ] k d , p

In merca ntile tra de I dea lt. ’ r w a me i n u iu s aesa rs time From F a nce e c J l C , An d ga ined ou r hon ou rs by the sword whic h n t n H ere do sta nd o s o e.

’ Mr Ogi lvy s daughter was the wife o f the

S of o f Rev. James cott Benholm , and one

H S f o r her sons was Dr ercules cott, Pro ess ’ r of Moral Philosophy in King s College, Abe

of r deen . It requires no great stretch memo y

1 8 1 - 2 to go back to his classroom . In 5 5

a nd the class was taught by an assistant,

f f s the venerable Pro essor made requent visit , which were not always conducive to the well ” - ordering of the class work . An aside like this was o f frequent occurrence . The name ’ O n ow of d o f Mr Alexander gilvie, Gor on s

College, Aberdeen, happened to be mentioned,

H ow when Dr Scott immediately inquired,

C H A P T E R V.

K K - E IR S SSION .

A CASE OF SU PERSTITION IN TH E SEVENTEENTH CEN TU R Y — TH E ELDERS COLLECTIONS PEWS A DOMESTI C

SCAN DAL.

LONG before the name o f any elder appears on r f n d the ecord, the ollowi g case engage the attention o f the ecclesiastical authorities of the parish . The earliest recorded inci den t in the life o f one of the humbler class o f our parishion ers is taken from a printed extract from the records of the Presbytery of

a nd f 1 6 : Brechin , it re ers to the year 39 “ — m r . 1 h o ei ed S e t 2t . C p p Janet Lovie, in

of Ma rito u ne f t the parish , who con essed hat she brak a n e roik over ane person long f him sick, being in ormed that it suld mak

either ament or die shortlie . It a ppeire d 22 Ki rh Session . 3

th i n ora ntlie for at she had done it g , but s ta ying o f suche superstitious c u stomes she is ordained to mak satisfaction in Mari

to u en ne, as the minister and session sal

o ine lk she j to her, q . promises to do, and to a bsta in e fra such things as are scandal ” o u s in tym coming.

ra ih the of A is, or was, rock the old s p inning - wheel ; but evidently Janet had l o oked upon it as something which had a c harm in it either to kill or to cure the

a for p tient, it appears to have been a m atter o f indifference to her which o f the

tw o f results would ollow, provided she got

u of the q it person who had been long sick , a n d had probably tried her patience as a w f i e or a nurse . The reverend Presbytery s e em not to have been altogether clear

a the o f the ra ih bout virtues , and the mini s ter and session no dou bt shared the im p ression that there might have been some — c harm in it after all only they resolved that n o such superstitious customs should

e b allowed within their province, and inter d icted Janet from the repetition of such

s candalous conduct . When this was the

v iew taken by the Presbytery and session , ’ 2 r 24 St M a ry s of Old M ont ose. it would be ha rdly fair to pronounce with grea t severity upon the ignorance o f poor Ja net Lovie a nd it must be bo rne in mind there wa s no school established in

h— o r the paris , indeed , within the Presby tery un til about eleven years after this

a a e d a s d te . Th t, how ver, is a very mil c e of e the t sup rstition, compared with hou sa nds of cases to be found in the records of h e o f t at p riod , and giving evidence de plora ble ignorance still prevailing as relics of re- f f the p Re ormation times, ostered by u nse ttled and u npeaceful state o f the

u for a co ntry. There is reason gratitude th t su pe rstitious customs of that particular kind

a n if e f m h ve early, not quit , disappeared ro

— to the land yielding, as they were likely

the f . do, to progress o education The elders in offi ce a t the earliest date of which there is record ( 1 7 26) were James

Bon Livie, Nether Dysart ; Andrew Cook,

he F The a nd rew Pres w u . niton ; And , llerton

f i s r e o f ce seem ve y much, during the remaind r o f the n r ce tu y, to have gone down in the f o f f o f For amilies the armers the parish .

e example, extending over that time ther

Preshews o f F were two ullerton, three Mit

’ M ontr 226 S t M a ry s of Old ose. from the fin ancial diffi culties o f parties to

h n fi who m t ey were given on loa . The rst few pa ges o f one o f the records extant give evidence o f considerable bother in the a ffairs of o f s r t o f Milne Dy a t, who held a por ion ’ the s c en poor money ; and , later on in the

r - n h tu y, the kirk sessio and Presbytery bot were exercised on the best course to follow

the of the of in bankruptcy town Arbroath , which wa s indebted in a goodly sum to its f s . und In these transactions , not only the heritors but lairds from a distance were c o n — cerned, there having been no banks in those d — i of ays, the la rds Lawton , Usan , and others being in the number o f those who were f occa siona l borrowers rom the session . The ea rliest collection in the parish o f which probably there is authentic information

r o f is noticed in the ecords the Presbytery,

1 1 6 a n d 0 . August , 54 It amounted to £7 , was in aid of the prisoners lodged in Dund e e

the f n u o f in time o the Civil War. A mi te “ 2 1 2 f : date March 3, 7 9, is as ollows This

t of day the Min . did intimate an Act General

Assembly to ye Congregation, that there was a general collection to be collected through all the Kirks o f Scotland for erecting ane - Ki rk S ession. 2 27

H o spita ll att Edinburgh fo r enterta ining and

of n n t keeping all the poor this atio , y shall happen att Edinbu rgh to be in sickness or

a nd n poverty, does i treat all weel Disposed Christians a ccordin gly a s the Lord hath bestowed o n them to deal charita bly for

do n this use, and appoint Sabbath next, bei g ” th f h f r o o c o n. the 3 Mar , this collectio It ma y n ot be genera lly kn own that the fact o f the H ospital at Edinburgh being open to patients from the whole of Scotland is owing to its having been erected mainly through

n r u H ow f n these parochial co t ib tions. o te the privilege may have been exercised by this parish there is n o means of knowing ;

u t few b at least one parishioner, a years

wa s s f a s a n d ago, ent rom here a patient, — derived considerable ben efi t reaping indeed the fru its o f that solitary collection made f F n early 1 50 years be ore. requently, on the

n of the collec recommen datio Presbytery, tions were made in behalf of persons living in other parishes whose circu mstances re quired the special assista nce of the chari It t table . would be edious to enumerate

of the many instances recorded these, or of those which affliction or other cause o f ’ 228 S t M a r s o ld M on trose y f O . poverty drew forth in aid of membe rs o f the

r n s cong egation . And the special collectio by no means exhausted the liberality of the

a s m of the people, ad inistered by the hands

- The n ff s kirk session . ordi ary weekly o ering were made available fo r the assistance o f

a of r m ny beyond the circle their own poo . Seldom a Sabbath passed without one o r more supplicants desiring access to the ses

e sion, and receiving a small sum to reliev their more pressing necessities . “ “ To a supplicant from Arbirlote To a poor woman in Montrose “ To Andrew “ Smith in Pa tta ries To two stran gers a t the church door To a Blew Gown To “ a travelling ma n To a poor cripple “ woman To William Cowie for to help to buy a Bible Given to three poor “ For men helping John Jamieson , a poor man, to buy a cow (it amounted to 5 , “ f 1 m. To ransom a captive rom Tan giers (he was a native o f St Vigeans) Fo r

Bresla w S Protestants in , ilesia, Pennsylvania,

c For Teveotda le & . William , a lame chap f man rom Craig, who had been robbed ; “ For buildi ng a new church in the parish ” “ of Old Machar ; For a man whose leg had

’ 2 S t M a r s Old M n tr 30 y of o ose. ing a nd keeping the poor in the Parish t d H wi hin Doors, and ye sai eritors being legally summoned to a ttend the said meeting a nd not compearing) proceeded to enquire

the s of &c into tate the poor, . The in firma ries of Edinburgh and Aber deen were frequently commended to the

t of liberali y the congregation, and towards the close of the century there wa s a c ollec f tion or the Montrose Asylum . Generally

the o f speaking, amount the collection was

r few ve y creditable, notwithstanding that a entries show that the session were sorely exercised sometimes with small bits o f coin

f o f that ormed a part the contributions . “ H ere is one extract in 1 7 27 : The rest of

— d e . 1 23 . this collection viz , 8 . b ing all

Doitts . , was putt into the Box The same year Margaret Birnie, a poor woman , com plains that so much o f her money at last

doi ts of distribution was , and so little or

1 of n no use to her. In 7 34 part the mo ey fit being impassable, they thought to lay it ” up till such time as it may pass . The schoolmaster o n e year ref erred payment o f “ his salary till another time, in regard the ” money we had by us was in Brass. Another i 2 1 K rh S ession . 3

“ fi n d Min r time we , The . and Sess . advising

c o mitee— there should be a viz . , two or three of — fo r o u t Doitts the elders taking some ,

f fo r n o f or hal pennies, the payme t the Pres b te r y y Bursar, and his discharge to be got up ” when he rece ives it . It would have been very interesti n g to have followed this pra c

o f tice putting small coins into the ladle, or plate , down to the time when it came into disuse ; but there might have been diffi culty in fixing a time at which it had been actually discontinued . Many o f the bridges in the county were erected by public contributions, a large part of which was from collection s in the parish churches . There are collections noted in the records during last century for aid

f o f Lo chlee o the bridges Glenisla and , the

North Water Bridge, and others . And having given assistance to others, it was on ly reasonable to look for help in retu rn .

n F 2 1 28 Accordi gly, on ebruary 5 , 7 , a col

n lection was appointed , and the assista ce

f for o the Presbytery was asked , the

o f H a u hbrid e n reparation the g g , bei g much

n frequented by eighbours and strangers, and especially dan gerous to pass by our own ’ M s o ld M 2 3 2 S t a ry f O on trose. people upon the Sabbath-day The H augh bridge of that day stood a little to the sou th o f Pierho use c h the present bridge at , whi wa s 1 built in 830 . Originally churches were not provided

of to with pews. Many the people had

cree ies if n ot bring their p with them , they did prefer standing the whole of the service . The creepie was found a very convenien t

n a t locomotive, when Jenny Geddes flu g it

f H o f the head o the dean , in the igh Kirk “ for he r Edinburgh , daring to say mass at ” a s lug. Those who were able paid a price

for the n to it were sta ce, and erected a pew suit their requirements . From time to tim e

f fu n s the session erected pews rom their d , for which they received rent until they were sufficiently reimbursed to prevent loss of the ’ r n poo s mo ey. As might be expected , they had a good deal to do in adjusting differences

o f s which arose as to the possession pew .

o f ffi Some these di culties were rather curious .

Fo r o n e s instance, on occasion several pew had ceased to be occupied by the original

e t er ctors, and the session announced tha parties should put in claims, with the under standing that those which were not legiti

2 S t M a r s o Old M ontrose 34 y f . — u : 1 A u . 1 d 0. min te 735 , g This a y William

Ru xston Old , tenant in Montrose, having

e a crav d ccess to the session , was admitted , and desired that they would condescend u pon some place within this church fo r a .

n his f desk to co tain him and amily, in regard o f f the o f his removal rom Parish Craig, he had transported his Desk to this Parish, which he wanted to be accommodated . The session herein agreed that they should

e fi tak it into consideration , but rst he must ” f f n lay the De men sio ns o it be ore them. O

O 1 ctober 7 the request was renewed , declared equitable and just, and one which they

f u h designed to avour and enco rage, but t ey

fi nd it cannot be done until after W hitsunday. Another extract refers to a practice which

o f : 1 had arisen in the disposal pews 739, — Oct 1 . . 4 This day the session, considering that several persons who had seats in this

n o w of church are removed out the parish , and had set their seats in Tack to others, and

for w gathered up rent the same, hich the ’ look d session upon as a loss to the poor, they therefore enacted that such persons should either sell their seats to people within the Parish, or else to the session att reason Kirh S ess ion 2 . 3 5

if f able rates, or they re used to sell them that they sho uld give the right of them to the session to set out to whom they please for of if the use ye poor, and either they or their’s should return to the Parish the session shall be obliged to restore their seats su ffi ’ cient to them or their s when demanded , and they appoint this their act to be read from ’ the Latron next Lord s day, that such as are possessors o f them may get information f ” thereo . A considerable portion of the record of ’ u the session s d ties, it will be believed, it would n ot be for edifi ca tion to produce ; but one curious case may be briefly related .

u 1 It occ rred in 735 , and incidentally brought Colonel Straton into conflict with the

of session . A servitor his, named Andrew

Milne, lodged a complaint against Janet

Taylor, servitrix to the colonel, whom he “ ” of him b a d accused giving names . The

n u n sessio , considering this to be very

- christian like practice, summoned Janet to

fo r f give answer hersel . Meanwhile the

the colonel not only wrote minister, but

fo r sent his gardener, John Carnie, a

of . duplicate the libel . A meeti ng was ’ 2 r l M ros 36 S t M a y s of O d ont e. a n but a s l ppoi ted, on y one elder appeared n u n u othing co ld be do e, tho gh the Colonel

f ha d n himsel put i a compea rance. Next da y the se ssion met; the absentees made

h a s t eir excuse, which w sustained ; and this is the somewha t curious minute which ha s been recorded : This day the Minister a nd And w Preshew d re , el er, reported that the H on ourable Colon el Charles Straton

a d S gave tten ance here on aturday, pre cisely by three o f the clock in the after

n f ff of noo , and enquiring a ter the a air

nd w M fi A re ilne and Janet Taylor, signi ed his thoughts at full length verbatim there

n a t a upo , and that Janet Taylor was a c ll, a nd further s ign ifyd that Janet Taylor d for a enys the Libel, and it being sc ndal conceives the Session of Maryton are not competent judges, and so is your humble

r sic su bscribitu r S . se vant, , Charles traton Indorsed thus to the Reverend Mr Charles ” r M o f I vine, inister Maryton . The result wa s that Andrew withdrew himself and his

n d t case, a d the session resolve tha they would trouble themselves no more a bout it . The stern and precise soldier had been

for for too much, not only his servitor, but

C H A PT E R VI .

CONCLUSION .

TW O MOST DISTINGUISHED NATIVES : A CONTRAST.

AS the great Marquis is a most distinguished

n of ative the parish, it may be interesting to f say a few words in regard to him . A ter

of f f years varying conquest and de eat, he ell

of into the hands his enemies, and was sent for — trial to Edinburgh being allowed , by f f the way, to visit and bid his riends arewell

o f n 2 h f at the Castle Kinnaird . O the 0t o

’ ‘ 1 6 0 f o f May 5 , according to Bal our s Annals ’ for f Scotland, he appeared doom be ore the f Parliament, and demeaned himsel as a brave

f H e though un ortunate man . pleaded his innocence on the ground of obedience to his lawful prince H is plea met with a harsh

f ' reply rom the Lord Chancellor, who, in the o c u s on 2 C n l i . 39

of words the old historian , punctually proved him by his acts o f hostility to be a person

f o f most in amous, perjured , treacherous, and all that ever this land brought forth the most cruel and inhuman butcher and murderer o f

e his nation , a sworn en my to the Covenant

o f and peace his country, and one whose boundless pride and ambition had lost the

f a n d ather, by his wicked counsels done what ” H in him lay to destroy the son likewise. e

made no reply, but on his knees received the awful sentence which consigned him to

e o f xecution , and the several members his S body to exposure in Edinburgh , Perth, tir

l . It ing, Aberdeen, and Glasgow is said that he behaved himself all the intervening time with a great d eal of courage and

f 2 l st modesty, and on the ollowing day (the

of ff d May), while on the sca old, he ad ressed

ff o f the spectators in a most a ecting speech, which these were among the closing words “ Y ou that are scandalised at me, give me

for . your charity. I shall pray you all I

leave my soul to God, my service to my f prince, my goodwill to my riends, and my

name in charity to you all . Thus died one

of of the most eminent Scotsmen his time, ’ a r o M on o 240 S t M y s f Old tr se.

at the comparatively early age o f thirty

eight.

Even in point o f fame the youngest s o n of the laird of Ba ldov ie will share such

f r distinction with the greatest o the G a ha mes . It is not only greater sympathy with his work that would dispose any one to rate at a much higher value the distingu ished exertions o f Andrew Melville for the good of his country than the strenuous endeavou rs o f the great Marquis in the service o f his king. It needs no staunch Presbyterian to ackn owledge that many o f the best privileges are due in a great measure to Melville and

f - f his ellow workers ; while it is to be eared , if the Marquis had had his way, the tendency

to would have been bring back the monks, and convert the lands of Maryton once more into an a bthen . In personal character the fortitude o f the churchman was not a whit behind the bravery o f the soldier. It has been shown with what magnanimity the Marquis of Montrose met his cruel fate ; but there was no less boldness in such replies as these, when Regent Morton was threaten

fo r h ing Melville, resisting Episcopacy, wit

I N D E X .

Aberbrothoc fou n a tion of — r ie r f o r to s o 0 ci se . 8 , d p p , 5 q , 5 mona s ter f 1 — la n s of t — o e se . a e to in nai r y , 4 d , q dd d K d, — — 6 et se . letter to o e 6 bu r la r a t o re m i 7 q P p 9 g y , g a ns

written a t 1 6. of ca stle of . , 3 , 99 ’ Abthen of St a r s 1 1 rec in o f ur e o 1 2 . M y , 7 , 4, 4 , B h , B d , 3

8 et se . ri es the Pow Du n 20 7 q B dg , , ,

Alt a u rn . the a u 2 1 collec , b , 9 H gh , 3 i D f n a n a s en o resort of tion s for i b. A , , , ’ a theists 1 2 . rownie s ettle 2 , B K , 3 . An a n ie ositio n of 1 1 , p , , 43 ’

ro rietors of 2 et se . 8 a er R oa in 5 1 . p p , 4 q , 4 C dg d, K g , 3 — v ion of n a me . ll d er a t a e a o n d e 1 . i , 44 C p , J h , 5

r le Ea rl o f 1 6 8 1 1 6. a rne ie H on . a al ene A gy , , , , 5 C g , M gd , 4, — Arra ts of tra t 8 . I o Da vi of D sa rt 2 6 A , , 44 d y , 3 , 7 — D vi Sir a 6 . d, 9 Ba ldovie elon ed to the en ten a r of resent c u rc , b g C y p h h, m 2 — c r Scr eou rs 1 1 a ui e 1 8 1 . y g , q d — b o n elville i b. a o y J h M ,

u ire b C 01. cott 1 . 0 . q d y S , 3 5 9 ’ ’

a lfour s n na ls 1 2 . u rc esta lis e in cot B A , 5 Ch h b h d S

Bal na n on Mr ervise on la n 0 . , J , 7 , d , 4 — i 2o ro rietors o f 2 . u rc stor of a ris 1 p p , 4 , 44 Ch h, h y p h , 75 - a tism a n ille a l 1 . et se . cen tena r of resent B p , g , 97 , 79 q y p ,

ea ton a r ina l 1 0 . 1 8 1 et se . B , C d , 5 q

Boa ts e tir a tion of wil u rc a r 2 1 0 ci se . , x p d, Ch hy d, 9 , 7 q

. ivil W a r even ts in 2 2 47 C , , 4, 5 . ' on o n ilne s ollections ur oses of 2 2 B d , J h M , 74. C , p p , 5 nn i n a i of Bo to , cre t on ba ron eto of 8— eriva tion o f o nclu sion a contras t 2 8 ci y , 7 , 9 d C , , 3 na me 1 2 ifted to ro a l se , g y q — - u rve or of fi sh 1 sla s C orbIe illoc 8 8 1 1 . p y , 3 b h k, 4 , 3 , 5 uilt i nto stea in of 1 ra ne b d g , 4, 99 C , 244 Inde x.

C ra w t 8 ti n of na me 6—0ea sed to moun , 4 . o , 4 re e i 2 2 be a distinct ro ert 0 C p es . 3 . p p y, 5 ulloden beoa me a rt of in na i r C , 3, 37 . p K d , u thber 6 t, Jo n mur erer 2 . 9. C h , d , 4

llerton in ei le . Fu , M g , 47 Da ns tom stones of 2 ’ b 9 , 93 .

Da w two bla c smit s 0 a vins e ita on 220 . . k h , 9 . G , p ph .

2. olf la e b a mes elville 9 G , p y d y J M

De riva tion :Old on trose 8 in on trose 1 1 . —M , M , 3 Bonniton xa owis 20 ou s e ita o n 2 1 . , P , G k , p ph , 9 D sa rt a r—Ana nie —Ful ra a m fa mil of ro rietors y . , 44 G h , y , p p — lerton 6. of Old ontrose e a rl , 4 M , 45 y Divisions :mod ern — a ncien t istor of 1 — fi rst co n , 3 , h y , 35 nected wit the ari s 1 6 7 . h p h , 3 Drum eta ched —VVisha rts a tric crea te Lor , d , 3 P k d d

of 1 00 ci se . ra ha m 1 W illia m , q G , 37 ,

Du n illa ed b a r uis f secon a ron ib. . p g y M q o d b , — ontrose ro rid e of 2 G ra ha msfirth tra di tion s of . M , b g , 0 , , 4 — — letter b la i rd of o n ra n e 8 . y , 95 J h G g , 7 no i m 1 — W a1ter a t 1 0 . rei W llia K x , 7 G g , , 7 , Dur a m f mi o f et s 6 a l 8 e . 2 6 h . y , 4 q 3 . 3 . 3 Dur o n mi nis ter of E in y. J h , d

ur a nd on trose 1 . H a of Ba lhousie 62 et se . b gh M , 3 3 y , q ” D f — t r f sa rt eu from 2 1 eriv a z a rd ca u e o . y , , d a H , p , 3 5 — ln m o n tion of na me i b. a tta c ed H eu hla nds of Ba a o e , h g , 7 , — to rec in i b. is oine —B h , d j d , ib. o n ilne a nd Da v ol in s a ricultu ra l 8 2 . J h M id H d g , g , a rne ie ro rietors of 2 os ita l Shiells tra dition o f C g p p , 3 H p , , — ver a nd et er 1 et se 6 O N h , 7 q . s 79 — — : retour f i ri clen a l 2 1 . o . b. proprietors Hu mo st, a c , 5

n nes osmo . I , C , 77 El ers a nd du i 22 t Inscri tion La tin 1 t es of e . d , , 4 p , , 7 , 3 5 ' 3 n v r r fa mil 0 0. seq. I e pefle , y 5 E ita on a do 1 —o n p ph , g , 49 the ou s 2 1 —o u the Ga ervi se n rew on Balna non G k , 9 J , A d , , vin s — u tom stones 2 , 220. 7 , a o o b , 9 Erskine lexa n er of Du n on a tric W oo —o n . A d , , P k d , 95 — o n 1 0 . the W oods . 95 J h , 3 , 99

’ a lconer in s 1 6 eit rovost of Montrose F , k g , 4, 4 , 47 . K h, P , ’ a l ir m nu m n a t 1 1 60— sa ved u ntle s C o m o e t . F k k, , 35 H y a l mi io n from the fur o ir a irns 0. ss ers f F k k b , 3 y

a milies istoric 8 et se the o ula ce 1 61 . F , h , 4 q. p p , Fa ssin ton 0 inna ir Bonniton a nd Old g , 5 . K d,

a sts na tiona l on trose a ed to 6 . F , , 37 . M dd , 9

in hea vin o n the Edin inna ir a s tle of 1 1 . F , J h , K d, C , 5 - bur ca rrier 1 0. ir ession 222 et se . h , 3 K k s , q

ree u nc 200 et se . nox o n visits Du n 1 0 F h h , q K , J h , , 7 '

ullerton ra nted to Geofler rea c in o f 1 2 . F , g y, p h g , 9 ’ i n s fowler 1 6—d eriva La mmie o n secreta r to k g , 4, 4 , J h , y

2 I x 46 nde .

Monas ter of Aberbrothoc do m 8 — eriva tion y , , 7 , 9 , 3 d foun a tion of 1 — 1a n s of of n a me 8 — e c a n ed fo r d , 4 d , , x h g — — 6 et se . le tter PO e a r ross 1 a ma r 7 q to p C d , 9 , 37 — wri tten a t 1 6. u isa te 1 0 a u e om , 3 q . 9 , 5 d k d , onrommon oor of 1 ro 1 6 — na me c a n ed to M , M , 3 , 9 h g L i 66 — me s a rt ee ers of 1 . a u r ston ec o k p , 5 , b p ontrose Ea rls of 1 8—W il of in nai r 6 — inci ents M , , 3 K d, 9 d ia m t ib ori in in the time of th M a r u is l . firs , . g al e q , - — testa ment of i b. W llia m 1 resi ence of the M a r , i , 5 5 d — secon 1 o n t ir uis i b. ra i on escri ed d, 39 J h , h d, q , d , d b 1 o — o n fou rt 1 1 b a ldi n 1 8 4 J h , h , 4 y Sp g , 5 . rinci a l a ctor in tu lz ie in on trose the se con M a r p M , d A inbu r h 1 2 a mes uis of no le co n u ct of g , 4 J , q , b d , ’ ft a nd rst a r u is of 1 6 —collects his fa t er s te fi h , fi M q , 7 h — 1 . ma ins 1 68 d escen a n ts of 45 , d ,

ontrose in a itan ts of a nd 1 6 Du e om of i b. M . h b , 9 k d , a r u is 1 0 in terestin is ose of Old on trose M q , g d p d M ,

e iso es in a nd a ou t in the 1 0 . d b , 7 p ’ tIme o f the a r u is 1 60 et orti ca tion o n ill s 68 . M q , M fi , J h M , ui seq . the Ma rq s esca pes

fro m i b Du edom of a mes e tin ct 2 et se . , . k N , x , 4 q

ra wford 1 8. ora nsi e 6 . (C ), 3 N d , 9 on trose R U S of born M , MA Q I , ’ a t Old M on trose 1 — tra ilvie Ale a n er of or on s , 45 Og , x d , G d

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T H E E N D .

PR INTED BY W ILLIAM BLACKW OOD AND SONS.