the history of the province of moray
TRANSCRIPT
T H E H IS T O RY
OF THE
PROVINCE OF MORAY.
VOL. II .
TH E H IST O R Y
OF THE
PROVINCE OF MORAY .
Comp ris ing the Count ies ofElg in and Na irn, the greater p art of the County ofIni'
erness, and a p ort io n of the County ofBanfi— all called the P rovinceofM oray before there was a d ivis ion into Counties .
BY LACHLAN SHAW .
NEW EDITION.—IN THREE VOLUMES.
En larged and brought dow n to the Presen t Tim e
BY J . F . S. GORDON,
Author of“Scotiehronicon,
“ M onastieon,”cbc .
V O L U M E II.
GLASGOW
firinteb at the finibergitg 39m g,
AND PUBLISHED BYH AM I L T ON, ADAM S, C O . , L O ND O N,
AND
THOMAS D. MORISON, GLASGOW.
1 882.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.
Elgin Past and Pre sent (Cosm o Inne s) ,The Parish ofBirnie ,The Parish ofDallas
,
The Parish ofKeneddarr
The Fam ily OfGORDON ofGordonstoun ,
The Parish ofDuffus,MORAYS OfDuffus
,
The Parish OfSt . Andrew s ,The Parish of Spynie ,The DUNBARS
,
The DUNBARS ofWestfield, .
Th e DUNBARS ofThunderton ,
The LESLIES OfFindrasie ,The Parish OfAl ve s
,
The Parish OfKin loss,
Th e Parish and Tow n ofFor1 es
The Parish OfRafi'
ord,
Fam ily OfCUMM INE,The Parish OfEdinkillie ,Fam ily OfCUMMINE OfRylucas,Fam ily ofCUMMINE of Logie ,
The Parish OfArdclach ,The Par ish ofMoy andDalarOss1eThe Parish OfDyke
,
Fam ily ofCULBIN,
EARLS OF MORAY,
Fam ily ofBRODIE,The Parish ofAldearn ,
The Tow n and Parish ofNairn,
The Parish ofCalder,The Fam ily OfCALDER,
Esq—Lo
vi CONTENTS.
The Parish OfCroy,
Fam ily ofROSE OfKilravock,
Othe r Branche s Of the ROSE Fam ily,
Th e Parishe s OfDaviot and Dunlich ty ,
The Parish OfArdersier,Th e Par ish Of Pettie ,The Tow n and Parish Of Invern e ss ,The Pari sh OfDurris,Th e Parish OfBole skin ,
Fam ily OfLOVAT,
Th e Par ish OfKilm anivack,
Fam ily ofMACDONALD OfGlengary,The Parish OfUrquhart
,
The Parish OfKirkhill,The Parish OfKiltarlity ,
Fam ily ofCHISHOLM,
HISTORY OF THE
PROV INCE O F M ORAY.
ANTIQUITIES OF MORAY— ELGIN PAST AND PRESENT .
A Lecture de livered ou 2 3 rd October, 1 860, for thebenefit of the Elgin Literary and Scientific Association
,and printed at the ir reque st.
By Cosm o Inne s, form erly Sheriff ofMoray.
Mr. Presiden t, and Ladie s and Gentlem en,—When the
gentlem en of the Elgin Lite rary and Scien tific As sociation did m e th e honour to ask m e to de live r a lecture here
,
the ir reque st found m e very ill prepared. I w as at a distance from my usual books and librarie s of reference .
Even som e note s of m y own, the m em oranda of m any
years, are shut up at hom e and inaccessible . I was separated from the sm all but com pact band of literary and
an tiquarian friends, am ong w hom for a long tim e I havebeen accustom ed to w ork, and from w hose store s I drawm ore than it m ight b e discre e t to m ake know n . I w asnot even in Elgin, or on e ofyour good burgh towns , wherelocal inform ation could b e readily had. You know I w asdw e lling in the ghostly old palace of Gordonstown . Butalas ! the Gordon stow n l ibrary is gon e , and though Idid take counse l w ith the shade of the w izard
,Sir Robe rt,
who never failed to join com pany w ith m e w hen Itrimm edmy lam p at m idn ight, preparing for a spell of w ork afterth e w orld w as quie t— Ifound his line ofstudy w as differentfrom m in e . He spoke know ingly about a pum p of his
V OL . II. 1
2 ELGIN PAST AND PRESENT BY COSMO INNES.
ow n construc tion,that w as to raise wate r highe r w ith le ss
pow er than w as eve r done before , but I soon saw ,that
was on ly com pany talk and at last the old m an— h e is afine bearded old fe llow ,
w ith som e of th e feature s w e see
in Sir Al exander Cumm ing— told m e hon e stly that hisw hole heart was in his cruc ible s and large alem bic, w hichh e had fitted up in th e vault ‘
of the w e st w ing of the
chateau, and w hich are yet to produce the philosopher’s
stone,and to yie ld gold and l ife as m uch as the possessor
de sire s to have .
You m ay b e sure I asked the w izard all about oldMoray and its w ays— how the people lived and thought inthe old tim e . But, ble ss you !h e knew and cared nothingabout that. He told m e how his grandfather, the tutorof Sutherland
,m ade Gordon stown— j oin ing Ogstown and
Pethnik and Burnside to Plew lands, w here the Marquisof Hun tly had a grote sque Old chateau before— and how
the son,educate d in Holland, had ornam ented it w ith
canals,and straight terrace s, and avenue s— and how he ,
the w izard him se lf, had pulled down th e m iddle of th e
old house and built the pre sent centre,leaving the w ings
as they w ere in th e first chateau . All that he told m e
very accurate ly— also th e exact n um ber Of bolls victualthat cam e into his granary— oats and be re ; but for thepeople that paid the ren t, and the land that produce d it,h e took n o care . They w e re not w orth the thought of a
gen tlem an of coat arm our,and
,m oreover
,a philosopher
o n the very point of discove ring the great secre t !But som ething too m uch of this fooling. Iwish
i
onlyt o explain to you that I have be en taken unaware s- thatIm ight have de clined com plying, and found good excuse ;b ut, con sc ious of n o am bitious m otive but the de sire of
g iving you pleasure , and doing som e l ittle thing for th ehonour of old Moray
,and re lying on your forbearan ce
w ith faults and errors, I hope to put toge ther som e
thing to he lp us to pass aw ay an autumn even ingpleasantly.
Having disclaim ed the he lp of th e dead m agician ,Im ay
b e allow ed to take som e pride in the assistan ce of living.
m en . My fr iend, Captain Edward Dunbar— I m ay saym y hereditary friend, for our grandfathers w ere closeallie s, and con stan t, alm ost daily, corre spondents— has
brought m e a m ass of fam ily papers, accounts, letters ,
THE RUNIC PILLAR o r ELGIN. 3
note s, m any of the m ost trivial kind, but al l how inte re sting after the lapse ofa century or tw o He has toldm e, too, the re sults of his own study and intimate ac
quaintance w ith those stores. He is n ot like the m agician of Gordonstow n
, and nothing fails to in te rest himthat le ts in the least light on old m ann ers. Shal l w eblam e him if he se eks his favourite sport chiefly on the
ground occupied by the great nam e ofDunbar !I have an other debt to acknow ledge . A gen tlem an
am ong you, m ore kn ow ing than m ost,perhaps than any
o ne,in the local antiquitie s of Elgin ,
and whose tim e isvery valuable
,did n ot he sitate to spend an afternoon in
pointing out to m e scene s and house s in Elgin that intere sted m e . He has e ven be en kind enough and zealousenough for our comm on object, to put down for m e
,in
w riting, a little volum e of intere sting note s,taken from
the title de eds that have passed through his hands, andw hich Ihope to m ake use of for your benefit this even ing.
Before Inam e him,you all know that the person to w hom
Iallude 1 s Mr. Rohe it Young .
Iw on ’t begin w ith the Rom ans, w ho 1nde ed had a verys lender grip
cJ
of Scotland,and Dr . Taylor and Mr. Mac
donald have n ot ye t determ ined w he ther they w ere‘
in
Moray at all.
The Norsem en,too
,have left the ir m arks on our coast,
but nothing m ore . Those unaccoun table m ounds at
Burghead m ay b e the irs,and the singular custom of
car1ying the Yule fi1 e round the Village and h rhour, andble ssing th e boats, savours of Scandinavia.
-T at curioushead - land
,w ith its harbour she ltered from the n orth - east,
w as a like ly haven for a band Of sea- faring adven turers .But I give them nothing m ore . The .Forres Ston e is anative Monum en t ; so is the an cien t lllonnim en tl
eat Elgin ,
The Elgin Pillar was discovered in 1 82 3 when the streetsw ere unde r repair, lying about two fe et below the surface in a
horizontal position, as if it had been thrown down there byaccident, a little to the north- east of the old Church of St .
G iles. Nothing whatever is known of its previous history. It
is now pre served in the Cathedral. This pillar is evidentlyincomplete , a part having been broken offfrom one end of it.It is now 6 feet in length, 25in breadth, and 1 foot thick
,
composed of a reddish grey gran ite , very like that ofAberde enshire . The base of this stone is of less breadth than the top,
4 THE RUNIC PILLAR OF ELGIN.
now pre se rved in your Cathedral . Both have the Crossand Christian sym bols, w hile the Norse invaders w ere all
Pagans ; and w hat,inde ed
,of lasting edifice could w e .
expe ct from those horde s of plunderers,spending the ir
summ ers in harrying th e coast or fighting am ong themse lve s and re turn ing to the ir n orthe rn hom e s in w inter
,
to drink ale and m ead , and sing the glory and the
riche s of the succe ssful pirate ! I leave “the Dan e s,
”
then,to Mr. Macdonald, w ho w ill dig them out if any
body can ,and pass on to the next picture in th e pe ep
show .
When w e first knew som e thing of our ow n people '
— sayin or about th e year 1 200— Moray w as the seat of a protracted rebe llion , supporting w hat w e m ay call the Mac
be th fam ily,against th e re ign ing dynasty. That rebe l
lion w as at length crushed, and w ith such violen ce thatour chron iclers assure us the w hole people ofMoray w e recarried aw ay
,and the land given to strange rs— evidently
a great exaggeration . The tillers of the soil w ere nevercleared out. But at that tim e— during the re ign ofDavidI.
,and his grandson s Malcolm and William — w e have
evidence ofa great influx of Southern strangers— Norm an
and Saxon lords,and Flem ings, who got large grants of
lands in Moray. Whe ther of the se n ew se ttlers or de
which is the case w ith the Mor tlich Stone. One side repre sentsv‘
ery distinctly a hunting party, consisting offour m en on horseback, and thre e dogs : one of these is seizing a de er by theflank. On each side of the upperm ost horsem an are tw o birds,m ost probably hawks. It is difficult to say what the figure sabove this hunting party repre sent. One is a cre scen t reve rsed ;above this are tw o circular bodie s un ited by tw o bands, throughwhich passes a zig
- zag belt or band. Probably the whole issom e form of the mystic knot
,so comm on in Runic carvings
or it m ay b e som e representation of the ce lestial bodies. The
reverse of the stone contains, near the base , the Run ic knotw ith indications of snake s’ heads.
'
In the upper division is a.cross ofvery e legant proportions, also covered w ith the Run icconvolutions. Several figures of priests occupy the spaces ate ach of the four corn ers : the one on the left appears to havesom e ornam ent round his n eck. The Elgin Pillar m ay havebe en comm em orative of the death and burial of som e greatgeneral o r chief or the boundary-m ark of hunting grounds.
(Rhincl’
s Sketches, p.
THE DE MORAVIAS. 5
s cendan ts of th e old lords of the soil,the Fam ily ofDe
Moravia (Moray) , taking its surnam e from the Province ,w as forem ost in pow e r and im portance , w hen chartersand re cords first throw som e light upon the population of
th e province . Undoubtedly they w ere great Lords, thoseDe Moravias— Lords of Duffus and all its plain ,
of
Bucharn,and Arndilly,
and Botriphny over Spey, of
C roy and Artirlie , of Pe tty and Brachly,be side s Inver
n e ss. All the se are the ir proved posse ssions , proved byc harter evidence . But I think it very probable they hadm oreover Darnaw ay ,
Alve s, and th e other great posse ssion so f the Earls ofMoray. They built castle s
,one of w hich
is still the adm iration of the antiquary. They sentsom e of the ir fam ily to civilize the w ild Norse Earldomof Caithn e ss, and in re com pen se had a grant of the
southe rn side of it, w hich w as e rected for them intothe Earldom of Suthe rland. They w ere great friendso f the Church too, giving lands and tithe s w ithoutnum ber to the Cathedral, of w h ich one of them se lve sw as Bishop.
Do w e know anything of the m anne r of life of the setim e s ! Som e thing— not m uch ! We know that thegreat lords w ere m en of taste in building. Witne ss th efine rem ains of Dufl
'
us, still so im posing. Witne ss th e
strengths which still give in te re st to the banks of the
Fiddich and the Spey. The De Moravias w e re m en of
som e adventure , or they w ould not have be en put forwardto reclaim Caithn e ss, and they m ust have be en stoutw arriors— good m en - at - arm s— or they w ould no t havegain ed th e Earldom ofSutherland . But for the ir dom esticand personal m anne rs w hat shall w e say ! NO doubt theyhad som e fe e ling ofthe ir own dign ity and kn ightly honour,they had assuredly the gen erous fe e l ings of strong and
brave and n oble m en , of m en imm easurably above all
that surrounded them,and Iam far from undervaluing th e
qualitie s that w e re laced up in the corsle t and cuirass ofthe iron age of chivalry . Ofdom e stic com forts they hadnot dream t. The ir Castle ofDufius had no chim n eys norany w indow -
glass. When the w inter w inds blew fierce lyacross the fen , th ey shut the ir stout w indow - boards— outside w indow shutters— and crow ded round a fire of peatsin the m iddle of the hall, w hile the sm oke found its w ayout as it could, and was w e lcom e , as comm un icating som e
6 THE LADYHILL OF ELGIN .
fee ling of heat to the upper cham bers . There w as thenno m iddle class of rural population .
What was the condition of the other extrem e of society—th e labourers of the soil ! Ifear they w ere ill - housed ,ill—clothed
,ill - fed
,not con side red by the ir m asters
,except
as hew ers ofw ood and drawers of w ater. The beasts ofthe ir plough , though starved also
, w ere som ew hat be tteroff— the ir hide , at least, w as thicker . It fared ill w ithsuch a population in season s like this
,for a b ad harve st
sure ly brought fam ine , and fam ine brought pe stilen ce ;and the m arsh feve r and ague sw ept off those w homhunger and the plague spared . For the m ost part theyw ere slave s , bound to the soil, and bought and sold w ithit. They w e re happy only in know ing no be tter lot.Still, all is not barren from Dan to Beersheba.
There are tw o pleasant spots for the eye to re st upon ,
in that dreary tim e . The little burgh built on the
she ltered bank of the Lossie , long before th e bishop hadchosen it for his seat, was strong in the union of itsinhabitan ts
, and secured by the protection w hich the
good King David threw around his burgesse s. The Kinghad erected a Castle on the gre en m ound at its w e sternextrem ity— Ladyhill (calle d so from a Chape l dedicate dto the B. Virgin , originally w ithin the Royal Castle , butw hich survived it)— for defence against m arauding piratesfrom the sea, and the law less bands from the hills, butstill m ore to support th e burghers against the Oppre ssionof the n e ighbouring baron s, who w ere j ealous of this littleknot of plebe ian s pre sum ing to b e independent— to preferthe gove rnm ent of the ir ow n Alde rm en,
and the jurisdiction of th e King
’s Court,to the te nder m ercie s of the
court of th e Lord Baron . I say that w as on e bright spotto re st the eye upon . It w as pleasan t to see trade , com
m erce and m anufacture s bursting into life , am idst an
industrious pe ople , n ow first hoping to enj oy th e fruit ofthe ir ow n industry. It w as pleasant to see the sim pledom estic com forts w hich a town life renders possible forthe poor— the cheap luxurie s— the m ere se curity, and
w arm th , and dryne ss, w hich form ed a con trast w ith th ec ircum stance s of the rural population ofMoray ofthe 1 3 thcen tury.
[On the top ofLadyhill, n ear th e ruin s of the Castle , a
Tuscan colum n,80 fe e t high , w as e re cted in 1 8 3 9 to the
EXCAVATIONS ON LADYEILL. 7
m em ory of the last Duke ofGordon, the funds for w hichw ere raised by subscription w ithin the country. A
w heeling stair leads to the top, from w hich is a m ostextens ive panoram ic view , extending from Covesea to
Cullen ,and also the shore s of the '
Caithness coast. In
1 855,a statue of the Duke w as placed on the top of the
colum n— the late Alex . Craig of Craigton having left abeque st therefor, w hich w as further augm ented princ ipally by the Morayshire farm er club. The statue is 1 2fe e t high , and is from the chise l ofT. Goodw illie , Elgin .
In 1 858 , the Elgin Literary and Scien tific Association
conducted excavations on the top ofLadyhill , w hen th eremain s of thre e hum an bodie s w ere discovered a little tothe north of the m onum ent . One of the ske leton s is in a
sitting posture ; th e others w e re in a hor izontal positionand placed just outside th e outer w alls of the Castle . A
flint arrow - head,several piece s of pottery, a copper coin of
Charle s II. , a quern ,and seve ral de tached bon e s w e re also
found ] (Morayshire Described.)Another gre en oasis in the de sert w as the Church.
There the strong m an learn t of a pow e r greate r thanbrute strength , and th e rich m an w as taught to call th epoor his brothe r. Thither the starving de spairing se rfw en t for food, and found som e highe r consolation . Thereh e som etim e s heard the strange doctrin e that in th e eye sof God all m en
‘
are equal .If you look to the tim e
,the people
,th e circum stan ces,
the first se tting up of th e Christian m iniste r to teachChristian ity is
,afte r all, th e greatest step in th e civiliza
tion of the w orld . You m ust think first— and it isn ’t veryeasy for us n ow —you m ust think of the utter ignorance— or w orse
, the degraded Pagan w orship of stocks andston e s— you m ust think of the real savage— not the
m e lodram atic Oscars and Se lmas ofOssian— but the true ,starving, half cann ibal savage , w ithout food, o r clothes, o rshe lter, w ithout com fort or support in this w orld, or hopebeyond it — to e nable you to appre ciate the ble ssing of
the sim ple m essage of truth and peace and Divine love .
Sim ple the m e ssage m ust b e to suit the people , and sim plethough the m e ssenger and m inister of truth b e also, thefirst revealing of his divine e rrand is still th e great eventin m an
’s history.
Nex t,however, and no un im portant step
,w as the
8 THE PARSONAGE HOUSE OF ALDEARN.
binding . of Christian m en toge ther by th e organ izationof the Church. An e stablishm en t Of a Cathedral in the
Old tim e w as a ve ry diffe rent affair from the se tting upofManche ster or any n ew m odern Bishopric .
The Bishop of Moray— Often a dign ified statesm an in
the King’s Court — som e tim e s a m an of high fam ily and
even royal conne ction,pre siding over 24 dignified cle rgy
m en of th e Provin ce— all bound to residence for a statedperiod of the year in the ir college— and a countle ss numb er of chaplains, choral vicars, and subordinate s of thechoir— form ed a socie ty ofgreat influence m rivalling,
and
even coun te racting, th e w arlike e lem ent— the rule of the
stronge st, which prevailed around— introducing a respectfor re ligion and its rite s ; for peace ; for learn ing, such as
then w as ; for cultivation ,of a higher standard than the
burghers could otherw ise have attained.
Th e Bishop and Chapter kept up an intercourse w ithchurchm en Of the ir ow n country and England , fromwhence they drew the ir con stitution . Many of themtrave lled to Rom e . On e Bishop ofMoray early foundeda college for educating his countrym en at Paris— w henParis w as the great Unive 1 sity ofEurope . Now se ttingaside the ir study and learning— the ir know ledge of books(they w ere the sole depositar ie s of som e m em ory of the
great an cients) — se tting aside the ir highe r accom plishm ent— th ink how the ir com m un ication w ith the outerw orld m ust have raised them above the rough warriorsthe poor serfs w h o cultivated the fie lds around the irCathedral . Refle ct
,too
,how that c ivilization w as spread
abroad,w hen the Canon s of the Cathedral , each in turn ,
re tired to the ir rural b en efice s. When the Dean lefthis pleasan t Deane ry— you call it the “Nor th College
”
n ow— and w en t to pass his summ er m onths at his greatstone house ” Of Boath— fo r so he proudly de signatedth e old Parsonage House of A ldearn— still m ore , w hena Canon conn ected w ith a Highland Cure , like the
Parson Of Kingussie w en t out of Cathedral re sidenceand return ed for his annual sojourn in his Strathspey parish . Be sure they carried w ith them som e
report of the e vents and speculation s that w e re agitatingChristendom— rum ours of an outer w orld w hich couldnever otherw ise pen etrate the se fastne sse s.SO when a Monastery w as planted in a rural district ,
10 THE GREAT DOUGLAS REBELLION.
Taylor) , that I should on ly spoil his w ork by touching on
it. Let m e lead you a l ittle forward, but stopping fo r onein stant to note the change s that tim e and c ivilization and
e ven the se great w ars had brought in our province .
Th e National patriotic War,in tere sting all c lasse s,
brought them n eare r,and bound them in closer tie s than
had he ld the n oble and th e peasan t before . Ifw e m usthave w ar, it is a great thing to have a good w ar - cry ; and
I on ly hope that Garibaldi’s cry of Italy Independentm ay carry his countrym en through the ir trouble s as w e llas Scotland and fre edom did the follow ers of Wallaceand Bruce . It is som e com pen sation for th e horrors ofw ar
,even at th e tim e , to have the enn obling fe e ling of
fighting and suffe ring for a great and sacred cause . Toafte r gen eration s the agony of th e great w ar of Scotchindependence brought ye t greater recom pen se . Be lievem e that even th e ble ssings of peace and plenty are not
the w hole Ofa nation ’s w e ll - be ing. It is som e thing to b ea nation ,
to b e entitled to cher ish national traditions, tob e able to look back w ith pride to the gallan t deeds ofour forefathe rs, to sing th e songs of our fathe rland, andstill to call it ours. It is to that w ar w e ow e it that w eare not a m ere English county— a le ss fertile Yorkshirea larger Wale s. We ow e to it that w e have a nationalhistory and national literature .
Pass w ith m e n ow , ifyou please , to the year 1457.
Moray w as in great exc item en t in the year 1 457. Thatw as the year of the great Douglas Rebellion ,
and w henthe Rebe llion w as suppre ssed
,and the Douglases
— on e of
w hom w as Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray— w e re all
slain or forfe ited and ruin ed, th e young King Jam e s II.
dete rm ined to give the earldom to his infant son ,the
Prince David,a Prince w ho has e scaped the notice of our
historian s. To carry out that re solution,h e cam e dow n
to Moray in pe rson to se t the Province in orde r, ande spe cially to arrange anew the rentaling Of the Earldomlands
,which stood as they had done in th e days ofBan
dolph . But w h e n h e had com e dow n and se en the Speyand th e Lossie
,l ived for a tim e at Darnaw ay,
Elgin , and
Invern e ss,h e fe lt
,as all m en have done , the fascination
of the country. He ordered his horse s to b e broughtdow n
,and dire cted certain districts of Earldom lands to
b e left untilled,for hun ting— carefully paying, how eve r,
KING JAMES IV . ON PILGRIMAGE. II
the dam age to the tenants— or rather abandoning all rentfor those years. He chose Darnaway as his hun ting- seat,and com ple te d the repairs ofRandolph ’s hall the re , begunby the Douglases . But h e had taste to like Elgin and
its cultivated society ofdign ified churchm en . He som e
tim e s took the hospitality ofthe Bishop (John Win che ste r,an old and faithful servan t Ofthe Crown ) at Spynie ; som e
tim e s dw e lt in th e Manse ofDufl’
us, the residence ofhis ow n
kinsm an, David Stuart, parson ofDuffus— then em ployed
in rentaling the Earldom ,afterwards him se lf Bishop, and
rem em bered as builde r of the m agn ificen t great Tow er of
Spynie . While the King stayed in th e Manse of Dufl'
us
an acciden tal fire took place , w hich did som e dam age tohis Maj esty’s sim ple plen ishing. But beside s th e m ischieffrom the fire , it is evident he found the Manse too sm allfor the accom m odation of a Court
,for w e find in the
Exchequ er accounts of that year, the expense allow ed of
building a n ew kitchen at the Man se of Dufl'
us , in Elgin ,
w hile the King dw e lt there . It stood, you know , till
quite late ly ,w hen the picture sque Old Man sion ,
w hichhad rece ived a King and his little Court, w as pulled dow n
to m ake w ay for the com fortable square box which is n owoccupied by Mr. Allan .
And now fo r another very long jum p— over quite tw o
cen turie s— no t for w an t ofm aterials of intere st, but w antof room and tim e . I could te ll you how King Jam e s IV .
paid a visit to Inn es , in on e ofhis northe rn Pilgrim age s ,in 1 490. Then ,
w hat curious local h istory doe s Morayafford in the early stage s of the Reform ation
,w hen th e
stout old reprobate Bishop Hepburn w ould have n othingto do w ith the ir new - fangled w ays , but shut th e gate s of
his Castle ofSpynie against the Lords of the Congregation ,
and se t the Reform ation at defiance ! Then poorQue en Mary cam e across Spey, and left th e intere st whichattache s to every place w here she se t her foot. Her
brothe r, “ the good Regent,”w as your Earl, but h e had
little tim e for his ow n affairs, and I don’t find him m uch
in Moray. Not so his w idow ,Annas Ke ith (daughte r of
Ke ith Marshall) . While She m anaged the affairs of herdaughte rs, even after h e r se cond m arriage to Argyll , sh ew as often here— dw e lling at Darnaw ay ,
or at Elginke eping up great state , but kindly and ne ighbourly w ithth e gentry around. Still
,later dow n
,in the days of the
1 2 THE WEST PORT,ELGIN .
Covenant,th e Moray baron s w ere active on the Covenant
side,w ith th e succe ssive lairds of Inne s at the ir head.
But all that Im ust pass, and m ust carry you w ith m e,if
Im ay; down to later scene s.Most of you know that Iam m ore than halfan Elgin
m an m yse lf. My grandfather lived at the West Por t,now called West Park.
* My father was born there , andalw ays assured m e
,I am sure quite hon e stly, that th e
n ectarin e s and apricoks (he spe lt the w ord w ith a lo,n ot
in the m odern w ay) , on the Open w all there , w ere betterthan any that grew e lsewhere . Most of m y Old Morayshire know ledge is from m y father, w ho lived to b e an
Old man , and the reports of his re collection s enable s m e
to speak of m ore than a century. He inherited som e
lands to the east of the tow n, and I w e ll rem em ber his
de scription of the yearly scouring of the deep ditches,and
the care that required to b e taken of th e em bankm en ts ofthe Lossie . He told m e of th e fre sh - w ate r m usse ls thatsom etim e s yie lded pearls— ofthe fat e e ls, w hich the poore stlabourers refused to eat— (perhaps they know be tter now .)He told m e that the Highlande rs w ho cam e dow n in
IVest Park is now the property of the Hon . Lew is A.
G rant, youngest son of the late Francis William , Earl Of
Seafield, who changed the Entrance to the Grounds and
greatly improved the House .
It was here whe re the WEST PORT of the Burgh stood, andwhere the heads
,arm s
, &c. , of fe lons w ere Spiked.
Andrew M ‘Pherson , a Deserter,w as th e last Culprit who
w as thus served, for the Murder of John Gatherer, Farmer ,Ne therbyre , Pluscarden ,
in 1 71 3 .
The West Port stood right across the High Street near thekitchen -
gate ofWe st Park. Francis Russell,Advocate , finding
this Old Entrance to the City to b e in his way, pulled it dow n
o ne night or m orning in Oct . 1 78 3 , and built his Park wallsw ith the stones. For this unwarrantable act the Magistrate sand Council re solved to prosecute the ir Ruling Elder beforethe Court ofJusticiary along w ith the workm en h e employed.
In 1785 the dispute was hushed up, and the West Port wasirrevocable . At this period
,a line of boulders, called “ the
c ronn of the causeway,” extended from the West Port to theLittle Cross, upon which the people walked in w et weather.
There w ere no drains but open gutters, w ith every depositunve iled to eye and nose . (ED. )
COSMO INNES ’ FORBEARIS. 1 3
bands to shear his harve st at Leuchars and Dunkinty,
used gen erally to take hom e w ith them a shaking aguefrom the m arshy land. When I told that to m y friend,Dr . Sim pson ofEdinburgh, h e said, Ah , w e have drivenout th e ague ! That is on e of the disease s w e have eradi
cated. There is no interm ittent fever now in Scotland .
”
If it b e SO— w ith all deference for Dr. Sim pson— w ith all
honour to his noble profe ssion— I m ust say w e ow e thatvictory m ore to th e farm er w ith his drain ing tile s than tothe doctor w ith his quin ine .
My father had a proverb— is it still curren t am ongyou Speak w ee l O
’
the Hie lands, but live in the
laigh ! He had a very confide nt Opin ion of the superiority of th e Clim ate and Soil Of Moray. to anything e lsein all the w orld ; and w hen he had m igrated to a halfHighland Estate on De e side , h e used to deplore th e earlyfrosts that m ildew ed his barley on the haughs, and cut
down the autum n grow th of his young oaks by the burnside , before the w ood w as ripen ed. Som e of his youngexperience serve s to illustrate the change of m ann ers .My grandfather had m any transactions w ith the thenGordon ofCluny
,w hich produced som e intim acy be tw e en
the fam ilie s. Cosm o Gordon, th e e lde st son , the he ir of a
good fortun e , w as bred to the Bar, and l ived to b e a BaronofExcheque r. Charle s, the second , w as a Writer to th eSignet, in Edinburgh, and took my fathe r as apprenticein his Oflice . Notw ithstanding som e differen ce of age , th e
young m en w ere great friends and, seve ral seasons, Cosm oGordon , the young councillor, and John Inne s, the apprentice , travelled to Edinburgh l n com pany. Both rode th ejourn ey on horseback, as all m en did— but “ w ith a. diffe 1enee .
”The advocate and he ir - apparen t of Cluny, rode
his ow n horse , and his groom follow ed, m ounted on
anothei . My father 1 ode a horse,hired from a stable 1n
Elgin,w hich cairied him and his saddle bags, in five or
Six days to Kinghorn ; and a bare footed boy (the stabler’s
Servan t) , ran at his foot, to . care fO1 the beast, and to take
him back from th e Ferry. That w as m ore com m on thanriding post,
”and w as e ste em ed safe 1 - th e post - h orsc
of the stage s having an indifferen t character for soundn e ss . The road w as by Huntly th e Sow ie — A1fordCuttie s—hillock— th e Cairn - o
’- m onth - and so forth . Plea
sant j ourneys, be lieve m e,they w ere , for tw o young m e n
1 4 THE PA'NS PORT ; THE MANSION OF MORIESTON.
w ith life open ing before them ! and m y informan t neve rlost his love for the prim itive ru1 al hoste lry
,w here
coun try luxurie s w ere so good, and the known hoste ssrece ived you w ith a fam iliar
,alm ost m otherly w e lcom e .
From m y rem em brance ofm y father’s conve rsation
, and
from a great m ass Of m y grandfather’s le tte rs ; from Mr.
Robert Young’s note s— (he lped by som e Papers w hich
m y frie nd Captain Dunbar has dug out of the CharterRoom at Dufq ) — I w ill try to de scribe Elgin and its
Ne ighbourhood, the Town and the Country,in the begin
n ing of last Century, say 150 years ago . And first,
J oin m e in a walk from end to end of your Tow n, and
I w ill try to repre sent it as it stood 1n the beginn ing of
last Century— On ly 150 years ago ! Leaving Gray’
8
Hospital behind us, w e en te r old Elgin by the Wes t Por t,unde r an arch or p ort, like that still pre served at the
Pan s P or t."e Adjoin ing to that Gateway, on th e souths ide of the stree t, w as the house of my grandfather ,Robert Inn e s, styling him se lf m erchan t in Elgin . It
stood on a large and very good oO'
ar,
den quite re tiied fromthe noise of the Stree t— a com fortable old m ansion
,I
assure you . I could te ll you som e storie s of its hospitality
,and of th e clare t drunk there , but I m ust pass on .
I be lieve the Hon . Lew is Grant,the pre sent proprietor
,
w ished to ke ep up the old “ House , but the w alls w e re
found too m uch de cayed to b e saved.
Nearly Opposite , reposing at th e foot Of “the bonny
Lady - hill,
” stood the Man sion of the Mar tin s of Mories
town — a w arm,she ltered
,sunny spot. Th e fam ily w as
of good estim ation , but they and the ir House have alikepasse d aw ay.
Still on the north Side of the stre e t,a little to the east
The Eastern Gate, called THE WATER-GATE, or Paun
’s or
PANS PORT, or Bishop’
s Gate,still stands at the north - east corner
ofSouth College . The m eadow - land lying east of PANNS PORTis term ed “ Pannis
”in the Oldest de eds
,and se em s to b e an
abbreviation ofPannagium , a m eadow or pasture land.
A venerable beech tree, having large trunk and venerablebranches, probably planted by som e now unknown ecclesiastic
,
still adorn s these precincts. This PORT had an iron Portcullis,the groove for which is still to b e se en . In 1 857, the truste esof the Earl of Fife substantially repaired this only rem ainingo riginal entrance to the Cathedral. (ED. )
ELCHIES HOUSE ; THUNDERTON HOUSE. 15
ofMurdoch ’s Wynd, an o ld ha lf ruin ous House is st illstanding,
w hich has se en be tter days. Of Old, it belongedto the Dunbars ofHillhead, then to Jam e s ‘ Stephen ,
Pro
vost ofElgin,w ho m arried a daughter of Sir Harry Inne s
of Inn e s, latterly to a Fam ily of Dufl'
us,w ho still pos
se ss it.On the south side Of the stre e t— on th e Site of the
Caledonian Bank Office— stood a fin e Old Mans ion , buil ton squat pillars and arche s, known to m ost of you as
“Elchies House.
” It w as built about 1 670 by GeorgeCumm ing, Provost of Elgin ,
or William Cum m ing of
Achry,his son ,
w ho dw e lt the re at th e tim e w e are
exam in ing. From him it passed to the first WilliamKing of New m ill, wh o m arried Marga1 e t Cumm ing, theProvost’s daughte r, and it w as on ly at the close of lastcentury that it passed from the Newm ill fam ily to RobertGrant OfElchie s, w ho added a couple of handsom e room s
,
and, I suppose , gave it the nam e of “ Elchie s House .
”
Later,it w as Miss Shand ’s boarding- school
, and, last ofall, it m ade way for th e bank . I think there are severalview s of it engraved.
On the sam e Side Of th e stree t , a little to th e eastward,
stood the Mans ion w hich w as latterly know n as Thun
derion House . It w as th e town - re sidence of th e Earls ofMoray, after the Castle on Lady
- hill was disused and
ruined,and earlier, pe rhaps, of th e hereditary Sheriffs
the Dunbars ofWestfield. It passed into th e possessionof th e Lords Duffus in 1 653 , but they fe ll into pove rtylong before the ir forfe iture , and this Man sion passed fromthem to the Dunbars of New ton and Northfield
,now of
Duffus . It w as a very fine Spec im en of town - house,and
partook of th e ornam ents of several periods. The Old
part of th e building which still stands w as built,I sup
pose , by the Earls ; the w e stern fron t, w ith its fine balustraded tow e r— the balusters in shape of the ir nam e s
,
“ Sutherland ”— by th e Lords Duffus. The room s w ere
la1ge , and th e corn ice s and ce ilings m uch ornam en ted .
One cornice still rem ain s. In th e garden s w e re in cludedorchards and a bow ling gre en— one
b
of the luxurie s of ourrathe r lazy ance stors.
t 3
Wh en th e body of th e first DukeofGordon (w ho died at Le ith in 1716) w as brought downThis House had open piazzas , which w ere comm on during
the 17th century. (ED. )
1 6 BRODIE or ARNHALL ; LADY ARRADOUL.
to b e b uried in the Cath ed1a1 here , his son , Duke Alexander
,borrow ed Thunder ton House, as the o ne in Elgin
m ost suitable for the cerem on ial of his in te rm ent— including, no doubt, the funeral banque t— and prayed theLady Thunderton to take som e trouble in arranging th esolem n hospitalitie s. At th e close of last century th e
house w as occupied by Alexander Brodie , Esq , of Am
hall, father of Elizabe th [and w here in He r Grace w as
born] th e Duche ss of Gordon ,w ho l ived in great style ,
and had a large e stablishm en t,w ith horse s and hounds ;
but th e fine old House , like eve 1y thing old and vene rablein Elgin ,
w as doom ed . In 1 800,th e late Sir Archibald
Dunbar sold the prope rty to John Batchen . It has sincebeen aHaldan ite Church ,afurn iture w are room
,a preaching
station,and a w indm ill ! The curious balustraded tow e r
w as then pulled dow n ; and it require s careful inspectionnow , am ong th e m ean and crow ded lan e s that press uponit
,to distinguish the ciphe rs and heraldic bear ings of the
Earls, Sherifis, and Lords, that once dw e lt the re .
The Chape l , built in its garden , is the sam e w hich w ent
through such a brilliant care er of occupan ts,and at last
blazed Off in such a bright final conflagration ,last yearfi"
On the Opposite Side of the High Stree t— at the top of
w hat is n ow North Stree t— stood a state ly Old m an sion,Calde r House , w ith turre ts to th e stre e t, the property of
succe ssive gen eration s of th e Calde rs, Baron e ts of Muirtow n . When they w ent down
,th e house and large
garden ,reaching back to w here the Episcopal Chape l now
is,becam e the prope rty ofLaw rence Sutherland of Gre en
Capt. Dunbar - Dunbar, in his intere sting “ Social Life inForm er Days.” p. 282, says : It was
,w e believe
,originally
known as the King’
s House. In 1 601, it belonged to the thre e
daughters of the deceased Jam e s Duribar ofWe stfie ld (as he irsof the ir father and of their great grandfather, SirAlex. Dunbar
,
Sheriff ofMoray) , and was designated the Sherif’
s House.
At the back entrance w ere tw o savage s cut in stone , whichw ere rem oved to the Priory ofPluscarden , where they now are .
In the Spring of 1 746, a few w e eks before the Battle of
Culloden “ Prince Charlie ” Slept several nights at this Man
sion , at that tim e inhabited by LadyArradoul, e lde st daughte rofDunbar ofThunderton , who was shrouded and buried in theshe ets which the Prince slept in , according to her dying orders.(ED. )
1 8 ISAAC FORSYTH ; ELGIN STREET ARCHITECTURE .
Ritchie s. It has never be en a great .Man sion , but asitnow stands, is the pre ttie st of the Old Elgin Houses theyhave left us .Next, w e com e to a House w ith a s tair tow er, marked
repeatedly w ith the date of 1 6 3 4 and the arm s of Le slieof Rothe s, and distinguished by th e Iron Cross at the
top, w hich m arks the house s he ld under the Kn ights of
St. John . The Old title s are lost, and I cannot te ll youw hat Le slie s dw e lt there in 1 700 (the tim e w e are tryingto look back upon ) . Alexander Forsyth , m erchan t inElgin ,
bought it in 1744. I have late ly heard that h ew as a personal friend, at any rate ,
‘
an adm irer, of Dr .
Isaac Watts , the great English non - conform ist divin e , andnam ed his son after him . We all knew and loved IsaacForsyth,
* the late posse ssor of that quain t old edifice , andm any of you can rem em ber w hen h e had a bookse llingshop there , w here he e stablished a library, issued severale xce llen t w orks of local history, and m ade it the centreof literature for the city and county. That venerable oldm an w ould have loved to he lp m e in my pre sen t undertaking.
Mr. Billings give s an adm irable Plate of street archit ecture at Elgin — When the w anderer has en tered thetown itse lf, he w ill find him se lf surrounded by objectsthat m ight occupy his pencil or his pen for w eeks.Be side s the grand m ass of the Cathedral, and th e clustered caste llated rem ain s of its CloSe
,every stre e t and
turn ing pre sents som e curious quaint archite ctural peculiarity,
from the graceful gothic arche s of th e Maison Dieuto the old grey burgher
’s house , sticking its narrow crowstepped gable , and all its fantastic , irregular, blinkinglittle w indow s
,into th e centre of the stre e t. Many
decorated n iche s, le t in to abrupt corn ers, now tenantle ss,m ark the spots w here once stood the im age of the Virginand the lam p, to arre st the notice of the passer - by ; an
indication of the great antiquity of the stree t architectureof Elgin . In m any case s the house s are ranged in the
o ld French m anner, round square court - yards comm un i* Isaac Forsyth died on the 17th May, 1 859 , set . 90. Hebought the property from his niece , Ann Forsyth, w ife ofAdam Longm ore of the Exchequer, Edinburgh.
A slate r, in his w isdom , tore up the J erusalem Cross as be ingan encumbrance , when repairing the roof. (ED.)
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE STREETS OF ELGIN. 1 9
eating w ith the stree t by low heavy - brow e d arche s. A
largeb
num b er of the house s are supported on colonnade s,
the de sign s of w hich have considerable m erit, e spe ciallyin that character ofm assivene ss w hich seem s to adapt thepillar and arch to bear the superincum bent w e ight. Fromthis feature , som e of th e stree ts of Elgin rem ind one of
those ofBerne ; but they are still m ore quaint, fantastic,and venerable looking than those of th e gloomy Sw iss city.
Never having had e ither m anufacture s o r trade,Elgin has
changed little in the course of a century or tw o ; w hile , asthe centre of a rich agricultural district, w ith its c lubsand county m eetings, it has had enough of vital ity tosave it from total decay by th e rem oval ofits e cclesiasticalhonours. It is inhabited by a con siderable num be r of
pe ople w ith good connexions and small incom es, w honaturally surround them se lve s w ith the attribute s of
m ode st e legance and com fort. (The Baronial and Ecclesiastical An tiquities of Scotland, by Robert WilliamBillings , Architect, vol .This include s Isaac Forsyth
’
s tow e r, and a picture squeold house on piazzas
,w hich has been rem oved since the
date of that w ork— such 1s the rapid pace of dem olitionam ong you ! That House be longed succe ssive ly to Cram onds, Mills, Captain Pe ter Inne s
,Charleses
,Hay of
Edintore , and lastly to Mr. Anderson ,w ho pulled it
down,and has built a very fine n ew house and shop on
the site .
A little to the eastward, a large old House still stands ,covered w ith grey slate s, once th e property of Thom asStephen ,
Provost ofElgin , w ith whose daughte r it passedto Miln ofMilnfield.
Now , cross Lossie Wynd, and, still ke eping the norths ide of th e High Street, at the corner . stood a fine oldHouse w ith a double roof and a bartizan . Th e propertyof Old extended from the High Stree t to the back of the
burgh at the north , the northe rn part be ing a fin e garden .
Very early,it be longed to An nand of Morr iston ; then ,
before 1 600, to Al exander Inn e s of Coxton . Near a cen
tury late r (1 669 ) Sir Alexander Inn e s of Coxton , w ithc onsent of George Inne s, m inister of Prem nay, disponedit to Jam e s Donaldson
,m erchant, ance stor of the respe ct
able fam ily w h o took the ir style from the pretty littleEstate Of Kinnairdy on the Dovern . The last laird of
20 OUR LADY HIGH HOUSE.
that fam ily m arried Anne Inne s, daughter of Sir Jam es
ofCoxton (1777) ,who lived to b e old,and is yet rem em beredas a perfe ct specim en of
_a state ly lady of the old school.
Over th e w ay, on th e site of the pre sent Cour t House ,‘
stood the House of the Fam ily ofAnderson ofLinkwood,a race of m ost re spe ctable burghers— lawyers— Sheriffc lerks— comm issary clerks— often provosts of the burgh
-
_
the first ofw hom w as in the em ploym ent of the fam ousSir George Mackenzie , King
’s Advocate in the re ign of
Charle s II, w ho gave him som e lands in Pluscarden .
Passing by the House w ith the m ysterious and unex
plained nam e of Lady High House, 1‘
w e com e on th e
n orth Side of the stre e t, to an old House originally builton arcade s, just opposite the Little Cross . It w as occupiedas a place of busine ss by William Duff ofDipple , father ofWilliam first Earl ofFife . Th e late Mr. William Youngused to report the tradition that
,w hile carrying on busi
n e ss here,Dipple bought the Estate of Coxton at w hat
people ignoran tly thought a very high price— so highthat th e Kn ight of Coxton ce lebrated th e event by an
entertainm ent which w as n ot tem perate,and very noisy.
Dipple , in the e ven ing, as h e w as Shutting up his Office ,heard the noise of the riotous feast, and asked th e cause .
They told him it w as Coxton rejoicing w ith his friendsat the price he had got for his land.
“ Poor fe llow !"
said Dipple,
“ h e is as w e ll pleased at parting w ith hisinheritance as I am at ge tting it.
” William Dufl'
of
Dipple died in 1722 .
The Court House and Jail w ere erected in 1 842. Elizabeth,the last Duchess of Gordon , he ired it through her aunts, andsold it to the Magistrate s ofElgin for the above uses. (ED .
1‘ Our LadyHigh House suggests its dedication to the B. V
Mary. In 1546, Sir Thom as Ragg was one of the chaplains mS. G ile s
,and also taught a school in this house . This sam e
year the Murrays ofFochab eris, by de ed disponed it to Jam es
Innes ofCrombie . From 1770 till 1 8 12 it was possessed bythe A ndersons ofLinkwood
,who sold it to Alexander Brodie
ofArnhall, and was occupied by his sisters, the M isses Brodieof Spynie . Elizabeth, the last Duchess of Gordon (the onlychild of Brodie ofArnhall) , heired this house after the death ofhe r aunts
,and in 1 8 3 5sold the subje cts to Provost Grant, who ,
in 1 840, sold them to Provost Russell, who e rected on the sitebuildings for a printing office and abode . (ED. )
DUNKINTY HOUSE ; OLD COLLEGE ABODES. 2 1
Iam sorry Im ust not de tain you w ith an accoun t of
that m ost w orthy family of your c itizens,the Kings of
Newm ill who acquired the Greyfriars, m any canons ’
c rofts, the lands of Newm il l, and Pan s, and w ere peculi
arly an Elgin burgh fam ily, and an honour to the burgh .
The Huntly Fam ily had a re sidence in Elgin , at the
head of the College, no t now to b e traced. My’3
ance stors,the Innesses ofDunkinty, lived in that old House whichstood till late ly at the com er of Gran t Lodge gardens.
You know it l n Mr. Rhind’s Ske tche s ofMoray. After
my forebears succe eded to Leuchars, it w as un inhabited,and it w as rather ruinous even before it w as acquired bythe Seafield Fam ily, who pulled it down a few years ag o .
Iused to adm ire the gable s of the dorm er w indow s,deco
rated w ith coats ofarm s, the rem ain s Of the old hangingsof stam ped Span ish leather, and th e little concealed ora
tory,w here the fam ily, zealous Nou - jurors
,could keep the ir
service - books and say the ir prayers in tim e s of trouble .
Th e entran ce was from the w e st, at the end ofthe Garden so fElgin ,
entering at the foot ofLossie Wynd.
At the beginn ing of last century th e interesting old
College Dw ellings had of course all passed into lay hands.The Bishop
’
s Town Palace— th e w ork of that great architeet the Chance llor Lord Dunferm lin e— w as then in the
Gordon Fam ily.
The Nor th College— the house standing where th e Dean’s
re sidence was , and pre serving som e of its walls— include sin its garden s and grounds the re sidence s or m anse s ofthe can on s of Botarie
,Inverke ithny, the Treasure r
’s,
Croy, th e Chance llor’s— as w e ll as the Deanery. It w as
for a tim e the town house of the Dunbars of Burgie , andw as acquired by the Fam ily of Robertson , its pre sentproprie tors, about a century ago . The lands of Dean shaugh , w ith th e Dovecot, w ere of old attached to theDeanery, and th e Lossie , w hich now separate s “them ,
seem s to have run m uch to the north of its pre sentchann e l.[The Manse ofDufius, as old as the 15th century
,in
the College ofElgin ,w as pulled down about 48 years ag o .
A good ske tch of th e quain t house,w ith corner square
turre t, is given in Rhind’
s Sketches of Moray. It stoodon the east corne r ofKing Stre e t. King Jam e s 1 1 . foundlodging for him se lf and small court in this little m ansion .
22 DUFFUS AND UNTHANK MANSES ; SUBDEAN’S HOUSE.
His kin sm an David Stuart (then Parson of Duffus,and
afterwards Bishop ofMoray) , w as absen t at th e tim e on
som e em bassy, w hen the kitchen of th e Man se accidentallytook fire , and was re - built at the King
’s expen se . The
house w as long the posse ssion of the Fam ily of King of
Newm ill,then of Captain Stewart, w ho sold it to Pe te r
Brow n of Linkw ood, w ho built on the stance th e abode,
now the property of John Al lan .
Equally good e tchings of Un thankMan se,Man telpiece,and Arm s of th e Duffus Fam ily quartered on the Man se ,are given in Rhind
’
s Sketches. On th e m antelpiece inlarge figure s, is the date 1 679
'
(not 1 670 as given in
Young’s Ann als ofElgin ,
page w ith th e in itialsWB. IO on e ither side
,and fierce ere ct Lion - Sup
porters . The se fin e jam bs are n ow at one of the gardengate s at Gordon stown House .
Un thank Manse was also purchased by the above Mr.
Pe ter Brow n,who built thereupon the dom icile occupied
by John Kerr, In spector of Schools, and n ow posse ssedby Mrs . M‘William .] (ED.)The Sub- dean
’
s House is that inherited by the Hon . G.
S. Duff,from the Hon . George Duff of Milton
,son of
Wiliam , first Earl ofFife . Non e of th e original buildingrem ain s, but the m assy precinct wall of the Cath edralrun s to th e south of the garden ; and. w ith its fine oldtree s, it form ed the pleasan t quie t re sidence which Charle sSt . John so m uch loved . All that w e call King Streetw as occupied by th e re siden ce s and garden s of the Canonsofold. DufiusMan se, the picturesque Old Man sion w hereKing Jam e s II. kept his court
,is now Mr. Allan ’s ; Un
thanh Manse, Sheriff Cam eron ’s. A hundred and fifty
years ago , the se and m any other m an sion s of goodburghers— of country gentry of Moray and Banff— linedyour High Stre et on both side s— affording covered w alksalm ost from end to end
, w ith the ir low arcade s or
“ piazzas.” The foot pavem en t did not then proj ect in tothe stre et, and perhaps the causey w as not so clean inits eve ry - day state as it is now . But on days of state or
holidays,and, of old, on occasions of Church - proce ssions,
a great clean sing and“ ornam en ting took place . Then
think how the centre of the spacious stree t was occupied,at th e tim e of our visit— the beginning of last cen tury.
First— and just on the site of the m odern foun tain
THE MUCKLE AND LITTLE KIRKS AND CROSSES. 2 3
stood, during all last century, the J ail and Burgh Cour tHouse . It w as built only about th e beginn ing of th e
cen tury, m room ofa form er and m ore hum ble Tolbooth .
'
1 here w as n ot m uch architectural m erit in th e fabric, butit was quaint and characteristic.Next there w as the “Muckle Kirk — the ven erable
and m ost anc ien t Church of St. Giles— the Parish Church
of Elgin ; a place so an c ient,so vene rable , so m ixed up
w ith th e history ~and tradition of the c ity,that on e m ight
have expecte d it to have be en spared, ifanything w ere to
rem ain of old Elgin . It stood just w here the n ew Church
stands ; and of old w as surrounded by its cem e tery, inw hich am ong later grave s m ust have stood the e laborateMonum ent of prim eval Christian ity
,now placed for safety
in the Cathedral, w hich was found in leve lling the stre e tn ear the Church . Probably on ly the low er walls of the
Muckle Kirk w ere of high an tiquity. The roof and the
upper part of the fabric fell m 1 679 , on a Sunday, after
service ,but it was 1 e - built som ewhat 1n th e old m anner
,
and so continued till 1 828 . DO the Bailie s and the“ Trade s ” fill the eye as w e ll in the ir fine n ew Churchas w hen dear William Hay sang of the ir glories in thatghostly Old fabric !The I/ittle Kirk, though separated, and m ade of late
to open eastw ard,was originally th e Choir of the great
Church ofSt . Giles .Where you m ay still see the paving stones of the street
laid in the form Of a cross,stood the “Muckle Cr oss.
”
What its an cien t form and structure w ere,w e do not
know . That w hich stood there all last cen tury w as a
hexagonal Pillar of dre ssed ashlar, 1 2 fee t high , and largeenough to contain a Spiral stair. Around its base w as a
stone seat. From the top of the pillar rose a Shaft of
stone , surm ounted by the Scotch Lion Ram pant, and th ein itials (C. R.) ofKing Charles II.
The Little Cross, I suppose , is n ot m uch changed in a
cen tury and a half. It is one of that kind ofw hich w ehave finer spe cim en s at Kinneddar, at Dufl
’
us,and other
Moray Churche s ; but from its situation , this of Elginis liable to injurie s, and the Shaft m ay have been re
new ed .
[The Muckle Cross was rem oved about 86 years ago forbe ing an obstruction . It was a poor spec im en of archi
241 THE LITTLE CROSS AND HOUSE NEAR IT.
tecture , con sisting ofa sm all hexagonal roofle ss apartm en tin which the loons used to stow sticks and other colleetions for the annual bonfire on the King
’S Birthday. Thischam ber was carefully guarded w ith an oak door. A
free stone colum n Sim ilar to that of the Little Cross Shotup from the centre , surm ounted w ith the Scottish lionram pan t w ith crow n and cross. The latter is placed on
the South College garden wall.The Little Cross still rem ain s entire in its original posi
tion . It has four circular steps or pedim ents, from w hichr ise s a round slender Ion ic Monolith about 15feet high ,t opped by a sun dial
,upon w hich is cut the arm s of the
c ity. The summ it has three sm all 1ron rods, on e perpen
dicular and tw o crossways,indicating the four poin ts of
the com pass. A correct e tching is given in Rhind’
s
Sketches of Moray, p . 57. Al exander, 3 rd son of the
Lord of the Isle s, w ith his captain s, on th e 3 rd July,
1 402, plundered the Chanonry of Elgin : and on the 6th
Oct , the sam e year, on due con trition , w as absolved byWilliam Spynie , Bishop ofMoray, before the doors of theChurch, and then before the High Altar. He and histroopers also paid as penance a sum of m oney, w ith partofwhich a Cross w as erected w here th e Chanonry begin s.This is reckoned to b e w here the Little Cross stands andhas stood for nearly 800years— n o t certain ly the pre sentsuperstructure . From th e Tow n Counc il Minute s of th el st April , 1 867, the Little Cross be ing in a ruinous anddilapidated state , and threaten ing to fall, w as ordered tob e repaired.
In the Burgh Re cords of 1542, there is a refe rence to aCross at the east end of the town , but as it is the re calleda tree, it was ne ce ssarily ofw ood.
In Rhind'
s Sketches, an e tching is given at page 57 of a
Hou se near th e Little Cross of the old burgh architecture ,yet in good pre servation , e rected on piazzas. The originalposse ssors are not know n . It bears the date 1 694, andthe in itials I. D. above the w indow s. It is said that itw as occupied as a place of busine ss by William Duff ofDipple , father ofWilliam l st Earl ofFife , when h e re sidedin Elgin from 1703 to 1722 , at which latte r date he died.
It IS a fact that Mr . Dufl'
had a m ortgage upon it for 800m erks be tw e en 1709 and 171 6. It afterwards passed tothe fam ily ofAnderson of Linkw ood, and from them ,
in
26 THE GREYFRIARS’ MONASTERY, ELGIN .
tality, as w e ll as its beautiful flow ers,from the old
Friars !There w as a Conven t of Franciscan s, Minorites, or
Grey Friars, at Elgin ,endow ed as early as 1 28 1 , w hen it
is de scribed as near th e Cathedral church. Couldthat b e th e place w hich w e know as the Greyfriars, oris this a later foundation ! The architecture of thatbeautiful Ruin is plain ly of the 15th century. It has
been supposed that the older House— that de scribed as
near the Cathedral chure — occupied th e Site of Mr.
Cooper’s house and garden , where som e an cient foundation s and vaults below
,w ere visible until late ly .
I think there w ere no Nunn eries in Elgin .
The society ofElgin w as very differen t at th e beginn ingof last cen tury from what it is now . You observe , a goodm any country fam il ie s lived ln the town ,
som e preferringit to the ir country hom e s— at least 1n w inter ,
others,like
the Laird of Dunkinty,having n o dw e lling- house s on
the ir e state s . Th e last Dunkinty w ho inhabited that oldhouse close to the North College , w as on e of the last survivors of that socie ty. Though h e w as my grandun cleand the re is said to b e a fam ily re sem blance— I b eg tostate that he w as a very good - looking old gentlem an .
His picture hangs in m y din ing- room,in full pow dere d
w ig and chap eau bras. You know it is a sm all property,for he did not l ive to inherit Leuchars ; but the old m an
drove about the tow n, and out to Calcotts, in his coach
and pair, chiefly to prove his gentility. I think w hen I
cam e here as Sh erifl'
,my friend, Mr. Cam eron ,
show ed m e
the Old Dunkinty coach , w ith its on ce Splendid giltnails and corners, converted into a summ er house in an
inn garden .
Am ong all that class there w as a good deal of societya very genuine , hearty hospital ity— a kindly w e lcom e— a
full table , and at least enough of that w ine w hich was tob e had pre tty cheap, paying no odious dutie s. But tote ll the truth, the great enj oym en t of the gent1y at thattim e w as not in dom e stic partie s. When m en found the irdays tedious, and longed for som e thing to stir th e blood,they did no t assem ble the ir friends at the board of a
state ly dam e , w ith lappe ts, and hOOp, and high he e ledshoe s. They m e t at a tavern— the British Arm s
, or Mrs.
Crom bie ’S— and drank till the care s and sorrow s of l ife
SOCIETY AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST CENTURY. 27
w ere forgotten . Or, if they w ere n ot fortunate enoughto b e in Elgin ,
half a dozen ne ighbour gentlem en w ouldm ake a tryst at Findhorn
,or still often er at the little
solitary alehouse on th e Muir,where Lucky Lightfoot
supplied them w ith pure , cheap claret (it m ight w e ll b echeap !) and w here the want of cerem ony and the hom eli
ne ss of everything around, gave it a zest w hich it wan ted
in the ir ow n castle s. You m ust not im agin e they w ere
habitual drunkards,or even in the habit of drinking a
glass of w in e daily. The m en w ere fine gentlem en ,I
assure you, though the young fe llow s sw ore a little ,bragged a little of the ir five bottle s at a sitting, and
other peccadilloe s w hich w e think better t o hide . Som e
of the picture s of our forefathers of that tim e Show a
quantity of lace at breast and w r ist— a pow de 1ing of
periw ig, and sm art cock of hat— that m ust have renderedit horr ibly inconven ien t to b e caught out in such a galeas blew dow n our valley on th e 3 rd of this m onth . The
expense of that dre ss w as m onstrous. Sir Richard Ste e le ’sblack periw ig, w e know , cost him forty guin eas, and tom aintain such a head - piece in curl and beauty w as n o
trifle . DO you rem em ber the e legant Love lace (th e ladykiller ofRichardson ’s im agination) lam enting his wig andhis linen dabbled w ith hear - frost w hen h e had been ex
posed to th e cold in ke eping an assignation !The rich and som ewhat taw dry dress of the m en w as
the folly of the tim e— not of the coun try . I on ly w ishyou to Observe that our ance stors in the North w ere notexem pt from the fashionable follie s of the ir day. Inde ed
,
I don ’t find that they w ere m uch addicted to out - doorOccupations. Ifind n o letters of enthusiastic farm ing and
planting, no passion for sport; no fishing, and very littleof shooting— on ly a grey - hound or tw o w ere kept abouta house for killing hare s, and frequently lent from handto hand. You w ill find that the m en then w ere le ssaccustom ed to that hardy exercise w hich begins w ith usat school, and lasts as long as health and strength w illallow .
The ladies w ere m ore stay - at- hom e than the ir granddaughters ; m any Of them ,
ladie s of quality or fortune ,n ever left Moray after re turn ing from the boarding - schoolin Edinburgh . They w ere not for the m ost part aecomplished, in our sense of the w ord. A slender kn ow ledge
28 MORAYSHIRE LADIES OF LAST CENTURY.
ofm usic, playing on the harpsichord or the viol - de -
gam ba,‘
and a sort of sam pler em broide ry— no t so conven ien tlye asy as our m odern ladie s’ w ork— form ed th e w hole .
They w ent to church , or to th e Non - Juring Chape l, butw ere n ot m uch addicted to theological study— the age for
that had gone by. They didn ’t read m uch indeed,books
w ere very few ,and the taste for them confined to tw o or
thre e fam ilie s. But then they w ere n otable housew ive s—the Counte ss ofMoray and the Lady of Gordon Castle
vieing w ith the Squire s’ w ive s in the m ysterie s of thekitchen and the com forts Ofgood housekeeping.
"e
Ican call to m ind a good m any ladies ofMoray who madean impre ssion on society in the ir tim e
,and have left a m em ory
behind them1 . ANNAS KEITH
, Countess ofMoray andArgyll, who filleda large sphere in this county for a tim e , m anaging the properties of both earldom s. Her house at Darnaway, and her“ lodging
”in Edinburgh, w ere resorted to as a little court by
M oray m en, by all of Whom she was beloved for he r own
qualities of m asculine sense and kindn ess,and revered as the
wife and w idow of the Good Regent.”
2. HENRIETTA STUART,daughter of the Earl ofMoray, w ife
ofSir Hugh Campbell of Caw'dor , was a notable housekeeper
and careful econom ist,learned in the qualities of tea and
chocolate , and of great taste in “napery.
”She was long
rem em bered as a good ne ighbour and am iable l ady. Her
books w ere a thought too Puritanical for the present taste ;but am ong Sighs from He ll,
”and Rutherford’s Lette rs,” are
placed Hodder’s Arithm etic,
”and Speed’s Husbandry
,
”
together w ith a treatise on Psalm istry.
3 . The Mordaunt DUCHESS OF GORDON , w ife of the secondDuke , who changed the religion of the fam ilyfor a consideration
- and, during a long Widowhood,m anaged her affairs and
those of her children w ith great vigilance and the Skill Of a
m an ofbusiness,and ye t was a un iversal favourite .
4. MARY SLEIGH, was the English w ife of the Laird of
Brodie— the laird who was long Lord Lyon , and was universally known in Scotland as “ The Lyon —a very popular leading m an in Moray, though Lord Lovat, who didn
’t love him ,
called him the “ king of beasts.” I im agine his w ife was anhe iress. At any rate She was allow ed to m anage and spendliberally. She attended to farm ing as w ell as housew ifery, anddirected, herself, the breeding of her horses
,(t o. She was
also an early planter of hardwood. I have noticed a present
MRS. ROSE or KILRAVOCK ; THE QUEEN OF FORBES. 29
I don ’t find that the ladie s attended to the garden or
cared for flow ers. The on ly exception I can nam e i sKilravock. But the gentlem en in and round Elgin , and
indeed all through Moray, w ere fond of garden ing, and
w e m ust not censure them if in the ir eye s the fruitgarden and the orchard took precedence of the flow er
border. They inherited that taste from the Monks ofPlus carden and Kin loss, who m ay have adm ired a clovegilly flow er, but gave the ir w hole hearts to the produceof the ir pear trees.It m ay b e w orth recording that th e exce llent Robert
she made to the Laird of Kilravock, in 1750, of fifty beechplants— probably those which now adorn “ the birch- ward at
Kilravock, and the charm ing bank ofCoulm ony. The traditionof the country is, that she was the great planter and ornam ente rof Brodie ; and
,m oreover, that she planted (and protected)
that double hedgerow of ashes which still , at intervals, shadesthe high road from the Hardmuir to Forres. I w ish she had
left m ore imitators.5. Mrs. ELIZABETH ROSE ofKilravock, a lady adm irable in
m ore ways than I can find room for in this note . She was the
first very literary lady in the North, but her literature was no ther greatest recomm endation .
‘
In conversation she was alwaysan im ated and natural, full of genuine hum our , and keen and
quick perception of the ludicrous. She has been de scribed as
the leader of all che erful amusem ents, the hum orous storyteller, the clever m im ic, the very soul of society. She was a.
good musician ,and very fond ofmusic. Those w ere her surface
accom plishm ents. She was the m ost ardent of friends,bene
volent, hospitable , kind and generous beyond her m ean s,zealously religious, w ithout parade , ever anxious to help forwardhum ble talent.6 . If it w ere not too near her own tim e , I should like to
place here a m em orial of Miss MADDY MACPHERSON, the
Que en ofForres,” as she was called. I do not think she has
left so good and characteristic a specim en of the Highland ladybehind her. Without any superfluous education ,
she had a
consciousness of Highland gentry— never found herself unfitfor the society of the highest and m ost cultivated. Her knowledge of her countrym en was very accurate
,and she communi
cated it in the pleasantest way. With good broad hum our,and a play of satire quite fre e from m alice , she m ade he rdraw ing- room a pleasant place of resort for all com ers, while toher friends she was ever hospitable
,kind, and cordial.
3 0 GARDENING AND THE GARDENS OF KINLOSS.
Re id,Abbot of Kin loss
,afterwards Bishop of Orkney,
am ong other schem e s for c ivilising his house , brought toKin loss from Die ppe a French gardener, nam ed Guillaum e
Lubias, ve ry skilful in planting and grafting fruit- tre e s,w ho , w rite s the chron icler of the Abbey, executed manyw orks in the Abbey garden and round the place , andindeed through all Moray, m ost useful and w orthy of
observation .
” I have heard from that authority,wh ich I
have quoted so Often,that w hen ,
100 years ago , the la s tof the old pear tree s of Kin loss w ere blow n
o
down in a
storm ,it was found that they had been under - paved w ith
flat flag- stone s
,after th e m ost approved m anner ofm odern
orchard cultivation— a m anner which w e m odern s, w ithour usual van ity, had declared to b e an invention unknow nto the old gardene rs. Som e papers at Kilravock Showthat the m akers of that good old garden got som e of the irtree s from Kinloss, w hile the finer kinds cam e fromNormandy.
The garden s ofKinloss, (the nursery of garden ing, andteacher to all Moray) have left w orthy succe ssors ; and Idoubt if the Monks, at the ir be st, grew be tter apple s andpears than the pre sent Laird of Kin loss and his brother,the Baron et of Dufl
’
us. I am sure they never evendream ed of such carnation s and aste rs as our friend
,Mr.
Grigor, grow s in his little garden at - the Haugh.
At the tim e w e are speaking of— rem em ber it is 150years ago— Elgin m ust have be en a com fortable place tol ive in as regards vivers. There is a certificate veryform ally issued by tw o w orshipful Justice s of the Peace ,Sir Thom as Calder ofMuirtow n
,Bart
,and RobertDunbar
of New ton ,Esq ,
dated the last day of the year 1710.
What warrant or reason they had for setting forth th estatem en t I cannot tell, but certified as it is w e cann otdoubt its truth .
We,Sir Thom as Calder ofMuirton, Knt. , Rob. Dunbar of
Newt on ,Esq. J.PS. w ithin the shire ofElgin, do hereby testifyand declare to all concerned, that the m anner of livingin the town ofE1gin , w ithin the said shire , for m erchandise ofall sorts of w ines,
gvictuals, and other necessarie s for fam ilies,
being to b e had at low rates as follows, viz. z— Ane carcase of
best beef in the shambles, at 8 pand Scotts. Item— Ane
m utton bulk at 2 m erks Scotts. Item— Ane good hen at 2s.
Scotts, and 2s. 6d. the dearest. 14 eggs for ane shilling Scotts.
MERCHANDISE DURING THE LAST CENTURY. 3 1
Fourteen haddocks forane shill ing and six penn ies Scotts, or
2s. at m ost. 14 whitings for l s. Scotts. Ane stone ofbutter,
of the best sort, at 3 pund Scotts, quhereof there goes 22 lb .
to the stone . Ane stone of the best che ese of the northcountry m ake , 2 m erks Scotts, or 3 08 . Scotts at m ost, quhereofthere is given 22 lb. to the stone . Ane pint ofm ilk for sixteenpenn ies Scotts. Muirfow l and partridge , at 2 shillings Scottsthe pair . Waterfow l as follow s, viz . z— Ane goose at 8s. Scotts ;duck and drake , w ild or tam e
,at four shillings.
”
Take the price s of som e other comm oditie s,in that
sam e year, gathered from old shop - bills and inn - reckonings. A m an
’s living w as charged so m uch a m eal or diet.Each diet w as 2d. English . A Chopin ale
,1d. Clare t,
1 s . 3 d. a bottle . Brandy, IS. 2d. Sugar, 1 s . 4d. a pound .
Bohea (the only tea used) , £1 58 . to 1 8s. Cheshire che e se ,5d. per pound.
To re turn for a m om ent to the socie ty of Elgin at the
beginn ing of last century, there w as m ixed an e lem entone hardly expected— a class of m erchan ts— and I w illde scribe to you the ir dealings. When the lord and lairddrew all the ir rents in corn ,
it cam e to b e of consequence ,I m ay say,
of necessity, to find a m arke t for so m uchgrain . The proprietors soon found they did not thrivebe st w hen they w ent to a fore ign m arke t on the ir own
account, and thus sprung up a se t ofm en w hose chief, orat least w hose first
,dealing was in buying up the m eal
and barley of the laird’s granary, and shipping it tosouthern m arke ts, often to Holland and Flanders or
France , but m ore comm on ly to Le ith,New castle , and
London . The return cargo was often w ine ; but it wasby no m eans beneath the dign ity of the trade to inve st apart of the produce in fore ign fruit, in sugar, and suchtem pting com m oditie s for the hom e m arke t. The youngersons of the landed gentry soon took to that busine ss, anda few heads of decayed house s sought to retrieve the irfortune s by its m oderate profits. I find Sir Jam es Calderof Muirtow n
,a Baronet, was such a m erchant in Elgin
before 1700, and his e lde st son , Sir Thom as, carried on
the sam e trade about 173 0 and low er. Before 1700Cumm ing of Relugas, and about 173 0 Charle s Brodie ofLe then and Dunbar ofKinCOIt h
,w ere corn - m erchants in
Inve rne ss . The first coals I have found in the Northw ere im ported by Charle s Brodie . A little later m y
' MERCHANTS or LAST CENTURY IN ELGIN.
grandfather, Robert Inn e s, a younger son of Dunkintyand he ir of. Leuchars, who , I told you, lived at the We stPort of Elgin ,
carried on such a trade . I stop in passingm ere ly to observe that he paid for his purchase s by billson Thom as Coutts 85 Co . of Edinburgh, and those billsw ere in great dem and, for you m ust rem em ber there w ereno banks then n orth of Edinburgh, and bank n ote s w ere
m aking the ir w ay so slow ly that, in the m iddle of the
century, the Barone t of Gordon stow n asked as a greatfavour from his ne ighbour, Dunbar of Duffus
,to le t him
have a bill on London for a sm all sum of m oney— som e
thing, I think,unde r
There w ere m any of the se m erchant gentlem en con
n ected w ith Elgin and Inverne ss during the first half of
the last cen tury, but none SO extensive in the ir deal ings,nor in all w ays so rem arkable , as several m em bers of theFam ily ofDuff, who w ere then laying the foundation s ofthat great fortune w hich the ir de scendan ts still inherit.It is a peculiarity of our countrym en of the low er orde rsto se ek to le ssen and disparage m en who have risenrapidly to great w ealth and station
,and they have been
in th e habit of speaking Slightly of those founders of theFife fortune s— altoge ther unjustly, so far as I can gatherfrom the corre spondence of th e tim e . Like the othergentlem en
,som e ofw hom I have m entioned— and the list
could b e easily and large ly increased— the Duff'
s— WilliamDufl"
,younger and e lder, ofDipple , m erchants in Invern ess
and Elgin,and William Duff of Drummuir, at Inverne ss
- bought and exported corn ,and im ported and sold
fi
all
comm oditie s, great and sm all
,from 1 650 to far down in
the follow ing century. They supplied the ir custom ersw ith w ine and brandy, lead for the ir roofs
, and m uske tbarre ls for the ir defence ; and the notable housew ive s of
the county w ith dried fruit, capers, olive s anchovie s,bottle s, and dom e stic utensils
,and the fine dIaper, which
was very early a. prized luxury of our Scotch houses.
But they had other dealings than the se . When a greatbarony was to b e bought, and no ready m oney forthcom ing, th e Duff
's found the m oney for the purchase ,taking a m ortgage , or wadse t, over th e land, toge ther
A good deal of light is thrown on that trade , and the earlybanking ofScotland, by SirW. Forbes’ H istory ofhis Bankinghouse , lately published.
3 4WRETCHED SLAVERY a LIVELIHOOD or AGRICULTURISTS.
crop, are of m uch later date . But to re turn— When the
crop is cut and housed, the cattle wander at w ill over theunfenced land, and from the stubble s and m oors pick upa sustenance till the hard snow storm drive s them to thebyre, when straw and a little m arsh hay or rushe s m ustfeed them till spring. No w onder that m any die of Coldand hunger. The house s are not water—tight, and
'
th e
straw always a short crop. It is w e ll if th e poor m ilkc ow s can stagger out on the ir ow n legs when the byredoor is opened at the disappearance of the snow . It . isw e ll if the poor hum an inm ate s of the farm have not be end riven to ble ed the starving cattle to keep the ir own lifein . Do not accuse m e of exaggerating. I have m et w ithm any in stance s of people convicted of bleeding the irn e ighbours
’ cattle to obtain the blood as food. Even in
the houses'
of th e gen try, food w as often wanting in w inter.
When Sir Robe rt Gordon w as tutor of his nephew ,th e
Earl ofSutherland, he kept careful accoun ts of householdm atte rs at Dunrobin . In m ore than on e of the se yearlyaccounts, the m eal of th e household is exhausted in Spring,and I rem em ber at least tw o in stance s where orders areg iven to send and kill de er on the hill for the suppor t ofthe Earl ’s fam ily, in the m onths ofApril and May, whenred de er is m ere carrion !You m ust not expect m e to dw e ll on the m anner of
living and thinking of those poor creature s, the cultivatorsof the soil of fertile Moray 150 years ago . When the
struggle is for life , the com fort, the cultivation— nay,
the very decencie s and char itie s of life— are apt to b eforgotten .
It is no w onder that in those days a farm er neverbecam e rich. We have no such thing in the old tim e as
a farm er acquiring property. That w as reserved for our
own century, w ith all its high rents and expensive m ode so f cultivation . But the farm ing population did at lastbegin to im prove, at the sam e tim e when Scotland generally took such a start forward, its progre ss dating from1760. In the latter half of the last century
,a new m ode
o f cultivation was introduced. More skill and energyw ere required— perhaps m ore stock and capital— but theresults w ere , plenty and com fort, and com parative w ealth .
Som e ofyou m ay rem em ber— all of you have heardo f the manner of the farm er
’s life am ong us sixty years
ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT GENERATION. 3 5
ago . The farm s w ere not so large as they are n ow,but
there w as enough of land to em ploy the hands of thefam ily, and plenty ofm oor all round that repaid im proving. Wheat, w hich had be en little cultivated before , w asnow comm on— I m ay say universal. There w ere clove rand rye
-
grass for summ er food, and hay for the horses inw inter. There w as turn ip enough to m ake the season of
w in ter the m ost plentiful of the year . A few m en actually began to feed fat for th e butcher ; but the milk cow
and her calve s at least w ere always w e ll OfliThere w as no bothy of hired servants
,but a ne ighbour
farm er’s son w as often one of the ploughm en ; and h e w as
not despised if he fe ll in love w ith the daughter of the
house . I am old enough to look back to those good,sim ple m anners, and Iam not sure that in som e re spe ctsw e have im proved in the last generation . Let m e not b e
m isunderstood. I am not here to undervalue the farm ersofMoray. Ihave know n them long, and have this seasonl ived am ong them ,
and been indebte d to them for m uchcordial kindne ss. With th e Shrewdne ss and sagacity, theindustry and activity that m arked the ir fathers, theyhave j oined a higher cultivation and a proper fe e ling of
independence . I don ’t obj e ct to the smart gig and the
clever nag that take s the faIm er to m arke t any m ore thanI regret that the uncom fortable square hat has taken the
place of his father’s good blue bonn e t. The se are trifle s,and on the w hole the advantage Is w ith the present generation. There Is no fear ofdandyism , no fear ofefl
'
em inacy,
w ith the ir pursuits, as any one w ould say who has w atchedthe patient hopefulne ss, the gallant courage w ith w hichthey struggled through all the aggravating difficultie s ofthis harve st. You m ight as w e ll fear the dandyism of
m en w ho had lived through the siege of Lucknow , Or
served in the trenche s before Sebastopol. I don ’t findfault w ith the piano and its use , w e re it only to aecompany the goodm an
’s daughter in a good Scotch song, orto se t the children to dan ce at a Christmas m erry- making.
But let m e give one w ord of caution. AS an old m an
w ho has seen som ething of th e w orld,Iw ould w arn the
farm ers ofMoray and the ir w ive s again st educating the irdaughters for gove rne sse s. Better far, teach them the
m anagem ent of the dairy and of the kitchen— to re l ievethe ir m others of houseke eping— to take charge of the
3 6 THE VULGAR MODERNIZ ING or ELGIN.
younger children— than to change the pure air and free
life of the fields and w oods for re strain t and the l ife of
c itie s w ithout its pleasu re s— to leave a happy hom e for
one which is se ldom other than unhappy.
May I venture one w ord to m asters and servants ofthe agricultural class ! We cannot return to th e old w ayof life , perhaps, and in m any re spects w e are better. But
why should the farm er and the ploughm an stand so farapart ! I know the insufficiency of house s on the farm s,and the wandering tendency, the love of change , of th efarm servants
,are pleaded as the reason or the excuse for
the con stant shifting, w hich goe s far to de stroy the
m aster’s intere st in his labourers. Iw ish , indeed, theseeasons or excuse s could b e rem oved
, and Iam quite sureif th e Moray farm er take s this view of the m atter, andse e s that what serve s to change the ploughm an from an
indifferen t hire ling to a
'
friendly dependent— a zealousm ember of the household— is an imm en se advantage tohim se lf
,he w ill not b e long of finding m ean s to bring
about that end.
I b eg pardon for this digre ssion , and return w ith all
hum ility to my own departm en t— the City'
ofElgin and
its An tiquities. You know I am a profe ssed lover of
picture sque antiquity, and, as such, I cannot but fee lsom e indignation at the vulgar m odern izing which Elginhas undergone in our tim e .
If it w as absolute ly necessary to rem ove the ancientParish Church of St. Giles, w hy place a sham GreekTem ple in its place !The old Town -Hou se, w ith its heavy double fore stairs,
and the rude old Tolbooth Tower , w ere perhaps j ustlycondem ned
,though I loved the ir hoary quaintne ss . But
w hat ill had the Muckle Cross don e that caused it to b eejected from the spacious street w hich it adorn ed 7The irregular tall house s standing on m assive pillars
and arcade s— the roofs of m e llow grey stone , brokenpicture sque ly w ith frequent w indow s— the tall crossstepped gables— are poorly exchanged for the prim and
trim , square , m odern houses and shops. It is not m ere lym y love of antiquity
,though I confe ss, w ith a true
Yanke e poetIlove the m em ory of the past, its pressed yet fragrant flowers,The m oss that clothes its broken arch, the ivy on its towers.
”
MORAY AND ELGIN As THEY ARE. 3 7
Ye t,in this m atter, I w ould give up the antique , the
picture sque,if i t w ere nece ssary to repudiate them in
s tudying the com forts and conven ience s ‘
of life . Ido notthink they are incom patible . Latterly, a som ewhat be tters tyle of architecture has sprung up, and to b e succe ssful,the architects of the se later buildings only require tostudy the gen ius of the place— to reflect that Elgin has apeculiar and not ungrat eful style of stre et architecture of
ts own , capable ofadaptation ,Iventure to say, to all the
purpose s of shop and dw e lling- house .
Excuse this last antiquarian grow l, and let m e lay the
antiquary aside , and speak a w ord ofMoray and ofElginas they are .
They te ll you that our flat country— our laigh ofMow y- is not picture sque . NO doubt it isn ’t a land of rock
and wood, and flood ; n e ither is it the rich English vale ,w ith its gre en pasture s shaded by hedge - row e lm s. Butth e view from the rocks of Covesea, or old Burgheadtaking in the firth and the Ross - shire hills, and the Opening ofCrom arty Bay, and all down from Dunrobin to theairy and unknown heads that m ay b e Caithne ss or
Orkney— is picture sque in the highe st m ean ing of the
term . For m e , I confe ss our view from Dufl'
us, over the
long flat, broken by the old Ke ep of Duffus,the setting
sun glancing on the Loch ofSpynie , w ith its fine PalaceCastle , the sm oke m arking the w hereabouts of the littleCity of Elgin over the Quarryw ood, the Open ing of the
Glen of Rothe s, and the tw o he ights that term inate our
landscape on that side— Ben rinnes and the Bin ofCullen—have charm s that m ore adorned landscapes do not
posse ss. But if you are no t to the m anner born— if youdon ’t enj oy that pe culiar Moray landscape— wait till tom orrow m orn ing, then m ount on m y rough Irish car, andle t m e drive you to Elgin— n ot the dire ct w ay, but a littleround— past the Lim e Kiln ,
under Lesm urdie ’s Cottage ,
and— as you gaze from that turn above Newm ill at t e
old Cathedral tow ers crown ing the rive r bank, rising fromam ong what appears a goodly w ood of fore st tree s, w iththe tow ers and spire s of the burgh churches behind,lighted w ith an early m orn ing sun— confe ss that no m an
can look on that landscape unm oved,even se tting as ide
all the assoc iation’
s w hich crow d upon us . I fancy thais the view that oftenest rise s to the m ind of the Moray
3 8 THE ATTRACTIONS OF ELGIN FOR OLD NATIVES.
loon in his log - hut or dark shanty, far away in the
backw oods, w hen h e Shuts his eye s and pre sses his handsupon them ,
and dream s him se lf back to th e school holiday,by the banks of the Lossie— back to th e
"
days of thescan tackand pap erap .
The town , with all its faults ofm odern art, has still anair ofsom e dign ity that distinguishes it from country townsin general . Out of th e stre e ts, there is n othing to blam e .
The villas that have grow n up,and are daily springing up
around, de light the eye w ith the ir appearance of com fort,the ir n eatn e ss, and e ven e legance , and w ith th e proofs ofa taste for garden ing— a great sym ptom of c ivilization .
I don ’t w onder that old Moray native s draw roundElgin to spend the even ing of life . I am not surprisedthat m any strangers are attracted by the charm ingcl imate and the m any conven ience s of the ne ighbourhood .
Your society now show s a cultivation w hich I se ek invain in other country tow n s. Your Museum alone prove sa great am ount of concentrated inte lligen ce in antiquitie sand natural science . A hundred years ago , Lachlan Shaw ,
then m in ister he re , put forth his History of Moray, thesecond published county history of Scotland— a ve rycreditable book for its tim e . But he stood alon e— w ithoutsym pathy, w ithout he lp
,w ithout fe llow w orkm an or
succe ssor. What a differen t book m ight b e m ade of a
history of Moray now ! You have in your ow n c irclealm ost all the e lem ents ofa m ost efficien t band of statistical w orkm en . Let Dr . Gedde s take the com m and. In
m ediaeval antiquitie s he w ill b e supported by Dr. Taylorand Mr. Jam e s Macdonald. For charter know ledge— th e
intere sting subj e ct of the de scen t of lands as w e ll as offam ilie s— Mr. Robert Young
’s store s are am ple,and
,w hat
is rare , are all at comm and n or should Ib e found wan ting in that departm en t . Then ,
for fam ily history and thesuccessive change s in m anners, Captain Edward Dunbarhas accum ulated great store s. In natural scien ce w e are
ye t richer. In geology have w e not Mr. Patrick Duff(Iw ish he w ere stronger and younger) - and Mr. Martinand Mr. Macdonald again ! Botany is safe in the handsofMr. Stables and Dr. Inne s of Forre s . But
,for natural
sc ience, what is there in all the dom in ion s of natureearth, air, water— that e scape s the observation of Dr.
Gordon of Birn ie !
OLD CHURCH OF BIRNIE. 3 9
With such a band from volunteers on the Spot,already
drilled— w ith assistance ofall lovers ofnature and of our
country— w ith a rising generation striving to en te r our
ranks, w e could do m ore than Shaw dream t of— som e
thing really w orthy of the Province of Moray, w hich w elove so w e ll !And n ow
, Ihave but to thank you for the kind reception you have given your old Sheriff, and the patiencew ith w hich you have heard him ] (Cosm o Innes.)
Next up th e river is
THE PARISH OF B IRNIE,
An ciently Brenoth,i . e .
,a Brae or High Land
,
it extendeth on th e e ast bank of Lossie,3 m ile s
from n orth to south,and a m ile from e ast to
vve st .
Th e Church " standeth n ear th e river, a half
m ile above th e n orth end of th e parish , 2 m ile s
south from Elgin,and 4 m ile s north e ast of
Dallas .
This sm all Fane , next to the Church of Mortlach,is the
oldest entire in the Province ofMoray. It has been repeatedlyre - roofed. The w indow s have all been tampered with— the
parishioners not having been content w ith “ the dim religiouslight.
” There was no Altar or East Window ,the tapers lit at
Mass be ing artificially effective . There w ere tw o small sidew indows, de eply splayed, b ehind round arche s w ith unequalside s. A plain deal Pulpit is upreared in the centre of the
Kirk,at the fine Norman arch which divides the Chance l
from the Nave . The form er is boarded off for a Kirk Sessionhouse , while the site of the Altar is or was lately supplantedby a poor stove . The Church is built m ost substantially,inside and outside , of w ell- cut ashler freestone . It se em sto date at the 1 1 th or 1 2th century, and m ay stand as long as
it has stood.
The Stone atBirnie (a granite b oulder) is now ,
placed at the
w est pillar of the northern entrance to the Churchyard. At a
40 THE BIBLE STONE OF BIRNIE.
The whole parish was a part of th e Bishop“
lands ofMoray ; and when Patrick Hepburn, the
last Rom anCatholic Bishop , harboured his . out
lawed nephew Jam e s Earl of Bothw e ll,in 1566
,
h e re sign ed the se and othe r lands to th e Earl of
Moray Regent ; and this parish is a part of th e
e state of th e Earl of M oray, but he ld in feu by
the Earl Fife , William King of Newm iln,Le slie
of Finrossie,Coupland of Stackhouse , Duff of
Tom shill,&c . But of late th e Earl of Findlater
has purchased,and is n ow sole proprietor of th is
parish .
BIRNIE.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — Be side s the valleys w hichthe r ivers occupy, and m ay b e conce ived to have form ed
,
in the chain of m ountain stretched along the southerns ide of the low lands ofMoray
,on e valley, in w hich there
is no rive r, open s southward from the wide st part of theplain ,
where the w e ste rn Side of the parish* of Elginborders w ith the east ofBirn ie , and extends quite throughthe m ountain to th e banks ofth e Spey. A square hill
,about
6 m ile s along th e base ofevery side , is hereby insulated onthe east of th is defile , having the plain ofRothe s on thesouth, on the east partly Rothe s
,and partly Speym outh ,
and the cham paign of Moray on its northern side . The
m ountain on the w e stern Side of this defile extendsbeyond its length to e ither hand, from Craig 'Elachyoverhanging the Spey, to the lake of Mostowie in the
parish ofAlve s ; as if that'
river, on ce occupying a channe l
form er period, it had been built into the low wall which surrounds the Churchyard, but it was rem oved som e years ago toits present site . It has be en the subject of m any surm ise sbut its comm on appellation is The Bible Stone, from its havingan oblong figure re sembling a book out out on its surface .
Also,The Cairn of Kilfornan and vestige s of trenche s and en
campm ents are to b e seen . See Plate XVII. Vol. I. Stuart’
s
Sculp tural Stones ofScotland. (ED.)
42 THE RONNEL BELL AND FONT OF BIRNIE .
are rented above £50 ste rling ; and the re are 40 underthat extent. The un cultivated ground, consisting ofm oorsoil and peat earth, w ith som e interjacent plots of greenpasture , am oun ts to 5000 acre s.State Ecclesiastica l — The Church w as th e first Cathe
dral in th e dioce se . The re is no account w hen th e pre sen tfabric was built though sm all
,it is wholly offre e - ston e
,
n eatly squared and cut , and is distinguishe d by its naveand choir. The fourth Bishop
,Sim on de Tone i, w as
buried in it in the year 1 1 84. The stipend is £41 1 68 . 5d.
and 3 8 bolls 2 firlots of victual . The glebe is n early 9acre s. Th e right of patronage appertains to the Earl ofMoray. The salary of th e school is £5; and as the num
b er of souls in th e parish,ofw hom 2 on ly are Se ceders,
am ounts to 402,th e em olum ents of oflice , arising from
about 20 scholars, m ust b e incon siderable . The provisionfor the poor arise s from tw o separate bequeathm ents
,
am ounting toge ther to £2 10s. ; and th e double of thatsum is added by th e con tribution s of th e pe ople w ho
attend public w orship In the Parish Church , which , afterthe n ece ssary deduction s to th e session - clerk and officer,affords a sorry pittance to 1 8 persons, enrolled on the
parish list.Miscellan eous Inform ation — The people
,though poor ,
are industrious, che erful
,and tem perate : m usic is the ir
favourite diversion ; m any play on the bagpipe , and several on the violin .
There is a very ancien t Be ll of Copper and silver it iscalled th e Coronach [or Ronn e l] : its figure is not round ;it is square , having tw o side s w ider than the other tw o :
all of them are cut into Open decoration s n ear the top.
It w as m ade at Rom e,and con secrated by th e Pope . [It
is 6 by 4 inches, and 1 8 inche s high , r ive ted w ith nails,w ith a handle ] Th e con se crate d Fon t rem ain s als o e n tire
,
though n ow tum bled about w ithout reverence in th e
churchyard . It is a fre e - stone ve sse l, the frustum of a
cone,and appears to have be en divided by a plate of
iron,that th e w ater for the baptism of m ale s m ight n o t
b e m ixed w ith that for fem ales. "6 The Church is stillhe ld in great veneration . It is be lieved that prayersNonsense The ancient Fonts and those of m odern cor
rect design are SO divided ; for the intent of allow ing the Waterwhen adm inistered to run offthrough ahole at the bottom . (G. )
THE EFFECTUAL PRAYERS IN THE CHURCH OF BIRNIE . 43
there for ' the Sick, for thre e follow ing Sundays, w ill b eheard ; and people , at th e distance of 60 m ile s, havede sired the se praye rs : and it is a j ocular rebuke am ongthe comm on people , upon undue com plaints for anyslight distress or im proper behaviour, that
“ such m ustb e prayed for in the Church of Birn ie
,that they m ay
end or m end.
”
Th e cairn of Kilforeman , although a pile of stone 3 00fee t in c ircum ference at its base , hath ceased to te ll thepurpose of its own accum ulation ; and “
the Bible Stone ,about a m ile eastward from the Church
,having the figure
of a book distinctly engraven,n o longer m arks th e ro
perty of the Bishop : but the cave in the rock of Ged och
stil l records the tradition of its having been the haun t ofa band of arm ed robbers, who plundered and distre ssedthe country
,and rem inds the passing generation of th e
superior advantage s of the pre sent constitution ,by w hich
every specie s of oppre ssion,unauthorised by law ,
is m ostentirely que lled.
The ve stige s of an Encam pm ent, protected on the w e stby the brook Bardon , and on th e n orth and east by a
deep defile,is still to b e traced .
A ridge of rock extends from east to w e st throughthe m iddle Of the parish
, and quarrie s of free ston e , slate ,and lim e stone , have late ly be en discovered. There are
oak, birch , haze l, and plane tre e s, but n ot in sufficien tquantity for the im plem en ts of husbandry ; and largetrunks of oak and fir are dug In th e tracts of peat earth .
Broom ,furze , j un iper, Sloe s, and bram ble
,are in plenty,
and the w ater lily in the Gedloch is peculiar to theparish . It is embellished also in som e degre e by tw o
w ater falls, the Linn of Shoggle , and th e ESS of Glenlate rach, e ach about 20 fe e t in he ight. (Survey of theProvin ce ofMoray.)
Birn ie is a place Of great antiquity and ancien tly of
im portance . It seem s to have been the first place fixedon by the holy Christian m issionarie s as a suitable placefor a Cathedral Church . This seem s to b e proved byBishop Brice ’8 Charter for the e rection of Spynie . Ourpredecessors,
’ says he,
“ took on ly one of the Churche s ofBirn ie , or Spynie , or Kinedar .
” Here the fourth Bishopw as buried.
44 REV. J . B . CRAVEN ’S NOTES ON BIRNIE .
The pre sent fabric,how ever, doe s not seem to b e of
such antiquity as this,though exce edingly old.
Many curious re lics are here . The quaint Old Churchat th e Side Of the “
north hill Side,
”as the nam e im plie s,
is an exce edingly intere sting building, one of the olde st itis supposed. It consists of a nave and chance l . The
pulpit is placed now in the c entre of the fine arch w hichdivided the tw o
,and the chance l used as a ve stry. What
the old Bishops w ould have thought of this I know not.
The chance l is lighted w ith narrow lance t w indow s,the
w alls be ing of great thickne ss. Here is a very anc ien tBe ll said to have been con secrated and brought fromRom e . It is square , having tw o side s w ider than theother tw o ; all of them are cut into open decoration s n earthe top. It has a handle , square also on th e top. A
curious fon t ofa nature se ldom to b e seen i s n ow tum blingabout the churchyard
,w here it m ay b e thrown about at
pleasure .
At the gate is one oft hose curious sculptured Ston e s tob e
’
m et w ith often in such Old place s. The figure s cannow b e scarce ly traced. A draw ing is given in Stuart
’
s
Sculp tureol Ston es ofScotlan d.
After its de se rtion as the Cathedral, it se em s to havebe en im portant. Duncan Thayn e of Calder had a charterin 1421
,part Of the scut and service be ing thrice yearly,
paying sent and homage at th e Bishop ’s Court at theChape l ofBirne th .
In 1451 the Barony ofByrne th was incorporated w iththat of Spyny in a grant m ade by King Jam e s, in handand glory of the Holy Trin ity and grateful gift to JohnBishop of Moray. I know not th e Patron Sain t, n e itherdoes Mr . Shaw speak of this . (J . B. Craven .)
EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF BIRNIE.
I. Here lye s under this pulpit the Corps of Mr . Wm .
Saunders,late m inister of this parochin
,who deceased the
1 3 of May, 1 670, and of Katharine and Elspet Saunders hischildren .
II. Here . lye s. an . hone st. man . called. Alex. Adam . som etim e . lived. in . Whiteraith . who . departit. 1 668. and. Elspet.Rvssel . his. spouse . who . departed . 1 688.
A. A. M . O .
EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF BIRNIE. 45
III. Here . lyes . Mariorio. Robertson . who . lived. in. Birny.
who . deceast. the . 20. of. September. 169 4. and
IV . Here . lyes. ane. honest. man . tim e . lived. in. Bogsyde . who . departed. the 1 6.
J. R. D.
V. Here . lyes. interred. the . bodie . of. John dine . who .
dyed. the . 7. day. of. Feb . 1710 and. his. Spous e . Agnes.
Stephen. who . died’
. the . 6 . of. January. 1 677. and. 3 . children .
I. R. I. M. 171 1 .
VI. This. is. the . burial. place . appointed. for. John . Petrie .
in. Whitereath . who . departed. the . 2. day. of. October. 1709 .
and his. spouse . who . died. the " of" and.
here . lyes. William . Greager. som e . tim e . indualler. in
VII. Here are interred the bodies ofJam es Man in Bogside ,who died the 25 of March, 1727, and Janet Brander, whodied the l oth ofAugust, 1745, Spovse to the said Jam es Man,
and the ir children , who died— Jam es Man, on the 3 0 ofNovember, 173 1 , Margaret, the l oth of March, 1742, IsabellaMan
"and JanetMan
,Al ex. , Jam es, andEphem e ,
lawful children to David Stephen aiId IsabellaMan .
VIII. This. Is. the . burial. place . of. John. Smith. som etim e .
sm ith who. died. the . 4. of. May. 1 740. aged. 71 . and. his.spovse . Margaret. Simpson* and the ir children*
IX. Here . lyes. the . corps. of. Wm . Mvrdach . farmer. in.
Auchtertyre . He . died. the . 2 . day. of. Jun e . 1741 . and of
Janet Murdach his Spouse, who dyed the* day of*
and Al exander Murdach his son , who dyed the* . day of"
and his spouse , Janet Murdach, who dyed the 5day of
May 1750, and the ir children .
All passengers yt does goe byAnd Viw the dust where in Ily,Ionce had breath as w ell as ye ,Therefore b e m indful for to di.
X . This. is. the . bvrial. place . of. Alexander. Mortimar.
som etim e . farm er. in . Rioch . who . died. the . 1 1 . day. of.
November. 1 73 6 . aged. 63 . and. also. of. John . Mortim ar.
farm er. at . the . Eastport. of. Elgin . his. son . who . erected. this.stone . and*
XI. Here . lie s . the . dvst. of. Alleogr. Cowie . som etim e .
farm er. in . Iteraith . who. died. the . 27. of. Feb . 1741. aged. 63 .
Never inserted.
46 EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF BIRNIE.
and. Marjory. Brander. his. spovse . who . died. the . 2 1 . of. Jany.
1 757. and. the ir. children . Anna. Elspet. Dorothy. Mariorie .
Cow ey.
XII. Here lies William Michae l, lawful son to WilliamMichael in Fa who died
XIII. Here lyes Jam es* and the ir children, Elspet,Elizabeth, Anne , Ielan ,
John, Robert, Sam uel, all died young,and Alexander, died Octr. 1744, aged 24, and his son Jam es,who was at the charges of this stone .
XIV . This Ston e is placed here by Jam es Omfre , in m em oryofhis parents Alexander Om fre , som etim e farm er in Tanishill,who died 1 March, 1 762, aged 63 , and his spouse .
XV. Here lie s the bodie ofWilliam Cow,farm er in Wh ite
raith, who died the 2 3 of 1777, and his died in
XVI. This is the burial place of John Rush,farm er in
Stainkhens, who died 20 Septr.,1 766
,and Katherine Rush
,
his spouse , who died September the 1 8,1749 , and the ir
children , Elspet, died February the 9 , 1 750, and Jean,died
March the 1 , 1750.
XVII. This is the burial place of Jam e s Wiseman , leatfarm er in Thonishill, who died Dec. 1 6, 1 762.
Interred here the body ofAlexander Janken,late farm er in
Pettendrich , who died the 4 January, 178 9 , aged 6 1 years.
THE PARI SH OF DALLAS
(Dale - uis,i.e .
,a watered valley) is surrounded
w ith hills, exc ept to th e e ast towards Birn ie,and
a sm all portion of it to th e n orth - w e st .
Th e Church standeth on th e w e st bank of
Lossie , about 4 m ile s south - w e st of Birn ie , and
near 5m ile s n orth ofKn ockando .
In th e low er end of th e parish is Kille ss, 1L
Never inserted.
1' The estate ofKe llas lies on both Sides of the River Lossie ,
below the Barony of Dallas, and borders w ith the lands of
Pluscarden. So far back as 1 23 7, Robert Fyndoc held Ke llas
PARISH OF DALLAS ; ESTATE OE KELLAS. 47
church - land,for above 100 ye ars th e heritage of
Farquharson ofKille ss now extinct, and th e lands
are th e property of th e Earl Fife .
Above this is th e barony of Dallas . I kn ow
n ot if, from this valley , Dallas of that Ilk had its
nam e and de signation . But I find Willielm us
de Doleys , a witn e ss to Hugo He ro ck’
s donation,
on the Feast ofth e Nativity ofth e Ble ssed V irgin,
1286 , and Johann e s de Dolais , Thanus de Crom
dale on 1 2th Sep .,1 3 67 (Reg . Ep is . Moran ) ,
and Elizabeth , daughter and he ire ss ofArchibald
Dallas of that Ilk,w ith c on sent of h er husband
,
Dun can Fraser, in 1428,disponed h er right of
Dallas to John Dallas ofEaster Foord,h er un cle ,
and th e he ir m ale ofthat fam ily, who , in exchange
of his lands in th e south,got from David
,Earl
of Crawford , th e lands ofBudzet in Calder parish
ann o 1440 (Hist. This barony had be en
long th e property of Cum in e of Altyre,before it
w as sold to Sir Ludovick Gordon of Gordonstoun ,
in feu from Bishop Andrew ofMoray ; and in 1443 Alexander,King ofScotland, granted it to God, the blessed Virgin Mary,the Evangelist S. John , and to the Maison Dieu ne ar Elgin .
The lands of Easter and We ster Kellas and Cor‘
ponach w ere
granted by the Bishop and Chapter to William Farquarson ,
dated at Scone 26 Aug. and 2 Sep. , 1562 . A Precept, datedat Spynie 15 Jan .
, 1584, infefted William Gum ing or Far
quharson in the lan ds Of “ Ester and Vaster Ke llas and theCorponach .
” The fam ily of Farquharson descended fromFerquhard, 2nd son ofAlexander Cuming, 6th laird ofAltyre ,who , be ing chagrined by the refusal of the Chief of the Clanto bury som e of their deceased relative s in the fam ily burialplace , dropped the cognom en of Gum ing for Farquharson .
(ED. )
48 THE PARISH OF DALLAS.
in the end ofth e last c entury . Sir Robert Gordon,
by ditching,drain ing
,and m anuring
, has im
proved this place and built a c onven ient house,
adorn ed w ith m uch planting .
A m ile north -w e st from th e Church is Brenchil,
som e tim e th e property ofGrant ofBrenchil,but
late ly ofCum in e of Craigm iln ,wh o
,about 1752
,
sold it to Jam e s Grant ofKnockando .
BOLLAS.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate - A part of th e parish of
Dollas,the e state ofCraigm ill, lie s in the southern end of
the valley w hich has be en considered as form ing the bodyof th e parish of Rafford. Through this e state the streamof Lochty hastens eastward, through a narrow cut in the
rocky hill, to loiter in th e vale of Pluscarden . This cutappears as ifm ade m ere ly for the passage of the Lochty,w here it w ould b e easy to turn it northward by theChurch of Rafford, if that w as not originally its naturalcourse . The greater part of th e parish of Dallas lie s onthe south side of the Hill of Melundy, which is stre tchedbetw e en the course s of th e Lochty and the Lossie . Whenthe Lossie occupied a channe l about 3 fe e t higher thanthe bottom of its pre sen t b ed, a great proportion of the
plain on the south Side of the Hill ofMelundy m ust havebeen a lake ; and except a pool, covering on ly a few acre s,the whole of this plain still remain s a de ep exten sive b edof pure peat earth ; from this circum stan ce its Gae licnam e
,dale uislc, the water valley, has probably been
sugge sted. Al ong the course of the Lossie , from Birnie ,at the east
,to its source s in the m oun tain , w hich is inter
posed betw een Spey and Findern , the parish m easure s 1 2m iles ; its breadth, including Craigm ill, southward to theborders of the parish of Kn ockando, is 9 m ile s ; but itsm ean breadth, which is pre tty e qually divided by theriver, taken from the southern side of the Hill ofMelundy,
m easure s on ly about 6 m ile s. Seve ral brooks rushingdown from the hills on both sides intersect the parishacross, n early at right angle s to the rive r.
50 ST.-MICHAEL’S EFFIGY AND CHURCH
,DALLAS.
from the least im proved m oor to the highest cultivatedfie ld
, th e m ean ren t w ill b e about l 1 s. th e acre,exclusive
o f the natural pasturage .
State Ecclesiastical — The par ish w as m ade up in itspre sent form in the year 1 657, by de taching Altyre and
c onj oin ing Killess . It i s not now particularly know n inwhat m anner the con sequen t dilapidation of the stipe ndw as com pensated to th e m in isters of Elgin ,
but it m ustb e from the re cord inferred that the se an cient w orthie sw e re n e ither raised above the vain con cern s of this transitory life in any superior m easure to that of the ir m odernsucce ssors
,nor that
,like to the prim itive Christian s
,they
w e re at all disposed to have the ir w orldly goods inc omm on . III October, 1 672, Alexande r Gum ing, m in iste ro f Dollas, com plain s to the Pre sbytery, “ That no tw ithi
s tanding of the legal ann exation of Killess,both as to
b enefice and office,Mr. Jam e s Horn
,m in ister of Elgin ,
had that year, w ithout warrant from bishop or synod , butat his own hand, in te rm eddled w ith and carried Off a
c on siderable part of th e stipend.
” This com plaint w asreferred to a m e eting of the Synod, in seven days afte r ,w ho appointed a com m itte e to se ttle the busine ss .
A few years ago the Church w as a ve ry ancient fabric ,thatched w ith heath, and w ithout w indow s, save 2 or 3
narrow slits w hich yaw n ed to a ve ry disproportionedw idene ss w ithin , and th e effigy of the patron , St. Michae l,stood w eather - beaten in a n iche near th e top of the easterngable w ithout, about 4 fe e t high . The Church and Manse
,
how ever,are at pre sen t comm odious buildings, though
both in som e dange r of be ing sw eeped away by the river.
The stipend,including the allowance for the Comm un ion ,
i s £58 6s. 4d. ste rling, of which about £1 1 Sterling hasbeen draw n from the Vicarage te inds of the parish ~ ofAuldern ,
by an arrangem ent w hich se em s to have beenc on tinued from the e stablishm en t of the Church ofRom e .
The glebe , like the parish , is divided by the Lossie ; itc ontain s about 14 acre s , and is accomm odated w ith a littlenatural w ood on the banks of th e river, affording som e
conven ience,but not an obj ect ofany profit.
The Parochial School is on ly a re cent e stablishm en t .The salary is £5, and the fee of the se ssion - clerk only £1 .
The Church be ing in a central situation is suflicientlycomm odious for the celebration of the public ordinance s
OLD MARKET CROSS OF DALLAS . 51
o f re ligion . The Parochial School, how ever, can ae comm odate but a small proportion ofa parish of such length ,intersected by so m any stream s, often im passable in eve rys eason . The Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge have , the refore , e stablished a school, w ith an appointm ent of£10 in the year, in th e populous district ofKilless
,and w hich has hitherto served the purpose of its
se ttlem en t in a ve ry satisfactory m ann er. The poor on
the parish list are no t a num e rous body— there is n o othe rfund for the ir provision but the charity of the ir own
n e ighbours, all ofw hom are far from opulen t. Th e w holepeople appertain to th e National Church , am ounting tothe num ber of 888 souls.Miscellan eous Inform ation — In th e churchyard a
neatly cut stone Colum n,1 2 fe e t high , te rm inated by a
w ell form edflow er - de - luce for its capital, still rem ains theMarke t Cross, at w hich the effects of bankrupt tenan ts areo ccasionally exposed to auction . A large square stone isthe pede stal. Th e w hole length, or rather he ight, of theColum n from the ground is 1 2 fe e t.The peats for fue l are of an exce llent quality, and the
quantity in this rem ote quarte r de em ed inexhaustible .
As the soil doe s no t afford corn sufficien t for the support of the people , the defic iency, the rent
,and other
n e ce ssarie s,are supplied by the sale of she ep and black
c attle which can b e spared, and in a great m easure by thew e ekly sale of peats in the m arke ts of Forre s and Elgin ,
sold from 8d. to Is . 2d. a sm all cartfull, draw n by a verylittle lean horse . Th e w ool also w hich is produced in theparish is spun in the fam ilie s of th e tenants and severalw eavers are con stantly em ployed in m aking It into coarsec loth called p laiden ,
w hich is sold from 9 d. to 1 s. th e
y ard ] (Survey of the Provin ce ofMoray.)
EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF DALLAS.In confirm ing e ight of th e old canonrie s ofthe Cathedral
o fElgin in 1 226, m en tion IS m ade of the Church ofDolaysMyche l. In 1 3 50 the Church ofDolays Myche l, ofw hicht he Sub - Dean of Moray w as incumbent, is rated at l l s.
Scots. (Reg. Ep . Morav.)In 1574 the Kirks of Birne th (Birn ie) and Dole s w ere
under one m in iste r, and Al ex . John stone w as reader at
the latte r.
52 EPITAPHS IN DALLAS CHURCHYARD.
The River Lossie runs past, and Michae l’s We ll is close
be side th e Kirk . Michae l Fair w as he ld there in oldtim e s
,and a Marke t Cross of the fieur - de - lis pattern
unfortunate ly m uch inj ured— stands in th e burial - ground .
A ston e effigy of th e Sain t (at one tim e in a n iche in thew all of th e old kirk) l ie s be side th e Cross.Th e date upon the be lfry , 179 3 , has refe rence to the
building of the pre sent Church, w ithin w hich is the following inscription upon a m arble table t .
I. Helen Gum ing, lawful daughter ofA lexander Cuming of
Craigm ill and Elizabeth Tulloch, died the 14th Nov. , 1 800, andwas interred in the fam ily burial- ground, which is oppositeto, and a few fe et distant from
,the outside of the south- east
door of this church. Also are interred in the sam e buryingground daughte rs ofA lexander Gum ing ofCraigm ill Margaret
Cuming, who died at Elgin 2 l st January, 1 808 Jean Gum ing,who died at Elgin 2md November, 1 8 17 Clem entina Cum ing,who died at Elgin 2nd Jun e , 1 82 1 Eliza Cum ing, who died atElgin 7th December, 1 8 3 5.
William Cum ing, the e lde st son by a third m arriage of
Jam e s Gum ing of Be lugas and Pre sley,w as the first Of
the Craigmill Cum ings, and his full brother George w as
an officer under Gustavus Adolphus (Douglas’
Baronage) .On e of this fam ily,
w ho w as a Com m issioner to th eDuke ofPerth
,w as at the Battle of Culloden
,where h e
w as taken prisoner and carried to London . Having be enre leased from prison ,
through som e influence unkn ow n tohim se lf, h e re turn ed hom e
,and about 1752 sold the pro
perty ofCraigm ill to Mr. Grant ofElchies.Th e next thre e in scription s (in the churchyard) re late
to m em bers of the sam e fam ily :II. Sacred to the m em ory of Peter Gum ing of Craigm ill,
Esquire , who died at Blackhills on the 14th April, 18 1 1 , agede ighty-five years ; and Mrs. Isobe l Le slie of Balnageith , hisspouse , who died at Blackhills on the 3 oth November, 1 82 3 ,aged n in ety years.Mrs . Cum ing
’s ance stors,w ho acquired th e property of
Balnageith ,near Forre s, about the end of the 17th century,
w ere a branch of the n oble fam ily of Rothe s . The Rev.
Mr. Le slie,m in ister Of St. Andrew s- Lhanbryde , w ho also
attain ed to the age of 90, w as the fathe r . of Mrs . Cumingand othe r children ,
one of w hom ,a son , sold Balnageith
about the year 1 849 .
EPITAPHS IN DALLAS CHURCHYARD. 53
III. Sacred to the m em ory of Lachlan Gum ing, Esquire of
Blackhills , who was the son of Peter Gum ing of Craigmill,Esqr.
,and M rs. Isobe l Le slie ofBalnageith . Afl
'
e ctionate dutyand kindness, as a son and a brother, w ere the endearing studyo fhis whole life . He died 1 9 th Novembe r, 18 3 6, aged e ightyyears.IV. Erected by his children to the m emory of Thomas
Cuming, Esq. of Dem arara, who died in Elgin on the 3 1 st of
March, 18 1 3 , aged 73 years. H e lived 50years in that Colony ;was a principal prom oter of its prosperity and wealth, an affec
tionate husband, an indulgent parent, a kind friend, and a
truly benevolent m an , e steem ed and beloved by all who everknew him .
V. From a headstone :This is the burial place ofA lex. Buie , som etim e ventener in
Elgin,who died June the 1 2th
,1758 , aged 51 , and Jannet
Richard,his spouse .
O,m ortal m an
,stay and observe
That strenth nor walth cannot preserveYou from the grave where now I ly,My soul is far beyond the Sky ;Thy thoughts on worldly things are lost,When death appears you soon m ust post.
Here lyes also the body ofCharles Buie , som etim e farm er in
T orrie Castle , who dyed Feb . the 9 th , 1773 , aged 52 years, andhis spouse , Agnes Watson
,who dyed Oct . the 8th, 179 3 , aged
55years.VI. Near the aboveThis stone is plased here by John Cam ron ,
m ason in Edinvil,
in m em ory ofhis virtuous m other , Elisabeth Cam ron , who died3 rd November, 1779 , aged 47 years. She was prudent, virtuous, tem prat, chast, though early stript of life . Her soul imortalam ong the blist above w e hope treumph s in he r Redem er
’
s love .
The expre ssion “of in next in scription is scarce ly
c orrect, Mr. Dick having been tenant of the farm of
Rhinin ver, unde r Sir William Gordon Cum ing,Bart.
VII. Sacred to the m em ory ofWm . Dick,Esq. ofRhininver,
who died on the 8th day ofOctobe r,1 846 .
This district gave surnam e to the fam ily of Dollas, orDallas, one ofw hom ,
William ofDoleys,knight, w itne ssed
Hugh He rock’
s gift ofthe lands ofDalde leyth (Dandeleith )to the Church of the Holy Trin ity of Elgin ,
1 286. Th e
54 BOULDER ON THE SITE OF DALLAS CHURCH .
direct m ale lin e of th e fam ily failed in Archibald Dallasof that ilk . In 1 428 his daughter and he ire ss, Elizabe th ,w ife of Duncan Frase r of the Lovat fam ily
,dispon ed her
right ofDallas to h er‘
un cle , the laird ofEaster Ford.
Sir Thom as Cum ing ofAltyre , som e tim e before 141 1 ,obtain ed certain lands w ithin the barony
,and in 1 41 9
re ce ive d a license from Jam e s I. to e rect a castle or fortalice '
at Dallas. Ruins of the stronghold and outw orks ofTuraCastle , which appear to have be en m oated
,occupy an
em inence on the s ide of Dorval “Burn,about a m ile north
from th e Church .
In 1 622 Jam e s Cam ing of Altyre had a charter of the
advocation of the Kirk of Dallas,w hich w as re taine d by
th e Baron e ts ofAltyre until the abolition of patronage .
Farquhar,second son of Alexander Cuming ofAltyre
,
w as possibly the first Cum ing that he ld th e Ke llas portionof th e parish. He appears to have had a m ind of his own ,
and, as tradition ave rs,having quarre lled w ith his brothe r,
and be ing refused burial in the tom b of his ancestors,h e
assum ed, by way of revenge , th e surnam e ofFarquharson .
From him are said to b e de scended the Farquharsons of'
Haughton ,and othe r fam ilie s of that nam e in Aberde en
shire (Epitaphs i.,A rude undre ssed boulde r, possibly the remains of a
ston e c ircle , w hich stands on th e east side of the parish,
is said to m ark th e site ofan old church or a bur ial place .
A bridge which crossed the Lossie near th e church w ascarried away by the floods of 1 8 29 and w as replaced bythe pre sent fre e ston e structure , w hich has thre e arche s .The village of Dallas
,w hich is a feu Off th e Altyre
e state s, w as founded about 80 years ago , and containsfrom 40 to 50 house s.Dallas (Dal- es) appears to m ean the river haugh ; and
Ke llas (Kett l es) the narrow r iver, is quite descriptive of
the latter district as com pared w ith the form er. (J ervisc’
s
Epitaphs .)
I now re turn to the m outh of the river Lossie .
KINEDDAR OR KINEBAR PARISH.
The parish ofKineddar (Cean - edir,L e . a point
betw e en th e sea and th e loch) is two m ile s in
PARISH OF KINEDDAR. 55
length and on e in breadth , w e stward from Los
siem outh,betw ixt th e frith and th e Loch of
Spynie .
Th e Church standeth n ear the c entre , a m ile
e ast from Duffus m ile s alm ost north from
New Spynie , and 25m ile s from St . Andrew s
n orth - w e st . At th e m outh ofLossie is aharb our,but so barre d as to adm it on ly sm all craft . It is
th e property of the town of Elgin, where they
have som e fishing boats . (The harbour ofLossieand th e fishing house s w ere th e property of the
fam ily of Brodie,from whom th e Magistrate s of
Elgin purchased it,and pay a sm all fen - duty .
Th e harbour , which is n ow repairing, w ill b e of
great advantage to th e m erchants and other in
habitants ofth e town .) Next thereto are th e landsofKin eddar , granted by Patrick Hepburn
,Bishop
of Moray,to th e Earl of Moray
'
Regent,and
purchased from that fam ily by th e Lord Brodie .
Here there is a fishing of white fish at Stotfie ld .
We st from Kineddar is Drainie,once th e heri
tage ofInn e s ofDrainie,now extin ct , from whom
Sir Robert Gordon pur chased it ann o 1 6 3 6 , as h e
did in 1 6 3 8 th e adjacent lands of Ettle s from
Inn e s of Pathnack,and in 1 63 9 the lands of
Plow lands , Ogstoun ,and Bellorm ie , from the
Marquis of Huntly . Here i s a fine se at called
Gordon ston,and a large m odern house , w ith gar
den s , ponds , and planting . At Cave - Sea there is
a good white fishing .
56 CEA‘N - NA- DUR— THE HEAD IN THE WATER.
DRAINIE.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — Th e parishe s w hich havebe en de scribe d m ay,
in a gen e ral w ay, b e considered as
e xtending from the sea to the m ountain ; but here thecountry opens to the w idene ss of 10 or 1 2 m ile s
,and a
right line passing over the plain,by the Church of
Drainy, w ould m easure the breadth of this parish and
that of Spynie and Elgin togethe r . The coast fromSpeym outh to Lossiem outh , m ostly in the parish of
Urquhart,lie s in th e dire ction from south - east to n orth
w e st, and has be en de scribed a low,flat
,sandy shore .
A rocky head - land called Coulard,sign ifying in th e
Gae lic back- height, is he re proj e cted in to the sea,round
w hich th e coast turn ing,tends m ore dire ctly w e st to the
head of the firth at Beaulie . This head - land m ay b e
regarde d as the te rm ination of a ridge raised along thecoast for th e w hole length of the parish
,and continued
far into Duffus,there be ing on ly one breach on the w e st
e rn end of the Coulard , through which the leve l landstretche s to the sea. Be tw e en this ridge and the lake of
Spynie lie s th e parish of Drain is, a Gae lic w ord, im porting the thorny field,
probably th e natural production of
th e land about the Church before it w as cultivated. The
parish is 2 m ile s in breadth and 4 in length, w ith ve rylittle in equality of surface ; ye t scarce ly one half of thisplain is reduced to a state Of cultivation
,the greate st part
consisting of barren m oor , producing on ly short heath ,o r coarse benty grass. The land under cultivation isve ry fertile , partly a rich loam or clay, and partly a
light, black, or sandy soil. Th e clim ate is Whole som e
and m ild. In s the m arshy parts both of this and the
parish ofDuffus, ague s w ere comm on about 3 0years ago ,but have for som e tim e past be en totally unknow n .
State of Pr op er ty — Mr. Brander of Pitgaveny is theproprie tor of the eastern quarter of the parish
, the landsof Kin edur (in Gae l ic
,Cean - n a - olur
,the head in the
wate r) , the valued rent of w hich is £8 3 1 1 2s . 8d. Scots,and n o t quite £500 ste rling of real rent . The re st of theparish
,except th e village of Lossym outh ,
is the propertyofAlex . Penrose Gum ing Gordon ofAltyr, Esq , the valuedrent of w hich is £221 3 4s. 8d. Scots : be ing a great partof the e state of Gordonstow n ; the fam ily seat be ing n ear
58 MAUSOLEUM OF THE FAMILY OF GORDONSTON,OGSTON .
tory and An tiquities ofScotlan d,published in 1729 , and
of a Civil and Ecclesiastical History ofScotland.
The lan ds ofSalterhill, form erly called Little Brainie ,w e re granted by Patl ick,
Bishop ofMoray,w ith consent
of the Chapter, 24th Jan 1547, to Patrick Kinnail d.
His grandson , Patrick Kinnaird of Salterhill,sold “
the
lands,in 1 6 15, to Jam e s Innes of Drainie
,w hose son and
successor sold his paternal e state to Sir Robe rt Gordon , as
m en tioned above ] (ED.)State Ecclesiasticalr —The parishe s of Kineadur and
Ogue stown w ere annexed In the year 1 666, about w hichtim e th e Church w as built, no t in th e m ost cen tricalSituation of th e present parish . Th e patronage is a pe rtinent of the e state of Gordon stown . The stipend, lncluding th e allowance for th e Comm un ion ,
is 72 bollsbarley and oats
,and £52 10s . sterling. Th e m an se and
glebe , w hich is about 5 acre s, are at Kineadur,a m ile
eastward from th e Church . At this place also is theburying -
ground of th e old parish , where th e ve stige s of
th e Castle , w here the Bishop re sided before that of Spyniew as built
,still rem ain . The burial - ground is also con
tinned in th e parish of Oguestown , w here a m agn ificen ttom b in the Gothic style is raise d ove r the vault of thefam ily ofGordon stow n .
*
On a rising ground, imm ediately to the eastward of the
House of Gordon ston,stood the Parish Church of Ogston ,
w ithits old churchyard. On the Site of the old church, in the year1705, Dam e Elizabeth Dunbar, w idow of Sir Robert Gordon ,
3 rd Baronet of Gordonston,n icknam ed “ the Warlock
,
”erected
an e legant m ausoleum to the m em ory ofher husband, who haddied the previous year, and to his predecessors in the e state .
She was the only child and he iress of Sir W illiam Dunbar ofHem priggs, by Whom She had thre e sons and four daughters.
She m arried for he r second husband the Hon . Jam es Sutherland
,second son of Jam es
,second Lord Duffus, by whom she
had also a fam ily. H e assum ed the nam e ofDunbar, and w as
created a Baron et, and the large e state s of the Dunbar fam ilyin Caithne ss w ere settled on the he ir-m ale s of the secondm arriage .
There are various m onum ents in the m ausoleum beside s thetablet of the fam ily of Gordonston . The Altyre fam ily hasbeen interred here since the death of Sir Alexander PenroseGordon Cam ing in 1 806 . (ED. )
BISHOP BAR'S PROCESS ANENT THE PORT OF ELGIN. 59
At the Parochial School the re are about 60 scholarsin structed in w riting, arithm e tic, reading English and
Latin . Th e school salary is 1 2 bolls of barley, and £3sterling from the office of Session - clerk , be side s the otherperquisite s and fe es of parochial schools .
The fund for th e provision of the poor doe s not exceed£20 sterling yearly ; from w hich th e salary of th e clerkand beadle be ing deducted, th e balance contribute s to thesupport of about 50 poor. The w hole inhabitants are
m em bers of the Established Church , am ounting to
about 1040.
Miscellan eous Inform ation .
— The village of Lossiem outh is the harbour of th e tow n of Elgin . A Proce sscarried on by Bishop Bar, re specting the right of thisport
, w as inc identally m ention ed at pages 3 3 7, 3 3 8 , vol.I. It appears to have be en begun by his lordship
’
s
arresting a ship,the prope rty of tw o of th e burge sse s
The narrative in the 9 2md fol. of the Char t Mor . se tsforth
,That on Sunday the 7th of Jun e
,w hile the Lord
Bishop was passing from his castle at Kineadur tow ardsth e Church of Urquhart
,through his w ate r of Lossie , at
the ford called Krannokissi, h e found a certain barque ,nam e ly Farcost
,
” lying in his said w ater, n ear the sea; towhich com ing,
h e asked at the only person w ho w as foundon board what the ship was called, toWhom it appe lt ained,and by w hose perm ission it had en tered that w ater
,w ho
replied , The barque “Farcost w as John de Lany’
s, and had
en tered there by th e burge sse s of Elgin ; to w hom the
Bishop said, that n e ither the burgesse s, nor any other ,could grant such authority or perm ission,
for that w aterand the w hole channe l w as th e property of the ChurchofMoray, and appertained to him
,and to no other person ,
and on that account de sired that a pledge m ight b e givenhim in nam e of arre sting the said barque . That a littleaxe w as handed to the Lord Bishop
,w hich , as only a
pledge , the seam an requested , in nam e of his m aster,m ight b e return ed , w hich the Bishop granted on the con
dition of its be ing restored upon dem and.
“ Likew ise on the sam e day, in the year 1 3 83,in the
m onth above - m entioned, the sam e Bishop, retuln ing byth e sam e road
,found at the said barque certain burge sses
of Elgin ,nam ely Philip Byse t and Henry Porte r, taking
60 BISHOP BAR ESTABLISHES HIS CLAIM.
out of the ship som e barre ls of ale , and som e sacks oftallow
,and som e of m eal of w heat, toge ther w ith horse s
and sledge s standing upon his ground of Kineadur,
w hich,toge ther w ith the ship , he by his ow n proper
author ity arre sted,as unwarran tably encroaching upon
his Church lands, and gave up the sam e in pledge , at theinstance of the said Philip reque sting it, in the nam e of
th e com m un ity of his burgh, to b e rem itted to the saidBishop at his Cathedral, upon e ight days
’
requisition,
the re to re ce ive the issue and term ination w hich th e law shave been in use to grant.
”
It m ust b e pre sum ed,that the Bishop prevailed in
e stablishing his claim , w hich accordingly be cam e a per
tinen t of the e state of Kineadur,and was only purchased
by the m agistracy of Elgin in the year 1 6 9 8 . In the
Conveyance it is de scribed as a pie ce ofw aste,barren
,nu
m anured ground, and w as nearly 80 acre s of naked grave land sand
,w ith an allow ance on the quarrie s of the
Coulard,for the re stricted purpose of building and up
holding the pie r, and for the accomm odation s requisite forth e tow n of Lossiem outh ; for w hich the com m un i tybe cam e bound to pay yearly £2 1 s. 7d.,
subj ecting theinhabitants of Lossiem outh to b e poinded fo r any arrearsthat may b e incurred and to the courts of the superior,w hich he m ay hold e ithe r in th e town or at the Burn of
Kin eadur,for any r iot happen ing e ithe r am ong them
se lve s or w ith the superior’s tenants of the barony ; andto se nd a burge ss ofElgin yearly to the head court,uponthe first Thursday afte r Michae lm as
,to answ e r in the ir
nam e and to allow the accomm odation of the harbour toall ships and fishing boats appe rtain ing to th e supe rior, orfre ighted by any m erchant upon his accoun t, o r em ployedby him for exportation or im portation
,w ithout paym e nt
of any due s to th e com m un ity. Be side s irregular stre e tsfronting towards the sea
,th e tow n is laid out into four
principal stre e ts at right angle s to the shore , each 42 fee tw ide , and com m odious lane s cutting across the stree ts
,
equal to half the ir breadth, w ith a handsom e square and
cross in the m idst. There are 175feus m arked off on theplan
,each 1 20 by 1 80 fe e t, granted for th e duty of 53 .
e ach but m any rem ain to b e take n, and m any that havebeen granted are n ot ye t built ; but a num ber also of
handsom e house s of tw o and three Storie s,contain ing
HARBOUR OF LOSSIEMOUTH,AND ExPORTS. 6 1
m ore than 200 inhabitants,have be en erected . The b ar
bour is suffic iently comm odious for ve sse ls about 80 tonsburde n. The comm un ity say that, prior to th e year 1780,£1200 sterling had been expended in the form ation ofth e
quay ; Since that tim e a pier opposite on th e other Sidethe river
,for clearing out the sand off th e bar
,has be en
erected at th e expen se of £2000 sterling, from the fundsof the town , aided by private subscription and a donationof £200 ste rling from th e Convention of Burghs. The
land end of this new pier was left unfinished,and unable
to w ithstand the violence of w inte r storm s . SO m uchunheeded ruination has befallen it that £200 sterl ing at
present w ould b e insufficien t to prevent its acce leratingsubversion . The re is on ly one sloop and tw o fishingboats belonging to Lossiem outh ; but during on e year 49ve ssels from 55to 60 tons arrived, of w hich loaded w i thEngl ish coals w ere 20 Scots coals , 6 London goods, 10 ;Le ith goods, 4 ; tanner
’s bark,3 ; native salt, 2 ; bottle s,
Slate s, iron , lim e,each on e , 4 ; total , 49 .
The exports w e re 20 cargoe s barley and oats,each at
an ave rage about 400 bolls, and an incon side rable quantity of pe ltry. The re are tw o other cre eks in th e parish ,
Sto tfie ld and Covesea, w hich adm it boats . On th e e stateof Kineadur are 3 fishing boats, each yie lding a yearlyren t of £5ste rling ; but e very seventh year the landlordis obliged to furnish a n ew boat
,w hich , rigged com ple te ,
costs about £20 ste rling. The fish com m only caught are
cod, seate , hollib ut , haddocks, whitings, saiths, and crabs,but none in greate r quan tity than serve s th e con sum ptionof th e country. Of late , how eve r, a lobster fishery hasbeen undertaken in the bay of Sto tfield by an EnglishCom pany for the London m arke t, to w hich they are
transported alive,in w e lls form ed in th e bottom of the
ships, w hich com m un icate directly with the sea w ater .
w ere in this m ann er conveyed the first sum m e r,
w ithout any othe r precaution except tying the ir claw s tothe ir side s. They are caught by bait in sm all iron traps
,
though a sim ple invention, ye t n ever used before on
this coast.In the Coulard Hill there are appearance s of lead ;
many de tached m asse s of ore are to b e se en in the nor
thern side of the hill,where the rock is lim e stone . Som e
adventurers,how eve r, from England , several years ago ,
6 2 COULARD HILL ; GOTHIC RUIN ON COVESEA SHORE.
after expending about £500, could discover nove in w orthw orking. But the greater part of th e Coulard, w ithalm ost th e w hole of the r idge along the Covesea shore ,c onsists Of one un in te rrupted m ass of free ston e , lying inhorizontal strata, differing in thickn e ss and in hardne ss ;o ne kind be ing w hite , of a sm ooth, com pact, and firm
substance , ye t readily yie lding to th e hamm er or the
chise l ; the other kind m ore brow n or ye llow ,softer and
m ore friable . There are about 20m ason s and n early 40labourers con stantly em ployed in quarrying and cuttingstone to supply th e dem and from this and th e n e ighbouring Countrie s . Th e w este l n part of this ridge , upon theCove sea coast
,form s a very bold ShOIe . The
o
pene tratingpow er of th e surge in w inte r storm s, w ith the re ite ratedplay of th e ocean ,
and th e var ious w hirl of th e rebounding w ave upon th e proj e cting cliffs of the fre e stone rock ,
have form ed seve ral de tached pyram ids,tow e rs
,and arches,
o f various he ight and form ,in som e place s re sem bling the
broken ,shape le ss w indow s in a Goth lc I
‘
ll l ll,having th e
s ea boiling round the ir base s at each flow of th e tide .
Under this hill also there is a num ber of cavern s of
W hose form ation it is difficult to conjecture th e origin ,
w ithout supposing the sea at som e period to have been som uch higher on the coast as to have in secre t w roughto ut th e softer m aterials, w hich m ight have originallyfilled the se shape le ss vacuitie s. They all open dire ctly tothe sea ; and it is l ikely that som e of them m ay extendback to th e land Side of the hill, as the ir dark r ece sse shave n ever been explored. Som e of them are lofty e venfrom the en tran ce , and the ir bounds everyw he re readilyde term inable ; othe rs, w ith a low entrance , be com e
gloom ily lofty, and uncomfortably dam p w ithin ; othersare low
,dism al
,dark
,and dam p
,throughout all the ir
w indings. Ne ithe r the floor or roof of any are on the
sam e leve l ; som e of the lighte st are used as a she lter bythe ston e cutters both fiom the heat and rain
,and are in
part filled by th e chips and fragm ents. One of them w as
occupied as a stable to conceal the horse s of the fam ily ofG ordonstown from the rebe ls in the year 1 745, and hasthe
“
en trance built up into a neat door. Another, behindthe village of Lossiem outh
,had in ancien t tim e s be e n
form ed into a sm all he rm itage , not exceeding 1 2 fe ets quare . It was com pleted by a handsom e Gothic door
ST. GERNADIUS’
WELL AND HERMITAGE AT COVESEA. 6 3
and w indow ,and comm anded a long but a solitary view
along the eastern shore . The se artificial de coration s w e re
torn dow n about 3 0years ago , by a rude shipm aste r and
in th e course ofw orking th e quarrie s, the w hole cave hasbe en de stroyed .
There w as a fountain in th e rock above the herm itage ,called St. Ge rardine ’s [Gernadius
’
] We ll ; but n e ither thisnor any other spring in the parish has acquired fam e
for m edicinal virtue .
The inhabitants, like all othe rs em ployed In husbandry,
a l e robust and healthy. They al e in gene ial a sobe r,h onest
,peaceable pe ople , Iregular in the ir attendance on
th e ordinance s of re ligion ,rather grave than live ly, se l
dom indulging them se lve s in any re laxation o r dive rsion .
Crim e s of enorm ity are unknow n am ong them but thisregularity of conduct m ust
'
b e in part ascribed to thepoverty and depre ssion of th e people for the Situation of
the smaller te nan ts in gene ral is n o t Com fortable . Few of
them have any capital to se t them out into the w orld,
and few er have the inclination o r the m ean s of adoptingthe m odem im provem en ts of husbandry
,w hile the rents
and the w age s of se l vants have of late be en considerablyadvanced. The w om en spin linen yarn
,by w hich
,w ith
the greate st application , they can on ly saw 3 d. by th e
day. Even this yarn ,w hat is ne ce ssary for hom e con
sum ption excepted,is exported unw 1 0u0 ht to Edin burgh ,
Glasgow ,or the north of England ] (Survey of the Pro
vin ce ofMoray.)
THE FAMILY OF GORDONSTOUN.
Sir Robe rt Gordon,the first of Gordonstoun
,
w as se cond son ofAl exande r,15thEarl of Suther
land . He w as a gentlem an m uch and de servedly
re spe cted . [In May, 1 625, h e w as created a
Kn ight Baron et of th e Order of Nova Sc otia,
w ith pre cedenc e of all th e Knights of that Order .
He was a bearer of th e King ’s train at the Coron
ation,High Sh erifl
'
ofInvern e ss,a Com m ission er
to Z etland , and historian of th e House of Suther
64 THE FAMILY OF GORDONSTON .
land ] In th e ye ar 1 606 h e was m ade Gentlem an
of th e King ’s Bed- cham ber, w ith a pen sion of
£200for life . In th e ye ar 1 63 4 h e w as appointe d
one of th e Lords of th e Privy Coun c il of King
Charle s I.,and by the Parliam ent 1 642 was
m ade a Privy Coun se llor for life . He m arried ,in 1 61 3
,Louisa
,on ly child ofJohn Gordon
,Lord
of Glen luc e,and Dean of Salisbury
,by whom h e
had Ludovick his he ir,Robert
,an c e stor of th e
Gordon s of Clun ie , and tw o daughters ; Katharin e
m arrie d to Colon e l David Barc lay of Urie,by
whom Sh e w as m other of th e ingen ious author
of th e Ap ologyfor the Quakers ; and Je an m ar
ried to Sir Alexander M ‘Kenzie of Coull .
Sir Ludovick Gordon o f Gordonstoun,Baron e t
[w as e ducated in Holland and] , suc ce e ded hisfather
,Sir Robert , in 1 656 [and ornam ented th e
e state w ith canals,terrac e s , and avenue s] . He
m arried Elizabeth , daughter and co - he ire ss of Sir
Robert Farquhar of Monn ie , by Whom h e had
Robert,his he ir [four son s] , and thre e daughters
Lucy,m arrie d first to Robert Cum in e of Altyre
se c ondly, to Alex . Dunbar of Moy ; Katherine
m arrie d to Thom as Dunbar of Grange ; and
Elizabeth m arried to Robert Dunbar of We st
fie ld . They all had issue . Sir Robert
Gordon suc c e eded his father, Sir Ludovick . Bythis lady
,Elizabeth
,on ly daughte r of Sir William
Dunbar ofHem prigs , h e had Sir Robert , his he ir,and a daughter , Lucy, m arried to David Sc ott of
6 6 HONOURS AND PRIVILEGES OF SCOTTISH KNIGHTS.
should b e hereditary . This Order was e re cted in
1 625,and Sir Robert Gordon is th e first Kn ight
of it, whose Patent beareth date at Whitehall the
28 May, 1 625.
Knights Baronets.
Having perused this Patent,I shall set down
th e hon ours and privilege s granted to Kn ights
in Scotland,and In all writings they are
styled Kn ights and Baron ets. In addre ssing
t hem , they are called Sir. The ir w ive s haveth e honour ofL ady. They have pre cedency
o f all Knights,Lairds
,Esquire s
,and Gentlem en ,
"
except the King’s Com m ission ers, Coun se llors ,
and Knights Bann erets,dubbed in the fie ld of
war nnder the Royal Standard,Rege P resente .
(N.B.- Th e Order of the Thistle or St . Andrew
was not revived at that tim e .) The ir w ive s ,.son s , daughters, and son s
’
w ive s have pre cedency
as them se lve s have . The ir e lde st son s, when
21 years of age , in the ir father’s life , shall re ce ive
th e hon our ofKn ighthood,ifthey ask it
,upon pay
ing on ly th e fe e s of th e servants . In Royal
arm ie s they shall have place n ear to the Royal
Standard . No other degre e of hon our Shall
ever b e created betw ixt them and Lords , nor any
degre e equal to them and inferior to Lords .
Th e honour i s by patent under th e Gre at Seal ,and hereditary as that of Pe erage . There
shall not b e in Sc otland at any on e tim e m ore
A HUNDRED AND FIFTY KNIGHTS ONLY FOR SCOTLAND. 67
than 150such Kn ights . They m ay bear th e
arm s of NOVA SCOTIA in a Canton ,or Shie ld of
pretence ; and th e sam e enam e lled on an oval
m edal of gold on the ir breasts , hanging at a broad
orange ribband round their n e cks ; as by Royal
Warrant from King Charle s I. dated at Wh itehall
1 7 Novem ber, 1 629 , and re c orded in th e Lord
Lyon ’s Registers . They are all ow ed tw o
gentlem en - assistants of the ir body, ad supp or t
andum ve lam en (to hear their robe) ; and at the ir
funerals they are allow e d one princ ipal m ourn er
and four assistants .
Be side s the se privilege s c om m on to th e Order ,Sir Robert Gordon ’s Patent beareth , That h e is
th e First Kn ight in th e Order , and that n o on e
has had,or ever shall have
,th e pre c eden cy of
him . And h e had acre s of land in Nova
Sc otia dispon ed to him and his he ir s , w ith am ple
privilege s . Th e like privilege s had also th e r e st
of the Baronets,till th e French took posse ssion
of th at province ; after which there i s no m ention
of lands in any of th e Patents .
The arm s of this Order are - An escutcheon arg. chargedw ith a saltire , az. The field and cross of St . Andrews, thetincture s counterchanged, and thereon the Royal Arm s of
Scotland,w ith an imperial crown above this last shie ld. Motto,
FAX MENTIS HONESTE GLORIA. [Glory is the torch of an
honourable spirit ] This (Without the m otto) m ay b e placed ina canton, or a shie ld in surtout.
68 PROPRIETORS OF KING’
S THIRD OF DUFFUS .
Ettles and Covesea.
The lands ofEttle s and fyshing,called the Coissey,
w ere gran ted by Patrick , Bishop of Moray, to Thom asInne s ofPe thnick and Elizabe th Norie
,his spouse
,and to
the he irs - m ale of the said Thomas. The Charter is datedat Elgin and Drainie th e 8 th and 1 8 th May, 1561 , and is
signed by the Bishop and twe lve of the“
Canons of theCathedral, the ir seals be ing also appended. Thom asInne s of Pethnick, grandson of the above Thom as, soldthe lands and fishings on the 1 7th Septem ber, 1 63 8 , toSir Robert Gordon .
Nam es of the Inn eses of Pethnick.
l st, Thom as ; 2nd, Alexander, his son ; 3 rd, Thom as, hisson , w ho sold Ettle s and Covesea.
King’
s Third of Dufi’
us.
The change s of proprie tors on this e state w ill b e bestShown by the follow ing title s1 . Charter of alienation by Archibald Douglas of Pitten
dre ich,in favour of Alexander Gordon of Sydra (Siddcray in
Sutherland) , and Margaret Ke ith, his spouse , of the third of
Duffus,dated 21 st May, 1 603 . The sasine follow ing thereupon
is dated 24th May sam e year.
2. Charter granted by Archibald Douglas ofPittendreich , infavour of Alexander Ke ith, lawful son of Mr. John Ke ith,Rector ofDuffus, of the third ofBlackgate ; third ofStarwood ;third of Inchkeil ; third of Roseisle , w ith the m ilns thereof;third ofBurghsea ; third of Bagro ; third of Burnside ; thirdofOver and Nether Crookmuirs ; arid third of Sheriffm ill, withthe astricted multures thereof, dated 24th May, 1 603 . The
se isin follow ing thereon is of sam e date .
3 . Bond of alienation , Alexander Gordon of Sydra, and
Margaret Ke ith, his spouse , in favour ofSir Robert Gordon , of
the third part of the Kirktoun of Duffus, Crosslots, and Saltcots, dated 2nd June , 1 629 . The seisin follow ing thereuponis dated 6th June sam e year.
4. M inute of sale , dated l 1th June , 1 647, at Inverurie , byAlexander Ke ith of Midb eltie , son of the deceased A lexanderKe ith, portioner of Duffus, in favour ofSir Robert Gordon , ofhis share of the King
’s Third of Duffus, and third of Sheriffm ill, and of the Outle tm ill.
5. Contract of sale betwixt Sir Ludovick Gordon, his son ,
FORTALICE OF THE BOG OF PLEWLAND. 69
and Robert Sutherland in Burghsea, whereby, for Scots,they dispone the lands of Easter Inchkeil, and third of the
Burgh, to the said Robert Sutherland, 9 th March, 1 670.
Ogston and P lewhznd.
The lands of Ogston and Plow land are the particularpart of the e state of Gordonstown w here the venerablem ansion - house stands. Before the Gordon s purchasedthe e state it w as called the Bog of Plewland
,and no
doubt w as a fortalice , built in the m arsh for defence . The
e state w as long he ld in prope rty by the Hogstouns, orOgston s of that ilk ; from them it passed to the Inness sofInne s and Balveny, thereafter to the Marquis ofHuntly,and from the Marquis w as purchased by Sir Robe rtGordon on 1 3 th Septem ber
,1 63 8 . The follow ing curious
inventory of titles, as w e ll as the reference s to the otherportion s of th e e state ofGordon stow n
,w ere .comm unicated
to m e by a friend, to w hom I am indebted for m anySimilar favoursThe Inventor of the wryte s of Hogstoune and Plew lands,
delyverit b e Robert Innes, then of Inne rm arkie , now e of
Balveny, to ane nobill and potent Lord George , Marquis ofHuntlye , at Plewlandis the 7th ofFebruar , 1 6 16 yeiris.
Imprimis, Ane charter given b e Marjerie Countess ofMurrays,
to Jhon Hogstoun e of that ilk, some and lawfull air to SirRannald Hogstoune , his father, daitit at Bamf, 6th May, 1417.
Item,Ane precept of seasing of Allexander Hogstoune of
that ilk, given to Jam e s Inne s of that ilk, upon the landis of
Hogstoune , of the dait, at Aberde en , 29 th December, 1 473 .
Item,Ane reversion given b e the said Jam es Innes of that
ilk, to the said Allexander Hogstoune of that ilk, of the daitforsaid.
Item , Ane license given b e the King to Allexander Hogstoune of that ilk, fra him and his airis, all and hail] , the landsof Hogstoune , to whatsoever persone he ples sis, to b e haldenofhim selffe .
Item,The gift of nonentrie , given to Alexander Livingstoune
of Dunnipeass, upon the landis of Hogstoune and Plew landis,of the dait at Pearth , 15th March
,1527.
Item ,Ane seasing ofJam e s Inn es of that ilk, given to Allex
ander Hogstoune of that ilk, upon the landis of Hogstoune ,dated 12th Jannuar, 1473 .
Item , Ane seasing of Elizabeth Lady Hogstoune , upon the
landis of Hogstoune and Plewlandis, given upon ane precept,dated 8th Jannuar, 1501 .
70 INVENTORY OF THE LANDS OF OGSTON
Item ,Ane resignation ,
in the Kingis hande s, of the landis ofHogstoune and Plew landis
,b e Elizabeth Hogstoune , w ith con
sent of hir husband, Adam Habroune,daitit at Edinburgh,
1 1 th Maij , 1501 .
Item ,Ane instrum ent, wher Adam Habroune was requyrit
to enter Robert Innes of Innerm arkie in the landis of Hogstoune
,daitit 6 th May, 1509 .
Item ,Ane precept Of seasing, given out of the Chancellrie ,
to Robert Innes of Innerm arkie , and Elizabeth Stuart, hisspouse , in lyfrent , and to Robert Innes Of Monikebb ack, his
sone , appeirand air heritabille of the landis Of Hogstoune and
Plew landis, un ited in one barrony, daitit at Dunde e , 1st
September, 153 9 .
Item , The charter ofunion , wh ereupone the forsaid preceptwas given under the Grayt Scall, of the landis of Hogstoune
and Plew landis, of the dait of the said precept.Item , The seasing follow ing upone the said charter, of thedait 4th November
,153 9 .
Item ,The service ofAdam Hab roun ’
s three daughters, Janat,Helein , and Isob ell, before th e Shirrefl
'
e of Elgin, daitit thepenult ofFebruar, 1527.
Item ,Ane charter ofAndro Oliphant of Berridel, sone and
air ofum qll. Christen Suderland of Berridel, given to WilliamSuderland ofDuffus, of the third pairt of the landis of Plewlandis, of the dait at Edinburgh, 10th November, 1528 .
Item , An e precept of seasing, passit thereupon e .
Item ,Ane instrum ent taine b e Robert Inne s, in the handis
ofMr. William Jam isone , notar , daitit l st September, 153 9 .
Item ,Ane resignation ofElizabeth Habroune , eldest daughter,
and ane of the heiris, of Adam Habroune of Craigie s, and
spouse to Mr. Alexander Livingstoun e of Dunnipeass, of_the
landis of Hogstoun e and Plewlandis, in the Kingis hands, infavours ofRobert Inn e s of Inn erm arkie , and Elizabeth Stuart,his spousse , and to Robert Inne s of Monykebb ock, the ir soneand appeirand air
,daitit at Inglism aldie
,15th August, .153 9 .
Item ,Ane sasine given b e Robert Inne s ofInn erm arkie , and
his spouse , Elizabeth Stuart, and his son ,of Monykebb ock,
upon the landis of Hoge stoun and Plew landis,under the
subscription of Mr. William Jamisone , notar, daitit 4th Nov. ,
153 9 .
Item , Ane saising of Robert Inne s of Innerm arkie , guidsir
to Robert Inne s, now ofBalveny, of the landis of Hogstoune
and Plewlandis, under the sub scriptione of Mr . AlexanderDowglasse , notar, daitit 2 9 th Maii, 1553 .
Item,Ane instrum ent of saising to Robert Inn es, father to
Ro bert Inne s,now ofBalveny, upon the landis of Hoge stoun
AND PLEWLAND,Now AT GORDONSTON HOUSE. 71
and Plew landis, under the sub scriptione of Jam e s Guthrie ,notar
,2 1st Maij
,1586 .
Item ,The Kingis confirmatione and ratificatione of ane
charte r ofalienatione , m aid to Jeane Barclays, Lady of Inner~
m arkie,to Robert Innes, h er some , upon the landis of Plew
landis and Hogestoune , daitit at Edinburgh, 1 607.
Item , The King’s confirmation , containing ane novo damus
upon the landis ofHogstoune and Plew landis,and Kirkhill of
Longbryde , to Robert Inne s, now of Balveny, and BarbaraBurnet
,his spouse, daitit at Edinburgh, 2 1st Februar, 1 607.
Item ,Ane tack of the te inds of Plew landis and Hogstoun e ,
given b e George Douglasse , Bishope of Murraye , w ith consentof the Dean and Chapter, to Robert Innes of Inn erm arkie ,father to Robert Innes, now of Balveny, daitit at Spyny, the
first and last ofMaij , 1585.
Item,Ane tack of the te ind sheaves ofHogstoune and Plew
landis,sett b e Allexander Douglass, Bischope of Murraye , to
Robert Innes, now of Balveny, and to Barbra Burnet, hisspouse , in lyfrent, and nyn teen yeir thereafter, daitit at Elgin ,
l oth Marche,1 607.
Item,Ane extract of ane proper contract betw een the Laird
ofInnerm arkie and the Laird ofInnes; on the landis of Hogstoune and Plew landis, and heirschipe of Innes, daitit at Edinburgh, 9 th Marche , 1 6 3 5.
Which haill wrytes, according to the inventer foresaid, sub~
scribit b e us, George , Marquis of Huntlys,and Robert Innes
of Balvenye . W e , George Marquis of Huntlye , grant us tohave receavit fra the said Robert, and bindis and ob lissis us
,
and our aires and successoure s, to m ake patent and furthecomm inge to the said Robert, his aire s and successoure s, for defenceof the saidis landis of Hogstoune and Plew landis, as the saidRobert and his forsaidis sall b e persewit for warrandice of thesaid landis. In w itness wherofw e have sub scribit thir presents
,
at Plewlandis the 1 7th of Februar, v ic and sixt e en yeires,befor thir witne s, ALLEXANDER GORDON, Fiar ofStrathawonMr . WILLIAM GORDON of Tilligrigie JAMES GORDON , inLetterfurie and Mr. ALEXANDER INNES ofDalliestennie .
(Sic sub scribitur) , HUNTLYE.
ROBERT INNES of Balvenie.
A . GORDOUN, Witnes.
J . GORDOUN, Witnes.
The original Docum ent is at Gordon stow n,and the
Minute of Contract of sale by w hich the Marquis ofHuntly sold the se lands to Sir Robert Gordon
,dated 1 3 th
Septem ber, 1 63 8 , is also there . The Marquis subsequently
72 ANCIENT CROSS AT KINNEDAR.
sold to Sir Robert th e lands ofBalorm ie,which his Lord
ship se em s to have purchased in 1 615from the Douglasses
ofWhittingham ] (Young’s Parish ofSpynie.)
EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF KINNEDAR.
Like Birn ie , Kinnedar was one of the early re sidence sand churche s of the Bishops of Moray. It w as a parsonage be longing to the Treasurer of the Dioce se . Here isan ancien t Cross . The Bishop’s re sidence w as a castle , therem ains ofwhich , c lose to the burial - ground, m ay yet b e
discerned. It seem s to have been the ir on ly re sidencebefore the building of Spynie , as alm ost all the chartersare dated at Kin eder in Moravia ” before the e re ction of
the great palace .
An intere sting circum stance , the frequen cy of the
nam e s Winche ste r and Wisem an on the ston e s, is w orthyof notice ; for in the Bishop
’s ren tal,1565, of 10 tenants in
the Villa de Kynn edam are 5Wisem an s and 1 Winche ster.
Richard Wisem an had also the Bishop ’s garden the re fora yearly rent of 8s and 6 capons. AS m entioned whentreating ofDrainy,
this parish was m e rged 1 666.
Not on ly is the churchyard rem arkable for its Cross,but th e imm ense num ber of ston e s is particularly w orthyof notice . Literally dozens of very old flat m onum entsc over the surface . Scarcely any,
in com parison to num
bers, can b e read, here a w ord and the re another is allthat can b e m ade out. They seem all to b e inscriptionsrunning round th e edge of th e stone . No trace of the
old church rem ain s, on ly the appearance of a deplessed
c en tre . (Rev. J . B. Craven .)
I son to Alex. Rushel,joyner
,departed
15June , 1 676 .
II. Here lyes to Wm . Young, in New ton,1 688.
III.Here lyes Janet Mavor, spouse to Winchester,died the 20March, 1 689 .
IV .Here lyes Christian spouse to Walter Jam e s
,
indweller in Etis, she departed
V.Here lyes the body of M itchell, som e tim e dueller in
Plenton . He died the 15day ofMay, 1706 .
74 MAUSOLEUM OF THE GORDONSTON FAMILY .
EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF OGSTON.
When you stand in the old churchyard of Drainy and
look up to the top of the little hill above it,you m ay see
a vane pe eping out of the w ooded sum m it. This is them ausoleum of th e Gordon ston fam ily
,placed above what
was once th e old church of Ogston . Undoubtedly w e
ow e to this burial - place the continuance of the very oldyard surrounding it. When you arrive at the top of thehill
,to w hich there IS no pl Oper road
, and enter throughthe tre e s, you find yourse lfat th e gable end of the m ausoleum . Very possibly others as w e ll as I m ay go , n everthinking offinding anything m ore . Even the nam e has
be en forgotten ,and you are inform ed that it is Michae l
Kirk . Whence this nam e is derived Iknow not, as th e
Church w as no t dedicated to St. Michae l but to St. Pe te r.
I w as surprised to find not the vault only but severalhuge ancien t t om bstone s surrounding it ; though , fromthe re be ing no fence
,it could scarce ly b e called a cem e tery ;
but when In ext saw th e fine old Cross standing alone , Ife lt sure that this place was se t apart for holy prayer longbefore the earlie st stone . Sure ly this m ust b e Ogston ,
I
said to m yse lf, b ut Ihad no direct inform ation . I lookedup all the books in m y posse ssion and found no trace of
any rem ains ofOgston . Even on e author se em ed to saythat this place w as on ly for the Gordonstons
’ tom b.
Months afte rw ard, how ever, I fe ll on the “ Survey of
Moray,quoted before , and m y de light w as great When I
saw there,
“ The burial - ground is also continued in _
th e
parish of Ogue stown , whe re a m agnificent tom b in the
Gothic style is raised over th e vault of th e fam ily of
Gordonstown .
”Th e identity w as com ple te and I w as
now at n o difficulty to nam e this ve ry ancient,dilapidated
,
and de serted churchyard. On e m ight think the noblefam ily ought to pre serve the se vene rable re l ics better ; forw hen w ishing to copy the inscriptions on the old stone s Ifound it at first im possible , for the sim ple reason thatperhaps
,w hen the last burial had taken place , the turf
sod had be en conven ien tly placed on the top of the stonesw here th e inscriptions w ere , and it was only w ith difficultythat those could b e cleared off; for, SO firm ly fixed was them atter into th e turf, that w hen at last Ihad them oil"
, th e
stone s se em ed as if they had only been carved late ly,and
ST. GERARDINE ; MENSAL CHURCH OF OGSTON . 75
th e sods them se lve s m ight have served the purpose of a
plaste r cast.We have already spoken of th e holy St . Gernadius who
in the shire not far Ofl’ loved and taught th e people . A
few particulars, all indeed w e know surely of his history,has to b e added. The author of the “ Survey ” says acave behind the village of Lossiem outh had, in ancie nttim e s, be en form ed into a sm all he rm itage , n o t exceeding1 2 fe et square . It w as com pleted by a handsom e Gothicdoor and w indow
, and com m anded a long but a solitaryView along the eastern shore . The se artificial decorationsw e re torn dow n about 3 0 years ago (1760) by a rudeshipm aster ; and in th e course of w orking th e quarrie s th ew hole cave has be en de stroyed. There was a fountain inthe rock above the herm itage , called St . Gerardine
’
s We ll .”
This intere sting account corre sponds exactly w ith th e“Aberde en Breviary, which de scribe s the holy saint tohave l ived betw een Elgin and the sea in a cave partlyartificial , partly natural. We re the Crosse s at Kinn edarand Ogston the places w here he preached to th e peoplehere ! He w as ce lebrated in th e Scottish Church on the
8 th Novem ber.
It w as a m en sal church , and one of the sm alle st vicarage s in th e Deanery of Elgin . Inde ed so sm all w as itthen
,in 1 642
,it w as disun ited from St. Andrew s, both
before having be en served by one vicar, that th e Bishopm ight draw m ore te inds,
”as Shaw som ewhat uncharitably
says. This was nothing but an offen sive rem ark,w hich
he m igh t have left out of his book,as it w as en tire ly
groundle ss ; for the author of the Survey tells us a cir
cum stanee which show s the real state of m atte rs . Whenthe lake of Spynie w as be ing cleared off “
a causew ayem erged , form ed of free stone from the quarry, quite acrossthe lake
,w ith open ings for th e passage of th e w ater, e ach
about 3 fe e t w ide , covered w ith broad flag- stones . Thisrevived th e recollection of a c ircum stance the re alm ostforgotten , that the causeway w as called the Bishop’sSteps
,and had be en form ed by his orde r to allow his
vicar to get from St . Andrew s after the service of th e
forenoon to ofliciate at Oguestow n on the even ing of eachSunday.
”Expense , therefore , could not have be en the
m otive , but probably the scarc ity ofpreache rs was . The separishe s w ere un ited from the Reform ation probably till
76 THE GORDONSTON MONUMENT, OGSTON.
1 642, w hen they w ere annexed to Kinnedar. (Rev. J . B.
Craven .)
I. The Gordonstoun Monum ent, &cS D
17 R G ED 05
Here is a register of the age and death of considerablepersons of the fam ily ofGordonstoun here interredDam Genewieu Petau, the daughter of Gideon Petau, Lord
of the Isle ofFrance,Widow of JohnGordon ,
Lord ofGlenluceand Dean ofSalisbury
, and m other-in - law to Robert Gordon of
Gordonstoun,died December 6 , 1 643 , in the 8 3 year of her
age . Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun , son to the Earl ofSutherland, by my Lady Jean Gordon ,
daughter to the Earl ofHuntly
,died March
,1 656, aged 77 years. D. Lucia Gordon ,
his lady, daughte r to John Gordon , Lord ofGlenluce and Deano fSalisbury
,by D. Genewieu Pelau
,died 7her, 1 680, aged 8 3
years. Mrs. Katherine Gordon ,daughter ofSir Robert Gordon
o fGordonstoun,and spous to Collionel David Barclay ofUrie ,
died March,1 66 3
,aged 43 years. Mr. Charle s Gordon , son to
Sir Robert Gordon,died 1 674
,aged 43 years. D. Jean
Gordon , daughter to Sir Robert Gordon , and Spouse to SirA lexander M ‘Kenzie ofCon], died 1 676 , aged 43 years.M rs. Lucia Gordon , daughter to Sir Robert Gordon , diedbefore her father
,unmarried
,about ye 1 8 year ofhir age . Sir
Ludovick Gordon ofGordonstoun , son to Sir Robert Gordon ,
by D. Lucia Gordon, died December 1 668 , aged 6 3 years. D.
Elizabeth Farquhar,his l st lady
,daughter to Sir Robert
Farquhar of M enie , by D. Elizabeth Buck, died November,1 66 1
,aged 3 8 years. Mrs. Anna Gordon ,
daughter to SirLudovick Gordon , died unm arried. Alexander Gordon , Son toSir Ludovick Gordon, died 1 666 . Benjam in GordOn
,son to
Sir Ludovick Gordon, died 1 662 . Ludovick Gordon , son toSir Ludovick Gordon ,
died Sher,169 6
,aged 43 years. Sir
Robert Gordon ofGordonstoun ,son to Sir Ludovick Gordon
,
by D . Elizabeth Farquhar, died 5ofSher, 1704, aged 57 years.D. Margaret Forbe s, his 1 st lady, daughter to my Lord Forbes,by Mrs. Jean Cam pbell, his spouse , 1 677. William Gordon
,
s on to Sir Robert Gordon , by Elizabeth Dunbar, daughter toSir William Dunbar of Hempriggs, died 1 8 March, 1 701 .
Mrs. Margaret Gordon, daughter to Sir Robert Gordon , by D.
Elizabeth Dunbar,died 1 6 March
,1 703 , aged 10 years. Mrs.
Katherine Gordon,daughter to Sir Robe rt Gordon ,
by D.
Elizabeth Dunbar, died 1 8 March, 1705, aged 3 9 years. M rs.
Elizabeth Gordon ,daughter to Sir Robert Gordon , by D .
EPITAPHS IN OGSTON CHURCHYARD. 77
Elizabeth Dunbar, died 8 Decem ber, 1705. Lucy, daughter ofSir Robert Gordon andDam e Elizabeth Dunbar, m arried DavidScott of Scotstarvet. Sir Robert Gordon, son of Sir RobertGordon and Dam e Elizabeth Dunbar, born 1 69 6
,died 1772 ;
m arried, 1 73 4, Agnes, daughter of Sir William Maxw e ll OfCalderwood, Baronet. Dam e Agnes Maxw ell died at Lossiem outh 1 l th March
,1 808. Sir Robert Gordon , e ldest son of
Sir Robert Gordon and Dam e Agnes Maxw ell,born 173 6, died
unmarried 2nd June 1776. He was succeeded by his brother ,Sir William Gordon , born 173 8 , died in Edinburgh unm arried5th March, 1 795. Lew is and John , younger sons, left no issue .
A daughter, Christian, died young.
11 . The Gordonstoun Monum en t, No. 2
In m em ory of those of the fam ily ofAl tyre , whose m ortalrem ains lie in the vault beneath. Sir. Alex. Penrose CummingGordon , Bt .
,born 1 9 May, 1749 , In
’
. 9 th Sept , 1 773 . Helen,
5th daughter of Sir Ludovick Grant of Grant, Bt . , by LadyMargaret Ogilvie , eldest daughter ofJam es, Earl of Findlaterand Seafield, succeeded to the Gordonstoun e states on the
death ofSirWilliam Gordon,Bart , 179 4, died 1 1 Feby.
,1 804.
Dam e Helen , his spouse , born 29 May, 1754, died 1 January,183 2. They had issue , 7 sons and 9 daughters, ofwhom Jane ,Mary, and Am elia, lie in the vault beneath.
111 . He re lyes ane hone st m an , called Jam es Dick, m ason,
sum tym indualler in Rew land,who departed this m ortail lyf
the 9 ofAgyest , 1 661 .
IV . Here lye s the body of John Dick, m ason , who lived inPleuland
,and died the 22 ofJully
,1 6 9 2 and Christian Innes,
his spous, died the 7 of July,1 69 4 ; and the ir son , John Dick,
who died Feb . 1727.
V. Here lyes Christian Dick, spouse to Alex. Sinclair,m ason ,
Causes , who departed this life the last of October, the year of
God 1 69 7.
VI. Here lyes the body ofJam es Chalm er, som etim e Causea.
He died the 1 8 of December,1706
,and his spouse , Margaret
Neillson .
VII. John Macdonald. Elspet Robertson . 1740.
THE PARISH OF DUFFUS
(Dubh- uis,i.e .
,black or stagnating water) lieth
w e st of Kinnedar, betw e en the Loch of Spynie
78 THE CHURCH, HOUSE AND FORT or DUFFUS.
and th e sea. It extendeth about 3 m ile s from
e ast to w e st,and 1 m ile from south to north .
The Church standeth in th e east end,a m ile
w e st of Kinn edar,15m ile s n orth - w e st ofNew
Spynie , and 3 m ile s n orth - e ast of Alve s . Th e
whole parish (except a sm all feu pertain ing to
Sutherland ofKeam ) is th e property of the Duke
of Gordon,Sir Robert Gordon of Gordon ston
,
and ofAlexander Dunbar of Thunderton . This
last has far th e greater share , and re side s here .
His seat is c lose by th e Church . Th e house is
n eat,c onven ient
,and w e ll fin ishe d , and th e gar
den s,avenue s
,and en closure s are w e ll laid out .
A half m ile south - e ast stood th e house and
fort of old Duffus (Vid . Milit. Hist ) , and 2 m ile s
w e st is th e Burgh - he ad , a rem arkable Dan ish
fort (Vz'
d . Milit. Hist ) , c lose by which is the
village of th e Burgh - Sea,where Gordon ston and
Thunderton have a good fishing of White fish,
upon which th e town of Elgin have a servitude ,whereby th e fish m ust b e brought to the ir m arke t .
Here about 3 00 pe ople live by fishing, and haven o c orn land and little garden ground . At this
village there is a good harbour for sm all craft .
And I c ann ot but observe that th e pe ople on the
c oast w e stward having plucked up th e bent - grass
on som e sm all hills , the loose sand is driven so
thick by th e w e st w ind , that m uch land in Dufi'
us
and Gordon ston has be en c overed by it ; but of
late ye ars there has not be en m uch hurt done in
THE PARISH or DUFFUS. 79
this way, th e strata on the se bil ls be com ing pro
bably m ore firm ,and th e sanded land is again
tilled . In this parish there is m uch fre e stone
and rich quarrie s of lim e ston e .
DUFFUS.
[Situatiom Soil, Clim ate — In e very region of the earthwhe re the clim e and soil do not spon tane ously afford thesubsistence of m an
,it appears, by the e arl ie st n otice s of
history, that socie ty w as at first supported chiefly by them eans ofhunting ; that from the hunte r state they m adein general a. sudden advan ce to that of th e pastoral, indispensable to the m ore perfect state of agriculture .
In a country so narrow as this , it m ay b e pre sum edthat its diffe rent quarte rs, even in the hunter state , w ouldb e distinguished by nam e s
,w hich
,though n ot appropriate
now,have be en w ithout change pre served. Th e nam e of
Duffus,signifying 1n the Gae l ic black water , carrie s back
the imagination to that early state of society when thisflat country was an uncultivated fore st, alm ost everyw heredeform ed by gloomy black pools of stagnate w ater. The
plain be tw e en the lake of Spynie and th e sea, continuedfor about 5m ile s w e stw ard from Drainy,
form s the w holeextent of the parish of Dufi
'
us. Since taking off the
w ate r from the lake , it is extended about 3 m ile s inbreadth but the lake is no t continued now far upon the
south side , and the 1idge along the coast is stre tched onlyabout one thi1d of the le ngth, W e stw ard of which theshore is sandy and flat, raise d on ly a few fe et above theleve l of the sea. Towards th e m idst both of the plainand parish , at a little distance from the coast
,the gre en
arable hill of Roseisle em be llishe s the landscape . It isnot doubted but the sea once comm un icated w ith thelake , along th e w est and south side s of this em inence ,w hich then form ed the term ination of the isle , extendedeastward to th e headland of the Coulard at Lossiem outh:Along the coast
,the w hole length of the parish, for the
b 1 eadth of half a m ile,m ay b e
o
con sidered as dow ns, the
soil ssandy, m ixed w ith stone , in som e places rising ingre en ridge s, com posed of lim e stone rock. Towards them iddle . of this poor ben ty pasturage , betw e en the hill of
80 STATE OF PROPERTY IN DUFPUS'
PARISH.
Roseisle and the sea, som e de tached fie lds are cultivated,and on e farm
,of considerable extent
,offers a solitary but
comm odious and pleasing residence . Th e rest of the
parish is an unbroken arable fie ld, for the greater part ade ep rich c lay, of th e sam e kind w ith th e carse soil ofGow rie or Falkirk
,producing w e ighty crops of wheat,
pease,and beans. Tow ards its w e stern end
,the soil is
black earth, very fertile , yie lding crops of barley n ot to
b e surpasse d in earl iness, quality, or increase in any part
ofScotland . In som e place s of this quarte r the soil is som ixed w ith sand as to b e deprived ofm uch of its fe rtility,and a great proportion of it hath been deeply covered bydry land, drifted alm ost ten m iles from Coulbin ,
and its
cultivation by m an for several generation s suspended,except a few sm all patche s, w hich have of late be enre covered by bringing the soil above the sand by thes ade .pState of Proper ty— The valued rent of the parish ,
am ounting to 6s . 1d. Scots, is shared am ong fiveproprietors
,ofw hom Sir Archibald Dunbar only is re si
dent,in a handsom e m ode rn seat, placed in a sm all park
,
she ltered on the n orth by the Church and the village of
Dufi'
us,and on th e othe r thre e side s bounded by fie lds
and stripes of plantation . It comm ands an extensivelandscape
,em be llished by e very rural de coration . His
property in this parish is valued at Scots.A con siderable part of th e e state ofGordonstown
,late ly
augm ented by th e purchase of the lands of Roseisle , w ithw hich a part of it lay blended, l ies also in this parish ,am ounting now to the valuation of Scots.Mr. Brande r of Pitgaveny, as w as Observed, holds a
cons iderable part of the extent of th is parish, but ye t soincom plete ly drained as no t to adm it of perfe ct cultivation . It is valued at £244 1 88 . 1 1d. Scots. The othertw o propertie s are incon siderable— the one be longing toMr. Baron Gordon of Clun ie is valued at £3 6 78 . 2d.
Scots, and the other appe rtain ing to Mr. Lew is Kay on ly
at £20. The farm s are but of sm all extent, two on lyexceed 100 acre s. A great proportion of the parish isrented at £1 ste rling the acre , and the average equalsthre e - fourths of that rate .
State Ecclesiastical.— The Church is incomm odiouslys ituated in the east end ofa parish of such length . The
8 2 REMAINS OF INVERUGIE CASTLE .
ties along the coast ; 2 Sloops, be side s, are em ployed intran sporting grain to the south ofScotland, and in bringing back coals ; and there are a few sm all boats em ployedin fishing. At this village nature has pointed out a
s tation for a de ep, capacious, and safe harbour . It could “
b e form ed at a m ode rate expen se , the stone just w aitingto b e cut from the adj oin ing rock ,
and,w ith little pre cau
tion,succe ss w ould b e certain . Along the w hole southern
c oast of the Moray Firth,from Buchann e ss
,upw ards of
100m ile s, to Inve rn ess, there is n o good or safe harbour .
Th e advantage , .therefore , of this undertaking appears inthe stronge st light, the re be ing w ater of any nece ssarydepth , on a fine bottom of blue clay, m oss, or sand, andshe lte r from every dange rous w ind . It is n early at equaldistance from Elgin and Forre s, and, w ith a good harbour ,it w ould soon be com e th e port of both town s. Comm e rceand m anufacture w ould, of con sequence , se ttle in this partOf the coun try, and, w ith an increasing rise in the valueof the n e ighbouring farm s
,all the various advantage s
arising from them w ould quickly follow . He re at pre sentthere i s on ly a fishery
,and but of sm all con sideration .
Cod,skate , ling, are sold at 1d. and l l d. the lb. The 1 e
are also hollibut,m ackare l
,saith , and t iting Turbot
are on the coast, but th e pe ople are not instructed in theart offishing for them . Haddocks have been for years infew er num bers
,and farther from the land
,in deepe r water
than form erly. They se ll at 1d. each,six tim e s deare r
than before .
Near th e w e stern end Of th e ridge along th e shore,w here the rocks r ise to a great he ight, the foundation of
a Castle called Inverugie rem ain s . It w as occasionallythe re siden ce of the fam ily of Mar ischal
,w ho once he ld
th e third part of the property of th e parish,and w as
nam ed after the ir chief seat in Buchan . It appears thatin this par ish m any battle s had in form er tim es beenfought. Burying-
ground is to b e found about alm oste very ham let, and in m any of them Ske le tons of hum an
bodie s have be en acciden tally dug up, and this has givenr ise to many fairy hillocks and grounds w here w itche sm e t toge ther.
Near the w estern end ofthe parish there had be en a placeofw orship at a. farm called Kirkhill, w here the rem ains ofthe cross and som e of th e buildings are still visible .
DUFFUS CASTLE. 8 3
In Several places are indication s of iron ore and coal .All the w ater seem s surcharged w ith iron ,
and in on e
fie ld,n ear Duffus House , there is a strong chalybeate
spring, near to w hich appears a black hard earth ,m ixed
w ith stone re sem bling the refuse ofa forge .
Although now there is no natural w ood in the parish ,ye t from old tradition ,
and from rotten logs ofw ood foundin the corn fields and pastures throughout the w holelow er gr ounds, and even in the stiffe st clay soil, this parto f the country m ust have once be en an entire fore st ofdifferen t kinds of tim be r —oak
,alle r
,birch
,haze l
,and fir ;
and it is reported that th e oppre ssed inhabitants w ere
com pe lled by the Dan e s to carry oak from th e valley n earRoseisle to build the ir ships at Burghh ead.] (Survey offire Provin ce ofMoray.)
[Duffus Castle is about 4 m ile s north of Elgin and 2
m iles w e st of Spynie Castle . It w as built in the re ign of
David II. ,and w as long the seat of th e fam ily of Suthe r
land, w ho bore th e pe erage title of Lords Dufiiis from1 650till 1 843 . One ofits earlie st posse ssors
,and probably
its founder , w as Freskinus de Moravia, w hose fam ilybe cam e con spicuous in Moray in the re ign of David 1 .
BishopBricius founded a Chape l here early in the 1 3 thcentury
,and w e find from the Chartulary that Mary de
Federith,an he ire ss of th e house of De Moravia, he ld
posse ssion of it from 1 269 till 1 3 1 2 . The Castle stood onan e levated m ound on the north - w e stern shore Of th e
Loch ofSpynie , now drained . A de ep m oat surroundedit, w ith a parape t - wall and draw bridge . For seve ralm iles Circum am bient no e levation surpassed it. Fromth e low - lying m arshy state of the ground it w as pen insular, and thus w e l l secured again st foe s . At page 108of Rhind
’
s Sketches ofMoray there is given an
'
e tching of
the Castle of Duffus in 1 8 3 9 , surrounded picture sque lyw ith clum ps of tre e s . The w alls are of rude w orkm an
ship , a con siderable portion ofw hich still rem ain s on thew e s t side ; and from the se w e find that they form ed a
large square , rising 20 fe e t high . The w alls are form edof rough stone s, cem ented w ith Tun lim o
,form ing a m ass
5 fe e t thick . The garden and orchard are ye t in preservation . We have no ce rtain inform ation w hen thisfor talice ceased to b e occupied. Alexander Sutherland
, of
84 GENEALOGY OF THE SUTHERLANDS OF DUFFUS .
the ancient fam ily of Dufl‘
us,was created a Peer, by the
title of Lord Duffus,8 th De c .,
1 650. He m arried fourw ive s— one at a tim e the first tw o and last w ere barrento him , although the fourth w ife (Margare t, e lde st daughterofWilliam
,1 1 th Lord Forbe s) m arried for her 2nd husband
Sir Robe rt Gordon ,3 rd Bart. of Gordon stow n
,by w hom
sh e had one daughter, m arried to John Forbe s ofCulloden .
Lord Duffus bought or acquired ,from his father - in - law
(his 2nd w ife’s sire
,Jam e s, Earl of Moray) the lands of
Ardgay, Leggat, Kintrae , and others,and the Earl of
Moray ’s house in Elgin ,called “
the Great Lodging,”w hich
b e e nlarged and b eautified. At this tim e , the fam ilye state con sisted of the w hole parish of Duffus
,Quarre l
w ood, Ardgay,Kintrae
,&c . ,
in Morayshire,and Ske lbo,
Torboll, Morvich , &c ., in Suthe rlandshire . Alexander,
Lord Duffus,died 3 l st Aug ,
1 674, and w as succeeded byhis on ly son
,Jam e s, 2nd Lord Dufi
'
us,th e offspring of his
3 rd w ife , Lady Margare t Stewart, 2nd daughter of Jam es,5th Earl ofMoray. This Jam es , Lord Duffus, killed RossofKindeace in a sudden quarre l under m uch provocation ,
and had for som e tim e to leave th e country in con sequence .
He died the 24th Sept ,but previously he got
em barrassed, and had to se ll the greater part of the e stateto his 2nd son
,Jam e s Sutherland, as a tem porary arrange
m ent. He borrow e d the m oney to pay th e price fromArchibald Dunbar ofThunderton , w hich he w as unable tore coup. The title was attain ted in 1715. Thus the greatand pow erful fam ily ofDe Moravia
,w ho at one tim e had
large territorie s and great pow er in the land, have now
no longer a house nor nam e in th e county ofMoray.
An old wom an of the parish, w ho survived the year1 760, re lated that she w as a servant in th e Castle , andrem em bere d to have w aited on the com pany at table ,w hen Lord Dundee , the ce lebrated Claverhouse , w as a
gue st, about 1 68 9 ; that sh e brough t the clare t to thetable from the cask in a tim b e r stoup (a jar, the w orkm an ship of the cooper) , w hich was drunk from a silve rcup. She said the Viscount w as a swarthy little m an
,
w ith live ly keen eyes, his hair black, ve rging towardsgrey, having a lock covering each ear, rolled up on a slipof lead tw isted toge ther at its ends ] (Se e Rhind
’
s Sketches
of Moray,Young
’s Ann als of Elgin , and Morayshire
Des cribed.)
DANISH OBELISK AND OLD CHURCH PORCH AT DUFFUS. 85
Near a ham le t called the Keam or Kaim , supposed tob e a corruption of Cam us, a Dan ish leader w ho w as herekilled, w as a Pillar or Obe lisk, alleged to com m em orate a
victory of Malcolm II. over the Dane s under the aboveCam us.
An cien t Porch at Dufius.
— This beautiful fragm ent isprobably the Olde st re lic of e ccle siastical archite cture inthe Province . The arch approache s to th e Saxon , an
o lder style of th e Gothic than th e acute - poin ted arch . It
m ay e ithe r have form ed one of th e aisles of the Church of
St. Pe ter, w hich w e know existed he re in the 1 1 th and
1 2th centurie s,or it m ay b e part of the Chape l of St .
Law rence , founded by Fre skinus De Moravia, one of the
Lords of Dufi'
us,and who was buried he re as w e ll as
several of his ance stors. He died about 1 269 .
This arch form s the entrance to the pre sen t Church of
Duffus, and 1 3 still in good preservation . An e tching i sgiven at page 3 1 ofBhind ’S Ske tches ofM07ayA Cross, also apparently of considerable antiquity
,
stands in fron t of the Church .
The rocky prom ontory, on which the town or village of
Burgh - head is built, projects into th e Moray Firth , fromthe gen eral line of the coast, in a n orth - w e sterly directionto the extent of about thre e quarters of a m ile . Thisprom ontory rise s from th e neck un iting it to the m ain
land,at first w ith a gentle inclination ,
to w ithin 400 fe e tor so of its term ination . Of th e rem ain ing exte nt
,w hich
narrow s towards the extrem ity, and ends in a perpendi
cular fron t t owards th e sea,the south - w e st half is a leve l
space , ofan ave rage w idth of 250 fe e t, and 80 fe e t abovethe water, w hile the re st of the ground attains a som e
w hat higher e levation . Where the declivity comm ence sthree paralle l ram parts, 15 and 20 fe e t high, w ith intervening ditche s 1 6 fe et w ide (considerable portions of
both of w hich still exist) , w e re carried quite across theprom ontory. Ram parts on som e side s still existinge ncom passed both the upper and low er term inal areasw ithin these breast w orks . The houses of th e m oderntown occupy the inclined surface in regular line s of lows ized buildings.About 80 years ago the re was discovered w ithin the
ram part of the upper area a cubical - shaped coveredcham ber , the Side s of which m easured 14 fee t each , cut
86 COV ERED CHAMBER AND RESERVO IR AT RUPEUS.
in the solid rock, and having in the centre a cistern ,bath ,
or re servoir,4 fe e t de ep and 10 fe e t 9 in che s square
,in
w hich springs up a fountain Of c lear w ate r . A proj e ctingcorn ice
,one foot broad
,runs round th e cham ber
,about 6
fe e t from the top of the w alls ; and at on e of its angles isa pede stal apparently for a statue . The comm un icationfrom w ithout is through an excavated passage on on e
side,and a flight of stone steps ascending to the surface
of the ground . The cham ber is coated w ith plaster,w hich
,though n ow faded
,w as , w hen first opened , of a
deep red colour, and its angle s are rounded .
No Rom an coins have be en dug up here ; but on som e,
at least tw o,shape le ss slabs of fre e stone , m e t w ith in th e
ram parts,th e figure of a bull (about th e size Ofan ordinary
bull - dog) is outlined in basso - r elievo . An thony Carlisle ,on the 1 1 th May ,
1 809,exhibited to the Society of An ti
quaries , London ,a draw ing of th e an im al
,take n w ith
m oistened paper, given in‘
vol. xvi,p . 3 65ofArchaeo logia .
The view s given out in Gen eral Roy’s Military An tiqui
ties and in Chalm ers’ Caledonia are n o t accepted. Theyasserted that the Dan ish fortre ss here (a round hill ofabout 50fe e t high) w as previously the ultim a Ptoro ton
of the Rom an s,m entioned in the J ourn al of the Monk
Richard of Cirence ste r, A .D . 1 3 3 8 . Re cent enquirie s andexcavation s m ade on the spot have failed to find anyre liable evidence that the . Rom anS ever had a fortifie dstation or cam p he re ; w hile the style of the sculpturedbulls in this part of the country, though bold and graceful ,is con sidered to b e undoubtedly native and Ce ltic .
- In
th e de ep cutting of th e hoofs and the c ircular volute s of
the tail and shoulde r blade s, the figure s have an Easte rnor Nin eveh type ; and in the loose rubbish of the ram partsportions of carve d crosse s w ith proce ssion s and an im alshave be en found, m ore n early re sem bling th e ce lebratedsculptured stone s Of the shire s of Aberdeen and Kincar
din e,w hich exhibit a m ixture ofnative Pagan and Chris
tian form s.Th e nam e s of place s in the ne ighbourhood, as Tu esis o r
th e Spey, and Varris Or Forre s, and the remains of a
ve ry old road leading south from Burgh - head through th ehills of Crom dale and across the Gram pian s, ofw hich a
few piece s still rem ain ,som ew hat like a Rom an pave d
way in the ir structure , alone give countenance to the
FAMILY o r MORAY o r DUFFUS . 87
Rom an theory of Ptolemy ’s Geography and the MonkishItin era . It is, at all events, certain that the Norw egianEarls of Orkney, w ho w e re in constant warfare w ith theScottish Earls of Sutherland and Caithness, and the
pirate s from Denm ark and Norway w ho infe sted our seasfor nearly 400 years, are know n to have found here a
com m odious harbour for the ir fle e ts, and an im pregnablefortre ss, and from the ir occupation of it the place acquiredits Norse appe llation ofBrough
-Heacl.
Attention is hereby called to" ‘Historical Notice s of theBroch or Burgh ead, in Moray, w ith an Account of itsAntiquitie s, by Jam e s Macdonald, Esq ,
printed inthe Proce edings of the Society OfAn tiquarie s ofScotland ,
vol . iv.,p . (ED.)
Before I de scribe th e south side Of the Loch of
Spynie , I shall take a view of th e anc ient
MORAYS OF DUFFUS .
Duffus gave title to a noble lord , but is m ore
rem arkable for having be en th e seat of th e princ i
pal fam ily of the an c ient Moraviense s . (1 ) Fris
kinus,stile d De Moravia
’x‘
(for particul ar sirnam e s
w ere not at that tim e fixed) w as Dom inus de
Dufl'
us,in th e re ign of King David I. (Char t .
M oran ) . His son (2) Willie lm us de Moravia
Filius Friskinihad a charter from KingWilliam,
about ann o 1 1 69,of the lands of Duffus , Ro ssile ,
Kintrae,Inske le , &c .
, Quas terras , Pater suus
Friskinus tenuit tem pore Regis David Avim ei t
* It is observed that Sir Robert Douglas often calls thisperson De Moravia ; but it is m uch doubted if he had anyauthority for calling him so. It is supposed that he gave himthis appe llation because his son William is called De Moravia.
TTranslation — Wh ich lands his father, Fre skin, held in the
re ign ofmy grandfather, King David.
8 8 GENEALOGICAL DESCENT OF
(Ibid) . He had several son s ; as Hugh , his he ir,m ention ed in a charter by Richard
,Bishop of
‘
Moray,to th e Abbey of Kin loss (Ibid) . Hugh *
is suppose d to have be en an c e stor of th e Suther
lands , wh o dropt th e nam e De Moravia,and
assum ed a sirnam e from the ir c ountry,for both
Sutherland and Caithn e ss w ere anc iently c alled
Catanesia,afterwards divided into Australis and
Borealis . Sir John,Sheriff of Perthshire
,th e
undoubted progen itor of th e fam ily of Tullib ar
dine,repre sented in th e dire ct m ale - lin e by his
Grac e th e Duke OfAthole,wh o is th e 20th gene
ration in de scent from this Sir JOhn ; Willie lm usFilius Willie lm i Friskini, Dom inus de Pe ttie ,Brachlie and Boharm
,and fathe r of Walter of
Pe ttie,of whom cam e Sir Andrew Moray
,Lord
of Bothw e ll , Governor of Sc otland,wh o died
anno 1 3 3 8 ; and Sir John de Moravia, whose
repre sentative in th e right m ale - lin e is Mr .
Moray ofAbercairny ; Andrew ,Bishop ofMoray ;
Gilbe rt,Bishop of Caithn e ss and Richard of
Coulbin . (3 ) Hugh w as father of (4) VValterus
de Moravia, filius quondam Hugon is de Moravia,so called in an agre em ent , ann o 1266 , w ith Archi
bald,Bishop Of Moray
,about a part of th e w ood
and m oor of Spynie . His son (5) Friskinus filius
Walteri (Ibid) had two daughters c o - he ire sse s ,Hugh, the ance stor of the fam ily ofSutherland, was called
Hugh Frisken . (See Additional Case for LadyElizabeth Sutherland, page It is doubted whether he was the son ofWilliam ,
o r his brother, and father of the persons after m entioned.
90 COSMO INNES ’ ACCOUNT o r
w ould have be en th e fifth Lord Duffus . He now
repre sents that fam ily .
The original arm s of Moray are— Az. 3 stars . Arg. And
ofSutherland, Gul. 3 stars. Or.
Arm s of the fam ily of Lord Duffus fl Quarterly, l st and 4th ,
Gule s, three stars, Or. 2d, Azure , three cross crosslets fitched,Argent . 3 d
,Azure , a boar’s head e razed
,Argent. Crest, a
Cat Se jant proper. Motto,WITHOUT FEAR. Supporters, tw o
Savage s proper, each arm ed w ith a baton over his shoulder, andwreathed about the head and m iddle . Vert.
DE MORAVIAS OF DUFFUS AND PETTY.
[Willelm us Filius Fre skin w itne ssed a Charte r grantedby Malcolm IV . to Berow aldus Flandrensis of the landsofInne s at Christm as
,1 1 60. The date is proved by its
be ing w itne ssed by William ,Bishop ofMoray, the re styled
Papal Legate , w hich rank h e obtained in that year , anddied in the year follow ing. Betw e en 1 162 and 1 171 h eObtained a charter from that King ofth e lands
“ofSt rab ok ,
Duffus, Rosisle , Inchikel, Machir, and Kin trai, quas term s
p ater suus Friskin tenuit tem pore regis David avim ei,”
(which lands his father , Frisken ,he ld in the tim e of
King David, m y grandfather .) This Charter ce rtain lyexisted in th e m iddle of last century in the charter - che stof the Earl of Buchan
,the proprietor of th e lands Of
Strab rok in Linlithgow shire . Though now m issing, it isstill in the inventory of his Lordship ’s title - de eds, and itw as seen and copied by Nisbe t, from w hom the w ords.above are quoted.
He witne ssed several charters ofKingWilliam be tw eenthe years 1 1 87 and 1 1 9 9 , and n ever any but those gran tedin Moray.
Wille lm us Fresekyn w as Sheriff ofInvernaryn in 1 204.
He had thre e son s,Hugh , William , and Andrew .
Andrew w as a churchm an— Parson Of Duffus in 1 209 .
He is probably th e parson w ho refused the Bishoprick of
Ross in 1 2 1 3 . He is m entioned in 1 221 , but m ay by thattim e have been dead.
Hugh appears, along w ith his father, about the end of
the 1 2th cen tury . He inherited the lands Of Dufl'
us and
Strab rok. He had assum ed the nam e ofDe Moravia,and
was styled Lord ofDuffus before 1 203 . He continue s to
THE MORAYS o r DUFFUS AND PETTY. 9 1
appear in the transactions of the Chartulary betw e en 1 20and 1 224. He w as dead in 1 226, and was buried in th e
Church Of Duffus,near the Altar of St . Katharine , as w e
learn by a note on the’
m argin Of the older Chartulary, ina hand apparently of the 15th cen turyIste VValte rus (le Morauia cum patre suo beato Hugon esepultas e st in ecclesia (le Duffous prope altare beate Katrinein eadem . U t patet intuentibus. (That Walter of Moray,w ith the ble ssed Hugh his father, was buried in the Churcho fDuffus, n ear the A ltar of St . Cathe rine in the sam e . A s is
evident to all going in. )
And at a charte r granted by his son Walte r, endow ing a
Chaplain ry in the Church of Duffus, w here he is styledWalterus de Moravia filius Hugonis ole Moravia. A
scribe of the 15th century has interpolated th e w ordbeati before Hugon is . From these n ote s it appears thathe w as can on ized, o r at least obtained the character of
sanctity for his ben efactions to the Chur ch . He had tw o
sons— Walter w ho succe eded him , and Andrew , w h o was
Parson of Duffus during his fathe r’s life tim e and during
the Episcopate ofBishop Ericius,w hom h e succeeded as
Bishop of Moray in 1 222 . Walte r de Moravia, Kn ight,Lord of Duffus
,th e e lde st son of Hugh, occurs very
frequently be tw e en 1 224 and 1 242 . He m arried Eufem ia,
probably a daughte r ofFerchar,Earl ofRoss. Th e groundsfor stating this are that the Earl granted to Walte r deMoravia,
apparently w ithout any consideration ,ce rtain
lands in Ross, w hich w e find h e r afterwards possessing as
dow ery - lands. Eufem ia w as a favourite nam e in thefam ily of the Earls ofRoss . Walter de Moravia w as deadin 1 262 - 3
, and w as buried w ith his father in the Churchof Duffus, as appears from a
,
form er quotation , and fromthe follow ing note on th e m argin of the olde r chartularyagainst a charter of hisIste ve rus habetur super tum ulum e ius in Dufl'us. Hie pate rdorm it tumulatus Hugoque beatus. (That true m an has thisupon his tomb in Duffus z— Herc sle eps e ntombed the fathe rand the blessed Hugh. )
Freskinus De Moravia,Lord of Dufl
‘
us, w as the son and
he ir Of Walter. He occurs frequently in the Registe rbetw e en 1 248 and 1 263 . In a com position be tw e en himand Sim on , Bishop ofMoray , w e learn that he he ld th e
9 2‘ DE MORAVIAS OF MORAY AND PETTY.
lands of Logie by grants of th e Bishop’s prede ce ssors to
his great - grandfather and great- great - grandfathe r (proavoe t attavo) . He occurs in public life as a party to thetreaty w ith the We lsh in 1 258 . His w ife w as Johanna,
of w hat fam ily is unknow n,w ho w as propr ietrix, appar
e ntly in he r ow n right, of extensive lands in Strathnavir .
He w as dead in 1 269 , and w as buried in the Chape l ofSt . Law rence
,in th e Church of Duffus, as w e learn from
the follow ing n ote s, m arked in a hand of the 15th century,upon the m argin of the older Chartulary. There is som e
reason to think that the se note s on th e sepulture s of the
fam ily of Duffus are in the handw riting of Bishop Alex .
Stewart
Iste Friskinus sepultus e st in cape lla Sancti Laurentn eccle sieparochialis de Duffow s. Et iste erat nepos beati Hugon isdom in i de Duffow s et fundatoris eiusdem e t filius Walteri de
M orauia.
Iste Fre skynus sepultus e st in Capella Sancti Laurencu deDuffous quam ipse fundavit e t dotavit de terris suis de Daweyin Straspey e t Duffous ut patet. Orate pro anim a e ius.(That Friskin was buried in the Chapel of St . Law rence in
the Parish Church of Duffus. And he was the grandson of
the blessed Hugh, lord ofDuffus and founder of the sam e , and
s on ofWalter ofMoray .
That Friskin was buried in the Chapel of St . Lawrence inDuffus
,which he him se lf founded
,and endow ed w ith his land
of Dalvey in Strathspey and Dufi'
us, as is evident. Pray forhis soul .)He left his property divided betw e en tw o daughters andc o - he ire sse s
,Mary and Christian .
Christian, w ho occurs from 1 269 to 1 29 4, se em s to have
had a portion of the lands ofDufl’
us and Strab ok , and fourdavachs of land in Strathnavir. She m arried William de
Fede re th , w ho w as constable ofRoxburgh in 1 262 . The irson William te fir William ole Federed, del Coun te de
Elgyn en Morref— did hom age to Edw ard in 1 29 6 . Th e
fam ily of De Federe th se em s to have ended in an he ire ss,probably his daughter, in th e tim e OfDavid II.
Mary,probably the e lder daughte r, occurs from 1 269 to
1 3 1 2 . She inherited th e Castle OfDuflus w ith the greate rpart of that barony, th e half of Strab rok
,w ith lands in
Strathnavir . She m arried Sir Reginald le Chen the
younge r, and the ir de scendants, co - he ire sse s, carr ied the ir
9 4 THE PARISH OF ST. ANDREWS.
party of thieve s about ann o 1 6 and the lands
c am e to th e fam ily of Gordon . Dunken tie i s
n ow th e heritage of John Inn e s of th e fam ily of
Leuchars : and Fo sterseat is th e property of th e
Duke of Gordon . Farthe r south is Barm ukatie,
late ly pertain ing to a branch of th e Dunbars,and
n ow to Ge orge Duff, Esq ,th e third son of th e
late Earl Fife . Above which is Linkw ood , vvhich
pertain ed to th e Gibson s , from whom it cam e to
Dunbar ofBishOpm iln ,whose n ephew
,John Dun
b ar ofBurgie , sold it late ly to Jam e s Anderson ,
Provost of Elgin,and his son Robert sold it in
1 767 to th e Earl ofFindlater .
We st Of th e rive r,at th e low e r end i s Pit
gavenie , a part of th e Bishop ’ s lands . It was
pur chased by Alexande r Brodie of Le thin,wh o
,
in 1657,dispon ed it in favour of a younger son ;
and th e m ale he irs failing,it was purchased in
1 747,from th e c o - he ire sse s
,by Alexande r Brem
n er,m erchant in Portsoy
,from whom Jam e s
Brander bought it .
Next above it,is Caldcots
,Kirktoun
, and a
part of Newm iln , pertain ing to Inn e s of Dun
kintie th e other part'
of Newm iln be longeth to
William King OfNewm iln . Next w e stward is,
THE PARISH OF SPYNIE.
Is situate d betw ixt th e river of Lossie,and
that loch to which it giveth nam e . It was for
m erly 3 m ile s in length ; but now by drain s and
THE PARISH o r SPYNIE. 9 5
banks,it is m uch c onfin ed . At th e e ast end
,it
is n e ar an English m ile broad , but narrow er and
of unequal bre adth w e stward . It abounds w ith
pike s or gidds , and is in w inte r haunted w ith
sw an s,that yie ld fine diversion in killing them .
Th e loch (exc ept a few pits) in sum m er is n ot
above 5 fe e t de ep , and m ight b e easily drained,
c ould th e gentlem en proprie tors agre e about th e
rich soil that w ould b e re c overed . Th e hard
sh ingly beach at th e east end,m ake s it probable
that once th e sea flow ed into th e loch .
This parish stre tcheth about 3 m ile s from east
to w e st , and 1 m ile in breadth .
The Church stood in th e extrem ity to th e e ast,
and in 1 73 6 w as tran splanted to,and built at
,
Quarre lw ood, and c alled New Spynie . It is 1 1,
m ile s north w e st from Elgin,about 3 m ile s e ast
from Alve s,and 2 m ile s w e st - north - w e st of St .
Andrew s .
This parish'
w as m o st part Bishop ’ s land,and
in the east c orn e r,on th e bank Of th e Loch of
Spynie , stood th e Bishop’
s palace .
In 159 0 Sir Alexander Lindsay,son of th e Earl
of Crawford,was created Lord Spynie ,
“ewhose
grandson dying 1 670 w ithout issue , th e lands
R. Young, in his History of the Parish ofSpynie” pp. 43,44
,
o b serves “ Mr. Shaw,in his History ofMoray, states that Lord
Spynie held the temporal lands of the Dioce se until 1 670— andw e are unwilling to differ from one so accurate in general— butit is proved by so m any authoritie s that he sold them to theCrown in 1 606, that the fact is beyond que stion . (ED. )
9 6 PROPERTIES IN THE PARISH or SPYNIE.
reverted to th e Crown ,and w ere granted to
Douglas of Spynie , from whom th e barony w as
purchased by Jam e s Brodie late of Wh itehill,
and i s n ow th e property of Jam e s Brodie his
grandson . But th e c astle and pre cinct (payingabout £1 2 sterling annually) be long to th e Crown .
Next afterward is Myre side, which late ly per
tain ed to Lauren c e Sutherland of Gre enhall , and
was purchased from him by th e Earl ofFindlater .
Farther w e st is Finro ssie , th e property ofa branch
of the fam ily of Le sly of Rothe s ; th e first Of
which w as Robert , fourth son to Ge orge 5th Earl
of R othe s,by Margaret daughter of th e Lord
Crichton Chan ce llor Of Scotland . Robert w as
succe ede d in his lands ofFinro ssie , by his e lde st
son Robert ; wh o , by Margaret daughter of Alex
ander Dun bar of Grange a Lord of' Se ssion ,had
Robert his succ e ssor , wh o m arried Isabe l,daugh
ter Of Forbe s of Blackston,by whom h e had
Ge orge , fourth of this fam ily,laird of Finrossie ,
who m arried Mary,daughter of Bannerm an Of
Elsick,but die d w ithout issue . I shall n ot dip
into th e que stion,Who w as th e true he ir of Earl
Ge orge,after th e disinheriting th e e lde st son
Norm an ; whe ther Andrew wh o suc ce eded , or th e
first m ention ed Robert of Finro ssie , for whom
m uch m ay b e said .
We stward is Quarrelwood, so calle d from a
rich ' quarry of fre e - stone in th e adjace nt hill,
which was once c overe d w ith a large oak wood ,
9 8 NAIRN or ALDRUCHTIE SIRw . DUNBAR or WESTFIELD .
rive r is Aldruchtie,probably a part of th e e state
of Quarrelw ood, and for gen eration s pertain ing
to Nairn ofAldruchtie,but n ow to th e Earl Fife .
*
Note — Interesting details of the se properties and of the
drainage of the Loch of Spynie , are given in Young’
s Parish of
Be low Quarre lw ood on th e plain n ext to Duffus
is We stfie ld, th e se at of Sir William Dunbar of
W e stfie ld,from whose son - in - law
,Captain Thom as
Dunbar, Sir Ludovick Grant of Grant purchased
the barony of We stfie ld and his lands about
Forre s , ann o 1767. The m ention of the fam ily
ofWe stfie ld, le ads m e to speak of
THE DUNBARS
The . nam e Of Dunbar is plainly patronym ic ,taken from Bar the ir progen itor, and Dunbar i s
Bar ’ s hill . Th e Highlanders do not use th e
w ord Dunbar,but Barridh
,i.e . th e de scendants
of Bar . Our history favours this,and m ention s
Bar a gen eral in King Kenn eth MacCalpin’
s
arm y about ann o 842,wh o
,from his nam e , Called
his re siden ce Dunbar . In th e battle s of Cul len
ann o 9 61 , and Mortlich anno 1010,Dunbar Than e
Of Lothian w as a c omm ander . Earl Patrick de
Dunbar lived about ann o 1061 (Buchann .
Hum e ) . And ann o 1072 King Malc olm III. gave
to Go spatrick Earl ofNorthum berland ,“ Dunbar
“After the m ost anxious search, I can find not the leasttrace of such a family ; and, if there was, they m ust have be enonly te nants.” (R. Young. )
GENEALOGY OF THE DUNBARS. 9 9
cum adjacentibus terris in Lodonio
Dune lm ) .
Ofhim cam e the noble fam ily of th e Earls of
Dunbar and March,in a dire ct lin e , to th e year
143 4,when Earl Ge orge
‘
w as,in an arbitrary
m ann er forfe ited, and the dire ct lin e be cam e
extinct, through th e am bition of th e rival house
of Douglas . Of this great fam ily cam e th e
Hom e s , Dundasse s , &c .
,but th e nam e w as con
tinn ed in th e fam ily ofMoray.
John Dunbar (2nd son ofGeorge 1 l th Earl Of
March,who
,died anno 141 6
,whose m other w as
Agne s Randolph,daughter of Thom as Earl of
Moray) m arried King Robert II.
’
s daughter , who ,March 2nd (anno regni 2do) 1 3 72, gave th e Earl
dom Of Moray (except Badenoch , Lochaber , and
the c astle ofUrquhart) dile cto filio n ostro Joanni
de Dunbar and Mariotae Sponsze ejus filiae n ostras
charissim ae’
HL (Publ . The ir son s w ere ,
Earl Thom as and Alexander of Frendere t . Earl
Thom as,leaving no m ale issue
,was succ e eded
by his n ephew Earl Jam e s son ofFrenderet,who
m arried, l st , Isabe l , daughter ofSir Walter Inne s
OfInne s,who brought him a son Alexander ; and,
2nd1y, Jan et Gordon ,daughter Of Huntley
,by
whom he had Janet , m arried to Jam e s se cond
Translation — Dunbar w ith the neighbouring lands inLothian . (ED.)
0
t Translation — To our beloved son John Dunbar and Mariot
his spouse our dearest daughter. (ED. )
100 FORFEITURE OF THE EARLDOM OF MORAY.
Lord Crichton ,Lord Cham berlain of Scotland ;
and Elizabeth , m arried to Archibald broth er to
the Earl of D ouglas . ’ Earl Jam e s died about
anno 1446,and his son ought to have succe eded
him ; but be cause his m other Isabe l Inne s (who
stood in th e 4th degre e to h er husband) died
before a dispen sation w as obtain ed,th e pow er of
the Douglasse s got Alexander de clared illegiti
m ate,m ade his e lde st Sister ren oun ce h er right
,
and A rchibald Douglas , husband of the younger
sister,w as m ade Earl ofM oray ann o 1446 . Thus
wasAlexander , son ofEarl Jam e s, unjustly deprived.
But,to m ake som e c om pen sation to him h e w as
kn ighted,m ade heritable sheriff of Moray
,and
got an opulent e state . And Archibald Douglas,
having j oin ed in his brother ’s rebe llion,was slain
in th e fie ld of battle,and th e Earldom Of M oray
was forfe ited , and ann exed to the Crown ann o
1455,where it rem ain ed
,till King Jam e s IV .
be stow ed it on his bastard son Jam e s, by Je an
daughter of John Lord Kenn e dy in the“
year
1501 Who,dying in th e year 1544
, w ithout
m ale issue , it again reverted to th e Crown, where
it rem ain ed till th e l 0th ofFebruary,1562
, when
Que en Mary c onfe rred it on h er base brother
Jam e s , afterwards Regent ; whose e lde st daughter ,LadyElizabeth
,c onveyed it to h er husband Jam e s
Lord Down,whose issue at pre sent enj oy it
,as
w ill b e m ore ful ly shown afterwards .
102 AULDERN ERECTED INTO A BURGH OF BARONY.
in th e m ale lin e by Archibald Dunbar of Dyke
side,Esq. Sir Al exander ’s on ly daughter w as
Isabe ll,m arrie d to Sir Willlam Ke ith of Inner
ugie,to whom sh e had tw o daughters ; th e
e lde st m arried to William,Earl Marshall
,th e
other to William,Lord Forbe s . And from the se
tw o m arriage s all of the se n oble fam ilie s sin c e
that tim e are de scended .
(2) Sir Jam e s Dunbar succ e eded his father , Sir
Alexander,in his e state s of We stfie ld, &c .
,and
heritable Sherifiship Of Moray . He m arried
Euph em e,e lde st daughter and co - he ire ss of
Patrick Dunbar of Cum n ock and Mochrum ,by
whom h e had (3 ) Sir Jam e s Dunbar of Cum nock
and We stfie ld, wh o was served he ir to his father
ann o 1505. He got a charter ere cting his town
of Auldern into a fre e burgh of barony, w ith all
the privilege s enj oyed by any other burgh w ithin
the kingdom,dated th e 20th of August
,ann o
151 1 . By Elizabeth,daughter Of Sir Jam e s
Ogilvie,Of De skford , an ce stor of the Earl of
Findlater , h e had his son and he ir (4) Sir Alexr .
Dunbar of Cum n ock and We stfie ld, who suc
c e eded his father ann o 153 5; for his great pe r
sonal courage h e w as called “ th e Bold Sheriff.
H e was succ e eded by his son (5) Sir Patrick ,ann o 1576 . He m arried Jean ,
sister of John,
th e 14th Earl of Sutherland , by a dispen sation
from th e Pope on acc ount of c on sanguin ity .
With this lady h e had two son s . Sir Jam e s, th e
THE DUNBARS or WESTFIELD. 103
e lde st son ,had a son ,
Sir Al exande r, w h o died
w ithout issue ann o 1 603 (6) Patrick ofBoghole
[Bogb all] , se cond son of Sir Patrick , w as kille d
w ith th e Earl Of M oray at Dunib ristle , ann o
159 2 . He left four son s : Alexander , th e e lde st ,wh o died w ithout issue ; John ,
se cond son ,whose
son,Alexander, died ann o 1 646 , w ithout issue ;
Jam e s,third son
,died unm arried ; (7) Thom as ,
fourth son,who succ e eded his n ephew ,
Alex
ander . He was succe eded by his son (8) RobertDunbar of We stfie ld, Sheriff of Moray , wh o , by
Barbara,daughter of Sir Robert Inn e s of Inn e s ,
had two son s,Robert , his he ir, whose grandson ,
Robert Dunbar of We stfie ld, Sheriff of Moray,dying anno 171 1 w ithout issue , was suc ce eded
by his c ousin,Ludovick
,son and he ir of (9 )
Alexander Dunbar of Moy, se cond son of Robert
Dunbar of We stfield (No . 8 of this ac count) ;which Alexander m arried Luc ia
,daughter of Sir
Ludovick Gordon of Gordonstoun ,by whom h e
had th e above - m entioned (10) Ludovick , wh osuc ceeded to th e e state of We stfie ld and herit
able Sh erifiship of Moray,which last
,that had
be en n early 3 00 years in th e posse ssion of his
fam ily,h e sold to Charle s
,Earl Of Moray, and
disponed his - e state to his c ousin ,Elizabeth
,he ir
Of lin e of th e fam ily,grand - daughter of Robert
Dunbar ofWe stfie ld,his father ’ s brother ; which
(1 1 ) Elizabeth suc ce eded him anno 1 744,and
m arried Sir William Dunbar of Hem priggs (son
104 DUNBARS OF WESTFIELD AND THUNDERTON.
of Sir Jam e s Sutherland, se cond son of Jam e s,
Lord Duffus) , w ith whom Sh e had a daughter
Jan e t,undoubtedhe ir of lin e Of th e anc ient
Dunbars OfWe stfie ld,heritable Sheriffs ofMoray.
She m arried Captain Thom as Dunbar of Grange
hill,n ow ofWe stfield
, w ith whom Sh e had issue
two son s (1 3 ) Alexander , th e e lde st,William
Henry, se c ond son ,and a daughter, Elizabeth .
It is observable that when Ludovick ofWe st
field died ann o 1744, I c ould not find a m ale that
c ould in struct his propinquity to him w ithout
going back 250 years , and tracing down th e
de sc endants of Sir John Dunbar,the first Of
M ochrum .
Arm s of Dunbar of Westfield. Quarterly,1 and 4, Gules,
a Lion ram pant w ithin a border Argent, for Dunbar 2 and 3
Or, thre e Cushions pendent by the corn ers, w ithin the Royaltressures, Gules. Crest, a Sword and Key disposed in Saltyrproper. Motto, SUB SPE (Under Hope . )
THE DUNBARS OF THUNDERTON.
Dunbar of Thunderton ,in th e parish ofDuffus
,
is th e repre sentative Of Dunbar of Kilbuiak,as
m ention ed in th e general history of the nam e
of Dunbar . Kilbuiak was the third son of Dun
b ar ofWe stfie ld, who was on ly son of Jam e s,5th
Earl of Moray. In 1 76 3 Sir Patrick Dunbar ofHem priggs and Northfie ld having died w ithout
m ale issue , th e title of Baron et devolved uponDunbar of Thunderton as n eare st he ir- m ale .
Alexander Dunbar of Thunderton was regularly
106 THE PARISH or SPYNIE.
savage holding a batton over his shoulder,proper. SUB SPE
(Under Hope . )SPYNIE.
[Soil, Situation , Clim ate — Al though the lake ofSpynie
has re tired a con side rable space from th e w e st end of the
parish , and although the r ive r Lossie doe s not cover thew hole ‘
of its southern side, yet th e parish may b e in
gen eral conside red as lying be tw e en the rive r and. the
lake . From n ear the pre cinct of th e castle ofSpynie at
the east, a ridge ofm oor stre tche s the Whole length , about4 m ile s, rising gradually towards the w e st into a highhill . Upon each Side of this hill lie s the w hole of the
Cultivated land, extending th e gene ral breadth of th e
parish , n early equal to its length, and including alm ostevery varie ty of soil
,from the heavie st clay to the
lighte st land. On th e southern side of th e hill,along th e
banks of the Lossie,the air is peculiarly m ild and w arm ,
during a great proportion of the year. On th e northernside the clim ate is not so pleasant : th e soil is w e t and
cold : the lake and th e adj oining low ground, im perfe ctlydrained, often em it a disagre eable fog, ye t w ithout anybad effe ct on the health of the inhabitan ts, there be ing no
dise ase m ore prevalent here than in any other part of thecoun try. It has been already observed, that th e parishe sof Drainy and of Duffus lie upon the north Side
,and
betw een Spynie and the sea ; the parish of Elgin lie salong the w hole length Of its southern confine s ; and a.
fine fie ld,a plain of 40 acre s, reache s close up
‘
to then orth side of the tow n ; the r iver having on ce run uphard by
,as appears by title de eds of the adjoining tene
m ents, w hich still bound them by the river
,although this
broad plain,the property of th e Earl of Findlate r, has
be en from tim e im m em orial inte rj ected . The reve rse of
this has happe ned a little low er down ,in a sm all sem i
c ircular fie ld called Dean ’s Crook,w hich has be en cut Off
from the cathedral - lands ofElgin ,by the river occupying
th e diam eter instead Of the periphery, w hich till of laterem ain ed a reedy pond.
State of Pr op er ty— The valued rent of the parish ,
am oun ting to £3 0551 3 s. 8d. Scots, is divided am ong fourproprie tors
,of w hom th e Earl of Fife , holding the lands
ofSpynie ,Morristow n, Sh erifl
’
mill, Aultdrough ty,. Leigate , .
Roseb augh , Quarryw ood, and Kintrae , has the valuation
STATE OF PROPERTY IN SPYNIE. 107.
of £169 1 3 s . 8d. The Earl ofFindlater, holding Bishopm ill,Myreside , andBurrowb riggs, has £547 8s. 8d. FrancisRusse l Of Blackb all , Esq ,
advocate,has We stfield, be ing
valued at £488 1 6s. 2d.; and John Leslie , Esq , Writer tothe Signe t, has Findrossie , valued at £3 27 5s. 2d. Th e
public burdens of the parish are supported by the se proprie tors ; but, be side s them ,
the precin cts of the castle of
Spynie , be ing 1 0 acre s, and yie lding a revenue of £1 2
sterling,is the property of the Crown . Jam e s Milne ,
Esq ,has the Mills ofBishopm ill, and a sm all contiguous
property, w hich, w ith anothe r sm all feu, the property of
John Ritchie , Esq ,m erchant in Elgin ,
is included in the
valuation appertain ing to th e Earl of Findlater. The sem ills
, on th e r iver Lossie , com prehend m achinery form aking all the varietie s of pot barley, and for grindingw heat and other grain , of the m ost im proved and n ew e stcon struction ; and a little farther down the r ive r
,on Mr .
Ritchie ’s feu, there is a fie ld and the m ost com ple temachinery, w hereby the bleaching of linen and of threadis carried on to a great extent, in the m ost advantageousm ann er.
The lands, for the m ost part, are occupied in sm allfarm s, the re be ing only three that equal or exceed 100acre s. The clay soil produce s m ore w e ighty crops thanthe sandy
, and affords about a fifth part m ore rent,
although , on account of the additional expen se w hichattends its m anagem ent, it is re ckoned by m any n ot th e
m ost profitable, th e labour be ing Often suspended by th e
w et during a great part Of the w inter and the beginn ingof spring,
while all the n ece ssary operations of husbandryare prose cuted on the drie r lands. Consequently a greaterproportion of servan ts and cattle is required, and th e
crop,be ing in gen eral m ore late , is exposed to greater
dam age in harve st. A con siderable proportion ,how ever
,
of this kind of soil is rented at a guin ea the acre,w hile
the sandy soil only brings from l os . to 17s . The e stateof Westfie ld was late ly m ode lled into allotm ents from 20
to 40acre s,and le t at the rate of n early £2 per acre ; ye t
the m ean rent over the w hole parish cannot b e e stim atedhigher than £1 3 s. the acre .
It w ill n ot b e deem ed im proper to take notice of thecultivation of the farm of She rifi
’
mill,ren te d by Jam e s
Walker, Esq ,MD . This gentlem an in the early part of
1 08 DR. WALKER’S MODE or FARMING.
his life ente red w ith all the ardour of enthusiasm into thehorse - hoe ing husbandry, in w hich he has ever sin ce pe rs evered w ith unfailing steadine ss, raising crops of wheat,barley, and beans, in drills, w ithout a particle Of dung,always fallow ing the intervals, about 3 fe et, for each suc
ceeding crop ; he reby com plete ly dem on strating th e effe cto f cultivation w ithout the use of m anure . Althoughevery operation has been perform ed w ith the n ice staccuracy, and In its proper seas on ,
and though the l ightsandy soil of Sheriffm ill seem s w e ll adapted for this kindOf husbandry, yet th e re sult has n ot been such as toe ncourage im itation . The quality of the w heat, thoughraised succe ssive ly on the sam e fie ld for the Space of
alm ost 20 yeaIS, w ithout dung, has not be en im paired ;but the quantity by the acre is less in a ve ry greatdegree than is raised in the broadcast way in th e sam ekind of soil
,w e ll ploughed and m anured.
State Ecclesiastical — The Manse and Church w ere pleasantly Situated at the eastern extrem ity of the parish, inthe vic in ity of the castle , until the year 173 6 , when theyw ere rem oved to Quarryw ood— a centrical, but a bleaks ituation ,
n early under th e highe st part of th e north sideo f th e hill. The glebe and garden , consisting of about 6acre s
,are en closed w ith stone w alls. The burying-
groundhas be en continued in the original situation ,
in the easte nd of the parish. The stipend and allowance for thexpense of the comm un ion
,are 4 chalde rs of barley
,and
1 chalder ofm eal,and £46 6s. 8d. sterling.
The right of patIOnage at pre sent is perhaps nOt fullyascertained . A brief de tail ofthe c ircum stance s which arepublicly known re lating to it, is all that can b e herestated. Before the abolition of Episcopacy, in the year1 640, the patronage appears by th e ‘
e ccle siastical re cordsto have been undisputed in the fam ily of Inne s and theye xerc ise d it undisturbed unto the pre sent tim e s
,save for
the short interval of its general abolition , during w hichthey pre se rved the ir possession by the disposal of the
vacan t stipends,and by preventing the b e nefice be ing
impaired,by obj ecting to the ann exation of th e land of
Burrowb riggs to the parish ofElgin . At the se ttlem ent,how ever
,of the last in cum bent, the Duke of Gordon
Claim ed the patronage , and conj oin ed in the pre sen tationw ith Sir Jam e s Inne s
,who before the late settlem ent had
1 1 0 GAELIC NAMES OF PLACES ; DANISH CAMP.
under the care of the proprie tors ofBishopm ill,Westfield,and Findrossie . The Rev. William Dougal, m in iste r of
the parish, left a sim ilar endowm ent, alm ost £17 of
principal, half of its intere st to b e applied in buyingBible s for poor children ; and his m aiden daughter,Katharine , by h er w ill in the year 179 3 , bequeathed £20 sterling,for the education of tw o girls succe ssive ly, for tw o yearsin reading, w riting, and arithm e tic
,w hen 6 or 7 years old ,
and for the n ext tw o years in kn itting hose , and sew inglinen s. This endowm ent is in the patronage of the Ses
sion,but lim ited to the legitim ate children of Pre sby
terians. [George M‘
Cum mins or M‘Kim m ie,OfBlackheath ,
Ken t,bequeathed, in 179 6 , £200for the poor ofthe parish]
The m em bers of the Established Church am ount to 779there are 20 of the Episcopalian profe ssion , and 1 Seceder.
Miscellan eous Inform ation — The people are industrion s and frugal, m aintain ing also other virtue s, not som uch the nece ssary con sequence of the ir situation, be ingin general, hone st, benevolent, and friendly, entertain ingalso a high re spe ct fo r the ordinances of re ligion . The
nam e s ofm any of the place s are of the Gae lic language :Kintrea, the head of the tribe, w hen the lake w as an arm
of the sea ; Inshagarty, the Priest’
s island ; Leigate , the
original Lag- na -fhad, the long hollow . On the southSide of th e hill, towards its w e stern end, there i s a largeextent of natural oak w ood, the property of the Earl ofFife . It is w e ll preserved , prope rly thinn ed , and, w henfull grown , w ill b e again of great value . Under a thinstratum ofm oorish soil, the greater part of th e hill is am ass of hard exce llent fre e - stone
,ofw hich a quarry near
the summ it is w rought to a con siderable exten t, supplyingall the country w ith m ill - stone s, and Elgin and its ne ighb ourhood w ith ston e s for building.
On this hill, the trace s of the Dan ish cam p that hasbe en m entioned are still conspicuous, but m ust in a shorttim e b e effaced, by having been ,
indiscrim inate ly w iththe circumjacent m oor, planted over w ith Scots fir. Were
the noble ow ner apprized of this, he m ight perhaps , fromhis distinguished taste , b e induce d to give instruction s forthe pre servation of such a m onum en t of an cien t nationalhistory
,still atte sting the truth of venerable records
,that
our ance stors w ere for m ore than a year subj e cted to them ost crue l and oppre ssive servitude , be ing w ithout dis
DATE OF THE MILL OF SHERIFFMILL . 1 1 ]
tinction Of rank or sex com pe lled to unde rgo the m ostin tolerable labour, to every specie s of the m ost grievousexaction , and to th e m ost w anton m urder
,by an e ncam p
m ent of hostile barbarian s in the heart of the country.
By such a m onum e nt,the passing generation m ay b e
inspired w ith thankfulne ss to a good Providence , and alsotaught the value of the pre sen t governm en t
,whose energy
prevents the m ost tran sient appreh ension s of such insulting crue ltie s from the ir en em ie s, equally rapacious and
m ore blood - thirsty than th e northe rn savage s of the l 1 thcentury.
In preceding tim e s also, the accomm odation of civil life ,and the state of the useful arts
,w e re vastly inferior to
those Ofm odern tim e s . The ere cting the m achine 1y of a
corn - m ill could not then b e undertaken by any person ina rank inferior to a Baron
, a Bishop, or an hereditarySheriff. The particular year 1 23 7, in w hich th e m ill ofSherifl
'
mill w as built,is specially asce rtain ed by .the
rem arkable circum stance of the ground for its situationbe ing the first dilapidation Of the revenues of the bishoprick, in the 7th in cum bency, by that re spe ctable Bishopwho laid the foundation of the great Cathedral, Andrewde Moravia, of the fam ily of Duffus
, in favour of hisbrother. The conveyance is to this effect :
Know all, that w e , by the consent and fre e -w ill of our
chapter, have given and granted, and by this our charter haveconfirm ed, to I’Valter de Moravia, and his he irs, one station fora m ill in Lossie , on our land ofAuchter Spynie , on the easternpart ofRoyer in the sam e land, to grind the ir corn and that ofthe ir people , as fre ely, quietly, and fully
,as any Baron in
Moray, upon delivering to us and our successors,as an acknow
ledgm ent, each year at the feast of Whitsunday, one pound
w eight ofpepper, and another ofcum in .
”— Char t. ofMor . fol. 3 2.
And this m ill, though at the distance of 6 m ile s,has
e ver since continued to b e the m ill of th e barony,at pre
sent the property Of Sir Archd . Dunbar of Duffus . Inthose tim e s, how ever, i t appears that even uncultivatedground w as of the sam e im portance as at pre sent. About10 years before this dilapidation
,a form al contract had
been ratified by th e sam e brothe rs,in a style sim ilar
,but
m ore brief, than the deeds of the present day . The nar
rative repre se nts
1 12 DISPUTES WITH BPS. OF MORAY a THE DE MORAVIAS.
Whereas there is a dispute betw een Andrew , Bishop of
Moray, on the one part, and Walter de Moravia, son of the lateHugh de Moravia, respecting a servitude on the m oors and
w oods of Spynie and Finrossie,which the said Walter allege s
was of old obtained by his predecessors, and asserts to havebeen granted and confirm ed to his father, by a charter fromBricius, of w orthy m em ory
,late Lord Bishop of Moray
,upon
delivering each year, as an acknow ledgm ent, an half stone of
w ax, it is thus am icably settled betwe en them , the chapter of theCathedral of Moray willing and consenting : nam ely, that thesaid Walter and his he irs shall have in perpetuity to them se lve sand the ir fam ilies, a servitude upon the said w oods and m oorson the w est Side of the highway which com e s from the castleof Duffus to Levenford in this m anner
,that the moor m ay
b e used by digging but on the east Side of the said road theym ake it comm on
,the said Walter and his he irs paying yearly
at Whitsunday to the Bishops ofMoray, one m erk sterling of
lawful m oney, for all service and exaction pertaining to thesaid Bishops.”
And in 1 248,tw en ty- tw o years after the date of this con
tract, another agreem ent is m ade betw e en the ir succe ssors,Sim on th e Bishop
,and Fre skyn , the son of Walter. To
the preceding concession the Bishop adds th e land of
Logynhavedall, and in stead Of the m erk obtain s againthe possession ,
in comm on ,of the pasturage and w oods as
far as Saltco t, which is betw een Finrossie and Kintray.
It is also instructed by the Chart, that the lands of
Quarryw ood, n ot then under cultivation,m ade part . of
the pasturage a t that tim e of such im portance ; for it .
appears by a reclaim ing petition ,directed by Dr . Alex .
Bar,Bishop in 1 3 69 , to the honourable and potent Lord
Archibald Douglas, kn ight, that they w ere then butrecently cultivated . This Bishop
,w ho as has be en
show n,posse ssed in som e degree the Spirit of litigation ,
thus addre sse s himHonourable and noble Sir, you and John de Hay, Sheriff
ofInverness,have determ ined a certain process in such m anner,
as God know s, to the grievous injury of the Priory of Pluscarden
,and to the great prejudice of the jurisdiction of the
Church,which w e crave to have by you recalled for w e assert
and declare that Alexander, King of Scotland, ofpious m em ory,
gifted to'
the prior and m onks ofPluscarden, his m ills of Elginand Forres, and other m ills depending on them , and the mulc
tures of the lands of those m ills, which he then rece ived,or
1 14 KIRK AND BELL OF SPYNIE.
tim e ofBishop Bricius, and it perhaps w as a log- building,
o r clay w attled, com m on then . When the Bishop had no
fixed seat, but m oved about from Birn ie to Spynie , andfrom then ce to Kinn edar, as the ir n e ce ssity required, andhad an occasional re sidence at Spynie , it is like ly that as tone Church, Sim ilar to Birn ie , m ay have been ere cted,and w hich was dedicated to th e Holy Tr in ity. WhenBishop Bricius fixed th e Cathedral at Spynie , and Obtainedthe consen t of th e Pope to that effe ct, a Church of som e
pre tentious size in all probability m ust have been built.How ever, there is no existing w rit giving details of thes tyle or size of the structure . When th e Cathedral w asfinally rem oved to Elgin in 1 224, Spynie w ould fall toth e leve l of a Parish Church . Whe ther it shared thegen eral fate at the Reform ation , and was replaced by theusual “
cheap and nasty ” substitute , there is no re cord .
All that rem ain ed of th e Parish Church was a Gothicgable , w hich fe ll about 3 0 years ago . This edifice w as
74 fe et long, and 3 5 fe et b re ad, or 2590 square fe e t, inc luding w alls. Th e be lfry w as e re cted in 172 3 , w hich ,w ith the cut ston e s Of th e doors, w ere utilised in th e n ew
church of parsim on ious e conom y ere cted in 1 73 6 . It has
a sun - dial placed on the south side , m ade by a son of th e
Rev.
'
William Dougall, w hich has a m argin of4 in che s allround. On the uppe r part
,on the curve , is engraved
JOHANNESDOUGALL FECIT,1740. The be ll w as brought
from the Old Church,and from the m aker ’s nam e se em s
to have been cast in Holland,th e great comm ercial centre
of that tim e . There is a tradition that th e hell w as th e
gift of Bp. John Guthrie (1 62 3 who was deposedby the General Assem bly in the latter year, but that itw as not rung o r hung until h e left Spynie n ever to re turn .
It bears the follow ing in scriptionTHIS BELL— FOR THE PHARIS OF SPYNIE— ME FECIT, 1 63 7.
SOLI DEO GLORIA. MICHAEL BORGELTWYS.
On the linte l of the entry door of th e old Man se w ere cut
the in itials “W.D.,173 6, K . indicating the m in iste r
and his w ife . A new Manse w as built in 1 840] (ED .)
SBYNIE.
[The nam e of Spynie occurs in the Chartulary ofMorayn o le ss than 67 tim e s, w hich show s ofhow m uch con sideration it was as the seat of the Bishop . It w as probably
ADVANTAGES OF HAVING THE PALACE AT SPYNIE. 1 15
a place of som e im portance , and had a Parish Church at a
ve ry early date .
‘When Bishop Bricius,in the beginning
of the 1 3 th century,
fixed on this spot as the CathedralChurch of his dioce se , h e had strong reason s for doing so.
It w as m ost conven iently situated n ear th e tow n of
Elgin ; had a comm un ication w ith the sea,a harbour
imm ediate ly adj oin ing, w here all com m oditie s could b elanded w as a de lightful, dry situation ,
w ith pure air,and
a very comm anding View of the surrounding country.
There w as little arable ground around it at this earlyperiod. Looking to the north and w est, there w as the
arm of the sea,w ith its w inding shore s ; towards the
south and eas t, a con siderable quan tity of w oodland and
bare m oor ; but, under th e fostering care of the Bishops,
population w ould rapidly increase . The ir te nants and
vassals enjoyed an easy life,com pared w ith those of the
m ilitary baron s around them . They had le isure to attendto the ir agricultural pursuits, and w ere n ot liable to b ecalled into se rvice for w ar ; and
,w hen attacked from
w ithout,they had the pow erful arm of the Church to re ly
on . Such advan tage s, in a very disturbed age , had the
tendency of bringing a great increase to the inhabitantsof the district, im proving th e surrounding land, and
reclaim ing m uch that was w aste . A village also sprangup on the borders of the lake
,to th e w e st of the Palace ,
w hich w as eventually erected into a Burgh of Barony,w ith m erchants and traders , gradually grow ing in population and im portance , until, by an unexpe cted casualty,the lake ceased to b e connected w ith the sea. Thislocality therefore becam e , from the above cause s
,and
long continued to b e , the m ost im portant part of the
parish of Spynie , and up to th e period of th e Reform a
tion,th e m ost highly cultivated part of it.
In 159 9 Alexander , Lord Spynie , 4th son ofDavid, 9 thEarl of Craw ford, appointed Alexander Inne s of CottsConstable of the Fortalice and Castle OfSpynie , and othersw ithin the pre cinct, w ith very extensive pow e rs ; and thatfunctionary appears to have looked afte r the tem poralitie sfor behoof Of his noble em ployer. The property con
tinned in posse ssion of th e Lindsay fam ily on ly for 1 6years. In 1 606, after King Jam e s VI. succe eded to th e ‘
throne of England, it w as his de te rm in ed re solution tore store the order of Bishops
,not from any re ligious fe e l
1 1 6 DOUGLAS,MINISTER OF SPYNIE
,BECOMES BISHOP.
ing, but m ere ly from tem poral m otive s. Lord Spyniesold to th e Crow n the lands be longing to th e Bishopricof
°
Moray, granted to him in 1590, re serving only the
patronage of th e Churche s,which h e eventually lost by
n ot exe rc ising his rights. Lord Spynie and King Jam es
VI. did not always continue on term s of friendship. On
the contrary,they becam e quite alienated from one
another. His Lordship w as killed in a stree t braw lin Edinburgh , by his cousin
,David Lindsay Of Edze ll
in 1 607.
When Episcopacy w as re stored in 1 606, Al exanderDouglas, m in ister at Elgin , w as m ade Bishop , and he ldthe Se e for 17 years. He se em s to have re sided at Elgin ,
and but little at Spynie , w hich con tinued under the m an
agem ent of Inne s of Cotts, the Con stable of the Palaceand Regality. He conveyed the lands of Spynie , as w e llas Morriston and Burgh Briggs, to his son ,
Alexande rDouglas, re tain ing for him se lfand his successors only th eprec in ct round the palace . Alexander Douglas, theBishop ’s son , is said to have m arried Mary Inne s, anddied, w hen Provost ofBanff, in 1 669 .
The Douglases , who w ere probably a branch of the
Pittendrich fam ily, continued in posse ssion of the e stateofSpynie until about the close of the century, w hen theysold it to Jam e s Brodie ofWhitehill
,a cade t of the fam ily
of Brodie .
Afte r the Revolution , the w hole revenue s of the dioceseand the Castle of Spynie , w ith the prec inct, fe ll to theCrown . Th e Castle w as allow ed to fall in to ruins . The
w ood,iron w ork
,and fin est ston e s of th e buildingsw ere
carried aw ay by the country people . The palace and
pre cinct con tinued in possession of the Crown down toabout the year 1 840, w hen they w ere sold to th e Earl ofFife
, on the valuation of th e late Mr. Peter Brown ,at a
ve ry m oderate price . About 15 years previous to th esale
, the Baron s of Exchequer had given orders to prese rve w hat rem ained of th e ruin s. They e rected a lodgefor a ke eper
,and planted and enclosed the Hill ofSpynie
w ith larch and fir w ood, w hich now , after th e lapse of40
years,is pre tty w e ll advanced, and is a great im prove
m ent. Round the palace the ground has bee n plan tedw ith hardw ood, w hich also has m ade good progre ss, andhas b eautified as w e ll as she lte red the place . The Earl
1 1 8 ESTATE OF MYRESIDE IN THE PARISH OF SPYNIE.
w oodland, and on ly by Slow degree s, and under the fos
ter ing care of the Bishops, w as converted partly intoarable ground . On th e north side
,it w as w ashe d by the
w aters of the loch , and on the south bounded by thelands of Bishopm ill. At the period of the Reform ation
,
it w as occupied by five tenants . It w as a part of th eland gran ted by Bishop Patrick Hepburn to the RegentEarl of Moray at the Reform ation . We find the landsreferred to in a charter granted by Alexande r Douglas,Bishop ofMoray
,in favour ofJam e s, Earl OfMoray, after
the re storation of Episcopacy, in 1 606 . They continuedin Lord Moray ’s fam ily probably till n ear the close of the1 7th cen tury, w hen they w e re sold to Sutherland of
Kinsteary (afte rwards de signed ofGre enhall) , and succe ssively he ld In property by John Suthe rland ofGre enhall,and his son,
Law ren ce Sutherland. By the latte r, theyw ere sold, prior to the year 1 770, to Jam e s
,Earl of
Findlate r and Seafield,in w hose fam ily they still continue .
It m ay b e he re rem arked that the Findlater fam ilyhad n o property in Morayshire prior to the m iddle of
last cen tury.
In 1758 th e Baron ie s of Rothe s,Easter Elchie s
,and
Edinvillie w e re purchased from John Gran t, Baron of
Exchequer, and be tw e en that date and 1 770, the e state sof Birn ie , Main
,Linkw ood
,BishOpm ill, Myreside , and
Burgh Briggs w e re acquired by the Findlater fam ily.
In th e year 1772 a very con siderable im provem e ntw as m ade , partly on Myre side , and partly on the Bishopm ill lands
,by plan ting about 150 acre s w ith Scotch fir.
It w as m oorland and ve 1y bleak, producing n o pastureand on ly a covering of ShOIt
,dry heath , and did n ot
bring In a farthing of ren t. Th e plantation was m ade at
very sm all expen se,and the thinn ings soon repaid the
outlay . The droppings of the n e edle s of the fir e n richedthe soil, and, after th e lapse of 3 0 years
,an expe rim en t
w as m ade In attem pting the im provem ent of a few acreS.
It was found that the ground m ade tolerably arable land.
From tim e to tim e this has been repeated, until alm ostth e w hole w ood has be en rem oved, and converted intogood arable ground at a m odera te expense . The farm of
Newfield has be en partly m ade out from the groundcovered w ith w ood, and that Of Woodlands entire ly so ;and both in a favourab le season
,when rain abounds
,yie ld
ANCIENT DISPUTES ABOUT THE LANDS OF FYNROSSY. 1 1 9
good crops of corn ,turn ips, and grass . The w ood grow n
was of exce llent quality,and n ot on ly am ply repaid
expense s but gave a good return in the w ay of rent to thep roprie tor . In the progre ss Of events, part Of th e farm of
Myreside has thus be en added to Newfields and Woodlands
,and the boundarie s w ith th e adjoining estate of
BishOpm ill have be en conside rably changed .
During the latter part of last century, the lands ofMyreside w e re tenanted by Mr. Law rence Suthe rland ofGre enhall
,w ho sold th e property to the Earl ofFindlater ,
thereafter by Mr. Hugh Tod, both w e ll - known m en .
Since that tim e th e farm has be en w e ll enclosed w ithsubstantial ston e dyke s, and form ed into n eat and con
venien t lots adapted for m odern husbandry,and the land
is w e ll farm ed by Mrs . Russe ll,the pre sen t tenant .
FINDRASSIE.
This e state,anciently called Fyn rossy,
stands on the
w e st side Of Myre side , and is bounded by it on the eastand south , by Quarrelw ood on the w e st
,and by the now
dry b ed of th e Loch of Spynie on the north . In ancien ttim e s it w as principally grass and w oodland, w ith a littlecorn - land on the north side . It was w ashed by th e sea
w hen the loch w as salt w ater ; and, w hen it becam e fre sh ,there w as abundance of coarse star -
grass on th e m arshbe side th e w ater, and on the four holm e s or isle ts be longing to th e e state . Be ing on the n orth side of th e hill
,it
is n ot so sw e et and sunny as upon the southern slope s,but still it is a pleasan t re tired re sidence . It w as Churchland
, and eve n after it w as feued out by the . BishopofMoray
,it still he ld ofhim as the superior, and, in som e
m easure,claim ed his prote ction . Th e first m ention Of
the property is in a dispute be tw e en Walter de Moraviaand Andrew ,
Bishop ofMoray, about the use of the w ood
and m oor Of Spynie , and“ Fynrossy,
”which appears to
have been am icably se ttled by agreem ent, on the l 0th
October , 1 226. It is again referred to in a dispute on thesam e subj ect be tw e en Sim on ,
Bishop of Moray, and Friskinus, Lord of Duffus
,in 1 248 . The lands w e re feued
out by Alexande r, Bishop of Moray, to John Forbe s ofthat ilk, and Margare t Forbe s, his spouse , for good and
faithful service and assistance,on 1 8th July, 1 3 78 . They
w ere re signed again into the hands of th e Bishop by John
1 20 THE SEVERAL PROPRIETORS OF FINDRASSIE.
Flathson , Mair - Gen eral of. th e dioce se,in the year 1 3 9 5.
A charte r of feu farm was granted by Patrick Hepburn ,
Bishop of Moray,w ith consent of the Chapter , to Jam e s
Inne s ofRothm akenzie,and Catherine Gordon,
his spouse ,dated at th e Cathedral Church
,6 th Novem be r, 1540, at a
fe n - duty of 15m e rks 1 m art,1 she ep, 2 dozen capon s, 2
bolls of oats,w ith fodder
,and 403 . for 6 bolls ofdry m ul
ture . Another charter was granted to the sam e Jam e sInne s on 7th April, 1545, and a charte r, confirm ing a saleby Al exander Inne s ofCrom bie , w ith con sent ofElizabe thForbe s
,his w ife , to George Sinclair, son ofGeorge ,Earl of
Caithne ss,re serving th e Bishop ’s Moss
,othe rw ise the
Laverock Moss,dated at the Palace of Spynie , 26th May ,
1569 . In the latter part of the 1 6th century th e e statew as in posse ssion of Rober t Le slie , se cond son of George ,Earl ofRothe s
,by Lady Margare t Crichton ,
his first W ife ,on ly daughter of William ,
Lord Crichton,by the Lady
Cice ly, his w ife , se cond daughter to King Jam e s II. of
Scotland. Robert Le slie w as the im m ediate younge rbrother of the gallant Norm an Le slie , Maste r of Rothe s,and w hen his brothe r w as forfe ited as acce ssory to th em urder OfCardinal Beaton
,Robert Should have succe eded
to the Earldom,but his father, for som e reason ,
passedhim ove r, and,
w ith con sen t of the Crown , got the titleand e state of Rothe s settled upon Andrew Le slie , his sonby a se cond m arriage— a m ost unj ust proce eding. All
that Robe rt go t in lieu of it was Findrassie,and som e
o ther lands in Moray and Ross . The reason of Robertbe ing depr ived of the e state and title s of Rothe s aroseprobably from the fact that Andrew Le slie , his halfbrothe r
,m arried Grizze l Ham ilton,
daughte r ofSir Jam e sHam ilton of Evandale
,natural brother of th e Duke of
Chatelherault, then Regen t of Scotland, by w hose influe nce the succe ssion both to th e e state and title s of
Rothe s w as se ttled upon Andrew Le slie and Grizze lHam ilton ,
to the deprivation of the fam ily of the firstm arriage .
The fam ily Of Le slie w ere considerable im provers, andappear to have done a good deal in that way both inMoray and Ross
,particularly in the way of planting
The se 1m p1 ovem en ts w e re exe cuted l n the tim e of Abraham Le slie
,w ho w as a m an of en larged m ind ,
had se enm uch of the w orld , and w ho had the m eans of doing so .
1 22 ORIGIN OF QUARRELWOOD ; VARIOUS PROPRIETORS.
som ewhat difficult to asce rtain the m eaning of the w ord .
Th e w ord Quarre l,
”in old w ritings, som e tim e s m ean s a
quarry of stone s ; it also som e tim e s stands for gam e , or
th e engin e s by w hich gam e is killed. The nam e m ay,
the refore,m ean e ithe r the Quarryw ood, by w hich it is n ow
know n, or the w ood of gam e
,or in w hich gam e is killed .
It sufficie ntly an sw ers to e ithe r of the se appe llations .It is probable that th e w hole
, or greater part, of thise state , in ancient tim e s, form ed part of the Earldom of
Moray, as som e of the farm s continued to do un til a verylate date .
The first proprie tor of Quarrelw ood, of w hom w e haveany distinct accoun t, is Sir Robe rt Lauder, or Lavedre .
H is father,also Sir Robert, w as Justiciary of Lothian
,
and Am bassador to England, in the tim e of King Robert.Bruce
,and engaged in sim ilar service for King David
Bruce . Both fathe r and son se em to have be e n pre sen t atthe battle of Halidon Hill, in 1 3 3 3 , afte r w hich fatalevent th e younger Sir Robert, be ing Justiciary of th e
North,hasten ed to occupy the Castle of Urquhart
, on
Loch Ne ss,one of th e few fortalice s w hich he ld out
again st th e pow e r ofEdward ofEngland . It is supposedthat at this tim e h e acquired th e lands of Quarre lw ood,Grie shop, Brightm ony,
and Kinsteary,w hich con tinued
to b e posse ssed by his de scendan ts, in th e fem ale line,for
m any generations. He de signate s him se lf'
as Rob ertus
de Lavadre , Dom inus de Quarrelw ood, in Moravia.
”
This Robert Laude r obtained a charter from John Pil
m ore , Bishop of Moray, for good services, of th e half'
davoch lands of Ab erb reachy, and th e lands of Auchm un ie
,w ithin th e Barony Of Urquhart, for paym en t of
four m erks yearly, dated at Elgin ,in th e feast of St.
Nicholas,1 3 3 3 . He founded a Chaplainry in the Cathe
dral Church ofMoray,at th e Al tar ofSt. Pe ter , out of his .
lands ofBrightm ony andKinsteary,and Mill ofAuldearn ,
for his ow n soul, and those of his ancestors and succe sm m
,and particularly for the soul of Hugh, Earl of Ross.
The deed is dated at Dunferm lin e th e 1 st May,1 3 62 ,
w hich gift is confirm ed by a w rit from King David Bruce ,dated at Elgin ,
th e l 0th May,in the 3 8 th year of his
re ign . Sir Robert Laude r is said to have had a fam ily of
son s and daughters . One daughter w as m arried to SirRober t Chisholm
,and he r father conveyed to her, or h er
THE LAVEROCK MOSS ; INCHBROCE ; INCHAGGAR TY. 1 23
husband , in her right, the lands of Quarrelw ood, Kinsteary, Brightm ony,
and others .He had a daughter, Janet, m arried to Hugh Rose of
Kilravock,to w hom h e conveyed various lands in Strath
He is supposed to have had no he ir - m ale of hisow n body
,and to have been succe eded by his brother,
John Chisholm , w ho w as again succe eded by his son ,
Robert,who had a daughter and only child More lla, pro
prie tor Of the lands of Quarre lw ood, Brigh tm ony,Kin
steary, &c .— the he ir - m ale of the Chisholm s succe eding to
the paternal e state in Strathglass . More lla Chisholmm arried Alexander Sutherland, third laird of Duffus, ofthat nam e
,who thereupon added to his arm orial bear ings
a boar’s head erased, be ing part Of th e arm s of Chisholm .
(Se e Morays ofDuffus,
”above , page s 84, 8 9 , vol. II.)
Th e sm all farm of H ill of Quarryw o od, or LaverockLoch, tenanted by Mr . Alexande r Law son ,
is curiouslysituated, in the m idst Of the exten sive fir w ood on the
hill . Although w ithin tw o m ile s of the town ofElgin , itis a spot of extrem e solitude , and has the appearan ce ofa
‘
clearance in an Am erican fore st. The easte rn part of th efarm is the b ed of an old m orass. In th e tim e of the
Bishops, it w as a m oss, attached to Spynie , and called theLaverock Moss. When the peats w ere all dug out, it b ecam e a shallow lake
,on w hich th e young m en of Elgin
used to skate in w inter. By th e grow th of long grass init, the loch w as converted in to a m ere m arsh
,w hich w as
drain ed by Mr. Law son som e years ago , and is now con
verted into an arable fie ld of som e extent,in w hich all
kinds of crops are grow n .
WESTFIELD.
The e state of We stfie ld con sists of the lands of Inchbrock, Inchaggarty, and Westfield proper . The tw o
form er poin t to a period w hen the sea ebbed and flow edin th e Low lands of Moray, and w hen th e lands of We stfield w ere subm erged in the w ave s . The tim e when th esea receded from We stfield is unce rtain ,
but it m ust havebeen w ithin a com parative ly recen t period
,and w hen th e
Saxon or English language had taken root in the land .
Previous to that tim e,Inchb rock and In chaggarty had
be en islands of th e sea — the form e r the Isle of Brocks orBadgers, and the latter the Priest
’s Island.
1 24 DESCRIPTION OF WESTFIELD IN OLD TIMES .
The e state of We stfield is de scribed in the title s as follow s All and w hole th e town s and lands of We stfield
and Inchaggarty, w ith the m an or place,house s, biggings ,
yards,orchards
,m ills
,m ill lands
,parts, pe ndicle s, and
un iversal pertinents of the sam e , lying w ithin the parishofSpynie and Sheriffdom of Elgin and Forre s : As alsoall and w hole the town and lands of Inchb rock,
w ith thehouse s, biggings, yards, orchards, tofts, crofts, parts, pendicle s, and un ive rsal pertinents the reof, as the sam e were
form erly occupied and posse ssed by the de ceased Jam e sand George Dunbar Of Inchb ro ck,
lying w ithin the parishofSpynie , Regality the reof, and She riffdom of Elgin and
Forre s,afore said
,toge ther w ith the te inds, parsonage and
Vicarage of said several lands,and th e w hole seats and
lofts, and th e burial - place be longing to the said lands inthe Kirk of Spynie .
”The lands of Inchb rock w ere
Church lands , and continued in possession of the Bishopsun til the period of the Reform ation ,
w hen that greatdilapidator Of the Bishoprick
,Patrick Hepburn ,
feued thesam e , w ith con sent of th e Chapter, for a sum of 200
m erks,to Alexande r Anderson ,
in We ster Alve s , and
Alexander Ande rson,burge ss ofElgin ,
his son,and Be ssy
Gordon,his son ’s w ife . The lands se em to have been pre
viously posse ssed by Al exander Anderson,the fathe r, as
tenan t. We stfield w as n ever Church land, and th e earl ie staccounts w e have of th e e state Show that it be longed to theEarldom ofMoray. The last of th e Dunbars of Grangehill (m ention ed above by Shaw ) sold the e state to SirJam e s Grant of Grant on the 1 st Jun e , 1769 , w ho sold itto Joseph Robertson ,
m e rchant in London ,on th e
'
17th
June , 1 774 w ho sold it to Francis Russe ll,advocate , on
the 24th Oct.,178 1 . Mary Banne rm an
,his w ife , conveyed
it to Thom as Se llar,w riter, Elgin ,
on the 2nd May,1 808 ;
whose son,Patrick Se llar, he ired it on the l 6th Feb .
,
1 8 1 8 ; w hose Truste es sold it to Hugh Maclean in May ,
1 862. In le ss than a century ,Westfield has changed
proprie tors no few e r than six tim e s.
BISHOPMILL.
The sm all property of Bishopm ill* has be en SO m ixed
up latte rly w ith the im proved lands of Myreside that itThis estate seem s to have be en known in ancient tim es by
the nam e ofFrankoklaw .
1 26 CUTHILBYRNIE AND DEANSHAUGH .
his nephew ,John Dunbar of Burgie , advocate , w ho died
about th e year 1 750. His son,John Dunbar, sold the
e state , w ith the Dean’s House , in Elgin , to Jam e s Robert
son,Provost of Elgin ,
w ho sold it to the 6th Earl ofFindlater
,prior to 1770. The property has continued
in his Lordship’s fam ily e ver since,w ith the exception of
the m ill and m ill croft, w hich for som e tim e be longed toJam e s Miln ,
banker in Elgin ,but w ere acquired by the
Earl again in the early part of the pre sent century, andhas late ly be en feued out by the pre se nt propr ietor, theEarl of Seafield, to John Allan , w ho carrie s on a largebusine ss at the m ills in flour and m eal. Shortly after theEarl of Findlater purchased the e state , his Lordshipplan ted a considerable extent Of m oor ground, be longingto Bishopm ill and Myre side , w ith Scotch fir tre e s .
To th e eastward of BishOpmill is the sm all property of
DEANSHAUGH, be longing to Adam Longm ore , W.S.,Edin
burgh . I have great doubts, how ever, whe ther it isW ithin the bounds of th e parish of Spynie , but ratherin St . Andrew s.* As
, how eve r, it is gene rally re ckonedin Spynie , it m ay b e de scribed briefly. In th e end of lastcentury the se subj ects be longed to John Ritchie , m er
chant in Elgin , w ho erected on the Lossie a m ill for them anufactory of tobacco, a w aulkm ill
,a flaxmill
,and
bleaching m achinery. This trade w as carrie d on w ithcon siderable succe ss . After Ritchie ’s tim e
,th e property
w as sold to John Forsyth , banke r in Elgin , w ho left it tohis only daughter, w ife of th e late Adam Longm ore , of theExcheque r
,and it now be longs to his son, Mr . Longm ore ,
W.S. Th e m anufactory of tobacco,flax, and bleach ing,
have,w ith the change s of the tim e s
,passed aw ay
, and the
on ly w ork n ow carried on is a sawm ill. Mr. Longm orehas erected a very neat villa on th e ground, and hasplanted a num ber of ornam ental tre e s
,w ith a varie ty of
shrubs, and the place is kept in the greate st orde r andneatne ss by his pre sent tenants
The parish Of Elgin, perhaps, has the best claim to Deanshaugh, w ith the low lands adjoin ing, for it is perfectly apparent that at no very distant period the Lossie had flow ed to theeastward of it, and that it was then embraced in the Cathedralgrounds.
EARLY DATES AND NAMES OF MORRISTOUN. 1 27
MORRISTON.
This e state w as Church land, and belonged to theBishop of Moray. It is bounded on the south by theLossie
,on the east by Bishopm ill, on the n orth by Quar
relw ood, and on th e w e st by Sheriffm ill . It is so blendedn ow w ith the Earl of Fife ’s other lands that its ancie ntboundarie s can hardly b e know n . It con sists of a haugho f con side rable extent
,lying along the Lossie , of a light,
grave lly soil, w ith a conside rable exten t of hill ground.
On the slope extending from th e fir plantation s to theroad passing to Bishopmill, this b ill ground had probably,at som e distant date , been im proved from the m oor. The
dw e lling- house is very ple asantly situated on a risingground, near the r iver, a fine
,dry,
w arm,and she ltered
situation ,having som e young plantations and a few old
tree s about it. The nam e of the property is w ritten var iously Murrastoun
,
”Morristoun
,
”and “Murrays
toun .
”The first notice w e have of it is contained in a
charter granted by David, Bishop of Moray,to William ,
the son ofAdam , the son ofStephen burge ss Of Elgin , of
the half davoch land of Medilhalch,w hich lie s be tw een
th e land Of Wthyrspyny on the on e part,and the land of Frankoklaw (Bishopm iln) , on the otherpart
,on th e north side of the w ater of “ Lossyn .
” Thischarter is dated at Elgin ,
the 2 3 rd March , 1 3 09 , and thereddendo is four Shillings annually, on e half payable at
the feast of Pente cost, and the other half at th e feast ofSaint Martin
,w ith other se rvices , and th e paym en t of
th e usual multure at the m ill of Mallathy (supposedBishOpm ill) . The n ext charter is from Will iam de
Spyny,Bishop of Moray,w ithout date , but supposed to
b e at or prior to th e year 1400,in favour Of Megota de
Moravia, daughter of John de Moravia,proprie tor of
these lands, on h er m arriage w ith John de Dolas. It isprobable that from this fam ily ofMoray
,or de Moravia,
that the nam e of Moraystoun had been given to theproperty. The e state w as in the follow ing cen tury possessed by Inne s of Crom bie , as a vassal of the Bishop of
Moray, and it is contained in th e ren tal of th e BishoprickThe property is also called Middlehaugh . Auchter Spynie ,
or Sherifi’
mill,was called Upperhaugh , and Burgh Briggs,
Westerhaugh. (See Old Statistical Account, vol. 10, page
1 28 FRANKOKLAW THE OLD NAME OF MORRISTON .
in 1565. We find a charter of confirm ation by PatrickHepburn
,Bishop ofMoray, dated at the Palace ofSpynie ,
2 l st March , 1570, confirm ing a sale by Alexander Inne sofCrom m ye , w ith con sen t of Isabe lla Forbe s, his spouse ,.in favour ofJohn Annand, Provost of the Burgh ofElgin ,
and Janet Cumm ing, his Spouse , of the lands of Murrastoun
,
”w hich lie be tw e en the lands of U ch ter Spynie ,
n ow called Sch erefemyln , at the w e st, and th e lands ofFrankoklaw
9“at th e east
,on the n orth side of Lossie ,
w ith the piece of land called Burrow Briggs, on th e southside ofLossie After the above de scription the follow ingw ords occur Re servand to m e and my airs, ye baill hillcallit the Hill of Murrastoun
, as ye m erche stanas sall b ese t in at ye end of the lang riggis descendand n ort andsow t
,except the quarre l thairof, and stane s to b e win
yairin , quhilk I w ill to stand in comm oun tie to ye saidJhone and his airs .” The feu- duty payable to the Bishopis four pounds sixte en shillings. In the year 1 606, w henEpiscopacy w as re stored in Scotland, the lands ofMorriston seem ,
by som e m eans, to have be en re covered byAlexander Douglas, Bishop of Moray, and in the year1 609 conveyed to Alexander Douglas, his son ,
and MaryInn e s
,his spouse
,along w ith Spynie and Burgh Briggs .
From Alexander Douglas the e state passed to GavinDouglas, pe rhaps his brother, w ho had a great deal ofproperty in Elgin . John Douglas, his son , succe eded .
He w as serve d he ir to h is father in a great varie ty of
burgh lands, before the Magistrate s ofElgin ,in l 654s
,and
he w as also se rved he ir before the She riff of Elgin ,in the
half davoch land of Middlehaugh , or Morriston, on “
28th
De cem be r, 1 655. On 2 3 rd October, 1 665, John Douglasw adse t the se lands to Robert Martin , w riter in Edinburgh,for 8260 m erks, and in 1 668 h e discharged the right ofreversion ,
and Martin becam e absolute propr ietor . Hisright w as confirm ed by charter from Murdo Mackenzie ,Bishop ofMoray, the superior, dated 22nd October, 1 672 .
He also acquired about the sam e tim e great part of th eDouglas burgh lands, in and about Elgin .
Robert Martin w as a very rem arkable public m an in
his day,and
,as little is now know n of his history, I shall
here endeavour to state w hat I have found out abouthim . He w as the son of Robert Martin , burge ss of
This nam e , Frankoklaw ,is now entirely lost.
1 3 0 THEMARTIN FAMILY BROUGHT TO NOUGHT.
in life rent,and the he irs m ale or fem ale of th e m arriage ,
the lands of Little Harw ood,Cowhill
,and Dyb og. Th e
Martin fam ily w ere not prospe rous. By th e year 1750,
the m ost of the ir lands had been sold,and w hat rem ained ,
viz.,the e state Of Harwood, in the w e st of Scotland
, and
Morriston , w ith part of Barfiathills, Baxter’s Croft, and
s om e othe r crofts about Elgin ,w ere drown ed in debt
,and
a proce ss of ranking and sale having be en brought by thec reditors
,the lands w ere sold by the Court of Session ,
and Morriston was purchased by William,Earl ofFife , in
1756. In this fam ily the property has rem ain ed ever.since , w hich m ake s an excellent addition to the ir landsin this parish
,having a fine fron tage towards Elgin .
SHERIFFMILL.
The lands of Sh eriffmill are beautifully situated , having th e Lossie for the ir boundary at the east and south
,
Aldrough ty on the w e st, and the fine oak fore st at thenorth
,She ltering it from the cold northern blasts. It has
a light grave lly but kindly soil, and, w ith abundance of
sum m er show ers, it produce s good crops of all kinds of
grain . The old nam e of the property is Auchter or
Uchter Spynie , and it has also be en called Upperhaugh .
The first n otice w e have of this prope rty is contained ina grant from Andrew , Bishop of Moray, to Walter deMoravia, Lord of Duffusf
“of a site for a m ill o n th e
Lossie,dated th e 6th of the Ide s of October, 1 2 3 7. The
w ords of th e charter are -
“Dedisse e t concessisse e t
hac carta nostra confirm asse Waltero de Moravia,e t - here
dibus suis, unum Situm Molendini super Lossy,in terra
nostra de U ch terspyny . The m ill w as accordinglye rected by th e fam ily of de Moravia
, and until n early our
own tim e continued a separate e state from th e lands, asw e shall have occasion to show hereafter. The m ill isalso m en tioned in a charter byArch ibald, Bishop ofMoray,to William de Fedre th ,
and Dam e Christiana de Moravia,
his w ife , w ho had r ights to it as proprie tors of the third
The descendants of the fam ily ofMoravia are still the highe st in rank in Scotland. Am ong others, are the ducal house sof Sutherland, Athole , Ham ilton , and Buccleuch, and the lateDukes of Douglas and Queensberry, and m any nobles of
less rank.
THE LANDS OF SHERIFFMILL OR UCHTERSPYNIE. 1 3 1
o fDufi‘
us . This charte r is dated at Kinneddar, in Moray,on the Sabbath day next before the Feast ofAll Saints, inth e year 1 29 4. With regard to the lands . The earliestnotice of the lands is con tained in a charter by David ,Bishop of Moray, dated at Elgin the 2 3 rd March , 1 3 09 ,in favour ofWilliam ,
th e son ofAdam,the son of Stephen ,
burgess of Elgin , w hereby h e confirm s to him the w holeland ofWtyrspyny,
in excam bion for the lands ofw t
ford and Inn erlothy ,
* th e m ill of Innerlo thy and Milton ,
but re se rving th e Site of th e m ill,w hich is called the m ill
of the Sheritf of Elgin ,upon the w ater ofLossyn . This
is the first notice of the nam e Sherifi'
m ill,w hich m ay have
arisen from the fam ily ofde Moravia be ing Sheriffs of th eshire ofElgin , and of the ir succe ssors, the Cheyne s. be ingSheriffs of the Shire of Banfi
'
. In a charter by BishopHepburn ,
in 1570, the lands ge t the nam e of U chter
spynie , but are there said to b e now called Scherefemyln . In the Rental of the Bishoprick, in 1565, theprop rie tor, or vassal
,is called “ Alexande r Urquhard,
”
Provost of Forre s , pe rhaps Urquhart Of Burdsyards. In
the year 1 6 3 9 , Sheriffm ill w as purchased by Thom asCalde r, m erchan t in Elgin , a de scendan t of Calder OI
Assuanlie , a cadet of. the house of Calde r. He was Pro
vost of Elgin in 1 665 and 1 669 . He w as succe eded byhis son
, Sir Jam es Calde r, w ho acquired the e state OI
Muirton,in Kin loss parish
,and who w as created a Barone t
o f Nova Scotia, in 1 686 . Either h e or his fathe r e re ctedthe fine old turre ted m ansion in the High Stre e t ofElgin ,
exactly w he re North Stree t and the As sem bly Room s n owstand, w hich , w ith its exten sive garden s behin d, m usthave been a ve ry handsom e residence .
Sir Jam e s Calder, and William King of Newm iln , car
ried on a very large fore ign trade from the port of Findhorn , exporting barley, m alt, hide s, tallow , cured be ef,salm on , and othe r com m oditie s, and im porting w in e s,brandy, tobacco, sugar, spice s, dried fruits, and variousother article s, in re turn . The busine ss m ust have be en a
large on e , and the export ofm alt,in particular
,was great,
previous to the un ion w ith England . Sir Jam e s Calderw as succe eded by his son
, Sir Thom as,w ho m arried, in
The lands above referred to are probably Whitefield andInverlochty. If there was a m ill at Inverlochty, the fall ofwater In these days must have been much greater than now .
1 3 2 DR.WALKER’S MODE OF HORSE - HOEING HUSBANDRY.
171 1 , a daughter of Sir John Scott of Ancrum ,by w hom
h e had a fam ily. His father had left the e state m uch emb arrassed
,and Sir Thom as w as unable to ke ep it. Wm .
Duff of Dipple , father of William , first Earl of Fife ,acquired the e state in the beginn ing of last cen tury
,and
i t still continue s the property of the Earl of Fife . The
m ill of Sheriffmill has gone through m any m ore change s .Be ing a part of the e state ofDufi
'
us,on the failure of th e
fam ily of de Moravia, it fe ll, in - the proportion Of tw o
thirds,to Reginald Cheyn e , and on e - third to William de
Feddere t . In the end of the 15th cen tury the proprie torsof the m ill w ere— the Earl Marischal
,Douglas of Pitten
dre ich,and Sutherland of Dufi
’
us. In 1 6 3 1,Earl Mari s
chal sold his third to Jam e s Suthe rland, tutor of Duffus,
and in 1 659 Alexander, Lord Duffus, purchased fromSir Ludovick Gordon of Gordon stow n
,the succe ssor of
Douglas of Pittendreich , another third, so that the w holem ill and m ill lands then be longed to the Duffus fam ily,and continued In the ir possession until 1 17 07, when ,
w ithth e re st of the Dufi
'
us e state,they w ere sold to Archibald
Dunbar of Thunderton . His succe ssor, Archibald Dunb ar of New ton ,
sold the m ill to William,Lord Braco, in
1740, w ho se ttled it upon Arthur Duff of Orton,his
younge st son . The late Sir Archibald Dunbar re -
pur
chased the m ill form erly pertain ing to th e Dufi'
us e state ,from Mr . Arthur Dufi, about th e end of last cen tury, andsold it to the late Jam e s
,Earl of Fife
,on 22nd Jun e
,
1 8 1 8 . Th e m ill and adj oin ing e state are , since thatdate
,one un ited prope rty, be longing to the Fife fam ily.
In the latter part of last cen tury,th e farm of Sheriff
m ill w as Occupied by Jam e s Walker,doctor of m edicin e
,
a very e ccentric person ,w ho had be en a practition er in
Elgin of the old school. He had m arried the Dow agerLady We stfie ld and se ttled at Sheriffm ill. His m ode of
farm ing was to ke ep the land exce edingly clean , to drillthe crops, and use no m anure . In the Old StatisticalAccount of the parish w e find the follow ing statem e ntregarding Dr . Walker ’s farm ing It w ill n ot b e de em edim prope r to take n otice of the cultivation of the farm of
She riffm ill,rented by Jam e s Walker, Esq ,
MD . Thisgentlem an
,in the early part of his life , entered w ith all
the ardour of en thusiasm in to the horse - hoe ing husbandry,on the plan of JETERO TULL
,in which he has ever since
1 3 4 ESTATES OF SCROGGIEMILL AND ALDROUGHTY.
little use or value . I have not found out w hen this building w as erected . It has no appearance of any greatan tiqu ity
,and perhaps is n ot older than the early part
of last century. It w as like ly built by th e Earl of Fife ,for the accom m odation of his tenants
,before h e acquired
Sheriffm ill. The rem oval of this m ill w ould b e a greatim provem ent to the country. On the bank
,
’
above them ill
,there are beautiful situation s for sm all villas. Th e
ground looks due south , w arm and sunny ; prote cted fromthe n orth w inds by the Quarryw ood plantation s, and
having a de lightful view of the w indings of th e r iver. It
is w onderful that such pleasant site s have not long sincebeen eagerly purchased, or taken on feu.
ALDROUGHTY.
This is th e m ost w e sterly e state in th e parish ,be ing
bounded partly by the Lossie,and partly by the lands of
Inverloch ty and Mosstowie , at the south , Sherifi'
m ill at
th e east, Quarrelw ood at the n orth,and the parish of
Alve s at the w e st. It con sists of a long narrow fie ld,
extending along the river, at the east side , of light, sandyland . At th e w e st side th e land is of a r ich alluvial soil
,
and bears exce llen t crops, but liable to b e flooded in w e t
w eather . The nam e Aldrough ty,or
,as it w as w ritte n Of
old,
“ Aldroch ty ,
” is said to m ean the m ischievous burn .
This is n ot very applicable to its pre sen t state,for there
is n ow n o burn here but it m ay have m ean t the Lossie,
w hich,in anc ien t tim e s
,runn ing on a higher leve l, and
w ith a stronger curr ,ent m ay have both flooded the lands
and cut its banks m ore than now ; or the w ater ofLOchty ,
now enter ing the Lossie farther up, m ay have , in days ofOld
,done so her ;e or som e of th e Mosstow ie burn s m ay
have then term inated the ir course at this spot. In short,
w ith so m any change s, it is use le ss to conje cture w hatthe origin or cause of th e nam e m ay b e . The house of
Aldroughty is pleasantly situated , on a high bank aboveth e river
,and is a conspicuous Obj ect from a distance .
This e state w as Church land, and part ofthe BishoprickofMoray. It seem s, how eve r, to have be en early feuedout
,and in the 14th century w as he ld of the Bishop by a
fam ily of th e nam e of Sibbald. An inquisition w as he ldat Bishopm iln on th e penult day of August, 1 3 9 3 , beforethe Bishop and a j ury of sixteen ; am ong w hom w e find
EARLY CHARTERS OF THE LANDS OF ALDROUGHTY. 1 3 5
the nam e s of Sir Robert Chisholm , John de Dolle s ofthatilk
, and Alexander Innes ofInne s, by which it w as foundthat Robert Sibbald died ve st, and se ized , as of fe e , in thelands of Aldroughty,
w ith the pertinen ts . The Bishopm ust
,how ever, have afterwards re sum ed possession of
this e state , for I find that Bishop Patrick Hepburn ,w ith
consent of the Chapter, on the last day of March, 1554,granted an assedation of “Me ikle Inn erloch tie and Auldrochtie ,
”in favour of David and Thom as Hepburn
,in
l iferent, for paym en t of £4 1 3 s. 4d. yearly in m oney, b e
side s grain and other rents. After th e Reform ation ,this
property, w ith m any others, w as conveyed to Jam e s,Earl of Moray, Regent of Scotland , by Bishop PatrickHepburn ,
by w hich b e se cured his ow n com fort and
safe ty,and a right to dispose of th e rem ain ing lands of
the dioce se as he thought fit. In a charte r of fen - farm
and n ova dam us, granted by Alexander Douglas, BishopofMoray, in favour Of Jam e s, Earl ofMoray, Lord Doun eand Ab erne thie , about th e year 1 606 , w e find
,am ong a
long list of e states, the lands of Auldroch tie thereby con
veyed, th e feu- duty payable annually be ing £4 1 3 s . 4d.
ofm oney, three quarters of a m art, tw o she ep, tw o lam bs.tw o ge e se , tw e lve capons , tw o bolls Of oats w ith fodder
,
thre e bolls of barley for dry m ulture , and £1 l l s. 1 %d. for
grassum ,every thre e years. About half a century after
this, Aldrough ty seem s to have com e into posse ssion of
Lord Dufl’
us’
fam ily,perhaps in the year 1 653 , w hen Lord
Dufl'
us purchased Ardgay and other lands from the EarlofMoray. In the latter part of the 17th century it w asin posse ssion (along w ith Mosstow ie , w hich it joins) ofthe Honourable William Sutherland ofRoscomm on
,third
son ofJam es,se cond Lord Dufi
'
us. This gentlem an m
ried, in th e year 1702 , He len Duff,e lde st daughte r of
William Duff of Dipple , and Sister of William ,Earl of
Fife . After the Rebe llion ,in 1715, w e hear little m ore of
the Hon . Wm . Sutherland .
His w idow ,He len Duff, be tter know n by the nam e of
Lady Roscom m on ,w as w e ll cared for by h e r father
,and
by her brother, William , Lord Braco, afte rw ards Earl ofFife . She had the m ansion - house or Castle of Quarre lw ood for he r re sidence , and a suitable allow ance from her
husband ’s e state , and w as m uch respected. From w hattradition reports ofh er, she had m uch of the strong sense
1 3 6 EARLY TENANTS OF ALDROUGHTY.
of her father’s fam ily. Sh e w as alive in 173 6 , and m ayhave lived m any years after that tim e . After h er deaththe Castle of Quarrelw ood w as perm itted to go to decay,and w as at last converted into a quarry
,its m ate rials
being used for e re ction of farm - house s and other buildings. The foundation s w e re on ly finally rem oved aboutthirty years ago .
Duff of Dipple , having large se curitie s on Aldrough tyand Mosstow ie
,claim ed from the Com m ission ers of the
forfe ited e state s to b e put in possession of the se propertie s under the de eds w hich h e he ld from his son - in - law ,
W’ illiam Sutherland ; and special in struction s w ere givenby him to his agent, Mr. Ludovick Brodie , Wr iter to th eSign e t, to that effect, on 4th June
,1717. Dipple m ade
good his rights, and got posse ssion ofboth Mosstowie and
Aldrough ty,w hich continue to b e th e property of his
de scendant,th e Earl of Fife
,to the pre sen t day.
A fam ily of the nam e of Hepburn had Aldrough ty ,
e ither as tenants or feuars , under th e Bishops and Earl ofMoray
,during the end of the 1 6th and part of the 17th
cen tury. They w ere also proprietors of th e adjoin inglands ofInverlochty, of the lands of Tearie , in Dyke , andpart of Birn ie . They w ere illegitim ate de scendants of
Bishop Patrick Hepburn . The m ale part of this fam ilye ventually se ttled in the south of Scotland ; but in th efem ale lin e they have still m any repre sentative s in th e
n orth . They w e re re spe ctable people , and a ttained a
con siderable position in th e country. Eventually Inverlochty,
as w e ll as Aldrough ty,w ere acquired by the
Dufffam ily.
In the latter part of last century,th e farm of Al
droughty was tenanted by Alexander Donaldson , th e
e lde st son ofWilliam Donaldson,at Morriston . He m ar
ried a sister of th e late John Law son , at Oldm ills, and had
thre e son s and a daughter , all dead long since . In the
presen t century it has been occupied by William Murdoch,
who had be en in Calcutta. He left it in the year 1 829 .
It was then tenanted by George Taylor, w ho ere cted thepre sen t handsom e house , at a very conside rable expen seplanted tre e s and shrubberie s
,and laid Off a fine early
garden ,of exce llen t soil, Sloping pleasantly to the river ;
ofw hich w e have m any agre eable recolle ction s in bygonedays. Taylor gave up the farm in 1 841
,and it w as taken
1 3 8 CHURCHYARD OF SPYNIE.
sarie s for them se lve s, the attention to divine dutie s isgreatly in terrupted .
”
Of the Castle of Spynie , close to th e Old churchyard,and the Bishop’s re sidence
,w e have Spoken before .
.In the loch now drain ed w as an island called Midhagarty th e Prie sts’ Isle .
”Perhaps here was an
ancient herm itage like St. Gernadius’
at Ogston .
Henry, the Bishop’s brothe r, w as parson of Spynie in
1 1 87. By the great charte r of Bishop Brice , Spynie andKintray w e re con stituted the n in th prebend . In 1 3 3 6,William w as Canon . In th e ancient Tax also th e prebendary ofSpynie was valued at 24 m erks
,w ith the vicar
age . In 1 48 8 John Stewart, prebendary, w as on e of th e
Council an ent the change of the clock of th e Cathedral .The old churchyard
'
of the parish is a pleasant,sunny
spot ; has a beautiful situation,lying on the southern
slope of the hill,and com m anding a fin e View of the sur
rounding country. It is w e ll en closed w ith a substan tialston e w all
,and there are som e thriving tre e s about it ;
but in the inter ior i t is sadly n eglected, and th e ground iscovered w ith n e ttle s and other n oxious w e eds, w ith quantitie s of rubbish lyin'
g about,probably th e rem ains of the
old Parish Church, th e last rem nant of w hich on ly fe llabout tw enty years ago .
A great m any very old ston e s, too Old to b e read,and
som e very old se t dow n,particularly those of the Leslie
fam ily . The ir Fam ily vault is a dark and very curiousplace , w ith a Cross ove r the door - way, evidently thus a
pre- Reform ation structure .
There w e re several Bishops of the Dioce se interred here ,and pe rhaps by digging about the site of the old Church ,the ir m onum en ts m ight still b e found am ong the rubbish .
The othe r m onum ental table ts are not ofgreat age , n o r ofany very great in terest but it m ay b e prope r to n otice a
few of them,as throw ing som e light on parochial history.
None of the old landed fam ilie s of the parish -
”
appear tohave had the ir burial - place here . The Le slie s of Fin
drassie had for a long tim e the ir place of interm ent in then orth aisle of St. G ile s’ Church in Elgin ,
and on ly usedth e churchyard of Spynie latterly. The ir tom b is in a
very negle cted state but the m onum ental table ts on thew alls are still entire and legible ; som e of them on thefloor are m uch covered w ith dust and earth, and illegible .
EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF SPYNIE. 1 3 9
I. Hic dormiunt in Christo, Duae Nobiles Robertas Leslie ,Dom inus de Findre sy, ejusque conjunx JonetaElphinstone , illeobiit 22md Sept , anno 1588. Illa E . R. 0.
Grip Fast— Disce m ori— Causa causit.
Rob ertus Le slie,Comitis, qui filius olim ,
Rothusiae fuerat simul, e t suavissim a conjunxElphinstoniisoboles herois , conduntur in antro,Hoc licet Obscuro celebres pietate supersunt
Hos quondam binos Hym enaeus junxit in unumCorpus, e t his vivis semper una voluntas,Unus am or, domus una fuit, nunc lum ine lasso,Una duos iterum condit libitina sepultos.
SUB SPE.
”
II. Here lyes the bodie of M istress Isabella Leslie , LadyeBurgie, who departed this life the l oth ofJanuarie , 1 688 .
NOTE— She was the second w ife of Robert Dunbar of
Burgie , who died in 1 69 0, and the second daughter of RobertLeslie
,third laird of Findrassie , by his w ife , Isabe l Forbe s,
daughter ofAbraham Forbes of Blackton .
III. Here lyes the bodie of Mistress Margaret Ayton ,Lady
Bishopm iln ,w ho departed this lyfe the ninth day of Septem
b er, 1 714, aged 56 years.NOTE— She was w ife of Alexander Dunbar of Bishopm ill,
and conn e cted w ith the Le slies through h er husband.
IV.
’
H ere lye s Ab raham Leslie , Esquire of Findrassie , whowas he ir-m ale of George , 4th Earl of Rothes, his Lordshipbe ing father of Robert Leslie , the first of the fam ily of Fin
drassie . He died at Findrassie House , 26th May, 179 3 and
to the m em ory of an affectionate husband this m onum ent ise rected by Mrs. Jean Le slie , his w idow .
V . This stone is e rected by Charles Leslie,in m em ory ofhis
m other, Margaret Gordon , lawful eldest daughter of Charle sGordon ofGlengerrack, and relict ofJohn Leslie ofFindrassie ,who died 26th December, 1 764, aged 67, a lady who was
esteem ed in life , diligent and active in her friendship, generousand disinterested, a tender and affectionate parent, benevolentand liberal to all
,and at death a pattern ofpatience , fortitude ,
and resignation and her children ,Margaret, who died in the
7th year of her age and Margaret, who died the 5th year ofher age and Jean ,
who died also in the 5th year of her ageJam es, who died in nonage . Also in m em ory of the aboveCharles Leslie
,and his spouse
,Margaret Macandrew .
1 40 EPITAPHS OF LESLIES OF FINDRASSIE AT SPYNIE.
VI. Erected by Charles Leslie , Esquire , in token of respectto the m em ory of Margaret Macandrew ,
his spouse who died1 l th July, 1 79 6, aged 79 , a w om an of solid sense
,
'
s1mple m an
n ers, sincere piety, and virtuous conduct.Precious in the Sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
VII. On a flat stone in th e Findrassie tom b is th e follow ing in scriptionHere lyes Mrs. Margaret Leslie , aunt of Sir John Leslie of
Findrassie and Wardes, Baronet. She departed this life at
Findrassie House, on the 1 3 th of May, 1 8 1 1 , aged 86 ; and
this m onum ent is placed here to her re spected m em ory bydirection of her nephew .
A. M . L. M.
IX. Here lye s Wm . Navchtie and Jannet,lawful children to
\Villiam Navchtie and Jean Stronach, in Bvrnside . Said\Villiam died l oth May and Janet the last of July
,1 679
And though after my skin w orm s de stroy this body, In myflesh shall I se e God.
”
M em ento m ori.
X. In an old tom b,at the east end of the churchyard,
are the follow ing inscription s .
H ic jacet in Spem beatae re surrectionis, VIr vere pius e t probus R.D.M . Sam ue l Tulloh, Spyniensis Eccle siae, Vigl lantissimus
quondam pastor ; qui placidissim e in Christo, Obiit 1 1 die
Nov’b ris, circiter hor . 1 2 m erid,ann . Dom . MDCCVI.
,aet . LXXV.
,
ct officn ibid fideliter adm inistratiXLVI. Ne c non pia e t pudicaElizabetha Gordon ,
un ica ejusd. conjunx chariss. cum tribuseorund. filiabus virginibus Agneta, Marjoria, e t Joanna.
III quorum om niam piam gratam m em oriam , hocce m onum entum ab ipso praestruct . m em oralia ut e hac inscriptione
denique exarand. ejusdem , et m onum ent circum dat extruend,
curavit Alexr. Tulloh , predict. Samue l e t Elizab . filius unicus.
Translation byMonteith.— He re lies, in hopes of a blessed
resurrection,a m an , truly good and pious, Mr. Sam ue l Tulloch
,
lately m ost vigilant pastor at Spynie , who died m ost pleasantly in Christ, upon the 1 l th day of November
,about 1 2
hours m id- day, in the year 1 706 ; of his age 74, and of hisoffice , happily adm in istered, 46 . As also the pious and chasteElizabeth Gordon ,
his only and m ost beloved w ife,w ith their
thre e daughters, virgins, Agne s, Marjory, and Jean .
For all whose pious sake and m em ory, Al exander Tulloch,only son to the said Mr. Samuel and Elizabeth, caused this
142 EPITAPHS OF REV. MESSRS. BROWN AND MAGHARDY.
XXI. This is burial- place of John som etim e farm er in
Spynie , who died 1 742, and Barbara Shaw , his spouse , whodied 1 754, and John and Jannet, ther children ,
“
who died innonage . Jam es, the ir son ,
som etim e farm er in Spynie , who
died 1769,and Barbara, the ir daughter, placed this stone .
XXII. David Bege and Agne s Ritchie , 1 746 .
John Ritchie . Isobel Bath.
XXIII. This stone is placed in m em ory of Jam es Paul,
som etim e farm er in Burnsford, and Janet Forsyth, his spouse ,who died the 6th ofMarch
,1 750, aged 2 3 years.
XXIV. This stone is placed in m em orie ofWilliam Gregor,som etim e farm er in Rosehaugh , who died 5 1 764
,and
his Spouse , Marjorie
XXV. This stone is placed here by Beatrix Johnson in
m em ory of John Harper, hir husband, som etim e farier in
Blackadit, who died the 12 March, 1 79 9 , aged 24 years.
XXVI. Sacred to the m em ory of the Rev. Alexander Brown ,
late m inister ofSpynie , who died on the 8th January, 1 8 14, inthe 53 rd year of his age and 2 1st of his m in istry. Also ofIsabella Ord
,his spouse , who died on the 1 1th ofAugust, 1 8 3 4,
aged 70years and of Williamina, the ir infant daughter, whodied on the 4th De cr.
,1 807, in the 3 rd year of her age .
XXVII. To the m em ory of the Rev. George Machardy,m inister of the gospe l at New Spynie , who died 15th Septr.
,
1 717, aged 42. This stone is erected by his affectionate w idow ,
Margare t Sm ith.
XXVIII. Sacred to the m em ory of William Turnbull,Esq.
,
late surgeon in the H.E.I. Company’s service,who died at
Aldroughty the 8th ofApril, 1 864, aged 71 .
The above tomb has upon it the follow ing m ottoe s —On the
south side Death Pursueth on the w e st Side Tim e
Fle eth on the north Side Conquer Eternity ; and on the
east side Mynd Mortality, w ith the usual emblem s,viz
Ske leton ,Bell, Coffin , Sand Glass, Kn ife in Hand, Crown ,
Skull,and Cross Bon es.
XXIX . On a tom b, w ith a handsom e railing, aboutth e cen tre of the churchyard
,are the follow ing inscrip
tion s
(On a flat stone on the floor of the tomb) —1 . H ic requie scuntreliquae piae castaeque Katharinae King, uxoris Mri. Gulielm i
PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS’ EPITAPHS AT SPYNIE. 143
Dougall, ecclesiae Spyniensis Novae pastoris, quae Obiit, 26Septem b ris, anno Dom in i MDCCLIV.
,aetatis suae LXV . Atque
e orum filia Elizabetha, quae Obiit Martie XIII. , MDCCXXVI . ,ee tatis suae m ense XVI. Ipse autem Obiit Octob ris die XII.
,
MDCCLXVI. , aetatis sues anno LXXXIII.
XXX. On five m onum ental table ts,on the wall
Heu quanto m inus e st cum reliquis
Versari, quam ve strum m em im sse .
1Vithin this tomb lie interred the rem ains of the late Revere nd Mr. Robert Paterson
,who was tw enty- tw o years Minister
of this parish, and died upon the 3 1st July, 1790, in the 56th
year of his age . He was em inent for the faithful discharge of
his pastoral office,and as a husband and father he was n early
as perfect as hum an nature w ill adm it.Here also lie the rem ains of Alexander Paterson , his third
son , who survived his father only nine m onths, having diedupon the 1 3 th April
,1 79 1
,in the 1 7th year of his age , after
having fin ished his academical studies. He was snatchedfrom this transitory life to the inexpre ssible grief of all
his re lations.XXXI. Here lie interred the body of Margaret Collie ,spouse of Mr. Robert Pate rson, Minister of New Spynie , and
only child ofMr. William Collie , late Minister ofDrainie , and
Margaret Mackenzie,his spouse . She w as a dutiful w ife
,an
affectionate m other, an exemplary Christian . H er soul hasbe en early rem oved from this earth to bear only felicity, andher body rests in hope of the prom ised re surrection . Thism onum ent is erected to her m em ory. She died July 23
,1 782,
in the 3 4th year ofher age .
XXXII. Consecrated by the Revd. Jam es Paterson , Ministerof Birn ie
,to the m em ory of his brothers— Mr. William Pater
son , who died 5th April, 1 829 , aged 59 ; and Doctor Robe rtPaterson , who , after tw enty years
’ service in India,
and when on the eve of returning to his native country, died atCalcutta on the of December, 1 829 , in the 48th year of
his age . Also sacred to the m em ory of the Revd. Jam esPaterson
,Min iste r of Birn ie , whose benevolent life adorn ed
the doctrines which he taught. Born 1 3 th April, 1 778 died2 3 rd February
,1840.
XXXIII. In this tom b lie interred the rem ains of the Revd.
John Paterson ,who was Minister of the Gospe l at Auldearn
,
from 1 79 4 till 18 1 3,when ‘he died in the 4l st year of his age ,
an accomplished scholar and an eloquent preacher . H is char
144 EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF SPYNIE.
acter was adorned by integrity, candour, and benevolence , stillm ore than by those attainm ents.Here also
,in the grave of her parents
,lie s his sister
,
He len ,spouse of the Revd. Thom as Macfarlane of Edinkillie ,
who was endeared to her friends by every am iable virtue . She
died on the 7th April, 1 8 10, in the 3 4th year ofher age .
This stone is placed by the ir brother, Dr. Robert Paterson,of the Bengal M edical Service
,as a m em orial of their virtues
and ofhis affection .
XXXIV. Th e Re v. Jam e s Paterson ,late Min ister of
Birn ie , rem oved this ston e from Drainie in 1 8 3 9,for pre
servation, the old Church be ing ruin ous
In this church lie interred Mr. Hugh Anderson ,longMinis
ter of this place , and Margaret Munro, his spouse as also Mr.
Wil liam Collie , his imm ediate succe ssor, and 27 years Minister,who died April 2 9 , 1768, in the 73 rd year of his age ; andMargaret Mackenzie , his spouse , who died April 27 1 773 . Of
these valuable persons, it m ay truly b e said that they acted inthe ir several stations as faithful m inisters of the gospel, goodm embers of society, and upright Christians.This m onum ent is erected to the ir m em ory by Margaret
Collie , only child of the tw o last nam ed, and spouse of Mr.
Robert Paterson ,m inister ofNew Spynie .
XXXV. On a n eat upright stone , near the centre of the
churchyard, is inscribedIn m em ory Of John M ‘Kimm ie , Esquire , late Provost of
Elgin born 4th October,1 789
,died 26th February
,1 856.
XXXVI. Nearthe above is a flat stone in scribedThis stone is placed here by Archibald M ellis, farm er in
Kintrae , in m em ory ofhis spouse,Ann Falconer, who died 7th
December, 179 7, aged 44 years. In m em ory also of Jane'
Mellis, his e ldest daughter, who died 8th August, 179 1 , aged17 years ; also of A lexander and Janet Me llis
,his children
,
who died in the ir nonage .
NOTE— The above stone , I suppose , refe rs to the m othe r,brother, and two sisters of the late Mr. Jam es Me llis
,long
tenant of the farm ofSpynie . (1 3. Y. )
XXXVII. In a tom b,towards the east end of the
Church , is a table t to the m em ory of the late ReverendAlexander Sim pson ,
Min ister of th e parish,and his w ife ,
as follow s
1 46 PROPERTIES IN THE PARISH OF ALVES.
b y Thom as Randolf,Earl of Moray, to that ten
ant ’s an ce stor in that land . A rem arkable evi
den c e this of th e ben evolen ce and goodne ss Of
that fam ily,in c ontinuing th e farm ers In the ir
tenem ents from on e generation to another for
above 400 years .
Close by th e Church is Kirktown,th e seat of
Harry Spen s,D .D .
,and of his fam ily for several
generation s . We st from which is Ernside,which
had be en succ e ssive ly the heritage of the Cum
m in e s and MacKenzie S for som e c enturie s,and
n ow is th e property of Mr . Spen s of Kirktown .
In th e n orth part of th e parish, n ear th e coast,is
Coltfie ld, form erly pertain ing to William Brodie,
grandson of th e fam ily of Brodie , upon whose
death w ithout issue , th e lands reverted to that
fam ily, and now they are th e property of Jam e s
Brodie ofBrodie , and of Watson of We sterton .
We stward is Hem prigs , which , w ith th e lands of
Kilbuyack in th e m iddle of the parish, was th e
heritage , for several gen eration s , of a bran ch of
the Dunbars . Kilbuyack was sold to Brodie of
Lethen ; and Sir William Dunbar of Hem prigs
dying w ithout m ale issue,and hiS 'daughter and
he ire ss m arrying a son ofSir Jam e s Sutherland ’s,
the honour of Barone t,obtain ed on the l0th of
April,1 700
,cam e to his brother Sir Robert ,
father of Sir Patrick of Bow erm aden , who died
w ithout m ale issue , and th e lands of Hem prigs
w ere purchased by William Daw son ,Provost of
ORIGINAL IDEA AS TO THE ERECTION OF ALVES. 1 47
Forre s,and w ith his tw o daughters c o - he ire sse s
c am e to Alexander Tulloch of Tanachie , and
Alexander Brodie ofWindyhills . Windyhills , inth e w e st end of th e parish
,was long th e heritage
of th e Dunbars . From them they w ere purchased
by Fran c is Brodie (son'
of John,a natural son of
David ofBrodie ) , whose grandson John , wh o died
a captain at Carthagena in 1741,having n o issue
,
disponed his lands to Maj or Ge orge Brodie, son
to Milntown ; by whose de ath , in jl 748 , they cam e
to his brother Alexander Brodie of Windyhills,the fourth in de scent from David Laird ofBrodie
,
wh o is now Baron ofWindyhills and Hem prigs .
ALVES.
[Sitaatiom Soil, Clim ate .
— The parish ofAlve s, skirtingalong the w e stern Side s of Dufl
'
us and Spynie , com prehends the w hole breadth of th e cham paign of Moray
,
from th e firth to the bottom of th e m ountain , which in thisquarter
,ranging along th e north side of the vale of Plus
carden ,divide s it from that lim b of the parish of Elgin.
It is one peculiarity of this parish, that although it hasno stream naturally sufficient to turn a comm on corn - m ill
,
ye t the tracts ofa great r ive r rem ain m an ife stly e vident,
alm ost ove r all its length . It m ay b e deem ed perhaps abase le ss speculation to pre sum e
,that the valleys w hich
the r ive rs now occupy w ere not m iraculously form ed at
the creation ,for th e reception of the ir w aters, but have
been gradually hollow'
ed out by the natural action of
the ir re spective stream s. It require s an exertion of th e
im agn ation to conce ive the whole country w ithout valleys,un iform ly e levated to th e leve l of the low er hills, and
,
instead of th e great r ivers, num berless small stream s only,m ee ting into o ne alm ost by acc idental congre ss, in the
trackle ss w aste of unconsolidated , bare , oozy m ud, w henGod said at the first
,
“Le t the w aters under the heaven
148 THE DALEs o r ALVES ; CASTLE OF ERNSIDE.
b e gathered toge the r into on e place , and le t the dry landappear.
”
Although this m ight b e in general pre sum ed to havebeen the case , its application in any one particular instancem ay still b e difficult. It require s no comm on exertionof th e m ind, even in idea, to repre sent this country beforethe excavation of the Moray Firth
,w hen the highe st lands
ofBirn ie w ere continuously conj oined w ith the Sutherlandhills
, and no sea intervened betw een Dun can ’s bay and
Pe terhead ; but that the rive r Varrar,rece iving th e w aters
w hich n ow constitute the Ne ss, Nairn ,and Findhorn ,
in
its course,m e e ting w ith the Spey also from the south, and
the Conan from th e n orth,boiling in rapid eddie s around
th e Kn ock ofAlve s , rolled in one vast volum e along th eside of the hills of Enzie and Cullen , and discharged anim m en se cataract of extrem e ly turbid w ater far eastwardin the Ge rm an ocean . But having con ce ived this idea,it w ill n ot b e difficult to suppose , that th e river of Findhorn
, at a pe riod m uch le ss rem ote , m ight have w indedam ong the dale s ofAlve s, through th e lake ofSpynie intothe sea. Be side s the evident ve stige s of its tract w hichrem ain
,its m em ory is still distin ctly pre served in the
nam e of th e old Castle of Ern side, w hich in thosedays de corated its banks ; it be ing w e ll know n ,
thatth e Erne is the proper appe llation of the r iver ; w hileth e farm upon the lake of Inchstellie pre serve s also ,by its nam e
,the m em ory of its once pen insular situa
tion : and it could neve r have be en em bosom ed by anyother river.
Th e parish is n early a square of 5m iles,presenting a
surface con siderably dive rsified by sloping,and by leve l
plains and gently - sw e lling em inence s . It is far frombe ing so un iform ly plain as that of Drainy or Dufl
'
us ,
although a great proportion of its surface is counted leve lland . The soil is distinguished for its fertility, be ing a
deep fat loam incum bent on clay, in a very few place son ly ofa lighter quality : it produce s crops of oats, valuedin particular for the ir slow and late ripen ing, be ing found,upon the w arm er sandy soils of the n e ighbouring parishe s ,to increase the luxurian ce of the stem and th e w e ight ofthe grain .
State of P rop er ty — George Fo rteath ,Esq ,
has built aspacious and splendid house upon his property of New
150 THE KNOCK or ALVES ; THE CASTLE o r ASLEISK.
bers of the National Church are 103 0, about 50 Seceders,and 3 0Episcopalians .Miscellan eous Inform ation — The pe ople are indus
trious,sobe r
,and regular in the ir attendance on th e
public in stitutions of re ligion ,and m ore than equal to
the ir n e ighbours in know ledge and information .
The con ical hill of the Knock of Alve s term inate s a
low ridge on the southern quarte r of the parish . It isseparated from the ridge that ranges through the parishof Spynie only by a narrow gap . In both are inexhaustible quarrie s offre e - stone , e qually fit for m ill - stone s andfor building.
In the w e stern end ofthe parish ,there i s a large c ircular
pile of stone : it has n ever been exam ined : no nam e or
c ircum stance concerning'
it is kn ow n . Som e Danish axe sof uncom m on form have be en found in a tract of peatm orass in the vicin ity ofErneside .] (Survey of the Province ofMoray.)[The on ly re lic offeudal tim e s is the Castle ofAsleislo,
on the Earl ofFife ’s prope rty ] (ED.)
EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF ALVES.
[By the great charter of Bishop Brice , w hereby hee stablished th e use of Lincoln in the dioce se , Alves ,along w ith Llanb ryde , are gran ted and erected in to a prebendary to b e the seat ofthe Precen tor. This w as about1 208 . Dispute s arose betwe en the Precentor and Succentorin regard to the boundarie s of the parish , w hich w as
determ ined by a m utual reference in 1 3 28 . The nam e of
the Pre centor at this tim e w as Roger de Inve rnis .
In 1567 Jam e s Spence , vicar of Alves , w itne sse s a feucharte r by Jam e s Thorntoun ,
the last Pre centor ofMorayof the glebe of the parish .
In 1565 John Watsone , m inister of Alve s, along w ithJohn Robison
,m in ister ofUrquhart
,are threatened w ith
the censure of the Church for leaving the ir Churche s, andin 1567 w e have Patrick Balfour
,m in ister. Th e old
Church , long'
dem olish ed,contained m onum en ts of anti
quity, though som e are now lost ; fragm ents oftw o , w hichse em ed to have form ed part of th e floor, ye t remain .
Vir. Valterus. troup. portion . alter illos conjugis
25th Die Decem b ris anno Dom ini 159 8 .
EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF ALVES. 151
11 . Here lyes ane honorable man John Dassol.111 . Under this stone lye the bodie s of Jam e s Russel, farm er
,
som etim e in Mortown ,who died the 6th ofMay, 1 6 9 1 , and also
Jam es Russel, farm er, som etim e in Mortown , his cousin ,who
died Octob er, 173 1 , and Jean Kellie , his spouse ,who diedMarch,
173 3 , and Jam es Russel, their son ,farm e r som etim z in Easter
Alves, who died May 10, 1 742, and Jean Anderson,his spouse ,
w ho died August, 1717.
IV. Here on part of the wall of the old Church is the tombstone ofBeivald Inne s, who was e jected after the Revolution .
He was m inister from 1 677, and died 1 722.
It is in Latin ,on a curious sort of red ston e . From its
difficulty to decipher, Ihave n ot set it dow n here .
V. John . Laing. som etim e who . died. January.
1 3 . 1720. Laing. who . died. the . 6 . 1 73 0. and. his.spouse . Margaret. Petrie . died. October. 14. 17
VI. Here lyes the body of John Anderson , som etim e in
dueller in East Grange , who died the 23 ofDecember, 1723 ,and Isobe l Cumm ing, his spouse , who died the 10 ofDecember,1727 and Margaret Thane , spouse to John Anderson , in EastGrange , she died the 9 ofDecember, 173 4. John Anderson ,
the ir son,placed this stone in m em ory of his parents and his
beloved spouse .
VII. Here lyes the body of Jam es William son,som etim e
farm er in Mostown ,who died Nov. , 173 1 , and his spouse ,
Elspet Lyn ,who died July, 173 1 , and their daughter, Isobel,
who died in her nonage .
VIII. Here is laid till the com ing of Christ the bodies ofWm . and Allex. Forsyth, som etim e induellers in MountAuchry, and George Key, who lived in Coltfield, and died17 Feb . ,
1742, and his spouse , Barbara M ill, who died 1 2thNovember, 1752. Interred here is the body ofJohn Key, andhis w ife , Margy. Forsyth, som etim e due llers in Coltfield, and
the ir son, William Key, farm er in Dufl'
us, who died* and
his w ife , Em ily Sutherland, who died Mar. 1 808 .
IX. H ere ly the bodys ofAlex. Funister,late farm er in the
Ries, w ho died 26 of July, 1767, and his spouse , Ann Russ,who died 1 6 July
,1745, and the ir son ,
William Funister,died
22 July, 1779 .
X. This stone is placed here in the burying- place ofWm .
Leim ,farm er in Coltfie ld, by Janet Chrystal, in m em ory of
Never inserted.
152 EPITAPHS IN ALVES ; THE PARISH OF KINLoss.
John Chrystal, her brother, who died October 1 6, 1759 , aged22 years.XI. Mrs. IsaM ‘Lair
,wife to the Rev.Mr.William Sm ith, min
ister at Alves,lies buried here . Here lie s interred the body of
th e Rev. Mr. William Sm ith, late m inister of Alves,who died
26th Jany.,179 2, aged 46 years.
XII. This stone is erected byPitir Ross, m ason at Burghead,in m em ory ofhis parents, Hugh Ross, who lived in Alves, whodied April the 6
,1780, aged 69 years, and his spouse , Jean
Davidson , who died*
XIII. Hear lys the body ofThom as Cobban , som etim e residenter in Monauchry, who died the 1 8 May, 1786 , aged 9 8years
,and his Spouse , Margt . Young, who died 7 Nov.
,1801 ,
aged 76 years ] (Rev. J . B. Craven’
s Epitaphs.)
THE PARISH OF KINLOSS .
That is,th e head of th e Loch or Bay, from th e
burgh ofFindhorn ,runn eth w ithin land am ile and
a half,and n e ar a m ile in breadth . Here th e river
Erne em ptie th into th e firth . It rise th in the hills,
betw ixt Badenoch and Strath erick,and w atering
Strath ern and th e Streins from south w e st to
north east,at Doulasie
,in th e parish ofArdclach
(a bridge of tw o arche s was built in th e year
thenc e it runn eth n orth , and after a c ourse
of m ore than 3 0 m ile s, enters into th e b ay of
Kin loss . The parish of Kin loss lieth on th e e ast
side of th e bay .
Th e Church stande th n ear th e head of th e bay,about 2—1
2m ile s w e st from Alve s , m ile s n orth
ofForre s,and n ear 3 m ile s north ofRafford . At
th e m outh of th e b ay is Findhorn ,or Inverern ,
a
Never inserted.
154 STATE OF PROPERTY IN THE PARISH OF KINLOSS.
are n ow th e property of th e e lde st daughter of
th e late Al exander .
The south end of th e parish w as Abbey land ,now th e property of Dunbar of Grange
,except
th e Struthers sold to Colon e l William Grant of
Ballendallach , about 1 73 0. On th e bay of Kin
loss,Lethen has a salm on fishing .
KINLOSS.
[Situation ,Soil, Clim ate — Th e parish ofKinloss lie s on
th e w e stern side ofAl ve s, and m ay b e regarded as o ccu
pying the w hole breadth of the cham paign ; although a
corner of Alve s is protruded for a little w ay along thebottom of the m oun tain ,
and in this'
quarter the m oun tainside itse lf, alm ost w holly cultivated
,appe rtains to th e
parish of Rafl'
ord. Be ing only form ed into a separateparish in the year 1 657 the nam e of th e Abbey, situatedat th e head of the b ay ofFindern , becam e readily that ofthe parish . It is a flat coun try, alm ost a square of 4
m ile s . In som e place s the soil is light sand ; in others,r ich de ep clay and fertile loam ; an incohe rent peat earthis the surface soil of m any hollow lying fie lds : but thew hole
,w hen properly cultivated, produce s luxuriant crops
of every kind of grain . Most of the springs have som e
m ineral taste , and the w ate r i s,in general, b ad. The air
is Sharp and dry : supposed to gen e rate rheum atism and
cutaneous distem pers am ong th e people , w ho are obligedto support its m ost unfavourable influence s.State of Pr op erty.
—The parish appertain s to four proprietors. General Sir He ctor Munro of Novar has the
barony of Muirtow n , value d in the county Ce ss - Bookat £1 859 14s . 8d. Scots . Miss Brodie of Le thin has Kin
loss and East Grange . at £109 1 Is. 4d. General Jam e s
Gran t of Balnadalloch has Struthers, New tow n ,and
Winderlaw ,at £475 53 . 4d. : and the rem ainde r of the
parish is the property of Lew is Dunbar, Esq , of Grange ,at £29 7 17s . 7d. , m aking th e w hole valued rent equalto £3 72 3 1 8s. 1 1d. Scots. The greater farm s vary fromabout 100 to 1 3 0 acre s , w hile som e of the least are
SEA TRADE OF THE VILLAGE OF FINDHORN. 155
only from 5to 6 . The average rent by th e acre is from1 88 . to £1 4s .,
though there are som e which let at £2 2s .,
and a sm all part has risen to the rate even of£3 the acre .
The whole number of the farm s am ount to 40.
Th e village of Findhorn , on the e state of Muirtow n ,at
the influx of the r ive r Findern , properly the Erne , intothe Firth
,m ay b e considered as th e Port of th e town of
Forre s,and partly ofElgin also.
Four ve sse ls,from 9 0 to 1 3 0 ton s burthen ,
are em ployedin the London trade to this Port, and to those ofCrom artyand Inve rne ss conj oined ; on e afte r another generally ar
r iving be tw e en every third and fifth w e ek , and com ple tingfive or six voyage s in the year. An inconsiderable quantity of dyed threads
,m anufactured in the village a
proportion of th e grain of the country ; and th e salm onof the r ivers ofNaim and Findern ,
w ith a sm all quantityfrom the upper fisherie s of the Spey, com prise the goodssent to London . The salm on is sen t in vesse ls appropriated for that article , put on board in the offing, and reachm arke t com m only be tw e en the 5th and 9 th day. From2500 to 4000 kits
,bringing from 1 68 . to £1 10s. th e kit in
London , com prehend th e yearly quantity.
The article s brought back from London are sugar, tea,hops, porter, and che e se , silk, w oollen ,
and cotton cloths,hats, ribbon s, and buttons, hardware , household furn iture ,tann ed leathe r
, and grass se eds .Three ve ssels
,from 70 to 9 0 ton s burthen ,
are em ployedin the trade from Le ith
, and the other ports in the Firthof Forth , to the sam e place s, com pleting the ir voyage snearly in the sam e tim e . The only article carr ied out isgrain , generally about 3 000 bolls in the year , in cargoesof 3 00 or 400 bolls : in som e years
, 7000 or 8000 havebeen shipped : but th e failure of the crop 178 1 , from an
exce ssive drought, and a shake by a storm of w ind, required an im portation of 2000 bolls while the crop of
1782 required a supply of no le ss than 8000 bolls fromfore ign Ports .The goods brought from Le ith yearly consist of a con
siderab le quantity of tanned leather,soap
,tallow
,and
grass seeds, fore ign bar iron , and m anufactured iron fromCarron , farm utensils , and furn iture , bottle s, w indow and
crystal glass , English and Scots stonew are , English hardw are , and the m anufacture s of th e loom s of England,
156 IMPORTS AT THE VILLAGE OF FINDHORN.
Glasgow , and Paisley. Win e s,im ported by the m er
chants of Forre s and Inverne ss from the place s of the irgrow th to Le ith , m ake a part of the fre ights of the seve sse ls
,there be ing n ow se ldom any w ine im ported
dire ctly he re . Sm all quantitie s of spruce or black be erm ade at Dantzick are also forwarded from Le ith. The
ships em ployed in fre ighting the corn bring in yearlyabout 1 00 ton s ofScots coal
,and about 6 tim e s as m uch
from Sunderland, avoiding New castle on account of theduty paid to th e Duke of Richm ond on coals shippedthere . With the coal, there i s occasionally a sm all quantity of l im e brought for m anure
,and about 1 3 0 ton s of
salt from the differen t saltw orks of the Firth . Many passengers sail in the se ve sse ls both to and from Londonand Le ith .
Tw o ve sse ls are gen erally em ployed in bringing flax,
tow ,fore ign bar iron ,
hard'
and soft soap, rope s and dre ssedhem p from Aberde en . The flax is dre ssed , and only sentdow n by the m anufacturers of that city to b e Spun ,
aboutElgin , Forre s, and Nairn ,
w hich it is supposed w ill am oun tto m ore than £2000 sterling yearly, for Spinn ing the yarnre turned from th is Port. The se ve sse ls generally com ple tethe ir voyage in th e course of eve ry six w e eks
,and occa
sionally carry back sm all quantitie s of flour and a few
othe r article s.Sm all quantitie s of yarn
,m anufactured from hom e
grow n flax,are sent also by Le ith for the Glasgow
loom s ; and sm all quantitie s of butter by private ordersfor particular fam ilie s . The pier is comm odious, butrather too lim ited ; ye t the harbour is capacious and safethere w as always sufficien t depth ofwater on the bar, and
scarce ly any ve sse l w as ever dam aged in ge tting over it.Of late , the channe l has been altered even for the be tter,and ve sse ls ofalm ost 3 00 ton s can easily get to the pierat stream tide s. The Act of Parliam ent for building itw as obtained by Sir Hector Mun ro in 1778 . The dutie sofanchorage w h ich it allow s are , for every ve sse l under 6tons
, 3 d.- be tw e en 6 and 15ton s
, 6d.
— from 15to 3 0 ton s,
1 s.
— from 3 0 to 50 ton s, 2s .—from 50 to 75 tons, 3 3 .
from 75to 100 ton s, 4s .—from 100 to 150 ton s, 5s.
—from150 to 200 ton s
,6s.
—from 200 to 3 00 ton s, 7s.— and
for 3 00 ton s,and all above that, 8 8 . The dutie s on goods
shipped and landed vary w ith the differen t com m oditie s.
GEORGE’
s YARD PART OF KINLOSS ABBEY.
bre thren at Elgin earne stly de sire , that the pre sbytery layto heart, w hat th e seque l w ill b e , see ing, by the unan im ous con sen t of the w hole heritors of the adjacent lands
,
and of all the m em bers of the Pre sbyterie s ofElgin and
Forre s,it is agre ed that there shall b e a church and par
ticular parish erected for Kin loss and the people thereabout, w ho are now alm ost w ithout the m eans of the
gospe l.”
On the con sequent application of the Pre sbytery, Mr.
Brodie declared, “ it w as again st his w ill that the se stone sw ere taken away . An agreem ent w as how eve r m ade
,
that Sir John M‘Kenzie ofTarbe t,the proprie tor ofMuir
tow n,should give up his claim on Ge orge
’s Yard,
”a part
of the p recinct of th e Abbey ; and that the Pre sbytery,w ho claim ed the w hole pre cinct, should renounce all pre
tence to any part thereof, as lawfully rede em ed by Lethin,
who,having acquired the Abbey lands from Lord Kin loss,
e ngaged on his part to give a suffic ient glebe , and stationfor a m anse , Off his lands ofKinloss, and also to build them an se and church by the m oney h e had re ce ived for thestone of the Abbey. At a subsequent m ee ting of the
Pre sbytery, the w hole proprie tors agre ed on the ir particular proport ion s of a stipend of£22 5s . and 3 chalde rsof bear, and the expense of the Com m un ion, from the
tithe s of the ir re spe ctive lands w ithin the new parish .
The proprie tors also of the lands rem aining in the parishofAlve s, agre ed to m ake up the proportion of£5sterling,and 1 0 bolls, form erly paid to the m in ister of Al ve s, fromthe lands taken off that parish ; ofwhich Sir Robert Inn e syounger of Inne s, w h o in the in te rval had acquired th ebarony of Muirtown ,
out of his fre e donation and gift,e ndow s £2 l os . by th e year
,for the paym en t w he re of h e
doth oblige him se lf and his he irs, to em ploy £41 1 3 s. 4d.
in th e hands of re sponsal debtors,by the advice of the
Pre sbytery of Elgin ,and the m in ister of Alve s ; and to
pay £2 108 . yearly, so long as it rem ains in his ow n or
foresaid’
s hands. The other £2 l os. and the 10 bolls,
w ere apportion ed on th e lands w ithin the parish ofAlve s.The m in ister ofRafl
'
ord w as com pen sated by the ann exation of th e parish of Altyr, w hich had be en in comm odi
ously un ited to Dollas, th e stipend ofw hich was supplied,by conj oining the lands ofKille ss from the parish ofElgin .
It w as not , how ever, till the year 1 659 , that the settle
SETTLEMENT OF THE FIRST MINISTER AT KINLOSS. 159
m ent of Jam e s Urquhart, th e first m in ister of Kin loss,
took place ; w ho in a few m onths thereafter at tended a
m ee ting of the Scots Parliam ent at Edinburgh , w ith SirRobert Inn e s, and Mr. Fullerton , the m in ister of Rafford ,and obtain ed the National ratification of this whole procedure by the Act March 20, 1 661 , “
which ratifie s andconfirm s th e Act and ordinance of th e Pre sbyte rie s of
Elgin and Forre s, w ith con sent of all conce rn ed, of dateth e 6th of May,
1 657 ; but appointing the stipend of
Kin loss to b e £20 sterling, and 4 chalders of bear, including the expen se of the Comm un ion . Upon the de ath of
the usurper in th e succeeding year, and th e re storation of
Charles II.,the Pre sbyte rian Church of Scotland w as
com plet e ly ove rturned and abrogated, and the Pre laticconstitution arbitrarily and violently re - im posed. Butthat there hath been an e ccle siastical e stablishm en t ineve ry civilized state , Gentile , J ew ,
or Christian ,the his
torical re cords of all age s show ; and it m ay b e from the
Scripture s inferred, that this is by the De ity required ofall who have been favoured by the ligh t of Reve lation .
Although it m ay n ot b e obvious,that the Pre sbyterian
e stablishm ent is particularly by the Scripture s enjoined,
ye t the expe rience ofm ore than 1 00years hath fully concurred to show , that it is by m uch th e be st for a peoplew ho in general are far from opulent. In struction in thedutie s of m orality and re ligion is not lost am idst th epom p and Splendour of exte rnal w orship : and w hile thec le rgy are not raised above the requisite intercourse w iththe low e st of th e people by pow er and dign ity, and temporal w ealth , the ir learning, m anners, and rank in socie tyassociating them w ith the superior orders of th e State ,form the link by which the highe st are conn ected w iththe low e st, affording the reby th e m utual com m un icationof those advantage s for w hich each of those classe s isdependen t on th e other. Accordingly, there is n o stat e
w here the comm on people are of m ore de cen t m anners,
better inform ed, and m ore atten tive to the dutie s of
m orality and th e ordinance s of re ligion .
The se advantage s, how ever, are the purchase of m uchof the blood, and of alm ost the w hole of the treasure
,of
our ance stors, and w e re only secured by m any hard con
tention s w ith m ost crafty and desperate efforts of uncon
stitutional pow er, con tinued by the m ost unre lenting
STATE ECCLESIASTICAL OF KINLOSS PARISH.
persecution of every rank and of e very sex for alm osthalfa century. At the conclusion of such a distre ssfulseason
,th e State e ccle siastical could no t at once assum e
that com e ly orde r to w hich it has now attained ; and forthe first 1 2 years of th e pre sent Pre sbyte rian e stablishm ent, the num ber w as so few of faithful m in isters
,that,
except parochial se ssion s, the Pre sbyte ry of Moray was
the on ly e ccle siastical jurisdiction in the Province . In a
m e e ting ofw hich at Forre s in June 1702, they w ere thenfirst able to m ake up thre e Pre sbyte rie s
,one com prehend
ing those of Inve rn ess, Naim , and Forre s ; anothe r Elgin,Ab erlaur, and Ab erne thie ; and that ofStrathbogie nearlyas it has sin ce rem ain ed, and in consequence of this theSynod for the first tim e m et in the m onth of Octoberthereafter .
In 1708 the Pre sbyte ry of Forre s,w hich is now to b e
considered, w as first e stablished,w hich until th e year
173 3 com prehended also the parishe s of Aulde rn,Nairn
,
and Ardclach .
The stipend of Kin loss, by de cre e t 178 9 , is £46 88 . 3 d.
—56 bolls of bear, and 40 bolls of oatm eal. The right ofpatronage is shared betw e en the Earl ofMoray and MissBrodie ofLethin . The salary of the School is £2 1 6s. 4d.
,
and 7 bolls and 3 pecks of bear, and £2 as the fee of the
se ssion - clerk ,w ith th e custom ary due s of from 40 to 60
scholars . The num ber of poor on the parish roll in the
year 1776 w as 3 4 ; th e supply raised for the ir provisionw as £6 1 1 8 . 6d. In the year 1786 they had increased to57, and th e fund has also risen to £ 17 l 0s . 2d. In 179 6
the num ber had fallen dow n nearly to th e first statem e nt,
be ing on ly 3 6, and the fund on ly decreased to £1 2 9 s. It
is w holly form ed by th e con tributions of the people at
the ir m e e tings for social w orship in the Church , the hirethey pay for the pall, and such fine s as the Se ssion can
exact for imm oralitie s. The m em bers of the NationalChurch am oun t to 1 02 3 : the re are about 9 Secede rs ofthe An tiburgher sect, and 2 of the Nonjuror Episcopalianprofe ssion .
Miscellan eous Inform ation — A slip, or ridge ofgroundalong the shore on the w este rn side of the rive r Erne
,
appertain s to this parish and to the e state ofMuirtoWn .
About 100 years ago , th e rive r, sim ilar to w hat has beenm entioned of th e anc ient term ination Of the Spey, and of
1 62 LAW- PLEA ABOUT A CORROSIVE BEAT - Moss.
the landlord and his tenan ts, even for the duration of the
current lease s ; but after th e comm encem e nt of the litigation
,it w as found this fue l had such an offen sive sm e ll ,
and corrosive pow er on kitchen utensils of copper and
iron, as to b e absolute ly im prope r for any dom e stic
purpose . This peat w as found at 2 or 3 fe e t unde r thesand, no t in a continuous b ed
,but in d e tached banks, as
if covered by sand w hen form erly used, in a period beyondthe rem em brance of th e passing generation .
Within the Bay, n ear the course of th e r iver,is th e
yaar, probably the yard fishe ry,principally of salm on
It 1 8 an enclosure , form ed of stake s wattled w ith tw igs orbrush w ood. At high w ater, the fish sw im over the fence ;but
,heedle ss of the gradual reflux of the tide , the ir re treat
cut off, they are left gasping on th e sand. This fishery issupposed to have be en the device of the bre thren of th e
Abbey. On its dissolution,the yaar was acquired by the
com m un ity of Forre s,and w as then placed a m ile n earer
to the tow n,and still pays 4s. 4d. of the stipend of that
parish. The ve stige s of three different“yaars” m ay b e still
traced on the sands. From 8 to 1 2 barre l of salm on usedform erly to b e the produce ; and it was let at the ren t of£6 in the year ; but the proprie tor
’s e state afforded w oodfor its repair
,of w hich at pre sen t no ve stige rem ain s .
The yaar therefore is not kept in very good repair, and itis supposed to b e injudic iously placed . It has accordinglyfailed m uch in its re turn s
,w hich probably w ill not b e
recovered, till th e rising plan tations afford m aterials athand for its n e ce ssitie s. On som e occasion s, herrings, butrare ly, have been found inclosed.
How far the industry and device ofm an,in conjunction
w ith the ravage of the fish upon each other,and on the ir
re spective roe s, m ay tend to dim in ish the ir num bers on
th e whole , seem s as yet to b e m ore apprehended thanasce rtained . A sm all prem ium for the de struction of the
m ore voracious kinds upon the coasts of Britain m ight b eperhaps no t improperly conj oin ed w ith the prohibitorystatute s re specting black fish ] (Survey of the Provin ceofMoray.)
HOUSE OF TANNACHIE; ESTATES OF LOGIE AND COTHALL. 1 63
Next southward is
THE PAR ISH or FORBES,
Far- uis,i.e .
,near th e water . The parish ex
tendeth from th e Bay ofKin loss southw ard upon
the river 3 m ile s , and from the e ast to the river 2
m ile s . Th e town standeth 2 m ile s north - w e st of
Rafford,1 —19m ile s south of Kin loss
,and 2 m ile s
e ast from Dyke . It is situated in a pure and
whole som e air, on a rising ground
,sloping to
the south and north,and c omm andeth a charm
ing View of th e Firth and th e adjacent c ountry.
It c on sists of one stre e t from east to we st ofw e ll
built and conven ient house s .
In the m iddle standeth th e Tolbooth , adorn ed
w ith a ste eple ofm odern w ork and a c lock .
Near th e w e st end standeth th e Church , and
beyond it th e Castle Hill,which
,w ith som e lands
about it,has be en th e property of th e Dunbars ,
Sheriffs ofM oray,Since about th e ye ar 1450, and
be longs now to Sir Jam e s Grant ofGrant .
In the parish to landward th e House ofTanachie
standeth at th e head of th e Bay, th e seat ofAlex .
Tulloch of Tanachie , whose fam ily have enj oyed
the se lands above 250years . A part of the lands
ofTanachie have late ly be en sold to Urquhart ;and Loggie
,in th e south of th e parish
,form erly
the property ofTulloch of Tanachie,now be longs
to Sir Jam e s Grant of Grant,and is called Cot
hall. Here there are a neat house and valuable
1 64 PROPERTIES IN THE PARISH OF FORRES .
im provem ents . Near to Tanachie is Bogtoun ,
th e sm all heritage of a cadet ofTanachie ’s fam ily .
Close by Bogtoun is We st Grange , a part of th e
e state ofDun bar ofGrange . To th e w e st of th e
town is Bennage th ,a sm all feu be longing to
Al exander Le sly ; and w e st there of is MundOle ,which has often change d m asters
,and n ow per
t
tain e th to Sir Jam e s Grant of Grant . Be low
MundOle , on th e side of th e river,is th e Grieship ,
purchased by David Laird ofBrodie from Suther
land of Duflus about th e year 1 620,and is now
th e property of th e Laird of Brodie . It was
anc iently a part of the e state of Lauder of
Quarre lw ood, whose he ire ss brought it to Chis
holm,and his he ire ss to Sutherland . A half
m ile south of th e town is th e House of Sanob ar,the seat of Duncan Urquhart of Burdsyards .
This is an anc ient bran ch of th e Urquharts of
Crom arty . I find in an indenture betwe en
William Thane of Calder and Hutcheon Rose ,Baron of Kilravo ck,
dated at Forre s 21 Jun e ,1482 ; Alexande r Urquh art of Burdsyards is a
w itn e ss . Th e fam ily is still in a flourishing w ay.
We st of Sanob ar are th e lands of Benn eferry,
Cno ckom ie,and som e others be longing to th e
fam ily of Moray.
[For Sw eno’
s Stone se e Military HistOry] (ED.)
FORBES.
[Situa tion ,Soil, Clim ate — The parish of Forres, south
ward of Kin loss, stre tche s across the plain ,rather from
1 66 OLDEST CHARTERS OF FORBES DESTROYED BY FIRE .
the ir horse s, are enabled to pay this enorm ous price forland. In the country part of the parish the average rentw ill not exceed £1 108 . the acre .
Forre s is a handsom e , w e ll - built tow n— the high stre etfrom east to w e st about one m ile in length— near th e
m iddle is the town - house and jail, a pretty high squaretow er, and a kind of tim ber spire . It is not known whenit w as e re cted into a royal burgh . The charter grantedby Jam e s IV .
, dated June 2 3 , 1 49 6, narrate s That th eanc ient charters have be en de stroyed in the tim e ofw ar,or by the Violen ce of fire , and grants of n ew in fre e
burgage w ith the lands form erly be longing to the com
m un ity, particularly the lands called Griveship, Baillielands
,Me ikle Bog, w ith the King
’s Meadow ,Lob ranstow n
,
w ith Crealties and Ramflat,and comm on pasturage in the
Fore st ofDrum ondside and Tulloch ; w ith pow er annuallyto e lect a Provost
,Bailie s, and other m agistrate s and
officers necessary, and to con stitute the Provost and
Bailie s Sheriffs w ithin the burgh and its l ibertie s, anddischarge the Sheriff of the shire of Elgin and Forre s, toexercise his office w ithin the said burgh or its liberties ;w ith pow er to have a cross
,a w eekly m arke t
,and an
annual fair to continue for e ight days, w ith all and sundryothe r privilege s and imm un itie s ofa free burgh, the .
”
The num ber of the Counc il is 17— Provost, Bail ie s,Dean ofGuild, and Treasurer included . The old Councilchoose s the new , and the new Counc il chooses th e m agis~trate s, and puts them off
, or continue s them , as \ they se e
cause . The burge sse s, inhabitants, or proprie tors in the
coun try, m ay b e chosen into the Council, tim e ly n oticebe ing given by the drum and othe r custom ary advertisem en ts. The revenue is nearly £100 sterling a year
,and
w ith the tow ns of Nairn,Inverne ss, and Fortrose in the
county of Ross,has a repre sentative in the House of
Comm on s.State Ecclesiastical — Th e yearly value of th e living is
9 8 bolls of bear,20 of m eal , and £40 l 6s. 8d. sterling,
w ith a glebe of4 acre s,and a m an se and office s in tow n .
The Earl ofMoray is patron . The burying-
ground is onthe north side of the stre e t
,near the w e st end, whe re th e
Church also stands— a heavy building, w ithout a ste eple .
It was built in 1 775, and is 72 by 3 6 fe e t w ithin w alls ,and m ay contain people . The m em bers of the
STATE ECCLESIASTICAL OF FORRES. 1 67
Established Church are about from w hich there isonly to b e deduct-ed a few Se ceders, who are no t increasing.
The provision for the poor arise s chiefly from the charityof those w ho attend the Church. Mr. Alexander Watt
,
the last m in ister, left a donation to the poor of about£200 ste rling. The w hole ,
w ith the sum of £15, be ingthe in tere st ofm oney left under the direction of the Tow n
Council, and divided am ong the poor w ithin the tow n ,
am ounts to about £55 sterling a year, and is distributedam ong 1 25person s, m any of whom are heads of fam ilies .The re is a Grammar School in the tow n
,w he re Latin ,
Gre ek, French, and the various branche s of the m athem aties
,are at pre sent taught w ith great success, and a
young gentlem an m ay have board and education for £20a year. To this th e school for reading English , w riting,
and arithm e tic, has been of late conj oined, under the careof the sam e m aste r, assisted by an usher. The conj oinedsalary is equal to £3 5 sterling yearly, and the fe e s ofgenerally m ore than 100 scholars, beside s those girls w hoattend at a Stated separate hour in the day.
There is l ike w ise a boarding school for young ladies ,where the various bran che s of n eedle - w ork
,m usic
,and
other parts of fem ale education are taught. The m istre sshas a salary from the town of £1 6 a year
,and a young
lady m ay have eve ry requisite accom m odation for £15 a
year. Music is taught for 2 guineas a year, gum - flow ers
for 4 guin eas, tam bour for £1 , and plain w ork for 108 .
Particular atten tion is paid to th e m orals,and to im pre ss
th e m inds of the young pe ople of both sexe s w ith propersentim ents of honour and discre tion ; and from the abilitie s of the pre sent teachers, and th e atte ntion paid by theMagistrates, and the healthy situation of the town ,
thereis n o t anywhere , perhaps , a m ore e l igible place for theeducation of youth . Be side s the se e stablished schoolsthere are private teache rs both for girls and boys, tow hom som e sm all donation s are also m ade by the Magistrate s for the ir encouragem ent. In one th e pianoforte ,and som e of the other branche s of fem ale accom plishm ent,are taught for half the due s of the public e stablishm ent.Miscellan eous Inform ation — There are in Forre s 60
m erchants and shop ke epers. The only m anufacture scarr ied on are for the supply of the tow n and its Vicin ity,e xcept the spinn ing of lin e n yarn
, w hich has for 20years
1 68 TRADE OF FORBES ; FINDHORN RIVER AND BAY.
back brought a con siderable supply of m oney into thec ountry. Th e m erchants are in the use of buying th eyarn and sending it to Glasgow ,
w here there is a readysale
,un le ss the m arket b e overstocked w ith Irish yarn ,
w hich on ly on account of its cheapn ess is at certain tim e sprefe rred. But since the year 1 784 this trade has be e ngradually de clin ing, ow ing to the in crease of the num berof m achine s for spinn ing cotton ,
and m any of thoseform e rly em ployed in spinn ing yarn for sale n ew spinDutch flax for the m anufacturing com pan ie s ofAberdeenand Inverne ss . In th e year 1 784 one m erchant sent
Spindle s to Glasgow ,colle cted in Forre s and in its
vicin ity,th e othe r dealers in this article sent about
47,000, w hich , at the rate of 2s. fOI spinn ing producedsterling .
The River Findern and th e brook at Forre s are th eo nly stream s in the parish . The fish found in th e Rive rand Bay ofFindern are salm on ,
trout, e e ls, and flounders ;
haddocks are got in the firth, and sold in the tow n and
c oun try around . The quan tity of salm on exported fromForre s, upon th e average of the ten years from 1773 to178 3 , w as 3 00 barre ls yearly, be side s the hom e consum pt,not very con siderable . It is sold at 4d. the lb.
The River Findern is navigable for boats n o farthe rthan the tide flow s. The distance from the tow n to theharbour doe s no t exceed thre e m ile s, and the tide flow sm ore than half that distance , an d the low ground at the
bottom of the em in ence on w hich the tow n stands doe sn ot exceed the leve l of half tide by 14 fe e t, and thatdepth of canal w ould carry ve sse ls to the tow n
, and the
canal w ould b e kept clear by th e brook . There is hardlyany place , ther
°
efore w h eIe there is m ore encouragem en tto m ake a canal , didthe com m erce of the tow n require it .The flux of the tide covers a triangular pie ce Of ground ,the Bay ofFIndhe rn w holly dry at low wateI, except thechann e l of the rive r, and a little Space at the in le t ; itc on tains about one thousand acre s of a stiff clay soil, distinguished by the epithe t of carse ground, a part, how ever,be ing a fine com pact sand , w ith light particle s of earthdeposited by the floods . All this m ight, at an expen seinconsiderable com pared w ith its value , b e easily re coveredfrom the sea
,a b ar of sand stre tching acIoss the m outh of
the Iiver w ould prevent the violen ce of any surge upon
170 ST.
‘LAURENCE’S CHURCH ; TRAFALGAR MONUMENT.
River Findhorn,sw e eping round from the south - w e st
,
form s an e stuary w ith the sea. Findhorn , the sea- port ofthe burgh , lie s on th e n orth point of this e stuary, 3 m ile sdistant, and the ruins of Kinloss are situated on t he
m argin of the w inding bay.
The town consists of one long stre e t, extending fromeast to w est, w ith lane s o r closses runn ing off on eachside . On the east is the Cluny Hill, a conspicuous object,w ith a tow er on the summ it.In the centre of the town is the new jail, a very hand
som e structure recently ere cted. Th e old jail, w hichoccupied the sam e position ,
was built about the year
1 700, and 20years afterwards , by the subscription s of th espirited burgesse s, four pyram ids, and a central dom e w itha clock, w ere added.
The Church , at the w e stern extrem ity of th e m ainstreet, is a plain building [having a double be lfry, contain ing tw o poor be lls, good enough for such a m eagre
e stablishm ent. The form er Church of St. Laurence w ason this stance ]Ande rson ’s Institution
,
"éan educational e stablishm ent
for the youth of the burgh, is a neat and comm odiousstructure
,e rected w ithin the last 20 years from a fund
left by a native of th e town .
The Trafalgar Monum en t, an octagonal tow e r of thre estoreys, and 6 6 fe e t in he ight, w as built on the ClunyHill by subscription in 1 806 - 7, in m em ory of Lord Ne lson ’s naval victory. It contains seve ral apartm ents, w herean ann ive rsary dinne r is he ld to comm em orate th e eventw hich gave rise to its erection . [The first room has a rece sscontaining a m arble bust ofNe lson. Th e other flats areem pty. Outside on pane ls are carved In m em ory of
Adm iral Lord Ne lson . Nile , l st August, 1 79 8 ; Copenhagen ,
2nd April, 1 801 ; Trafalgar, 2 l st August,The View from the top of this [octagonal] tow er em brace sthe richly w ooded and fe rtile plains to the w e st, throughw hich w inds th e Rive r Findhorn,
the undulating hills tothe south , a large open country to the east, and th e bluewate rs of the ocean flow ing up on th e north , b ounded inJonathan Anderson disponed in 18 14 to the Magistrates
and Council of Forres his lands ofCowlairs, near Glasgow , for
a Fre e Charity School for the parishes of Forres, Rafford, andKinloss. (ED. )
THE CASTLE HILL,FORRES. 17 1
the distance by the Sutherland and Ross - shire h ills , andthe tw o Soutors w hich guard the e ntrance to the Bay of
Crom arty,form ing a com bination of rich and varied
Scenery, w hich few situations can rival.The Castle Hill is a gre en m ound at th e w e stern te r
m ination of the town,surm oun ted by a few dilapidate d
w alls,the on ly rem ain s ofwhat m ust, at one period, have
be en a bold and state ly Castle— a place of defe nce and
safe ty, and frequently the abode of Royalty. It is saidthat afte r the foul m urder ofKing Duffus w ithin its walls,it w as dem olished. In the course of tim e , how eve r, itm ust have be en rebuilt. In 1 3 46, Randolph, Earl of
Moray,date s his charte rs from it. During som e sub se
quen t period, the Urquharts of Crom arty w ere appointedheritable keepers of it. In stil l later tim e s it becam e th e
property of the Dunbars ofWestfield [who for 3 00 yearshe ld the office of hereditary Sheriffs of Moray, and hadthe Castle as the ir official residence ] It passed into th eposse ssion of th e Earl ofSeafie ld [and is now the proper tyof Sir Charle s Rode rick MacGregor, London ] Like th eCastle on Lady Hill at Elgin ,
it was in all probability a
strong square tow e r w ith battlem en ts, and a m e at sur
rounding it , and serve d as a place of defence and safe tv
during those turbulent periods.[The ruin s w hich occupy the centre are no part of the
old Castle , but are the abortive attem pt ofWilliam Daw son ,
Provost of Forre s,about 171 2, to build a tow n - house ,
w hich neve r reached beyond th e first storey. The apartm ents are arched and lighted w ith sm all square w indow s.w hich had bee n guarded by iron stanchions, w hich havebeen taken away ; and although a coating of grass andm ould protects the arche s , they are rapidly yie lding to
de cay. The foundations of the Old Castle , w hich w ere of
m ore exten sive proportions than the stance of Daw son’
s
Tow n - House , w ere exposed w hile the slope s on th e n orthw e st w ere be ing planted w ith trees som e years ago .
On the leve l space be tw e en th e ruins and the w e sternm pe of the Castle Hill, stands an Obe lisk of Pe terheadgranite , 65 fe e t high , erected by public subscription in
1 857. The reason of its e rection here is that the proj ectors , having been refused a suitable Site in Dr. Thom son ’snative town ofCrom arty
,his friend , Sir C. R. MacGrego r ,
who took a leading part in the subscription for th e Monu
1 72 DR. THOMSON ’S OBELISK ON THE CASTLE HILL, FORBES.
m en t,m ade offer of a site on the Castle H ill of Forre s ,
w hich w as accepted by the subscribe rs .The w e ste rn face of the die bears this in scription :
To the m em ory ofAssistant- Surgeon J am e s Thom son , bor na t Crom arty on the 8th March, 1823 , and deceased in the
Crim ea on the 5th of October, 1 854. He was w ith the 54thRegim ent at Malta in 1 850
,when th e cholera broke out, and
shortly proved fatal to all the surgeons of the corps, him selfalone excepted. The skill, fortitude , and human ity displayedby him in arresting the progress of that disease gained for himthe praise of the Comm ander- in -Chief. H e was present withthe sam e regim ent at the Battle of Alm a in 1 854
,and a few
days afterwards,when the British w ere leaving the field, he
volunte ered to rem ain behind w ith 700 desperately w oundedRussians. Isolated from his countrym en , endangered by the
vicin ity of large bodie s of Cossacks ill supplied w ith food, ande xposed to the risk ofpestilence
,he succe eded in restoring to
health about 400 of the enemy,and embarking them for
Odessa. He then died from the effects of excessive hardshipsd privation . This public m onum ent is erected as a tribute
o f respect for the virtue of an office r whose life was useful, andwhose death was glorious.
Opposite the gate by w hich acce ss is got to th e CastleHill is Auchernack Cottage , be longing to the Misse s Grant .Here form e rly stood the humble dw e lling of Jam e s Dick ,
th e founder of“ The Dick Beque st.” He left his native
parish in early life and w en t to Am erica,where he
a ccum ulated a large fortun e , and at his death in 18 28 h ebequeathed by w hich . the parochial schoolm asters in th e countie s ofAberde en , Banff, and Moray e achrece ive from £20to £3 0 yearly. The Beque st is m anagedby the Society of Writers to th e Signe t, Edinburgh .
Dick ’s father w as a shoem aker and leather m erchant, anda burge ss and burgh - heritor, own ing a c lose of house s andre siding in the front one , w hich w as an unpretending bu tand a ben ,
w ith open fire - ingle . Above the door was a
fre e stone linte l,w ith th e in itials A.D. , ED ,
for AlexanderDick and Elizabeth Dick— the fathe r and the m othe rw ith the date 1742. The linte ls and rybats of the doorw ay w ere , on th e dem olition ofDick’s house , care d for byJ ohn Miller of the Forr es Gazette, w ho had them builtinto th e w all of th e Clunyhill Cem e te ry, in his own fam ilyburying-
ground, for pre servation . Also in his printing
174 THE WITCHES’ STANE, CROSS, AND MEDALLION .
lips. You should b e wom en and yet your beards forbid m e
to interpret that you are so.
Macbeth — Speak, ifyou can what are you !Ist Witch — All hail, Macbeth hail to thee , Thane ofGlam is.
2nd Witch.—All hail,Macbeth hail to thee , Thane ofCawdor .
3 rd Witch — All hail, Macbeth !that shall b e King hereafter
The Witches’ Stan e, on the roadside in a ditch to theeast of the tow n
, indicate s where one of thre e w itche sthat w itched King Duffus was burned and buried . Whenthe adjacent house ofBronte Place w as be ing built, or as
others give out, w hile the turn pike road was in progre ss,the w orkm en broke this Ston e and had part of it builtinto the house , w hen the town speople , discovering th evandalism caused it to b e clasped w ith iron
,in w hich
state it still rem ains . Other tw o Stone s have long sincedisappeared.
At the old Toll Bar,the Cross form e rly stood
,whe re is
th e base or socke t of the Little Cross ofForre s .About 1 790, in leve lling and paving the stree ts of
Forre s, there w as found near the Cross, a good depthunde r the sand, a Medallion ofa com pound substance andchocolate colour, about 2% inche s diam e ter, and g of an
inch in thickn e ss. On the one side s tood an e legantfem ale figure , like an arm ed godde ss, b ut rather in a civicRom an dre ss, having in h e r hand a jave lin or lance ,
reve rsed, w ith its point touching the earth . She stoodbetw e en two altars. On the one there seem ed to b eincen se burning, and on the other a dish like a Rom an
fercu lum or plate for food. On the back -
ground of thisside was an im itation of on e or tw o distant fleets, and theinscription on this Side w as CONSERVAT UTRAMQUE, i.e . ,
she preserves each. On the othe r side,tw o w arriors in the
Rom an dress (the short tun ic of on e of them se em ing tob e party - coloured
,by a fain t appearance of chequering)
w e re in th e act of leaping on w arl ike instrum en ts or
trophie s on a globe . Th e inscription upon this side wasDUBUS PRJELATA TBOPAIIS. It w as im agined that theartist had by m istake put Duras for Duris, because , w ithsuch a sm all change , th e tw o inscription s spoke sense and
gramm ar,and chim e d in to one hexam e ter verse z— CON
SERVAT UTRAMQUE ; DUBIs PRE LATA TROPAEIS. It se em ednatural to suppose that the fem ale figure , w ith her lancepoin ted dow n
,w as an em blem of peace , w hich had pre
DRUIDICAL BULLET- SHAPED STONE FOUND AT FORRES. 175
s erved two fle ets and nations, and that the invaders andinvaded had m utually pre served the ble ssings of peace tothe ir hard- w orn trophie s , and sealed the ir treaty of am ityby such offerings on the altars as w ere suitable to the irm ode s ofw orshipThis Medallion w as transm itted to the Secretary of the
Soc ie ty ofAn tiquarie s, Edinburgh , reque sting the opin iono f that body ; but they took no notice of this curious re lic ,probably because they could not.Had it be en found n ear Sw eno ’s Stone it m ight possibly
have been conn ected the rew ith .
A bulle t- shaped Stone , w e ighing seve ral cw ts., w as
found at Bahill, Rafford, w hich was given to Mr. Matthew sby a form er gen eration ofhis fam ily. On leaving Forre sfor Argyleshire he handed it to the Museum . This relicis of hard gran ite , w ithout a single scar. Local antiquarie sOpine that i t w as conn ected w ith the w orship of the
Druids— such be ing in the vicin ity of the ir altars ; suspected culprits having been placed in a cradle on its top.
If the cradle rocked on the stone , the victim w as adjudgedguilty ; if it did or w ould no t rock, re lease en sued ] (ED.)The scenery on the Rive r Findhorn is by far th e fine st
in Moray. This m ountain - river take s its rise in the
Monad - leadh Hills,and traversing a country of 60m ile s in
dire ct extent, increased by its w indings of 3 0m ile s m ore ,it fall s into the Moray Firth. In its course to the sea its truggle s on through m any Opposing barriers of gran item ountain s— rushing through the se narrow gorge sw ithboiling and tum ultuous curren t— now reposing its still watersin som e round sw e eping dark pool, and now patiently butassiduously w earing its w ay through the dark red sandstone cliffs w hich jut out from its chann el, or w hich range
in laye r above laye r,form ing high barriers on its banks,
w hile plants and shrubs, and lofty tre e s
,crow n and
e ncom pass th e ste ep he ights, and contrast fine ly the irvariegate d gre en w ith the de ep red of the cliffs on w hichthey grow . Here , w here in som e ove rshadow ed de lls thesumm er sun w ith difficulty penetrate s
,is the solitary
abode of the eagle or falcon , or the eyrie s of the congregated heron , thickly perched am ong the tree s w hileduring the hot noon, the ascending salm on rest by dozensin the de ep dark pools.As the stream w inds tow ards the sea its course becom e s
176 PROPERTIES IN THE PARISH OF RAFFORD.
le ss interrupted and boisterous ; it n ow sw e eps alongfertile m eadow s and w ooded copses, till at last all opposition giving w ay,
it flow s out a broad, still, and placidexpan se ofwater, and m e e ts the tide s of th e ocean halfw ay up the sm ooth sandy b ay. A low and leve l districtsurrounds the e stuary of the FIndhorn and during th eever m em orable floods of August, 1 829 , such w as the
Iapidity ofthe rise of the stream,n ow sw e lled in to another
Am azon,that the w hole plain to the n orth and West of
Forre s becam e on e sea of w ate r, so that a large boat, infull sail
,sw ept along the fie lds to w ithin a few yards o f
the burgh] (Rhind’
s Sketches ofMoray.)
THE PARISH OF RAFFORD
Lieth south - east from Fon e s . Th e Church
stande th ne ar the c entre,2 m ile s south - east of
Forre s,and 5m ile s n orth - e ast ofEdinkyllie . In
th e n orth - e ast end is th e barony ofBurgie , and
th e seat of Joseph Dunbar ofGrange,a branch
of th e Dunbars of Mochrum . Mr . Alexander
Dunbar,De an Of M oray (and ve ry probably son
of Mochrum ) , was on e of th e Lords of Se ssion
ann o 1567 (And . COL) . He m arried Katherin e
Re id,daughter of Thom as and n ie c e of Robe rt
Re id , Abbot of Kin loss,and Bishop Of Orkn ey
,
and w ith h e r ge t a part of th e Abbey- lands,such
as Burgie , Grange , (950 . His son Thom as Dunbar
w as father ofRobert ofGrange by a first m arriage,
and of Robe rt of Burgie by a se cond . About
1 680 (Burgie having run deep in debt to his
c ousin ) , Grange got posse ssion of Burgie by ad
judication,and m ade it his se at . Be low Burgie
lieth Tarras , which (w ith Clun ie in th e uppe r end
178 ALTYRE ; BUBGIE CASTLE ; BLERVIE TOWER.
Lucy,e lde st daughter of Sir Ludovick Gordon of Gor
don ston,through w hom
,on the death of Sir William
G ordon in 1795, the e state of Gordonston devolved on
Alexander Penrose Cumm ing of Altyre , w ho thereuponassum ed the nam e and arm s of Gordon ston ,
and w as
created a Baron e t of Great Britain in 1 804, and died in1806 . He w as succeeded by Sir William Gordon GordonCumm ing, 2nd Bart. ofAltyre and Gordon ston
,w ho m ar
ried a daughte r ofCam pbe ll of Islay, and grand daughtero f the 5th Duke ofArgyll. Sir William died In 1 854
, and
was succe eded by his son ,Sir Alexander Penrose Gordon
Cumm ing, 3 rd Bart ,w ho was born at Altyre in 1 8 1 6 .
In 1 845h e m arriedAnne Pitcairn Cam pbe ll , on ly daughterof the Rev. Augustus Cam pbe ll , Rector of Liverpool. On
Sir Alexander’s death at Edinburgh in 1 866 , the pre sen tBarone t, Sir William Gordon Gordon Cum m ing, succe ededto th e title s and e state s
,he being then in his 1 9 th year.
Burgie Castle is a striking fabric , con sisting of a squaretow er of six storeys, built in 1 602 , n ow situated in the
garden of an adjoin ing . m an sion of thre e storeys, picture squely built partly from the stone s of the Old castle in1702. The shrubberie s and tre e s are beautiful. Dr.Wm .
Gordon,M.D., occupie s Burgie House .
Burgin frequen tly occurs in the Registrum EpiscopatusMoravien se. It w as attached to the Abbey of Kinloss.Alex. Dunbar was the first laird of th e e state ofBurgie ,w ho m arried Katherin e Re id , the n iece of Robert Re id
,
the last Abbot. The date 1 662, w ith the arm s and in itialsof the se Dunbars, are . cut on the chim ney - piece of the
hall. Burgie i s n ow the posse ssion of the / truste es of
Robert Tulloch , de ceased.
Blervie Castle or Tower i s about 22, m ile s south - east ofForre s, and north of the m an se ofRafford . A m ere fragm ent n ow exists
,excepting th e square tow er (containing
the staircase) of five storeys— an etching of w hich isgiven in Rhind
’s Sketches of Moray, as it stood in 1 8 3 9 .
Th e pre sen t House ofBlervie was built from the ston e s ofth e o ld castle of date 1 3 9 8— as appears from a stoneform ing part of the chim n ey - pie ce of the hall, still in th e
ruin s. The Old pile stood for seve ral hours fire - proof,w hen m any loads ofw ood and turf w e re piled around it,in order, as w as conj ectured, to ge t m ore .easy acce ss to .
the .Stone s than by punching them .down . There is n o
PARISH OF RAFFOBD ; ITS SITE, SOIL , AND CLIMATE. 179
trace of th e fam ily of Blarie,Blarvie
,Blairvie , or Ble rvie ,
farthe r back than 171 3 - 1724,w hen Alexander M‘In tosh
w as laird. William ,Earl of Fife
,purchased it at the last
date— and it is now the possession of Mr. Grant Duff,M P. for the Elgin Burghs.] (ED.)
RAFFORD.
[Situatio n, Soil, Clim ate — The body of this parish lie ssouthw ard ofForr e s, in an extension of the plain into th em oun tain , along the w e ste rn end of the hill w hich se parate s the vale of Pluscarden from the dale s ofAlve s, tow hich upon the n orthern Side of this hill a w ing of thisparish is stre tched . From the extrem ity of this w ing at
the east to the border ofEdinkillie at the w e st,the parish
m easure s 8 m ile s ; but its m ean length in this direction ,
e qual to its m ean breadth , m ay b e e stim ated on ly at th e
halfofthat exten t . The nam e in Gae lic m ay b e Rath—ard,
Sign ifying the hove l of the height, or shealing, as it isdenom inated in th e Highlands of Scotland, a sorry temporary turf cabin ,
for th e accomm odation of m ountainpasturage , having at th e first probably occupied the
station of the old tow er ofBlervie .
The face of the country is m uch diversified : a con
siderab le reach of the bottom of the valley lie s so leve l ,as easily to send a part of the water ofa sm al l lake southw ard tow ards Do llas, w here it j oin s the Lochty,
turn inge astward through Pluscarden ,
and northw ard by th e
Church to Forre s and the b ay ofFinde rn . A con side rable part of the arable fie ld lie s on the plains at the
bottom,and a great part on th e sloping side s of the hills.
In som e place s , the soil i s a de ep fertile c lay ; in others, alight burn ing sand : a black shallow soil, incum bent onrock , occupie s som e part ; and a b ed of m oorish soil
,in
m any place s so thin as scarce ly to cover the flat Slopingrocks, appears in othe r parts ; and a great proportion con
sists ofa rough brown grave l , on a bottom of sm all pebble ,so firm ly cem ented by som e m in eral
,probably iron ore ,
as to be im pe n etrable by the utm ost pow er of th e
plough . The air is rather dry than m oist, and ratherhealthful than otherw ise .
State ofProp er ty — There are three fam ily - seats in theparish . Burgie Castle , th e property of Lew is Dunbar ,
Esq ,of Grange , has be en above de scribed . His valued
1 80 STATE OF PROPERTY IN BAFFORD PARISH .
rent in this parish am ounts to £877 1 3 8 . 8d. Scots .Th e HOII. Maj or Lew is Duff, of Blervie , quitting the
anc ie nt castled re sidence of the Dunbars on the summ itof the hill, has built a handsom e m odern seat, snuglyshe ltere dn ear its w e ste rn bottom , em be llished w ith plantations, garden s, and ornam en ted grounds : the valuedren t am oun ts to £517 178 . 4d. Scots . Altyr, the fam ilyseat of Colone l Alexander Penrose Cam ing Gordon ,
is
a plain old building, w ith neat m ode rn w ings . Wide lyextended plan tation s
, a Spacious garden , and a long reachof fruit w all
, exhibit at this place utility in alliance w ithem be llishm ent : the valued rent is £676 1 3 8 . Scots. Whilethe se gentlem en thus con tribute to the im provem ent ofth e coun try at the ir ow n re sidence s
,the Earl of Moray
has done m ore than co - Operated w ith them,in th e
superior neatne ss of the dw e ll ings of his tenants at
Clun ie and Tarras, and in the im proved appearan ce of
the ir fie lds. His Lordship ’s valued re nt of the se landsam ounts to £541 1 4s. 10d .
— extending the valuation of
the parish to £26 1 3 1 8s. l 0d. Scots : the presen t real ren tis estim ated
‘
at £1800 sterling. There are several of th efarm s in the low grounds pre tty extensive but they are
of sm all exten t in the hilly parts of the parish . Makinga reasonable allowance for the value of the im prove dinclosure s in the occupation of the proprie tors, the m ean
nt is e qual to £1 6s . sterling the acre .
State Ecclesiastical — Rafford was the seat of the subchan te r in the dioce se . Of the state of the parish of
Altyr before the Reform ation,there is nothing Certainly
know n : it never had a pastor for itse lf, unde r any of the
Prote stant dispen sation s. Though apart of the parish of
Bollas, it had an independen t paroc ial j urisdiction ,the
Separate ce lebration of the sacram ents, and public w orshipeve ry third Sunday. In a parochial Visitation of the
clergy during the fervour of the Covenant, e ve rythingw as found w e ll orde red
,save that the Sacram ent had
not been ce lebrated for th e space of three years, w hichMr. Strachan the m in ister excused , by th e ign orance of
the people , on account of the distance“
of his re sidence ,
but prom ised to ‘do all h e could to prepare them for it.Altyr is w ithin tw o m ile s of Rafford, and nearly 14
from Dollas, a de sert m ountain ,often im passable , inte r
vening for half that distance ; ye t th e annexation w as
"
KIRK or RAFFORD ; SUENo’
s STONE .
m ent w as in the follow ing year conj oined w ith the san ction of the Church
,by the Act which ratifie s th e erection
of th e parish ofKinloss .-The Church at pre sen t is a m ean fabric
,but in a central
situation . The stipend is £55 1 1 3 . 1d. sterling, and 6chalders of barley, th e Com m un ion allow ance included .
The right of patronage appertain s to Miss Brodie of
Le thin . The salary of the school , exclusive of the fees
ofteaching, and the perquisite s ofth e Se ssion - Clerk,are 1 6
bolls of bear . The poor on the parish roll am ount to 40 :the tenants w ho attend the Parochial Church con tributefor the ir support about £9 sterling in the year , to w hichthere is on ly to add the intere st of £50. Th e m em bersof th e National Church are 1064, and the Se ceders are 7.
Miscellan eous Inform ation — The people , on the whole ,are a sensible , decent, and re ligious socie ty . The greatoccupation of the fem ale part is spinn ing flax raised onthe farm s, and m anufactured into she eting, diaper, and
sackcloth ; and m any of the poorer class spin the lint ofthe m erchan ts
, at l 0d. and 1 s . the spindle . This g ive sem ploym ent to 1 6 or 17 loom s in th e parish . Several ofthe farm ers also w ork up tim ber, and m ake the ir ow n
ploughs, carts, and othe r im plem ents . There is a fine
quarry of fre estone on the e state ofBurgie , to w hich th eacce ss is easy, and the ston e durable and n ot difficul t inw orking. There is also a slate quarry on th e e state of
Clun ie , le t out by the tenant of that farm to quarriers, atthe rate of 3 s . 4d. the 1000 un trimm ed slate . The notedObe lisk, called Su efn o
’
s Ston e , on th e e state of Tarras, hasbe en am ply de scribed by Pennan t and Cordin er. It
cann ot b e doubted,that it has been e rected in m em ory
of som e im portant event w hich happened before the
introduction of le tte 1 s into Scotland. It is at once a‘
specim en of hieioglyphic w riting, and a m onum en t of
the state of the arts in this kingdom in an age veryrem ote . The sculpture , if it had rem ain ed com ple te , couldno t e ven ye t b e de em ed ine legan t ; and it m ust haverequired no sm all degre e of skill to have quarried, transported
,and erected a Colum n of such he ight . Tw o cir
cum stan ces are som ew hat surprising : that cu1io sity hasnever thought of exploring w he ther anything lie s hidabout its base ; and, that regard for such a singularlysplendid Monum ent has n e ithe r induced its noble ow nei ,
ORIGIN o r THE CUMMINGS o r ALTYRE. 1 8 3
o r the gentlem en Of the county, to pre serve the figure s itstill exhibits from the effac ing influence of th e w eather ,
by such a sim ple expedient as a coating or two of pain t ;see ing the expen se ofa sm all ornam en tal building over itm ight b e deem ed too great a sacrifice to an object inw hich our ance stors on ly w e re intere sted ] (Survey ofthe Provin ce ofMoray.)
And this leads m e to speak of
THE FAMILY OF CUMMINE,COMYN
,OR CUMMING .
Cum m ine is a surnam e of great antiquity in
Scotland ; but th e origin of it is n ot agre ed on .
Som e deduce it from Hungary,others from Nor
m andy w ith William th e Conqueror ; but I
inc lin e to think that th e nam e is a Sc ottish
patronim ic .
It“
w as an c iently th e custom to assum e a sur
nam e from repute d saint s , or em inent m en ; a s
Anderson from St . Andrew ; Cuthbertson from
St . Cuthbert Catanach , from St . Catan ,&c
and th e le arned Prim ate Usher (An tig. Eccles .
Brit. cap . 15,p . 69 4 and 701 ) show s that Com in
eus Albus,anno 657
, w as th e sixth Abbot Of th el st Colum bKill ; from whom Iw oul d deduc e th enam e . And th e fre quent m ention of th e Cum
m ine s , in th e l 1 th and 1 2th c enturie s,is a
pre sum ption of a higher original than th e days of
William the Conque ror.
Th e dire ct lin e of the fam ily ofCum m ine , fromfather to son
,is as follow s Com e s Rob ertus
Cum m ine was killed in th e battle of A lnwick in
1 84 THE . BED AND BLACK CUMMINS ; LORD BADENOCH.
109 3 . His son (2) John ,whose brother William
was Chanc e llor to King David I.
,was father of
(3 ) Sir William ,wh o m arrie d Hexilda
,grand
daughter of King Donald th e Usurper,and w as
fathe r of (4) William ,Lord Cham berlain to King
Wl
illiam . His son Sir Richard,w as father of
Sir John ,th e R ed Cum m ine
,Lord Baden och ,
and of Sir Walte r,Earl of Monte ith
,and Sir
William,Earl of Buchan . (6) Sir John ,
Lord
Baden och,w as fathe r of (7) John ,
th e Black
Cumm ine,on e of th e Gove rnors of Sc otland in
1 286,wh o m arried Marj ory , sister of King John
Baliol,which w rapped him into th e Baliol inter
e st,to th e ruin Of his fam ily . His son (8) John ,
Lord Baden och , w as kille d by Robert Bruc e in
th e Church of Dum frie s,in 1 3 06
,le aving a son
(9 ) John ,who die d w ithout issue in 1 3 26 ; and
in him failed th e dire ct line of a fam ily, on ce th em ost populous and pow erful in Sc otland .
Tradition bears that th e fam ily of Altyre is
c om e off a son of th e dire ct lin e ; but at what
tim e I find n ot . They re side d for som e gen e
ration s in Strath -Dallas,and built th e Tow er
there . How e arly they assum ed th e title of
Altyre I kn ow n ot . But I find in a c ontract
b e tw e en William Thane of Calde r and Hutch e on
Rose of Kilravo ck,21 st Jun e
,1482
,Thom as
Cum m in e of Altyre is arbiter . I have n ot se en
th e w rite s of this fam ily,and therefore w ill n ot
Offer to deduce th e genealogy of it .
186 THE PARISH OF EDINKILLIFI.
Th e Chur ch standeth on a brook,c alled Duvie
[Divie] , 5 m ile s south of Forre s , 3 m ile s north
e ast ofArdc lach,and 7 m ile s n orth of Crom dale .
In th e south - east of th e parish,a part of
th e e state of Altyre,viz . ,
Ph orp ,Brylac , Dallas
brach tie,&c .
,lie in th e fac e of th e ridge of b ills
towards Strathspey We stward on th e rive r
is Sin ie,pertain ing to Jam e s Cum m in e (grandson
OfMr. David Cum m in e , m in ister at Edinkillie ) of
th e fam ily of Re lucas . Above which , on th e
river, is Logie , th e heritage of Robert Cum m in e ,a bran ch of th e House ofAltyre .
Next up th e river , and south of Duvie - w ate r ,which here
.
falleth into th e river , is Re lucas ,th e heritage of Dr . Patrick Cum m in e , m in iste r
at Edinburgh,whose fam ily have enj oye d that
e state for several gen eration s .
In t h e south end of th e parish , on a brook
calle d Dava,are th e lands of Knock , Tom b ain ,
Kerraw,&c .
,th e property of th e Earl ofMoray .
On th e w e st side of th e river Ern e , th e parish
runn e th n orth to th e gate s of Tarnua Castle .
Th e lands of Dunduff,in this parish
,w ere th e
heritage ofWilliam Falc on e r , son ofAlexander of
Halkerton and L eithin,and father of Colin
Bishop of Moray ; but n ow all this part of
th e parish is th e property of th e Earl of M oray ,and th e whole parish w as an c iently a part of that
Earldom .
From R e lucas to the S E ,on both side s of
TOWER OF DUNPHAIL CASTLE. 1 87
Duvie w ater,is th e barony of Dunphail , which
was th e heritage of Dunbar of Dunphail, de
scended Of W e stfie ld, for ne ar 250 ye ars , and
about 1 73 8 purchased by Colon e l Ludovick
Grant,brother to Sir Jam e s Grant of Grant .
The Colon e l dying in 1 742 , in th e expedition
to Carthagena, the barony is n ow the prope rty of
Sir Jam e s Grant .
[He len , 5th daughter of Sir Ludovick Grant, m arried SirAlex . Penrose Gordon Cum m ing ofA ltyre
,and th e e state
of Dunphail w as purchased by Sir Alexander from Sir
Jam e s Gran t,the above Lady He len Gran t ’s brothe r. On
the death ofSir Alexander, in 1 806, th e e state w as w illedto his se cond son
,Maj or Cum m ing, who m arried Mary
Bruce ofKinnaird (a grand - daughte r of Bruce,th e Abys
sinian trave ller) , w he n h e assum e d the surnam e ofBruce .
The Old Tow er of Dunphail Castle stands on an iso l
ated rock or con ical hill beyond the Kirk of Edinkillie ,
6 ] m ile s south of Forre s . It w ithstood a siege by Randolph
,Earl of Moray
,after the Battle of the Standard.
The m odern m an sion,in the Ve n etian style of Archite c
ture , from plan s by Playfair, w as built in 1 829 ] (ED.)
EDINKILLIE.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — This parish exte nds w e stward 1 2 m ile s from the borders ofDo llas andRafford, andas far southerly from the confine s of Forre s . It lie spartly along the bottom ,
and upon the side of the m ountain , which has be en de scribed as ranging along th e
cham paign of Moray ; from w hich circum stan ce its Scotsnam e is Br ea -Moray, that is , the acclim
'
ty of Moray.
Its ancien t Gaelic appe llation ,AODINCOILIE
,sign ifie s th e
face of the w ood and a charter from King David Bruce ,another towards the end of the 15th century, and th e
great quan titie s of oak,fir
, and othe r kinds of timber ,
still dug from the tracks of peat soil, concur to Show thatthe w hole face of th e country w as cove red w ith w ood ,
It then contained tw o royal fore sts— Drummynde , that isthe rc
'm'
son hill,now de stitute of w ood
,and Darnway ,
1 88 CUMMING o r LOGIE ; CUMMING o r RELUCAS.
s till covering alm ost 1 000 acre s. The r ive r Finderndivide s the parish for som e m iles
, and tw o of its m ost considerab le branche s have the whole of the ir course s w ithinits extent— the Duvic, that is, the blackwater , de scendingfrom th e hills w hich border upon Crom dale , m e e ts a l ittlebe low ‘
the Church w ith the Durbach, discharged from the
lake of Lochnadorb , on the w e ste rn boundary of the
parish. The se rivers are supposed by the ir rapidity topurify the air
,w hich is healthful, never tain ted by
n oxious fogs, or pern i cious exhalation s. The soil of thelow e r parts near th e r ivers is sandy
,of a light dry
quality,and fe rtile w hen prope rly m anaged ; but a great
proportion is m oorish , and exten sive m oors rem ain tob e im proved .
State of Pr oper ty — Th e parish appe rtains to four proprie tors . In a beautiful w ooded dale
,on the southern
bank of th e Findern,is th e fam ily seat ofRobert Cum ing
O f Logie , Esq ,a large m odern handsom e house of four
s toreys,w ith an e legan t pavilion roof. To th e exten sive
garden w hich his ance stors had form ed h e has added an
orchard of4 acre s,she ltered by grove s offore st tre e s, and
a w inding bank ,from eve ry adverse blast. A n um ber of
a sh tree s have shot up to the he ight of alm ost 100fe e t, but th e fruit tree s stand Open to th e re verbe ratedpow e r of the southern sun
,and in general the crop is
plentiful . The e state i s em be llished by plantation s andnatural w ood to a con siderable extent. Its valued ren tis £2 3 9 158 . l 0d. Scots.A little higher up upon the Divie is Re lucas , the seat ofB‘
re orge Cam ing, Esq ,Wr iter to the Signe t . The house is
e legant, em be llished by enclosure s, plantation s, and m anyw e ll - disposed grove s, equal in w hole to 200acre s
,am ong
w hich are interm ingled m ore than thriving oaks.Many e nchanting w alks have be en also form ed along thew inding banks both of the Duvie and Finde rn , w hichun ite the ir stream s a l ittle be low the house . The valuedrent i s £1 9 4 9 S. 8d.
The re is also som e natural w ood, and a full - grow nplan tation of fir of con siderable extent, upon the barony
-o f Dumphail, w hich , w ith th e lands of Phorp, Edinkillie ,Tulliglens, and Dallasbraugh ty,
appertain to Colone lAlexander Penrose Gum ing of Altyr and Gordonstown
,
am ounting to the valuation of £679 9 8 . 2d.
1 9 0 THE DUN o r RELUGAs, PARISH o r EDINKILLIE.
m istre ss upon the e state of Logie re tain s about a dozen .
Though pre tty num e rous in w inter, they fail greatly, 011accoun t of tending th e cattle
,in the sum m er m onths.
The w hole num ber who w ere en tered in all th e schools inthe course of the year 1 79 6, am oun ted to 200.
Th e num be r of the poor on th e roll is 3 3 , The provision for the ir support, arising w holly from the contribu
tion s of the people , w ho them se lve s are far from opulen t,exce eds not £5in th e year. The num ber of th e pe ople ,by an accurate enum eration in 179 3 , am ounted exactlyto 1 3 1 2, all m em bers of th e National Church .
Miscellan eous Inform ation .
— In the upper part of th eparish th e Gae lic language is m uch in use . About 50years ago , half the public w orship w as perform ed in thattongue and in the rem ain ing parishe s of this survey ,
Dyke and Auldern excluded,until it reach to Knockando
and Abe rlour,upon th e banks of th e Spey, that diale ct
m ay b e still accounted the m other tongue . The pe ople ,
though poor, are in gen eral hon e st, and far from backwardin extending the ir char ity. The ir ideas re spe cting re ligion are rigidly Calvin istical.The Dun or Doun of Be lugas se em s to have been a
place of defence m ore ancient than the ancient fortre sse sofLochnadorb and Dunphail. It is a conical hill. Rounda considerable part of its base , the rapid stream of Divie
occupie s a de ep rocky chann e l. The other part is guardedby a ditch equally im passable , having the side s lin ed by astrong ram part of stone
,bearing in som e parts the appear
an ce of vitrification . The sum m it, 220fee t of perpendicn lar he ight above th e rive r
,is a leve l space of 60 by 20
yards. When the coun try w as shrouded in w ood,it m ust
have be en concealed, and so far inacce ssible as to havebe en easily defended by a few . It is at pre sent occupiedon ly as nursery ground.
Sir Jam e s Gran t ofGran t has late ly form ed a new roadfrom Grantown to Elgin ,
le ssen ing the distance on the
w hole about 6 m ile s. In the course of this road, passingthrough the southern side of the parish tending to Pluscarden ,
a c ircum stan ce w as discove red, e stablishing theformation Of peat earth , from th e natural dissolution of
w ood . In cutting through a b ed of this substance , about2 fe e t from the surface , a m atted layer of th e roots of firtree s was found to have grow n upon an unde r b ed of the
ORIGIN OF THE CUMMINGS OF RELUGAS. 1 9 1
same kind of soil , w hich be ing also throw n up,a se cond
tire of sim ilar roots appeared , w hich had also grow n upona third b ed of the sam e substance , w hich der ived itso riginal from the dissolution of the tim ber which grewupon th e natural soil, the roots ofwhich in a sim ilar formrem ained in a firm sole of clay grave l, at the depth of
n early n ine fe e t from the surface ] (Survey of the
P rovin ce of ill o ray.)
THE FAMILY OF CUMMINE OF RYLUCAS OR BELUGAS .
It cann o t b e que stione d that Cumm in e of
Be lugas is de sc ended of th e fam ily of Lord
Badeno ch . It is said that they posse ssed th e
lands of Pre sley,above 3 00 years ago ; and
I think it probable that the ir anc e stor w as a
s on OfCum m in e of G len ch ernich,a dire ct branch
from Lord Badenoch . Th e lands of Be lugas
w e re purchase d by Jam e s Cum m ine of Pre sley,son to William Cum m in e of Pre sley. This
J am e s w as fathe r of a num erous fam ily,wh o
w e re m uch and justly re spe cted,and w ere firm
adh e re rs to th e re ligion and libertie s of the irc orm try,
in th e re ign s Of th e Royal Brothers .Jam e s of Be lugas w as m uch e ste em ed in th e
c ountry of Moray . He w as suc c e eded by his
e lde st son, John Cum m in e Of Be lugas . His
s e c ond son, William ,
w as Profe ssor of Philo
sophy in th e Un ive rsity of Edinburgh. John ,
the third son,was Min iste r of Alde arn
,and
Dean Of Mo ray ,a m an of great piety and bene
ve lenc e . In th e year 1 68 1 , h e , w ith m any m oreo f th e c le rgy , subscribed the Te st , w ith an expli
c ation ; but , upon refle ction,h e re tracted
, and
1 9 2 THE CUMMINGS or RELUGAs .
dem itte d his charge in 1 682 ; ye t so m uch was
h e regarded that th e Earl of Findlater,to whom
he w as re lated , called him to th e parish of
Cullen ,where h e lived undisturbed . David
,th e
4th son,w as Min ister of Edinkylie , a m an Of
such kn ow ledge and pruden c e,that his house
was a little academ y,in which th e children
of the be st fam ilie s in th e n e ighbourhood had
the ir e ducation . Patrick , th e 5th son,was
M in iste r of Orm ie ston and Dun c an,th e young
e st,w as a Doctor of Medic in e
,and w as Physi
cian to King William ’s arm y at th e Battle of th e
Boyne in 1 69 0. Afterwards h e se ttle d in Dublin,
whe re h e died in 1 724. So great w as his de sire
to propagate th e know ledge of th e Christian re li
gion that h e m ade a c ontribution in Ire land,of
which h e him se lf gave £100 St .,and upon this
thre e schools w ere e stablishe d in Edinkillie .
John w as suc c e eded by his e lde st son,Jam e s
Cum m in e of Be lugas , wh o , by Jean ,daughter
of Robert Cumm in e of Altyre,had tw o son s
Robert , his he ir , and John ,a physic ian in Irvine .
Robe rt Cumm ine Of Be lugas , by Magdale ne
Fraser,Of th e fam ily of Kinke ll
,a cade t of th e
house of Lovat , had tw o son s— Patrick,his he ir ,
and John . Robert was succ e ede d by his e lde st
son ,th e Rev. Mr . Patrick Cum m in e of Re lugas ,
D .D .,Regius Profe ssor of Divin ity and Ecc le si
astical History in th e Un ive rsity of Edinburgh ,and one of th e Ministers of that c ity .
1 9 4 THE FAMILY OF CUMMING or LOGIE .
’
Altyre , obtained from his brother, Robert, the lands‘
of
Pittyveach , in the parish of Mortlach, w hich b e afte rw ards sold
,and purchased the e state of Logie , in the
parish of Edinkillie . He was a Maj or in the Britisharm y, and a Comm issioner of Supply for the countyof Elgin in 1 678 and 1 685. He m arried Barbara,
a
daughter of Cumm ing of Birness, by w hom he had thre esons and thre e daughters, viz.
— 1,Robe rt
,his he ir ; 2 ,
William , w ho w as a Min ister of the Church of England,and had a b enefice In that country (he m arried the re , andhad a son ,
William ,a doctor ofm edic in e ) ; 3 , DaV 1d died
unm arried . First daughter, Jane , m arried to W1lliam
Sutherland ofRosebaugh second, Barbara, die d w ithoutissue ; third, a daughter, m arried to Robe rt Inne s ofMun
dole . He was succe eded by his e lde st son ,
2 . Robert Cumm ing of Logie , w ho m arried Margare t,daughter of Andrew Le slie ofGlen of Rothe s and Bogs,by w hom he had three son s— L 'Alexandcr
,his he ir ; 2 ,
Jam e s, died unm arried ; 3 , William , w ho m arried,and
had issue .
3 . Alexander Cumm ing of Logie succeeded his father.
He m arried— first, Lucy,.
daughter of Dunbai of Burgie ,by w hom he had n o surviving issue : second, Grace , e lde stdaughter of Jam e s Gran t of Rothiemurchus, by w hom h e
hadb
one son ,Robert, and several daughters. The e lde st
daughter w as m arried to John Rose ofHolm e .
4. Robert Cumm ing ofLogic, on ly son of the preceding.
He m arried Le slie Baillie, daughter of Robert Baillie ofMayville
,an Ayrshire proprie tor. Her beauty and
accom plishm ents have be en imm ortalised by RobertBurn s. By h er he had five son s and one daughter— 1
,
Alexander, his he ir ; 2, Robert, an officer in India ; 3 ,George , doctor ofm edic ine in India 4
,John
,Lieutenant
Colone l in the East India Com pany s service 5,William
,
doctor of m edic ine ; daughter, Anne , m arried— first toCapt. Fraser, and second, to Sir Jam e s Cox, M.D.
. Mr.
Cum m ing’s five son s all w ent to India, and m ost of them
died there at an early age . The on ly survivor of the son sis Dr. William Cumm ing, w ho re side s in Edinburgh , is anaccom plished scholar and the author of several literaryw orks . Mrs. Cumm ing long survived her husband, andwas m uch e steem ed for h er benevolence of character,kindne ss of disposition, and agreeable m anners.
ARDCLACH PARISH. 1 95
5. Alexander Cum m ing of Logie , w ho w en t to India,
m arried Louisa,daughter of Lieute nant - Colone l Martin
White, Comm andan t in Bengal, and had thre e daughters,
am ong whom w e re Le slie and Em ily France s. He diedat an early age . H is e lde st daughter succeeded. She
w as accidentally burnt to death , in con sequence of he r
dre ss taking fire . She was succeeded by her siste r,Em ily Fran ce s.6 . Em ily France s, m arried to Captain Valiant Cum
m ing,younger son of Sir Thom as Valiant
, w ho , on hism arriage , assum ed the nam e of Cum m ing, and by w homshe has issue . Her husband died at Bath in the year1 866, from the effe cts of an accident, having been acc identally thrown from his carriage .
Logie House is in the old Baron ial style of architecture ,and has been greatly en larged som e years ago] (ED.)
Next is
THE PARISH OF ARDCLACH,
L e,a stony high ground, on both side s of th e
river . Th e Church standeth on the south - w e st
bank ofth e river,3 m ile s south - w e st ofEdinkillie
,
9 m ile s south - e ast of Moy, and 5 m ile s east of
Calder . On th e e ast side of the river are the
lands of Ardrie,L ogic , Fe rn e s , and Aitnach
,
pertain ing to Hugh Rose ofKilravock ; and above
the se is Dunern ,th e property of the fam ily of
Brodie ofL ethin . Close by th e Church ofEdin
killie , on th e Opposite side of the brook,is Glen
e rnie,a sm all feu posse ssed for several gen eration s
by a branch of th e Frasers,de scended of Hugh
,
laird ofBeaufort , who died anno 1450. In 1526,
Dallasb rach tie, Craigroy, Glenernie [No te , the se
now be long to Altyre] , Ardrie , and L ogiegown ,
w ere the fen - property of Jam e s Dunbar ofCunzie
1 9 6 THE PARISH or ARDCLACH .
and Kilbuyack (pen . Mr . Jam e s Grant
of Ardn e llie , son of Dun can Grant of Grant ,purchased Logic and Arderie ; and his son ,
John
ofL ogic , having purchased Moyne ss , his brother
William h ad Logic,from whose he irs it c am e to
Kilravo ck. Th e lands ofFerne s andAitnach w ere
sold by Bishop Patrick Hepburn to John Wood
of Tillidcrie , wh o dispon ed them to Kilravock.
On th e w e st Side of th e river,and c lose by it ,
isDaltulick and Culm onic,purchase d from Bishop
Hepburn in 1545, and ratifie d by th e Pope ’ s bull
in 1548 . At Culm onic,Kilravo ck has built a
n e at sum m e r - house , and adorn ed th e place w ith
planting and en c losure s . North - w e st is th e
barony of Be llivat and Middle‘
Fle en cS, which ,for several gen eration s , w ere th e heritage ofRose
ofBe llivat (afterwards Blackhills) , and about th e
year 1 605w ere sold to Falcon er of L ethin,and.
they are now th e property of Brodie of L e thin ,
and SO are th e lands above Culm onic , on th e side
of th e river,above thre e m ile s . The se w ere a
part of th e e state of L e thin (Vid . Aldern . P ar ) .Th e lands of Keppernack and Boath
,in th e
south - w e st end of th e parish,and Renhir in th e
Strein s , are th e property of John Cam pbe ll Of
Calder . Ann o 1 23 6,r egni A lexander II. 22°
Alexander dc Horstrot obtain ed a charter of
Boath and Benchir (p en . and from him
th e Than e of Calder purchased it . In 1568,
Fle ene s and Keppernach was the property of Mr .
1 9 8 THE LOCH or MOY ; MOYHALL ; CHURCH - LANDS.
This leads m e to
THE PARISH OF MOY.
The un ited parish ofMoy and Dalarasie [Dala
rossie,or Dalfergussie .] May, from th e Irish
Magh, sign ifie s a m e adow or plain ; and Dale
F ergusie is Fergus’s valley . This parish stretcheth
on both side s of th e river about 15m ile s,and is
strictly c alled Strathearn [or Strathdearn ,] a partof th e anc ient Earldom ofM oray . On th e south
w e st of th e river , above the Streins , th e Davach
ofMoy jutte th north w e st am ong th e hills above
2 m ile s,in th e m iddle of which is th e Loch of
Moy, a m ile long, and a half m ile broad . He re ,
in an island,th e Lairds of MacInto sh had a
house,as yet entire , where they re side d in tim e s
of trouble . Now they have Moyhall, a good
house and c onven ient sum m er- seat,at th e w e st
end of th e loch . So rich is th e loch of de lic ious
red- be llied trouts,c alled Red- wam e s, that I have
se en n ear 200 taken w ith on e draught of a sm all
n et . Th e lands ofMoy w ere purchased from the
Bishop of Moray : and MacInto sh took a new
right from Bishop Hepburn in October,1 545(in
the posse ssion of th e fam ily of MacIntosh) .
Above Moy, on that Side of th e river,are Tom a
tin,pertain ing to a gentlem an of th e nam e of
MacQue en ; Fre e or Fore st,be longing to MacIn
tosh Of Holm ; and th e lands of Kylachie (all
holding of th e Earl of Moray) , the property of
PROPERTIES IN THE PARISH o r MOY. 1 9 9
Alexander MacIntosh of London ,m erchant , th e
9 th in de scent of th e fam ily ofKylachie . Above
Kylachie is Inverm asran,th e property of Kilra
vock,from th e year 1460.
On th e n orth east of th e river,in th e low er
end of the parish is Pollochack, th e property of
MacQue en of that plac e . Next up th e river is
Coreb ruch , th e heritage of MacIntosh of Core
.bruch ; above which is Coreb ruch MacQue en ,th e
property of Donald MacQue en ,chief of that
branch of th e Clan chattan . Som e m ile s further
up is Dclm igvie . This w as a part of th e e state
ofWe stficld, given by Sir Alexander Dunbar, to
his son David in 1495,dispon ed to Cam pbe ll of
Calder in 1 608,
-
and feued by him to Lachlan
MacIntosh of Kylachie , in 1 614, whose gre at
grandson,Donald MacIntosh ,
n ow enjoye th it .
Above Dalm igvie , on both side s of th e river , i s
th e Davach of Sevin ,which was a part of th e
castle lands ofInvern e ss (Vid . Milit. Hist ) , and
given by th e Earl of Huntley,as a part of th e
assythm ent for th e m urder ofMacIntosh in 1550,
and it is th e property ofM acInto sh .
Th e Church of Moy standeth on th e w e st
bank of th e Loch of M oy, 8 m ile s south of
Deviot,and 9 m ile s south w e st Of-Ardclach .
[Meg Hall, at the head of the loch , is a plain m odernhouse of thre e storeys, w ith w ings. The present ocenpant, Capt. Gran t, inherited it from his fathe r, Jam e sMurray Grant ofGlenm orristOn . It was indeed an hospitable hall, w hen Mr. Sutcr re scued several fam ilie s in th e
200 MOY HALL ; THE CURSE AND ROUT o r MOY.
terrific flood of 1 829 . It contain s the Sw ord of Viscoun tDunde e— as also an other given by Pope Leo X to KingJam e s V .,
and by him to the chief of the Clan Chattan .
In re counting th e Old clan fights as de tailed by SirRobert Gordon the Curse of Moy,
”as pre serve d in
song —and th e heroism of its lady and its blacksm ith ,
w ho saved Prince Charle s in 1746— the stranger w illhave enough to m use on as h e hasten s by its low and
w oody shore s. Beside s the m ain island , fortress, and
parterre,
where m any a garden flow er still grow s W ild,the re is a sm all isle t of loose ston e s (said to b e artificial)n ear th e southern end of the lake , w hich form ed th echieftain ’s prison house . A handsom e gran ite obe lisk , 70
fee t high, on a base of about 20 fe e t square,has be en
e re cted on th e large st island to th e m em ory of Sir EneasMackintosh , Bart , one of the last chiefs of th e clan . On
the w e st side ofLoch Moy,are the Church and Manse of
the parish ; and at th e n orth end,Moy Hall, th e principal
re siden ce of th e chief of Mackin tosh,w ho has erected,
hard by, a sm all but conven ien t inn .
Th e story of the exploit ofLadyMackintosh , a daughterof Farquharson of Invercauld
,and the blacksm ith just
alluded to,de se rve s repetition
,as
, com paring the m eans
w ith the end, an in stan ce of alm ost unparalle led succe ssattending a ve ry Sim ple ruse . On th e l 6th March
,1 746 ,
she rece ived inte lligence that Lord Loudon ,having learned
that Pr ince Charle s w as to b e entertained that n ight atMoy Hall by th e Lady, w ho w as a staunch Jacobite ,though h er husband, then absen t
,exerted him se lf on
behalf of Governm en t,w as on his w ay from Invern e ss
w ith a body of 1500m en ,in hope s of capturing th e Pre
tender by surprise . Consulting w ith Donald Fraser ,blacksm ith at Moyb eg, a shrew d and en terprising m an
,
h e , w ith five other m en se le cted by h er, proce eded in th e
dusk of the e ven ing to a sm all pass at the Hill of Craigan - Oin , at the boundary be tw e en th e parishe s of Moyand Daviot. He re they enscon ced them se lve s, at intervals of som e hundred yards, behind som e
' h eaps of peatand turf se t up to dry. On the approach of the troops, acom m and w as passed by Donald, and from m an to m an
,
in a stentorian voice The Mackin toshes , Macgillivrays ,and Macb ean s to form the centre the Macdonalds on the
right, and the Frasers on the left. A few shots w ere also
202 PROPERTIES IN MOY AND DALAROSSIE.
is for the m ost part of a very good quality, but the clim ateis m uch colder than that ofthe n e ighbouring par ishe s, andthe crops later. The snow in general begin s to fall by them iddle ofNovem be r, and frequently continue s till Marchor April ; but the inhabitants are healthy, and severalhave attained n early to the age o f 90years.State of Proper ty.
—Moyhall, the fam ily seat offEneasMackintosh of Mackintosh, the chieftain of the clan ,
is
valued w ith the lands of Suthu at £674 1 3 s . 4d. Dr.
‘Jam e s Mackintosh ofKylachy,the author ofth e Vin dicia’
Gal. inherits Easter Banchar and We ster Strathnoon ,
valued at £510 6 3 . 8d. William Mackintosh ofBalneSpichas Easter Strathnoon and Muckle Corryb rugh ,
at £2761 3 s . 4d. Lachlan Mackintosh holds Raigm ore
,valued at
£90. William Mackintosh ofAb erairder has Inverm asron ,
at £53 6s . 8d. John Mackin tosh possesse s Dalm igvie , at£79 l os. Angus Mackintosh of He lm inher its Frae
,at
£46 1 3 s. 4d. Dugald Macque en holds Pollockchak,at
£50: and Lachlan Macpherson has We st Banchar, at £50extending the whole valuation of th e parish to the sum
of£2142 10s .
The real rent is about £1 000 sterling. Pasturage isthe im portant obje ct. Th e farm s
, though of con siderableexten t, are for the m ost part let from £5to £10 of rent :the ir num ber is counted about 200. Be side s th e m oneyrent, each tenant is burdened w ith th e paym ent ofw ed
ders, fow ls, eggs, and othe r articles,and m uch labour in
the digging and carriage offue l,in reaping the corn , and
in carriage s to and from distan t parts of the country : allw hich, though n ow ay perce ived in the revenue of the
proprie tor, m ost e ffectually che ck the im provem ent of th ecountry, and m ar all calculation of the value of land .
The shortne ss ofthe labouring season require s 246 ploughs ,each in general draw n by 4 horse s, to w hich 2 oxen are
in som e case s added. The number Of horse s is about 9 00,black cattle
,1 800, and sheep The rents are paid ,
and such n ecessarie s as th e farm s do no t produce , are provided by th e yearly sale of part of the live stock .
State Ecclesiastical. -It has been already noticed, thatth e Pre sbytery of Invern e ss w as e stablished a separatej udicature in the year 1708 , in to w hich , in the arrange
m ent of this unde rtaking,this parish falls to b e th e first .
Although Moy and Dalarossic in som e respects are
OBELISK ON THE ISLET OF MOY. 203
unconnected, each having its own Church , they have beenunder th e charge of on e pastor since Rom an Catholictim e s. The re sidence is in Moy,
but part of the glebe is9 m ile s distant
, at the Church ofDalarossie . The stipendis £69 14s . 2d. ste rling. Th e right of patronage appertainsto the fam ily of Kilravock. The salary of the school is£8 6s . 8d. , and £2 103 . as the fe e of th e Se ssion - Clerk ,
w hich , w ith th e other em olum ents, m ake s the w holee stablishm ent about £20yearly. The poor in ge neral dosom e thing for the ir ow n support : th e annual fund raised ,as in the n e ighbouring parishes , is about £5 ste rling.
Many depend o n begging for the ir m aintenance . Thereare a few of the inhabitants of th e Episcopalian persuesion but as th e w hole pe rform th e dutie s of public w orship in th e Parish Chu rch, they m ay b e all accounted of
the National e stablishm ent : the ir num ber am ounts to1 8 1 3 souls .Miscellan eous Inform ation — In the ir sen tim ents th e
people are extrem e ly w edded to prejudice , and in the irm ann ers to Old custom . They m ay pe rhaps b e re ligious ;but it is certain that in on e case they preferred sacrificeto m ercy. The language , dre ss, and m ost of th e peculiaritie s of the ancient Highlanders continue w ithout alteration : the ir house s are of th e sam e construction w ith thoseof the ir prede ce ssors for m any generation s, the fire - placenear the m iddle
,and th e fam ily seated around it. In the
stormy season of w inter,the severity of the w eather
arre sts all industry in the fie ld : th e care of the ir cattle isalm ost the ir only occupation . In the spring,
the ir exer
tions are great and unrem itting till the seed tim e is over ;in the harve st
,they are equally diligen t in se curing the ir
crop before the w inter se ts in ; and the great labour insum m er consists in providing the stock of fue l .The Lake of Moy is som ew hat m ore than a m ile inlength, and rather less than one in breadth . It aboundsin char, and a varie ty of other trout of various size and
colour. Near its m iddle is an island, [There is a granite
Obe lisk , 70 ft . high , e re cted on this isle t to th e m em oryof the last of the chiefs— Sir Eneas Mackintosh
,Bart ]:
about 2 acre s in extent, n early in the shape Of a violin :
on its southern end are the ruins of ancien t buildings , ofcon siderable extent : the rem ains of a stre e t, the wholelength of the island , and th e foundations of houses on each
204 ANCIENT RUINS ON THE ISLET or MOY .
side,are readily distinguishable . In the year 1762, tw o
oven s w ere discove red, each capable of baking 150 lb.
avoirdupois of m eal . In the year 1422 it contained a
garrison of 400 m en,and here the chief of Mackintosh
re sided, excep t during the w inter, w hen the country w as
inacce ssible . The w alls of a m ore m odern building remainpre tty entire : an In scription ove r th e gate im ports, thatit w as built in 1 655by Lachlan ,
th e 20th chieftain of the
c lan . Th e garden ,stocked w ith fruit tre e s and bushe s ,
is stil l in cultivation .
At th e distance of seve ral hundred yards, is anothersmall island
,form ed by th e accum ulation of com m on
rounded stone . It w as th e prison,w hen the pun ishm ent
Of m alefactors w as ve sted in th e Chiefs. The m ise rableprison er could scarce ly stand w ith dry fe e t w hen the lakew as at the low e st ; b ut in the season of rain
,if th e surface
w as then no highe r than now,th e w ater rose n early to
its m iddle ; but w ithin the space of 24 hours h e w as con
dem n ed or set fre e .
Near th e north end of th e Lake,there is a chalybeate
spring, accounted m edicinal for headache s and disordersin the stom ach . The re is a con siderable exten t of naturalw ood
, chiefly birch and aller,upon th e banks of th e Find
horn ,] (Survey of the Provin ce ofMoray.)
[Moy and Dalarassie (says Shaw ) are un ited parishe s.The latter i s probably the Church of
“ Dalgergussyn in
Strath e rn e ,”w hich Bishop Andrew confirmed to the
Church of th e Holy Trin ity ofElgin ,about 1 224- 42 (Reg.
Epis. Moran It stood near Moy,and unde r
,
the
nam e of Ta llaracie,it appears as one of th e m ensal
churche s. The te inds of th e parish of Moy w ere con
firm ed to th e Church of th e Pope in 1 222,and the Church
dc Moy (Thein er is rated at 8s. 9 d. in the taxation of
1 275. In th e taxation of th e dioce se,about 1 3 50
,the
Prebend of Moy is rated at 10m erks . In 1574, GeorgeSim son w as reidare at Moy,
and the m in iste r bore thesam e sirnam e . Sim son ’s prede ce ssor in th e Kirk of Moywas Sir Wm . Suthe rland (Sir be ing a title of courte syfor Churchm en in old tim e s) but Suthe rland
’s profe ssionand practice Of “
m orality ” se em s to have had little inc omm on ; for he no t on ly “ disobeyed ” th e charge of the
Com m ission er of the Church w ho had ordained him to
206 EPITAPHS IN MOY CHURCHYARD.
II. The property ofCulbin was bought from the fam ilyOfKinnaird by Alex. Duff of Drummuir
,who gave it to
his second son , John ,w hose first w ife was Miss Gordon of
Ellon . She died in 1728 ; and his second w ife , He lenGordon (a daughter of Sir Jam e s Gordon ofPark) , diedin 1767.
The follow ing In scription (from a Slab upon the site of
th e Old Kirk of Moy) , probably refers to a daughter bythe latter lady :Below this Stone lyes the Body ofHe len Duff
,Daughter to
John Duff of Cubin, and Helen Gordon,his Spouse
,who
departed this life the 26 November
Baird of Auchm cdden ,in his Gen ealogical Mem oirs of
the Dufis, says that“ John Duff of Cow bin w as a good ,
friendly, hone st m an,but unhappily fe ll into acquaintance
w ith MacKay of Scoury and his brother, from the ShireofRoss, who did not indeed deserve th e nam e of gentlem en . They got him engaged in a trade to North Am erica,
and the hon est gentlem an w as in a few years ruined, ande verybody w as convinced that he had been egregiouslyimposed upon by the MacKays.
”
III. The follow ing In scription preserve s the nam e ofa
laird of Grangehill (now Dalvey) , w hich is not given inthe History of the Inneses :
Here lye s a godly and m ost charitable wom an,Agnis Innes,
Daughter to the Laird ofGranghill, Married to Peter DunbarOf Easter Bn , and four of ther children . Therafter to
.M .
Robert Dunbar and four of ther children .
Rev. 14. 1 3 , Blessed are the dead, 850.
An d also the forsaid M . Robert Dunbar. 1707.
Pe ter Dunbar w as se rved he ir to his father, JohnDunbar ofBinn s, 1 7 Jun e , 1 69 3 , in part of the lands of
Ne ther and Uppe r Binn s, 850. It was about 1 608 thatMark Dunbar Of Durris bought Grangehill from LordDunfe rm lin e , who was Comm endator of the Abbey of
Pluscardine,ofwhich the Dunbars of Durris w ere herit
able bailie s.IV . From a flat SlabThis Stone is placed here in m em ory of ROBERT RAIT,burges of Forres, 1728 , who died Nove . the 9 th , 175 aged70, and ELIZABETH SINCLAIR, his spouse . for a day in courts
EPITAPHS IN MOY CHURCHYARD . 207
is better than a thousand. I had rather b e a door -ke eper inthe house of the Lord my God than to dw e ll in tents of
w ickedness. M em ento Mori.
The next thre e In scription s are from Table - Stone s :V. Erected by Susanna Blaik, relict of ROBERT BLUNTACH,
an elder ofDyke Session , in m em ory Ofher lam ented husband,and affectionate m other, JEAN WALKER
, Of Pitsligo Parish,both he ir buried under this stone , both aged 8 1 years.
John ’s Gos. xv. PS. 103 .
VI. This stone is placed here in m em ory of PETER COUPERin Kinte ssack, and his spouse MARJ ORY GORDON, as also theirchildren, Margaret and Jean ,
w ho died in infancy. MarjoryGordon dyed the 26 ofMay 173 2, and Peter Couper dyed the14 ofApril 173 7.
G. C. : I. FBlessed are the dead, &c .
VII. This stone is erected here byWm . M ‘Kay, m erchant,
Nairn , in m em ory of his grandfather, John , and his father,Al ex.
M ‘Kay, who died August the 2 l st, 1 780, aged 3 1 years ; as alsoWilliam M ‘Kay, his uncle , who . left few such behind him
,.who
died Feb . 3 , 1 79 9 , aged 6 1 years, honoured in his humblestation , to b e em inently useful. His praise was in the Gospel .His reward is w ith God.
VIII. The following i s the olde st of several Inscription sto a fam ily nam ed SuterThis stone is placed here by Alex. Suter, farm er in Mar~
casie , and Ann Squer, spouse to the said Alex. Suter, and inm em ory ofJOHN SUTER, his father, som etim e tenant in Earnhill
,who died De c . 3 0
,aged 47 years, and MARY DUNBAR,
his spouse .
These w ere ance stors of Mr. Suter, w ho rendered som uch valuable assistance to the cottagers in and aboutth e Broom ofMoy during the great floods in August, 1 829 .
The - ham le t of the Brow n of Moy Magh, a plain) ,consists of som e picturesque dw e llings, and is the landingplace for one of “
the ferry- cobble s ” on the Findhorn ](J ervise
’
s Epitaphs .)
Having trave lled over th e valley of Strathern,
I return to th e coast to de scribe
208 BARONY OF CULBIN ; KINCORTH ; EASTER MOY.
DYKE PAR ISH .
Th e parish ofDyke and Moy, which is 3 m ile s
in length and as m uch in breadth,is bounded by
th e river to th e e ast , by th e sea to th e n orth,by
Aldern p arish to th e w e st, and by th e Fore st of
Tarnua to the south .
Th e Church standeth n e ar the c entre,
‘
2 m ile s
w e st of Forre s , and 4 m ile s e ast of Al dearn . At
th e m outh of the river is th e barony of Caulbin ,
th e anc ient inheritan ce of a bran ch of Moray of
Duffus . Gile s,daughter and he ire ss ofMoray of
Caulbin [Gulbin] , m arried Kinnaird of that ilk .
About th e year 1705 th e house , garden s , and a
great part of th e lands , w ere quite c overed w ith
sand blown from Mavie ston hills,and th e barony
was sold to Al exander Duff of Drum m uir . Next
up th e river i s Kincorth ,form erly pertaining to
Falc oner of L ethin,and given by Alexander of
L e thin and Hawkerton to his natural son,Mr .
Sam ue l Falc on er (father ofMr . William,m in ister
of Dyke ) , wh o sold it to Dunbar of Durn ; and
Durn sold it,in 1 758
,to Sir Al exander Grant of
Dalvey . Farther up is East er Moy. This w as
purchase d from th e Earl of ROSS by Donald,
Than e of Calder , anno 1410 (in th e posse ssion of
the fam ily Of Calder) . It w as th e heritage of a
branch of th e fam ily of Calder during Six gen era
tion s and John Cam pbe ll ofMoy sold it to Alex .
Dunbar,son ofWestfie ld, whose son
,Ludovick
,
2 10 BRODIE HOUSE ; THE HILLS or MAVIESTON.
there Jupiter Taran is m ight have be en anc iently
w orshipped (See Eccles . Hist.)North from Taruna is the barony of Brodie
Brodie House , th e seat of the fam ily, is a large
and c onvenient old building . Th e im provem ents ,by enclosure s, planting, avenue s
,vistas through
the adjacent w ood , and a large pond,m ake it a
de lightful seat .
A m ile n orth- w e st,c lose by th e firth
,are tw o
sm all pyram idical m ounts,calle d the Hills Of
Mavie ston , which , be ing quite stripped of all
sward or turf, and n othing but quick - sand re
m ain ing,are th e source s from when ce the sand
has c overed m uch land in Gulbin ,Duffus
,and
Gordonstoun .
DYKE.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — The arrangem ent of the
parishe s in the Pre sbytery ofForre s m ake s a short excursion southwards in to the m ountain,
and re turns back bythe w est tow ards the shore Of the Firth . The southernquarter Of the parish of Dyke borders on the northernlim its of the parish of Edinkiclic
,on the confin e s of th e
fore st ofDarnw ay. From this it stretche s eastward alongthe River of Findern ,
and partly on the southern b ank ,
by the shifting of its course in form er tim e s. The Old bar,
at its efflux appe rtain ing to the parish of Kinloss, hasbeen already noticed. Th e Firth , how ever, m ay b e re
garded as its boundary for the space of 6 m ile s upon thenorth
,till it m ee ts the parish ofAuldearn
,from w hich it
is separated by a brook, the Ellands Bourn ,and the m oors
called the Hardm oor and,
Broadshaw ,w hich run across
the w e stern lim it of the coun ty of Moray, bordering on
the county ofNairn ,till it again j oins the parish ofEdin
kiclie at the south . The latitude , by an observationtaken late ly at the Shore , is 57
°
3 6 ’ 2 1 north .
Th e soil of the cultivated ground is for the greater part
DARNAWAY CASTLE ; EARL RANDOLPH’S CHAIR. 21 1
a light fertile loam , generally incum bent on sand, and not
very re tentive of m oisture . In som e place s the sole i ssand, concreted by som e m in eral substance , water probablysurcharged by iron ore . In ploughing it is avoided, asadverse to vegetation w hen m ingled w ith the soil. The
w hole superficies of th e parish con tains 21 square m iles,one half of w hich is a de sert tract of drifting sand alongth e shore . The land side of this tract is bounded by a
pre tty high bank, w hich m ay b e traced w e stward n earlyto Invern e ss
,as if the sea had on ce flow ed out to its
bottom,and w hich still se em s in this quarter to have
lim ited the overspreading of th e sand. An irregular tracto f sterile m oor spreads along the m argin of this bank
, the
soil of which having been carried off in turf the nakedgrave l rem ain s
,soliciting to b e clothed by plantation , of
w hich at present it exhibits som e hopeful specim en s.Three brooks un ite near th e Church, form ing a con side rable stream , w hich w inds through the m iddle Of the
coun try,nearly paralle l to th e river. The air is healthful .
and dry,and the c lim ate so gen ial that the m ore de l icate
kinds offruit, th e apricot and peach , ripen on a wall inthe Open air.
State ofP rop er ty — Darnaway,the Earl ofMoray’s seat
in this quarter of th e kingdom ,is an ancient and m agnifi
cent edifice , though built in diffe rent age s, and in dive rsform s. The original fabric at the first consisted on ly of
one hall,8 9 fee t in length , and 3 5in breadth . Its w alls
rose nearly to the he ight of 3 2 fe e t— a range of vaults,
constructed for ce llars on its floor,has low ered its internal
e levation to 20. Its roof of solid oak,Sim ilar to the
Guildhall ofLondon and the Parl iam ent House Of Edinburgh, rem ain ing unce iled, displays the strength of the
w orkm an ship of the 1 4th centuiy ,for i t w as built by
Randolph, the Regen t of Scotland in the m inority of
David Bruce . Part of its original furn iture ye t rem ains.Earl Randolph ’s chair of state
,sim ilar in w orkm anship
and form to th e Coronation - chair of the m onarchs of
Britain, 60 lbs. w e ight of oak,
de corated w ith n o verye legant carving, part of the coat arm orial . Coeval w iththe chair, the table also, of the sam e kind of tim ber
,
rem ains. The m odern fashion of folding down the leave supon the pillars w as then unknown— a device m ore com
plicated served the sam e purpose . From on e end a leaf
21 2 DARNAWAY ; BRODIE ; SCULPTURED CROSS IN THE PARK.
m ay b e drawn out equal to the length of the upper board,w h ich Is a quadrangle , supported on 6 m assive colum n s.This hall w as on ly intended for the tem porary accomm o
dation of hunting quarte l s. Tradition re late s that itsw hole floor w as deeply littered w ith green rushe s, or
grass, at n ight , and the Earl w ith all his suite reposedthereon together. Num erous apartm ents have since be enadded
,several of them fitted up and furn ished w ith all
the e legance of m odern fashion . The Castle r ise s on a
gre en m ount in the Skirt of th e fore st. It comm ands a
very exten sive and pleasant landscape,and its environ s are
em be llished by grove s and garden s, and m uch ornam entedcultivation . Its nam e has been w ith som e ingenuity interpre ted from the Gae lic to b e Randolph ’s Mount, torrannich, but as rannich in that language sign ifie s fern ,
and as that herb still m ain tain s its place in vast quantityover all the fore st , its appe llation se em s rather m ore sim plyto denote th e fern hill. The original nam e of th e districtalso w as Fe rnw ay ; and it is also highly probable that theBridge of Rannoch , a little farther up in th e fore st, longsupposed to bear the proud title of its an cien t lord, oughtalso t o b e reduced to its m ore suitable re lation to thehum ble w eed, ove rhanging the banks w hich it but ar tle ssly conj oined. By the Ce ss - Book of the county th evalued ren t of this dom ain w ithin th e parish is stated at
£9 1 3 1 3 3 . 1 0d. ; but of this th e sum of £3 9 is apportion e don lands In th e parish ofEdinkiclic .
Northw ard from Darnaway Is the seat ofJam e s BrodieofBrodie
,Esq ,
th e re siden ce of the fam ily for 600 years.The fabric 1 s a great building, not m odern , ye t displayingall the e legan t accomm odation of the pre sent fashion . It
1 ises on a gre en lawn In a pre tty exten sive park . A littlelake
,shaped into an artific ial pond
,is com m anded by the
fron t ; a great exten t offull - grow n w ood,in all the varie ty
of th e fore st, rise s on eve ry side ; long straight avenue sstre tch under its shade and square inclosure s under thebe st cultivation bask in its she lter .
[The pre sen t caste llated Man sion has over the door theinitials of the pre sen t proprie tor and his spouse ,W.B. and
w ith th e date 1 846 . Th e Brodie coat ofarm s areon th e right.At th e n orth end of the park stands a Stone , w hich w as
brought he re from th e Churchyard ofDyke at the ere ction
214 ASTOUNDING MOUNDS OF SAND AT CULBIN.
the aston ishing superinduction of sand, b w hich the
fertile and populous barony of Culbin has ge en reducedto a state of absolute and irrem ediable sterility. It paysthe land tax in the county of Moray, an swe ring to itsvalued rent of £9 1 3 1 88 . 4d. Scots . Though included inColon e l Gran t of Moy ’s valued ren t
,it is the property of
his n ephew,Mr . Gran t of Redcastle , w hom it qualifie s to
b e e lected to repre sent the county in Parliam ent.Those aston ishing m ounds of sand, raised along the
w hole coast of the parish,although n o doubt produced by
the sea, and probably by its en croachm ents on the shore snearer th e head of th e Firth
,
' have n ot acquired the irform under th e action of th e w ater. They are not com
posed Of different strata, or beds,and they have no .
m ixture of pebble s, sea- w e ed, or She lls ; but they are
im m ense accum ulation s of pure w ashed w hite sand,of
the sm allest texture,having th e ir situation ,
bulk,and
form,de term ine d on ly by th e w ind . The sm alle st par
ticle s, though the first that are suspended, are the lastw hich are deposited
_by th e w ater
,and the reby exposed
to the pow er ofth e w ind , w hile pebble s, she lls, and heaviersand
,rem ain upon th e beach .
Extraordinary comm otions, from various cause s, havebe en som etim e s excited in th e Germ an Ocean . Theyhave be en strongly fe lt upon th e coast of Holland w henthey had also risen high upon the w hole length of our
eastern shore , from th e banks of th e Tham e s to the Pentland Firth . On e striking exam ple n e eds b e on ly adduced.
By the com m otion w hich the Lisbon earthquake in 1755
exc ited, although so far distant on the w e st and oppositeSide of th e island
,a flock of she ep of this parish w ere
drow n ed in the ir cot, though far beyond the reach ofanyordinary tide .
Th e w ide expanse of the Moray Firth , at its term ination betw e en the shore of Caithn e ss and the coasts of
Aberde en ,Opens th e acce ss to a heavier inundation from
the ocean ,and the bold shore upon the n orthern Side rolls
it large upon th e Moray coast,w hich is uncom m only flat
to the w e stw ard of Burghe ad, as the vast sw e ll from the
ocean is im pe lled along the con tracting chann e l of theFirth : and som e dreadful com m otion ,
both of the landand w ater, it m ust have been , w hich am assed the am pleshore for such a ruin ous accum ulation .
THE EPOCH OF THE GOODWIN SANDS. 215
The tim e in w hich this dism al visitation first began hasalm ost e scaped the notice of particular record ; ye t generalhistory affords several intim ations Of storm s and inundations
,w hich m ight have been the rem ote cause of this
perpetual devastation .
It has be en already noticed, that the inundationw hich subm erged the prin ce ly fortune of Earl Goodw in
,on the coast of Ken t, m ust have raised a dreadful
c om m otion in all th e e stuarie s on the easte rn side of the
island, and shaken the w hole coast from the one end tothe othe r. The e ra of this de solation coincided w ith there ign of Rufus in England, and Canm ore in Scotland
,
tow ards the end of the 1 l th century. Dr. Trussler’
s
Chronology specifie s th e year 1 100 as th e epoch of th e
Goodw in Sands . Fordun and Buchanan ,it has be en
already show n,m ention inundation s, and devastations by
sand,in this kingdom , alarm ingly aston ishing, about the
period for w hich Trussler m arks for this sim ilar visitationupon the English shore . Re specting the year, Buchananis not particular, but speaks in gen eral of the prodigie s ofthat age : but Boethius particularly conj oins the inundation w ith the year of Canm orc
’
s death, nam e ly 109 7,w ithin thre e years of th e date w hich Trussler has se t
dow n ; and he expressly re lates, that its ravage s w ere
de solation on the coast of Moray, of w hich county, it i sObvious
,the ideas ofBuchanan w ere extrem e ly indistinct.
The death ofMalcolm ,
” says Boe thius,happen ed on
the ide s ofOctober, in the year of our redem ption 109 7,and in the 3 7th year Ofhis re ign and in the sam e yearAlbion w as terrified by m any m ost alarm ing prodigie s.Many village s, castle s, tow ns
,and extensive w oods
,both
in England and in Scotland, w ere overwhe lm ed by an
exundation of the Germ an Ocean ,by the w e ight ofw hich
tem pe st,the lands of Gudowin e
,near th e m outh of the
Tham e s,w hich w e have form e rly m en tion ed, w ere over
w he lm ed by sand ; and likew ise the land of Moray inScotland w as at that tim e de solated by th e sea
,castle s
subverted from the foundation ,som e town s de stroyed
,and
the labours of m en laid w aste , by the discharge Of sandfrom the sea : m onstrous thunders also roaring,
horribleand vast !”
To this it may b e added, that in the Scotichronicon ,book
7th , chap. 50, Fordun m entions a Com e t,to th e influence
21 6 EARLY SAND INUNDATIONS IN MORAYSHIRE .
Of w hich h e ascribe s the exce sse s of the se w aters. “The
o rder of the Trin ity,” says h e
,
“was in stituted in the year
109 7. In that sam e year, th e 41 st of the Em peror HenryIV . a Com e t appeared in th e w e st from the -1 st ofOctober :the sow ing ofw inter grain is preven ted (aguaram nim ia
iniundation e) by exce ssive inundation s of water,‘
and a
failure of the crop en sue s.”
In th e Advocate s ’ Library, it is also said, the Re cords ofth e Priory of Pluscarden
,called the Red Book, are still
pre served ; in w hich it is recorde d that the w hole lowcountry of Moray w as de luged by the sea in th e year1010. If there b e an error by m isplacing the tw o
m iddle num bers, this date accurate ly coincide s w ith th eperiod about w hich Fordun ,
Boethius,Trussle r
,and even
Buchanan ,have all so nearly agre ed.
It m ust therefore b e allow ed, that inundation s of them ost destructive m agn itude did happen towards th e closeof th e e leventh cen tury. What the ir -
effe ct upon th e coastofDyke m ay have particularly be en ,
l ie s beyond th e reache ven of conj ecture
,farther than that they extended no t SO
far as the sand has now spread ; for even in the last century, th e n orthern quarte r of th e parish, in cluding the
barony of Culbin , w as distinguished as“th e granary of
Moray.
”Cultivation
,therefore , w as long continued, and
it is like ly that, w hen on ly a little sand had be en deposited ,
th e fertility of th e ground w ould b e the reby increased .
But this vast m agazin e , w hich,it is conj e ctured, th e
w ave s m ay have produced, by w ashing Off th e cape w hichgave the nam e to Invern e ss, and the prom on tory fromthe point ofArderier
,has be en accum ulated som ehow in to
the Mavistow n hills,on th e eastern borders of the parish
Of Auldearn . From then ce th ey began to drift ove r theneare st fie lds of Culbin
,in the tract of the south - w e st
w ind ; and even the greater part of the se singular m oundsthem se lve s have m igrated from Auldearn into Dyke
,the
heavier sand, when m oved by th e gale , se ttling upon th e
le e side . The encroachm en ts have be en every year gradually extended, the ren ts paid in victual proportionallyreduced
,th e tenants one after anothe r, and th e landlord ,
w ith the ir fam ilie s,m ournfully expe lled
,and the ir habi
tation s and posse ssion s covered up , it is supposed, to th ehe ight of the tre e s of the garden s about the m anor . The
desolation m ust have be en com pleted pr ior to the year
21 8 BEQUESTS To THE PARISH or DYKE.
The glebe at Moy is le t by the incum bent to the proprietor, at 6 bolls of barley ; and the burying-
ground isstill in occupation . The Church was rebuilt in the year178 1 , a handsom e comm odious structure, neatly fin ishedand furn ished at th e expen se of £525, exclusive of the
carriage of the m aterials.Th e value Of the l iving, including the allowance for th e
Comm un ion,and £1 1 3 s. 4d. paid for th e pasturage which
the law ann exe s to the glebe , is £48 8 s. 6d. sterling, 1 06boll s 1 firlot barley
,and 75bolls of oatm eal . Th e right
of patronage is divided be tw een the Crow n and the pro
prie tor ofMoy.
Th e school is in th e vicin ity of the Church . The salaryis £2 15s . 65d. and 1 6 bolls of bear, w ith the custom aryfee s from about 40 scholars, and £ 1 as the fe e w ith theperquisite s of the office ofSession - Clerk, m ake s th e e stablishm ent equal to about £3 3 yearly.
John Anderson ,Esq ,
Writer to the Signet, in th e year1702, bequeathed a capital for th e e stablishm en t of a
school for girls, w hich, w ith an addition of £27 158 . 6d.
sterling from th e proprie tor of Brodie , who built th eschool house of tw o storeys, and endow ed it w ith a l ittlegarden , m ake s the salary equal to £6 1 8s . l od. ste rling.
This appoin tm ent is under th e charge of the proprie torsof the parish and th e se ssion : but the building is at present fallen alm ost into a state of irreparable de cay.
Th e num ber of poor am ounts to 6 1 . The provisioncontributed by th e people , chiefly at the ir m e e tings forSocial w orship, am oun ts to about £25 sterling yearly.
To this sum, the Rev . William Falconer, sen ior, proprie tor
of Kincorth,and Min ister of Dyke to th e year 1 674,
de stined an annual allowance of 3 bolls bear , valued about£2 148 . secured on th e ren t of a croft. Mr. Henry Vassalso
,servant to Maj or Gran t ofMoy, de stin ed th e capital
of£100 sterling to 1 2 poor children . Mr . Vass also m adea donation to the infirm ary hospitals of Edinburgh and
Aberdeen,in order to entitle the se ssion to send patients
to e ither of the se endow m ents.The m em bers of the Established Church are 1490; the
Dissenters,m ostly of the Antiburghe r sect of Seceders,
are 3 9 .
Miscellan eous Inform ation — This parish is distinguished by affording th e scene of the main spring of the
DISCOVERY o r OLD SILVER COINS. 2 1 9
dram a of the tragedy ofMacbeth . It w as on the Hardm oor
,on the w e stern side of the park ofBrodie House ,
w here Macbeth and Banquo, re turn ing victorious from an
expedition in the w estern isles to w ait on King Duncan ,
then in th e Castle ofForre s, and on a j ourney to Inverne ss,are represented to have been saluted by the w e ird Sisterhood . It m ay b e observed that by introducing Hecate , andblending an heathen w ith a Christian superstition , ShakSpeare Show s that h e him se lfhad n o be lief in e ither ; thathe considered King Jam e s’s book on Dem onology, re
printed about that tim e at London , as sillily absurd ; andthose Acts of Parliam en t wh ich condem ned poor oldw om en to b e burn t to death for w orking m iracles, as
abom inably crue l,and de spe rate ly w icked.
In digging out the foundation for th e Church , an
earthen pot, w ith Silver coins to the value in bull ion of
£46 sterling, w as found . By Ande rson ’s Num ism ataScotiac
,they w e re discove red to b e 4d. pie ce s ; they w ere
all of equal size , and very fin e silver, larger than a sixpcnce , but very thin . They had been stam ped in differen tplace s both in Scotland and England, in the contem poraryre ign s ofHenry II. and William the Lyon . Som e of the
Olde st,struck at Striviling,
bore on one side RE VILLIAM,
th e Gae lic for King William .
The people are decent, peaceful , and w e ll affe cted tothe national re ligion and gove rnm en t : they are littleaddicted either to a seafaring or m ilitary life : they livepoorly
,that they m ay dre ss n eatly ; but few attem pt t o
save m oney.
Grain is annually disposed ofin con siderable quantitie s,oats chiefly and barley, som e tim es wheat. Old oxen and
dry cow s are sold off for the English graziers. When youngoxen and m ilch cow s can b e sen t to m arke t, they alwaysse ll at a great price . The spinn ing of flax,
form erly of
great consideration ,m ay still bring into the parish about
£3 00yearly. The m anagem ent of th e salm on has beenalready n oticed in the trade of Findhorn . A kit gen erally contain s 3 salm on , about 10 lb. each . Conside rablequantitie s of cod fish are caught by the b eats ofFindh ornand Nairn
,m ore abundantly at that season w hich doe s
not adm it of the ir be ing dried in th e Open air. A quantity w as cured in barre ls like salted salm on ,
and tried,
from this parish, in the London m arke t ; the sale w as not
220 PARISH o r DYKE.
such as to encourage th c continuance of the trade . It
has been sugge sted, that if they w ere boiled in vinegar,like kitted salm on ,
they m ight find a brisker marke t.A con siderable num ber of seals frequent th e coast. One
m an killed 1 3 0in,a year ; th e oil and skin of each brought
4s . This fishery is an obj ect of th e greater im portan ce ,be cause the seal both prey upon the salm on and frightenthem off th e coast.A m arke t Ofw ood has be en late ly e stablished . One of
th e proprie tors has disposed of a plan tation to b e fe lle din 7 years, at the rate of£100 yearly ; and th e ground isto b e again planted as soon as the w hole is cleared. He
has a sim ilar plantation in equal forw ardn e ss, and severalr ising in succession . The larger allers are em ployed inthe con struction of boats and sm all ve sse ls : birch is m adeup into th e cheapest kinds of agricultural uten sils : theash
, the e lm,be e ch
,and plan e , w ith a few oaks
,that can
b e spared,are shipped off at Findhorn and th e fir
,m anu
factured into deals, and tim be r for'
the roofing of house s,
begin s to find its w ay to the Sam e port ] (Survey of theP rovin ce ofMoray.)
GULBIN.
[Most person s on going from Elgin to Forre s, e ither byrail or by th e public road
,have the ir attention generally
attracted to an imm en se num ber of large , bare sand - hillslying aw ay down on the shore of the Moray Firth .
The se are the sand - h ills ofCulbin . When seen from anypoint along e ither of the line s w hich w e have indicatedthey pre sent a dreary and sterile aspect, and on e is
_
readyto conclude , w ithout m aking a n earer approach to them
,
that they m ust form , altoge ther, a scene of extrem e
drearin e ss and de solation . A distant View of them ,how
e ver, give s but a very faint idea of the ir great m agn itude ,o r of the im m en se exten t of ground w hich they occupy.
It i s on ly w hen you have en tered am ong them and
traversed the length and breadth of the ground w hichthey cove r
,and clim bed to the ir summ its
,that a know
ledge of the ir true character 1 s Ob tained .
Many of the m ounds are 1 20fe e t 1 11 he ight, and m easureal ong th e base 440 yards in length and 220 In breadth .
Th e sand Is scarce ly ever at 1 est, and hills of sand, 100fe e t in he ight, are frequen tly found to change ,
the ir
222 MARTIN’S PERSONAL INSPECTION OF CULBIN SANDS.
snugly unde r som e de ep sand drift,and up to the pre sent
tim e not the slighte st trace of e ither has be en seen .
On m y first visit to th e sand hills OfCulbin the w eatherwas very m ild , and ofcourse , dow n there , exce edingly closeand w arm . On hearing from the people Of the district ofth e extraordinary appearance w hich the se hills pre sentedduring a w e sterly gale ; I fe lt m ost anxious .
to see them in
the ir w ilde st aspect. Fortunate ly, on the day on w h icha strong w e sterly gale prevailed, I had an opportun ity of
visiting them . On entering am ong them the w ind wastrem endous, and as it cam e rushing dow n through theopen ings be tw e en the hills
,carrying w ith it im m en se
torren ts of sand, its force and violence w ere alm ost overpow e ring. Clouds Of sand w ere also continually fallingfrom the tops of the m ounds, and w h irling about in the
w ilde st confusion . Nothing could b e seen but sand above ,and sand below ,
and sand everywhere . The place soonbecam e very uncom fortable
,and after having passed
about an hour, groping m y way along th e base Of the
great sand hills, I deem ed it pruden t to return ,le st I
Should get bew ildered.
On my re turn through one of those gorge s or open ingsto w hich I have already alluded
,I fe lt the w ind m uch
fie rcer than w hen I passed . The sand se em ed to com e in
w ave s,w hich had a sen sible w e ight, and th e force w ith
w hich they w e re driven m ade it som ewhat difficult tow ithstand them . I was m ore than once l ike to b e carriedoff my fe et. On approaching the last great sand - hill
,
neare st Kincorth ,th e w ind poured down through the
hollow as if it had be en blow ing through a funne l . The
quan tity Of sand drifted along m ust have be en im m en se .
I caught it in handfuls as it passed . When nearing thegorge the w ind had acquired a rotatory m otion
,and the
sand, follow ing th e m ovem ent,drifted about and lashed
m e at tim e s w ith som e seve rity, as if it w ere done intentionally and for a purpose . When under the lee of the
hill th e force Of the w ind w as a good deal broken , but thesand cam e pouring down in torren ts, and som e tim e s inm asse s
,from th e he ights above . The se, by be ing again
broken and w hirled about in all dire ctions, had a m ostbew ildering effe ct. Moving onw ards, w ith my eye s Shut,like one blindfold— for no m an in his sobe r sense s w ouldventure to Open his eye s at such a tim e unle ss h e w ished
VIOLENCE OF THE CULBIN SAND- DRIFTS . 223
to have them sacrificed— I expe cted that the w orst w ouldsoon b e past
,and that I Should b e able to grope my w ay
at le isure out Of this horrible place , but the m om ent Igot beyond the she lter Of the sand- hill I w as m e t by sucha pow e rful blast Of w ind that cam e sw eeping round thecorn er of th e hill as se em ed to b e a w ork altoge the rbeyond the com m on Operations of nature . SO viole nt andtorm enting w ere the se attacks that I could not he lpthinking that th e furie s m ust have leagued toge ther topun ish m e for e ntering upon the ir dom ain s. Whe therthe furie s took a part in the affair or n ot I am no t pre
pared to affirm ,but
,on com ing out of that gorge , I fe lt as
if a dozen thongs w e re lashing m e w ith great force roundthe body, and I actually fe lt as if th e poin ts Of them had
reached upw ards and w ere tw itching m y face . Rope s ofsand are generally spoken ofw ith a degree Of contem pt
,
but really, w hen they Operate like th e thongs Of Culbin,
they are not to b e de spised.
No sooner had I got beyond the fierce influen ce Of the
sand - drift than I fe lt som e thing about m e w hich w as
quite unaccountable , and w hich, for a tim e , m ade m e
exce edingly un com fortable , and even qualm ish . I fe lt apressure and w e ight on my body w hich had the effect Ofdragging m e dow n and re tarding m y progress, as if th epow e r ofgravitation had been increased tenfold . Certaindubious thoughts flashed quickly across th e m ind
,and
for a m om ent I stood like one petrified. At the sam e
tim e I fe lt a burst Of pe rspiration starting from everypore
,and in less than a m inute m y w hole body w as
suffused w ith m oisture . What is the m ean ing of this !w as the que stion I put to m yself; and w hile in the m idstof my perplexity I put my hand into m y pocke t insearch Of my pocke t handkerchief to w ipe away the bigdrops which trickled dow n my face , I found m y pocke tcramm ed w ith sand. I tried another
,i t w as equally
fil led. Every pocke t about m e w as filled w ith sand, andmy clothe s w e re com plete ly saturated w ith it
,and m y
Shoes w ere like to burst, and my eye s, m y ears, my n os
trils, and m y m outh w ere all partakers
,m ore or le ss
of it. On m oving about, I Observed the m inute particle sof sand pouring from m y clothes as thick as w hen a
drizzling rain falls from a summ er c loud. In short,I
fe lt myse lf to b e nearly altoge ther a m an Of sand .
224: ANCIENT FERTILE LANDS OF CULBIN.
The lone l in e ss of the place is Often extrem e ly distre ssing. At other tim e s on e is filled w ith intere st as younotice the num erous exam ple s Of sand - ripple arranged inall th e order and regularity that . you se e displayed byth e sands on th e shore .
Shingle beache s are found be low the general leve l ofth e sand— rem ain s the se of ancient sea- beaches. Butyou w ill spe edily see som e th ing e lse .
On leaving the se beaches and crossing a r idge of sand,
you perce ive , tow ards the east,a tract Of low ground
stretching away be tw e en tw o large sand hills. Of courseyou .conclude that this is another serie s of sea- beache s
,
and as you fe e l a de sire to see in w hat re spect they w illpre sen t them se lve s, you m ove dow n upon them ,
ploddingyour w ay over a tract Of re cently drifted sand, in w hichyou sink to the kn e e s at every step. When you reachthe edge Of this piece Of ground, you
'
fee l greatly sur
prised. Instead of a serie s Of sea- beache s,you see before
you a large tract Of the old fertile lands of Culbin . For
som e tim e you stand like a statue , quite absorbed w ithreflection s on th e past. You look around and you seethe big ghostly sand hills towering upwards on e ithe rside . What ruin ! What de solation ! On this richloamy fie ld th e husbandm an had no doubt driven histeam w ith a m erry heart, sow ed his se ed, and in due tim e
reaped a plen tiful harve st. The hearty laugh of the
reape rs has be en heard ringing m errily across this fie ld ;and wanton herds have fed luxurian tly on the rich herbage ; now ,
there is not SO m uch as a Single blade Ofgrassto b e seen on any part of the ground.
The view is m ost extensive , ranging from Mealfour
vonie,on the Ne ss , to the Binhill in Banffshire .
The e state Of Culbin is inve sted w ith a m e lancholyinte re st. About 200 ye ars ago it w as one Of th e r ichestand m ost fertile districts in Moray. In the days of itsprosperity it w as de signated the Granary OfMoray,
”and
n ot unfrequently “the Girnal Of Moray.
” This te rm w as
applied to it, not m ere ly on account Of the great fertilityof the soil
,but as indicating the deligh tfulness
'
of the
clim ate , and the earline ss of the crops, and th e unfailingre source s of th e district, even w hen there w as a partialfailure in o ther parts Of th e country, occasion ed by th elaten e ss of the harve st and the setting in of early frosts.
226 THE SAND HILLS OF MAVIESTON.
rem arked a visible w asting aw ay Of the land . At the
pre sen t tim e the coast - line betw e en Burghead and Findhorn is a great curve in land, and the distan ce along theshore
,be tw e en the se village s, is now nearly doubled, or
about ten m ile s. The m aterials w hich the sea had tow ork upon w ere exten sive range s of sea- beache s. To acasual Obse rver, the se beache s have all the appearance of
be ing com posed Of shingle or w ater - w orn stone s ; but, inm ost instance s
,th e appearance is deceptive . When a
s ection is exposed by the action Of th e sea,they are se en
to have a thin covering of rounde d stone s,but th e great
body Of th e beache s is a m ass of fin e sand,interstratified
here and there w ith thin layers of sm all pebble s . Bys om e pe culiar tidal m ovem ent, very different from thatw hich affe cted the coast during th e form ation of the sebeaches
,the sea has be en
,for a long t im e
,endeavourn
to,re cover part Of its form er dom ain . The sand, w hich
form ed the greater proportion Of the se beache s, has be engradually carried w e stw ard
, and throw n up on variousparts of th e Shore be tw e en Findhorn and Nairn . The sen ew deposits
,thrown up in th e form Of sand beache s, had
be en se ized upon by the strong w e sterly w inds and
carried in land ; and there can b e no doubt that the sew ere , at first, th e great fe eders of th e huge sand hills ofMavieston ,
w hich lie som e thre e or four m ile s w e st fromCulbin . By degree s the sand w as drifted eastward
,and
,
in course of tim e,form e d num erous m ounds Of imm en se
s ize and exten t, and spread itse lf over a tract of countryfully e ight m ile s in length , and,
in som e place s, upw ardsOf tw o m ile s in breadth . Th e on ce beautiful andfe rtilee state ofCulbin i s included in this tract. At the presen ttim e it is altoge ther deeply cove red w ith sand, fromw hich, according to appearance s, there is little like l ihoodthat it eve r w ill b e fre e .
To all appearance there w as l itt le injury sustained bythe sand - dr ift w e stw ard Of Culbin . All the w ay fromMavieston th e sand - hills are heaped up on ancient shinglebeache s. This is also the case w ith th e tract of groundlying be tw e en Culbin and the back Shore on the n orth .
It is the sam e be tw e en the eastern boundary of Culbin
and the river Findhorn . Although there is n o appearance of any great extent Of cultivated land having beende stroye d
,e ither to the w e st o r north Of Culbin ,
it is
SAND - DRIFT IN KINLOSS,DUFFUS , AND ALVES. 227
e vident that exten sive range s of good pastur e had beenrende red w holly useless . In som e place s
,tow ards the
w e st, the re are extensive plains, fully a m ile in length ,and about a quarter of a m ile in breadth, lying be tw e eno ne serie s Of sea- beache s and anothe r. The se low
grounds m ust, at on e tim e,have be en covered w ith a
close herbage , for even now ,w hen the re is but a Slight
c overing of sand,various kinds of coarse grasse s, and
seve ral specie s of carices , are se en to Spring up and m akegreat efforts to hold the ir place . In several Of the seplace s a great number of Scotch firs have be en planted ,and it is rem arkable how healthy they look
,and how
w e ll they thr ive , w ith the sand heaped up about them tothe he ight of tw o and thre e fe e t. Although the se gre enspots pre sent l ittle of the refre shing ve rdure w hich m ee tsthe eye in the cultivated parts of the country, ye t theyhave a very pleasing appearan ce w hen se en am idst thew ide w aste of sand
,which bounds th e view on eve ry
s ide . They are like oase s in the de sert.The injury w as n ot wholly confined to th e e state of
Gulbin . About th e tim e Of Gulbin sand - drift, there w as
an extraordinary drifting of sand over m ost of th e countryinland . In the parishe s. of K inloss and Duffus
,and over
the northe rn portion Of the parish OfAlve s,sand is found
in considerable depths. It overlie s in som e place s a deepreddish clay
,w hich is m ost favourable to vegetation .
On the e state of Inve rugie the sand had covered theo ld land to a great depth . This e state cam e into theposse ssion Of th e late William Young,
Esq , a gentlem an
Of no comm on energy, and one of th e m ost perseve ringand enterprising m en of the n orth . Although he delighted to see good farm ing, and did his utm ost toencourage the cultivators Of the soil and prom ote the irprosperity, ye t the r ich Old Spots of th e earth pre sentedfew attraction s to him . He con ce ived that a m an derivedlittle credit by raising rich crops on a soil that had beenunde r cultivation for cen turie s . Nothing afforded himgreate r pleasure than to se e the w aste and un sightlyparts of the country im proved and m ade useful . In thisre spect he se t an exam ple to all around him ,
by se le ctingthe m ost w orthle ss and forbidding piece Ofground for hisexperim ents ; and by the tim e he had don e w ith it hese ldom failed to inve st it w ith all the charm s ofa little
228 THE INVERUGIE ESTATE TRENCHED As A TEST.
paradise .Mr. Young had not been long in posse ssion Of
Inverugie w hen he began to see that there w as a treasureconcealed under th e sand . He w e nt to w ork w ith a w ill
,
and w ith a spirit that n eve r fagged ; and notw ithstandingthe great body of sand h e had to w ork upon
,h e trenched
it to the extent Of som e hundred acre s, and brought tothe surface a th ick covering Of the r ich
,Old, black soil,
w hich had be en lying in m any place s fully 8 fee t underthe sand . The w ork w as accom plished at an e norm ousexpen se , but the re sult, in due tim e
,was highly rem unera
tive , and soon becam e apparen t on the diffe ren t farm s inthe w e ll - filled stackyards and the luxurian t pasture s .It m ay not b e un in te re sting to m en tion that
,w hile Mr.
Young w as engaged in this great w ork, his friend, thelate Sir Thom as Dick Lauder of Be lugas, conce iving th isto b e a favourable opportun ity for testing the vitality Of
seeds after be ing long buried in the soil, procured a
quan tity of th e m ould. This was in February, 1 8 17.
After carefully tending the soil,which he had put in a
couple Offlow er - pot sauce rs,h e had the pleasure of se e ing
no few er than 46 plan ts springing up in May of the sam e
year . In a short tim e h e w as able to identify four different Specie s of plants. The se w ere the m ouse - ear
(Gem stium arven se) , scorpion grass (Myosotis scorpi
oides) , purple archange l (Lam ium purpureum ) , and thecorn spurrey (Sp ergu la It is curious that thisOld soil
,w hich had be en lying inert for nearly tw o cen
tarie s,should produce th e sam e Specie s of plants w hich
are trouble som e,as w e eds, to the cultivators of the soil at
th e pre sen t day.
Soon afte r the overthrow Of Gulbin ,another great
change took place in its ne ighbourhood. Form erly, th eriver Findhorn Sw ept round to the north of the lands ofBin sne ss, and thence flow ed w e stward, about Six m ile s, ina course nearly paralle l w ith the shore , before it enteredthe Firth at the Old Bar . At the pre sent tim e the rive r
,
after passing the village Of Findhorn,flow s n orthwards
,
and falls dire ctly into the sea. It is supposed that thischange in the course Of the rive r w as caused by the greatquantity Of sand drifted eastw ard from Gulbin , and
w hich , in its progre ss, had accum ulated in the b ed of th e
r iver . By this m eans a barrier w as form ed in th e channe l,
and the w aters,having accum ulated behind it, sought an
2 3 0 HEAPS OF SEA SHELLS ON THE OLD SEA BEACHES .
personal protection from his creditors, on the ground thatthre e - parts of his e state w ere ove rrun w ith sand
,and the
fourth part sold for paym ent Of his creditors .In m any place s throughout the district, w here the sand
has be en drifted aw ay from the Old sea- beache s,large
heaps of sea she lls are to b e se en lying upon the top ofthem . They all be long to she ll - fish Of the edible kind ,and con sist m ostly Of the oyster (Ostrea, adu lts) , cockle(Cardium edule) , m usse l (Mytilus adu lts) , tape s (Tap esdecussata) , rock J enus (Tap es pultastra) , and buckie o r
pe riw inkle (Littorina, litter ed ) . In early tim e s the basinof the Moray Frith m ust have afforded a favourablehabitat for th e oyster . The ir She lls are found in greatabundance
,not on ly in the n e ighbourhood of Culbin ,
butin m any other place s both to the east and w e st Of it ;and it w ould appear
,from the great collection s of them
everyw here , that th e people of the district had used themlarge ly. In m any place s the ir She lls are heaped up
,
layer above layer, to the depth of tw o and thre e fe e t.Som e great change m ust have taken place in the b ed of
Frith,for the an im al is now com ple te ly extirpated . Per
haps it w ould no t b e e rring greatly to ascribe the irde struction to the sam e cause s which ultim ate ly ove rwhe lm ed th e lands of Gulbin . The great tidal m ovem entsw hich had gradually broken up the
b
Old coast line , carriedthe sand w e stw ard . This sand w as
,n o doubt
, w ide lyand large ly distributed over the basin of the Fr1 th beforeit w as thrown up on the shore
,and w hen i t overspread
the firm,hard ground, w hich had be en the favourite
haunt of the oyster,its de struction w as inevitable .
‘
It is generally supposed that these heaps Of She lls indicate the place s w here hum an habitation s had on ce stood,before th e district w as overblow n w ith sand . In m ostin stan ces the she lls are interm ixed w ith th e ashe s Of
peat,and this give s som e countenance to the supposition ;
but if there w e re house s here , every trace Of them has
long since disappeared. How ever,there is a person n ow
living in the n e ighbourhood w ho rem em bers to have se en ,
about 40 years ago , the w alls and som e othe r parts ofahouse exposed by the w ind blow ing off the sand . The
w alls Of the house w ere form ed entire ly of a firm clayturf, w hich had be en ve ry carefully cut and regularlyplaced . A few w ooden supports, very m uch decayed,
BARON IAL MANSION OF GULBIN BURIED IN SAND. 2 3 1
w ere still rem ain ing. The floor w as n eatly causewayedw ith rounded ston e s from th e beach, and ove r this therew as a layer of clay about four inche s l n thickne ss. Th e
greater part of the m aterials had been worn aw ay by thew ind beating upon it at som e form er tim e , the part Of itw hich rem ained en tir e had been p1 eserved by its be ingcovered w ith sand .
It is said that m any Of the tenants on the e state of
Culbin lingered long in the ir Old habitation s,always
che rishing the hope that the sand w ould m ake n o furthe rprogre ss. SO determ ined w ere they to keep posse ssionof the ir dw e llings, that w hen the sand was heaped up infront of the ir house s, they still m anaged, w ith greatlabour, to clear an entrance ; but soon th e accum ulation sbecam e too great to b e cleared aw ay
,and at last every
w ay Ofacce ss in fron t w as com plete ly blocked up. Notw ithstanding th e threaten ing appearance Ofm atters
,they
still c lung to their abodes , and broke out an entrance inthe back w all of the ir house s ; but even this w as on ly of
tem pora1y advantage , for the sand accum ulated aroundthem w ith every w ind and soon ove rtopped the house s
,
and at length engulphed them in th e com m on ruin .
Although th e Man sion - house of Culbin has been for along tim e deeply buried under one of the large m ounds ,ye t portion s of it have at tim e s been fully exposed .
About 80 years ago there had be en a furious drifting of
sand, w hich continued for several days in succe ssion , and
w hich greatly altered the figure Of m any Of the largesand - hills. During this change a great part of the Old
Mansion appeared, standing like a ske le ton , apart fromthe great m ass Of sand in w hich it had been long e n
tombed . It w as firm ly and substan tially built, and con
tained a num ber Of fine ly dre ssed ston e s. While it lay~
exposed it w as used by the people in th e n e ighbourhoodas a quarry, and m any a fair building in the district nowpossesse s som e Of the good substantial ston e s that oncegraced th e Old baron ial Man sion Of Culbin . If the
w eather had continued favourable,there w as e very like
lihood that all the m aterials Of the Man sion w ould havesoon disappeared. Soon
,how ever, another furious sand
drift sw ept across the district, and the Old House Of
Culb in again disappeared . At a later tim e one Of the
chim ney - tops w as se en peering, like a large m arch stone,
2 3 2 ARROW- HEADS AND CELTS FOUND ON GULBIN.
above the sand. It rem ained visible for som e tim e,and
m any person s w en t to se e it, but, during a n ight of severedrifting, it disappeared. This seem s to have been th e
last sight obtained Ofany part of the House ofCulbin .
It is also m ention ed that, som e con siderable tim e afte rthe e state w as de stroyed, the branche s of a cherry tre e ,in full blossom ,
w ere se en standing out from th e Side of
on e of the sand hills, under w hich th e garden and orchaid
lay. It 1S also stated that an Old m an, w ho died about
20 years ago , and w ho lived to the age of 80,used to
re late that, in his younger days, h e Observed a thrivingbranch Of an apple tre e protruding from the side Of a
sand ~ hill . He visited the locality from tim e to tim e,
w atching the progre ss Of the branch,and, as it w as a
favourable season ,it budded and blossom ed
,and in - due
tim e bore fruit, w hich he had the pleasure ofgathering.
The fruit w as Offair Size,and m ost de licious in flavour .
The re lics Obtain ed from the old lands ofCulb in be longto a period too close at hand to b e Of m uch intere st toth e antiquary. They con sist Of fragm ents Of pottery,bits of iron and brass
, and stone - w horls of the Old
fashioned distaff. Persons in th e ne ighbourhood statethat silver Spoon s have been found in the soil . Flintarrow - heads and ce lts have been picked up in severalplace s along the tops of the anc ien t sea beache s, and inon e place , in the n e ighbourhood Of som e large heaps Ofm arine She lls, a great m any flint an ew - heads w ere found,along w ith num e rous fragm ents of th e flinty substan ce ,leading to the supposition that arrow - heads had be enm anufactured in this paiticular locality. In th e sam e
place w ere found a few fragm ents Ofw hat se em ed to havebe en brace le ts, very neatly cut, and m ade from black oak
,
but the se be long to a period m uch m ore rem ote than thehistoric days OfGulbin .
As reference has been Often m ade to th e Fam ily OfCulbin
,it m ay not b e de em ed un im portan t to give a short
genealogical accoun t of it, from th e on ly authentic sourcenow extant. The fam ily w as Of the an cient Moravienses,and is de scended from the great Flem ish house Of Fre skyn , who , by the pow e rful assistance it afforded toWilliam the Lion and his imm ediate succe ssors, acquiredgreat posse ssions in the n orth Of Scotland, from the chiefOfw hich they assum ed the local nam e of Moray. The
2 3 4 DEATH OF MARTIN,AUTHOR OF THIS PAPER.
the fam ily Of Gran t. In 1772 , th e late Sir Jam e s Grantsold it
,along w ith Moy, to Colone l Hugh Grant, a son Of
Sh euglie s, upon wh ose death, in 1 822, it fe ll by disposition to Jam e s Murray Gran t, Esq of Glenm oriston .](Se e a Lecture de l ivered before th e Elgin Literary and
Scientific Association ,in May,
1 8 6 1,by John Martin
,a
native Of Elgin ,having been born ,
in hum ble circumstan ce s
,at Clackm arras . He becam e teache r of th e Free
School of Anderson ’s Institution in 1 8 3 1,and re tired in
1 8 66 on a pen sion of £60. He die d ze t . 87, On Sunday th e8 th May, (ED.)
[By charter , dated at Elgin ,1 1 8 9 - 9 9
,King William
gave th e Churche s of Foreys and Dyk, w ith the tithe sand Vicarage of the sam e , to the Bishop ofMoray. (Reg.
Ep . Morav.)The Church of Dilse Dyke ) (Thein er ) is rated at
228 . 8d. in the Taxation of 1 275, and at 4 m e rks in that Of1 3 50. It w as a
‘
preb end Of the Cathedral Of Moray, and
on e Of th e m en sal churche s of th e dioce se .
The thre e Churche s of Dyke , Moy ,and Forre s w ere
unde r o ne Min ister in 1574 ; and Alexander Duff wasReade r at Dyke .
A decre e t w as pronounced on 24th Jan .,1 61 8 , Anent
th e vn eiting of the Kirk'
of Moy to the Kirk of Dyik ,
haithe lyand w’
in th e diocie of Murray ” (Acta Par l. , v.
In 1 641 th e right Of pre sentation to the Church of'
Dyke w as found to be long to the Earl of Dunfe rm line ,Lord Fyvie (ibid) ; but Cam pbell Of Moy en te red a pro
test again st this finding, as re corded in th e Pre sbyterybooks ofForre s. (Shaw
’s History ofProvin ce ofMo ray) .In 1780, during the digging Of the foundation s Of the
pre sen t Church of Dyke,and n ear the steps w hich lead
to th e burial - place Of Brodie Of that ilk, a quan tity Of
silver coin s w e re found . They be longed to the tim e of
William th e Lion , and w e re from the m ints ofEdinburgh ,Perth, Roxbu rgh , Stirling, and Berw ick.
Mr . Cardonnel (Nam ism ata Scotioe , Preface 3 , w ho
give s a de scription of the coins and the ir discovery, saysthat they w ere found by a w orkm an
,w ho im m ediate ly
closed up the tren ch where they lay,but wh o re turned
at n ight, along w ith his w ife,and carried off the w hole
m ass,w hich
,adds Mr. Cardonne l, m ust have be en very
DISCOVERY OF CO INS AT THE CHURCH. 23 5
valuable,for the finde r, a poor m an
,soon be cam e a con
siderab le farm er. Fortunately som e Spe cim ens Of “th e
find”w ere saved from the m e lting- pot
,and deposited in
the Museum Of the Socie ty of An tiquaries of Scotland ,w here they are still to b e seen . This discove ry w as one
OfNational im portance , it having be en previously doubtedw he ther there w as a silver Coinage in Scotland in the
tim e ofK ing William .
EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF DYKE.
The Church and Churchyard of Dyke occupy a risingground, and on th e south Side Of the Kirk is the burialplace of the pre sent noble fam ily ofMoray. It is enclosedw ith a railing, and m arked by a handsom e Obe lisk Of
w hite m arble . The fam ily arm s adorn th e n e edle , and a
table t in the plinth bearsI. THIS IS THE BURYING~ PLACE OF THE FAM ILY OF MORAY.
In th e Kirk - Session Re cords (Jan . 17, 1 68 3 ) it is stated,This day be ing Wedne sday
,the corps Of th e right
honourable The Counte ss OfMurray w ere inte rred in the
church of Dyke , the Right Reverend fathe r in God,'
the
Bishop Of Murray,preached the funerall serm on .
” Thisentry appears to re late to th e fourth Counte ss, Em il ia,
daughte r of Sir William Balfour Of Pitcullo , and m othe rof th e fifth Earl Of Moray. According to Douglas
’
Peer
age, the Second Earl OfMoray, w ho died at Darnaway, 6 thAugust, 1 6 3 8 ,
“w as buried n ext day at the Church of
Dyke , w ithout any pom p , according to his ow n dire ctions.The founder of this branch of the .Earls OfMoray w as
Jam e s, the “ Good Regent”
(natural son of Jam e sw ho w as assassinated by Ham ilton of Bothw e llhaugh at
Lin lithgow , 2 1 st January, 1569 - 70, when in his 3 7thyear. He w as buried w ithin St . Gile s’ Church ,Edinburgh ,in w hich is his Monum ent
,late ly re stored . His w ife w as
a daughter Of Earl Marischal,and by her he left tw o
daughters , the e lder Of w hom,Lady Elizabe th , m arried
Jam e s Stewart, afterwards th e “ Bonny Earl Of MorayOf Scottish song, son and he ir Of Sir Jam e s Stew art ofDoune . He w as m urdered by Huntly ’s m en am ong th e
rocks n ear Don ibristle, 7th February, 159 1 - 2
,and was
succeeded by his e lde st brother, Jam e s, from w hom the
pre sen t Earl is descended .
2 3 6 SEPULTURES OF THE BRODIES OF BRODIE
The fam ily _
Burial - aisle of the Brodie s Of that ilk is atthe east end Of the Church . It i s an ashlar building,w ith a stair leading to a vault, in w hich are :
11 . The coffins of William Douglas-Rynett and GeorgeGordon ,
tw o Of the sons Of the Laird Of Brodie . The form er,
born 2oth J an,1 8 15
,died l 6th Nov. ,
1 865,and the latter,
born 1 2th Aug ,1 8 3 9 , died 3 rd Dec .
, 1 868 .
III. A coflin - slab,bu11t into the north end Of the upper
flat of th e aisle,pre sen ts a calvary on steps
, w ith a sw ordbe low th e right arm . Round the m argin of the stone(part of w hich i s unfortunate ly covered by th e floor) isthis inscription
>X< his iacct richarbus brotlmw m ore sun quiob iit x“M“his ans but 1110 £1101“ lxxx" hiii"
This is the only in scribed slab w ithin the aisle,and
n othing is recorded of the persons comm em orated.
IV: There are also thre e in scribed coffin - plate s W Ithin
the buildingThe Hon . A lexander Brodie Of Brodie , Esq.
,Lyon King at
Arm s for Scotland. Obiit March 9,1754, aetat. 58 .
It w as in this laird’s tim e , says Mr. Young in his
History ofNcw Spynie, that the fam ily ofBrodie reache dits greate st he ight Of prospe rity, be ing then possessed Of
very con siderable territory, to w hich the Lyon - Kingadded the property of Lochloy. He was som e tim e MP .
for Elginshire , and afterwards for the Invern e ss DistrictOfBurghs.V. Alexander Brodie of Brodie , Esq. , born May 2 9 ,
- 1741 ,d ied at Bristol, Sept. 5th , 1 759 , aged 1 8 years, the last survivingson of A lex. Brodie Of Brodie , Lord Lyon , deceased, and of
Mary Sle igh, his w ife .
VI. Mary Sle igh, only child of Major Sam Sle igh and of
Isabe lla Corb et, his w ife . This truly w orthy lady died universally regretted the 2 l st March, 176 9 , in the 56th year of her
age , the w idow ofAlex. Brodie OfBrodie,Esq.
,Lord Lyon
,by
whom she had e ight children ,thre e m ost prom ising sons and
five daughters, all which she survived, except one m ost unspeakably afflicted daughter, Em ilia, the w ife Of John Macleod of.
Macleod,Esq.
Tradition says that a w e ird was pron ounced again stthe Brodie s Of that ilk, to the effe ct that no son born
2 3 8 DERIVATION OF BRODIE .
lam ented. Sustained in death by the principle s which guidedhis life , expressing his reliance sole ly on the m erits of our LordJ e sus Christ, h e died in the Sure and ce rtain hope of a joyfulre surrection .
The surnam e ofBrothu,Brothy
,Brodie , is of territorial
o rigin,and se em s to have be en assum ed from the lands of
that nam e in Dyke ,‘
from w hich, under th e nam e of“ Brochy,
”th e King
’s colle ctor,in 1 3 3 7 (Cham b. Rolls) ,
charge s him se lf w ith ce rtain paym ents. Shaw suppose sth e fam ily to b e a bran ch Of the ancient Moravien se s, or
those of the tim e ofMalcolm IV .
, and begin s th e pedigre ew ith Malcolm , Than e of Brodie
,w ho died in 1 285, a
de signation w hich occurs in th e case of John of Brodie ,in 1 49 2 (Reg. Ep . M0rav., It is further said thatThom as ofBrothie and Dyke had a charter of th e landso fBrodie from Bruce in 1 3 1 1 . The m ost im portan t cade tof th e fam ily is Brodie of Le then
,w hose an ce stor , Alex
ande r, was a brothe r Of David Brodie of that ilk,and
un cle to Lord Brodie . Mr. John Cle rk Brodie,W.S. ,
Laird of Idvies , is a son of this branch .
It w as on e Of the lairds OfBrodie w ho wrote an intere sting Diary, 1 652 - 80,
w hich w as carr ied on by . his sondow n to 1 685. It has be en prin ted for “
th e SpaldingClub,
”unde r th e e ditorship of Dr . David Laing, of the
Sign e t Library, Edinburgh . On refe rence to Dr. Laing’s
preface , and to Spalding’s History of the Trubles (i .
it w ill b e found that the Laird of Brodie had such a
share in th e de struction Of tw o Oil Paintings of the
Crucifixion and of th e Day of Judgm ent, and of som e
carved w ork in th e Cathedral of Elgin ,as cannot b e
sym pathised w ith in m odern tim e s.
VIII. About sixty years ago , w hile the sexton w as
d igging a grave , h e cam e upon a carved Stone w hich hadform ed a portion of the tom b of th e old fam ily ofKinnairdo f Culbin . It bears tw o shie lds. On e in itialed V .K.
exhibits the,Kinnaird and Inne s coats
,quarte rly ; the
o ther,in itialed BL, is charged w ith the Inne s arm s, and
a cre scent for a difference . Below are th e follow ing dateand curious rhym e in interlaced Rom an capitals :
1 6 1 3 .
VALTER : KINNAIRD ELIZABETHINNES : THE : BVILDARS : OF : THIS :
TOMB OF THE KINNAIRDS o r GULBIN . 23 0
BED : OF : STANE : AR : LAIRD : AD
LADIE : OF : COVBINE : QVICK :
TVA : AND : THAIRS : QVHANE :
BRAITHE : Is : GANE : PLEIS : GODVIL : SLEIP : THIS : BED : VITHIN :
In July,1571 , th e above - nam ed persons had a n ineteen
y ears’ lease of the te inds of Culbyn ,
Meretoun,and Leak
from th e Bishop Of Moray, for th e yearly paym en t of£1 2 68 . 8d. (App . Reg. Ep . Morav) . Walter Kynnaird,
w hose daughter w as probably th e w ife OfFraser ofBraikie ,in Forfarshire
,died about 1 626 , as on 4th April of that
year his son Alexande r w as served he ir to his father inthe lands ofCulbin and others .The n ext printed Re tour (Aug. 15, 1 677) Show s that
Thom as Kinnaird succe eded his father,Walte r, in Culbin ,
and other propertie s , am ong w hich w ere the fishings and
ferry coble on the Findhorn , and the“ Man sio cape llae
Sancti Niniani infra parochiam de Biser Dyke ) .There w as a Chape l dedicated to St. Nin ian n ear Kincorth
,
w here th e nam e is still pre served in Ninian ’
s Croft. The
tenan t of the farm of w hich th e croft form s a part isbound to pay to th e Kirk Se ssion yearly th e pr ice of
thre e old bolls Ofbarley for behoof of th e poor .
Culbin w as an an cien t inheritance of th e Morays of
Duffus,Alexander of Moray be ing de sign ed Lord of
Gulbin in 1 3 8 9 (Reg. Ep. Morav. The he ire ss, Egidia de Moravia
,having m arried Thom as
,son of Richard
Kinnaird of that ilk (ance stor of th e Lords Kinnaird inPe rthshire ) , brought Culbin to her husband about 1 440.
The prope rty w as bought from the Kinnairds by Alex.
Duff of Drum m uir,from th e creditors of w hose second
son,John
, Culbin and Easter Moy w ere acquired byMaj or Ge orge Grant about 1 73 2 .
IX. An en closure (n ear th e Moray obe lisk) containstw o m arble slabs
,thus inscribed :
X. The Burial Ground of the Macleods ofDalvey.
Sacred to the m em ory of Mary Mackintosh, the beloved
w ife ofEneas Mackintosh, w ho died 3 rd Nov.,1 848 .
Grangehill, the nam e ofw hich w as changed to Dalveyby Sir Alex . Gran t, Of th e Durris fam ily, w ho bought th eproperty about 1749 , w as acquired by an ance stor of the
240 EPITAPHS IN THE CHURCHYARD OF DYKE .
late Mr. Macleod about 17 AS a w hole , it Is possiblyon e Of th e love lie st of the m any love ly spots in Morayshire ; and the garden s, w hich contained a num ber Of rare
and valuable plants, w e re m uch visited by tourists andothers during th e tim e of the late proprie tor, w ho died in1 876 . At Grangehill the Pr ior of Pluseardine had a
grange and a ce ll ofm onks who cultivated the land.
XI. From a plain headston e to the east of the BrodievaultThe Burial- place of the Allans
,late ofMuirhall, Brodie .
The Allan s w ere a farm e r fam ily,and a daughter
m arried th e Rev. Dr. David Brichan,Min iste r of Dyke
,
“an accom plished scholar and e legant w rite r
,
”w ho died
in 1 8 14. A son,Jam e s Brodie Brichan ,
w ho adhered tothe Fre e Church , and died of pleurisy at Edinburgh , 1 7thMarch
,1 864, at the age of 54
,w as an industrious and
trustw orthy literary antiquary. He assisted the lateProfe ssor Cosm o Inne s in the com pilation of som e of hisvaluable w orks, and w as sole author of the last, and of a
considerable portion of th e first,volum e of Origin es
Parochiales Scotioe , w hich is perhaps on e of th e m ostvaluable of th e m any im portant w orks printe d for theBannatyn e Club. This great w ork is unfortunate ly un
fin ished . Th e portion issue d em brace s (vol . i .) the Diocese sofGlasgow ; vol. i i ., part 1 , Argyle and the Isle s ; part 2Ross, Caithne ss, Argyle , and the Isle s.
XII. A death ’s head and crossed bon e s are rude lycarved upon th e ston e
,w hich bears this brief re co1 :d
Robert Cow ie ,Christian Mawer
,1 682 .
The next three in scription s are from tab le ston es
XIII. Placed here at the request of John Clunes, of theparish of St . Mary, County of M iddlesex, and Island of
Jam aica, in comm em oration of the rem ains of his belovedparents
,Jam es Clune s and Jean MacKintOSh, the form e r born
in the year 173 0, died in the year 1 802 the latter born in theyear 1 749
,died in the year 1 8 1 1 .
XIV . Mary William ,wf. ofD. Christie , d. 1784, a. 23 .
We ll did She act the different scenes of lifeA m ode st Virgin , and a loving w ife
242 PARISH OF DYKE .
clothing twe lve indigent children in Dyke , as re cordedupon his tombstone at Elgin .
The Muckle Burn , w hich run s through th e parish of
Dyke , and falls into the Findhorn ,is bridged at Dalvey
,
and at the railway station of Brodie . .A . handsom e suspension bridge , which cost about crosse s theFindhorn on the Invern e ss turnpike
,and bears the se
inscription sXVIII. The stone bridge erected here in 1800having been
sw ept away by the flood of the 4th August, 1 829 , the suspen
sion bridge was built 18 3 2 . Founded l st March,1 8 3 2.
XIX. Erected under Act Of Parliam ent by the subscriptionof the inhabitants ofForre s and its vicinity. Samuel Brown ,
Comm ander, Royal Navy,Engineer. Opened 3 oth May,
(J ervise’
s Epitaphs .)
Before Iproce ed further, I shall give a Ske tch Of
THE EARL S OF MORAY.
This Earldom c ontinued long feudal , reverting
to th e Crown in.
default of m ale issue in th e
dire ct lin e . Th e first I have Sign ed Earl of
Moray is,OEngus Com e s de Moravia interfe ctus
e st cum suis (Chron . M etr .) ann o 1 1 3 0. Mr .
Myle s m ake s him de scended of King Duncan
th e bastard . Others w ill h ave th e de scendants
of Duncan s Earl OfM oray as follow eth (1) Dun
c an,bastard son of King Malc olm III. H e
usurped th e throne anno 109 4 ; and his charte r
Shew eth , that h e hoped to tran sm it it to his po s
terity ; but h e was cut Off ann o 1095. His son ,
by Ethe lreda, daughter of Gospatrick, son of
Crim an,Earl of Northum berland (Myles) , (2)
William Nepos Com itis David e t Nepos Regis
(Dalr . Co l ) . Dugdale says , if m y m em ory doth
THE EARLS OF MORAY. 243
n ot fail,that h e w as Earl of Moray, and m arried
Ailtze de Rum e lli. This is the m ore probable ,be cause h e was m uch in favour w ith King David
I.,and w as on e ofhis gen erals . His son w as (3 )
Dovenald . Hovedan says , He was c alled Mac
William,MacWilliam be ing son of William ,
th e
son ofDun can,and w as killed ann o 1 187. This
is agre eable to Citron . M e lr . ad. m m. 1 18 6.
Cum que Rex e sse t apud Oppidum Invern e ss
cum exercitu, Com ite s Scotiae m iserunt suos
hom in e s ad praedandum ,inven erIm tque MacWil
liam cum suis super Moram quae dicitur Man
garvia prope Mureff,and m ox cum e o pugnar unt ,
e t De o Opitul ante , cum m ultis aliiS interse c e
runt . His son w as (4) Dovenald , Of whom
th e Chi-
ou . M e lr . ad . ann . 1 215 Observeth , that
Dovenald,son of MacWilliam
,invade d Moray
,
but w as cut off by Mae - ia - Tsayairt, anc e stor to
Ross,Earl of ROSS
,and his he ad brought to th e
king . Possibly from the se MacWilliam S, cam e
th e Macw illiam s in Boharm,&c .
Th e n ext Earl of Moray I have m e t w ith , is
Sir Thom as Randolph,great grandson of Ranul
fus, wh o is a fre quent w itne ss in King William
’ s
Charters . His son Thom as died anno 1 262 , and
Translatimz. -When the King was w ith his army at the
town of Inverness, the Barons of Scotland sent forth the irretainers to plunde r ; and they found Macw illiam w ith histroops above Moram , which is called Mangarvia, on th e b or
de rs of Moray,and they directly encountered him , and w ith
the help ofGod they slew him w ith m any be side s.
244 THE EARLS OF MORAY .
was interred in th e Abbey ofM e lrose . His son,
Sir Thom as,Lord Cham berlain
,m arried Isabe l ,
sister ofKing Robert Bruc e . And the ir son,Sir
Thom as, w as cre ated Earl Of Moray anno 1 3 1 3
or 1 3 14. Alth oughfth e Charter or Patent bearethno date
, yet it is c ertain that: in th e c onvention
at Ayr 1 3 15, h e was Earl of Moray (Anderson
Indep ) Thom as died ann o 1 3 3 1,and his son
Thom as,se cond Earl of Moray
,suc ce ede d him .
He was,ac cording to Fordun
, paternae probi
tatis , im itator . H e was Slain fighting gallantly
again st th e en em ie s of his c ountry , at th e fatal
Battle OfDuplin ann o 1 3 3 2 ; and having n o issue ,h e was succe eded by his brother ,Earl John , wh o
was a strenuous asserter Of th e libertie s Of his
c ountry . He had th e m isfortun e to b e taken
prison er at the Battle OfKilb lain ann o 1 3 3 5,and
was c onfined,first in th e Castle of Nottingham ,
afterwards in th e Tower of London ,till h e was
re lease d by th e m ediation of th e King ofFran ce,
and exchange d for th e Earl of Salisbury ann o
1 3 41 . He w as im m ediate ly c on stituted Warden
of th e w e st Marche s . He acc om pan ied King
David II. in his unfortunate expedition into England
,and was killed at th e Battle of Durham
ann o 1 3 46,leaving n o issue , and th e Earldom
reverted to th e Crown . But Patrick Dunbar ,Earl OfMarch
,in right ofhis w ife Agn e s , daughter
of Thom as Randolph,first Earl of Moray, w as
de signed Com e s Marciae e t Moraviae .
”
246 THE EARLS OF MORAY.
Earl ofMar ; but in th e Counc il he ld atAberde en
15th October,1562
,h e is de signed Earl
'
ofMoray
(Keith’
s Hist) His e lde st daughter , Elizabeth ,m arried Jam e s Stew art , Lord D owne , who , in
h e r right,be cam e Earl Of Moray . Lord
‘
Down e
was de sc ended Of Robert Duke of Albany, third
son to King Robe rt II. Jam e s,son of Murdac
,
Duke of Albany,had four son s ; viz .
,Andrew ,
Jam e s , Walter,and Arthur , wh o , be cause they
w ere born out of th e c ountry,w ere legitim ated
ann o 1472 . Andrew w as cre ated Lord Evendale
1459 ; and having n o issue,w as succe eded by his
nephew ,Alexander, son of Walter
,whose son
Andrew ,third Lord Evendale , w ith th e c on sent
Of th e Crown,exchanged that title for Ochiltre e .
In his father ’ s lifetim e,h e m arrie d Margaret ,
daughter Of Sir John Kenn edy Of Blairquhan
w ith whom h e had thre e son s , Andrew ,se c ond
Lord Ochiltre e,whose m ale lin e is now extinct ;
Henry Lord Me thven , whose m ale lin e is also
extinct ; and Sir Jam e s ofBe ith , wh o was a great
favourite OfKing Jam e s V .,and w as by him made
on e Of the Gentlem en of his Bed- cham ber,Lieu
tenant Of his Guards,Con stable of th e Castle of
Down,
'
and Stewart ofMentieth and Strathgartny.
H e was killed in Dunb lain by th e Laird of Dun
treath , and his tw o brothers , out of a grudge for
his having obtained th e Stew artry ofM entieth ,
which was form erly in the ir fam ily 1547,and
his son Jame s w as cre ate d Lord Downe ann o
LORD DOWNIE CREATED A PEER. 247
whose son Jam e s , m arried Elizabeth
Counte ss of Moray, and from them the pre sent
fam ily is de scended .
[It w as this Earl w ho w as m urdered at Dunib ristle in159 2
,w ho w as succe eded by his son ,
Jam e s, w ho died in1 63 3 . His son
,Jam e s
,survived till 1 652 , and w as suc
c e eded by his son ,Alexander, who survived his first - born
son,Alexander, Lord Dow ne , w ho , be ing the father of
two beautiful daughters, the spouses of the ir happy husbands
,Brigadier -
general Alexander Gran t Of Gran t, andThomas Fraser of Strichen— the ir uncle , Charle s, thesecond son
,succe eded the ir fathe r, Earl Alexander, who ,
be ing rem oved in 173 5, w as succe eded by his brotherFrancis, the third son Of Earl Alexander, the 4th Earl ,who left his rank and fortun e to his e lde st son , Jam e s,the 7th Earl . He was succe eded by his son,
Francis,w ho
w as succe eded by three of that nam e . John,the 1 1 th
Earl,succe eded Franc is, the l oth Earl, in 1 859 . He was
succe eded by his half- brother,Archibald - George , w ho diedunm arried in 178 2 ; and w as succe eded by his on ly sur
viving brothe r George. The he ir pre sum ptive is his lordship
’s cousin,Edm und Archibald Stewart Gray OfGray,
King Jam e s and Balm erino.] (ED .)
Arm s of Randolph,Earl of Moray. Or, three cushe ons
pendent by the corners w ithin the royal tressure , Gules.Arm s of Dunbar, Earl of Moray. Quarterly, l st and 4th ,
The arm s of Randolph,Earl of Moray
,above blazoned. 2nd
The form of creating Lord Downe a Peer, is by an A ct of
Parliam ent, 7th of Jam es VI. anno 1581 , hearing, that thelands ofDowne , &c.
, w ere feued by Queen Mary to Sir Jam esStewart ofDown e , Knight, his heirs, &c.
, and the said Sir Jam e s
being descended of the royal blood : “ Therefore his Highness,with the advice ofhis three estates, erects, creates, and incorporates, all the foresaid bonds, offices, &c. , in an Lordship
,to
b e called the Lordship of Downe , who shall have the dignityand place of a Lord of Parliam ent
,w ith his arm s effe iring
thereto.” This was an usual form (possib ly for the greatersolem n ity, the King be ing under ag e ) in im itation Of the Oldform of creating an Earl
,by creating his lands into a county.
(Essay on Brit. Antiq. )
248 ARMS OF THE EARLS OF MORAY.
and 3 rd Gules, a lion ram pant w ithin a border argent, chargedw ith e ight roses of the field.
Arm s of Douglas, Earl of Moray. Quarterly, l st and 4th ,
The arm s of Randolph,Earl of Moray, above blazoned. 2nd
and 3 rd,a m an
’s heart ensigned w ith an Im perial Crownproper, on a chief azure , three stars of the field.
Arm s OfJam es, Earl ofMoray, natural son of King Jam esIV . Quarterly, l st and 4th , The imperial arm s Of Scotlandbruised w ith a baton Sin ister
,counter charged of the field and
charge . 2md and 3 rd, The arm s of Randolph, Earl of Moray,above b lazpned.
Arm s ofJam es,Earl ofMoray, Regent ofScotland in QueenMary’s tim e . The sam e as the last.Arm s of the pre sent Earl ofMoray. Quarterly, l st and 4th ,
The imperial arm s of Scotland w ithin a bordure garb onated,azure and argent. 2nd, Or, a fess checkie azure and argent.3 rd, The arm s ofRandolph, Earl ofMoray, above blazoned.
Above th e shie ld is placed his Lordship’s coronet, over whichis set an he lm et befitting his quality, with a m antling Gule s,the doubling erm ine . On a w reath ofhis liverie s is set for a
cre st, a pelican fe eding her young. Or, in a ne st vert. In an
e scroll above the cre st, this m otto. SALUS PER CHRISTUM
REDEMPTOREM . And on a com partm ent below the Shield, arep laced for supporters, two grey hounds, argent collared, Gules.
I shall now give som e account of
THE FAMILY OF BRODIE.
This nam e is m an ife stly local , taken from th e
lands OfBrodie . In anc ient wr itings,it is c alled
Brothie,softened into Brodie . In th e Old Irish ,
Bro th sign ifie s a ditch or m ire ; th e sam e as Dyke
in Saxon ,and Digue in French . And th e m ire
,
tren ch , or ditch , that runn eth from th e village of
Dyke , to th e north ofBrodie House , se em eth to
have given this place th e nam e of Brodie . Be
this as it w ill,- th e antiquity of this nam e ap
peareth from this , that no history, re cord, or
250 THE FAMILY OF BRODIE.
Calder and th e Baron of Kilravo ck, ann o 1482
(P en . (Here tw o or thre e de sc ents are
w an ting, which I c ould n ot find out .)
.Alexander of Brodie
,father of (9 ) David , wh o
died anno 1 627,le aving Six son s ; viz .
,David,
who suc ce eded him ; Alexander, wh o pur chased
th e lands ofL ethin,Kin loss
,and Pitgavenie ; Mr .
John , who was Dean of M oray,and whose son
lVilliam Brodie of Whitewreath,was father of
Mr .William Brodie,Advocate
,wh o die d a bache
lor in 1 741 ; Mr . Joseph,th e fourth son
,w as
Mnister of F orre s,and purchased th e lands of
Main n ear Elgin,which his son Alexander dis
pon e d to Pitgavenie , and bought th e lands Of
Muirh ouse n e ar Turiff,which Alexander ’s grand
son sold of late Fran c is , th e fifth son,purchased
th e lands Of Milntoun and others near Elgin ,
which his grandson sold to Lord Brac o , and his
gre at - grand - son is Alexander Brodie of Windy
hills ; William ,th e Sixth son
, was proprietor of
Coltfie ld, and his son William dying w ithout
issue , th e lands cam e to th e house Of Brodie .
(10) David had tw o son s ; Alexander , wh o suc
c e eded him,and Joseph ofAsleisk. This Joseph
of Asleisk,was father Of Ge orge Of Brodie
,and
of Jam e s ofWhitehill,wh o purchased Coltfield
and Spynie ; and whose son,Jam e s Brodie Of
Spynie , Advocate and Sheriff- depute of Moray
and Nairn,died in 1 756
,leaving a son and he ir
,
J am e s a m inor,wh o n ow enj oys th e e state , and
THE FAMILY OF BRODIE. 251
repre sents th e fam ily OfBrodie . (1 1 ) Alexander
w as a m an of em inent piety and prudenc e , and
was chosen a Lord Of Se ssion in 1649 ; but soon
re sign ed . He w as on e of th e Com m ission ers
who w ere sent to treat w ith King Charle s II. at
th e Hague and at Breda. He died in 1 679 ,
leaving issue , by a daughter of Sir Robert Inn e s ,a son Jam e s
,and a daughter m arried to Sir
Robert Dunbar of Grangehill . (1 2) Jam e s ,m arried Lady Mary Ke rr daughter of Robert
Earl of Lothian,and dying in 1708 , left n ine
daughters : viz .,Ann m arried to Lord Forbe s ;
Catherin e m arrie d to Robert Dunbar of Grange
hill ; Elizabeth m arried to Cumm in e of Altyre ;Grizze l m arried to Dunbar Of Dum phail ; Em ilia
m arried to Brodie'
of Asle’
isk ; Margare t m arried
to Jam e s Brodie Of Whitehill ; V ere m arried to
Brodie Of Mnirh ouse ; Mary m arried to Chivez
of Muirtoun ; and Henrietta th e younge st wh o
died unm arried . (1 3 ) Ge orge of Asleisk suc
c e eded,and dying in 171 6
,left tw o son s
,Jam e s
and Alexander ; and tw o daughters , on e ofwhich
was m arried to Sinclair of Ulbster in Caithn e ss,
and th e other to Munro OfNavarre . (14) Jam e s
succ e eded his father ; and dying in 1720, was
succe eded by his brother. (15) Alexander, whow as appointed Lord Lyon in 1727. H e m arried
Margaret daughter of Maj or Sley and dying in1 754
, left a son Al exander who suc ce eded him,
and a daughter who was m arried to John Younger
252 ARMS OF THE FAMILY OF BRODIE.
Of MacL e Od. (1 6) Alexander died’
a bache lor in
1 759 ; and was suc c e ede d by (1 7) Jam e s Brodie,
son of Jam e s Brodie of Spynie , and grandson Of
J am e s Brodie of Whitehill . He m arried Lady
Margaret Duff,daughter of the late Earl of Fife .
[The ir first - born son w as drown ed in India by th e
upsetting ofhis boat in th e surge along th e Shore—le aving a sonWilliam Brodie
,wh o , on th e death
ofhis grandfather,suc ce eded to th e e state s ]
The arm s of the fam ily ofBrodie . Argent, a chevron Gule sbetw een three stars azure . Supporters
,tw o savage s proper
w reathed about the head and m iddle w ith laure l. Cre st, a
right hand holding a bunch of arrows. All proper. Motto,UN ITE.
AULDEARN PARISH .
Th e parish OfA ldern (An lt- J aran,i. e . th e iron
c oloure d brook) is about 3 m ile s from east to
w e st,and as m uch from n orth to south .
Th e Church* standeth about a m ile from th e
s ea,and from th e east end of th e parish
,about 4
m ile s w e st from Dyke,2 m ile s e ast from Nairn
,
and 4 m ile s e ast from Calder . In th e low er part
of th e parish,tow ards th e firth
,is th e barony of
In sh och,w ith a large old house
,th e se at of th e
Hays of L ochl oy and Park . This was a very
anc ient bran ch of th e house of Errol,and w e re
Lairds of Park about 400 ye ars . By the ir de
John Hay, ofLochloy, who deceased in July, 1 640, left hisbody to b e buried in the burial place ofhis forb earis w ithin thequeir of Auldern e , and ordained ane left to b e biggit w ithinthe Kirk ofAulderne , on the north syd therof, with the timber13 0113 11 of the t hanriefift h of (Elgin. (KilravockPapers. ED .)
254 PROPERTIES IN AULDEARN PARISH.
Park,and in 1 741 and thenc e to 1621
,Hay of
Kinudie had th e lands Of Main e n e ar Elgin .
From th e Hays,Kinudie cam e to th e Urquharts
,
and in 1 670 Hugh Rose OfKilravock purchased
Kinudie,Hunterb og, &c .
,from Alexander Urqu
hart ; and in 1 767 they w ere sold by Kilravock
to Mr . Jam e s Russe l .
Th e upper part of th e parish is high ground,
and in th e east end of it,is th e barony OfMoyn e ss
and Bogh ol . This w as a part Of th e e state of
We stfie ld,given to John Dunbar
,a se cond son
of that fam ily, about th e year 1584. And in
1 6 3 4,Robert Dunbar
,son of the said John
,dis
pon ed th e se'
lands to John Grant of Loggie,
whose son ,Jam e s Grant
,sold them to Sir Hugh
Cam pbe ll of Calder in 1 668,and they are . n ow
Calder ’ s property . We st from Moyn e ss is th e
barony ofL e thin ; this was a part of th e e state of
Falc on e r ofHawkerton as e arly as th e year 1 295,
and c ontinue d so,till soon after th e year 1 600
,it
.
was sold to John Grant ofFrue chie,who about
th e 1 61 3,built a large house
,and there re sided.
His son Sir John Grant,afte r h e cam e to the
e state 111 1 622,sold this barony to Alexander
Brodie,se cond son to David
,Laird of Brodie .
This gentlem an likew ise pur chased th e Abbey
lands of Kin loss,from Bruc e Lord Kinloss
,and
in 1 6 3 0 purchased th e lands of Pitgavenie from
Alexander Hay of Kinudie . There has Of late
be en built at L ethin ,a fin e m odern house
,which
,
DERIVATION OF AULDEARN. 255
w ith the garden s,inclosure s
,and planting
,m ake s
a de lightful se at .
AULDEARN.
[Situation ,Soil, Clim ate — The parish of Auldearn, on
the easte rn frontier of the county of Nairn, extends 6
m ile s w e stward along the coast, from the boundary of
Dyke ; and it is stre tched to the sam e extent backw ardfrom the shore , m e e ting Ardclach and Calde r towards thesouth . The village ofAuldearn ,
sign ifying in the Gae lic ,the aller brook, although n ot entitled now to that appe llation , is near the centre of the parish : it is also 20m ile sfrom Elgin , and at the sam e distance from Inve rne ss . A
highway betw e en the se town s passe s through it, m orepleasan t
,in equal repair, and no t longer than the post
road , conducted through a de sert skirt on th e outside of
the parish .
Th e soil in th e eastern q arter Of the parish is a strongclay of a red colour ; it produces luxurian t crops , but isOf difficult cultivation : southward towards Ardclach
,it
is a blacke r m ould, but n ot so fertile n or early. Aboutthe Village the soil is light, and th e crops are onlyw e ighty and full in rainy or m oist sum m ers . The nor
th e rn side of the parish is a heavy cold loam,difficult to
m anage in a w e t w inte r or spring.
Lord Cawdor ’s property is so m uch encumbe red bybaulks and ston e
,that its value m ight b e raised m ore
than one fifth by clearing prope rly the fie lds.The c lim ate , healthful, is gene rally se rene and dry,
buta little colder and m ore w e t in the highe r parts oft hecountry.
State of Prop erty.
- The valued ren t of the parisham oun ts to £72557d . Scots.Le thin House
,the fam ily - seat of Miss Brodie , is a
state ly handsom e edifice , pleasantly situated in a valley ,
and em be llishe d by the rural decoration s of garden s ,e nclosure s, walks and a great extent of w ood on e itherhand
,am ong wh 1ch a num be r of m aje stic be eche s form
a striking appearance , by the bulky strength Of the tallhole
, and th e lofty canopy of the Spreading branche s .The valued rent is £1 100 Scots.In a gre en dale , n orthw ard of the village , is the seat o r
256 STATE OF PROPERTY IN AULDEARN.
the an cie nt fam ily of the Dunbars ofBoath . It is pleasan tly Situate d on the bank of a w inding brook ; thegarden ,
plantation ,and ornam en tal cultivation ,
decorate :
the environ s of this handsom e structure . The valuedrent of t h e e state is £652 15s . 9 d. The pre sent BoathHouse w as e rected in
'
1 8 3 0 by Sir Jam e s A.Dunbar,Bart.
Jam e s Brodie,of Brodie
,Esq ,
i s the proprie tor Of the
barony ofInshoch ; on w hich there is a ruined castle , anda con siderable extent of natural birch - w ood and fullgrown fir plantation .
On the adjoin ing e state OfPen ick,originally a part Of
the lands of the Priory ofUrquhart,the re is a com m odi
ous old house of thre e stories, w hich , though for som eyears un inhabited
,is in pre tty good repair.
The valued re nt of the se e state s is £ 159 9 1 l s. Scots.The lands ofBlackhills
,Raitlone , Leylands, w ith Moy
ne ss,Boghole , and Earl
’s Seat, valued at £148 3 1 9 s . 6d.
,
appe rtain to Lord Caw dor .
The e state of Knockandie , valued at £9 6 , is the property of Miss Ore Of Naim : and the re st Of the parish ,Kinudie , Kinsterie , Auldearn ,
‘
and Park, appertain toCharle s Gordon Of Braid, Esq. On this property, valuedat £2 3 22 1 4s. 4d. Scots, there i s an e legan t country - seat
,
and m ore than 600 acre s in w ood, in grove s, stripe s, andextended plan tation s. Th e land is also greatly em be llished and im proved by drain s, hedge s, and enclosure s ;the fie lds have be en cleared of every incum brance ; thelarge r stone s burst by gunpowder ; and the m ost sub stantial and perfe ct cultivation everyw here com ple ted.
’
The real ren t m ay rise above £3 000 ste rling. The reare a few farm s ren ted from £60 to £80; but the greaternum ber from £10 to £26 Ste rling. The m ost fertile soilslet from £1 5S. to £1 l 6s . the acre . The fie lds indeed areOpen ; but the tenants w ould che erfully give an - ade quaterise of rent
,w e re substantial enclosure s form ed. About
2000 bolls of barley,and the sam e quantity of oats
,m ay
b e disposed of yearly. The num ber of horse s is 3 70.
The black cattle are gen erally starved in the spring, andb ut poorly fed in the summ er : the ir num ber is n early9 10. The sheep are of the sm all w hite - faced bre ed, andam oun t to abou t 1 200. The village of Auldearn consistsof 41 dw e llings, w hich contain 1 85 inhabitants
, w hereof4 are m erchants
,and 3 are inn ke epe
258 REV. WM. LESLIE ON THE BOGHOLE SECEDERS.
m anner by the people am ounts to about £10 yearly, tow hich is added £4 1 6s., arising from the intere st of a
capital saved by th e parsim ony of the Se ssion during th elast incumbency, distributed annually am ong 50person s ,or occasionally as the nece ssitie s ofany m ay require .
The m em be rs of the National Church am ount to 1 3 09 ,and there are 9 7 dissenters of the Antiburgher Se ct ofSeceders : joined by a few of the ir brethren In the n e ighhout ing parishe s, they support a clergym an of the ir ow n
sort : his re sidence and chape l are at Boghole , on the
fron tiers of Edinkiclie , w here one of th e sam e sect haslate ly opened a school at the comm on rate s
,and partly
by its n ove lty, and partly by its rem ote situation fromthe Established schools, this sem inary has be en hithertow e ll attended : but th e zeal of the Se ssion waxe s graduallym ore cold.
Miscellan eoa s Infownation .
—The people re st the ir virtue in the obse rvance of devotional rather than in the
discharge ofm oral dutie s . From the stricte st attention tothe last they be lieve them se lve s set fre e , by fOrm al and
prolongated exerc ise s of the first . Many on this accountm ake long pilgrim age s to attend those popular preachers,w ho inculcate chiefly th e eflicacy ofFaith
, and de light todw e ll on the m erits of the Aton em en t ; and although thepeople in gen eral deem eve ry gratification of sen se to b es inful in som e degree , ye t petty thefts am ong them are
no t uncomm on . Flagrant im m oralitie s, how ever, and disgraceful profligacy, are carefully e schew ed ; and they e rr
rathe r through illiberal and inveterate prej udice , thanfrom w ant of principle , or through depravity Ofm ind.
It is ascertain ed that an alm ost inexhaustible store of
pure rich m arle is con tained in the m oss and lake of
Litic , on th e prope rty of Lord Caw dor. It extends ove ra space of 40 acre s, and is from 1 6 t o 20 fee t deep. It
w ould not b e costly to drain Off the w ater : and Mr.
Gordon ofBraid has show n th e beneficial effe cts of Sim ilarm arle on his e state of Kinsterie , in his crops of corn
,
turn ip , and grass.It appears probable to people Skilled In open ing coal
pits, that this useful m ineral m ight b e found in the
grounds be tw e en Boath and th e shore . There Is a quarryw rought of dark blue stone , w hich , l ike coal, flam e s inthe fire ; yet its bulk was not dim inished
,n or on the
DRUIDICAL TEMPLE ST. COLIN’S MARKET, AULDEARN. 259
application of w ate r, doe s it fall into a pow der like lim e
ston e calcined.
Large fir tre e s are dug in the tracts of peat earth ind ifferen t parts of the parish . Som e have be en found 60fe e t in length ,
and in diam e ter nearly 3 ; they are used inthe roofing of house s .Unde r the bank
,w hich
,it has been said
,range s along
the coast from Dyke nearly to Inve rn e ss , there is in thisparish a lake [Loch Loy] about a m ile in length ,
but le ssthan the half of that in breadth ; it is be low the leve l ofthe sea, ofw hich it se em s to have be en once a part : byth e drifting of th e sand, it is still . m ore and m ore dim inish ed both in extent and depth
,though it still re tain s
m ore than 7 fathom s ofw ater .
The tem ple s of the Druids , pre tty num e rous over all
this quarter of the country, bear evidence of its havingbeen inhabite d from very rem ote antiquity.
_
An artificialgre en m ount near the Church , though called the Castlehill
,is generally supposed to have be en accum ulated for
the court ofcivil justice , w hen the se tem ple s of th e Druidsw ere forsaken . And it m ay b e presum ed
,that if j ustice
w as n ot always Obtain ed , yet it m ust have cost le ss w henadm in istered on a gre en m oun t, in th e Open air
,than in a
splendid hall, on cushioned chairs,e rm ined robe s of state ,
and fantastic w igs.There are thre e annual fairs in the village , w he re black
cattle is always the staple . That on the 2 1 st of Junew as e stablished on th e Fe stival ofSt . Colum ba, and is ye tcalled St . Colm
’
s m arket.Q
The Village is distinguished as the fie ld of on e of the
ce lebrated victorie s of the Marquis of Mon trose in 1 645,
for Charle s I. endeavouring to e stablish Pre lacy in Scotland
,and de spotism ove r all th e em pire . If it b e at any
tim e for the good of a nation ,or for the happin ess ofa
people , to comm ence a c ivil war,it m ust b e to oppose th e
practical e stablishm ent ofthe doctrine ofpassive obedienceand n on - re sistance : yet that gene ration involved themse lve s in calam itie s m uch m ore deplorable than any w hichthey feared from the king ; and afte r all, they tam e lyyie lded up those rights to an upstart usurpe r, for thedefence ofw hich they had rebe lled again st and m urdereda re spectable prince , the repre sentative of a long line of
the ir National m onarchs.
260 BATTLE OF AULDEARN.
The inhabitants ofMoray in that age w ere adverse to
the m easure s of the Court, re specting bo th the Church andState . Montrose therefore plundered, burn ed , and de
stroyed the w hole country, in a progre ss from Inverne ss,particularly th e e state s and houses of Brodie of Lethin ,
and Brodie of Brodie , Dunbar ofGrangehill, Kinnaird ofCulbin ,
Burgie , Duffiis, Garmaeh , Inne s, and Redhall,
destroying also the n ets and boats, to ruin the fishery of
Spey. Faste 1 - eve’s m arke t at Elgin w as that year given
up,for the fear of this gallan t plunderer : and the m ost
substan tial people ofthe town,abandon ing th eirhouses,fled
w ith the ir fam ilie s and m ost valuable effects to th e CastleOfSpynie , at that tim e a tenable fortre ss. In th is . Situation
, the force s of the people , under Lieutenant Gen eralUrry, rendezvous at Inverne ss. In a casual skirm ish
,as
the troops m arched, onward, a young gentlem an of the
King’s party, Mr. Gordon of Rhyn ie
,be ing w ounded,
retired for his recovery to the house Of a friend at
Struthers near Forre s, and he w as there m urdered by a
party of the pe ople from Elgin ,under the conduct of th e
young kn ight of Inne s, zealous again st Pre lacy and non
re sistance , hasten ing to j oin the arm y at Invern e ss. Mon
trose follow ed after to Auldearn,
‘
w ith 1500 foot,and 250
horse ; w here he w as m e t by Urry and m any of the
chiefs of the people , w ith an arm y of 3 500m en and 400
horse . From before such superior pow ers Mon trose wasinclined to re treat : but that w as extrem e ly hazardous
,by
the approach ofGeneral Baillie from behind,w ith an arm ystill better appointed. He w as
,therefore , obliged to try
the fate ofa battle , in w hich the superiority of num bersw as in a great degre e com pen sated by th e advantage ofthe ground. Mon trose concealed th e greater part of hisforce s beh ind the village , at that tim e on the he ightcovering th e valley be low ,
in w hich he placed a chosenband
,protected by an earthen fence . He gave th e com
m and of the r ight w ing to Colone l Alexander Macdonald,
placed also in a Situation prote cted by banks, dyke s,bushe s, and great ston es. There the Royal standard w as
displayed,to entice the enem y to w aste the exertion of
the ir be st force s, w here it m ust b e im potent from the
Situation of th e ground, comm anding th e Colone l to ke epw ithin his strength, n otw ithstanding any provocationw h ich th e enemy m ight give . Lord Gordon led the
262 COVENANTERS SLAIN AT THE BATTLE OF AULDEARN.
1 8 14till the Disrnp tion ,Spen t tim e and m oney in caring
for ancien t grave stone s and m onum ents w hich w ere lyingw aste in th e Churchyard . Am ong such , he caused to b ere - le ttered a Table t and Tom bstone which comm em oratedSom e Of the heroic Covenante rs w ho w ere Slain at the
Battle ofAuldearn . The Table t is in the Choir of the OldChurch , and has this In scriptionThis Monum ent is erected b e Sir Robert Inne s, younger ofthat ilk, in m em orie of Sir Alexander Drom ond, of Medhope ,Sir Johne Morray, and Maister G ideon Morray, who lies he irintered, who , fighting valiantly in defence of the ir religione ,king, and native countray, died at Auldearn ,
the 8 May, 1 645.
The Tom bston e bears thisHeir lye th Captain Bernard M‘Kenzie , who , in defence of
his re ligion and countrie feighting, died at Auldearn , the 8 of
May an . 1 645.
I n ow c om e to
THE PAR ISH OF NAIRN,
In Irish Invernairn . The river Nairn riseth in
th e hills betw e en Strath erick and the Brae s of
Strath ern ,and runn ing n orth- east through th e
parishe s of Dunlichty and Deviot,it turn eth
alm ost due n orth,and discharge th into th e Frith
at th e town of Nairn,after a course Of above 20
m ile s . It i s calle d Nairn,from th e Alder tre e s
grow ing on th e banks Of it . Uisge-Nearn
,is the
Water ofAlders .
Th e Town standeth at the m outh of th e river
on th e w e st Side , and is on e stre et from e ast to
w e st . At th e e ast end there is a Bridge of thre e
arche s upon the river,built by William Rose of
Clava in th e ye ar 1 6 3 1” In th e m iddle Of the
[It sustained great dam age, first from a flood in 1 782, and
KILRAVOCK HOUSE, NAIRN. 263
town standeth th e Tolbooth and Town -House ;and at th e w e st end, Kilravock has a good house
of m odern archite cture .
* A little above the
bridge , on th e bank of th e river , is the Castle
Hill , where stood a Royal Fort (now quite de
m olish ed) , where of th e Than e s of Calder w ere
th e hereditary c on stable s Within the flood
n ext from the great flood in 182 9 . An inscription upon a
stone of it, which long ago fe ll into the river,was Gulielmus
Rose de Clara, w ith the m otto Non est Salas, nisi in Christa
SoliDee gloria There is no salvation but in Christ : Gloryto God alone] (ED.)
In 1 71 1 begin accounts for repa1rs done on the Kilravo ckhouse in Nairn
,where Kilravock younger, or, as he now began
to be styled, Gedde s, usually resided. The repairs extendedover several years
, and w ere no t completed probably till 1722 .
Over the door of this tall, gaunt old house , which has butcomparatively late ly be en denuded o f its quaint fore - stair,
”
are still legible the Initials of the young laird, and his secondw ife , Jean Ross of Broadley, and the date of 1722, w ith som e
doggere l not inapplicable
Omn ia terrena per vices sunt aliena,Nunc m ea
,nunc hujus, post m ortem nescio cujus
Nulli certa domus.Of which a loose scrap am ong these domestic Papers give s thistranslation ,
“ by Mr Allan ”
Allterrene things by turns w e se e
Becom e another’s propertyMine now m ust b e another’s soonIknow no t whose , when I am goneAn earthly house is bound to non e .
”
On the 27th April , 1769 , George Munro, clockm aker, Edinburgh, advises the Magistrates of Nairn that he has shipped,by Colone l Hector Munro
’s orders (their a new ste epleclock for the town . He assure s them that he has proved theclock, and it goes w e ll, and he believe s it to b e as good a clockas is in Scotland for its size . (ED. )
264 CHURCH AND LANDS OF NAIRN PARISH.
m ark are som e ve stige s , c alled th e Pier - end ; but
th e m outh of the river is now so barred , that no
ve sse ls, but fishing boats for salm on and white
fish, can enter .
Th e Church standeth on th e bank Of th e rive r,
2 m ile s w e st frOm Al dearn ,5 m ile s east from
Ardersier,3 m ile s n ort h from Calder, and 4 m ile s
N.N.E. from Croy. Th e lands contiguous‘to the
town are th e property of Rose ofKilravock, Rose
of New ton,and Rose of Clava. Mr. Rose of
Clava,in 1768
,Sold all his lands in Nairn
, Croy,and A rdc lach , to Sir Alexander Grant ofDalvey .
We stward on th e c oast are th e lands Of De lnie s ,he ld
,in m ortgage , by Alexander Cam pbe ll of
De lnie s,of th e laird Of Calder The se w ere a
part of th e Church lands of ROSS,and David
Pan ibar,bishop of ROSS
,dispon ed Denlie s and
Ardersier,ann o 1556
,to his brother - uterin e
Robert Le sly,from whose son John Cam pbe ll of
Calder purchased them -in 1575. On the Side Of
th e river,a m ile south of th e town
,i s Kildrum
m ie,th e seat ofHugh Rose ofBrae ; the se lands
w ere sold by Patrick Hepburn Bishop of Moray ,to Hugh Rose OfKilravock
,in 1545. (P en .Kilr .)
On th e e ast Side Of th e river,near th e c oast
,is
Be lm akeith ,the property Of Alexander Dunbar
of Boath , and holding feu Of Calder . William
Thane of Calder w as infeft in Be lm akeith ann o
1442 (P en . Cald .) Next up th e river is Braid
ley. This was , for som e generation s,the pro
266 STATE OF PROPERTY IN NAIRN PARISH .
Hugh Cam pbe ll of Calder purchased them in
1 660.
NAIRN.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — From the borders of th e
parish of Auldearn,Nairn stre tche s 6 m ile s w e stward
along the Fr ith , and it extends backward into the country about 8 . It i s in te rsected by the river, w hichim parts its nam e to th e parish and to th e town ,
denotingin the Gae lic
, the water of allers ; its banks, to a con
side rab le exten t,having been cove red w ith that Specie s
of w ood. Th e ground on the north Side of the rive rspreads out a leve l plain to the shore of the Fr ith on
th e other it r ise s in a gentle acclivity, term inating towardsthe southern corn er in a con siderable em inen ce , nam ed
,
from th e adj oin ing lands, the Hill Of Urchany. In the
environs of the tow n, and along th e coast, the soil is
sandy ; the sam e kind of soil is con tinued on the banksof the r iver, but greatly m ixed w ith clay, and the countryon its southern Side is of a rich and heavy m ould.
State of Property.— The parish is posse ssed by five
proprietors, excluding the grounds appe rtain ing to thecomm un ity
, and th e sm all heritage s about the burgh .
Kildrumm y and Torrich,part of the e state of Kilravock,
are valued in th e Ce ss - Roll of the county at £273 5S. l l d.
Scots. The barony of Gedde s and Allanhall are valuedat £41 2 Os . 1 1d. Scots . The lands of Dalnies
,m ortgaged
to Mr . Cam pbe ll by th e fam ily of Caw dor, are valued at£204 2S. 3 d. And Belm akeith
,appe rtain ing to M r. Dun
bar of Boath , is valued at £1 29 4S. 3 d. The re st of- the
country part of the parish appe rtain s to Lord Caw dor,w hich, w ith the salm on - fish ery,
is value d at £462 5s. 9 d.
Scots ; extending th e w hole valued re n t of the parish ,
w ith th e valuation of the burgh lands, about £500Scots, to £1 9 80, 1 9 s. 1d. The num ber offarm s are about50, and of incon siderable exten t, gen erally not exce eding£20 sterling of rent, there be ing only tw o equal to £50sterling. In the imm ediate v icin ity of th e town ,
the aere
re nts at £1 15s. ste rling ; farthe r distan t, from 1 8s . to £1l os. and in the country, from 5s to £ 1 .
Th e salm on - fish ery on th e rive r (a branch ofw hich iscarried on likew ise in the salt w ater, near its influx,
distinguished by th e epithet of still-fishing from th e
BURGH CHARTERS o r THE TOWN o r NAIRN . 267
silent m ode of conducting it, by a Signal, in the sm oothwater) is the joint property ofColone l Cum ing Gordon of
Altyr and Mr. Davidson of Cantray . It is separate lyoccupied by the ir tenants, at the ren t of £3 6 ste rlingfrom each, and is alternate ly carried on in th e r iver and
in the sea. Mr. Brodie of Brodie has also a still - fish e ryon th e east side of th e rive r
,at the ren t of £8 sterling.
There are 6 boats in the tow n and 2 in the country fo rthe sea fish
,in each of w hich 7 m en are em ployed . Be
side s the spe cie s of fish got eastw ard in the Fr ith alreadym en tioned, they gene rally find som e herr ing in everyseason ,
for w hich they m ust, how ever, go as far w e st asthe influx of th e Ne ss . Previous to th e year 1782, allkinds of fish w ere found in plenty j ust opposite to th etown ; at pre sent they are som e tim e s no t to b e got neare rthan the coasts of Sutherland and Caithne ss.The tow n is pleasantly and comm odiously situated o n
the w e st bank of the r iver, near the shore of the Frit'
u .
The Jail and Town House are on the m iddle of the stree t,from w hich m any narrow lane s extend to the rive r o n
the one side , and to an exten sive plain of fe rtile cornfie ld, of m ore than 400 acre s on th e othe r. The firstCharter
,n ow extant, is the grant of Jam e s VI. in the
year 158 9 , bearing to b e the renew al of a charter byAlexander I. The revenue of the burgh arise s from a
considerable exten t of m oor , let on various leases to b eim proved
,by w hich a con siderable increm ent w ill in due
tim e b e m ade . Som e fen - dutie s are likew ise der ivedfrom the burgh - lands
,and from the tolls of 6 stated Fairs
in the year, and the w e ekly m arke t . The governm en t ofthe burgh is comm itte d to 17 ; the Provost and 3 Bailie s,Dean of Guild
,and Treasurer , w ith 1 1 Counse llors . AS
the gentlem en of the town are n o t num erous enough forthe requisite annual change s, gentlem en from the countryare adm itted into the Magistracy ; but the Bailie s, Deanof Guild
,and Cashier
,by a late dec ision of the House of
Peers, m ust b e re siden t in the town .
The w hole Trade s are form ed into one Incorporation .
State Ecclesiastical .— The Church and Burying -
groundare on the south side of the town ,
washed by the rive r.
The stipend, including the allowance for the Comm un ion ,
is £3 2 sterling, and 5 chalders of hear. The right of
patronage appertains‘to Mr. Brodie ofBrodie . The salary
268 ROYAL FORT CHAPEL OF GEDDES .
of the parochial school is 1 6 bolls of bear , and the custom ary perquisite s of office . It has be en for m any yearsin a very flourishing state . The num ber Of scholars sen tfrom all quarters of the country, and som e occasionallyfrom England, is se ldom be low 80
,and often upwards of
100. All the branche s Of education carr ied on in th e
academ ie s are taught w ith ability and succe ss. There isalso in th e town a school for girls, Where th e custom arybranche s offem ale education are properly conducted ; th esalary paid by the comm un ity is £10 and a house . The
Roll of the poor am ounts to th e num ber of 150. The
provision colle cted in the Church for the ir support, about£8 sterling yearly, and a sm all sum bearing intere st,adm its on ly of one dividend in the year ; but the ex
t 1 em e ly n e edy rece ive occasional supply. The num ber Ofinhabitan ts are 2400
,of w hom about 1 100 appertain to
th e burgh . There are seveial fam ilie s of An tiburgherSeceders, and a few Of th e Episcopalian persuasion .
Mescellaneous Infom natw n —On th e south side of thetow n
,on the bank of th e river
,is the Castlehill, w here
stood a Royal Fort, Of w hich th e Than e s of Caw dor w ereh ered1ta1y constable s till the year 1747. The constabularygarden 1s still distinguished as an article of the valuationof the e state , to the
t
exten t of £ 3 1 08 . Scots. At a veryrem ote period ofan tiquity, the Castle w as situated neare rto the Shore
,upon th e influx of the river ; w hich , sim ilar
to th e Spey and Findhorn,then flow ed halfa m ile farther
w e stward along the shore than its pre sent term ination .
There are som e person s still alive w ho rem em ber to haves e en ,
at Spring- tide s, ve stige s of its foundation ,at pre sent
a con siderable w ay w ithin th e b ed of the ocean .
The Chape l of th e Vi1gin Mary,built at Gedde s in the
year 1 220, has eve r be en th e Bu1 ial - placeO
Of the Fam ily OfKilravock . Th e Burial - ground around it is also still inuse . In 1475 Pope Sextus IV . granted a discharge for100 days Penance for eve ry visit to this Chape l on certainhigh Fe stivals, and also for a certain extent of donationfor the repairs of the building.
The county of Naim con sists of4 parishe s, w ith som e
incon siderable corners of som e that are contiguous of thec ounty of Inverne ss. In the repre sen tation in Parliam en t
,it is conj oined w ith the county ofCrom arty
,on the
o pposite side of the Fr i th ; each e lecting the ir comm is
270 HAWTHORN AND IRON CHEST INTHEVAULT OF CAWDOR.
Th e Tow e r stands be tw e en tw o c ourts of build
ings . Tradition beareth , that th e Than e w as
dire cted in a dream to build th e Tow er round ahawthorn - tre e on th e bank Of th e brook . Be
this as it w ill , there is in th e low e st vaul t Of th e
Tow er th e t runk of a hawthorn - tre e,
‘
firm and
Sound,grow ing out of th e rock
,and re aching to
the top of th e vault . Strangers are brought to
stand round it , each on e to take a chip of it,and
then to drink to the Haw thorn - tree Pros
perity to th e Fam ily Of Calder .
” This House,
w ith spac ious en closure s , fine garden s , a park of
red deer,and a large w ood c lose by th e house
m ake a grand and de lightful seat .
[The Donj on or Vault is about 10 fee t high , and the
Haw thorn reache s to the top . There is no doubt thatthe w alls m ust have be en built around it. An old ironche st lie s be side the tree , w hich is said to have bornethe prec ious burden of gold. Tw o other old haw thorntre e s grew w ithin a few score yards, in a line w ith the
castle— one in th e garden , w hich fe ll about 80,
yearssince , and the other at the entrance to the Castle
,w hich
w as blow n dow n after a gradual decay, in 1 8 3 6. Som e
suckers are ye t fenced . King Duncan’
s chain - arm ouris kept in this vault — if it b e correct that he was m ur
dered h e 1 e , for there a1 e four other localitie s assigned forthe scene— viz .
,Glamm is Castle , Inverne ss Castle , and a
hut n ear Forre s, or a hut n ear Elgin . Som e part of th egreat Tow e r of Glamm is m ay b e as old as the 1 3 th ce n
tury,but no portion of Caw dor is older than the l 5th
century,so that th e tim e w hen they w ere built was m ore
distant from th e days of Macbe th on the on e Side , thanthose of Que en Victoria on the other.
‘
Inde ed, had w e
any actual building of Macbe th ’s day in S cotland,it
w ould no t b e inve sted w ith so m uch tragic gloom ,n or
could it so appropriate ly associate itse lf w ith de eds of
KING DUNCAN ’S FOUR - POSTED BED ! 271
horror for it w ould probably b e m ade ofw icker ware orslight tim ber, and b e in all re spe cts unfit to repre se ntthe proper stage - prope rtie s of a tyrant’s stronghold, andthe scen e of a Royal m urder. Ye t, not m any years ago ,s ceptic ism w as put to utter sham e at Caw dor , by be ingshew n
'
the identical four- posted b ed in w hich the m urdero f King Dun can w as com m itted
,of a fashion so Old that
no re spectable upholstere r of the 1 9 th century, even inInvern ess o r Forres, w ould have tam e ly subm itted to th escandal of having constructed it . The room
, and the
b ed w ithin it, w e re both burned by an acciden tal fire in1 8 15; thereby depr iving all future visitors of so ve ryin te re sting an exhibition of traditional identifications.Shakspe re and his comm en tors, follow ing the autho
rity of Buchanan,assign Macbe th
’s Castle at Inverne ssas the tragic locale . In th e place s m ention ed (except thetw o hu ts) Macbe th had his strongholds ; as, on b is .m ar
riage , he becam e , in right of his w ife Gruock,Maorm or
or great Ce ltic lord of Moray ; having by birth the sam e
pow er attached to that nam e in the adjoin ing county of
ROSS. King Duncan w as betrayed and slain w hile re
s iding at on e ofhis nephew ’s castles, on his way to reducePorfin ,
th e Scandinavian Earl ofCaithness, to subm ission ;b e having refused to surrender the custom ary tribute tothe Scottish Crow n . Malcolm (King Duncan ’s e lde stson , and afterwards called Caenm ore
,or b ig
- head) fled,on his fathe r’s m urder, to England, w he re h e w as rece ivedby King Edw ard th e Confe ssor. He waited at the English Court until the dissen sions be tw e en th e usurperMacbe th and the Scottish noble s gave him a favourableOpportun ity of re cove ring his inheritance . Then h e
sallied forth across the Borders, supported by an Englisharmy of unde r th e com m and of his m aternalgrandfather, Siward, Earl ofNorthum b erland. Macbe th ’sinve te rate foe , th e Than e of Fife , raising the standard atthe sam e tim e for th e law ful m onarch
, e nte red Angusshire , and encoun tered and defeated his great enemy n earhis ow n Castle ofDun sinane .
Such is the bare outline of facts on w hich the de eplyexc iting tragedy ofMacbe th w as reared by Shakspere .
Cawdor Castle is still inhab ited— perched upon a lowrock ove rhanging th e b ed of a Highland torre nt, and
272 CARVED CHIMNEY- PIECE'
IN CAWDOR CASTLE.
surrounded on all Side s by the large st- sized forest tree s,w hich partly conceal the extent of its park . It standsa re l ic of the w ork of several age s, a w eather - beatenTow er, en circled by com parative ly n ew er and le ss e levateddw e llings, the w hole be ing enclosed w ithin a m oat
, and
approachable on ly by a draw bridge w hich rattle s on itschain s just as in the years long by. The staircase - its
ancien t tape stry hanging over secre t doors and hiddenpassage s, the iron -
grated doors and w icke ts, the largeba1 onial kitchen, partly form ed out of the native rock,the hall
,the old furn iture , the carved m ante l - piece s, the
quantity of figured tape stry, and even the grote squefam ily m irrors in use 200 years ago— are still cherishe dand pre served by th e fam ily. The draw bridge and gateway (overtopped by a be lfryw ith hell) are w orthy ofnotice .
In one of the com partm ents 1s a carved stone chim neypie ce , having the fam ily arm s and several grote squefigure s , am ong w hich are a cat playing the fiddle , a
m onkey blow ing a horn ,a m erm aid playing a harp
,a
huntsm an w ith hounds pursuing a bare , 850. One of
the se rude repre sentation s is that of a fox sm oking a
tobacco pipe . On the Ston e 1s engraved the date 1510,w hen this w ing of th e Castle was erected. Tobacco was
first introduced in to this coun try by Sir Walter Rale ighabout 1585
,and it is singular to find the comm on short
tobacco pipe thus repre sented at the above period . The
fox holds the fragrant tube in his m outh exactly as itis held by its hum an adm irers, and the im plem ent is suchas m ay b e se en every day w ith those w ho patron ise thecutty pipe .
”
It is doubtful w hen the Saxon - like title “ Thane of
Caw dor w as first assum ed ; but it occurs w ith the nam e
of the adjoin ing Thanedom of Moyness in an authenticdocum ent m 1 295. The re i s no que stion as to MalcolmCaenm ore having allotted large e state s to the Englishand Flem ish kn ights w ho assisted him in recove ring hisnative posse ssion s, and that they surnam ed them se lve safte r th e appe llation s of the lands thus acquired.
In a charter,still extan t in the charte r- che st of the
Castle , dated at Forre s, 22nd July 1 2 3 6, in the 22nd yearof the re ign ofAlexander II.
,his Maje sty grants the lands
of Both and Banchory, in the balliary of Invernarn or
Nairn ,
“ Gilber to Hostiario, w hich w ords , by a stupid
274 CAWDOR CASTLE, ,CHAPEL, BELL, AND BURIAL - PLACE .
behe ld at a distance . At the end of this staircase is a
room w ith a single w indow near the floor. Lord Lovat(it . i s said) used to b e conducted to this place w hen hispursue rs approached, the ladder be ing rem oved as soonas . h e ascended. When the search w as over, and the
enquirers gone , the ladde r w as replaced, by w hich m ean shis Lordship lived comfortably w ith the fam ily
,and
m ight long have done so .
It i s a pity to put a stum bling- block in t he path of
innocent credulity, but Lord Lovat w as n ot found con
cealed at Caw dor Castle , but far to th e w e st ; and, to reachCawdor, he m ust needs leave his own choice fortre sse s inthe w ilds of Inverne ss
,and pass through a
’ territorybristling w ith Royal troops. Was this like ly !Attached to the re sidences of the Thane s of Old Caw
dor w as a Chape l dedicated to th e Ble ssed Virgin Mary ,
and the Chaplain of Caw dor, or the Thane ’s Chaplain ,
”
appears as a w itne ss in early docum ents. When the
new Castle w as built,a Chape l was included in it. In
the sam e year (1467) w ith the induction of Sir Walter ofTarb ett in th e Chape lry of the Castle , his patron William ,
Than e of Caw dor,died. The Castle - Chape l is said to
have stood on the south side of the Tow er.
An ancien t Be ll,like the Ronnell ofBirn ie , of square
shape , of hamm ered iron , clasped w ith nails,is still pre
served at Caw dor, the only re lic of the old Castle Chape l .
It i s 1 3 inche s high, including the square iron handle .
The Cawdors of old buried at Barevan . The walls ofthe old Church are still com parative ly e ntire
,though the
chise lled stone s have been m ostly taken away. The
Style is of the First Pointed , w ithout cusp . One w indowon the south of the choir is curious
,from the top of the
arche s and of th e m ullion be ing form ed Ofa single stone .
It ‘has been a double lancet outs ide , and sem i- circulararched inside . The dim en sions of Barevan Church in sideare about 65fe e t long by 17 fe e t broad . There is a plainPiscin a under an arch at the south side , as usual , w hereth e Altar stood . There are m any old Grave ston e s, andthere is on e row right across the Church, w here th e Choirand Nave j oined, having no inscriptions nor arm s .The follow ing occurs in an Indenture
,of date the 3 0th
Novem ber, 1725 As to the Chur ch of Calder , w hich
OLD CHURCH OF CALDER ; BARRIVAN SEPULCHRE. 275
was built by Sir Hugh Cam pbe ll’s grandfather, Sir John ,
be ing the on ly heritor except Ross'
of Holm e, a small
heritor ; the roof thereof is entire ly rott and m any of the
slate fallen off, n ever be ing repaired since the ere ctionthere of; except thre e or four couple s furnisht in Sir
Hugh’s tim e , w hen the pricke t or top of the ste eple w as
by storm blow n ove r and broke the se couple s ; needs tob e imm ediate ly repaired, and w ill cost double the m oneyif it is de layed ane othe r year. The sacram ent not be ingadm inistrat for the years 1 722 - 25, Sir Archibald hasre tained the e lem ent m oney
,w hich
,be ing yearly £50
Scots,am ounts to £150, and propose s that the said sum
b e applyed in the first place tow ards the repair, w hich h eshall fin ish as effectually and frugally as possible .
“ The fam ilie s n ew buriall place , w hich lye s under thatpart betw ixt th e ste eple and the body of the Church
,is
m uch abused, and like to goe to ruin altoge ther by theinsufficient roof of the Church and the old burial placecalled Barrivan , of the Thane s, and all the Cam pbe lls ofCalder w ho dyed in th e n orth pre ceding Sir Hugh
’s tim e ,
w here form erly the old Kirk of Calder was,likew ise
ne eds to b e repaired, w hich Sir Archibald conce ive s m ayb e don e for £10 sterline , w hich he expe cts the comm is ~sioners w ill com ply w ith , for the honour and m em ory of
the fam ily.
Sir Archibald has se tt up a handsom e large clock inthe ste eple of the Church of (ED. )
A sm all pendicle in th e south of th e parish ,c alled Drum um ie
, is the property of Rose of
Holm . Th e lands of Me ikle Budze at,w e st of
th e Church , th e lands of Torrich , a m ile to th ee ast
,and th e lands of Clunie s tw o m ile s to th e
south - east,
are m ortgage s pertain ing to th e
de scendants of this fam ily, and all holding of
Calder .
CALDER.
[Situation , Soil, Climate — Calder,derived from the
Gae lic coil, w ood, and ( lur,wate r, is conne cted w ith
STATE OF PROPERTY IN CALDER PARISH .
Nairn on the north, and Croy on the south. It m eetsw ith Auldearn and Ardclach at th e east
,and extends
southward to the confine s of Moy and Duthil . Its
southern quarter is en liven ed by the r iver Findhorn ,and
part of its n orthern Side by that of the Nairn ,to w hich
the stream of Calder, partly in a de ep rocky channe l,thickly shrouded w ith w ood, a varie ty of forest tre e s,hasten s from the w e st. The flat plain of the low er partof the parish
,as it stretche s southward, rise s into a hilly
tract, and e levate s its boundary w ith Moy into a loftym ountain . The soil, in general ne ither w et nor de ep ,m ay b e de scribed as kindly, sharp and fertile
,diversified
in the low er part w ith plots ofm oorish and rocky ground ;in the higher it is m ore generally brow n heath, coveringexten sive tracts of th e peat m orass. The air is accountedrem arkably salubrious.State ofProp er ty— The parish, chiefly in the county
ofNairn ,w ith a sm all part in that of Inverne ss, extends
its total valuation to th e sum of £1 9 6 3 1 2s. Scots , of
w hich the property of Lord Caw dor , com prehendingAuchendune , Torrich, Inchgeddle , and Stre ens, am ountsto the valuation of £15651 2s. 10d. This is the fam ilyseat and original re sidence of th e anc ient Than e s.Sim ilar to the Man sion Of Kilravock, a m odern buildinghas be en conj oin ed to an ancien t Tow er
,built by Royal
licence in the year 1454, guarded on the w e st by the
de ep rocky defil e of th e stream of Caw dor, and sur
rounded On th e other Side s by a ditch and drawbridge .
The environs, it has been n oticed, as its nam e im ports, arenaturally em be llished by the landscape scenery of w oodand water ; and they have been also im proved by th e
decoration s of art. In the low e st vault of th e Tow er, thetrunk of a haw thorn tree still stands in the originalstation w here it grew out of the rock ove r w hich traditionre late s that a dream
,directing the S1 tuation of the fabric,
prom ised prosperity to the race w hilst it should rem ain .
The lands of Clune s and Torbey, m ortgaged to Dr.
Cam pbe ll, are valued at £1 14 78 . 2d.,to w hich the valua
tion of his e state of Budzeat, in the coun ty of Inverne ss ,of £1 60Scots, is also to b e added . Mr. Rose of Holmhas Drumurnie , valued in the w hole at £1 23 1 2s .,
of
which a part, am ounting to £50, appertain s to the county
ofInverness . The real ren t m ay b e at pre sent e stimated
278 THE THANEDOM OF CALDER.
I Shall here give som e accoun t of
THE FAMILY OF CALDER .
The surnam e ofCalder is local , taken from the
place ; and the fam ily has be en am ong the m ost
anc ient and th e m ost c on siderable in theNorth .
About the ye ar 1040,th e tyrant Macbeth cut Off
the Than e ofNairn (Buchanan) . This , no doubt ,was th e Thane of Calder ; for no history or tradi
tion m entioneth a Than e of Nairn,distin ct from
the Thane of Calder, who , as Con stable , re sided
in that town and Mr . Heylin ,in his Ge ography ,
expre ssly calleth him Thane ofCalder . But not
to deal in un certaintie s, (1 ) Dovenaldus Thanus
de Calder was on e of th e e stim ators of th e
Baron ie s Of Kilravock and Gedde s , ann o 1 295.
His son (2) William had from King Robert
Bruc e , 7m o Augusti ann o regni 4to 1 3 10,
Thanageum de Kaledor , infra vice com itatum
de Inner Nairn ,propter se rvitia debita et assueta
tem pore Alexandri Regis prede ce ssoris n ostri
ultim o defuncti, (P en . Cald .) His son (3 )
Andrew was killed by Sir Alexander Baite ,whose son (4) Donald was served he ir to his
father , Andrew ,in 1405
,and saised in th e Oflic e s
of Sheriff and Con stable of Nairn in 1406 (Ibid .)He purchased th e lands of Dunm aglass from
Translation — The Thanedom ofCalder, Constable of Inne r
Nairn,on account of services due and assuetudes in the tim e
ofKing Alexander, our last defunct predecessor .
GENEALOGY OF THE FAMILY or CALDER. 279
William Menzie s of Balwh onzie in 1414 ; the
lands of Moy, in Moray, from th e Earl of Boss,in 141 9 and Urchany- b eg, in Calder , from
Henry,Bishop of M oray
,in 1421 (Ibid .) His
son (5) William was in 1442 infeft in th e Thane s
age of Calder, th e Sheriffship and Con stable ship
of Nairn,in Boath
,Benchir, half of Baite , and
six m erks out Of Be lm akeith (P en . Cald.) In
1450,h e built th e Tow er of Calder by a
royal licen ce . His son (6) William ,
'
in 1471 ,
bought from Andrew Le sly, m aster of th e Hos
pital of Spey,w ith c on sent Of th e Bishop of
Moray,th e M ill of Nairn
,w ith its pertinents
and in 1476 , th e Thaneage of Calder,Baron ie s of Clun ie and Boath , Be lm akeith
,half
of Baite,Moy, Dunm aglass , tw o Kinke lls , Kin ;
de ss,Inve rm arkie
,Mulch oich
,Drum urnie , Ferin
tosh,&c .
, w ere un ited in on e Than eage , and such
lands as lie in Invern e ss or Forre s Shire s , to
an sw er to th e Sheriff Court of Nairn (Ibid .)Hence Fe rintosh , Moy, Dunm aglass , are a part
of the shire ofNairn .
This Thane had five son s , viz .,Will iam
,John
,
Andrew,Alexande r
,and Hutch e on
,on whom he
entailed his e state , allow ing th e imm ediate suc
c e ssion to John ,to which William (who was lam e
and w eak) con sented , and had £20 annually and
th e Vicarage of Ewan . All this was settledby Charter anno 1488 This Thane lived
to about th e year 1500 ; his son (7 John m arried
280 MURIEL CALDER MARKED BY HER GRANDMOTHER.
Isabe l Rose,daughter ofKilravo ck, in 149 2 (P en .
and dying in 149 4, left one posthum ous
child,a daughter Murie l or M arion . Kil
ravock intended this he ire ss for his own grand
son,h er first c ousin ; but Kilravock be ing
pursued in a crim inal proce ss for robbery , in
j oin ing MacInto sh in spoiling th e lands of Urqu
hart of Crom arty,Argyle
,th e Justice - General ,
m ade th e proce ss e asy to him,got th e Ward
ofMurie l ’s m arriage of th e K ing anno 1495, and
sh e was sent to Inverary in th e ye ar 149 9 .
(P enn .
In autum n,149 9
, Cam pbe ll of Inverliver, w ith
60m en,cam e to re c e ive th e child
,on pretence of
sending h er south to school . Th e lady Kil
ravo ck,h er grandm other
,that sh e m ight n ot b e
changed ,’ seared and m arke d h er hip w ith th e
key of h er c ofl'
er . AS Inverliver cam e w ith little
Murie l to Daltulich,in Strath Nairn
,h e was
c lose pursued by Alexander and Hugh Calder ,her unc le s , w ith a superior party. H e sent Off
th e child w ith an e sc ort of Six m en,fac ed about
to re ce ive the Calders and to de ce ive them ,a
sheaf of corn,dre ssed in som e of th e child
’s
c lothe s,was kept by one in the rear . The c on
flict was sharp,and several w ere killed , am ong
whom w ere Six ofInverliver’
s son s . When Inver
liver thought the child was out of re ach , h e
retreated , leaving the fictitious child to the Cal
ders ; and Inverliver was rewarde d w ith a grant
282 CAMPBELTOWN ERECTED INTO A BURGH.
Bishop of M oray but in 1 6 14 he feued
out De lm igvie and H olm . In 1 617 h e sold
Croy to William Dallas of Cantray, and in th e
sam e ye ar dispon ed Ferintosh to Lord Lovat,
and m ortgage d other lands and all this in order
to purchase , or rather to c onquer th e island
of Ilay . H is son,by Glenurchie
’
s daughte r
John Dow,had all his lands in the North , by a
charter under th e Gre at Seal,anno 1 623 , ere cted
into a Barony called th e Borough of Cam p
be lltown , w ith pow er to create Bailie s , Con
stable s , Serj eants, and other Officers ; liberty
to have a town - house and a m arke t - cross, a
w e ekly m arket on We dn e sday , and a fair to
begin on July 15th and to hold e ight days and
that all infeftm ents m ay b e taken at th e Castle
of Calder (Ibicl .) Lord Torphichen had som e
Tem ple - lands in .Ardersier, which h e sold to Mr .
Thom as Rollock,ad cate
,w ith th e offic e of
heritable bailie and a privilege Of regality, which
h e dispon ed to Calder in 1 626 In 1 626 ,
Calder granted the feu of Dunm aglas to F e r
quhard Mac - Gillivray ; and in 1 63 9 h e dispon ed
all his lands in favour of his e lde st son (byCrom arty
’
s daughter) , viz . , Colin . I find that
this John was se ized w ith m e lancholy in 1 63 9 ,and w as yet living in 1 650. His son (6) Colin
died at th e University of Glasgow a bache lor,
and was succ e ede d by (7) Sir Hugh , son Of Colin
of Bogh ol , who was brother to th e last John ,
RAIT CASTLE BOUGHT FROM SIR JOHN ILAY . 283
This gentlem an purchased Moyn ess and Ur
chany,as form erly Observed . In 1 678 h e pur
chased Baite Castle and Baite Lone from John
Ilay ofL ochloy, and rede em ed som e m ortgage s
but m ortgaged other lands , and feued out Kin
chyle in 1685. In 1 688 he dispon ed his whole
e state in favour Of his son ,re serving th e life - rent
of his e state in th e North ; and died in 1 71 6
His son,by Lady Henriet Stew art SirAl ex
ande r,m arried Elizabeth , sister to Sir Gilbert
Lord of Stackpole , in South Wale s,and died in
1 700. His e lde st son Gilbert,died in 1708 ,
and was suc ce eded by his brother John
Cam pbe ll , now of Calder , born in 1695; h e sold
Ilay and Muckarn,to disburden his e state of
debt. He m arried Mary Pryc e,he ire ss of Go
girthen ,in North Wale s
,by whom h e has thre e
son s and thre e daughters . Th e first daughter ,Ann
,m arried Lord Forte scue
,Mary died an
m arried , and Elizabeth m arrie d Captain Adam s .
Pryc e , th e e lde st son,m arried in 1 752 Sarah
Bacon,daughter of SirEdm und ofGarboldisham
,
first Baronet of England,and dying in 1 768 , left
four son s , viz .,John
,Al exander
,Ge orge
,and
Charle s ; and thre e daughters , Mary,Sarah , and
Henrietta. John,th e se c ond son
,was in 1754
appointed Lord Lyon for Sc otland . He m arried
Eustachia,daughter of Baffe t OfHe aton . Al ex
ander,the third son ,
is a Lieutenant - Colon e l , and
m arried France ss , daughter ofPhilip Meadow s .
284 THE FAMILY OF CALDER.
[Pryce Cam pbe ll having died during his fathe r’s life
tim e , his son (1 1 ) John Cam pbe ll succeeded his grandfather
,and w as created a British peer by the title ofLord
Caw dor. He m arried Lady Caroline , daughter of the
Earl of Carlisle , by w hom he had tw o son s— JohnFrederick and George Pryce , an Adm iral in the RoyalNavy, w ho m arried Miss Gascoygne , daughter ofGeneralGascoygne , MP . for Liverpool . John Cam pbe ll died in1 821
, and w as succeeded by his e lde st son JohnFrede rick (Lord Caw dor) , w ho , in 1 8 1 6, m arried LadyElizabeth, daughter of the Marquis of Bath, by whomthere was issue .
The pre sen t repre sentative is Sir William HenryWalsingham Calder, Bart , of Muirtow n (cr. on lysurviving son of the ' late Sir Henry Roddam Calder, byLady France s Se lina, daughter of Edward Henry
,l st
Earl of Lim erick ; born 1 820 succeeded as 6th Barone t,1 868 ; m arried 1 842 Julia
,daughte r of JuliusHutchin son ,
Esq. She died 1 876 . Re sidence— Craven Lodge , Me ltonMow bray.] (ED.)Arm s of the Fam ily ofCalder. Four Coats Quarterly. l st,
Or. A Hart’s Head cabossed Sable , attired Gules, for Calder.
2nd,Gyronne of e ight, Or, and Sable , for Cam pbe ll. 3 rd,
Argent, a Galley w ith her Cars in action Sable , for Lorn. 4th,
Parted, per Fe ss, Azure , and Gules, a Cross Or, for the nam e
o f Lort. Crest, a Swan proper crowned Or. Supporters, onthe Dexter, a Lion rampant Guardant Gule s, arm ed Or. And-on the Sinister, a Heart proper. Motto above the Crest
,
CANDIDUS CANTABIT MORIENS, [The Swan w ill sing whiledying ] And below the Shie ld
,BEMINDFUL.
THE PARISH OF CROY
Is n ext above Calder, on both side s of th e
river . It stretcheth 12 m ile s in length on th e
w e st side Of the river, and 4 m ile s on the east
s ide,and is gen erally 2 m ile s in breadth .
Th e Church standeth on th e w e st side , a m ile
from th e river , 4 m ile s w e st fiom Nairn,2 m ile s
w e st - north -w e st from Calder, 3 south - east from
2 86 HUGH ROSE,THE FIRST or KILRAVOCK .
’
charter Of th e Priory of Beaulie , ann o 123 0
(MS . Hist. Kiln ) . Sir John Bisset of Lovat
had thre e daughters , c o - he ire sse s , viz . , Mary
Dom ina de Lovat m arried to Sir David Graham ;
Ce c ilia Dom ina de Beaufort , w ife Of Sir William
ofFenton and Elizabeth Dom ina de Kilravock,
m arried to Sir Andrew de Bosc o (Wood) of Red
Castle ; and Mary,daughter of Sir Andrew ,
was
m arried to (1 ) Hugh Rose Baron Of Gedde s, and
sh e and h er husband Obtain ed a charte r of th e'
barony of Kilravock from King John Baliol anno
129 3 (P en . and in 1 295,th e baron ie s of
Kilravock and Gedde s w ere e stim ated by an
inque st, th e first to £24, and th e other to £1 2
ye arly rent (Char t Kilravock) . [Hugh Rose , firstof Kilravock,
died in or about The ir son
(2) William m arried More lla,daughter of Alex
ander de Downe , and had Hugh and Andrew,of
whom cam e Rose of Achloflin in Mar [This SirWilliam
,se c ond of Kilravock, died in
(3 ) Hugh II. died about 1 3 63 ; his son (4) HughIII. m arried Jan e t
,on ly child of Sir Robert
Chisholm ,Con stable of the Castle of Urquhart
ann o 1 3 64, and w ith h er h e got the lands Of
Can tra - na - braich in Strathnairn (Ibid .) He die d
about 1 3 88 . His son (5) Hugh IV . died in 1420,
whose son (6) John obtained a charter ofde NovaDam us under th e Gre at Se al
,3 0th May, 143 3 ,
“
pro e o,quod Chartae suae
,tem pore c om bustion is
Ec cle siae‘
de Elgin ,in Ecc le siae praadicta fuerunt
THE FACETIOUS HUGH, THE EIGHTH or KILRAVOCK. 287
vastatae e t de structae . (Ibicl ) H e got from
his grand - uncle,John Chisholm ,
the lands of
Little Cantray and Ochterurchil, in 1480 (Ibid .)
[John Rose of Kilravock die d in or about
H is son,by Isabe l Cheyn ,
daughter ofEssilm ont,
was (7) Hugh V . wh o,in 1482
,purchased th e
lands of Coulm ore in Ross (Ibicl ) H e m arried
More or Marion,daughte r of [Malcolm Begg]
Macintosh [Captain of th e Clan chattan] ; his
se cond son Alexander founded th e fam ily of
Holm : Hugh died in 149 4 ; and his e lde st son
(8) Hugh VI.,by Margare t Gordon
,daughter of
Huntly,had Hugh ; John , progen itor of th e
Rosse s of Be llivat ; and Alexander,of whom
cam e th e fam ily of In sh in th e Garioch,and
died in 1517 . (9 ) Hugh VII., by Agn e s Urqu
hart,daughter of [Alexander Urquh art of] Cro
m arty,had Hugh and John of We ster Drakie s
[3 0th De c . 1546 and died ann o 1543 [also 9daughters] . (10) Hugh VIII. purchased from
Bishop Hepburn,in 1545, th e lands of Kildrum
m ie , Coulm onie,and Daltulich . H is face tious
hum our appeareth in a subm ission betw e en him
and tw o n e ighbour s,his subscription to which is ,
Hutch e on Rose ofKilravock,an hon e st m an ill
guided betw e en you baith . H e died in 159 7
[June le aving , by Catharin e , daughter of
Translation— Because at the tim e of the burning of the
Church of Elgin his title -deeds w e re scattered and destroyedin the foresaid Church.
288 HUGH ROSE, THE TWELFTH, FIVE TIMES MARRIED.
Hawkerton , [e ight daughters and] a son (1 1 )William II. ,
wh o, by Lilias Hay, daughter of
Dalgatie , had Hugh , William of Clava, John of
Braidley, and David of Earlsm iln,and died [8th
April] 1 61 1 . (12) Hugh IX . purchased Flem ing
ton from th e Earl Of Moray in .1 6 3 9 h e m arried
Magdalen e Frazer , daughter of . Strichen ,and
died in [June] 1 643 . His SO11 (1 3 ) Hugh X .
m arrie d [Margaret] a daughter of [Sir John] Sin
Clair of Dunb eth [and Christian Mowat of th e
fam ily of Bulquh ollie] , wh o brought him Hugh
and John,of whom is Hiltoun
,and h e died in
[March] 1 649 . [This Lady Kilravock brought aportion of into th e fam ily . Sh e died in
Novem ber 1 654 ] (14) Hugh XI. [succe eded
when 8 ye ars Old] purchased Kinudie , &c , (Vide
Aldearn Parish) , sold Coulm ore , and purchased
Coule ss and Rarich e e s in ROSS ann o 1 68 1 (Ibid .)By Margaret
,daughter of Inn e s of that ilk
,h e
had Hugh his suc ce ssor , and other son s . (15)Hugh XII. [born in th e House of Inn e s in J an .
1 663,w as 24 years old at his father
’s death]adde d to his e state th e Barony ofMuirton
,n ear
Kin loss,and the lands ofBrae in Ross . H e was
five tim e s m arried ; l st , w ith Margaret,daughter
of Sir Hugh Cam pbe ll of Calder, by whom h e
had a son Hugh , and tw o daughters - Henrietta,
m arried to Sir John MacKenzie of C011] , and
M ary,to Dun can Forbe s of Culloden ,
afterwards
Lord Pre sident ; 2nd, Joan ,only child Of Mr .
290 HUGH (XIV .) ROSE MARRIES MISS CLEPHANE.
born in 1 705, w ho was bred to the Law,and was
She riff- Depute of ROSS and Crom arty. In 173 9 he
m arried Elizabe th , daughter of Colone l William Clephan e , n ephew of Clephane of Carslogie , in Fife shire , byw hom he had thre e son s and a daughte r— viz. ,
Hugh, hishe ir, born 1 1 th March 1740 ; William ,
w ho was Captainin the Sutherland Fencible s, and died, unm arried, in1 772 ; John ,
w ho was a w ine m erchan t in London ,and
died, unm arried , in 1767 ; and Elizab e th,born 1 9 th
March 1 747. He w as a very lite rary character, and
adde d greatly to the library of Kilravock— particularly
attachm ent to the cause ofKing George the Second is atte stedby the follow ing inscription on a porter cup
,pre served in the
old Castle of Kilravock This cup be longs to th e Provost ofNairn , 1746, the year of our delive rance . A bum per to th eDuke ofCum b erland.
”
About two o’clock of the sam e day, an officer from PrinceCharles Stuart arrived at Kilravock, to announce that it wasthe intention of the Prince to dine that day at the Castle . Mr.
Rose and his ladym ade the best preparation that the shortnessof the tim e adm itted for the reception ofS0 illustrious and unexpected a guest ; and in about an hour after the Prince reachedthe Castle , attended by a num erous retinue Ofge ntlem en ,
m anyofwhom w ere French. The
,m anners and deportm ent of the
Prince on this occasion w ere described by Mr. Rose and hislady as having be en m ost engaging. He asked the number of
Mr. Rose ’s children ,and
,on be ing told three sons, he reque sted
to see them,praised their looks, and kissed each of them 011
the forehead. Having walked out w ith Mr. Rose previous todinn er
,and observed several people engaged in planting those
tre e s which now adorn the ancient fam ily seat of the Rose s, herem arked, How happy m ust you b e
,Mr. Rose , in be ing thus
peacefully engaged, when the whole country around you is ina sfin
’
Mr. Rose , who was a capitalperform er,having taken up the
Violin and played an Italian m inuet, said to the Prince , That,ifIm istake not, is a favourite ofyour Royal Highness.
” “ Thatit is a favourite of m ine
, Mr. Rose , is certain , but how youcam e to know that
_
it is so, I am quite at a loss to guess.
’
That, sir,”repliedMr. Rose
,
“m ay serve to show you that whatever people of your rank do or say is sure to b e rem arked.
I thank you,
” said the Prince,
“ for that observation .
”
Prince Charle s, his secretary Mr. Kay, and Mr. and Mrs.
Rose dined together, in what is now the parlour of the Old
PRINCE CHARLIE DINES AT KILRAVOCK CASTLE.
som e of the be st edition s of the Classics w hich he purchased in Holland . He died at 67, at Kllravock House ,on th e 26th Novem ber , and w as interred in the fam ilyburial - place , 1772 . He w as succe eded by his e lde stson (1 8) Hugh XV.,
w ho w as also bred to the Law ,and
passed as Advocate,but never practised . He w as a
highly - accom plished gentlem an and scholar, w as ex
t rem e ly fond of fie ld sports, and reckon ed one of th e be stshots in Britain . He w as also a first - rate perform er on
th e violin ; indeed, the w hole Kilravock fam ily w e re
ce lebrated for the ir m usical talents. In 1773 h e m arriedAnne Fraser " of Invern e ss ; but, she dying w ithout
Castle , while forty of the Prince’s attendants dined in a large
hall adjoining. Betw e en these tw o room s there is a shortpassage , in which two of the Prince ’s officers stood w ith drawnswords while he was at dinner. When the cloth was rem ovedMr. Rose proposed to the Prince that he w ould allow thosegentlem en to go to dine , adding “ Your Royal Highne ss m ayb e satisfied that you are pe rfectly safe in this house .
” Towhich he replied, “ Iknow , Sir, that Iam safe here you can
desire them to go to dinn er.
A large and very handsom e China bowl,capable of contain
ing as much as sixte en ordinary bottle s,is still preserved at
the Castle ofKilravock This bow l Mr. Kay greatly admired ,and said that h e w ould like to see it filled . In consequence
,im
m ediately after dinner, the bow l, filled w ith good whisky- punch,
was placed 011 the Prince ’s table . After drinking a few glassesofw ine Prince Charles rose to depart, as did also M r. Kaybut the Prince
, good- hum ouredly, said, “No, no , Kay, since
you have challenged that bowl, you must stay to see it out.”
Kay, how ever, took only a glass, and accom panied his m asterto Culloden , where they slept.Next day the Duke of Cum b erland stopped on his m arch at
the gate ofKilravock Castle , and Mr. Rose having gone out toreceive him
,the Duke said, So I understand you had my
cousin , Charles, here ye sterday.
” “Ye s, please your RoyalHighness, replied Mr. Rose , “ no t having an arm ed force , Icould not prevent his visit.” You did perfectly right,
” saidthe Duke , and I entirely approve of your conduct.” Sosaying, he rode on to the m oor of Culloden .
She was a girl of low birth, albe it captivating in proportions. Such w edlock, of course , brought sorrow and dissensioninto the fam ily. Pam ella did not carry her honours m eekly.
The old proverb held true as to the beggar and the horse,or
2 9 2 HUGH (xv) ROSE MARRIES ANNE FRASER.
Issue in 1782 , a long law - suit follow ed betw ixt his Siste rElizabe th
,w ho c laim ed, as he ir - of- lin e , and Jam e s Rose ,
son of Dr. Hugh Rose , by his first w ife , Margare t Russe l,w ho claim ed, as he ir - m ale to the late Kilravock. Aftera protracted litigation of five years ’ duration
,Mrs. Rose ,
having appealed to th e House of Lords,the ir Lordships,
on the 2nd April 1787, gave j udgm ent, de ciding all th e
m aterial points in favour of Mrs. Rose . By this decisionsh e succeeded to th e Barony of Kilravock, and th e landsof Kildrumm ie and Easter Torrich , w hile Jam es Rosew as found entitled to th e lands of Gedde s and Flem ing !
gown
, and the patronage Of Moy and vice - patronage of
m y
[Mrs Elizabeth Rose , born 1 747, w as a great letterw rite r, and she Copied drafts of he r corre spondence . She
kept a comm on - place book for m any years, and sh e fol
low ed w hat in her days w as a gen eral practice , e spe ciallyw ith Blue - stockings, of Spending tim e in Copying largeextracts from books . She kept a Journal from 1771 tillth e year ofh er death , 1 8 15. Volum e s ofMSS. w ere filledw ith plans
,contem plation s, thoughts, and botheration s .
The overflowings of a naturally che ery lady deve lope inscribbling into a sentim ental lachrym ose . She sung theairs of h er country
,and She learn t from h e r fathe r to
take h er part in catche s and gle e s. She played the violinlike m ale artiste s
,supported against h e r shoulder. The
Spinet and guitar w e re h e r com pan ion s in all her change s ofabode and fortune . The Pap ers ofKilravock, publishedby “
the Spalding Club,”abound in various pleasantrie s
about this accom pl ished he iress ofKilravock. The fam ilyadhe red to th e Nonjurors. In h e r “ Book of Meditation s
,
” dated Easter w e ek,1 774, sh e pen s I passed
th e e ve of Good Friday in tum ults Of soul . Next m orn
rather the grey mare became the best horse . She was insinuating,how ever, and she and herhusband becam e favourite s in certaingreat houses— especially w ith Jane , Duchess of Gordon ,
“ the
Cock 0’
the North ” in those days. The false step, notwithstanding, had it-s usual consequents. The parvenue LadyKilravock has a m onum ent in the Chape l of Geddes, whichrecords that “ she died 8th day of August 1 8 3 7, in the 9 oth
year of her age and as a sm all m ark of e steem , affection , and
gratitude , this stone is erected by her attached friend Mary
Scott.” (ED. )
29 4 OLD CASTLE,TOWER AND GATE OF KILRAVOCK.
on the eve r- m em orable 1 8th of June ) , Ann e Fraser,Harrie t
,and Caroline .
[Maj or Jam e s Rose of Kilravock, on ly surviving son of
th e late Hugh Rose , by his 2nd w ife , Catherin e , daughterOf Jam e s Macintosh of Farr ; born 1 820; succe eded hisbrothe r, John Baillie , in m arried
,first
,in 1 850
,
Anna Maria, daughte r of Lieut. - General H. Ivenslow , of
the Be ngal Artillery. Sh e died in 1 867. Married,2nd
,
in 1 868 , El iza, w idow Of Farr W. Hockin of Sherborn e,
Dorse t. Has by the first w ife , w ith other issue , Hugh ,born in 1 863 . Major Rose , w ho w as educated at Edinburgh and Addiscom e College , is a J.P. and D.
- L. for the
coun ty of Nairn , Lord of th e Barony of Kilravock, and
Maj or in the Indian Arm y, re tired .
“ A Gen ealogical Deduction of the Fam ily of Rose of
Kilravock from 1 29 9 to 1 847 w as issued by the Spalding Club
”in 1 848
,under th e supe rvision ofCosm o Inne s.
This History was w ritten by Hew Rose , m in ister of
Nairn ,a cade t of the long race , in 1 68 3 - 4
, and continuedby Lachlan Shaw ,
m in ister of Elgin— a Dige st of w hichhas be en given above .
A range of caste llated buildings and bastioned tow er,w ith gaun t appendage s of
,
later but not quite m oderndays
,stand on th e edge of a richly w ooded declivity of
rock,looking down upon th e r iver Nairn . The square
ke ep w as built by “Huchone de Ross ; i.e . ,Hugh
Rose,the 7th Baron ,
in 1 460, having obtain ed licence todo so from John
,Lord of th e Isle s ; confirm ed in 1475by
King Jam e s III. Tradition says that the Tow ers of
Calder, Iron side , Dallas, and Spynie w ere built about th esam e tim e
,and that th e architect w as Cochran e
,the
m in ion of Jam e s III., w hom that m onarch created Earl
ofMar,w ho was afterwards hanged ove r Lauder Bridge
in July 1482 .
Beside s the de struction of the Kilravock Papers, whenthe Cathedral of Elgin w as burne d in 1 3 90, also in o r
about 1482,Duncan Macintosh surprised th e Tow er, com
mitted slaughter and de stroying papers. Hugh, 8 th of
the nam e and the l oth succeeding in the fam ily,“builded
the low er part of th e m annor place ” in 1553 . He w as
bound by con tract to give John Anderson ,m ason
,m call
at 2 sh . 8d. th e boll .” George Robertson ,smith in Elgin ,
m ade the iron gate to the tow er, w hich gate w e ighed 3 4
ROSE’S TOMB IN THE CHAPEL OF GEDDES. 295
stone and 3 libs, fo r w hich b e granted the“recept of
thre ttie - four pounds 3 sh . 9 d.,w ith thre e boll s m eall, ane
ston e of butter, and ane stone of chee se,by his re cept,
Feb ruarij 5, This iron gate w as taken Off by theEnglish in the w ars of Cromw e ll . This Hugh ,
“the
Black Baron,who died in 159 7 se t. 9 0, entertained Queen
Mary in his tow e r— h er Maj e sty’s bedroom , w hich is stillin its original state , having n o fire place in it, nor w as itlathed nor plastered , w hile the floor consisted of greatcoarse boards
,roughly saw n,
and nailed toge ther .
The nam e of Kilravock indicates the Ce ll or Chape ldedicated to som e now - forgotten Saint ; and traditionpoints, alas ! to the pre sent pigeon - house as th e site of
that Chape l . No anc ient rights are ascertain ed by th eve rdict of an Inque st in the cause be tw een “
the LordPrior ofUrquhart and Hugh de Ros ofKilravoc , he ld inthe Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Elgin in 1 3 43 .
Th e Prior ’s duty was to defray the expense of the VicarofDalcross
,w ho w as to ce lebrate in Divine Service tw ice
a w eek in the Chape l of Kilravo ck. Incidentally thischart introduce s the Herm it ofSt . Mary’s Chapel at Rate .
It is a finely w ritten inden ture . Of the five seals thathave be en attached
,only th e labe ls rem ain .
In som e of th e Old copie s of the Kilravock History are
given the inscription s on the tom b of Mr. Rose , in the
Chape l of Gedde s, “ taken off th e loose ston e s after thechapel had fallen .
” Nothing new rem ains even of “ th e
loose stone s ” w hich form ed this m onum ent, w hich seem sto have be en ornam ente d in the bad taste of that dayloaded w ith refle ctions on m ortality, scriptural and classical, in verse and prose . The purpose of its e rection isgiven in these w ordsPOSII‘UM DAVIDIS ROSE DEEARLSMILL FILII GULIELMIROSEET LILIAEHAY,
DOMINI ET DOMINfE DE KILRAVOCK, QUI OBIIT3 0MAII 1 66 9 , ZETATIS 76 : NEC NON CONJUGIS IPSIUS CHRISTIANzE CUTHBERT, FILIZEJACORI CUTHBERT DE DRAKIES, QUAIOBIIT 1 8 SEPTEMBRIS 1 658 . IN MEMORIAM PARENTUM SUIET FRATRUM, JACOBI, GULIELMI, ALEXANDEIS, ET GULIELMIROSE
,ADORNANDUM CURAVIT M . HUGO ROSE DIVINI
‘
VERBI
MINISTER APUD NAIRNE, 1 667.
As in th e vege table w orld the old branche s w itherand drop off, while the stem and .the younger branche sflourish
,so in fam ilie s the stock and the younger cade ts
29 6 THE VARIOUS FAMILIES OF ROSE
rem ain after the old bran che s have be com e extinct. It
cannot b e doubte d that, in the first age of this fam ily of
Kilravock,som e conside rable branche s had sprung from
it,w hich tim e has con sum ed, so that now these cannot
b e traced ; ye t som e of near to 3 00 years’ standing dostill rem ain
,for example the follow ing in the order of
sen iorityThe Rose s ofBraidley or Duneru.
Rose ofHelm .
Rose ofBellivat and Blackhills.
Rose ofInsh .
Rose ofWe ster Drakies .
Rose ofClava.
“
Rose ofBraidley .
Rose ofEarlsm ill.Rose ofRosehill.
ROSE OF INSH.
This fam ily was fam ous for the ir e ccle siastical preferm ents and dign itie s. ( 1 ) Alexander of Larachm ore
,
brother -
germ an to John the First of Bellivat, and thirdson ofHugh , the 8 th laird ofKilravock,
w as father of (2)Henry ofLarachm ore
,w ho w as father Of ( 3 ) Jam e s Rose
o f In sh , one of the m in isters of Aberdeen,father of (4)
John Rose ofInsh , m inister of that parish . He had tw o
son s,viz.
,Alexande r and Arthur. This last Arthur
Rose w as,in 1 675, consecrated Bishop of Argyle , from
w hich h e was, in 1 679 , tran slated to th e m e tropolitanSee of Glasgow ,
and, in 1 684,h e was advanced to the
Prim acy,and m ade Archbishop of St Andrew s. Be ing
deprived at the Revolution,he lived a re tired life
,and
died 1 3 th June 1704. H is e lder brother, (5) AlexanderRose
,was parson of Monym usk, and w as father of tw o
c lergym en— viz., John and Alexander. This latter was
for som e years one of the m in isters ofPerth,from whence
he w as tran slated to Glasgow ,and m ade Profe ssor ‘
Of
Divin ity in that Un iversity. In 1 686 he w as conse cratedBishop ofMoray, from whence h e w as tran slated to Edinburgh in 1 688 . After his deprivation and the death Ofhis uncle in 1704, Bishop Al exander Rose was Pri/mus
(o r, in Rom an Catholic term s, Vicar - General) , to w homit be longed to call m eetings of the clergy, and to pre sidein consecrating Bishops. The follow ing sketch of him Is
29 8 DALCROSS,LEYS
,ORCHIL, BARONY OF CLAVA.
Campbe ll of Calder in 1 617 but Cantray (andBudzet in Calder) has be en th e seat ofDallas for
m any gen eration s .
North - w e st from Can tray, on th e top of th e
hill,stande th th e Castle of Dalcross
,
‘ built in
1 621 by Lord L ovate , whose property th e land
w as at that tim e . It cam e afterwards to Sir
Jam e s Frazer of Brae,wh o gave it as a portion
with his daughter Je an Frazer to Maj or Bate
m an . Th e m aj or sold it to Jam e s Roy Dunbar
Baillie of Invern e ss , and from him MacIntosh of
MacInto sh purchased it in 1 702 . About 4 m ile s
farther,on th e w e st brae of th e hill
,is Easter
Leys,pertain ing to Robertson of In che s (V ide
Inverness Par .) Next is Mid Leys,th e property
of Ge orge Baillie , son Of John Baillie,late
Writer to th e Signet in Edinburgh, wh o was
son of Jam e s Baillie , Sheriff Clerk of Invern e ss ,Of th e fam ily ofDun ean . Farther is We st Leys
,
th e heritage of Alexander Shaw of TOrdaroch ,
wh o sold it late ly to Sir Ludowick Grant of
Grant (V ide Daviot P ar .) The se Leys hold of
Lord Lovat,as a part of th e anc ient e state Of
that fam ily .
To return to th e Side of th e river Nairn .
Above Cantray are Little Cantray, Con tra - na
bruich , Orchil , &c .,pertain ing to Kilravo ck ; a nd
further up is th e Barony ofClava, th e heritage of
Rose of Clava ; of which branch Hugh of C ava
is now th e 6th in de scent . This Barony is
STATE OF PROPERTIES IN CROY. 29 9
situated on both side s of th e river . And in th e
upper part of the parish is Daltulich , a m ortgage
posse ssed by a branch of th e Frasers for 5
gen erations past .
CROY.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate .
‘ —Croy lie s on th e southernside of Ardersier
,and upon the w e st of Nairn . It i s
intersected through 8 m ile s of its length by the river ofthat nam e , on th e w e stern side ofw hich it is extended inth e direction north - w e st from Nairn for the space of 1 6m ile s, con sisting alm ost of one continued low ridge of
w hite m oorish ground, on w hich there are several sm al lplots of poorly cultivated land. The soil along the r iveris a fertile loam , and in several parts fie lds of a goodquality are found ; but a great part is poor and thin ,
on
a cold hard soil , and th e crop subj ected to dam age w henth e harve st is late and w e t .
State of Prop er ty.— The parish
,in the countie s of
Nairn and Invern e ss, is shared am ong 10 proprie to
The fam ily seat ofKilravock i s an old tow er , supposed tohave be en built in th e year 1 460
,to w hich an e legan t
m odern m ansion,on a rock overhanging th e rive r , is con
j oined . The garden s, an orchard, and a considerable
extent of natural and planted w ood, embe llish the eu
virons. The dom ain is in th e county ofNairn ; the valuedrent am ounts to £79 2 . A little farther up
,pleasantly
situated on the banks of the river, i s Holm e , the seat ofJohn Rose , in the county of Invern ess
,a neat m odern
house,em be llished by natural and plante d w ood ; the
valuation i s £1 20. Still farther up the r iver, in the sam e
county, is Cantray,the m ansion - house of David David
son [now Hugh G.
’
Davidson] . He has at once ornam ented and im proved his am ple property in a very highdegree ; m ore than 400acre s of waste have been broughtinto the highe st state of cultivation . H is plantationsexceed 2000 acre s ; he has built a splendid and comm odious mansion ,
and a handsom e bridge in its environs,of the greate st utility and ornam en t . His dom ains arein both coun tie s ; the e state of Clava in Nairn ,
valued at£29 2 15s. 8d.,
added to those of Cantray and Clavala in
3 00 DALCRoss,INCHES , DALTALICH,
MID LEYS,LEYS.
the county of Inverne ss, extends his valued ren t in thisparish to th e sum of £8 3 9 . Arthur Forbe s of Culloden ,
Esq ,has lands in both coun tie s w ithin this parish ; his
valuation in Nairn,of £3 58 1 48 . 6d.
,added to that of
Lenoch and Bellb raid in the coun ty of Invern e ss, m ake shis valuation equal to £449 4s. 6d. The re st of the
parish is w holly in the county ofInverne ss.The Old castle and e state of Dalcross
,the prope rty of
Mackintosh of Mackintosh,is valued at £1 90. Part of
th e barony ofInche s,the property ofRobertson , i s valued
at £2 3 0. Daltalich ,a part of th e e state of Lovat, is
valued at 1 1 6 1 3 s. 4d. Mid Leys, the property of Mr .
Baillie , is valued at £1 3 3 68 . 8d. Leys, th e property of
Col. Fraser ofCulduth el, is valued at £1 3 0 and the pro
perty appertain ing to Cuthbert of Castlehill, valued at
£56 , m ake s the w hole valuation of th e parish am ountto £29 9514s. 6d. Scots .The greater part of the farm s are be low £20 sterl ing of
ren t. Several of them are in con siderable crofts, late lybrought into culture , and threaten ing to re turn to the iro riginal state of m oor. There are a few rented from £40
t o £50,m anaged in the be st m ann er .
State Ecclesiastical — Th e parish,in its pre sen t exten t,
con sists of Croy and the parish of Dalcross, annexedbefore or about the Reform ation . The Vicar of Dalcrossis m entioned in th e records of Rom an Catholic tim e s ;and th e Burial - ground, still used a l ittle , and the walls ofits Church rem ain ; and its glebe m ake s a part . of the
pre sen t glebe . Th e nam e s of both parishe s are supposedto b e originally Fren ch , Croix, the cross, and De la Croix ;but as a district in the w e stern quarte r Of the kingdom isnam ed Glen cro , or croy, it m ay b e of Gae lic birth . The
stipend, including th e allow ance for the com m un ion ,i s
£ 3 0 1 1 s. sterling,and 80 bolls of grain . The right of
patronage is equally shared be tw een the fam ilie s of Cawdor and Kilravock . The district called Leys is so distantfrom the Church, that, during the summ e r and autum n
m on ths,public w orship is perform ed there eve ry fourth
Sunday in the open air. The salary of the parochialschool is 1 6 bolls of bear the fe e s of education , and the
perquisite s of the Office of se ssion - cle rk m ake the w holee stablishm ent equal to £22 sterling yearly. The Soc ie tyfor Christian Know ledge m aintain also a school in the
3 02 ENCAMPMENTS AT SPEYMOUTH MANSE AND ALVES.
Duke him se lf, preceded the army to the banks Of theSpey. The Duke of Perth , the Lords John Drumm ond,Kilm arnock
,and Balm erinoch , and Secre tary Murray
,
had for som e tim e taken up the ir quarters in the m anseo f Speym outh , on the other side of that rive r. The
m in ister has left it on record, that though they used himc ivilly
,and gave him n o disturbance concern ing his prin
ciples, ye t it was expen sive to him,and public w orship
w as suspended during the ir sojourn there . 2000 m en
was the force under the ir comm and, able to have pre
ven ted the passage of the royal army, or to have defeatedthem w hen struggling w ith the pow er of the stream ; but“on the ir appearance on the southern bank
,the rebe ls fled
off towards Elgin ,w ith the m ost unaccountable pre cipi
tation . The horse , sustained by the grenadiers and
Highlanders, imm ediate ly passed over,but no t w ith such
expedition as to w arrant a pursuit . Th e w hole arm ythereafter forded th e r ive r to the depth of the ir m iddle s
,
and on e grenadier and 4 w om en,born e dow n by its
rapidity,w e re drown ed. They encam ped in the vicin ity
of th e m anse , and his Royal Highne ss, w ith a m orec ordial w e lcom e
,occupied the state b ed
,from w hich the
Duke of Perth w as disposse ssed . The ir m arch on Sun
day th e 1 3 th reached to th e Church of Alve s ; the en
c am pm en t w as form ed on an arable fie ld, then gre en'
w ith
the Springing corn the owner con sidered the cr0p to b ede stroyed, but it w as found to have been thereby greatlyim proved . On th e 14th they m arched forward to the tow n
ofNairn . The Duke entering into the 27th year of hisage , they re sted on the 15th , solem n izing the auspiciousann iversary, and trim m ing the ir accoutrem ents and arm s.By this tim e the greater part of the rebe l troops
,from
various quarters, under different chiefs, had rendezvousedw ith the Prince at Inverne ss. But in stead Of prudentlyre treating to the fastne sse s of the m ountains, w hich then .
afforded store of live cattle for provision,w here the ir
regim ents w ould have be en re cruited, and the ir forceaugm ented by a strong re inforcem ent of the Ma hersons
,
then actually in full m arch to the ir aid, and where perhaps th e disaster ofClosterseven m ight have by anticipation be en prevented, they w eakly drew out to m ee t the irfate upon Drumm ossie Moor, w here they lay th e w holen ight unde r arm s, having very little provision— tw o
THE ARMY MARCHES FROM NAIRN. 3 03
bannocks ofbread on ly to each m an . And in the anxiouse xpectation of the advan ce of the royal arm y they waitedin the order of battle the w hole of th e succe eding day,
during which they w ere j oined by 1400 m en, under
youngo
Lo,
vat Keppoch , and Locheil. Havingform ed thew eak purpose Of surprising the Duke
’s arm y in the n ightof the birth day solem n ization , they m arched eastwardafte r sun - set in tw o colum n s ; but then fain t w ith hungerand fatigue , m any w ere unable to com e up em barrassedby the length of th e colum n s
,they w ere obliged to m ake
several halts, and m any, overpow ered w ith sleep , droppedoff unperce ived in the dark, and lay hid in the fie lds ;and at th e distance of 3 m ile s it w as found im possible toreach the Duke ’s arm y before th e r ising of the sun
,and
only then w ith half the num ber that had m arched off th em oor. Charle s therefore w as re luctantly prevailed uponto m easure back his w ay to th e ground first chosen forth e battle , in w hich he was rejoin ed by th e greate r partof those w ho had straggled in th e nocturnal m arch . Im
m ediate ly on regain ing the ir station, great num be rs dispersed in que st of provision s, and m any
,ove rpow ered by
fatigue , lay down to Sleep on the heath . About "
5 o ’clockin the m orn ing th e arm y began the ir m arch from Na1rnnearly 15 m ile s distant from the place of engagem ent
,
and the repose of the w earied clan s w as disturbed by thealarm of the ir approach . They form ed the order of battlew ith at least 1000few er than they had m ustered on the
preceding day ; the front in 1 3 divisions, each clan under itsre spective chief, having 6 fie ld piece s in the m iddle of the
l in e ; to support th e front w e re disposed Fitz - Jam e s ’shorse on the right, covered by the w all of an en closure4 com pan ie s of French pique ts com posed the m iddlecolum n
,and on the left w ere 5com pan ie s of Lord John
Drum m ond ’s foot, and a body of horse composed of th e
Prince ’s guards ; open to the centre Of th e foot w as the
young Adventurer and his body guards, and .in his rearw as the l in e of re serve .
The Duke ’s arm y form ed In 2 lin e s also,and 3 regi
m en ts for th e corps of re serve ; th e dragoon s, underHaw ley, w e re on the left flank‘: and Kingston
’s horseguarded the right ; the artillery, consisting of 10 fie ldpiece s, w ere placed two in the cen tre of each regim ent, sothat som e piece s w ere capable of flanking the enemy on
3 04 THE ROAD TO INVERNESS STREWN WITH DEAD.
w hatever part of th e lin e the im pression m ight b e m ade .
The royal arm y consisted of 88 1 1,and the other num
bered 8 3 50. About on e O’clock afternoon the artillery of
both partie s Opened ; that of the rebe ls w as ill served andin efficient, but the king
’s m ade dreadful havock am ongthem , which Lord George Murray, th e leader of the rightw ing, perce iving, called on them to advance
,and 500
charged the left w ing w ith the ir usual im petuosity. Barre l’s regim ent and Monro’s w ere yie lding to th e pre ssureof this colum n w hen they w e re sustained by 2 battalion sunde r Wolfe
,advancing from th e se cond line
,by w hose
c lose fire great num bers fe ll while the cann on continuedto pour de struction w ith the 1r cartridge shot. Meanw hileth e dragoons, aided by the m ilitia of Argyle , havingopened passage s in the dyke
,broke in upon the right
flank, w hile Kingston’s horse
,upon the left, m e t them
in th e centre , com ple ting th e confusion Of the rebe ls ;the ir rout in le ss than 3 0m inute s was final, and the fie ldcovered w ith the Slain . The French piquets in the irright covered the ir re treat for a l ittle by a close and
regular fire , then re tiring to Inve rne ss, they surrenderedthem se lve s pri son ers ofw ar . The road to that town wasstrew e d w ith th e bodie s of the dead . Many friends e ven
,
w ho had com e to share th e victory, w e re sacrificed in theundistinguishing exultation of th e victors over th e unresisting fo e . An en tire body of th e rebe ls
,how eve r
,
m arched Off th e fie ld Of battle,the ir pipe s playing, and
th e standard of Charles displayed . On the succeedingday 2000m e t on the road to Badenoch
,and
, after a littlede liberation
,finally dispersed .
In eve ry in stance of c ivil w ar,rapin e , desolation , and
m urde r w ill b e the crue l lot of num bers, though unre sisting to e ither side . The m oderation
,how eve r, of th e rebe ls
in the season of the ir succe ss, considering the ir n ecessitie s,
is de servedly w orthy of the m ost distinguished praise ;private property, save a trifling exaction at Manche ste rand Glasgow ,
rem ained inviolate in both the ir pe regrination s from on e end of the island alm ost to the other . Ye t
th e objects of spoil w e re m ost tem pting to undisciplinedand n e edy adventurers , and the ir ideas Of hone sty and
j ustice had im pressed but fain tly th e virtue of forbearance and se lf- den ial ; and, save only in th e rage of battle ,they w ere extrem e ly de licate and gentle , re specting the
3 06 DISASTROUS DEFEAT OF PRINCE CHARLIE.
ing rebe llion,or exciting in surre ction ,
but on ly to Obtainre lief in situations that can b e hardly rendered -m orecalam itous.The vanquished Adventurer
,all his hope ofa crow n in
o ne half hour dispe lled, rode off th e fie ld w ith a few
h orsem en , accom pan ie d by Lord Elcho and the Duke of
Perth . Crossing the river Nairn,h e re tire d to the house
of a gentlem an in Strath - herrick ,and afte r a m ournful
c onference w ith Lord Lovat, dism issing his follow e rs, hew andered about a w retched solitary fugitive , surroundedby arm ed en em ie s
,chased from hill to dale , from w ood to
heath, and from shore to shore , lurking se ldom in a
cottage , som e tim e s in a cave , and frequently on the barew aste , w ithout attendants, and w ithout other supportthan what the poore st peasan t could supply. Som etim e s,assum ing w om en
’s attire,he appeared a lady’s m aid ; and
som e tim e s,in the habit of a trave lling m ountaine er, w ith
a wallet on his back. He w as row ed in fisher boats fromisle to isle am ong th e Hebride s, passing t hrough the
m idst ofhis enem ie s unkn own , exposed to hunger, thirst,and w earine ss
,to cold and w e t
,in continued peril . He
trusted his life to the fide lity ofm ore than 50 individuals,m ostly in the low e st paths of fortune
,and know ing that
to betray him raised them at once to affluence and
w ealth,by the price of se t upon his head but
they dete sted riche s on such infam ous te rm s, and theym in istered to his nece ssitie s w ith th e utm ost fide lityand zeal
,e ven at the hazard of the ir ow n de struction .
Through the w hole course of his distresse s (which w e resuch as hardly any other person ever outlived) b e
"
m aintained the m ost am azing equan im ity and good hum our ;never abandoned by his hope and recollection ,
he stillfound som e expedient that sav’ed him from captivity and
death . At length , in the 5th m onth of his painful peril ,he got on board a privateer of St . Male by m eans ofathick fog he passed through Lestock
’
s squadron un se en ,
and arr ived in safe ty at Roseau in Bre tagne , his eye
hollow,his visage wan , and his con stitution greatly im
paired by fam ine and fatigue . The history of his race , ine very generation ,
loudly adm on ishe s “all kings to be
wise, and all judges of the ear th to be in structed ;e ver to govern w ith discretion ,
and w ith such care fo r thepublic w eal as m ay preserve the love of the ir subj e cts,
LITTLE TO BE SEEN OF'
THE FIELD OF CULLODEN. 3 07
and m ain tain the ir re ign over people , happy because theyfee l them se lve s free .
The re is little now' to b e seen on the fie ld of battle , but
it is still visited by m any. The graves of those who fe llstrikingly distinguishable by the ir ve rdant surface
of grass rising through the brown surrounding heath .
About 50 on ly ofthe army fe ll, ofw hom 6 w ere Officers, oneof them Lord Robert Ker ; the num ber of the rebe ls whow ere killed in the action and in the pursu it has be encom puted at 2500. Bulle ts and fragm ents of arm our,w hich are picked up by the people of the ne ighbourhood ,are anxiously sought after
,and preserved w ith care as
curiositie s,or as valuable re lics. (Survey ofthe Provin ce
ofMoray.)
Follow ing th e river,I c om e to
THE PARISH OF DAVIOT AND DUNLICHTIE
Stretching on both side s of th e river Nairn,
about 10m ile s in length,and in few place s 2 in
breadth . It is en c losed w ith hills, exc ept to
w ards Croy . Th e Church standeth on th e w e st
bank,a m ile above th e n orth end of th e parish ,
3 m ile s n orth from Dun lichtie,which
.
is un ited
with it,4 m ile s south from Croy , 4 m ile s SE.
from Inverne ss,and 3 m ile s n orth - w e st from
Moy. The Barony of Strathnairn was th e
fre ehold of th e Earl of Crawford before th e
year 1500. David , Earl of Crawford,m arried
Catharine,daughter of King Robert II.
,and
w ith h er got th e Barony of Strathnairn ,&c .
,
ann o 1 3 78 (Ro t. R ob . and h e disponed it infeu to Ogilvie , laird of Findlater
,wh o re sided at
Hall - hill in Pe ttie , and was de signed laird Of
Strathnairn . Sir John Cam pbe ll of Calder pur
3 08 THE BARONY OF STRATHNAIRN, DAVIE FORT, FAILIE.
chased Crawford ’s right in 153 5,and thereafter
Findlater c onveyed his feu- hold to the Earl of
Moray . This Earl , unw illing to hold of Calder ,private ly Obtained a Charter from the Chancery ,by which h e w as to hold of th e Crown . Sir
John Cam pbe ll , gre at - grand - son to the form er
m ention e d,c arried on a re duction of the Earl of
M oray ’ s right,and Obtained from Earl Jam e s an
am ple renunc iation ,dated 1 7th Novem ber 1 608 ,
acknow ledging ,“ that h e he ld of Sir John Cam p
be ll of Calder th e lands of Me ikle Davie , cum
F ortalieio , Budzeat , Little Davie , Coulclachie ,Me ikle and Little Craggie s , Inverarnie , Gask ,We ster Larg
,Ab erchalade rs
,Ab erarders , Dal
crom bie,L e tterwhiln
,Brinn s
,Fle e chtie , Far ,
Holm,Failie
,and Drum ornie
”
(P en . Cald.) Thus
th e Earl of Moray holdeth this barony of Mr .
Cam pbe ll ofCalder as his superior .
On th e w e st side of th e rive r,in the low er end
of th e parish,is Coulclachie , a sub - vassalage of
Angus M acIntosh,wh o n ow repre senteth th e
MacIntosh e s of Connidge . Next southward 1 S
Davie,th e property of th e laird of MacIntosh .
Here was a Fort built by David,Earl of Craw
ford , and after him calle d Davie F ort. Next is
Failie,th e he ritage Of M acBean of Failie
,a
bran ch of th e Old C lan Chattan, wh o have long
posse ssed this,
sm all e state . South there of is
Gask, which , w ith Dunm aglass , are th e property
ofWilliam MacGillivray of Dunm aglass . This
3 10 LocHs DUNDLECHAK AND RUTHVEN.
DAVIOT AND DUNLICHTY.
[Situation ,Soil, Clim ate .
— The r iver Nairn w indseastw ard from its source s, for the length of 2 3 m ile s
,
through this parish . Th e cultivated grounds extend fromabout 2 to n early 4 m ile s in breadth . The nam e of
Daviot is be l ieved to.have be en given to the sm aller
district in hon our of David , Earl of Craw ford, on ce itsproprie tor
,w ho built a fortre ss, late ly razed for th e lim e
rubbish as m anure . The other nam e in Gae lic is DUNLE- CHATTI
,the hill of the Clan Chattan . This anc ien t
tr ibe,under th e various surnam e s of MacIntosh ,
th e
chief,Macgillivray, Macpherson
,Macbean
,Shaw
, Sm ith ,and Gow , continue in the posse ssion ofan exten sive tractupon e ithe r side of this b ill
,w hich yet bears upon its
sum m it the tokens of having been the rendezvous , andthe place w hence the Signals w ere m ade
,as the exigencie s
of rem ote tim e s required. Th e Church of this districtstands n ear its bottom ; that of the other a few m ile s tothe n orth - w e st of Moy . The appearance of the coun tryis no t inviting ; w here the hills are not covered w ithheath
,
“on w hich no tree i s seen ,
” they are naked rock,
w hile large tracts of peat m orass or barren m oor deformthe valeS be low . Am ong the m ountains the re are severallake s ; that Of Dundlechak is of the m ost con sideration ;it discharge s on e of th e branche s of the r iver, it is ve ryde ep ; it is th e lake w hich never fre eze s in w inter by them ost inten se and longe st frost, but in a calm n ight duringthe Spring it is readily frozen over in the space only of
on e n ight . The lake of Ruthven,though about half the
extent of the other, be ing 3 m ile s in length, and nearly1 in breadth, is vastly its superior in the e stim ation of
the angler ; there is n o pike in it, but it is w e ll stockedw ith trout of the Lochleven kind, sim ilar to salm on w hendressed ; 4 or 5dozen ,
from 3 to 8 lb ., are at tim e s caughtin the
,space of tw o hours and one or tw o boats are kept
on the lake for th e purpose on ly of fishing. We stwardfor som e m ile s from the Church of Dunlighty the hillsare chiefly com posed of rock, and alm ost everywhe realong the ir , base ,
innum erable fragm ents of enorm ousbulk, appearing to have be en Violently severed frOm theirparent Cliff
’s,exhibit th e m ost satisfactory proof that
earthquake s have be en m ore frequent and m ore dreadful
PROPERTIES IN DAVIOT AND DUNLICHTY PARISHES. 3 1 1
in this quarte r of th e island than e ither tradition or history records. Near th e Church of Daviot, and for som e
m ile s above it,on both side s of th e rive r, there is a
natural obj ect of another kind m ore striking still ; theground is m ore than 3 00 fe e t of perpendicular he igh tabove the leve l of the Frith ; it ne verthe le ss pre sents agreat m any sand - hills
,w hich eviden tly appear to have
be en form ed by the current of contrary tide s, under theflux and reflux of the ocean . At that period n o t on lythis island
,but the greater part of Europe , m ust have
been the bottom of the sea,probably during the antedilu
vian era, or in that m ore early per iod w hen “the Spirit
of God m oved upon th e face of th e w aters,before he
divided th e w ate rs w hich w ere under the firm am ent fromthose w hich w e re above it.”
In som e place s th e soil is sandy and light ; in others itis spongy and w e t, incum ben t on clay ; there are alsotracts w here it is black, of the quality of peat earth ; andin m any place s all the se kinds are com pounded toge ther.
A considerable proportion of th e soil is, how ever , fe rtile ,and capable of producing pre tty plentiful crops, but theclim ate is variable and unpropitious
,and oftentim e s the
w hole labour and hope of the year is blasted in one n ightor m orning in th e m on ths ofAugust or Septem ber by them ildew frost
,to w hich the best and low e st fie lds are m ost
e xposed.
State ofProperty— In its political c ircum stances theparish is placed in the countie s of Nairn and Invern e ss .It is at presen t the inheritance of 8 proprie tors . JohnMacgillivray of Dunm aglass, Esq ,
has th e valuation of
£400 Scots in the county of Nairn, and £486 in that of
Inverness. David Davidson of Cantray,Esq ,
holds avaluation of£226 6 3 . 8d. Captain Macphe rson of Inve re shie has a valuation of£56 1 3 3 . 4d. [Eneas Mackin toshofMackintosh , Esq ,
has the property of Daviot at £448 .
William Mackin tosh of Culclachy,£3 1 3 108 . Captain
Mackintosh of Ab erairde r, £69 4 68 . 8d. Jam e s Mackintosh ofFar
,£200 and Arthur Forbe s of Culloden ,
£108
68 . 8d., extending the whole valuation of the parish to th esum of£29 3 3 (is . 8d. At the fam ily seats ofDunm aglass
and Far,the im provem en t Of drain ing, enclosing, and
planting, has be en for som e tim e carried on w ith proprie ty and succe ss. The state ofagriculture is in extrem e
3 1 2 DAVOCHS, PLOUGHS, AND AUGHTEEN PARTS.
backwardne ss ; the sm all black hairy oats and rye are
the principal crops comm on oats and barley succe ed butin few place s, and frequently m isgive . The quantitie s ofland are denom inated davachs, ploughs, and aughteen
par ts : they w ere at first ascertained w ith regard to thequality rather than to the extent ; and as, in severalcase s, th e quality has been Since im proved, the se denom inations now appear arbitrary and uncertain . Few
tenants occupy m ore than one aughteen part, th e ren t ofw hich is from £3 to £5, beside s a variety of service sexacted by the landlords, both in seed tim e and harve st—SO flagran tly de trim ental to all im provem en t, that . of
late som e of the proprietors begin to discover that thepractice of the landlords in the highe st cultivated districts of the kingdom is m ore w ise than the irs ; that theyw ill be com e more re spectable by having the ir revenuewholly in m on ey, ascertained by the num ber oft he acre son the ir e state s ; having the ir tenants in other re spectsentire ly independent, and hiring farm se rvants sufficientfor the cultivation Of the lands in the ir ow n occupation .
Of late the blackfaced She ep have be en in troduced in tothe higher parts of the district ofDunlighty,
and they don ot appear to suffer from th e clim ate the m ean value is9 s . each, and th e num ber about 2000. The comm on crossbreeds are double that num ber
,and the ir m ean value
about 5S. each . Th e num ber of black cattle have be endimin ished by increasing th e num ber of the sheep ; theystill coun t to about 1 3 00
,and the ir m ean value about £2
each . Horse s are gene rally used in the cultivation of
the land ; they are of sm all Size,the ir num ber about 800,
and the ir m ean value about £2 IOS.
State Ecclesiastical — The parishe s ofDaviot and Dunlighty w ere un ited about the year 1 61 8 . The re sidenceis at Daviot
,at the distance of 7 m ile s from the Church
ofD unligh ty,w here public w orship is perform ed e very
alternate Sunday. The stipend is £77 6s . sterling, w itha sm all glebe , de tached in parts as in th e originalparishe s. The right of patronage appertains to LordCawdor. The appoin tm en t of th e schoolm aste r, in cludingthe em olum ents of the office of Se ssion - Clerk, is about£12. The num ber of the poor is n early 46 , and the
funds for the ir provision ,raised in th e com m on form ,
and
augm ented by an endowm ent of bearing intere st,
3 14 ARDERSIER OR THE HEIGHT OF THE EDGE .
colour. The re is a con siderable num ber of w eaversem ployed in m aking coarse w oollen stuff. The otherartizans on ly accom m odate the country
,for which there
are also 1 fulling and 1 4 corn - m ills ] (Survey of the'
Provin ce ofMoray.)
But Ireturn to th e c oast .
THE PARISH OF ARDERSIER
Lieth on th e w e st Coast from Nairn . It is a
prom on tory runn ing into th e Moray Firth,from
south - east to north - w e st , and is about 2 m ile s in
length , and little m ore than a halfm ile in bre adth
at th e south - east and at th e n orth -w e st it ter
m inate s in a narrow point,on which th e Fort is
built . Th e whole parish is th e property of John
Cam pbe ll of Calder , and was a part Of th e lands
of th e Bishop of ROSS,w ith som e Tem ple lands
form erly be longing to th e Kn ights Tem plar .
M ore than a third part of th e whole bounds was
purchased about 1 746 by th e Governm ent for a
pre c in ct of th e fort . Th e Chur ch form erly stood
within th e pre c in ct , but of late there is a n ew
Church built a little w ithout it,about 5 mile s
w e st from Nairn,3 m ile s n orth from Croy
,and 4
m ile s n orth - e ast from Pettie . Whether th e pre
c ine t Shall b e Intra- parochial,or extra- parochial
,
is n ot as ye t determ in ed .
ARDERSIER.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — This parish lie s on the shoreOf the Firth
,w e stward of that ofNairn,
having a w ing of
th e parish of Pe tty interj ected be tw een its southern sideand th e m ountain . The nam e in the Gae lic, w hen a little
CROMWELL’S CITADEL CHOSEN FOR FORT GEORGE. 3 15
corre cted, denote s the height of the edge . The greate rpart of the cultivated land
,lying upon a plain extended
backw ard from the Sharp edge of a ste ep bank, r ising 100fe e t above the leve l beach ofthe sea. [Arde rsier is w rittenArdnaseer in the Re cords of the parish ] The southernor land side of the parish is stre tched a little m ore than 2m ile s
,and it m ight b e conce ived as a prom ontory term in
ating in th e Firth, having the cape w ashed off alm ost toth e leve l of th e sea by som e inundation in an aera beyondthe notice of historical re cord, while th e appearance of
the ground, both in the sm oothne ss of th e com pactedgrave l of the plain be low the bank
,and in the steepn e ss
of the bank itse lf, suggests this idea. It m ight also w ithprobability b e conj ectured
,from the quality Of the sand
ofw hich the bank appears to b e com posed, that th e substance of this prom ontory
,w ashed up again upon the
shore of th e parish of Dyke , form ed the Mavis Hills andthe m agazine for the irruption ove r the e state ofCulbin .
There is in the parish a con siderable varie ty of soilstifl
' clay , deep black m ould , shallow black soil, and lightsand . The parish lying e ither pre tty high , or stre tchedout into the sea
,the clim ate is rather cold, but n e ither
w e t n or unhealthy.
State ofPr operty — The w hole parish is th e propertyofLord Cawdor, except the ground purchased by Governm ent for th e station of Fort George , and a farm for th e
accom m odation of the Governor. His Lordship pays thew hole of th e land tax affe cting the valued rent, w hichextends to £600Scots . Th e real re nt of the parish w henFort George w as built w as £3 15ste rling, and £50 m ore
,
w hich w as the ren t of th e farm sold to Governm en t.The parish contains acre s, of w hich 9 66 are m oor.
Afte r supplying the inhabitants it, in general, dispose s of3 00 bolls. It is le t in w hole to one tenant, w ho subletsthe greater part , in farm s of 20 or 3 0 acre s ; th e be starable land at £1 l 0s . the acre , and that of an infe riorquality from 5s. to 78 . 6d .
The Situation ofCrom w e ll ’s Citade l upon th e influx of
th e r iver at Inverness w as originally chosen by Governm en t for the station of Fort George ; but the m agistracyof that tow n
,from an apprehen sion of its tendency to
corrup t the m orals of the pe ople , e luded its erection thereby such an exorbitan t dem and for the price of the ground
3 16 DESCRIPTION OF FORT GEORGE .
that the Duke of Cum be rland, in a huff, upon the reporto fable enginee rs, found the ground w hereon it now standsto b e the m ost e ligible , w hich, w ith the farm that hasbe en m entioned
, was purchased from the fam ily ofCaw dor.
The w ork w as comm enced in the year 1747 unde r thedirection ofGeneral Skinner. The original e stim ate w as
sterling, but it required a little m ore than the
addition of £40,000 to that sum . The Citade l occupie s
15 English acre s of the point of low ground alreadyde scribed. On thre e side s the ram parts 1 ise alm ost outo f the sea, which can b e in troduced at pleasure into a
form idable excavation stre tched along the fourth , w ithw hich the anc ien t fosse round any Gothic castle couldn ot e ithe r in breadth or in depth b e com pared. It i s saidto b e the on ly regular fortification in Britain— everym em ber of the w ork is cove red by the defence of som e
other,and th e be siege rs can take n o station w ithout be ing
e xposed to its fire . Th e depre ssion of the outw orks is som anaged that the in terior of the Citade l comm ands everypart around it, and the plain is so broad on the land sideas to afford no advantage from any higher ground , w hileits grave l is so com pact and solid as to m ake th e Open ingof trenche s extrem e ly difficult. It has 4 bastion s, ism ounted by 80 cannon ,
and w e ll supplied w ith water .
Be side s the bom b - proof apartm en ts under the ram parts,the interior of the Citade l con sists of handsom e square so fbarracks, e legan t accomm odation for the Governor ando ther oflicers
,a spac ious arm oury
,a secure bom b - proof
m agazine , conven ien t store s, and a n eat chape l. It issuffic ient for th e accomm odation of m en .
It Is hardly possible to con tem plate the art and scienced isplayed in rendering it defen sible , w ithout adm iringthe advancem ent In fortification Since those rude age s inw hich the Capital of Asia w as prote cted by aa sim ple
earthen ram part, flanked on ly w ith som e tow e rs ofw ood,and w ithout even the security of a ditch . Hom er repre
sents Patroclus, upon having repulsed a sortie of Trojan s,springing lightly on the top
b
of the wall, an action w hichthe judicious bard w ould n ever have adm itted upon a
perpendicular stone wall and a broad ditch .
The usefulne ss ofFort George is not now very obvious,great im provem en t has no doubt taken place in the
m ann ers and sentim ents of th e pe ople of th e country
3 18 THE VARIOUS BARONIES IN PETTIE.
We stward on th e c oast is
THE PARISH OF PETTIE
Is ple asantly situated in a plain betw ixt th e Firth
and th e hills towards Strathnairn . It is in length
from e ast to w e st n ear 5 m ile s , and in breadth
n ot above 14m ile .
The ChurCh stande th on a rising ground , a
furlong from th e sea alm ost 2 mile s from th e
w e st end of th e parish,5m ile s n orth - east from
Invern e ss , 4 m ile s south -w e st from Ardersie r,
and n e ar 3 m ile s n orth - w e st from Croy .
Th e barony of Pettie was anc iently a part of
th e Earldom of Moray,but upon th e death Of
Earl Archibald Douglas,ann o 1455
,th e Castle s
of Invern e ss and Urquhart,and th e lordships of
them ,the water m ails ofInverne ss,th e Lordship
of Ab ern ethie,th e baron ie s of Urquhart , Glen
ur chan,Bon eich
,Bonochar
,Pettie , Brachlie , and
Strath ern , w ith th e pertin ents , w ere ann exed to
th e Crown (Act P arl. Som e tim e afte r
this th e Laird of Findlater he ld th e barony of
Pettie of th e Crown,and afterwards Of th e Earl
of Moray . I find that Elizabeth,daughter of
Sir Jam e s Dunbar Of Cum nock,who die d in
1505,was m arried to John Ogilvie of Strathnairn
(P en . Ogilvie re sided at Hallhill in
Pe ttie . Lachlan,Laird of MacInto sh
,be ing
m urdere d by som e Of his Clan in 1524,Jam e s
,
Earl of Moray,c om m itted th e young Laird of
THE FORTIFIED HOUSE OF HALHILL. 3 1 9
MacInto sh (who w as his.
n ephew ) to th e care
of th e Laird of Strathn airn . Th e MacIntosh e s
re sented this as an indignity , dem olished th e
house of Hallhill,and killed 24 of th e Ogilvie s
about th e year 153 1 (MS . Hist. MacIn tosh and
Kilravock) . It is probable that this barbarous
tre atm ent induced Findlate r to dispon e his right
of Strathnairn,Pettie
,and Borlum
,to th e Earl
ofMoray .
THE HERSHIP OF PETTY.
[Near the w e st end of the Moss ofPe tty,and Opposite
the Dalcross Station ,m ay b e se en to th e right the parish
School—house,on a gen tle r ising ground , form erly said to
have been an island, surrounded w ith its m eat and lake .
On it once stood the fortified House or Castle of Halhill,
the scene of a m arauding raid in 151 3,called The Her
ship of Petty, the spu lzie taken or de stroyed at w hichgive s a good idea of the plen ishing of a w ealthy baron ’sre siden ce in those days, and a favourable view of the
agriculture of the district, if all the corn s w ere of nativegrow th . This hership was the w ork of th e Mackintoshe s
,
the Rose s,Dallas ofCantray, Stew art of Clava, and Ross
Kinsteary,aided by Donle More Macgillie callum . The
House of Pe ttie , called Halhill, w as then occupied byJohn Ogilvie , son of the deceased Sir William Ogilvie of
Strathearn,Kn ight, who is said to
'
have obtained Pe ttyfrom Jam e s IV .,
because his w ife, called “ Nanny Pant,
an Englishw om an ,w as the first to comm un icate to the
King the birth of his son ,afterwards Jam es V. The
Mackintoshe s w e re not like ly to sym pathise w ith thisparental fee ling,
w hich deprived them of the ir ancientposse ssion . They attacked the house and plundered thebarony
,root and branch . Thereafter the Lords of the
Council de creed that all the 1ich “ spulzie ” should b egiven back and full re stitution m ade . The plunderers
,
how ever, had at least three years’ posse ssion ,and it is
doubtful w he ther Halhill w as ever again seen in itsform e r glory . The Mackintoshe s afterwards
,in 1543
, got
3 20 THE THANEDOM OF CALDER AND EASTER BRACHLIE.
a new liferen t back ofPe tt and w en t on combating w iththe ir deadly en em ie s— the
1Earls of Moray and Huntlyand all others who dared to “ TOUCH THE CAT BOT ’
A
GLOVE — the ir em blazoned m otto.] (Se e Anderson s’
Guide to the Highlands.—ED.)
In th e e ast End of th e parish is Calder ’s
Brachlie,a skirt of th e Than edom of Calder .
Ne ar to it is Easter Brachlie , pertainm g to Kil
ravo ck. All th e re st of the parish is th e property
of th e Earl of Moray , except a sm all feu in th e
w e st end c alled Alterlie s,which pertaineth to
Forbe s ofCul loden . Ne ar th e Church standeth
Castle Stewart, one of th e seats of th e Earl of
Moray,but n ow out of repair ; and n ear there to
is a Corn - m ill,set ageing by th e . Sea-w ater .
PETTY.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — A c ircuit up in to the m ountain and back again to the shore , through 6 parishe s, hasm ade n o advan ce in the course tow ards th e w e st ; for theparish of Pe tty lie s n ext to Airdersier, in a progre ss upthe Fr ith from the east ; it extends 8 m ile s along the
shore,and inland for about the half of that extent. The
face of the country is n early leve l, contain ing large tractsof cultivated fie ld, w here it rise s gently into the m ountain; they are separated by brooks, w hich in som e placesfall over the rocks in natural cascade s ; and, beside s tuftsof tree s alm ost at every farm house , the Earl of Moray
’s.
plan tation s of fir, and oak,and other fore st tre e s , in
diffe ren t place s,have clothed m ore than 500acre s, which
about 20years ago w e re bleak and barren heath . The
soil in part is a fe rtile black m ould, but the greater proportion of it is sandy and light, ye t capable of be ingcultivated to good accoun t by grass se ed and th e othergre en crops . Although th e ground is rather flat
,there
are n o m arshe s nor stagnate w ater. Th e air is gen erallyseren e , and the clim ate dry,
th e crops be ing frequentlydam aged by drought in th e summ er m onths.
3 2 2 PARISHES OF: PETTIE'
AND : INVERNESS.
..Miscellan eous Inform ation . The inhabitants are
sob e r, industrious, and peaceable . They have frequentconvivial m e e tings, where , afte r spending som e hoursche erfully, they part in a friendly m anner. Drinking toexce ss and quarre lling are accounted reproachful, and
those addicted to the se are avoided . They show attachm ents to old fash ions , the plaid Is the only part of theHighland dre ss w hich is gen erally laid aside , but th ew om en have adopted m ore of the dre ss of the ir sex in th e
low coun try than the m en . About 40 years ago therew ere oysters in this part of the Frith , but, one sm all spote xcepted, they are now entire ly gone . The w ate r isshallow near the shore , and the sea re tire s to a greatd istance . The re are place s w here a com m odious harbourfor the smaller ve sse ls m ight b e made at little expen se .
There are 4 corn - m ills in the parish , one is turned by theflux and reflux of the tide . The re are 2 earthe n m ountsnear the Church , evidently artific ial . they are com posedOf sand enclosed in a cover of sod
,exactly circular, con
tracted gradually from the base,150 fe e t in circumfer
ence , to the top on ly 1 20, perfectly leve l at the he ight of42 fee t. The ir nam e
,TOM MHOIT
, the Cour t Hill, im portsthey w ere intended for th e adm in istration of justice ](Survey of the Provin ce ofMoray.)
Next to Pettie , w e stward , is
THE TOWN AND PARISH OF INVERNESS.
Th e town stande th on th e e ast bank of th e
R i'
ver Ne ss , a little above th e m outh of it . It
c on sisteth of tw o stre e ts , cutting on e another ,from south to n orth and from east to w e st . Th e
b uildings are good and c onven ient,all of ston e .
In one of th e angle s,at th e interse ction of th e
stre e ts,standeth th e Tolbooth and Court House ,
adorn ed w ith a lofty ste eple and a c lock ; and in
an opposite angle is th e Town House,a large
building of m odern w o .rk The Churche s stand
CROMWELL’
SI
FORT ; WOODEN BRIDGE, INVERNESS. 3 23
on th e river bank at th e north end Of th e town,
and near to them is Dunbar ’ s Hospital, a large
house w ith a garden ,m ortified by Provost Al ex .
Dunbar . Be low th e Churche s is the harbour ,which re c e iveth m erchant ships
,but standeth too
Open to th e strong w e st w ind,and c lose by th e
harbour are th e ve stige s Of Cromw e ll ’s Fort . In
th e m iddle Of th e town is th e Bridge,Of seven
arche s and be autiful archite cture , w ith a prison
room in one Of th e pillars . Form erly there stood
here a bridge Of w ood , supported by pillars Of
oak,som e Ofwhich are yet to b e se en . It fe ll on
th e 28th Septem ber, 1664, and though m ore than
a hundred person s who stood on it dropt all into
th e river no life w as lost (M .S . Hist. of L ovat) .
Th e pre sent Bridge was fin ished about th e year
1 686 . Several gentlem en c ontribute d liberally
for it , and by an Act Of Privy Counc il there w as
a c olle ction for it through the Dioce se . The
Council ’ s Act and Re c omm endation was for a
general c olle ction throughout th e whole king
dom,and no doubt brought in a c on siderable
sum . Sir Hugh Cam pbe ll Of Calder gave £400
Sc ots,th e Laird OfMacL e Od £800, th e Min isters
Of the Dioce se Of Moray £500 (Syn . R eg) .
Others likew ise c ontributed liberally. On th e
w e st bank Of th e river there is a large suburbs Of
two stre ets,and a little above th e town there is
a pleasant little Island in th e river, where th e
m agistrate s entertain strangers w ith salm on
3 24 EARLIEST CHARTERS OF INVERNESS .
kille d in the ir pre sence w ith spears . The town
is very populous , and th e house s be ing too m uch
c row ded , and‘
th e stre e ts narrow,under th e
Castlehill and Barnhill th e air is thick and m oist .
Th e parish lie th on both side s Of th e rive r .
On th e w e st side it extendeth 8 m ile s and on th e
e ast 4 m ile s . Th e town stande th 5m ile s south
w e st from '
Pe ttie,5m ile s alm ost east from Kirk
hill,5m ile s n orth from Durrrs
,and 4 m ile s w e st
by- north from Daviot. Th e town lands lie
adjac ent to it (V ide Oiv. Hist ) , and th e c ountry
parish is full Of gentlem en’ s se ats .
”[Invern e ss like other Of our Scotch tow n s, ow e s its
origin , at a ve ry early date , to its convenient situation as
a sea- port, and to its river, be ing likew ise adm irably
situated, as the centre Of a largeb
district , and Open ingeasily to both th e Low lands and the Moun tainous c ircleby w hich it is surrounded. Its earlie st charters are fromDavid , William th e Lion , and Alexander . In the latte rthe King orders th e tow n to b e surrounded by a ditchand good paling (fossa e t bona palicio ) ; and, by the
privilege s which are granted to the Moravians (Moraviense s Mei) , it se em s eviden t that th e m onarch m eant tocolon ise Inve rne ss w ith his low country subje cts, probablyfor th e purpose Of c ivilizing the barbarian s Of the Highlands. This plan has, probably, been aided by the e stablishm ent Of Re ligious House s in the tow n . As early as
the re ign OfAlexander II 1 215, a Royal grant is recordedin the Chartulary Of Moray to that Bishoprick Of the
barony Of Kinrnylie s, w hich rem ain ed w ith it till 1544,w hen Bishop Patrick Hepburn sold it to Lord Lovat . In
the sam e re ign the re is an entry in the Chartulary of
the se w ords Thane e t firmarii suppositure Kinmyliesj’
w hich Lord Hale s quote s,in order to prove that, anciently,
the term Thane m eant not always Com e s or Count, butthe head director Of a district or barony. About 1 280,
the Count Of St. Pol,be ing w re cked in the Orkn eys,
3 26 CASTLEor CALIODEN ; CITADEL OF INVERNESS .
fie lds, sh e said m e rrily that '
she w ished she had b een w iththem . A few years afte r this, the Regent Moray cam e toInve rne ss, and the chief Of the Clan Gunn was hanged fo rtaking the Crow n Of the causeway from the Earl OfMoray In 1 625 the tow n Of Inve rne ss suffe red muchOppre ssion by the heavy fine s levied upon m any Of th e
m erchants by th e Earl Of Moray, acting under a comm ission from th e King. The cause w as the ir having furn ishedsom e sm all articles, such as salt and soap , to the ClanChattan , at that tim e in rebe llion . Mr. Forbe s of Culloden
,by going to London , go t the inhabitants som e
redre ss , as appears by the Pape rs published in th e Cullode n Colle ction .
The Castle of Cu lloden , long the chief building in the
parish,w as founded about 1 624 by Macintosh
,who
,about
1 625,sold th e e state to Mr. Forbes. Early in th e 17th
cen tury, th e Earl OfHuntly, Lord Lovat, and m any Of thenorthe rn chiefs re siding in Invern ess, that town b ecam e
the centre of m uch conviviality and gaie ty, w hich w assucce eded by a long pe riod Of m ilitary trouble s duringth e con te sts be tw e en th e Royal and Covenant parties, inthe re ign Of Charle s I. During th e early part Of Cromw e ll ’s governm en t, the pe rson w hom h e se nt to surveythe sea- ports Of Scotland ( 1 651 ) reports Invern ess as
possessing but little Shipping, and but one m erchant ofany con sequence .
In 1 652 Crom w e ll comm enced th e Citadel ofInvern ess,and it was finished in 5years. This w ork is said to havecost sterling. The oak cam e from England . The
Re ligious House s Of Kin loss and Inverness w e re dilapi
dated for th e m ason w ork,and Struy is said to have
re ce ived m erks for the fir tim ber. Upon the
ram parts the standard Of Cromw e ll w as e re cted,having
the w ord EMANUEL in large gold le tters . This w ork w asa sm all pentagon ,
w ith coun terscarp, covered w ay and
glac is, surrounded at full tide '
w ith water suffic ie nt tofloat a sm all barge . The breastw ork w as thre e storeyshigh , all Of hewn stone , and lined w ith brick in side . The
sally- port lay towards the town . The prin cipal gatewaywas to the north
,where w as a strong drawbridge Of oak
and a state ly structure over it, w ith this m otto, TOGAMTUENTUR ARMA— Arm s p reserve the Gow n .
From this bridge the Citade l was approached by a
VAULT IN THE TIMBER BRIDGE OF'
INVERNESS. 3 27
vault 70 fe e t long, w ith s eats on each ,side . In th e centreof the Fort stood a large square building, thre e storeyshigh . the low e r storey contained the granary and m agazine .
In.the highe st w as a church
,w e ll finished, w i thin .a
pavilion roof,surm ounted by a steeple w ith a clock and
four be lls. At the south - east stood a long building, fourstoreys high , called
“the English Building,
” because builtby English m asons
,and Opposite to it a Sim ilar one
e re cted by Scottish architects. The accomm odationsaltogether w ould lodge m en . SO abundan t w ere the.
provision s and supplie s Of the garrison that a Scots pintof clare t w as sold for a shilling, and cloth was bought as
cheap as in England. Upon the Re storation,Charle s II.
gratified the Highland Chiefs by having it dismantled, inw hich state it still show s its original dim ension s.In 1 664 the Tim ber Bridge Of Inverne ss suddenly fe ll,
and w as , in three years thereafte r, replaced by the pre sentstone bridge Of seven arche s
,a w ork, certain ly, Of great
m ag nificence for that pe riod . A narrow and dism al vaultbe tw e en the first and se cond arche s from the east end;lighted by a little grated w indow on the upper side Of
the bridge , w as long used as a prison, and latte rly as -a
place for confinem ent Of lunatics. It w as shut up in 1 800o n accoun t Of a m aniac having be en alm ost devoured
In 1 665the tow n sm en suffered m uch Oppression from ’
the Macdonalds, w hich w as repeated afte r the abdicationOf Jam e s II. in 1 68 9 . In 1 69 0 the last w olf known tohave be en seen at large in this kingdom w as killed abovethe House Of Kinmylies , about a m ile and a half fromInverne ss. Captain Frank, one Of Crom w e ll's Officers;probably in a lurking expedition
,after the Restoration
,
cam e to Inve rne ss ; he describes the Citade l as a verysupe rb w ork . The w alls w hich fortified the town
,he
says,w ere then tum bling into ruin ; and the soldie rs Of
General Dean had, during Crom w e ll’s tim e , drawn the
first galley from the river at Invern ess overland to theend Of Loch Ne ss, an exe rtion w orthy Of the e nergy Of
the soldie rs Of Crom w e ll. From this pe riod Invernessbe cam e the regular place Ofarm s in the north .
At the comm encem ent Of the Operations for the Royalsucce ssion in 1715, the tow n OfInverne ss w as first se izedfor the Jacobite interest by the exertions Of Al exander
:‘
i'
ELECTION OF T HE TWO FORTS GEORGE.
Duff of Drumm uir, w ho introduced his son - in - law,the
Laird OfMacintosh , into the tow n at the head of his clan ;and the Magistrate s be ing m uch unde r Drumm uir
’
s influ
ence , h e having been Mem ber Of Parliam ent and Provostfor Inverne ss, seem ed strongly on the Side Of the Stuartdynasty. The exertions OfCulloden and Kilravock, aidedby Lord Lovat
,how ever, w ere effectual l n re cove ring th is
im portant post for the King (Ge orge the First), thoughnot w ithout som e conte st and bloodshed. The C astle wassoon afterwards m uch augm ented and repaired, and
rece ived the nam e Of Fort George , w hich it re tain ed tillblown up after the Battle Of Culloden ; soon after w hicheven t the pre sen t fort Of that nam e was e re cted upon theprom ontory ofArdersie r, the Magistrate s having refusedthe ir con sen t to the e rection near Invern e ss, an act of
folly w hich indisputably deprived the tow n Of the m eans
Of beauty and riche s, w hich would have rendered it oneOf th e m ost e legant and im posing capitals in the kingdom .
Thus its tw o an cient Castle s are n o m ore , and its Citade l ,e rected by Cromw e ll, on ly faintly Show s its originaloutlin e s, w hile the ir pre sent succedan eum is too farrem oved to add to the appearance and im portance Of
Inverne ss.Captain Carle ton de scr ibe s it about 1 6 90 and Captain
Burt about 173 0- 8 . The latter state s that, at the Un ion ,
few house s in th e town w ere slated. The Castle w as
repaired and augm ented,be ing then ,
and long before thispe riod, situated upon the sm all hill c lose to the river ;and although his de scription Of the native s is by no
mean s calculated to please the pride Of the Invernessians,s till th e evident truth Of his narrative m ust disarm e venprejudice Of its ange r.
During the Rebe llion in 1745, the town Of Inverne sswas th e chief scen e Of the exertion s Of both partie s
,and
for som e tim e the re sidence Of Prin ce Charle s and theDuke OfCum berland, w ho both succe ssive ly occupied thesam e b ed in the house OfCathe rine Duff, Lady Drumm uir,in Church Stre e t. It w as alm ost th e on ly house in the
town in w hich there was a room w ithout a b ed. ThisOld lady used to say
“ that sh e had lodged twa kings’
bairns, but n ever w ish’d to lodge any m ore . The exer
tion s Of that great m an,Pre siden t Forbe s, and Lord
Lovat, w ere long the them e s of th e narrative s Of the
3 3 0 SILVER COINS FOUND NEAR GREY FRIARS’ HOUSE.
w hich the nam e of Bona ( its pre sent appe llation ) seem sto countenance
,as w e ll as the form Of the ditche s and
agger. It has,how eve r, m ore m odernly bee n one Of those
forts w hich form ed a line of defence from the Easte rn to
the We ste rn Seas ; and w ith Lochindorb Castle , Inverne ss
, Castle Spinitan , Castle Urquhart, and Inve rlo chtyCastle , th e comm un ication w as easy and straight. The
Cumm ins and the English, after the 1nvasion OfEdward I.
,
occupied the s trongholds.Of Druidical Circle s, there are seve ral in the parish .
About 20 years ago a double - linked silve r chain .(e achlink as thick as a m an
’s little finge r) w as dug up in th e
progre ss Ofm aking the Caledon ian Canal, near the Bught.It contained about 15double links, and this curiosity hasat last be en de cided to form part Of a dog couplecertain ly th e prope rty Of som e pe rsonage Royal, or l ittlebe low the rank OfRoyalty.
A gold trilate ral rod, 15 inche s long, and w ith hooksat each end
,has been found late ly upon the lands Of
Leys in plough ing som e n ew lands. This has , probably .
be en th e m ean s Of suspending a lam p, and if the value of
gold and silve r is considered in the Olden tim e s, the sean cie nt rem ains Of splendour m ust attest the rank
'
of the
persons re siding in Inve rne ss .About 3 years ago seve ral hundreds Of silve r coin s
w ere found in a jar near the site Of the ancie nt GreyFr iars’ House— they w ere Of the re igns Of Henry IIl .
,
Edward I. , and som e other kings nearly contem porary ,
and have probably been concealed at som e period of
sudden alarm,and through som e casualty have be en forgot .
A gold coin ofEdward III. has be en found n ear Dunainand 1 s n ow at Muirton . The arm s OfFrance and Englandare quarte red upon on e Side ; upon th e other is a Cross,w ith four Leopards ; in the angle s, Exaltat gloria crucem .
At the Bught (Killivean) m any bone s and - the stonehead Of a battle - axe w ere dug up about 40years ag o .
Although Boe thius speaks highly Of th e fruitful soiland w heat c rops n ear Inverne ss
,Mr. Burt give s the m ost
m iserable view Of th e state Of agricu lture l n his tim e,and
says a w heat fie ld w ould b e as great a rarityin the riorthas a Cat - a- Moun tain (or Mountain Cat) in Middle sex ,
At pre sent the crops are as plen tiful, and the season s as
early,In Invern e ss parish as anyw here north Of Tw eed ,
THE HOUSE OF CULLODEN AND ITS PROPRIETORS. 3 3 1
and as m uch so as a great part of England. Pe ache s ,nectarine s
,apricots
,and all w all - plants, ripe n in the
greate st perfe ction ,so that m any have rem arked those
fruits as superior to any no t ripened by m eans of hothouse s w hich they had seen in m ore southern clim ates— a
fact, probably, ow ing to th e great length Of the action Of
th e sun during th e long days Of summ er in th e n orth .
The Garden s OfCulloden ,Muirtown
,Dochfourne , Drakie s,
Bught, and m any othe rs, are rem arkable for fine and earlyfruit Of the fin e st kinds . In Short, from th e great libe rality Of Gove rnm en t
,and from the expenditure Of indi
viduals,this Northe rn Capital is on the eve Of em erging
w ith a consequence and grandeur hithe rto beyond thereach Of the m ost sanguine hopes.] (Se e Gran t
’
s EditionofShaw
’
s History ofMoray ; and Editor .)
On th e east side Of th e river,2 m ile s n orth
east Of th e town is Cul loden ,a good Old house
,
garden s . w e ll laid out,w ith m uch planting, which
m ake it an agre eable seat . This land be longed
to a gentlem an Of th e nam e Of Strachan, who
m arried th e daughter OfHugh Rose OfKilravo ck
that died anno 1548 . Of that m arriage there
w ere on ly tw o daughters portion ers,and th e
Laird Of . MacIntosh purchased from them and
the ir husbands th e rights Of that barony . Mac
Intosh built a part Of th e House OfCulloden,and
his succ e ssor sold th e barony about th e year
1626 to (1 ) Dun can Forbe s , son Of TOlquhon and
Provost Of Invern e ss, whose son (2) John Of
Culloden,purchased Fairento sh and Bu
s
nchrive
ann o 1 673 . His son (3 ) Duncan ,was father Of
(4) John ,who had no issue , and OfDuncan
,Lord
Pre sident Of th e Se ssion,wh o died th e 10th
De c em ber , 1 747. His son (5) John has left (6 )
3 3 2 DRAKIES ; INCHES ; ESSICH ; COULDUTHIL, ETC.
Arthur,n ow Of Culloden .
'
Of this fam ily is
Forbe s ofPitnacrief.
South - w e st is Easter Drakie s , th e property Of
Hugh Falc on e r,m e rchant in Inverne ss ; and
We ster Drakie s,pertain ing to th e e state which
be longed to Cuthbert Of Castlehill,'
b oth holding
of th e town Of Inverne ss . Next is th e barony Of
Castlehill . In th e re ign Of King David II.,
Susanna and Adda w ere sisters and he ire sse s Of
Castlehill,and a gentlem an of th e nam e Of
Cuthbert m arrying Susanna, be cam e thereby
Baron Of Castlehill (MS . Hist . of Kiln ) . From
that tim e th e Cuthberts have be en in posse ssion
Of the se lands
Further is th e barony Of Inche s , the first Of
which fam ily was a son OfRobertson Of Strowan ,
who m arried th e w idow of Cuthbert O f Castlehill
about 1548 , and his son be c am e Laird Of Inche s ,which w as a part Of th e barony Of Castlehill .
Arthur Robertson Of In che s now repre sents th e
fam ily .
The lands OfEssich are th e farthe st south, and
are a part OfMacIntOSh’
s e state . Be low Essich
towards th e river are Coulduthil, Kno cknagial,
and Torb re ak, all Castle lands . Torb re ak w as
th e property Of Captain William Baillie , and by
a judic ial sale in 1 758 , be cam e th e property Of
Doctor Jam e s Frazer, son Of Phopachie . And
o n th e Side Of th e river is Holm,this is th e fief
Of Alexander MacInto sh Of Holm,a branch
‘
Of
.DOCHGARACH DOCHFOURE ABERIACHAN.
part Of th e Castle lands Of Invern e ss. South Of
Dun ean is Dochgarach , th e property for som e
gen eration s Of a branch Of th e MacL e an s . Next
to which is Do chfoure , pertain ing to Baillie Of
Do chfoure , a bran ch Of th e fam ily Of Dun ean .
The very upper end Of th e parish is Ab eriachan ,
in th e fac e Of th e hill,at th e side Of Loch Ne ss .
This is a part of th e barony OfUrquhart , pertain
ing to Sir Jam e s .Grant . Of Grant,Ofwhom Ewan
Baillie,son ofDochfoure , holdeth it in m ortgage .
Follow ing th e c ourse Ofth e river, Inow c om e to
THE PAR ISH OF DURRI S,
From Dar,i.e .
“
water,be cause th e parish lieth
on th e side Of th e r1ver and th e Loch OfNe ss .
Before I proc e ed further, I shall shew th e
c ourse Of th e River Ne ss ; and if w e trace it to
its fountain ,w e Shall find th e springs Of it in th e
hills Of Kn oidart,and its c our se thus : to LOch
Que ich , 4 m ile s ; Loch Que ich , 7 ; to Loch‘Garie
,
9 ; Loch Garie , 5; to Loch Boich , 2 . All this
c ourse is from w e st to e ast,and Garie falleth into
th e m iddle OfLoch Boich,which is 4 m ile s long ;
so to th e end . Of Loch Boich,2 m ile s ; to Loch
Ne ss,4 ; length Of Loch Ne ss
,22 ; to Inverne ss ,
5 in all 60m ile s . The Course from Loch Boich
is from S.S.W . to from th e Moray Firth
at Invern e ss , to Fort William ,is on e c ontinued
valley Of 48 Sc ots m ile s,runn ing from N.N.E.
t o any bending, exc ept that it
SITUATION OF THE PARISH OF DURRIS. 3 3 5
turn eth one point towards the w e st,from Loch
L ochie to Fort William . It is called C lean - m or
na - halben,i.e . the great valley Of Sc otland . Loch
Ne ss lieth in this valley, and is in length about
2 3 English m ile s ; at the north end it is 3 m ile s
broad,and thence gradually tapereth , SO that at
th e south end it is n ot 2 m ile s broad . It has no
bending,n o hay, except a sm all on e at Urqu hart.
The high hill s on both Side s,are so variegate d
w ith hanging rocks,shady grove s Of w ood , m ur
m uring cascade s , and streams Ofw ater,and som e
plots Of corn land , that , to on e wh o sails th e
loch in th e summ er season ,they pre sent a m ost
charm ing landscape .
This parish extendeth about 6 m ile s from north
to south,and as m uch from east to w e st . Th e
Church stande th at th e north- e ast c orn er Of th e
loch,5m ile s south OfInvern e ss , 7 m ile s north Of
Bole sken,and 6 m il e s south - we st OfDaviot. Th e
low er and cham paign part of the parish c om pre
b endeth th e baron ie s Of Borlum and Durris .
Above Invern e ss , 8 m ile s on the river,is Borlum .
This was a part Of the e state Of th e Earl Of
Moray and after th e forfe iture OfEarl Archibald
Douglas,th e Laird Of Findlater Obtained this
barony and he ld it Of th e Crown ,and his son
was de sign ed Ogilvie Of Cardale . Findlater c on
veyed his right to Stewart Earl Of Moray,and
Earl Jam e s dispon ed “ Borlum cum Fortalicio,
w ith th e fishing on th e River Ne ss,the lands Of
3 3 6 BORLUM ; KINCHYLE ; IN THE PARISH OF DURRIS.
Coulard and Kinchyle , the Loch Of L ochindorb,
th e house s w ithin th e sam e,cum adjac entibus
sh e lingis , to Sir John Cam pbe ll Of Calder , 3 1 st
October , 1 606 (P en . Ca ld .) Borlum w as there
after given in feu to William MacIntosh OfBor
lum . Th e barony OfBorlum ,w as feued by Shaw
MacIntOSh ,late , Of Borlum ,
to his c ousin s Wil
liam and Angus MacIntoshe s , Bailie s Of Inver
n e ss,but rede em able by him in a c ertain term Of
ye ars . A t th e expiring of that term ,the barony
w as brought to a public sale , and w as purchased
by Sim on Fraser , m erchant In Gibraltar,son to
John Fraser (MacTavish) , late m erchant in In
vern e ss, wh o late ly sold th e lands to John Fraser ,Writer to th e Sign et
,his brother . Kinchyle
lying south Of Borlum,was
,in 1 685
,feue d to
William MacBean ,whose anc e stors had . th e
Duchus or posse ssion there of for m any genera~
tion s . Tradition be areth , that Bean -m or,son
Of Maolm uir MacGilonie,Of th e anc ient Clan
Chattan,cam e to this c ountry w ith Lady MacIn
tosh,he ire ss Of Clan Chattan
,soon after the
ye ar 1 29 1 , and was th e an c e stor and chief Of th e
MacBeans , n ow repre sente d by th e son Of Gilio se
MacBean ,who was killed in th e Battle of Cu]
loden ann o 1 746 .
Next thereto , and on th e loch , is th e barony Of
Durris . This w as a part Of th e e state Of Sir
Alexander Dunb ar\of We stfield,
“wh o disponed
Durris,half Of Holm
,Little Be llach eranich ,
3 3 8 STATE OF PROPERTY IN THE PARISH OF DURRIS.
DURRIS.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — This parish extends alongth e r iver and lake OfNe ss, from the borders Of the parishOf Invern e ss, about 20 m ile s
,to that Of Boleskin . Its
Gae lic nam e, dar - nish, aw kwardly expre sse s its situation ,
s ign ifying water of water - the river of or from the lake.
Its eastern Side borders w ith Daviot and Dunlighty, andits breadth is nearly 4 m ile s. It m ay in general b eregarded as a valley, betw een m oun tain s upon th e southand n orth . By this Situation , th e w inds are for the
greater part from the w e st or the east ; and in drysumm ers
,did n ot heavy dew s comm on ly fall during th e
n ight Of a warm day, th e corn and grass w ould b e quiteparched. The soil is generally light : in som e parts Of
the higher grounds it Is th e be st ; and In seasons fre e Of
frost or very frequent rain s, it is very productive . The
air is e steem ed salubrious . The lake Of Dandlechak, as
w e ll as that Of Lochne ss,is partly w ithin the bounds Of
this parish .
State of“Prop erty
— The parish is shared am ong 8
proprie tors. Mr. Fraser Tytler, advocate , has Balnain ,at
the valuation Of£880 6s. 8d. Al exander Fraser, Of De ll,Esq ,
has the valuation Of £90 1 08 . l od. Jam e s Fraser,OfGortuleg,
Esq ,Wr iter to the Signet, that of£59 1 8s. 1d.
Sim on Fraser, Of Farralin ,Esq,£59 l 6s. Sim on Fraser,
Esq ,OfColeman Stre e t, London , £53 3 68 . 8d. Th e valu
ation Of the Lovat e state in this parish is £3 9 2 9 s. 5d.
[ Eneas Mackintosh Of Mackin tosh,Esq ,
holds the valuation Of£90, and David Davidson ,
Of Cantray, Esq ,that
Of£73 15s., extending the total valuation Of the parish to£21 80 2S. 8d.
State Ecclesiastical— The Church and Man se are situated towards the m iddle Of the parish
,upon the end Of
the lake Of Ne ss,near w here it begin s to discharge the
r iver. The stipend rs £40 sterling, 24 bolls Of barley, and24 bolls Of oatm eal. The right of patronage appertainst o Lord Caw dor. The school is not flourishing : thesalary 18 £5 1 1 s ,
and the num ber Of scholars about 20.
The poor am ount to the num ber Of 60 : about £4 yearlyis contributed by th e people In the ir assem blie s for publicw orship ; to which there i s the farther provision Of the
interest Of£70, bequeathed by gentlem en Once landholders
THE FATHER OF OSSIAN ; THE CHAIR OF FINGAL. 3 3 9
Of the parish. The num ber Of th e people am ounts to1 3 65, Ofw hom a very sm all proportion are distinguishedas Dissenters.Miscellan eous Inform ation — The m em orial Of the
thraldom and incursion s Of the Dan e s is still preservedin this country
,as w e ll as on th e coas t OfMoray . About
3 m ile s inward from Loch Ne ss, the ve stige s Of a Fortre ss, know n by the appe llation Of Chastal clan ri- chitan
(the strong Castle Of the King Of th e Ocean ) , rem inds us,that Britann ia did n ot alw ays rule the w ave s, but thatth e kings Of Norway and Denm ark once assum ed thetitle Of the Masters Of the Sea ; and sugge sts the humbling speculation Of the rank w e should now hold am ongnation s
,w ere tim e s such as the se to re turn . Ye t these
w e re the tim e s w hen the heroe s Of Morven m oved inthe ir strength ; w hen the King Of Se lm a shone in the
brightest robe Of renow n . The ir tom bs still rise on the
heath : the ir fam e still re sts on th e stone s. Here foughtth e father OfOssian ; and here fe ll th e son Of th e Norw e
gian king. Many pile s Of stone m ark the dark dw ellingsOf th e Slain : one
,larger than the rest toge ther, rise s over
the ir youthful chief : his nam e , Ashe e , tran sferred to theadjoin ing hill, is still recogn ised in Drum ash ; and Sheirefiann (the chair of Fingal) is shown as the seat of thathero, when th e roar Ofbattle ceased along the heath, w henh e re tired from th e strife Of the fie ld.
About 9 m ile s from Dun - Ri - Chuan ,another Fortre ss,
Dundarade l, is recogn ized as One Of that chain Of strongholds
,which the state Of society then required, for tran s
m itting te legraphing Signals from the one Shore to theother along th e great vale , from th e Germ an Ocean at
Inverne ss to the Atlantic at Fort William .
The people now ,w ith very few exceptions, l ive in
peaceful industry. The de er and roe still bound over thede sert, and herd in the exten sive plan tations Of fir, in
w hich the low er part Of the parish is clothed. But oats,barley, and potatoe , are the principal productions Of thesoil : upon the last Of these , the poorer class in a greatm easure depend for the ir frugal subsiste nce ] (Survey ofthe Province ofMoray.)
3 40 SIGNIFICATION OF BOLESKIN.
BOLESKIN PARISH .
The parish Of Bole skin and Ab ertarf, which
lie th on the e ast side , and the south end Of th e
loch . Bole skin parish (Baloscian,i . e . ,
the town
over the Loch,for th e Church standeth on th e
face Of th e hill , over th e Loch Ne ss) is properlyStratherik
,or Strathfarigaeh, scattered in th e
valleys betw ixt Loch Ne ss and the hills'
tow ards
Baden och . Th e Church standeth n ear th e
Loch , 7 m ile s south Of Durris,and 12 north Of
Kilhuim an .
Here entering th e c ountry Of th e Frasers , I
Shall Speak Of
THE FAMILY OF LOVAT .
I shall n ot attem pt to assign th e origin,or to
determ ine the antiquity Of th e nam e Of Fraser .
Som e w ould fetch th e Frasers from Frie seland,
and it favours this conje ctur e that, in’
ancient
writings,they are called Frise le , in Irish F rise
lech,and not Fraser . Others bring them from
France as early as the re ign Of Charlem agne,
and derive th e nam e from th e French , F rasier , a
strawberry plant . But passing the se c onje cture s ,Im ay say w ith Buchanan ,
that in Scotland they
were right e arly, Gen s num erossim a, et de re
Scotica bene m erita .
The late Lord Lovat caused publish in Nisbet’
s
Heraldry, Vol . II.,an account Of his fam ily,
3 42 LORD SALTON, CHIEF OF THE CLAN LOVAT.
Rym er,William Bishop Of St Andrew s, and
Gilbert Sheriff Of Traquair (Reg. Kelso) w ere
brothers . Sim on Pater, son Of Bernard , is al
lowed to have be en Chief Of th e nam e , and had
two son s , viz . Sir Sim on and Sir Al exander (L ife
ofKing Robert Bruce) . Sir Sim on was put to
de ath , and his daughters w ere m arried as above
m ention ed . Sir Alexander then be cam e Chief,was m ade Lord Cham berlain anno 1 3 25, m arried
Mary Bruce , sister OfKing Robert, and w idow Of
Sir Ne il Cam pbe ll, and that King gave him th e
Thanedom Of Cow ie and other lands (Rotn l.
Rob .) Sir Al exander ’s son was Sir William Of
Cow ie and Dore s, whose son , Sir Alexander,m arried Janet, daughter Of William
,Earl Of
Ross , by whom he got th e lands, and took the
title OfPhilorth in Buchan . He died about 141 2 ,leaving tw o son s , Sir William and Alexander Of
Dore s Sir William Of Philorth died anno 1441 ,whose son Sir Al exander was, 14th April , 1461 ,served he ir to Sir Alexander Of Cowie , th e Laird
Of Lovat be ing :
one Of th e inque st . His line al
de scendant , Al exander Of Philorth, in 159 8 ,
m arried Margaret, daughter Of Ge orge Lord
Ab ernethie OfSaltoun , and the ir grandson , Alex
ander, upon th e death OfAl exander Lord Saltoun
in 1 669'
Without issue , served he ir to Lord Ge orge ,and in Parliam ent 1 670had th e honour and rank
of Saltoun c onfirm ed to him ; and, in m y Opin ion ,
Lord Saltoun is undoubted Chief Of the Clan.
INTERMARRIAGES OF THE FRASERS. 3 43
Gilbert Sheriff ofTraquair probably was ance s
tor Of th e fam ily OfLovat . His son , Sir Andrew ,
was father Of Sim on Fraser, wh o m arried the
daughter (or grand daughter) Of Sir John Bissetof Lovat . Th e three daughters, cO - he ire sse s Of
this gentlem an , w ere , according to the ir birth ,Mary Lady Lovat
, Cec ilia Lady Beaufort, and
Elizabeth Lady Kilravock. Mary th e e lde st was
m arried to Sir David Graham , second son Of Sir
David OfKincardine ; and Sir David Graham was
alive anno 129 4, and had a son ,Patrick Graham .
If,therefore , Mary Bisset was m arried to Sim on
Fraser, it m ust have be en som e tim e after the
1 29 4,and sh e m ust have been Of an advanced
age , for Mary Wood, daughter Of the younge st
sister Elizabeth , was m arried to Hugh Rose Of
Gedde s before that year 1294. Either, then ,
Sim on ’s w ife was Mary Bisset , w idow Of Sir
David Graham,and w e ll stricken in ye ars , or the
daughter Of Sir David be cam e he ire ss Of Lovat
upon the death Of her brother P atrick, withoutissue . Leaving this uncertain ,
th e first Of this
nam e I find de signed “ Of Lovat , is Hugh
Frisele , who doe s hom age to th e Bishop Of
Moray,ann o 1 3 67, for som e lands in th e Aird .
I shall now deduce the succe ssion ,according to
the MS . account Of the family.
In th e law - suit in 1 73 0, by th e late Lovat, for
Obtain ing the Pe erage , it was ackn ow ledged that
it doe s not certainly appear, by any writing or
3 44 GENEALOGY OF THE FRASERS OF LOVAT.
re cord , in what year th e dign ity Of a Lord was
c onferre d on that fam ily ; and that Lord Lovat
is m arke d in th e Rolls Of Parliam ent in 1540,
and nOt m ore early . But in th e additional case
Of Elizabeth Counte ss Of Sutherland in 1771 , I
find that the Retour 143 0 c alls him Hugh Fraser
de Lovat ; and in a Royal Charter in 1480, h e is
de sign ed “Hugo Fraser Dom inus de Lovat,”and
thus th e fam ily was ennobled betw ixt the years
143 0 and 1480,and th e third or fourth de scent
se em s to have be en th e first Lord .
(1 ) Sim on Frisele was father Of (2) Hugh, whom arrie d Margaret
,daughter and he ire ss OfWil
liam Fenton Of Beaufort,son Of Thom as Of
Donn ie,and by h er got
'
th e lands . He died
about 1420, le aving thre e son s — viz .,Hugh
,
Alexander, Of whom i s Feralin ,and Jam es an
cestor Of Craigrayand Glenernie . (3 ) Hugh II.
m arrie d Janet , daughter Of Thom as Dunbar Earl
Of Moray, and w ith h er got th e lands Of Aber
tarf. His son (4) Hugh III. m arried a daughter
Of Lord Glamm is , and was killed at Floudon
anno 151 3,le aving a son Thom as
,and a bastard
son , whO ,'having been som e tim e in Franc e , was
calle d Hutch eon Franchoch , Of whom is Fraser
Of Fob ir. (5) Thom as se em s to have be en these cond wh o was advanc ed to the Peerage ; h e
m arrie d Janet Gordon ,daughter Of SirAlexander
OfMidm ar, brotherto Huntley, and in his favour
Huntley renounced all right he had to Strath
3 46 GENEALOGY OF THE FRASERS OF LOVAT.
VI. by his Lady,a daughter Of We em ys, had
Hugh,and Thom as Of Beaufort . H e sold Aber
tarf to Glengary for 5000 m erks , and Muirtoun
to Thom as Sh evez for 2000 m erks ; h e died in
1 646 . (1 1 ) Hugh VII.,by a daughter of th e
Earl Of Leven,had (1 2) Hugh VIII.
, wh o sold
Kilm ile s to Fraser Of Kinarie s, Kingyle to Coul
bokie,Be lladrum to Hugh Fraser, and Buntaite
to Chisholm Of Com er ; and Sir Jam e s Of Brae
gave Dalcro ss as a portion w ith his daughter to
Maj or Batem an . Lord Hugh died about ann o
1 672, le aving, by the daughter Of MacKenzie Of
Tarbet,a son (1 3 ) Hugh IX.
-
wh o m arried Em ilia,
daughter Of John Marquis OfAthole, wh o brought
him thre e daughters— viz . Em ilia, m arried to
MacKenzie Of Prestonhall Ann e to th e Laird
OfMacL eOd,and again to P ourie ; and Catharine
to William Moray,son Of Achtertyre . By his
m arriage article s,this Lord provide d his e state
to he irs whatsoever . H e died in (14)Sim on III.
, son Of Thom as Of Beaufort, by
Sybilla,daughter Of MacLeOd, be ing out - lawed ,
lived in exile till th e year 1 714. H e then Oh
tain ed a rem ission ,n ext ye ar got th e life - rent
Escheat OfPrestonhall, and an annual pen sion Of
£3 00. In 1 73 0 the honours w ere adjudge d to
him by th e Court Of Se ssion h e was m ade Captain Of an independent H ighland regim ent paid
a sum Ofm oney to Pre stonhall’
s son for his right
to the e state but his behaviour, in 1 745 and
THE FAMILY OF FRUID IN TWEEDALE. 3 47
1 746,brought him to th e block, 9 th April , 1 747,
and his e state was forfe ited, and honour s extin
guished. By his first w ife , daughter ofLudowick
Grant Of Grant , h e left issue , Sim on now a
Colone l , Alexander, Jan et, m arried to MacPh er
son Of Clun ie , and Sybilla by his se cond w ife ,daughter Of Cam pbe ll Of Mam ore
,h e left a son
Archibald . Sim on ,the e lde st son ,
having be en ,
against his in c lination ,driven by his father into
the late Rebe llion ,soon Obtained a rem ission ;
and having served in th e m ilitary in Am erica and
Portugal,he was advanced to the degre e Of a
Maj or- General and by an Act Of P arliam ent in
1774, th e King granted to him the lands and e state
Ofhis father, upon c ertain term s and c ondition s .
Th e above m entioned MS . give s an account Of
a branch Of the Frasers, called the Fam ily Of
Fruid in Tw eedale , Ofwhich John Fraser, Bishop
Of Ross in 1485, was a son . In 149 2 Anne
Wallace , w idow Of Fruid, w ith h er 7 son s , c am e
into the north . Paul and Alm ond,th e 2 e lde st,
were c lergym en ; Of John,th e third son
,is
de scended Fraser Of Dunbalach ; Al exander, the
4th son,was ance stor Of PhOpaOhie ; Jam e s , th e
5th son , was an ce stor OfMr . Robert Fraser , advo
cate , and Mr Michae l Fraser, m inister OfDaviot ;Of Duncan ,
the 6th son ,is de scended Fraser Of
Daltulich , in the parish of Croy and OfRobert ,the 7th son , cam e the Frasers called Mac -Robie
Friselich .
3 48 ROLESKIN,THE ANCIENT SEAT OF THE GRANTS.
The Proper Arm s of Fraser are : Az. three Fraises Arg.
Motto,JE SUIS PREST [I am ready]. The Fam ily quartered
the Bissets Arm s —viz.,Gul. three Antique Crowns, Or. But
the late Lovat struck out these , and having com e peaceably tothe posse ssion Of the e state , added another Motto— viz. , SINESANGUINE VICTOR [A bloodless Victory].
I now return to the parish Of Bole skin .
Strath erick was th e an c ient seat Of th e Grants
before they cam e into Strathspey ; they left som e
ve stige s behind them to c onfirm this, for w e find
th e sam e nam e s Of c ountry se ats in Strath erick,as Gartm ore , Gartb eg, De llachaple , &c .
, which
they gave to th e place s where they settled in
Strathspey . Th e above m entioned MS . Of th e
Fam ily Of Lovat affirm s that,in th e 15th cen
tury,there w ere m any Grants and Keran s , or
Clanchiaran,living in Strath erick ; and that
Thom as, Lord Lovat, having m arried the
daughter Of Al exander Gordon Of ~ M idm ar,
brother to th e Earl Of Huntley, that Earl , in
149 3,renounced in Lovat ’ s favour all his
‘
right
to th e lands Of Strath erick. What right Hunt
ley had , or c laim ed , I know not ; but it is cer
tain that th e Frasers have posse ssed that c ountry
for m any generation s .
Th e Water OfFaragack, which giveth nam e to
the c ountry, runneth through the north Of the
parish,from e ast to we st , and falleth into th e
Loch tw o m ile s n orth Of the Church ; and the
Water Of Feachlin runne th through the m iddle
Of the parish, em ptying into th e Loch at Fob ir,
3 50 THE TOMB OF THE LOVATS.
half a m ile from th e hote l at Dunvegan ,alongside the
public road leading to Portre e . In the m iddle there is aruin Of an Old Catholic Church, used now as the fam ilyburying- place ofMacle od OfMacleod . We spent a greatdeal Of th e day reading inscription s on the tom b - ston e s.Our spe cial attention w as attracted to on e Of the se , w hichw e have n o doubt w il l intere st a good m any of yo .
reade rs . The edifice on w hich this inscription w as is in
the form Of a pyram id, w hich w as built ove r th e tom b Of
one Of the Lovats, and is situated imm ediate ly in front Ofth e chape l ruins . There w as a sm all table t on it facingto th e w e st
,but through
‘
the effe cts Of inclem ent w eatherOf age s this table t fe ll a num ber Of years ago , and brokein piece s, by w hich a part Of th e inscription is obliterated,but
,by putting the broken piece s toge ther, it reads thusThis Pyram id w as e re cted by Sim on ,
Lord Frase r Of
Lovat,in Honour Of Lord Thom as
,his father
,a Pe e r Of
Scotland, and Chief Of th e great and an cien t Clan Of the
Frasers. Be ing attacked for his birthright by the fam ilyOfAthole , then in pow er and favour w ith King William ,
yet , by th e valour and fide lity Of his clan , th e alliance Of
the Cam pb ell’
s,
’
the Old friends and allie s Of th e fam ily, hedefended his birthright w ith such greatn e ss and braveryOf soul, and such valour and activity, that he w as an
honour to his nam e and good pattern to all brave ChiefsOfClan s. He die d in the m on th OfMay,
1 69 9 , in th e 63
year Of his age , in Dunvegan Castle , house Of the LairdOfMacle od, w hose sister h e m arried
,and by whom he had
the above Sim on , Lord Of Lovat,and— (few w ords here
obliterated)— children , and for the great love h e bore tothe fam ily of Macle od, h e de sired to b e buried near hisw ife ’s re lative s, the place w here tw o Of her uncle s lay,and his son , Lord Sim on ,
to Show the posterity his greataffection for his m other ’s kindred, the brave Macleods,choose s rather to leave his father ’s bon e s w ith them thancarry them to his own burial—place near Lovat.
BOLESKIN.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — The island OfGreat Britainis interse cte d by plains, or
'
valleys, depre ssed alm ost tothe leve l Of the surrounding m ain
,in four different tracks
,
from th e one shore to the other.
'
Th e first m ay b e con
ceived along the Southern side Of the Cheviot hills, w here
DESCRIPTION OF THE PARISH OF BOLESKIN.
Scotland borders w ith England, from the Solway Frithto the influx Of th e Tyne . The second lies along the
great canal, from the Frith OfClyde to the e stuary Of the
Forth . The third, beginn ing also from th e shore Of the
Clyde , low er down at Dum barton,stre tches through the
broade st and m ost central parts Of the kingdom ,along
the southern base Of the Gram pian m ountain s to Ston ehaven on the eastern shore . The last is stretched fromthe Atlan tic at Fort William
,through ,
th e parishe s Of
Kilm anivack,Boleskin ,
and Durris,to the Murray Frith
at Invern e ss.Im agination m ay easily conce ive the Contin en t to have
once extended entire to the northe rn extrem ity Of the
Orkney Isle s ; and the Pen tland Frith to have be en on lya deep valley, Sim ilar to the se SO little raised above theleve l of the sea, or com posed Of such yie lding m aterialsas to have given way in som e storm to the Violence Of th e
w e ighty surge , im pe lled by all the pow er Of the w e sternw ind
,rushing on unche cked from the Am e rican Shore .
The headlands,stretching out to each other from the
Opposite side s Of th e Frith , se em to sugge st th e idea Of
som e violent disruption . Thus Duncan ’s Bay Head proj ects a r idgy bottom ,
so high as to form a ripple both bythe flow ing and ebbing tide , called the Boars ofDun can
’
s
Bay, Sim ilar to the sw e ll Of the sam e nam e at the m outhOf the river Indus . The Pentland Skerrie s still rem ain inthe sam e direction
,and are m et by the Low ther Rock,
covered only during th e tide , projected from the island OfSouth Rhonaldshay on th e other Side . In the sam e m anner
St . John ’s Head sends out a ridge , which form s thebreakers called the m erry m en of May, m e e ting a sw e llOff Cantic Head
,upon the Opposite shore Of the island Of
Walls ; w hile the lofty Cape OfDunne t frow n s again st itsrival the Beary (the Berub ium Of Ptolemy) , on the
w e stern end Of the sam e island . The probability Of sucha junction is not le ss than that Of Dover w ith the
Opposite coast OfFrance . If the extrem e rapidity Of the
tide,driving through the Pentland Frith, had ever be en
altoge ther stopped, as it is som etim e s partially checkedby the w ind
,there is no doubt but the sea m ust have
risen higher and flow ed farther in upon th e shores Of theMoray Frith than now .
The parish OfBoleskin, w ith the Lake OfNess upon its
3 52 ABERTARFF ; STRATHERRICK GENERAL WADE’
S HUT.
w e stern side , occupie s a se ction Of the last of the sevalleys that have been de scribed. Ab ertarff, a district Ofthis parish, lie s n early on a leve l w ith the lake upon itssouthern end, as has been already noted . The other district, nam ed Stratherick
,m ay b e con ce ived a valley
paralle l to the lake , about 3 00 fe e t above its leve l, andscre ened from its View by an interven ing rocky ridger ising still higher, and stretched the w hole length Of thelake . Th e side Of this ridge , w hich face s the lake , rise sto a great he ight, and w ith a steepne ss alm ost perpendicular, from the very edge Of the w ater
,and save 2 or 3
sm all plots, adm its not Of cultivation throughout itsw hole length Of 22 m ile s, from the Church Of Durris tothe c itade l of Fort Augustus. The road from Inverne ssto this fortre ss is cut out for m ore than 1 2 m ile s upon theside Of this rocky ste ep
,as far as th e Fall Of Foyers. It
has be en form ed by great labour, and at m uch expe nse ,under the conduct Of Gen eral Wade , who w as then quartered in a m pe Of the m oun tain , thence distingu ished bythe appe llation Of the Gen eral
’
s ha t, the pre sent station Of
the inn , about a m ile distant from the fall. This road isnot unpleasant riding, be ing hard, sm ooth , and leve l ; itis frequently imm ersed in w ood
,Of birch and haze l, but
in general it is Open enough to adm it a view Of the
waters Of the lake far be low , w aving the ir surface ingentle undulation towards t he prec ipitous shore , and thesumm its Of the lofty m oun tain s tow ering high upone ither Of its side s. Above the zone Of the w oods them ountain s are reared up in sterile nakedne ss
,the brow n
heath and grey rock but little diversified by a few smallstream s trickling dow n the ste ep . Som e tim e s the roadis out along, and som etim e s around the rocky side s Of thehill, form ing on the on e hand a black insurm ountablewall
, on the other an alarm ing prec ipice overhangingthe deep lake , that even the stum bling on ly Of the horseim pre sse s the idea of inevitable de struction . This routeis generally de scribed as pleasant and rom antic, yet theunvaried landscape , con sisting Of little be side s the longnarrow reach Of the lake be low and the sky above , w hilethe ste epne ss Of the m ountain adm its Of no deviationfrom the path , im pre sse s a
‘
. languor, after proceeding a
little way, w ith the idea Of dere liction and re straint ; forno habitation , no trace Of the w orks Ofm an are seen , save
3 54 LOCH NEss DURING THE EARTHQUAKE AT LISBON .
qualitie s. When drawn e ither from the lake or river, itfre eze s as quickly as any other water, even in the carriageto any part Of the tow n distan t from the river, it is som e
tim e s frozen by the w ay ; ye t during the m ost intensefrosts both the lake and rive r sm oke , a thick fog hangsove r them ,
m itigating the cold to som e distance upone ither Side , and linen s, stiffened by th e frost, are dippedin th e river to b e thaw ed. There is not th e least degre eOf curren t in any part Of the lake , and the river run sgently onwards to the Frith , n ever overflow ing its banks,in a chann e l w hose fall is scarce ly 10fee t. There cannotb e m uch difference , therefore , in the leve l be tw e en the
fre sh w ater and th e salt ; and w ithout regarding the
soundings by Mr. Scott and Capt. Orton, who did not
reach the bottom w ith 500fathom s,the depth Of the Lake
is probably greater than that Of the Frith . Both the sepropertie s m av he therefore probably derived from the
sam e cause s In general, which produce hot Springs, or
from som e unexplored conne ction w ith volcan ic fire . Thisidea is coun tenanced by the extraordinary m anner in
w hich the Lake was affected on the l st Of Novem ber,.1755, during the tim e Of the awful earthquake at Lisbon .
Raised above th e surface,n ear the indraught Of th e river,
t he w ater flow ed up th e Lake with vast im pe tuosity, anddrove up m ore than 200 yards against the rapid current:Of the r iver Eoich , breaking on its banks in a w ave about3 fe e t high . It thus con tinued, in alarming agitation , to
flow and ebb for m ore than an hour. About 1 1 O’c lock a
w ave , higher than any Of the re st,loaded w ith brushw ood,
d rove up the rive r, and overflow ed to the extent Of 3 0fe e t upon th e bank . A boat n ear the General ’s Hut wasthre e tim e s dashed on shore , and tw ice carried b ack ; therudder
‘
at the second tim e was broken,the boat filled
w ith water,the loading Of tim ber dashed out and left
upon the shore . Although this comm otion at the bottomOf th e Lake affe cted the fluid so pow erfully through all itsdepth
,it w as ye t unable to shake the Solid earth, through
a m ass but Of equal he ight on ly w ith the w ater, for nodegre e Ofagitation was in any place perceptible on land.
The vale Of Stratheric 1 s separated from Laggan and
Kingussie , on the banks Of the Spey, by a w ide and
de sert m ountain . It is w atered by tw o con side rablestream s— the Faragack from its northern , and the Feach ~
STRATHERRICK ; FARAGACK ; FALL OF FoYERs. 3 55
lin from its southe rn end. It m ight b e conce ived thatthis vale had be en itse lfa lake , til l its waters forced the irpassage dow n through the rocky m ound to Loughn e ss.
The Faragack has torn the m ountain sloping un iform lyfrom its summ it to the base ; the im pending rugged rockybanks Of the channe l bear te stim ony Of the violence Of
the disruption .
The Feachlin has be en opposed by m ore solid m aterials,
although its influx is only about 2 m ile s distant from th e
other. Winding for 10 or 1 2 m ile s from the extrem ityOf the glen ,
and in its progre ss colle cting m any stream sfrom the m ountain on th e south or east, and grow n in to ar iver Of no sm all consideration, its curren t turn ed towardsthe lake , forced its passage also through the intervenrngridge . Just entering w ithin its rocky jaw s
,it pours
perpendicularly from the cliffabout the he ight Of 3 0fee t,in a form re sem bling the un equal colum n s Of a great
cathedral organ ,into an abyss eve ry way environ ed by
uncouth and rugged m asse s Of sable rock, to the he ight Ofm ore than 60 fe et above its tum ultuous surface
,save the
breach through w hich its course is continued, w hich iscovered by a narrow stone bridge fully in the front Ofthis thundering torrent, boiling in the cavern w hichitse lf has hollow ed, in turbulent, foam ing, and cease lessebullition ,
as if som e vast subterranean fire glow ed inten se ly underneath this horrible cauldron . Its effect isgreatly he ightened by the dark red tinge w hich the riverfor the m ost part bears, from the peat soil Of the m ountain through w hich its several curren ts flow . Con siderably farther w ith in this sinuous chasm is the grandcataract, the ce lebrated Fall OfFoyers. A profile view Ofit m ay b e easily Obtained from the highway, w here a
w all Of substantial m asonry prevents the danger Of fallingover the verge Of the gulph ; but to gain a neare r View ,
and in the front, require s a guide aslant th e side Of theprofound ste ep, dow n to a grassy hillock, proj ected halfacross the chasm ,
w hich is readily by som e n e ighbouringcottagers supplied. The greatne ss Of the effect is evensom ewhat augm en te d by this perilous approach
, w hichcannot b e accom plished but by cl inging from space tospace to som e straggling tre e , or hang ing by som e bush
,
w hilst the foot; unse en , is groping for a hold underneath. The river at tim e s is descried at a vast distance
3 56 THE FALL OF FOYERS, BOLESKIN.
below ,increasing its tum ult as it advance s, struggling
am ong the m ultiform m asse s Of rock which em broil itsc ourse , and roaring against the Opposing cliffs w hichshoot rude ly from the side s Of its torn channe l ; m ean
w hile the hoarse roar Of the unseen cataract swe lls loudero n the ear, the hoary vapour is behe ld in turbulen te ddie s, and in rapid ascen t over the gulph, as the den sesm oke Of som e burst ing volcano.Gain ing at last the low e st ledge Of the rock, a pinnacle
de tached .from , but every w ay environed by the craggysteep, w hich from thence seem s unsurm ountable , thoughs carce ly low e r than the m iddle Of the fall, the attentionis overpow e red, and the aston ished View arre sted by thisaugust Obje ct !The r iver is behe ld edgew ays shot from a cleft, a resist
le ss rapid colum n,about a yard in thickn e ss, and
‘
20 fe etin he ight. Its breadth upon the upper side rem ain ingstill un seen ,
it dashe s w ith so m uch m om entum upon a
s lanting she lve Of the rock as to b e entire ly dive sted otthe appearance Of the e lem en t Of w ater in any Of its
form s,but forced into the sem blance Of furiously drifted
.snow . It hisse s down the slanting ste ep, broad spreadingas it drive s in to the unexplored profound at the dept-h Of
80 or 100 fe et be low the she lve by w hich the colum n is
first broken , w here , clashing n ot in un ion w ith de ep roarabove , it im perceptibly re sum e s its e lem en tal form , and
se em s feebly to sim m er Off from the bottom Of the rockthrough a pool that m ight b e imagined to b e Of .no un
c om m on depth ; even the red t inge Of m ountain soil,w hich w as w holly dispe lled as it drifted down the Ste ep,is also unexpectedly re stored.
The rem ain ing part Of its course is con tinued plac idlyfor a short space be tw e e n the w ooded cliffs ; it then m ee tsthe lake in a plain OfnO great exten t, form ed probably bythe alluvion Of its own current, as it is the on ly fie ldupon the easte rn border Of this long expanse , de coratedby the fam ily seat and garden s Of Mr. Fraser Of Foyers,an agre eable but se em ingly a solitary re sidence .
In the con tem plation Of a scene so sublim e ly august,w hich , day after day and year afte r year, continue s itsperenn ial turbulen ce and thunde r, w ithout re st or ce ssat ion
, the feeblen ess Of m an , and the short- abiding pow erof m ortal energy, are deeply im pre ssed upon the m ind ;
3 58 MEANING AND HISTORY or FORT AUGUSTUS.
conductor of the m usic em ployed in the public devotionsof the Church , and the poor, which m ake up a prettylong roll
,have a provision arising from the donation s
m ade in the re ligious congregations of the people , who ,e xcept a few of the Rom an Catholic comm un ion , are allm em bers of the Established Church
,am ofmting to the
num ber of 1402.
Miscellan eous Inform ation —The m iginal nam e of the
ground w here Fort Augustus stands w as KILLIE- CHUMIN,the burial-p lace of the Camm ys. The cause of thisappe llation is n ow w holly unknow n . It m ay b e con
j ectured that, sim ilar to I’
Colum bkill,the cem e te ry of the
m onarchs of several kingdom s, the consecrated ground ofthe Chape l of Ab ertarfi
’
m ight have been appropriatedby this ancient clan
,during the period in w hich they
num bered 14 titled chiefs, as the place of general interm ent.The Citade l
,rather in a b eautiful athan in a strong
situation , is seated on a narrow plain, com m anded by
pretty h igh grounds upon the south and north. It has
the great river Boich, pouring a de ep and rapid flood intoth e lake , upon the one side , and the gentle Tarfi
'
, glidingin a slender stream through the plain upon th e other .
Loughn ess w ashe s the ram parts on the third side ; theyare com posed of4s bastion s
,and they afford accomm oda
tion for a garrison of 400 or 500m en . It was‘ originally
built about the year 173 0, and re ce ived its pre sent nam e
in com plim ent to the fathe r of George III. Its des
truction by the rebels in 1746 has been inc identallym entioned above . It has contributed som ewhat to theim proved police of the country. Th e little sloop w hichride s under its walls adds greatly to th e scenery of sucha m ountainous landscape , and it e stablishe s the advan
tage s of th e navigation of the Lake ] (Survey of thePr ovin ce ofMoray
’
)
KILMANIVACK PAR ISH.
A sm all part only ofthis parish lieth w ithin the
P rovin ce ofMoray,viz .
,Glengary and Achadrom .
From Loch Ne ss,to Loch Eoich
,are 4 m ile s , a
part of Ab ertarf. Loch Boich is 4 m ile s long,
GLENGARY,PARISH or KILMANIVAIG. 3 59
from n orth to south,and 1 m ile broad : From
th e south end of Loch Eoich ,to th e north end
ofLoch L ochie (the utm ost boundary of Moray)i s 1 m ile
,c alled Achadrom ; a fertile little valley,
not above a half m ile broad , betw ixt chain s of
high hills . Here are Lagan -Achadrom ,Dunan ,
Kyleross, &c . The c ountry ofGlengary lieth on
th e w e st bank of'
L och Eoich , and stretcheth
into the hills w e stward, on both side s of Loch
Garie , 7 m ile s . It is a rough,unequal valley,
full ofbirch w ood,but warm and fertile . At the
m outh of th e River Garie,where it falleth into
Loch Boich , is Invergary, th e se at of Al exander
MacDonald ofGlengary . And,in this glen
,are
th e seats of several gentlem en,such as Lic ,
Lundie ,Ardnab e e , &c . Th e inhabitants ofAcha
drom are Kennedie s , c alled Clan Ulric , from on e
Ulric Kennedy, of whom they are said to have
de scended.
Glengary is planted by MacDonalds,a branch
,
itO
is said, of th e Clan Ronald , or MacDonalds of
M oidart . Lord MacDonald of Aros (de scended
ofMacDonald Earl ofRoss) , having die d in 1 680w ithout issue , the honours be cam e extinct
,and
his e state (by a m arriage c onn e ction) cam e to
Glengary ; by which m ean s th e fortun e of th e
fam ily lie s in Glengary, Ab ertarf, and Knoidart ,and is very c onsiderable .
3 60 PARISH or KILMANIVAIG .
MACDONALD or GLENGARY .
The MacDonalds derive them se lve s from Colla
Uais, King of Ire land , in Century IV . , and are
said to have com e to Sc otland in the re ign of
Malcolm Canm ore . They have spread into m any
branche s of which the fam ily of Glengary (descended of th e Clan Ronalds of Moidart) are as
follow s :
John,Lord of th e Isle s , had a son Ranald
,
who , by a daughter of MacDougal of Lorn ,had
two son s , viz .,Allan of Moidart , and Donald of
Glengary. (1 ) Don ald w as father of (2) Al ex
ander , father of (3 ) Alexander , who m arried
Margare t,he ire ss of MacDonald of Loch Alsh ,
and had Alexander and Angus,ance stor of Lord
MacDonald of Aros,and died about th e year
1515. (4) Alexander m arried a daughter ofMac
Kenzie of Kintail,and dying about 1550, w as
succ e eded by his son (5) Alexande r , who m arried
a daughter ofLachlan More of MacInto sh and
dying ann o 1 604, his son (6) ZEneas , m arried a
daughter of MacInto sh ,and had Alexander and
Angus of Scothouse ; and having be en kille d by
th e MacKenzie s, before his father’s death (7)
Al exander succ e eded his grandfather , . and by a
daughter of Lord Lovat,
. had Donald Gorm,and
Alexander ; and upon th e dem ise of Lord Mac
donald,anno 1 680 w ithout issue
,Alexander ob
tained his e state , and died about 1685. (8)
3 62 THE CASTLE or URQUHART.
th e loch , 12 m ile s s outh -w e st from Invern e ss .
Th e Castle or Fort stood on th e edge of th e Loch .
In th e valley is Corim onie , a fen- holding per
tain ing to a branch of th e Grants ; Shoglie , a
m ortgage of a Cade t of Corim onie Achm onie ,
th e heritage of a gentlem an of th e nam e of
MacKay, or rather MacDonald. All th e re st of
th e parish is the property of Sir Jam e s Grant of
Grant . Urquhart was probably a part of the
e state of Cum m ine Lord Badenoch , upon whose
forfe iture it was granted to Randolph Earl of
Moray . The MS . History of the F am ily ofSutherland be ars , that , in 1 3 59
,King David II.
gave the barony and Castle of Urquhart to Wil
liam,Earl of Sutherland
,and his he irs . If so
,
the grant was afterwards revoked . It is true,
Urquhart was exc epted out of th e grant to John
Dunbar,Earl ofMoray
,ann o 1 3 72 ; and upon th e
forfe itur e ofEarl Archibald Douglas , ann o 1455,Urquhart was ann exed to th e Crown . In a
de cre et arbitral,be tw ixt Dun can MacIntosh ,
Captain of Clan Chattan ,and Hutch e on Rose of
Kilravock, ann o 1479 , th e posse ssion and Duchus
ofUrquhart is adjudged to Kilravock (P en .Kiln ) ;and in 1482
,th e Earl of Huntley gave Kilravock
a discharge of th e rents of Urquhart and Glen
m oriston (P en . Kiln ) . What right Huntly had
to the se lands,Ikn ow n ot
,if it was n ot as factor
for th e Crown . I inclin e to think,that after the
death ofEarl John Randulph , in 1 3 46 , th e barony
URQUHART or GLENMORRISTON. 3 6 3
of Urquhart was the salary of the govern or of
that Fort,until it w as no longer garrisoned (Vide
Milit. Hist) . Be this as it will,
- th e Laird of
Grant purchased Urquhart and Glenm oriston ,in
the re ign of,
King Jam e s VI.
Glenm oriston is distant from Urquh art south
w ard 8 m ile s of hills . The River Moriston
riseth in th e hills of Glen sh eil,n ear Kintail ,
passeth through Loch Clun ie , watereth Glen
m oriston,and after a cour se of above 3 0 m ile s ,
em ptieth into Loch Ne ss , 4 m ile s be low Fort
Augustus . Th e inhabited Glen extends 8 m ile s
in length,from th e m outh of th e ~river
,but th e
breadth is incon siderable . Th e whole valley is
warm ,fertile
,and w e ll inhabited . It is a part of
th e barony ofUrquhart, and has be en the heritage
of Grant of Glenm oriston ,for above 200 ye ars ;
that fam ily has a good house at Inverm oriston,
on the bank ofLoch Ne ss . Urquh art and Glen
m oriston are separated from Kirkill and Kiltar
latie,by a ridge of hills .
URQUHART.
[Situation ,Soil, Clim ate — The course of this survey
has been hitherto conducted from the east, towards th ew e st ; but it is directed southw ard from the banks of theBeaulie
,along the w estern lim its of the Province , to the
source s of the Spey.
The parish ofUrquhart skirts along the southern lim itsof those of Inve rne ss, Kirkhill, and Kiltarlity, sw e epingalso in part by the eas tern boundary of those ofKilm orac ,
Kintail, and Glensheal, to w here the parish of Kilm anivack
,stre tched from the Atlantic Ocean,
conj oins w iththat of Boleskin
,bending round from the east, across the
3 CM THE MOUNTAIN OF MHALFOURVONNIE.
w e stern term ination ofLough Ne ss. The comm un icationfrom the tow n ofInvern e ss, on the eastern coast, to FortWill iam on the w e stern shore , opened along the length ofLough Ne ss, has led its course , in a ge neral view ,
to b e considered in the sam e direction : but although the term ination of the lake at Fort Augustus b e greatly to thew e stward of Inverne ss, it is also so m uch to the south ,that if the cardinal points of the com pass are on ly inregard, its course w ith m ore accuracy m ay b e con sideredas lying in the dire ction ofnorth and south . Accordinglyin Urquhart
,the whole eastern side of the parish is
de scribed as be ing w ashe d by the waters of the lake , byw hich it is separated from Bo leskin on th e other side .
By the lofty m ountain of Mhalfourvonnie,the parish
is divided in to tw o districts, Urquhart upon its northern ,
and Glenm oriston on its southern side ; and they m ayb e both conce ived as valleys stre tching n early paralle l,towards th e w e st
,from the m argin of the lake . That of
Urquhart,a little inward, divide s itse lf into tw o
,by
extending a branch southerly into the skirts ofMhalfourvonn ie . Each branch is w atered by its own blue stream
,
w hich,m e e ting in the ir course s, have open ed, as it w ere ,
the coun try to the breadth of several m ile s of plain ; andthey de l ive r the ir water into a b ay, expanded to a con
siderable length from the lake,and m ore than a m ile in
breadth , the only place where th e lake of Ne ss is not
bounded by rock upon e ither of its side s.The m ountain of Mhalfourvonnie rise s alm ost perpen
dicular,in one un iform face from the lake
,to the he ight
of 3 060 fe e t. On the other thre e side s, a rounded rockypeak hath shot up about a fifth part higher than the
gen eral e levation of the m ountain . From this it se em sto have derived its appe llation , sign ifying in the Gae lic, acold war t, or excr escen ce of a hill. Upon the w e sternSide
,at the bottom of the peak , is a sm all lake
,w hich
m ake s a.con spicuous figure am ong the fictions of all the
system s of geography, and w hich otherw ise in this placew ould have m e t w ith no regard . Its surface is equal toabout 4 acre s : it is supported by springs, and th e rain sw hich drift pre tty frequent around the Side s of the peak .
In dry w eather,th e evaporation is equal to the w ate r it
re ce ive s : in seasons of rain , it em its a small stream fromits southern end. It m ight b e inferred, from its be ing
3 66 THE FALL OF KILMORAC.
about the half of that length , and its breadth is nowherecon siderable : it open s at the distance Of 10 m ile s fromthe influx of the river of Urquhart. The road betw eenw inds over the declivitie s in the precipitous face of
Mhalfourvonnie , m uch encumbered by loose angular fragm ents of th e rock. The path too narrow for a carriage ,along the verge of the w oode d steep w hich overhangs thelake
,is carried over the stream of Altkenis upon an
ancient arch, nam ed Trochet- na - cre - kit- r enish, the bridgeof the w ooded rocks. Glenm oriston itse lf, sign ifying th egreat valley ofthe deep cascade , Open s on th e lake be tw e enthe fron ts of tw o lofty cliffs, reared up in gloomy grandeur : the one is called Craig- kinian ,
th e giant’s rock ; th e
other, a sable peak , proj ecting over the lake , is denom in .
ated Struan - m uich, the prom ontory .Of the boar. The
w ildne ss Of the se character istic appe llation s distinguishesthe se interior region s n o less than the striking appearan ce of the ir sublim e scenery. Th e road is continued toFort Augustus, across the river ofMoriston , by an e legantlight bridge of tw o arche s, m eeting on a great rock in th em iddle of the stream
,w ith a pre tty cascade in each of its
channe ls. A trim path w inds down the r iver,through
a grove upon the leve l bank,for about 3 00 pace s
,to
a n eat octagon building, overhanging the m argin j ustbefore th e great fall . Although the river has its originfar distant in Glensheal, form ing in its progre ss the longw inding lake ofClun ie , ye t the volum e Of water is not solarge as that w hich form s the Fall ofKilm orack but thehe ight from w hich it is precipitated is nearly the sam e .
The torrent, how ever , spreads to a greater breadth, andadvances w ith rapidity and increasing tum ult to thefarthest verge Of the gulph ; and broken by a rock in itsfall, it tosse s itself into spray and foam ,
and at tim e s, fromsom e Slight alteration perhaps in the pre ssure of the
atm osphere , as ifan im ated by som e internal im petus of thestream
,it bounds con siderably higher than its ordinary
repercussion ,w hich adds m uch to th e Vivacity of this
fasc inating Obj ect. Here , too, as at Kilm orac,and w ith
no better succe ss, the salm on attem pt to vault over th efall, and by a pole sim ilarly arm ed w ith hooks
,m any
w ith dexterity are occasionally caught, in the m om entaryflash of the ir ill - fated bound . Be low the cataract, th er iver sw e eps round in the sullen eddie s of a deep and
THE FALL OF DIVAH. 3 67
gloomy pool, seem ing to pause in the shadow of. the
dark surrounding cliffs and overhanging hills . Then on a
sudden it bursts away in a straight and narrow channe l,through w hich it Shoots in deepened and conden sedrapidity, rushing w ith a w hizzing din along the side sof the rock
,cut down by its own cease less violence ,
driving on re sistless,am id the echoe s of th e impending
cliffs and high tow ering hills.In both districts th e soil is light and w arm : in Urqu
hart,it is a fertile
,though not a deep loam ; in Glen
m oriston ,it is inferior, in gen eral sandy and light. The
arable grounds are pleasantly in terspersed w ith pasturage ,and she ltered by natural grove s, varied by m urm uringbrooks. In one ofthem is the distinguished Fall ofDivah ,
about 100 fe et Of perpendicular he ight : a w inding paththrough a w ooded bank leads easily to its bottom ; a
volum e OI water only is wanting for the com pletion Of itsgrandeur . The close she lter of the w oods, and th e w arm
reflection of th e sun from th e rocks,have ranked this
country am ong the earlier Highland districts : yet inautum n th e re turn Of rain is so unw e lcom e ly frequent, asse ldom to adm it of saving the corn in the Open air.
Fabrics,therefore , pe culiar for this purpose , are pre tty
generally ere cted : the roof betw e en ordinary gable s issupported upon tim ber posts
,and it proj ects alm ost a
yard over the sides, w hich are wattled w ith wands neatlytrimm ed ; the in side is fitted up w ith rails, in w hichpegs are fastened, upon each of which, like the m uske tsin an arm oury, a Single sheaf is separate ly hung, w herein a short tim e they becom e so dry,
in any w eather,as
to keep otherw ise safe,w hen the ir rem oval m ake s w ay
for the crop ofanother fie ld. Such dryhouses are comm onupon the w e stern coast. On sm aller farm s
,the w alls of
the barn s are built of angular stone , in such an Openm anner as to adm it
,or rather draw in
,the w ind , w hile
the rain trickle s down along the outside .
State of Prop erty — Jam es Grant,Esq ,
Advocate , th eauthor of Essays on the Gae lic tongue , and on th e
m anners Of the Ce lts— a subj ect w hich the distinguishedingenuity and abil itie s of the author have not been ableto m ake generally intere sting now— has his paternal seatat Corrym onie , sign ifying in the Gae lic St.Mona
’
s hollowor valley, transm itted through a line ofance stors reaching
3 68 DISTRICT OF GLENMORRISTON ; HOUSE OF FOYERS.
back to th e year 1509 , in th e re ign of Jam e s IV . It issituated in th e m ountains tow ards Killtarlity, and uponthe source s of the river of Urquhart. It is the farthe stc ultivated land in that district, the de sert stretchingbeyond unbroken alm ost to the w e stern shore . The
building, although not m odern , is plain , w ithout turre ts,o r any ornam ent ofarchitecture ; but it is em b ellished bygrove s, a garden ,
and in closed fie lds, and those bew itchingbeautie s of a m ountain ous and storm y region ,
so in explieably fascinating to the native s educated am ong them .
The valued rent of this ancient inheritance am ounts to£210 Scots .The w hole district of Glenm oriston is the property of
Maj or John Grant,and an inheritance coeval w ith that of
Corrym onie . The fam ily seat stands upon the side of
Loughness, at such a distance from th e cataract, as to b esoothed on ly by its gentle and un iform m urm ur. It is aplain but comm odious m an sion
,com m anding an extensive
and varied v iew of the lake ,w oods, and rocky m ountains ;but except th e House of Foyers, far distant on the otherside of the lake , it is not in sight ofany other dw e lling,and of th e little cultivated fie ld on ly in its own environ s.In its c lose vicin ity. there is a pre tty handsom e building,
e re cte d about the year 1 760 by the trustee s of the forfeited e state s
,to prom ote the industry of the Highland
lasse s,to in struct them in spinn ing fine yarn ,
and in som e
othe r dom estic arts, rendering the ir tim e m ore valuable ,and m aking th e youth of both sexe s be tter acquaintedw ith the advantage s of diligence and th e ble ssings of
industry ; in the know ledge ofw hich they m ight b e.stil l
im proved . This building, converted now to le ss intere sting purposes, is not the seat of any m anufacture , and
rem ains the m onum ent only of laudable de sign . The
valued ren t of Glenm oriston is £8 9 6 l os. Its princ ipalcrops are
,black oats, potatoe , bear a little rye , and w hite
oats,and cultivated grass, m ay b e also produced : it
supports about 500 m ilch cow s, and about 1 000 otherblack cattle : w ith a proportion of the se
,it spare s also
butter and che e se ; but the country was not able tosupply provision for its own inhabitants
,about 600 souls,
before the general cultivation of potatoe . Beside s theshe ep it can now spare , it also dispose s yearly of a con
siderab le num ber ofhorses.
3 70 EVANGELIZATION OF SOLITARY GLENS.
third Sunday. The stipend, by a decre e in 179 6, is £ 105,including th e allowance for the expense of the comm union . The glebe is about 6 acre s . Sir Jam e s Gran tholds the right of patronage . The parochial school is inthe vicin ity of th e Church, w ith the salary Of £14 sterl ing,
and th e other w hole em olum ents equal to £10 m ore ;it retains, at an average , about 50 scholars : reading English on ly
,w ith w riting and arithm e tic
,are taught.
In Highland districts, w idely separated from each othe rin the trackle ss w ilderness, the thousand pounds ofRoyalboun tyare distributedw ith the m ost parsim on ious economybut had it b e en originally adjusted, so as to m ake one
perm anen t e stablishm en t yearly, the w hole Highlandse re now w ould have alm ost been sufficie ntly appoin tedw ith regular clergym en
,each w ith a living of£50 ste rling
in th e year, and this annual expenditure saved at the
last . In the solitary glen s OfKiltarlity and Kilm orack,
the m issionary, as has be en noticed, toils laboriously inrotation through four separated congregation s. In Glenm oriston ,
w here th e m in ister of th e parish can on ly m akeoccasional visitations,th e public ordinance s ofth e Nationalre ligion are ce lebrated every third Sunday by the m is
sionary e stablished for that district, in conne ction w ithAb ertarfl
'
in th e parish OfBoleskin , and Glengary in thatofKilm anivack, w ith a salary of£3 5 yearly. The com
mittee for m anaging this bounty have also appointed a
catechist for the w hole parish , w ith an allowance of £1 2
yearly. The Socie ty for Christian Know ledge havee stablish ed a school in Glenm oriston
,and anothe r in the
interior, upon th e r iver of Urquhart ; the first w ith an
appoin tm ent of £15 yearly, and the other w ith on e of
£10,to w hich £4 is added to his spouse , as m istre ss for
the girls in sew ing. The statutory accomm odations of a
house , kitchen garden ,and the m ean s of supporting a cow ,
are furn ished in the districts. Both m asters teach the
reading of the Scripture s in th e Gae lic as w e ll as in theEnglish tongue : and both also
,as w e ll as th e cate chist
,
are m ost assiduous in w aiting on the pe ople m ost rem otefrom the situation s of public w orship ; instructing themo n th e Sundays in the principle s and dutie s of re ligion ,
in assisting the ir devotion s by praye r, and the ir Christiane dificati
’
on by reading th e Holy Scripture s. The Soc ie ty ,
w ith th e coun try, are taking m easure s for e stablishing
URQUHART FORMERLY RANSACKED BY CATERANS. 3 71
another school in th e track of country be tw e en the tw odistricts, about th e skirts ofMhalfourvonnie .
In Urquhart, the num ber of the poor on the roll is
about 3 0; w ith a capital of £100 bearing intere st, thecontr ibution s in th e assem blie s of public w orship m akethe fund equal to £15 yearly for the ir support ; fromw hich £2 4S. 6d. is allocated to the Clerk and Se ssionOflice r . The fund for the poor of Gle nm oriston , keptw holly apart from the other , is on ly about £3 ofChurchcontribu tions, and the intere st of £25, although the ir rollof poor exceeds that Of the other district.The num ber of the inhabitan ts in the w hole parish, by
an accurate enum eration obtained Since the PopulationTable w as printed
, am ounts to 2 3 55, exceeding the num berstated in that Table by 3 06 , and m aking the increase ofthe whole population of the province , since th e year1 755, equal to 53 7, instead of the 254 there stated. The
w hole inhabitants of both districts are of th e Nationalre ligion , except about 80 of the people of Glenm o riston ,
m any Of w hom,in the absen ce of the ir own Rom an
Catholic clergym an, attend th e m e e ting of the ir Pro
te stan t bre thren .
Miscellan eous Inform ation .— Before the year 1746 , the
par ish w as m uch distre sse d by th e depredation s of the irne ighbours in the w e stern Highlands, w ho plundere dthe ir cattle and other property. The advan tage s ofgoodgovernm en t having reached the m ost unc ivilised quartersof the i sland
,prope rty is now com plete ly secure . For
m ore than 3 0 years, all diffe rence s am ong the peoplehave been m ost satisfactorily adjusted by a gentlem an in
the country,in th e characte r of Baron of Bailie ; the
people ’s m oney is thereby saved,and even the spirit
itse lf of litigation die s gradually away. The people are
re ligious, industrious, and loyal. In the year 179 3 , 80m en ente red che e rfully in to the first fencible regim en t .At pre se nt there is on e com pany of volunte ers in Urqu
hart,Of 60 m en ; and on e in Glenm oriston ,
of 40. The
length of the road that has be en m ade,and is kept in
repair by the parish,is about 50 m ile s. The fund for
this obj e ct is a com m utation for the statute labour of 2s .
from each m ale above 15 years of age , and about £9asse ssed on the valued ren t, at 1d. sterling upon th e
pound Scots,am oun ting toge ther to about the sum of
3 72 AQRICULTURE IN URQUHART URQUHART CASTLE.
£60. The road from Inve rn e ss to the inn on the bank of
th e r ive r ofUrquhart, about 15m ile s, was a gran d undertaking : for a great way through the rocks Of Ab rie chan
,
it required_
in m any place s the blast of gunpow de r ;be side s th e perseve rance of the pe ople
,the coun ty aid
,
and l iberal subscription s from th e proprie tors and gen tlem en of the parish w e re be stow ed . The m ode s of agriculture am ong the gentlem en are the sam e as in the low
country. Sir Jam e s Grant has e ncouraged the im provem ent of his e state by donation s of grass se eds to thesm aller tenan ts ; and he has built a lint m ill, and give ssim ilar donations ,of lint se ed ; and the appearance of the
people is m uch im proved,by be ing dre ssed in lin en of
the ir own raising and m anufacture .
The re is plenty . of lim e stone on Sir Jam e s Gran t’se state
,and he encourage s its application as a m anure by
th e fre e use of th e quarry ; and by quarrying the ston e at
his o wn expense,and calcin ing it also for the poorer
tenan ts,for cultivating ground in the waste
,at the rate
o fabout 3 00bushe ls to the acre,and from the expense of
fue l, the expen se of each bushel i s e stim ated at 4d. , m orethan 100 acre s of w aste have of late be en gain ed ; andthe rents have be e n increased alm ost thre efold in the
course Of the last 3 0 years : ye t the situation and com fortsof th e people have be en also in th e sam e tim e gre atlyam e liorated . Th e price of provision s is regulated by them arke t of Inve rn e ss . Unm arr ied farm servants haveraised the ir w age s to about £6 sterling in the year ; andw om en se rvants to half that sum ; a day laboure r , w ithoutvictuals
, gets 1 s .The Castle of Urquhart has be en already de scribed .
It m ay b e infe rred,from its be ing an obje ct of so
m uch im portan ce in the regard of Edward , th e m onarchof England, that w e are no t w e ll inform ed of the
state and circum stan ce s of socie ty in ancien t tim e s. Its
w alls are still decorated w ith a con siderable quan tityof cut fre e stone Of a coarse texture and hardy quality :
but the conj ecture is hope le ss about w he re it w as found ,and by what m eans it w as transported ; w hen it is conside red
,that a gentlem an n ow found it m ost conven ient
to im po rt' th e cut ston e for his house from the quarrie s on
the coast ofDuffus .] (Survey of the Pr ovin ce ofMoray.)
3 74 SITUATION OF THE PARISH OF KIRKHILL .
a.
rich and fertile soil . South of the Church is
Achnagairn ,th e heritage of Duncan Frase r
,
Doctor ofMedic in e,de scended ofFraser OfBe lla
drum .
’
At th e foot of th e hills eastward , is th e
barony of Re lick,where Jam e s Fraser,
'
late ly‘
of
Re lick built a n eat and c onven ient house at
Easte r Moniack. And Close by it is the tow er of
We ster Moniack,once th e se at of Fraser of
Strichen ,and th e land c ontinued to b e the pro
perty of that fam ily , until it was late ly sold to
the last Lord Lovat . Th e whole of this parish
is a rich soil, fertile in c orn and pasture ground .
KIRKHILL.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate - This parish extends about5m ile s from that ofInve rne ss along the Firth to its head,and n early 3 m ile s farthe r upon the bank of the river .
Beaulie , to th e lim its of the parish ofKilltarlity.
The plain or low coun try OfMoray has be en de scribedas spread out along the shore , but contracting its breadth ,as doe s also th e firth
,as they stretch towards the w e st.
This great plain . term inate s upon the eastern confine s ofthis parish, w hich m ay b e conce ived as an acclivityr ising gently from the edge of the water to the breadthofn early a m ile . We stward Of this
, th e Firth contracts soas to leave a plain along th e bottom Ofa hill
,w h ich m ay
b e still regarded as one of those low r idge s w hich it hasbeen said diversify th e cham paign of Moray for behindthis b ill there is a vale , as if the river Beaulie had onceoccupied its southern , as it doe s now its northern side ,m ixe d w ith the tide : by the se tw o plain s and the intervening hill , the breadth of th e parish in its w e sternquarter is expanded to the breadth of 3 m ile s.The soil in the low er part of the parish is a strong rich
clay, producing, w hen properly cultivated,equal to any
in Scotland but w ith im proper treatm ent, liable in a dryseason , to bind so fast as to stin t the crop, and in a rainy
THE PARISHES OF FARMEA AND WARDLAW. 3 75
spring to chill th e se ed w ith Cold : as the country rise s,the soil becom e s a fertile loam ,
yie lding, though at tim e sa lighter, ye t a le ss pre carious crop ; higher still in thecountry
,th e soil becom e s lighter, incum bent on grave l,
but in favourable season s m oderate ly productive .
The climate is tem perate and m ild, le ss exposed to rainthan the countrie s on th e south and w e st : and the harve stis generally concluded by the m iddle or end ofOctober.
State of Prop erty— The valued ren t of the parish,shared am ong five proprie tors , extends to the sum of
£2068 17s .
,of w hich the e state of Lovat com prises
£109 3 l 0s. 4d. Re clig, th e property of Edward Sim onFraser, extends to £170. New tow n
,the e state of Maj or
Thom as Frase r,extends to £3 84. Lentron
,the fre ehold
Of Thom as Warrand,Esq ,
to £288 . And Ar thur Forbe sof Culloden , Esq , has a valuation of £1 3 3 6s . 8d . The
e xtent of the farm s are from £10 to £15of ren t ; aboutthe number of e ight rise to the extent of from £3 0 to£60 ; and several artizans and labourers posse ss sm allfarm s
,from 58 . to £5. The mean rent of the acre m ay
b e stated at 178 . 6d. exclusive of som e lands, le t about 3 0years ago , that as ye t have no t risen above l os . th e acre :the real rent is about £2000 ste rling. The num ber of
horse s about 400, the black cattle about 800, and the
she ep about 1000, ofw hich 200 are ofthe Bakew e ll bre ed .
StateEcclesiastical — The parishe s ofFarm ea andWardlaw w e re un ited in 1 61 8 . In th e original parish ofWardlaw
,at presen t the we stern district
,the Church at firs t
w as placed at Dunballach ,n early 2 m ile s up the river .
By th e Pope ’s Bull,it w as translated to its presen t station
as early as 1 220. The re i s one of the highest summ its ofthe ridge of hill upon the coast of Duffus
,called alsO
the Wardlaw ,still bearing te stim ony by the ir nam e s to
that m i serable governm en t under w hich our ancestors fo rm any generation s found it n e cessary to ke ep w ard
,or a
w atch upon the m ost com m anding em inence of everydistrict
,to guard against th e sudden inroad of som e
plunde ring band , or the invasion of som e m ore form idablefoe . On m ore than one accoun t, therefore , this b ill w as
found to b e the m ost e ligible situation for the ParishChurch . The nam e Of th e other constituen t parish
, de
notes,in th e Gae l ic , t hat it was distinguished by grove s
ofalle r tree s, w ith which it is still to som e consideration
3 76 STATE OF RELIGION IN THE PARISH OF KIRKHILL.
em be llished..Th e Gae lic nam e of the pre sent parish is
Cn ock m hurie, Mary’s h ill ; having been a parsonag eunde r the Rom an Catholic dispen sation , dedicate d to theBle ssed Virgin Mary. In the n eighbourhood it is dignified by the nam e of the h 111
”
; but In English it Is le ssem inen tly particularised by the appe llation of Kirkhill.The stipend
,in cluding the allowance for the Com m un ion ,
am oun ts to £52 1 4s. 2d. and 40 bolls ofbear,and 40 bolls
of oatm eal, w ith a glebe ofabout 7 acre s. The right ofpatronage appertain s to the fam ily ofLovat . The salaryof the parochial school is £1 1 28 . 2d., w ith the fee s fromabout 60 scholars, and th e custom ary em olum e nts of the
ofl'ice of Se ssion Clerk. The Soc ie ty for Christian Knowledge have also e stablished a school, w ith a salary of £1 2
sterling, w hich re tain s about 70 scholars.Th e num ber of poor am ounts to 50. Th e provision for
them , m ade by th e pe ople in the ir assem blie s for publicw orship , the hire of the pall , and the interest Ofa capitalof£50
,am ounts in w hole to about £14 in the year. The
people altoge the r, excepting six Rom an Catholics, are
m em bers of th e National Church , and they am ount tothe num be r of 1 1 9 0.
Miscellan eous Inform ation .— In the course of the last
50years, greater progre ss has been m ade in the civilisa
tion of the people than for m any centurie s during the
subsidence of th e feudal e stablishm ent. While that system continued, eve ry chieftain acted as an independentde spot
, comm itting depredations on the te rritory of hisn e ighbours, as an im osity prom pted
,or as avarice sug
ge sted ; by the se m eans the people upon con tiguouse state s w ere heated by m utual hatred and con stan t jealousy . Wh ile th e fruits Of labour w ere pre carious
, the
incitem en ts to industry had n o energy : w hile m oralscould ne ithe r procure the good w ill of the chief
,nor
ward Off the law le ss depredation of a n e ighbour, theycould w in no regard. The ordinance s of Ie ligion ,
in
the prim itive tim e s of Pre sbytery,w ere n o doubt w i th
the greate st punctuality, and som e attention to proprie ty ,
dispen sed : but re ligion w as regarded he re as beneaththe notice of a race ofwarriors
,and as in consisten t w ith
gallantry and valour ; sentim ents easily im pre ssed uponpeople w ho could no t read
,and w ho
,through the ir
ignoran ce and credulity,w ere th e abj e ct slave s of the ir
3 78 DOWNIE ; BELLADRUM ; STRATHGLASS.
tarlatie , and Urquhart, and Glenm oriston ,
to
th e east .
Th e Church standeth on th e bank of th e river,a m ile
‘
above the low er end of th e parish , near 3
m ile s S.S.W. of K irkhill , 6 m ile s n orth - w e st of
Urquhart,and about a furlong E.N.E. ofK e lm o
rack Church,that stande th on th e opposite bank .
A half m ile be low th e Church is Downie or'
Be aufort,th e se at Of th e late Lord Lovat
,plea
santly situated on a rising ground n ear th e river,and c omm anding a de lightful view
,but n ot im
proved by art,as it is capable . This was a part
of the e state of Sir John Bisset ofLovat,whose
se c ond daughter m arrie d Sir William Fenton,
and brought him this barony Of Be aufort or
Down ie,and the ir granddaughter he ire ss ofBeau
fort m arried Hugh Fraser . A m ile e ast of
Down ie,i s Be lladrum
,th e se at of a gentlem an
of the nam e of Fraser,de sc ended of Fraser Of
'
Coulb okie ; and of Be lladrum,are Com e th e
Frasers of Auchnagairn ,Fingask
,&C . At th e
c onfluen c e of th e rivers above m ention ed,is th e
se at Of Fraser of Strawie , of whom Fraser of
Eskdale,&c .
,is
“
de scended . Th e re st of this
parish is plante d by the Clan of Fraser,except
Strathglass , that is inhabited by th e Chisholm s .
Strathglass is a valley watere d by th e river
Glas or Glassater,into which an other river, flow
ing out of Loch Assarig, falleth at Com er,th e
seat of Roderick Chisholm of Com er' or Strath
CHISHOLM THE MALE HEIR OF STRATHGLASS.
glass, chief of that nam e . I have not learn ed
upon what occasion th e Chisholm s sold the ir
lands in Teviotdale , and m ade a purchase in th e
north,if it w as not upon be ing m ade c on stable s
of th e Castle of Urquhart . Sir Robert Laude r
w as governor of that c astle ann o 1 3 3 4 (Aber
crom bie) . His daughter and he ire ss was m arried
to Sir Robert Chisholm ,also govern or Of th e said
Castle (Hist. Kiln ) , and by h er got th e lands of
Quarre lw ood, Kinsterie , Brightm onie , &C .,and
the ir daughte r m arried Hugh Rose ofKilravo ck
(Ibid) . John Chisholm of Quarre lw ood suc
c e eded his brother Sir Robert , and was father of
Robert Chisholm, whose daughter, and on ly
Child,More lla, m arried Alexande r Sutherland of
Duffus,and brought into that fam ily th e lands of
Quarre lw ood, Brightm onie,Kinstarie
,&c .
,and
th e he ir m ale of Chisholm enjoye th th e paternal
e state of Strathglass . Th e frequent Change s of
the proprietors of land verify Horace ’ s obse rva
tion . [Satin II. Lib . II. Lin . 129 ]
Nam propriae Telluris H erum Natura, neque illum ,
Ne c m e , nec quemquam statuit.
Nunc ager Umbrenisub nom ine , nuper OfelliDictus, crit nulli proprius ; sed cedet in usumNunc m ihi, nunc alii.
Sm art’s Translation — For Nature has appointed to b e p er
petual lord ofthis earthly property, ne ither him , nor m e , nor anyone . Now thisfield goe s under the denom ination ofUm b renus’,lately it was Ofellus’, and shall b e the absolute property of noman ; for it w ill turn to my use one while , and by and by to
that ofanother. (EU .)
3 80 SITUATION AND BOUNDARIES OF KILTARLITY.
KILTARLITY.
[Situation , Soil, Clim ate — The parishe s which havebe en hitherto de scribed upon the borders of the Provinceare bounded by the shore of the Moray Firth
,here
te rm inated in the r iver ; w hich, as hath be en sugge stedbefore , m ay have originally form ed, and, sim ilar to ther ivers Clyde
,Forth
,and Tay,
im parted at th e first itso wn nam e to this great e stuary ; and w hich the sillyFrench epithe t
,Beaulieu ,
fine place , im posed by th e
m onks both on th e m onastery and r iver,has no t be en
able to obliterate . The r iver still re tains th e nam e of
Varrar, w hich it bore in the days of Ptolem y : and theFirth of Varrar
,is the denom ination , w ithout exception ,
adopted by eve ry author who has had occasion to m en tion .
it in th e Latin tongue . Its e tym ology m ay b e ascertainedfrom w hat has be en sugge sted re lating to the im port ofthe nam e Garm aeh
,now Garm outh .
From Kirkhill upon th e east,the parish of Kiltarlity
e xtends along th e southern side of th e river Varrar up tothe influx of the Glass ; upon the southern side of w hichit i s then continued w e stward to th e m ountain s borderingo n Kintail
,be ing in part intersecte d by the Cann ich, in
its course from the lake of Asarig to its influx in the
Glass ; but th e e state ofErchless, a part of the fortune of
th e fam ily of Chisholm , although upon the north side of
the river, a little be low the junction of the Glass, and
a lm ost intersecting the parish Of Kilm orac in th e synodo f Ross
,appe rtain s to th e parish of Kiltarlity. Towards
the south , the parish Spreads w ide , and rise s high , uponthe m ountain s w hich border w ith Urquhart. In t hisquarter it is intersected by four brooks from th e southw e st and w e st
,be tw e en as m any broad m oory ridge s,
w hich gradually ascend for n early 2 m ile s, having som e
c ultivated lands alm ost at the ir summ its, and though nowbarren
,and cove red on ly by stinted heath , yet bear ing
the token s of an cien t cultivation over their w hole exten t,when the low grounds w e re m arsh or fore st, the haun t ofnoxious reptile s and rave nous beasts. The low er part ofthe parish is pre tty leve l. The soil in general is lightand thin ,
but in m any place s de ep and fe rtile : it bears aconsiderable num ber offruit tre e s, reckoned as productiveas any in th e n orth . Th e clim ate is healthful ; and
3 82 BEAUFORT ; THE FALL OF KILMORAC.
is again floated in rafts to the firth, and thence tran sported to Le ith and London . The tim ber m ake s a ye llowd eal , and the m ost durable in Scotland. The vale Of
Strathglass extends backw ards beyond th e bounds of theprovince , into the parish OfKintail : but the valued rento f the Chisholm domains in the parish '
of Kiltarlityam oun ts to £69 7 10s .
Farther down the r iver is Beaufort, the fam ily seat ofLovat
,the Hon . Archibald Frase r. Its nam e denote s that
it w as originally a Fortre ss. On the n orth it w as se curedby a steep gre en bank, rising about 100fe e t from the edge ofth e r ive r : on the land side , it w as guarded by two ditche s,the neare st about 40, and the other about 3 00 yards fromth e w alls .
'
Although th e trace s of fortification m ay b e
s till explored , th e pre sent edifice is a m odern e legan tpalace , em be llished by ornam ented grounds, shrubbery,e xtensive plan tation ,
and natural grove s. The garden ,
alm ost itse lf a farm , is inclosed by a w all 1 8 fee t inhe ight, lined w ith brick, extended in various flexuresupw ards of 800 yards, Open ing right upon the sun fromhour to hour, through the w hole course Of his diurnalrotation , and generally producing great quantitie s of thefine st fruitage . It is w ate red
,by a c lear, copious stream ,
and e nriched by a spacious hot - house , both ofwhich couldb e easily re stored to the ir pristine efficiency and trim .
In the environ s of this sple ndid m ansion,i s the grand
Fall Of Kilm orac . The torrents of m any hills,and the
stream s from m any lake s,un ited at last into th e Varrar
,
som e tim e s in the Gae lic calle d the m onks’
river , and the
Beauly,in the vicin ity Of the m onaste ry, roll on a m aj e stic
volum e,little infe rior to th e Spey
,and rivalling th e
Clyde or De e . It approache s this pre cipice,about 20 fe e t
in he ight, as if un suspicious of th e Fall. Colle cted there,
and hovering, doubtful, as it w e re,for a m om en t over
the gulph ,as ifforced re luctant by the uncon sc ious r ive r
behind , it is poured dow n w ithout re sistan ce , in one
unbroken ponderous m ass, w ith a sullen heavy plungeand an unvaried hollow roar . Rising again through thepre ssure of the de ep w ater, w ith m uch le ss ebullition o r
violen ce than m ight b e pre - supposed, it sluggishly ocenpie s the bottom of a pre cipitous chasm
,at such a depth
b e low as to excite apprehension and dizzine ss on lookingdow n into th e shadowy abyss. The northern brow of
LORD LOVAT’S SALMON - KETTLE ; BELLADRUM. 3 8 3
t he c liff is decorated by a little handsom e Tow er, built byth e m in ister upon th e environ s of the glebe ofKilm orac ,from w hence this great Obje ct m ay b e view ed in th e m ostc om fortable c ircum stance s
,and to the greate st advantage .
Having slow ly w on its passage through the rifted rock,the rive r w inds in sile nce through the w ooded dale
,to
m ee t the tide advancing be tw een the contracted shore s ofthe term inating Firth .
Hundreds of salm on at tim e s are se en below ,attem pting
to spring up the Fall, and they bound, w hen in full vigour,to an am azing he ight. Uncon scious of the unsurm ount
a ble ste ep, they repeat the ir unavailing efforts ; w hilem any sw erve so far to e ither hand, as to fall back upon a
ledge of rock alm ost leve l w ith th e w ater upon both itsside s. Branche s of tree s have be en arranged along thee dge s of the se she lves, to prevent th e fish from regain ingthe river : and by these sim ple m ean s e ight or tw e lvehave been got in the c ourse of a n ight. He re also thelate Lord Lovat had a ke ttle place d ove r a fire
,into w hich
s om e of the fish unfortunate ly plunged ; and,boiled in
this m anner, w e re served up to dinner,w ith the m arve l
lous re comm endation to strange rs that the fish had
spon taneously vaulted from th e river into the boilingke ttle to b e dre ssed : w hich w as afterw ards explainedby ocular inspe ction at the place . At the se tim e s , thesalm on are frequen tly caught by a pole arm ed w ith thre ehooks joined back to back ,
dipped softly for on ly halfam inute in the pool under the fall, and w ith a sudden j erkpulled back, generally hooks a fish by som e part Of thebody. Th e valued rent of the e state in this parish is£1090 6s . 8d.
Eastward from Beaufort, under the m oun tain towardsUrquhart, is Be lladrum ,
the fam ily seat of Colone l Jam e sFraser ; a handsom e m odern house : the surrounding fie ldsbrought into the highe st and m ost ornam ental cultivation .
The plantation s w ere begun about the year 1760. Be side sth e decoration s and fruit tre e s about the house
,and a
great exten t of com m on fir , they con sist of oak,ash
,e lm
,
bee ch, and plane , various kinds ofpoplars, m ountain ash,
and service tre e , be side s larix, New England pine , spruceand silve r fir. Th e valued rent extends to £100 Scots.The parish is farther em bellished by the fam ily m an
sion s of othe r proprie tors . Th e valued ren t ofKilb ockie ,
D
3 84 THE PRIORY OF BEAULY.
appertain ing to William Fraser, Esq ,am ounts to £3 79 5s .
Baladoun,the prope rty of Captain Jam e s Fraser, Esq ,
is£67. That ofEskadale , to Captain Hugh Fraser, Esq ,
is
£9 6 1 3 s . 4d. And Kellachy, to Fraser, is £25. The
real rent of the parish am ounts to about £2000 sterling .
Th e rent ofthe arable acre var ie s from 5S. to £1 . The landis cultivated by n early 200 ploughs. The num ber ofblackcattle is e stim ated at 3 000, horse s about 720, sheep, 5200,and goats, 420 : about 200 of the She ep are an Englishbre ed
,and highly im proved.
State Ecclesiastical — This parish is com posed of the
an cient Parsonage of Kiltarlity,dedicated to Saint
Thalargus, and anothe r parish, Glenconven t, in the
southern quarte r Of th e district, a Vicarage w hich appertain ed to th e Priory of Beaulie ; and that they m ightdraw th e m ore tithe s
,th e annexation w as m ade under
that e stablishm en t.The Monaste ry itse lf, of th e sam e order w ith that of
Pluscarden ,de rived a considerable proportion ofits revenue
from tithe s w ithin the Provin ce ofMoray, upon th e m arginof w hich it w as placed, w ithin its boundary, though inth e coun ty Of Inve rne ss. It w as e stablished by Jam e sBise t
, a gentlem an of con siderable rank in that countryin the year 1 23 0. The on ly rem ain s of the building are
th e walls ofw hat had been th e place Of w orship, bear ingn o trace of turre t or steeple , or any ornam en t of architecture . Th e floor is alm ost cove red w ith tom bstone s of
various age s, m any n early coeval w ith the building itse lf:the m ost ancien t, from the ir construction and form
,
appear to have be en the lids of ston e coffin s ; on each isa large cross, surrounded by ancien t vign e tte s, sw ords,anim als
,
'
and other sym bols , th e im port Of w hich is notn ow to b e defin ed . From there be ing no vestige of
le tte rs, it m ay b e infe rred, that w r iting was not in thiscountry understood w hen the se m onum en ts w ere fram ed .
As m any of them m ust have be en carved under th e eye ,and probably by the hand of th e clergy, they m ust ce r
tainly have bore som e w ritten in scription ,had the know
ledge of le tte rs or reading pen e trated at that tim e in tothis seat of in stituted devotion . The earlie st in scription sare dated about 3 00years after its foundation : they are
in the Saxon character,upon the m argin generally ofan
e ffigy of the deceased. But those m ore ancien t m onu
3 86 PARISHES LEFT OUT BY LACHLAN SHAW.
the pre sen t Churchyard. A sm all farm near the Churchis nam ed Ar tl druigh n augh,the high place of the Druids :another place is nam ed Blar - na - carrachan ,
the m oor ofthe circle s : and a third , Ball- n a - carruchan , the town Of
the circle s. About 2 m ile s east from the Church is situated Castle Spynie ; in th e Gae lic, Chastail spuinidh, thefortre ss of the spoil . The w all of th e building is comple te ly c ircular, form ed of ston e w ithout any kind of
c em en t,about 10 fe e t thick
,and 54 yards in c ircum fer
en ce ; it is placed on a hill alm ost 800 fe e t above th e
plain,so as to b e in view ofCno ck Farril, a contem porary
strong hold, in th e parish ofFodderty on th e north and
on the w e st it is in Sight ofDun fhionn ,Fingal
’
s fort,w hichis situated on a con ical hill
,acce ssible on ly on the easte rn
side . It is also perfe ctly circular,about 60 yards in cir
cum feren ce , just visible on ly above ground, but com ple te lyvitrified alm ost to the depth of 3 fe e t ; evidently, and at
first view , the w ork of art,like Craig- Phadrick in Inver
n e ss, no w ay conn e cted w ith volcan ic production s. An
O ld Record in Dunrobin Castle , it is said, explain s th isanc ient
,
m ode of building : bearing, that a strange r hadcom e from the south
,into Sutherland, w ho had discovered
an exce llent cem ent for strong buildings, com posed of ironore m ixed w ith other stone , vitrified by th e force of fire .](Survey of the Provin ce ofMoray.)
PARISHES OMITTED IN SHAW’
S
HISTORY OF THE PROVINCE OF MORAY.
ABERCHIRDER
Was the old nam e of this parish , w hich is now calledMarnoch, be ing dedicated to S. Marnoch , w hose Feast ison th e 2nd March ,
according to King and Cam erarius,
w ho place him A.D. 655. According to a De scription of
the parish, circa 1726, from a MS. accoun t of ScottishBishops
,in the library at Slaines, there i s a Stone nam ed
after him hollow ed out a little in th e m iddle , and lyingo n a hill w here h e com m on ly re sted, called S. Marnan
’
s
Chair . There is a Well n ear th e Man se dedicated to him ,
KINNAIRDY ; AUCHINTOUL ; CROMBIE ; IN MARNOCH. 3 87
and another at no great distance, called The Lady’
s Well:An annual m arke t, on the se cond Tue sday of March , iscalled Marnan
‘
Fair . On th e bank of th e Deveron is a
place called Chapelton , w he re , no doubt, the re w as at one
tim e a place of w orship. Here is S. John ’s We ll and S.
J ohn ’s F0rd; Beneath the Church is S. Marnan’s Ford.
The Ab erchirders Of that ilk posse ssed this parish of
old, till Inne s of that ilk m arried th e he ire ss, and so cam eto have this sain t fo r his patron .
A little be low the Bridge of Marnoch stands th e Old
tow e r - looking m ansion of Kinnairdy,on a prom ontory at
the junction of the burn of the sam e nam e w ith the
Deve ron . Its situation is peculiarly picture sque and
comm anding. The house is ancien t,has been built at
various periods,and w as
,toge the r w ith m uch oft h e pro
perty of the parish,he ld by the Crichton s ofFrendraught ,
in the ne ighbouring parish ofForgue . Dr. David Gregory,e ldest son of David Gregory Of Kinairdie , w as
‘
Savilian
Profe ssor of Astronomy, Oxford . Born in 1 661 ; died in
1710. The Gregorys w e re illustrious in science for age s.The Donaldson s do now (1726) posse ss Kinnairdie ,
de scended of an Elgin m e rchan t, in the last age , as th eGordons do Ardm elie he re , and th e Duffs, Crom bie here .
The Old Castle of Crom bie , consisting of three sto reys,having the appearance of som e strength , stands on the
w e st side of the parish, and is the property of the EarlofSeafield.
Near the centre of the parish is the m an sion - house of
Auchintoul, Once the residence and property of GeneralAlexander Gordon , who entered th e service ofRussia as a
cade t under Pe ter the Great, and rose to high pow er and
comm and in his army. . He w rote in tw o volum e s th eh istory of his m aster and friend. He died set. 82 , and
w as buried in the Churchyard ofMarnoch,but no m em o
rial m arks th e spot.
From Registrum Episcozoatus Moraviensis.
1 . Charter by King William the Lion to the m onks o fS. Thom as ofArbroath
,of all claim to the patron
age ofth e Church ofAberchirder .
- A.D. 1 203 - 1 2 14.
2 . Charter by Brice,Bishop ofMurray, to the m onks of
Arbroath, Of the Church of Aberchirder.
— A.D.
1 203 - 1 214.
‘
3 88 PARISH OF ABERCHIRDER.
3 . Charter by Gillecryst, Earl of Mar, to the m onks ofArbroath
,of all claim to the patronage of th e
Church ofAberchirder.
— A.D . 1 203,A.D. 1 214.
4. Charter by Brice , Bishop of Murray, to th e m onksofArbroath
,of th e davach of land be longing to the
Church ofAberchirder.-A.D . 1 203 , A.D. 1 222 .
5. Charter by the Chapter of the Cathedral Church of
th e Holy Trin ity of Spyny,confirm ing the afore
said charter of Brice , the ir Bishop — A.D. 1 21 4,
A.D. 1 224.
6 . Charter by Andrew ,Bishop ofMurray
,to the m onks
of Arbroath,of the Church of Invern e ss and th e
Church OfAberchirder.
—A .D. 1 223 , A.D. 1 242 .
7. Ordinan ce by the Bishop of Murray, regarding th eVicarages of the Par ish Churche s of Inverne ss andAberchirder.
— A.D. 1 249 .
8 . Bull of Pope Inn ocent V ., confirm ing the aforew ritten ordinance — A.D. 1 277.
9 . Obligation by Ralph , perpe tual vicar ofAberchirder ,to pay e ight m erks yearly to th e m onastery of S.
Thom as ofArbroath — A.D. 1 3 24.
10. Appeal to the Apostolic Se e by the Abbot of
Arbroath, against a proce ss of the Bishop Of
Murray,w ith regard to th e fruits of the parish
Churche s ofInverne ss and Abe rchirder . 1 3 71 .
1 1 . An sw er by the Bishop of Murray to the foregoingAppeal — A.D. 1 3 71 .
1 2. Sentence of the Official ofMurray against - Sir JohnOf Corshill
,perpe tual vicar of Aberchirde r.
A.D. 1 3 75.
1 3 . Le tter from the Bishop of Murray to the LordAbbot of Arbroath , dem anding paym ent of fourm erks from the Abbey’s Churche s of
.
Aberchirderand Inverne ss
,in nam e of the subsidy im posed on
all b enefices w ithin th e diocese , for the rebuildingof the Cathedral Church of Elgin — A.D. 1 400.
14. Pre sentation by the Abbot Of Arbroath of Sir
Alexande r Sym son ,chaplain ,
to the Vicarage of
Aberchirder .
— A.D . 1 484.
15. Lease by th e Postulate confirm ed of Arbroath , toJam e s Inn e s Of that ilk, of the great tithe s of th eChurch ofAberchirde r.
—A.D. 1 485.
1 6. Com m ission by the Abbot of Arbroath, appointing
3 90 CHARTERS REFERRING TO LANDS INABERCHIRDER.
Note s of Charte rs of the lands of Aberchirder.
A.D. 1 426 - 1484.
Notice s of the fam ily of Aberchirder of that ilk .
A.D. 1 29 6 - 1446 .
Note s of Action s before the Lords of Council andthe Lords Auditors of Cause s and Com plain ts
,
regarding the lands Of Aberchirder, Crom bie , andoth ers, be longing to the laird of Innes — A.D.
1479 - 149 3 .
De cree of the Lords Auditors of Cause s and Complain ts
,finding a yearly paym en t of sixty shillings
due to Merser of Mekilloure , from the lands Of
Ne th erdale .
—A.D. 1471 .
Note s of Charters of the lands of Ne therdale ,Pe ttindreich , and others — A.D . 1 3 29 - 1 406 .
Decree of th e Lords of Council, finding thatAlexander Glaste r of the Glack should pay to
John of Gordon of Lungar, the value of the landsof Crom bie , sold but no t de livered by Glaster toGordon — A.D. 1 49 3 .
Note of a Charter by John ,Lord Lynde say of th e
Byre s, to Murdo Glaster of Glack,of the lands of
Crom bie .— A.D. 148 9 .
Declaration by Alexander Glaster of Glack , in presence of th e Lords Auditors of Cause s and Complaints and of the Lord Chance llor, That b e ratifiedthe sale m ade by him in tim e past to John Gordonof Auchluchery,
of the lands of Hilton , Crom by,Little Warthill
,and Harland — A.D. 149 3 .
In An e Rentall of the Freris Predicatoris OfElgin,in Anno 1555
,occurs Item
,the baron ie of
Abircheirdor, x m erkis .
”
EPITAPHS IN MARNOCH CHURCHYARD.
The Kirk of Abirherdour , now Marnoch,a Vicarage of
the Cathedral of Moray, w as given by King William th e
Lion to the Abbey of Arbroath . Be tw e en 1 203 - 1 4,
Gilchrist, Earl ofMar, gave the sam e convent the patronage of th e Church ofAberch irde r , the right to which hehad succe ssfully conte sted w ith the King and the BishopofMoray.
According to tradition ,S. Marnan, w ho flourished abou t
th e m iddle of th e 7th cen tury, “ dyed ve ry old, and was
TOMB OF REv. GEO . MELDRUM OF CROMBIE. 3 9 1
buried at Ab erchirdir. A ford on the Deveron ,and a
w e ll n ear the Church, still hear his nam e . Possibly therew as an altar to Our Lady In the Church in Old tim e s, asan adj oin ing spring is nam ed Lady We ll.The presen t Church, w hich w as rem oved from the kirk
yard about the beginn ing of the pre sent century, occupie sthe site of a stone circle, upon a rising g
a round to the northeast. Like m any parish churche s of
:
the period, that ofMarnoch presents little w orthy ofnotice , save tw o m aterialw ants— e legance in de sign and beauty of situation— tothe latter of w hich the old site
,on th e banks of the
Deveron ,form s quite a contrast.
Little of the old Kirk OfMarnoch rem ain s,and a vault,
or place where bodie s w ere de posited, prior to in te rm ent,during the re surrection m an ia, “ built by subscription In
the year 1 8 3 2,is now an objec t of little intere st. Som e
of the tom bs,how ever, are of a supe rior class. On e
,in
the north - east corn er of the enclosure , w as,according to
local story, exe cuted by a com m on m ason at Crom bie . It
is of Elgin free stone , dated 1 69 4, and pre sents, impaled,the arm s ofMe ldrum ofLaithers and Duff of Braco, surrounded by an e legant scroll ornam ent. Within an oval
,
the half- length life - sized effigy of a bearded e ccle siastic,w ith cap, frill , and gow n , is carved in bold relief— a scrollis in the right hand and a book in the left. Be low (uponan oblong oval and convex piece of polished Portsoym arble ) i s the follow ing in scriptionI. Hie jacet reverendus e t pius defunctus D. Georgius
Meldrum de Crombie , quondam de Glass, presco fidelissimus,qui ofiicio pastorali, dum fereb an t tem pora
,diligenter functus
e rat. Dive s enim fuit non avarus, lucri gratia conscientiam
violare noluit, pacifice e t sobrie vixit
,e t hino migravit anno
Dom . 1 6 9 2, aetatis suae 76 .
Here lies the late reverend and pious Mr. George Meldrumof rombie , som etim e OfGlass, a faithful preacher, who , whilethe tim es perm itted, diligently discharged the duties of hispastoral office . Not being avaricious
,he was rich, and w ould
not do violence to his conscience for the sake ofgain ; he livedpeaceably and soberly, and departed hence A.D. 1 69 2
,in the
76th year ofhis age ]Mr. M. , who previously “
exercised at Aberdeen,w asadm itted m in ister of Glass in 1 644, and the re , in 1 650,one of his e lders , in the pre sence of the se ssion (alluding
3 9 2 MELDRUM OF CROMBIE THE ARDMEALIE GORDONS.
to som e reported fama) , declared he had heard a parishioner say that
“ h e sould cause that lown e the m in isterhaue a fow ll face !” Mr. M .
’
s father was laird ofLaithers,
and his m other w as a sister of Adam Duff of Clunyb eg.
Mr . George Me ldrum is said to have had three daughters.Beside s Crom bie
,in Marn och
,Mr. Me ldrum he ld large
'
posse ssion s in th e parishe s of Tuirifl’
and Inverke ithny,&c. ,
in all w hich h e w as succeeded by John Ram say of
Me lrose , in Gam rie,as he ir of entail . Crom bie (th e Old
house ofw hich still stands) was previously posse ssed byWalter Urquhart
, wh o , along w ith a num be r of ae complices, w as charged w ith the m urder ofa brother of LordFrendraugh t in 1 642 .
A flagston e , w hich form s th e en tran ce to a vault, w ithinthe sam e enclosure as the last - m ention ed m onurnuen t,
bears :II. This is now the burial place of the fam ily of Ardm ealie ,being a gift from William Duff ofCrombie to Jam es Gordon of
Ardm ealie,his nephew , who died 3 1 July, 179 1 .
The Ardm ealie Gordon s w ere a branch Of those of
Craig. From Gordon s th e property of Ardm ealie was
bought by Morrison Of Auchentoul, father ,of the pre
sen t laird of Bogn ie . It afterw ards be longed to Edw ardEllice
,Esq ,
M .P.,from w hom it and Mayen w ere
b ought by the truste e s of the unde rm en tioned Mr.
Gordon of Avochie , who sold Drum lithie in the Mearn s .
to Mr . MillerIII. In m em ory of John Gordon , Esq. ofAvochie andMayen ,
who died the 27 ofNov.,1 857, aged 60years.
The above - nam ed . Mr . Gordon succe eded his father, aW.S. in Edinburgh, in the lands of Avochie . Upon hisdeath in 1 857, Avochie and Mayen cam e , by entail, to th epre sen t laird, Adam Hay. Mr. Hay is also a W.S.
, and
th e son of a sister of the last - nam ed Mr. Gordon ’s father.
Mr. Hay assum e s the nam e of Hay- Gordon (v. Kinore ) .
An adjoin ing enclosure con tains m arble table ts,re spec
tively inscribed as“
follow :
IV . Within this vault are deposited the rem am s Of JohnInne s OfMuirn ld
,Esq. Distinguished for judgm ent
, candour ,and integrity, he employed those qualities w ith cheerful an dunrem itting application
'
in the service'
of his friends audahis'
3 9 4 MONUMENT TO REV. HUGH CHALMERS,MARNOCH .
laird ofNe the rdale,m arr ied Grace , daughter ofMr. Fraser,
W.S.,Edinburgh . Be side s the fam ily already nam ed
,the
he ire ss ofNe therdale had a daughter (who l ive s at Nethe rdale Cottage ) and thre e sons John ,
a m e rchan t inLondon
,w ho died in 1 867 ; Captain Patrick ,
'
Of BlachrieHouse
,Fyvie (to w hose kindne ss I am obliged for note s
regarding his fam ily) and Ge orge , ofArdfour, a solicitorin London .
A m onum ent,w ith th e Chalm ers’ and Inn e s’ coats
im paled In itialed M. H. C. : E. I. ,and dated 1709 , con
tain s th l s in scription :
VIII. Sub hoc m onum ento reconduntur exuviae M ’i HugonisChalm ers
,qui ecclesiae hujus Marnochensis A.D. 3 6 circiter "
annos pastoris oflicio fidelissim e functus e st . Doctus absquevanitate , pius citra ostentationem
, gravis sed non m orosus ,
veritatem pacem que constantissim e coluit , e t tandem ,exacto 59 :
annorum curriculo, ex hac aerum nosa lachrym arum valle in ,
patriam coelestem com m igravit quinto die Jun ii, 1707.
[Under th is m onum ent are laid the rem ains of Mr. HughChalm ers
, who , for about 3 6 years, discharged w ith the gre ate stfide lity the Office of pastor of this church ofMarnoch. Learnedw ithout vanity, pious without ostentation , grave but not m orose ,he constantly studied truth and peace
,and. at length, after a
care er Of59 years, departed from this sorrowful valley of tearsto th e heavenly land, 5th June ,
Upon a flat ston e in area Of burial ground :IX. John Taylor, M ill of Crombie , d. 1721 , a. 44 ; Margt ..
Johnston,his w f. , d. 1748 , a. 6 1
Here lyes the m an and w ife , whose actions just,Still bloom s afresh, tho’ now they
’
re turu’d to dust ;Unlearned w ere both, ye t from God’s law s ne ’e r sw erv’
d,Believ’d in Christ, and him they daily serv
’d.
Be thankful then ,since ye ’re like labourers sent
The m ore ’s requir’d of them where m uch is lent
In m em ory of the ir honest lives and deathsWilliam ,
the ir son , this stone bequeaths.
Near the aboveX . Here lye s the body of\Vi11iam Thain, lauful son toPatrickThain in Euchrie , who died the 22 OfMarch, 1755.
Though n ow a som ewhat un com m on surnam e , Thain isone of som e an tiquity in the district and it is inte re stingto notice that in conne ction w ith th e ve ry place nam ed in
JOHN SIMPSON ’S LIBERALITY To MARNOCH. 3 95
this inscription ,
“ Patryk Than e the ald wycar of Inuer~
ke thny,
”was
,in 1 49 3 , one of several pe rson s w ho per
am bulated the lands of Yochry e t Achb rady,”as part of
the kirk lands OfAberchirder. Yochry,Eochry,
or Bob ry,
is a sort of pen in sula '
or headland of the Deveron ,and
m ay have its nam e from having abounded at one tim e in
yew tree s.
Upon a table - shaped stoneXI. Sacred to the m em ory ofJam es Simpson , who departedthis life January 3 0, 1777 aged 62 years ; and Isobe l Mackie,his w ife , w ho died 26 May, 1787, aged 68 years. This stoneis erected by their son , John Simpson , m e rchant in Quebec.
When w e devote our youth to God,&c.
John Simpson died Oct. 3 0, 1 858, aged 8 3 . William Simpsondied 3 Nov.
,1 867, aged 55.
A stone slab in a pillar of the kirkyard gate pre servesthis re cord of John Sim pson ’s birth, and of his liberalityto the he ritors of the parish ofMarnochXII. John Simpson, m ercht . in Quebec, was born in the
parish ofMarnoch A.D. 1747, and at his sole expense erectedthese churchyard walls, A.D. 179 3 .
XIII. Jas. Watson, gardener, Ardm eallie , d. 1780, a. 79
A hum ourous,sympathising friend,
Whose bones lie s in this dark abodeCompan ion was for high or m ean ,
Regarding man and fearing God.
The n ext tw o inscription s are chiefly rem arkable forthe ir orthographical peculiaritie sXIV . Mem ento m oeriy. AReCTed By RObeRT GRaY
shoemaker in CrANNA TO THE MEMORY OF HIS son Robertand daughter Jean who departed this life Octr. 3 0 Nov. 1 21 8 17. In m em ory of his Mother isabel layen who departedthis life 1822 aged 73 .
XV. Mem entom ori. His FaderR G. MassaNINFOggLONWhO DEParted This LIfe The 22 OF ApriL 1782 Egged 3 0.
,Upon a headstoneXVI. To ' the m em ory of the late George Christie , tinsm ith
and engraver, Fe rgustown , who died 10 Feb .,18 60
, aged 58Erected by his friends and acquaintance s as a token of theiradm iration of his honest industry
, m oral w orth, intelligence ,
3 9 6 REV. JOHN EDWARDS, MINISTER OF MARNOCH.
and self- acquired m echanical genius. Here rests a prisonernow released.
Upon a m arble slabXVII. Sacred to the m em ory of the Rev. John Edwards,
who died on the l st day ofOctober,1 848, in the 57th year of
his age , and the 9 th Ofhis m inistry. Post nubila coelum .
Mr . Edwards w as the son of a sm all farm er in the
parish ofGrange . He w as schoolm aste r first of Boharm,
n ext of his native parish . Th e Earl Of Fife pre sentedhim to th e living of Marnoch in 1 8 3 7. Be ing ve toed bythe people , application w as then m ade by the Pre sbyteryof Strathbogie to the superior e ccle siastical court-s foradvice h ow to act in the m atter. The Church - courtsadvised the rej e ction of th e Pre sente e— on th e other hand,the Court ofSe ssion ordered his adm ission to th e charge“ if found com pe ten t.” Four m em be rs of th e Pre sbyteryvoted for the form er
,and seven for the latter course , upon
w hich the General Assem bly deposed the m aj ority,and
also deprived the Pre sente e of his licen se . After Mr.
Edwards w as ve toed,the patron issued a new pre sen tation
in favour Of the Rev . David Henry, assistant to the previous m in ister. Mr . Henry was “
th e choice of the people,
”
and inducted by a m in ority of the Pre sbytery. Be ing se t
aside , under the above circum stan ce s, Mr. Henry con tinuedto labour at Aberchirde r to a large congregation in the
Fre e Church, and died there in 1 870. He w as j oined(M
‘Cosh’
s Wheat and the Chaf ) , by tw o of the originalprote sting m in iste rs ofStrathbogie 1 It ne ed scarce ly b eadded that “
the Marnoch Case ” caused the passing Of
Lord Aberde en ’s Church Act, also that it hasten ed theDisruption of 1 843 , and that the seven ,
as w e ll as Mr.
Edwards, w e re re poned to th e office Of th e m in istry.
J ervise’
s Epitaphs.
BOTARIE,or S. Martin ’s Kirk.
BOTRIPHNIE, or S. Fum ac’
s Kirk.
CAIRNIE .
DRUMDELGIE,S. Pe ter’s Kirk ,
or The Burnt Kirk of
Strathb ogy.
GRANGE or Strathisla.
Minute de tails of the above five are given in my BookOf th e Chron icle s ofKe ith ,
”850. (ED.)
3 9 8 BISHOP PETRIE’
s STONE IN DUNBENNANCHURCHYARD.
Also are interred here , th e rem ain s ofIsabella Petrie , who diedthe 26th day of March, 1 843 , aged 88 years. This stone washumbly dedicated by Jam e s
,third son to Colin
,in Kirton
Miln , 178 1Whose body too lies here consigned to re st,In hope w ith them to. rise am ong the blestSw e et b e the ir sle ep, and blest the ir waken ing b e ,Reade r, pray thou for them who pray for the e .
R. I. P .
In 1 69 6 the poll of Jam e s Pe trie , m erchan t in Raw e s ofHuntly, his w ife Margare t Gordon ,
and the ir daughterJan e t, is stated at 1 8s.
,w hile that Of his son George , w ho
is de scribed as a m e ssenge r, also in Raw e s,and his
w ife Jean Gordon , is set dow n at £4 1 2s. 9 d. Scots. Fromon e or other of th e above - nam e d w as de scended BishopPe trie , to w hose m em ory an adj oin ing table - stone bearsthis in scriptionIV . Quem tegit hic cippus, fratrum pietate locatus,
Arthurum Petrie , lector am ice , luge ,Praesul apud Moravos doctus, pius, atque fidelis,Dilectie t m erito nom in is ille fuit.
Post Vitae undena e t sacri duo lustra lab orisAh m m ium propere , non rediturus abit.
Parce tam en lachrymis m elioris gaudia VitaeQuam que unam coluit praemia pacis habet .
Ob . Apr. 1 9m o . ,1 787, ae t 56 , PontificatusRossen . e t Moravien
1 1m o . ,RI P.
Translation — Kind reader, m ourn for Arthur Petrie , whomthis stone, erected by the piety of his brethren
,covers. A
learn ed, pious, and faithful Bishop OfMoray, he was deservedlybeloved. After a life of 55 years
,and 10 years of sacred
w ork,he departed, alas too soon , n ever to return . Ye t s pare
your tears ; he possesse s the joys of a better life , and the rewards of the peace which he ever studiously cultivated. Hedied April 1 9 th, 1 787 in the 56th year ofhis age , and the 1 1 thofhis Episcopate ofRoss and Moray. May he rest in peace .
Mr. Pe trie w as conse crated Bishop - Coadjutor ofMorayat Dunde e in 1 776, and in 1777 becam e sole Bishop of th edioce se . He was afterw ards Bishop of th e un ited Dioce seofMoray
,Ross
,and Caithne ss, and died at Meiklefolla, in
Aberdeen shire , w here he was long the re siden t cle rgym an . A headstone to another m em ber of th e fam ilybears
MEMORIALS OF THE REVS . JAS. MONRO AND WALKER . 3 9 9
V. This stone is e rected byLieutl- Col. Al . Petrie , in m em oryo fJohn Petrie
,who died in Pirie ’s Mill, and of Isabe l Cruick
shank, his spouse . Also of the ir daughter Elle n, who died inand Elspet Jam e s, the ir son .
Upon a slab at th e Mill of Huntly is the follow ing,w hich probably refe rs to a m em ber of the sam e fam ily :
VI. 1 642 1 688
Wm . Petrie,179 8 >E<
From a table - ston eVII. This stone is e rected by Mrs. Cruickshank
,to the
m em ory of her husband, Alexander Cruickshank of Balnoon ,
who died Janry. 1 st, 1768, in the 64th year ofhis age .
Also from a table - stoneVIII. The rem ains of the Revd. George Ross Monro, late
m in ister of Huntly, are deposited here . He discharged w ithz eal and kindness the duties ofhis office for 2 1 years, and diedl0th March
,1 822
,aged 52. The rem ains of Mrs. Margaret
Re id,his firstWife , are also here interred. She died 1 804.
The ir younge st daughte r w as th e first w ife of J. D.
Miln e,Esq. ofMe lgum , advocate , Aberde en .
IX. Sacred to the m em ory ofMrs. Mary Stark, a since re andpious Christian . She was w idow of the Rev. Jam e s Monro
,
Minister of Crom arty. After his death she resided in Huntly,Where her e ldest son was Minister, and died there on the 6thApril
,1 822
, aged 82 years. Also her daughter, Mrs. JeanHall, who died 8 th March
, 18 3 9 , aged 73 . Mary Monro,who
d ied 1 9 th February, 1 86 3 .
The next refers to Mr. Monro ’s imm ediate succe ssor .
X . In affectionate rem embrance of the Rev. Jam e s Walker,Minister of Huntly for forty eight years. Ordained 27th
March,182 3 , died 27th August, 1 875, aged 76. Erected by
Friends and Sabbath School Scholars.
He w as tutor in th e fam ily of Sir Jam e s Bosw e ll ofAuchenleck,
barone t,at th e tim e he rece ived th e pre senta
tion to the Church of Huntly ; and w as a w itne ss at th etrial of Mr. Stew art of Dun earn for killing Sir Alex .
Bosw e ll in a due l at Balbarton,near Auchten tool
,in Fife
,
26th March, 1 822.
400 REV. JAMES WALKER, EPISCOPAL MINISTER.
From a gran ite slab built into the south w al l of theaisleXI. In m em ory of the Reverend Jam es Walker, Episcopalclergym an in Huntly, who
‘ died on the 6th day of April,1843 ,
in the 8 1 st year of his age and 6oth of his m inistry. Also ofHarriet Christian Walker, his daughter, who died at Huntly,3 rd Feb , 1860, aged 46. Also of Jean Panton
,w ife of the
Rev. Jam es Walker, who died 1 9 th June , 1 863 .
[The ir daughter Mary lie s at Dipple ]Am ong other m arriage s w hich Mr. Walker solem n ized
w hen at Huntly was that ofCol.Wm . Wem yss, son ofCol.
Wem yss ofWemyss Castle , and the Hon . Isabe lla, daughte rof th e Earl ofErrol. It took place at Huntly Lodge 14thApril
,1 821 , in pre sence of the MarquisofHuntly and his
Cham berlain ,Edward Wagstaff. This lady
’s younge st sisterwas afterwards m arrie d to th e late Capt. Wem yss, R.N.
,
M.P., &0.
Upon a plain headston eXII. In m em ory of Walte r Vass, late Supervisor of Excise
at Huntly,who died 28th May, 1 8 14, aged 43 years. 18 16 .
Erected by Officers ofExcise in Elgin Collection .
From a headston eXIII. In m em ory of Marion Walker Hill, who died 1 9 th
Janry. ,1 843
,aged 2 3 . This stone
,With the cordial acquies
cence of her m ourning relatives, is erected byher young friendsof the congregation under the pastoral care of her father, as ate stim ony of their re spect. May they all follow her in so faras she follow ed Christ. She is not dead, but sleepeth. Herealso are deposited the ashe s of four of his children— Marion ’stwin siste r, a younger sister, and two brothers
,all of whom
died in infancy.
They died,for Adam sinned,
They live,for Jesus died.
From a table - ston e :
XIV . This is the Burriall- ground of George Barclay, m er
chant, and one of the first fewers of Huntly, who died in the
63 rd year of age , and in the yer 173 6 ; and of MargaretGuthrie , his w ife , who died in the yer 1749 , and in the 8 3 d o f
age , who both lived and died w ith ane hone st and unblem ishedchariktor. Mary Brem ner, late spouse of Robert Barclay, inNewbigging, died 178 3 , aged 6 3 ; her husband died 1790,aged 3 6 .
402 THE. FORSYTHS ; SCOTT OF CRAIBSTONE HIS HOSPITAL .
[2-1XIX. Alexander Forsyth, m erchant in Huntly
,died 179 3 ,
aged 63 . His spouse , Margaret Dunbar, died 1825, aged 66 .
[The deaths of three of the ir children , Osbert, George , and
Margaret, are also recorded ]
[3XX. William Forsyth, Esq , died 1 8 10, aged 89 , and Jane
Phyn, hisW ife , died 1 8 1 1 , aged 79 . The ir second son ,William ,
died 179 3 , aged 3 7 ; e ighth son , Robert, Major, 6oth Regt. ,died 1825, aged 59 ; fifth son
,Thom as
, of Montreal, died at
Huntly,1 8 3 2
,aged 72 third son , A lexander, died at Huntly,
1843 , aged 85. Their only daughter, Margaret, died 1 863 ,aged 86 .
XXI. Osbert Forsyth, late of Cornhill, London, died at
Huntly in 1 8 3 3, aged 6 3 . Isabella Reid
,his spouse , died
aged 72 .
[5XXII. The Rev. Morris Forsyth, M in ister of the Gospel at
Mortlach, died at Huntly, 1 83 8, in the 67th year ofhis age , andthe 3 3 d year of his m inistry. Mrs . Isabe lla Donaldson
,his
rehct , died 1 852.
Mr. Forsyth, whose w ife was a daughter of Mr. Jam e sDonaldson of Kinairdy in Marnoch , has also a tom bstonein Mortlach .
Upon a table - stone enclosedXXIII. In m em ory of A lexander Scott, manufacturer in
Huntly, who died 24th April, 1807, aged 73 ; also of hisdaughter, Margaret, aged 4, and Walter
,his son , who died in
infancy. Also ofElizabeth Burgie , Wife of the said A lexanderScott
,who died Dec. ,
1 8 1 3 , aged 8 3 . And also of the ir son ,
Alexander Scott of Craib stone , who died the 10th of June,
18 3 3,aged 66 and OfCatharine , his w ife , eldest daughter oi
John Forbes of Boyndlie, who died at Craib stone the 2 1st of
J an.
,A.D.
,1 855, aged 70. 2 Tim . i. 1 8 .
Mr. Scott,w h o m ade m oney in India as a m edical prac
titioner,founded in the Un iversity of Aberde en tw o
theological bursar ie s of the yearly value s of £20 and
£1 6 1 0s. re spe ctive ly, and also left the lands ofCraib ston e ,&c .
,n ear that city, for th e ere ction and endowm ent of an
Hospital at Huntly, as is thus re corded upon a slab - of
DR. MACGRIGOR ;‘
ALEx. DONALD ; THE JESSEMANS. 403
Pe te rhead gran ite, built in to the entrance porch of the
buildingA Hom e for the Aged, founded and endow ed by Alexander
Scott, a native of the parish ofHuntly,who died at Craib stone
l oth June,18 3 3 } and whose body rests in the churchyard of
Dunb ennan,in hopes ofa blessed resurrection .
The rental Of Craib stone is from £800 to £1000a- year .
The centre and eas t w ing of the Hospital were com ple tedin 1 855 and the in stitution w as open ed on the l st of
August In that year. The w e st w ing was added in 1 861 .
On the 28th ofSeptem ber, 1 865, the centre and east w ingw ere entire ly de stroyed by fire , but w ere restored in 1 869 ,w hen som e addition s w ere m ade to the buildings.
From a m arble , enclosedXXIV. Erected by William Macgrigor, Huntly, as a tribute
o f respect to the m em ory of his be loved spouse,Margaret
Cow ie , who died 14th June , 1 840, aged 54 years. Sacred alsoto the m em ory of the above William Macgrigor, who died 8thDecember
,1 848
,aged 67 years. An d of their only son ,
Alexander Macgrigor, M .D.,Deputy- Inspector-General of
Hospitals, who died of cholera at Scutari, in Turkey, on the
l 6th ofMay, 1 855, aged 43 years.
Upon a slab of w hite m arble , built into a gran item onum en tXXV. In m em ory of Alexander Donald, A .M .
,for 17 years
schoolm aster at Huntly. A m an whose classical know ledgewas equalled by few ,
whose benevolence of heart embraced allm ankind
,and whose exertions in the cause of distress were
n ever applied for in vain. This stone is erected by his scholarsas a just tribute of respect for his em inent abilities, ofgratitudefor his useful instructions, and of e steem for his disinterestedbenevolence and general philanthropy. He died 24th April,1 8 16
,aged 41 .
AbridgedXXVI. John Jessem an ,
farm er, Westerton of Botriphnie ,died in 1828, aged 85. His son ,
“ A lexander, an officer in theBritish army
,was wounded at Talavera
,in Spain
,in 1 809
, and
died soon after.
”
The next tw o inscr iptions are from tab lestones
[l -lXXVII. Mary Gray
,relict of Andrew Gray of Stock
404 DUMBENNAN CHURCHYARD EPITAPHS ; TIRRIESOUL.
strouther, died l 6th June , 1 826, aged 68 . Erected by herson, Andrew Gray ofLondon .
[2XXVIII. Here lies, re served for the resurrection Of the just,
the body ofMargaret Allen , spouse of Jam es Allan ,Esq. from
Manchester. She died De cr. 26, 1821 , aged 58 , and was
e steem ed by m any as a Mother in Israe l,and an honour to
wom en . Them that sleep in Jesus w ill God bring w ith him .
From a box - shaped stoneXXIX. In m em ory of John Ram say, Esq ,
late surgeon inthe Staff, who died at Huntly, 15Feb ,
18 3 0, aged 60.
Elizabeth,his w ife , died at Southam pton , from injuries
rece ived by a coach accident, 29 th Aug , 1 843 , aged 62, andis interred in the private burial- ground of All Saints
,
Southampton .
From a headstoneXXX. Captain John Wilson
,42d Royal Highlanders, in
m em ory of his Brothers z— John , died 1822, aged 1 6 Jam es,colour - sergeant, 9 2d Highlanders, died at Dom inica,W.I.
,1 841
,
aged 3 8 ; Donald, quarter-m aster—sergeant, 42d Royal Highlanders, died at Malta
,1 846
, aged 3 6. His sister,Isabe lla,
w ife ofMajor John Drysdale , 42nd Royal Highlanders, died atSouthampton 1 856, aged 44. H is father, Jam e s Wilson
,died
at Aberdeen ,1 861 , aged 80. A n ephew ,
William , died at
Glasgow ,1 852
, aged 21 another nephew , Charles Forbes,second officer in the Peninsular and Oriental Company’s ser!
Vice , died at London , 1 861 , aged 27.
Tirriesoul, or Tilliesoul, w as the old nam e of the villagewhich is now repre sented by the town ofHuntly ; and onth e 3 rd July, 1545, Earl Ge orge had a charter under theGreat Seal, b y w hich the
“ Villa de Tirriesoul w as
e re cted in to a Burgh ofBarony (Spalding’
s Troubles,i.
Two w ell - know n hillocks, called Th e Torrie s
,
”in or
n ear w hich ancien t grave s and calc ined stone s have beenfound
,lie to the north of the town . Possibly the old
nam e of Hun tly had been assum ed from the se and fromthe shie l ings ofw hich the Village was originally com posed,at least the Gae lic w ords
,Torrie - soul, saul, or toul, are
capable of such a rendering, and no doubt had beenaccurate ly de scriptive of the physical aspect of the placein
“
early tim e s.
406 KINNOIR CHURCHYARD EPITAPHS.
greatly increased In ext ent and im portance , and the townis now fairly entitled to th e appellation of the Capital ofStrathbogie . It contains som e good shops— w hole saleand re tail— a handsom e public hall and a le cture—room ,
w hich w ere built out ofa beque st by the late Mr. Stewart,and several branch banks.Be side s the Parish Church, there are Free , Episcopal
(Christ Church) , and Rom an Catholic (St . Margare t’s)
place s of w orship, as w e ll as UP . and CongregationalChurche s.
KINNOIR.
SJMungo’s hill, w ith S. Mungo
’s w e ll on its w e st side ,is in the vic in ity of the Old Kirkyard, the site of which ,as the nam e im plie s, is upon the top of a rising ground.
It is situated upon th e south bank of the Deveron ,and
although the m onum ents are few ,som e of the inscriptions
possess considerable local intere st.
From a table - stone
I. Here lies the Benevolent Mrs. Gordon ofAvochie , daugh
ter of Peter Gordon of Ardm ealie, who died the 5th of April
1785, and also her worthy daughter, Mrs. Hay, who died the26th May, 176 3 . This stone is erected to their m em ory
,from
filial affection , by her daughter, Catherine Gordon.
The ance stor of the GordonSof Ardm eallie w as GeorgeOfMill ofNoth , younge st son ofPatrick Gordon ofCraig,w ho fe ll at Flodden in 151 3 (Harperfield
’
s Gordon Pedi
gree Tables) . Ardm eallie w as bought from one of the
Gordons by the late Mr. Morrison ofAuchintoul, and wasrepurchased by the trustee s of Mr. John Gordon of
Avochie and Mayn e,w ho died in 1 857. He and a sister
w ere children of the previous laird, but w ith com m endablehonour, and a desire to support the legitim ate issue and
the dignity Of his father’s house,he left the landed estate
to a de scendant of the above - nam ed Mrs. Hay,w hile his
sister, w ho died in 1 875, aged 79 , left he r fortune tofrem it folk or strangers who had been attentive to herin h er later years.
Mrs . Hay’s de scendants, w ho w ere afterwards call edHay - Gordon
,had the ir burial - place in St . Cuthbert’s
churchyard, Edinburgh, and the follow ing inscription
GORDONS OF AVOCHIE ; KINNOIR CHURCHYARD . 407
from a m ural table t there appears to re late to the grandson and his w ifeII. To the m em ory ofAdam Hay, Esquire , late Major in theThirty-fifth Regim ent of Foot, who died at Edinburgh uponthe 25th day of May, 1 8 3 6, aged sixty- nine years. Al so of
Mary Watson, his spouse , who died 20th March,1844
, aged 74.
A m arble Cross, w ithin th e sam e enclosure , presen ts thesubjoined inscription (follow ed by a quotation in Gre ekcharacters from Heb . ii. 1 0) to the m em ory of the ir son
w ho w as a Write r to the Signe t, and to whom th e properties of Avochie and Mayne w ere left by Mr . J ohn
III. I.M . Adam Hay Gordon of Avochie,Nat. 1 803 , Ob .
1 872, and ofMary, his infant daughter, 1 853 .
We have not ascertained w hen the Gordon s first cam e
to Avochie , nor to w hat branch of the Gordon fam ily theybe longed . The earlie st m ention Of them is in Dem pster’sEcol. History,
page 673 , in w hich the author says that hisfam ily (of Muiresk) was ruin ed chiefly through the m isconduct of his e ldest brother, Jam e s, w ho , infuriated bythe discovery of the existence of an im proper intim acybe tw e en his w ife , a daughte r of Avochie , and h e r fatherin - law
,m ade an attem pt on the old m an
’s life,in which he
w as aided by a band ofGordon s, tw o ofw hom w ere killedin the course ofth e de sperate affray that ensued. AsDempster died in 1 625, this m ust have occurred som e tim e aboutthe year 1 600 but it is not until January 29 , 1 659 , w henJohn w as served he ir to his father, that w e have foundthe fam ily de signed of Avochie . This laird m arried a
daughter ofSir J ohn Le slie ofWarde s, w ho outlived herhusband, and afte rwards m arried Gordon ofNew ton .
The fam ily appears to have been in a pre tty goodposition at this tim e
,for, on 25th Jan
,1 687, Henry
Gordon w as se rved he ir to his father not only in Avochie ,but also in rather extensive posse ssion s in the parishe s ofOyn e , Rayn e , and Tullyne ssle . Henry Gordon ofAvochie
and tw o sisters , Anna and Elizabe th , the one 15and theother 1 2 years of age , w ere al ive in 1 6 9 6 , and appear tohave lived w ith Mr. William Gordon , gen tlem an
, tenant,and his spouse
,at Mill ofAvochie .
The next m ention of the fam ily occurs in 1 73 4, whenJohn Gordon of Avochie sat at Huntly as bailie of the
408 HOUSE OF AVOCHIE; THE MURRAYS OF AFFLECK .
Regality Court . It w as possibly this laird that was
exem pted from the Act of Indem n ity, and fined £500 for
be ing out in the’
45. It is said that his w ife,to w hom
the tom bstone at Kinnoir was ere cted, w as a person of
very frugal habits, and thereby contributed much to the
paym ent of the fine , and to the keeping of the propertyin the fam ily. The ir son John , who w as know n by th esobr ique t of Chaw of Tobacco, is said to have acquiredcon siderable w ealth by the j oint occupation s of an advo
cate and a w ine m erchant. He bought the property of
Drum lithie,in Kincardine shire , w hich he left, along w ith
Avochie , as before noticed, and th e form er having beensold by his son , it w as w ith part of the proce eds of the salethat his sister w as able to benefit her friends.The pre sent house of Avochie, which is beautifully
situated in the m idst Of a cluster of tre e s, upon the southbank Of th e Deveron , was built by th e son Of the rebe llaird ; and the Old house , of w hich tw o ruin ed gable s,having be tw e en them a thatched cottage , now alonerem ain
,form s a striking obje ct upon the summ it of an
adjaceIit rising ground It appears to have be en a houseof tw o storie s w ith attics, and to have been built in a
superior style,probably in the tim e Of the laird of 1 69 6.
IV . rew Murray, som etim e in Cortlyburn , who departed this life the 7th ofDecember, 1 71 3 , aged LX8 yeaALM . I. M .
An drew Murray, principal] tennent in AffleCk,his
w ife and son s,Alexander and John
,w ere charged poll in
1 69 6 . There we re then a num ber ofMurrays in this distriet, on e Of w hom ,
William,is de scribed as a notary
pub lic , l
and tenan t in the Daach of Auchinb oe ; but thenam e s Of none of the ir children corre spond w ith thosein an in scription upon an adjoining stone , which bearsthat William and Andrew Murray died re spective ly in1 751 and 1764, aged 73 and 76 . Th e nam e of Cortlyburn
is not in the Poll Book, but the place itse lf lie s in the
south - east corner of Kinnoir,about 14m ile s from the Old
kirkyard.
Possibly the be st known of th e Murrays conne cted w iththe district w as Ge orge , wh o died at Edinburgh in 1 868 .
He w as the son of a crofte r, by his w ife , Margare t Hay,
and was born at Boghead of Kinnoir. H is father, who
410 THE CASTLE OF STRATHBOGIE, HUNTLY .
ElSpat Strachan ,Died 14 Sep. ,
179 7, aged 68 years.This stone is laid by her only son, John Sm ith, in Jam aica, asthe last m ark of affection for a loving m other, who was a
Virtuous'
Christian , and lived a blam eless life .
X. Under this stone is deposited the body ofMrs. ElizabethScorgie , w idow of the late Rev. John Touch
,Minr. of Mort
lich. To a cultivated understanding she joined great sensibility of temper, unusual cheerfuln ess of disposition
, and
b oundle ss benevolence ofheart. Her friends who experiencedher hospitality, and the poor who w ere warm ed by her bounty
,
can tell the rest. She died June l st, 179 9 , aged 79 years.
Nigh'
to the Bridge of Deveron stand the rem ain s ofHun tly Castle, built about 1 609 . One part on ly of the
original plan se em s to have be en com ple ted. On the
north fron t are th e arm s of the fam ily, cut in ston e , w iththe nam e s of th e builde rs z— GEORGE GORDOUN, FIRSTMARQVIS OF HVNTLY
,AND HENRIETTE STEVART, MAR
QVISSE OF HVNTLY,1 602. A spac ious turnpike stair leads
to w hat has been a very grand hall . Its length is about43 fee t, its breadth 29 , and its he ight 1 6. There is
another grand apartm en t imm ediate ly.
Over this, 3 7 fee tin length and 29 in breadth . The chim neys of both are
highly ornam ented w ith curious sculpture s of variousfigures, still in tolerable pre servation . The thickne ss ofthe walls adm its of several sm all close ts. The ce ilings ofthe room s are curiously ornam ented in sm all division sw ith lin e s of doggere l poe try underneath , de scribing
"
the
subje ct of th e pie ce . In the cham ber w hich w as appointedfor a chape l , the parable s, &c . , are repre sented in the sam e
style . On the avenue leading to th e Castle ofStrathbogieare tw o large square tow ers w hich had defended thegateway . The hew n stone s of the w indow s and corn e rshave be en taken out, and applied to ignoble purpose s.It w as in the tim e of the 3 rd Earl of Huntly, who - pos
sib ly had m ore territory added to his already exten sivedom ains than any of his predece ssors or succe ssors, thatJam e s V. (Reg. Priory of Isle of May) , w hile on his pilgrim age to the shrine of St. Duthoc at Tain ,
5th Octobe r,1504, passed a n ight in the house of Strathbogie , on
w hich occasion he rece ived from the Treasurer a paym ent
THE GORDON SCHOOLS, HUNTLY CURIOUS BOULDER. 41 1
of 14 pounds “ to play at the carte s. When the Kingrevisited Strathbogie in the follow ing year (Oct . he
was ente rtained w ith m usic, and gave 14s . Scots to the
m enstre ls and the More to ther hors m e t . AlexanderLaw ,
falconer,also rece ived 78 . for going to Finlater for
ane halk ”and when at Inverurie , whe re h e baytit,
”his
Maje sty gave ane w ife ,”w ho entertained him in som e
way or other, 14s. 2d.,likew ise 28 . in alm s to pur
folkis ther.
”
The fifth Earl of Huntly, who . died at Strathbogie in1576, w as succe eded by his son ,
w ho had his house of
Strathbogie destroyed after the battle of Glenl ive t .
Out of re spect for the m em ory of he r husband, Elizabe th
,th e last Duche ss of Gordon,
w ho was a daughter ofBrodie of Arnhall , n ear Bre chin, e re cted the handsom e
buildings, used as public schools, w hich form th e entranceto Huntly Lodge . They are adorned w ith m arble bustsof the Duke and Duche ss, and a stone - pann e l in frontis thus inscribed
GORDON SCHOOLSERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF GEORGE
,
FIFTH DUKE OF GORDON ,BY HIS WIDow .
The Duche ss,w ho died on 3 1 st January, 1 864, w as
prede ceased by her nephew , the Duke of Richm ond, on2l st October
,1 860, and his Grace be ing a popular land
lord,the re w as erected to his m em ory in the Marke t
Square of Hun tly a statue of fre e stone,by the late Al exr.
Brodie ofAberde en ,w hich is thus inscribed
Erected as a M em orial of CHARLES GORDON -LENNOX,fifth
Duke of Richm ond, by his Tenantry of the Lordship of
Huntly,1 862.
His Grace w as succeeded as Duke of Richm ond by hisson , Charle s Henry Gordon - Lennox
,w ho has filled m any
im portan t office s in Her Maj e sty ’s Governm en t, and wascreated, in 1 876 , Duke ofRichm ond and Gordon .
Be side the Duke ’s m onum ent lie s a rough whinston eboulder
,which exhibits m arkings resembling a large
horse shoe , and sim ilar to those upon the Bruce ton Stone ,near Alyth . (Se e J ervise
’
s Epitaphs.)
41 2 HOUSE OF BELDORNEY ; ST. WALLACH’S BATHS .
GLASS
I.e .,th e Gr een parish , so called from be ing surrounded
w ith gre en hills, i s dedicated to St. Andrew ; and here St .
Andrew ’s Fair is he ld on the third Tue sday in July, hardby a little village w here the Church stande th in the
m iddle of the parish . This parish w as m ade up of partof St. Peter ’s OfDrumdelgie or Peterkirk, comm on ly calledth e Burnt Kirk
,and St . Wolock
’
s of the ancien t parish OfDumm eth . The lands ofDumm eath w ere gifted by KingMalcolm II. to Wallach Kirk .
In the w e st end of th e parish stands th e House of
Beldorn ey,upon a rising ground, on th e n orth bank of
th e River Deveron,be longing to G ordon of Beldorney,
southw ard from th e Church tw o m ile s. Be low this house ,close by th e r iver side , on a haugh, are tw o natural baths,called St. Wallach’s Baths
,m uch frequented on the first
day ofMay by sick folk , e specially children , lying be tw ixttw o rocks (w here St. Wollok l ived) , about six or sevenpace s in length, w ith tw o of breadth
,and four or five fe e t
in depth,alw ays full ofwater, even in the greate st drouth .
About a quarter of a m ile dow n the r iver , close by thew ater side , there is a ruin ous kirk, called Wallach Kirk .
Som e part of the w alls do rem ain,w ith the Fon t. There
is a large Churchyard about it, w here m any of the deadare in terred there to this day ; w ith a glebe ye t be longingto the m in ister of the parish
,w ith som e m arks of the
prie st ’s hous e yet rem ain ing. About a hundred p aces
beneath the Kirk is St . Wallach ’s We ll, m uch frequen tedby sick folk. (Se e .Descrip tion of the Parish of Glass,1724, in Macfarlan e ’s Geographical Collection for Sootlan cl, MSS. Bibl. flan — Spalding Club.
Tw o ann exations have been m ade to the original parishofGlass. On th e rem oval of the Bishop from Mortlachin the 1 2th cen tury a large district of that exten siveparish w as ann exed to Glass and Cabrach . The otherannexation , con sisting of several of the be st farm s in th e
east end of th e parish , taken from Drum delgy or Pe terkirk
,now annexed to Cairn ie or Botary, was m ade about
th e end of the 17th cen tury, so that the original parishm ust have be en very sm all. The lands of Edinglassieappear to have been separated from th e parish of Mortlach and annexed to that of Glass in 1 650. (Presbytery
414 HUTCHESON CALDER’
s SILVER DRINKING CUP.
com pany w ith Huntly w hen h e w ent to the Battle of
Bre chin against the Earl ofCrawford, w ho , by his cunn ingand courage , got in to the cam p of Earl Beardy, and likew ise into his tent,Who , after supper, brought away thesaid Earl ’s drinking- cup (w hich cup Calder of Aswanlykeeps to this day) , be ing a large Silver cup, overlaid w ithgold , holding a Scots pin t and two gills, of fine engravenand carved w ork , and w ith a cape of w hich the re is aninscription , w hich is now lost ; w herew ith return ing tot he cam p in the silence of the n ight h e gave account toHun tly of the situation of Earl Beardy
’
s cam p and
num ber of his force s ; and, as a te stim ony Of his be ingthere
,produced the said cup, upon which inte lligence
they attacked Crawford in the m orn ing and defeated hisforce s ; for which service the said Hutcheon Calderobtained the lands ofAswanly, w hose poste rity posse ss itto this day. (See A Con cise History of the Ancien t and
Illustrious House of Gordon ,by C. A. Gordon , pp. 42 - 44.
Aberdeen ,
In the east end of the parish , and n orth side of the
Deveron ,east from the Church a m ile
,lie s the ruinous
House ofCairnb orrow ,form erly be longing to the Gordons
OfCairnb orrow .
Th e day before the Battle of Glen live t,159 4, the
Marquis of Huntly cam e to Cairnb orrow and applied tohis lady, w ho was supposed to rule the roost, fo r herassistan ce . She said She had got short warn ing, but thathe r Old m an ,
w ith his e ight son s, w ith a jackm an and a
footm an to each, should attend him imm ediate ly. Huntlythanked h er, and afte r som e m ore conversation w ith her
,
de sired Cairnb orrow , who had spoken n ever a w ord,to
stay at hom e , te lling him that, at his advan ced years, itw as not proper to take him along, e specially as he had som any of his son s. The Old m an heard him out, and
,
shrugging up his shoulde rs, said,“Na
,na
,m y Lord , I
’
ll
bleedED
the w he lps myse ll, they’ll bite the bette r.
” Thisw as at once th e reply of a sportsm an and a soldier ,
and
the w hole fam ily w en t to the Battle , w ith th e laird at
the ir head . They defeated Argyle and re turn ed all safeto Cairnb orrow . The w riter has se en a m anuscript inwhich the nam e s of th e fathe r, m other, and e ight son s areall m en tioned —J ohn Gordon of Cairnb orne m arriedBessie Gordon ,
daughter to the Laird of Buckie , w ith
SITES OF CHAPELS IN THE PARISH OF GARTLY. 415
w hom he begat e ight sons and three daughters. His sonsw e re— 1 . John
,Laird of Cairb orne , afterw ards of Edin
glassie ; 2 . George Gordon of Sorbach ; 3 . Jam e s GordonofFerm aghtie ; 4. William
,w ho coft Cairnb orrow ; 5. Mr.
Arthur Gordon 6 . Thom as Gordon ofAitloch ; 7. RobertGordon of Gollachie ; 8 . Patrick Gordon of Craigston ,
in
Sutherland. All the se w ith the ir father, and n ine jackm en and as m any footm en, w ent to Glenl ive t Battle .
(Stat. Ace. ofScotland,
GARTLY OR GRANTULY
Signifies thefield am ong the kn olls, and is .dedicated toSt. Andrew . Here is Andersm as Fair
,and St. Andrew ’s
We ll,one m ile from th e Church .
The ashe s of the Viscoun t of Aboyne and of JohnGordon,
Laird ofRothiem ay, w ho w ere burn ed in th e Old
tow er of the House ofFrendraught in 1 63 0, w ere buriedin a vault in the Church of Gartly,
which is still tob e se en .
The site s of Chapel s are still pointed out in the Brae s,nam e ly, at Heathery Hillock , Braw linknow e s, Mooral
House,Kirkney, and St . Finnan ’s Chape l and We ll at
Tillythrow ie . The ve stige s Of som e of these,and Of the
burial - grounds attached, are still visible .
The parish of Gartly, though locally in Aberde enshire ,is neve rthe le ss, legally, partly in that county and partlyin the county of Banff It is divided n early in the centreby the Water ofBogie into w hat is called the Barony andth e Brae s— th e form er is in the coun ty ofBanff, th e latterin the county ofAberde en .
The Church of Gartly w as one of the m en sal churche sof th e Bishop ofMurray.
The only antiquity in the parish is an Old ruin,called
the Place of Gartly. (Stat. Ace. of Scotland,Gartly Castle is placed on a sm all m ount
,and surrounded
w ith a deep ditch. It is a square tow er ; one end of it isfallen dow n ,
and show s a section of strong vaulted room s .A ston e coffin w as late ly found on the farm ofColdrain .
There w as also late ly found on the farm of Faich - hill anurn containing bone s, and a large on e , pre tty e ntire , 011th e farm of Riskhouse . (New Stat. A ce . OfScotland. )In 1574Mr. George Nicolson had a stipend of£53 6s. 8d.
Scots as m inister of Gartly and thre e adjoining parishes,
41 6 PARISH KIRK AND BELFRY OF GARTLY.
and John Leslye , the con tem porary reader at Gartly, hada salary of 20m erks.The pre sen t Church— a long narrow building— was
erected in 1 621 , during the tim e of Mr. William Re id,who “ taxed the faults of his parishioners bitte rli, and n ot
in th e language ofScripture , quhe rby the people, insteadeof be ing edified, w er m oved to laughter and derisione .
”
(Scott’s Fasti)
The Church belfry is an ornam en tal piece ofw ork, andupon it are slabs w ith the se w ords
YIs Is IVLT [HBVLT 1 62 1
MR RETHERoss MEASON
The Be ll bears an in scription in Latin ,n early sim ilar to
that at Ordiquhill. It i s locally rendered thusJohn Mowat made m e
,
For the use OfGartly,To call upon the Clergy,And to m ourn for the Dead.
A n ew stock was late ly given to the be ll . w hen the
follow ing inscription was copied_
by the schoolmasterIOHN. MOWAT. ABD : ME. FE : 1758 . IN. USUM. ECCLESDE.
DE. GERTLY . SABATA. PANGO. FUNEBA. PLANGO.
It was also found that the in scription upon one of the
ston e s of the be lfry (w hich was conjectured to bear thenam e of the Rev. Mr. Re the or Re id) bore
YIs . Is. BETHEL.
According to a w riter of 1726,“the Church has an
aisle where in the house of Huntley is buried.
” Thiswas possibly the Frendraught, or Crichton Aisle, whichen tered from the nave of the Church . The site is stillin dicated by a m ound on the south Side of the kirk.
Spalding state s that the ashe s and b rynt bone s of
th e unfortunate barons and the ir servants who perishedat the burn ing ofFrendraught in 1 63 0, w ere put in sax
kistis in the b aill, which, w ith gryte sorrow and cair, w eshad to the Kirk ofGarntullie , and thair bureit.The area of the Church was at one tim e filled w ith
hum an bone s ; but about fifty years ago the se w ere re
m oved, when som e of them w ere throw n, w ith, it is feared,
41 8 A BRIDE LOST ON HER MARRIAGE - DAY.
the 1 3 th April, 1 800years, after he had trod the stage ofTim efor the space of 70ye ars
At Ange l’s voice and Trumpet’s sound,
Shall dust arise , and bones b e joined.
VI. U nder this stone is laid all that was m ortal of Jam esBlack, son to Jam e s Black in Daugh , late Lieutenant in HisMajesty’s 9 8th Regim ent ofFoot, who departed this life 1 8thof Dec .
,1789 , in th e 25th year of his age . His m erits w ere
such that they are to b e he ld in e stim ation of all who knewhim while m em ory can record w orth. As also Mary Garioch,espoused to Jam e s Black in Daugh , who departed this life the9 th ofJany., 1 79 6, in the 73 rd year of her age .
From headstone sVII. In m em ory ofGeorge Forbes, late farm er in Whitelum s
,
who died in 1 8 3 3 , aged 84 ; also of his spouse , ChristianThom son , who died in 1 822, aged 41 .
Abridged :VIII Alexander Mitche ll
,who erected this stone ,
died 9 th Jan ,1 840
,aged 9 4 years, and is here interred.
It m ay b e w orthy of n ote that, w ithin th e kirkyard ofGartly, lie th e ashe s of a fem ale
,w ho
,according to local
story,w as lost by h er husband on th e day of h e r m arriage ,
and he r rem ain s w ere forgotten by him upon that of her
fun eral ! While both inciden ts Show the convivial state Ofsocie ty at th e tim e
,it w ould b e ungen erous to look upon the
latte r act (for the first is n ot unknow n in Scotland e venat the pre sent day) , in any other light than that of the
w idow er’s anxie ty to show hospital ity to those w ho
attende d th e fun eral of his w ife , m any ofw hom had com e
from distan t parts of the coun try.
Th e facts of both case s are the se —A w e ll - to - do farm er
in Gartly w as m arried at a con side rable distance from hisow n re siden ce ; and, w hen th e bride left h e r fathe r
’s forh e r n ew hom e in Gartly,
sh e w as placed, as w as thencustom ary
,upon the pillion behind the bridegroom .
When th e bridegroom arrive d at his house , he calle dupon th e friends w h o had assem ble d to w e lcom e the pairhom e to Take doun th e guidw ife 1
” “ The re ’s nae guidw ife there ! w as th e reply, to w hich the bridegroom ,
aftera short pause
,an sw ered I
’
ll wager yon w as h er’
at
gae d kloit i’
th e burn O’
Aul’ Rayne 1” Me ssengers w ere
THE CASTLE OF GARTLY. 41 9
despatched in que st of th e lost bride , w ho w as found inthe locality indicate d by th e bridegroom ,
drying her
garm ents by th e side of a b lazin’ ingle
It is told,as a seque l to this slip,
” that w hen the sam e
w om an died,and w hen th e funeral proce ssion was som e
distan ce upon th e road to the kirkyard , th e w idow ersuddenly called out
,
“ Stop, stop, sirs ! there’s a m istak
’
he re Strange to say, the rem ain s of his w ife had be enforgot to b e placed into the cart (there be ing but fewhearse s in those days) , in w hich they w ere to b e conveyedto the ir last re sting placeBe side s th e Parish Kirk
,at w hich
,in 1 650 (Acta Par l.
vi.,
a servan t of Le ith of Harthill w as killed in coldblood by tw o of Leith
’
s brothe rs,there w e re at on e tim e
thre e place s of w orship in Gartly . On e of the se stood at
Kirkn ey ,th e se cond at Talathrewie (St. Finnan) , and the
third at Braw linknow . According to tradition ,an infan t
son of th e Baron ofGartly w as drow n ed In the Bogie , ina pool still called Lord J ohn ’
s Pot, w hile be ing carriedhom e
,after baptism ,
from th e Chape l of Braw linkn ow .
Barclays, of the Tow ie race , w ere de sign ed lords or
baron s ofGrantully from at least 1 3 67 ; and SirAlexander,the laird of th e pe riod
,fe ll at the Battle of Arbroath
in 1 445- 46 . About a century afterwards the lands of
Gartly appear to have passe d from the Barclays to GordonOfAuch endow n ; and upon th e death ofSir Patrick GordonofAuchendow n in 1 600
,the Marquis ofHuntly succe eded
as he ir m ale .
Th e Castle of Gartly, of w hich, unfortunate ly, verylittle rem ains
,stood upon th e farm of th e Main s ofGartly .
According to Chalm e rs , Mary Queen of Scots re sted at
Gran tuly both on h er w ay to and from th e North . It
w as also the scene of a ballad called “ The Barone O’
Gartly,”w hich te lls that th e Baron ’s lady
,during his
absen ce in th e w ars, be cam e th e w ife of Gordon of
Lesm o re , and that, th e Baron having consulted “w e ird
sisters ” in a cave on the Binhill ofCann ey regarding theaffair, revenged th e in sult by burn ing th e Castle OfGartly,its faithle ss lady, and the w hole inm ate s .Am ong th e m any rom an tic glen s and com ics in Gartly ,
possibly that of Tilliem init is th e m ost beautiful,and
the re , upon a slab built In th e farm house,1s a shie ld bear
ing a m uch defaced coat ofarm s, probably those ofGordon .
420 DR. ALLARDYCE’
S MONUMENT IN GARTLY CHURCHYARD.
The parish ofGartly,w hich is w holly th e property of
the Duke ofRichm ond,is situated partly in the count ie s
ofAberde en and Banff.A Free Church w as erected on the north side of the
Bogie in‘
1 844, the Parish Min ister having seceded at the
Disruption of 1 843 .
There is a neat ham let Of house s, w ith shops and an
inn, at the railway station of Gartly,
from w hich th epre tty district of Strathdon
,and interm ediate . localitie s,
m ay b e reached daily by m ean s of th e m ail cart.
There has j ust be en ere ctedin the Parish Church a neatand tastefully exe cuted table t in m em ory ofDr . Allardyce ,son of th e late Mr. Jam e s Allardyce
,Tillym innat, in this
parish . Dr. Allardyce,after labouring som e years in Cey
lon ,re solved on paying a short Visit to his native land
,
and scarce ly had h e se t sail w hen steps w ere taken by hisfriends In Ceylon to raise subscription s w ith the View of
pre sen ting him w ith som e te stim on ial of the ir regardw hen h e re turned to the scen e of his labours. Dr . Allardyce
,how ever , took ill on his w ay hom e
,
“
and die d on
board in the Red Sea. In the circumstance s the subscribers de term in ed to expend th e sum
that had been raised in procuring a m em orial - table t to b ee re cted in th e Church Of his native parish . Th e table t isof w hite m arble , em bedded in black, and con sists of a
shie ld,surm ounted by a cope , re sting on tw o sem icircular
pillars, and in the shie ld is the follow ing in scription
Sacred to the m em ory of Jam es Allardyce , M.D.,som etim e
District- Surgeon in Rakwand, Ceylon , w ho died Off Suez, 27thNovem ber, 1 878 , aged 27 years. Erected by European and
native residents in the districts in which h e laboured in affec
tionate rem embrance ofhis character and worth.
Th e table t is one of th e last w orks exe cuted by thede ceased Mr. Legge , sculptor , Aberde en ,
and i s in e veryway a beautiful pie ce ofw orkm an ship.
”
(Banfi'
shir e J our
n al, 25th January,
INVERKEITHNY.
The Church OfInn erke thn ey w as ere cted into a prebendOf th e Cathedral Church ofMurray by Bishop Andrew deMoravia in a Syn od of his clergy he ld at Elgin ,
in the
Church of St . Giles th e Abbot, on the 5th May, 1 226 .
422 THE PREBENDARIES OF RHYNIE.
w hich , Iam told, m eans the grave of a thousand, or of a
great num ber . Lord Haile s rem arks that Lulach, w hom
Macbe th’s party se t up, after th e usurper’s death, w as
afte rw ard discovered in his lurking- place in the parishof Essie in this ne ighbourhood ; but, as after a carefulsearch, n o m arks of a battle can b e found in this parish
,
perhaps the m onum en tal pile m ay have be en raised uponthat occasion . (F. Douglas
’
Description of the East Coastof Scotland.)The re is a tradition ofa Battle having be en fought at a
rem ote period about th e m iddle of this parish ; and a
large ston e , about 5fe e t in diam e ter, on w hich there are
som e hieroglyphical characters , standing on the Moor of
Rhyn ie,is said to have be en e re cted in m em ory of th e
engagem en t. Part Of this ston e has been late ly broken .
There are som e m onum ental ston e s scattered throughoutthe parish, rude ly carved w ith hieroglyphics, m uch defaced .
(The Old and New Stat. Ace . ofScotland.)Th e ere ction by Ericius, Bishop Of Murray, of the
Church of Rynyn into on e of the e ight prebends of theCathedral Church of the Dioce se , w as ratified by hissucce ssor, Andrew de Moravia
,in a Synod of his clergy
he ld in th e Church ofSaint Gile s the Abbot, at Elgin on
th e fifth ofMay,1 226 .
The prebendary of Ryny w as bound to provide a Sub
Deacon to serve as his Vicar in the Cathedral Church .
Master David Monypeny was prebendary ofRyny from1 473 to 1 48 9 . In 1488 h e w as am erced in the seventhpart of the fruits of his b en efice for con tum acy and non
re sidence at th e Cathedral .Alexander Hepburne w as prebendary of Ryne from
153 9 to 1547.
John Le sly w as titular prebendary, Thom as Sutherlandusufructuary, ofRhyny,
from 1547 to 1556 .
Thom as Sutherland w as prebendary from 1556 to 1557.
Jam e s Gordon , son of th e Earl ofHun tly,was prebendary
in 1560. (Reg. Epis. Morav.)
ROTHIEMAY.
The Church was on e of the m en sal churche s of theBishop of Moray, and w as dedicated to St . John or to St.Durstan .
A little east of the Village of Milton is Rothiem ay
PARISH OF ROTHIEMAY. 423
House , traditionally said to have afforded a n ight’s lodg
ing to Queen Mary.
A Druidical Tem ple is a little to the north of th e
village , and a supposed Rom an road run s north - w e stwardthrough the w e ste rn district.
JAMES FERGUSON ’S BIRTHPLACE NOT INROTHIEMAY.
Iwas Born in the year 1 710a few m il es from Keith,a little village in Banfishire, in the Nor th of Scotland,
”
are the w ords of this great gen ius from his ow n Au tobi
ography, a fact w hich has be en rece ived w hereve r hisnam e has be en know n
,and in e very Encyclopaedia it is
thus notified . Sure ly on e so accurate in e verything e lse ,and be ing 64 years Old when h e w rote his ow n life , w as
n ot like ly not to know his native place . In his earlyyears Ferguson
’s paren ts w ould have be en ce rtain tohave alluded to the district and parish w here h e indicates,and about w hich h e give s m inute ly m any inciden ts w hichstuck so w e ll to his m em ory.
By an Extract from “a stray leaf of a m ass of loose
leave s ” the Rev . Dr . Sim m ie ofRothiem ay, Dr. Eb en ezerHe nde rson of Muckart, and Robert Sim ,
Ke ith, re iterate ,in trium virate , that the Bir th and Bir thp lace of th e se lftaught Prodigy w ere at th e Core of Maye n
,Rothiem ay.
Mr. R. Sim in his little volum e,Legends of Strathisla,
&c .,p . 150 argue s even w earisom e ly that Fe rguson
“ intentionally,not ignorantly or inadvertently, con ceale d
th e fact of th e place of his bir th by giving a very doubtfullocality” Such an idea need no t b e characterised . The
Baptism al Entry, or rather Jotting, on this said “ strayleaf ofa m ass of loose leave s
,form erly at Rothiem ay
,has
be en tw isted by the above w riters— th e one Copyingth e other— in to evidence for th e place of Birth. It
cannot ve ritably b e so con strued, inasm uch as,in this
case, the Date of Bir th is left out ; w hereas, in th e
Scotch Parish Registers, date s both of Birth and Baptism are invariably inserted . That the Ferguson s re
sided at the Core of Mayen there can b e n o doubt ; butthe tradition
,still curren t am ong those w hose forbearis
w ere born and bred in Ke ith,is that Ferguson
’s father,
be ing a poor labour ing m an , w as ne ce ssitated to go forw ork to Rothiem ay, w here his infan t Jam e s w as carriedand Baptized, a few w e eks after his Birth in the Parish of
424 FERGUSON, THE ASTRONOMER, BORN IN KEITH PARISH.
Ke ith . Repeated in stan ces of the sam e kind occur of
children having been Born in one parish but Bap tized inanothe r. My ow n father was so ; and his father, m oreover
,was an Elder in tw o parishe s, and carried his son for
Baptism 5m ile s from th e place of his Birth to a differen tpar ish . In large town s th e like in stance s are m ultitudinous. Ferguson n ever on ce m ention s this Core of
Mayen or Rothiemay, so that, from his ow n m outh (aspr inted at the beginn ing of this Article ) , and by authentictradition
,KEITH has the indubitable title of c laim ing as
“a son of the soil ” this rare innate m echan ic, Naturalphilosopher
, and astronom er, tow ering in ingenuity and
inte llect far above the ordin ary acquirem en ts of hum an ity— as a com peer w ith Galileo, Sir John Hersche l, and SirIsaac New ton
,em balm ed am ong the m ost gifted that this
w orld ever produced .
RUTHVEN.
See m y“Book of the Chronicles ofKeith, &c .,
1 880.
END OF VOL. II.
THE LlBRARY
UNIVERSIT Y OF CALIFORNIA
University ofCalifo rnia LibraryLo s Angele s
This bookis DUEon the last date 3
C “ U ." w .