1718.—PARLIAMENT
BRIDLE, &C.—Previous to the Union, Royal Burghs “usually
provided a bridle and other appendages for the horses
their members rode on in procession to the Scottish
Parliament.” The Dunfermline “horse appendages” had
been lying useless since the Union (1707), and as they
were, from “the altered state of things,” no longer
needed for sustaining “the dignity of the burgh,” they
were put up for sale, as shown by the following
minuter in the Burgh
Records:--“9th April, 1718: The same day,
John Stevinson, shoemaker,
bought the parliament bridle,
curple, and the strip leathers and strip irons,
for seven pounds six shillings and eight pennies (Scots)
at a roup, which he
instantly payed to Robert
Anderson, treasurer.” (Burgh Records.)
THE OLD BRASS
CANDLESTICK OF THE KIRK.—“9th April, 1718:
The same day, John Stevinson
bought the old brass candlestick that hung in the
church for seven shillings (Scots) per pound; the same
weighing in heall
tuenty-four and a half
pounds weight, and so the price extending to eight
pounds eleven shillings six pennies (Scots), was pd to
the treasurer.” (Burgh Records.)
EAST-PORT TO BE
RE-BUILT.—It would appear from the following minute in
the Burgh Records, that the East-Port had either become
so ruinous, or had fallen, that it had to be
re-built:--“9th April, 1718: The counsel
appoints the dean of gild convener, and the treasurer
with any of the baillies to agree with workmen for
laying the causey betwixt the Cross and the Port, and
for building the Port again.”
(Burgh Records.)
DAMASK WEAVING
INTRODUCED INTO DUNFERMLINE.—The
then new operation in weaving called Damask Weaving,
appears to have been in operation at Drumscheugh, near
Edinburgh, as
early as the year 1715. For many years this new
department in weaving was kept secret, and no one but
tried men were admitted into the weaving establishment
at Drumscheugh. The trade was a paying one, and
accordingly the process was the subject of much
conversation and debate among the weaving populations in
Scotland. James Blake, an ingenious weaver in
Dunfermline, skilled in mathematics and mechanics,” &c.,
and endowed with a most retentive memory, resolved at
all hazards to get into the Drumscheugh factory.
According to tradition, he feigned himself of weak
intellect, and by telling queer stories to the workmen,
he was allowed to come inside the factory to amuse
them. This was Blake’s opportunity; his keen eye and
mechanical mind mastered all the details of the mystery
of damask-weaving. After obtaining his object he
regained his senses, came back to Dunfermline with the
whole of the Drumscheugh weaving mechanism, in full
working order, on his mind. He then drew plans for the
construction of his loom, which he got made by a
wright and a smith; this
effected, it was erected in the lower north-west room of
“the Pends,” immediately
above the archway, and there he commenced his
damask-weaving during the summer of 1718. Shortly
afterwards, John Beveridge
and John Gilmour, weavers, of “the
Brucefield Feus,”
joined Blake in the damask trade, and the whole of the
empty rooms in “the Pends”,
&c., were filled with damask looms. (See Histories of
Dunfermline,) John Blade was the maternal
great-grandfather of the writer; he appears to have been
born about the year 1690, and would therefore be about
twenty-eight years old when he set up his loom in
Dunfermline. “He died respected and regretted by the
haill burgh,” about the year
1770, aged eighty years. (Newspapers, Magazines, &c.)
“THE ANCIENT SOCIETY
OF GARDENERS,” whose members had previous to this period
been confined to the “craft,” began this year (1718) to
attract the notice of noblemen and others, who through
solicitation were admitted members. Henceforward, their
preses or deacon was dignified with the title of
Governor, and lastly by the title of Chancellor.” (Vide
Histories of
Dunfermline; Gardeners’ Records, &c.)
PROVOST OF
DUNFERMLINE.—“6th
October, 1718: The said day the grand counsel re-elected
Sir Peter Halket of Pitferrane Provost.”
(Burgh Records.)
REV. JAME SWARDLAW
translated from Cruden,
Aberdeenshire, and admitted
minister of the Second Charge of the
Church of Dunfermline,
20th Nov., 1718. (Par.
Records; also An. Dunf.
date 1742.)
1719.—SEAL OF CAUSE
OF THE MASONS.—“19th
Jany. 1719: A new Gift and Seal of Cause was
granted to the masons by the Provost, Baillies, and
Council.” (Burgh Records.)
THE KING’S BIRTH-DAY
ordered to be held.—“16th April, 1719: The
counsel ordains the King’s Birth Day to be observed upon
Thursday nest the 28 instant and the Marches to be rid
the same day after the ordinar
manner.” (Burfh
Records.)
ELIZABETH HALKET’S
poem of “Hardy-knute” was
first published in 1719. (Finlay’s
Domestic Ballads, &c.; see also An.
Dunf. date 1263, 1618, 1802, 1727.)
WEAVING.—A
Servet or Table Napkin,
Woven by James Blake.—An
unique 7/8 Servet, or
Table-Napkin, of single damask, was this year woven by
James Blake, damask-weaver in “the
Pends,”
Dunfermline. It is still in a state of excellent
preservation. In the centre of the
servet there is the representation of a
mansion-house of five storeys,
with a sort of tower and a pillar on each side, and
attached to the house there is a row of buildings like
offices; while in other places there are the figures of
a horse, a unicorn, a dog, a monkey, a ship, a chariot
and a charioteer, a St. Andrew’s Cross, branches of
trees, &c. There are also woven on it at different
places the following three mottoes:--
“’Quid
gravius
capta’-‘Fortunam causamque
sequor’-
Jan. 30, MDCXLIX.”
“’Deceptis
custodibus’—MDCCXIX.”
For a considerable
length of time the writer was of opinion that all these
mottoes (especially the first one) had reference to the
unfortunate in consequence of being made aware of the
existence of two medals of a later date, bearing similar
words in their legends. On
March, 30, 1861,
Messrs. Dowell & Lyon, auctioneers, Edinburgh, exposed
for sale a large lot of coins and medals. At page 10 of
their catalogue, and Nos. 138 and 139, are the following
remarks on these medals:--
No. 138, Portrait of
“James (VIII.),” to the right: Legend, ‘Unica
Salus’—R.A. View of
London, with Hanoverian
horse trampling on the British Lion; Britannia weeping,
family emigrating, &c.: Legend, “Quid
Gravius
Capta.” (Size 13 ½ silver.)
No. 139, Portrait of
“Clementina,” with her
titles as Queen of Great Britain. R. View of
Rome in the distance.
Clementina
in a biga at full speed.
“Fortunam
Causamque
Sequor:”
Exerque, “Deceptis
Custodibus,” referring to
her escape in domestic female attire, having deceived
the keepers. (Size 13 ½ silver.)
There are also similar medals in bronze.
Here we have all the
three mottoes, as also the dates, on the napkin, and
they are the same as struck on the medals. It therefore
appears evident that the mottoes and dates on the napkin
were taken from the medals. A set of the medals would
probably be in the possession of some “Dunfermline
Jacobite” in 1719, and Blake
would thus have an opportunity of copying them, and,
without attending to their proper arrangement, wove them
into his napkin.
The three mottoes may
be arranged as follows:--
1st,
“Quid Gravius
Capta,” i.e.,
“What is graver (or sadder) than a captive.” The
date, January 30th,
1649, is that of the decollation of King Charles I. It
will be observed that the so-called “James VIII.” adopts
this motto for his medal legend
)vide his medal.)
2nd, “Fortunam
Causamque
Sequor,” i.e., “I follow
fortune and the cause” (Clementina’s
medal).
3rd, “Deceptis
Custodibus,”
i.e.”Deceived the
custodier (or keeper)”—also
on Clementina’s medal. She—Clementina—was
for a short period a prisoner, and effected her escape
by disguising herself “in domestic female attire.” The
date (1719) is that of her escape.
No doubt specimens of
these medals will be seen in the
British Museum, and in
the great museums of the country. The several figures
of animals, ship, mansion, &c., on the napkin may refer
to nothing; probably they
are”fanciful creations.” This napkin was long in
the possession of the late Mr. Laurence Wilson, of
Midmill, near Dunfermline,
who shortly before his departure for America in
1855, sold it privately to
the late Mr. Erskine
Beveridge, manufacturer,
Dunfermline. (See Mercer’s History of Dunfermline, p.
163; also Chalmers’s History
of Dunfermline, vol. i. p.
382; vol. ii. P. 330.)
LITERATURE.—The Rev.
James Grame, the last
Episcopalian minister of
Dunfermline, was tried
for Nonconformity, and deposed 20th June,
1701. This year (1719) his “Trial” was published. The
following is a copy of the title page:--
The Famous
T R Y A L
Of the late REVEREND and LEARNED
M R.
J A M E S G R A M
E
Episcopal
Minister of
Dunfermline
Formerly
PROFESSOR OF HUMANITY AT
ST. ANDREWS,
Before the
Several
COURTS OF CHURCH JUDICATURE
In
Scotland.
____________
Edin.
1719.
PROVOST OF
DUNFERMLINE.—“5TH
Oct. 1719: The said council elected and continued Sir
Peter Halket as Provost.” (Burgh Rec.)
1720.—GREAT
SNOW-STORMS.—“In January and February, 1720, there were
three great
falls of snow in the West of Fife. In Dunfermline the
streets were covered with snow two-three times to the
depth of at least of dozen of feet.” Afterwards,
“severe frost set in.” (MS.)
LIMEKILLS ROAD
PLEA.—“25 June: This day the counsel
commissionat the Clerk to go
to Edinburgh and
consult Mr. Grame, Mr.
Dalryample, Mr.
Wedderburn, Mr. Walker, and
any other George Robertson shall direct to defend Sir
Philips plea aagainst the
toun, and to tell George
Robertson to be very carefull
and spare no money in defending the
touns plea, and to give George Robertson twelve
guineas to disburse on the plea.”
THE KIRK UNDERGOING
REPAIRS.—“The roofs made tight;
Bellhouse repaired; windows glazed, and the
fabric pointed with lime.” (Old
Account.)
FREE HOMORARY
BURGESSES OF DUNFERMLINE.—The Rev. Dr. J.T.
Desaguilier, LL.D.,
London and Mr. William
Walls, were this year made free burgesses.—“26th
August, 1720: The council appointed ye Clerk to writ
out, Seall and Subscribe two
burges
andGild tickets, ye ane
for Mr. William Walls, and ye oyr
for John Theophilus
Desaguliers, doctor of laws,
fellow of ye royal society and chaplain to his grace ye
Duke of Chandos, and to
transmit to Captain Halketm
now in London. (Sic Subs)
PET.HALKET.” (Bur. Rec.) Why these gentlemen
were made burgesses of Dunfermline in now not known.
The Records do say—“Dr. Desagulier
was an eminent scientific man, Public Lecturer on
Natural Philosophy in London, and author of several
scientific works.” Of Mr. Walls nothing is known.
PROVOST OF
DUNFERMLINE.—“The grand counsel re-elected Sir Peter
Halket Provost.” (Burgh Records,
Oct. 10, 1720.)
FREE HONORARY BURGESS
OF DUNFERMLINE.—“This day ye counsel ordered ye Clerk to
writ out, sign and seall a
burges ticket to
Samuell Walker, merchant in
Leeds, and to transmit it to Mr. David Walker, advocate,
who deserved it.” (Burgh Records,
17th Oct.
1720.)
1721.—FIRE BUCKETS.—“
9TH
Jan. 1721: The counsel appoints the
thesaurer to send to
Edinburgh for a hyde of good
inglish uppers to make water
buckets, to be kept by ye toun
in case of fire.”
(Burgh Records.)
BORING FOR WATER NEAR
THE EAST PORT.—“23rd March, 1721: The
counsel, after voting, ordered the
thesaurer to pay to James Anderson six pounds
scots as a help to him and
ye neighbourhood about ye
east port in defraying ye charges lately made by ye
neighbourhood in setting
down for water at the east port.” (Burgh Rec.) This
boring for water for the supply of the town proved
abortive.
PROVOST OF
DUNFERMLINE.—Sir Peter Halket, of
Pitfirrane, re-elected Provost. (Burgh Records,
9th
Oct., 1721.)
THE PRINCE’S
BIRTH-DAY.—“28th
Oct., 1721: The counsel ordained the prince’s birth-day
to be observed as usual.” (Burgh
Records.) “As usual” may mean that it was to be
observed with the assistance of “dram-glasses!”
THE NETHERTON AND THE
HOWGATE CAUSEWAYS TO BE REPAIRED.—“The
Counsell appointed the Dean
of Gild Conveener, and John
Mayn to order the repairing
of the street at the east-end of the
Nethertoun, and help the
broken causey in the howgeat.”
(Burgh Records,
3rd
Nov., 1721.) The Howgate, a
name now unknown, refers to the lower part of the
Newrow, between the east end
of Priory Lane and
Bothwell
Street.
LIST OF THE GUILD
BRETHREN IN 1721.—The
following list of the Guild Brethren of Dunfermline is
extracted from the last page of one of the volumes of
the Guildry Records. It
cannot fail to be interesting, as it shows forth the
holders of wealth and position of that period in the
burgh and vicinity. We therefore insert it:--
William
Walker
Andrew Turnbull
John Brown
John Turnbull
Jerome Cowie
John Henderson, Drymiln
Thomas Mitchell
James Bayn
James Hutton,
Primrose John
Halkerston
Patrick
Angus John
Cowie
Robert
Anderson John Brand
Andrew
Symsone
Robt. Baxter
John
Allan John
Finlay
Robert Wilsone
David Ramage
Wm. Wilson,
litster Wm.
Stevinson
John Anderson
Alex
Ady
Adam
Wilson John Brown
(Junior)
James Rolland
Andrew Belfrage
Robert
Walker Wm.
Ady
Wm.
Black Robert Hutton
David
Gray Andrew
Mayn
James Wilsone,
Limekilns
Adam Anderson
Wm. Alexander,Llimekilns
John Hutton (Cross)
James Mc Beath
Wm. Marshall
Robt.
Pierson John Scotland
John
Hart Alex
Veatch
Wm. Wilson,
maltster James Elder
George Chrysty
John Deall
Patrick Currie
John
Wilsone
Robert Belfrage
Peter Rolland
Thomas Anderson,
Crossford Wm.
Meldrum
John Bethune
David Hutton
Charles Chalmers
Matthew Kier
John Walker
James Young
David Sands
John McClaron
John Barclay,
Georgetoun
Heugh Craig
Rovert
Paterson John Kirk
John Thomson, Barns.
William Wilsone
Alexander
Duncan John
Gib
James Hutton,
Dunduff George Turnbull
Wm. Hutton, Dunduff
Peter Black
Robt.
Dalgliesh,
Dunnygask David
Wilsone
Gavin Stanhouse
David Morres
George Wilsone,
Knockhouse David Adie
Patrick Wilsone,
Knockhouse James
Hoog
Adam
Rolland William Hutton
Adam Walker
George Shaw
Lau.
Henderson Peter Curry
John
Kindsey
George Adie
James Crawford
John Black
John Flockart
George Kellock
Thomas
Scotland John
Wilsone
John Adie
Total 97 member of
Dunfermline Guildry.
(Vide MS. Guildry Record for
1605-1770.)
ANCIENT SOCIETY OF
GARDENERS.—The Marquis of Tweeddale
elected Chancellor of the Society.—(Abrid.
Hist. Soc. Gardeners.)
1722.—DANIEL DEFOE
VISITS DUNFERMLINE.—Daniel Defoe, the celebrated author
of “Robinson Crusoe,” visited Dunfermline early in 1722,
while on his second tour through Scotland collecting
materials for his work—“A Journey through
Scotland,”—which was published in London in 1723. (See
date 1723 for extract of his article on
Dunfermline in that
work.)
A COMMISSIONER TO BE
ELECTED FOR THE NEW PARLIAMENT.—“8th
Oct., 1722: A letter from the Earl of
Rothes, Sheriff-Principal of
Fifeshire, directs the
Provost, Baillies, Counsellors,
&c., to meet and elect a Commissioner for the New
Parliament, to be holden at
Westminster on 10th May. On the 10th
May, 1722, the counsel of Dunfermline met, when they
elected Captain Halket to be their Commissioner.”
PROVOST OF
DUNFERMLINE.—“8th
Oct., 1722: Sir Peter Halket of
Pitfirrane re-elected Provost.
(Burhg
Records.)
PROPRIETOR OF
PITTENCRIEFF.—Mr. Arthur Forbes was proprietor of
Pittencriedd in 1722.
THE TOWN-DRUMMER
CLANDESTINELY SOLD HIS DRUM.—“17th Oct.,
1722: This day James Hatton, convened before the
counsel, confessed he sold the
toun’s drum to John Hood, and was to have got
account therefore tho he
never got it. The counsel considering that he disposed
thereon without the toun’s
leave, orders him to pay the said crown to the
Treasurer.” (Burgh Records.)
GARDENER’S SOCIETY AND TH E “CIRCULATION OF SAP IN
VEGETABLES.”—“On
the 10th
October, 1711, the following subject was given out to
David Bowie, Garderner,
viz.:--On the circulation of the Sap in
Begetables, and a reason
given why Brambles, Allars,
and Sallows, are of such
large pith, and put forth greater growth the first year,
than those of smaller pith, such as Oaks, Box, &c.
Nothing more is said on this matter in the Gardeners’
Book than that the thanks of the meeting was given to
Mr. Bowie.” (Abrid.
Hist. Soc.
Gard. of
Dunf. p.
62, pub. In 1816.)
1723.—DE FOE’S “JOURNEY
THROUGH
SCOTLAND” PUBLISHED.—Under date 1722, An. Of
Dunf., it is noted that in
that year De Foe visited Dunfermline during his travels,
collecting materials for his new work, entitled, “A
Journey through Scotland,” which work was published this
year (1723) in London. It has been styled “a vaguely
written work.” The following are a few extracts from
his “Journey” relating to Dunfermline. He says—
“From Kinross, in
eight miles more I arrived at the Royal Palace of
Dunferling. This was the
Habitation of King James the Sixth, before he came to
England. It was
here that Prince Henry, King Charles the First, and the
Princess Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, were born. It was
also the Jointure-House of Queen Anne of Denmark, who
built an apartment for herself, at the top of the Entry
or pend,
with a Gallery of Communication with the Royal
Apartments. This Palace consists of two courts, the
upper Hawks and Hounds, and the officers belonging to
them. The upper court makes the Palace, the Royal
Apartments to the South and West—Queen Anne’s
Jointer-House to the North, and the Church and Remnants
of the ancient Monastery on the East.
“The church was above
three hundred foot long. It was built after the manner
of that at Litchfield, with a
Steple between two Spries
on the West, and Two Spires more on each side of the
middle of the church. At the Reformation King James the
Sixth repaired and butteressed
the West End of it for a Protestant Parochial Church;
the body of the church and choir, where several Kings of
Scotland lye buried, continuing still a heap rubbish;
their tombs are still preserved in the open air; and
particularly that of St. Margaret, in Black Alabaster.
From this church to the refectory, or
Frater Hall, as they call it
here, was a noble Cloyster,
turned into a Tennis court after the reformation. The
refectory was a noble room fifty foot long, forth high,
and thirty broad; in it are nine windows to the south,
twelve foot high, and thirty broad, from whence one hath
a most delicious prospect of the
Frith at four miles distance. This hall is
erected upon two several vaults, supported by pillars,
like the foundation of some of the Cathedrals in
England; the lowermost vault, as I suppose was a
Burying-Place there, but what use the second vaulted
story was I cannot imagine. The roof of this hall, as
also of the Royal Apartments is all down, and Jack-Daws
build now in the room where King Charles the First was
born. I believe this was a
Royal Palace before the
reformation, for the Arms of James the Fifth, with his
Queen of the House of Guise are still fresh upon the
apartments, as are also those of the Lord Hamilton,
Governor of Scotland in the Minority of Queen Mary. The
Gardens, as by the walls still standing, have been very
spacious, with a rivulet running through them.”
(De Foe’s Journey Through Scotland,
pp. 173-176.)
De Foe makes several
slips of the pen in his description, viz.,
Prince Henry was not born at
Dunfermline, but in the Castle of
Stirling.
The entire length of the Church was 275 feet, not 300.
It was not built “after the manner of Litchfield
Cathedral,” but that of Durham in miniature, two west
towers with a large central or lantern tower at the
junction of the Choir and the Nave. “The Noble Room of
the Refectory” was 119 feet long, not 50; the height
outside is 43 feet, and about 30 in breadth. The lower
vaults could never have been a “Burying Place.” The
apartment where Charles I. was born has long been “an
ivy mantled ruin.”
“Sad are the ruthless
ravages of time—
The bulwark, turret frowning, once sublime,
Now totters to its base, and displays
A venerable wreck of other days.”
De Foe says that
several of the royal tombs in ruins amongst the rubbish
were to be seen. These were likely the “six large flat
stones,” under the pavement of the north transept of the
new Abbey Church, and now known not to have been royal
tombstones. The stone having on it the arms, &c., of
James V. and Mary of Guise, is still to be seen; it has
had many sites of late; at present it stand on the
ground inside Frater Hall,
adjacent to the Great Western Window.
Since Defoe’s time,
the Palace ruins have been nearly all swept away; the
royal ruins are now represented by “one long, lone ivy-buttress’d
wall”—
“And now
dismantled—prostrate all
Thy former might—there scarce remains
Enough of what thou wert to call
Thy bulwarks and thy
wide domains.”
ENCROACHMENT ON THE
GUILDRY’S PRIVILEGE.—“At a Guild Council held by the
Dean of Guild, 27th February, 1723, John
MacIaron, indweller in
Dunfermline, was brought before said counsel for
encroaching on the Gildrie’s
privileges by selling staple ware within the burgh. He
confessed his cryme, and
referred himself to the counsel, who
fyned him in three pounds
Scots, and ordained him to remain in prison till
payment.” (Guildry Records;
MS. For 1723.)
THE RACE SADDLE.—26th
Apr. 1723: The said day the counsel resolved to put out
a saddle for a race to be run on Wednesday next at two
o’clock afternoon. And
Commissionat the two
baillies, the gild and thesaurer
to buy the saddle and draw out the articles.”
(Burgh Records.)
THE GARDENERS’
RACE.—“30th Apr. 1723; The said day the
counsel, for incouraging of
the gardener’s race to be keept
up here they agreed that the town
shal next year contribute thirty shillings
sterling for buying and putting a
plete [plate?] for next year.”
(Bur. Records.)
SEAL OF CAUSE FOR THE
TAILORS.—“22d
June, 1723: This day the magistrates and counsel
granted the incorporation of Tailors
a new gift or Seal or Cause. (Bur. Rec.) It consists
of 3 fol. pp.
PROVOST OF
DUNFERMLINE.—“8th
Oct. 1723 this day Sr. Peter Halket was re-elected
Provost. (Burgh Records.)
BARCLAY’S DESCRIPTION
OF THE PARISH AND THE TOWN OF DUNFERMLINE IN 1723.—The
following description of the Parish and Town of
Dunfermline by Mr.
Barclay (in MS.) is in “Macfarlane’s Geographical
Collections,” vol. i.,
Advocates’ Library, Edinburgh. (See
also Fernie’s
Hist.
Dunf. pp. 175, 182.)
:The Parish of Dunfermlin,
in the Shire of Fife, hath to the S. the Parish on
Innerkeething 3 miles
distant. To the north Clysh
6 miles; to the NE and NW Baith
and Carnock; the first 3 and
the other 2 ½ miles distant; to the W.
Torryburne 3 miles distant;
and from Edinburgh 12 miles, including the breadth of
the river at Queensferry.
[Note these miles are old Scotch miles, add a half more
to each to adjust to modern miles.]
“The most remarkable
houses in the Parish are just adjoining the Church. On
the southside
Pittencrieff, the Hill
call’d
Anster Feild ½ mile,
S.E. Pitravy 2 miles SSW.;
Broomhall 1 ½ mile, just over
Limnekilnes, a little thriving village belonging
to Sir Peter Halket of Pitfirren,
with a commodious harbour
for shipping of his coal, which has been long esteemed
the best for Forges in foreign countries. S.W.
Pitliver 1 ½ mile; NW.
Balmoole
2 miles, and Barrige
¼ mile; NE
Garvock; W.
Pitfirren 1 ¼ mile, and just
joining to it Cavill.
“The town is
pleasantly situate, in a fruitful soil, on a rising
ground with a brooke, or
Rivolet on the west side
commonly call’d the
Toureburn, rising from a
lake about 2 miles from the town, running to the south
under the Abbay.
“A little without the
west gate are the ruines of a
tower, called Malcolm Canmore’s,
who probably lived here. This
Malcolm 3d. built the
Church, at the same time with that of
Durham, near the same
manner and figure. More than half the church is in
ruines, where lye buried, under plain and coarse marble
stones, Malcolm 3., with his son Prince Edward, his
Queen S. Margaret, Donald 7., Edgar, Alexander I., David
I., Malcolm 4., Alexander 3., Robert the Bruce and
Thomas Randall, Regent in King David Bruce’s minority.
“The
Abbay has been a spacious
and noble building, but now all in ruines, except a part
built by King James 6. soon
after his accession to the Crown of England. At the
Revolution (1699) the room was entire where was borne
the Royal Martyr, Charles I., on 2 Nov. 1061; and it may
glory in being the birthplace of
Mathilda, Malcolm Canmore’s
daughter.
Dunfermline is a Regality,
where two head courts are held yearly by the Marquis of
Tweeddale, or his Deputies,
and is a Burgh Royall.”
(Fernie’s
Hist.
Dunf. pp. 175-178.)
There are several
errors in this description, e.g.—Pitreavie
is south-east, Balmule
noth-east, and
Baldridge north from
Dunfermline.
The following is
another description of the Burgh and Parish of
Dunfermline; author unknown.
“The
antient and
royall Burgh of Dunfermline,
in the Shire of Fife, stands on the north
syde of the little water of
Lyne, when it hath a part of
its name. It
lyes two miles north from the river forth at
Lymekills, &c. The
burgh of
Dunfermline is the head burgh of the regality of
Dunfermline, and is bounded on the west by the
tourburn, which derives its
name from a tour of King Malcolm
Kanmore’s, standing without the west port
thereof. On the west end of the burgh stands the
remains of a stately palace and
monastrie of old, the greatest and richest in
Scotland. And on the north syd
on the monastrie stood a
very stately Church of Old Gothick
work, now all ruinous except the west end thereof, which
makes a large parochiall
church.
“The Burgh is divided
into an upper and lower town, having the
Palace Garden and park
in the middle. On the south-east corner of lower or
nether town, and on the south syde
of the Water of Lyne, stand
a hospitall, for maintenance
of eight Widows, called St. Leonard’s Hospital.
“The north, the east,
and west parts of the parach
are full of coall, a great
part of which are exported from the
harbour
of
Lymkills,
lying in the paroch, on the
north syd of the River
Forth, and two miles south
fra Dunfermline.
“Within the
paroch of
Dunfermline are the
Gentlemen’s houses following, viz.: The house of
Pitfirran, pertaining to Sir
Peter Halket, a large mile west from the town; about a
ridge lenth east from
Pitfirran
lyes the house of
Cavile, pertaining to James
Lindsay of Cavile; the house
of Pitliver, pertaining to
Mr. John Lumsdean, a mile
and a half south-west from the town; the house of
Broomhall, pertaining to the Earl of
Kincardin, near two miles
south from the town, and within a ridge
lenth of the river Forth;
the house of Pittencrieff,
at the west end of the town, pertaining to Henry
Wellwood, one mile south
from the town; the house of Pitravy,
two miles south-east from the town, pertaining to Mr.
Robert Blackwood; the house of Hill, half a mile south
fra the town, pertaining to
William Black; the house of
Baldridge, half a mile north from the town, and
the house of Garvock, half a
mile east from the town, both pertaining to the said Mr.
Harry Wellwood; the house of
Balmule, two miles north
from the town, pertaining to Sir Henry
Wardlaw.
“A mile north, and l
little east from the town, lyes
a Loch, called Moncar Loch,
or the town Loch, of about seven or
wight hundred elns
long and four hundred elns
broad. Near two miles north lyes
another Loch,
called Lochend, about the
extent of the former. Two miles
north-east from the town lyes
Lochfitty, near thrice as
large as any of the other two.
“In the burgh are a
great many weavers, constantly
imployed in working damask and diaper,
tyckings, and
bongall. In the burgh there
is a good foundation for a grammar school, affording a
good salary both to a Master and Usher. There is also
another foundation for a
Music School.”
(Fernie’s
Hist.
Dunf. pp. 179-182.)
PROVOST OF
DUNFERMLINE. --Sir
Peter Halket was re-elected Provost. (Burgh Rec.)
PENDULUM TO THE AULD
KIRK CLOCK.—“
4th
Dec. 1723: The sd. day Adam
Stevinson, having acquainted
the council yt he had turned
the clock in the steeple to a pendulum [clock] and
desired ye council might appoint some persons to visit
her and report, if ye cloak be bettered
yrby. “
(Burgh Records.) It would appear that this clock
had been regulated in its motions by a horizontal
vibrating-bar, fixed on the top of the vertical verge,
or ‘scape-pallets. From
about 1292 to 1642, this was the usual regulator of all
clocks. The son of Galileo first applied the pendulum
to a clock about the year 1639. Shortly afterwards,
“the application” was improved by the celebrated
Huygens. A “universal altering of clocks from the old
vibrating-bar to that of the pendulum began in 1650.”
Previous to the application of the pendulum, clocks
frequently made an error of half-an-hour, or even an
hour in a day! The pendulum applied to the works will
keep the clock to time for months within a few seconds.
“A glorious invention was the pendulum.” (See an
account of De Vick’s vibrating-bar clock, in Reid’s
“Treatise on Horology.”
THE AULD KIRK BELLS,
&C.—Application is to be made to the Presbytery
regarding the repairs of the “Auld Kirk” bells, the
roof, and the “glasses.” (Burgh Records, 21st
Dec.)
A TOWN-GUARD
ESTABLISHED.—“21st
Dec. 1723: The said day the council taking to ye
consideration ye prest state
of ye country by reason of robbing and stealing, and
that many of ye inhabitants have been
desering
yt
for some time a Guard of ye
neighbourhood might be kept nightly. They
yefor appointed
yt ye magistrates appoint a
Guard of ten men to be kept nightly in ye Guard house in
the meall
mercat and
yt ye
toun furnish ym with
coall and candle, and
yt ye magistrates name the
Captain of the Guard out of ye number of ten to be on
Guard each night.—Sic subscribitur,
JO WALKER.” (Burgh Rec.)
THE GUILDRY
BATON.—According to the Guildry
Records, the Guildry got a
Baton this year; it was of ebony wood, was about eight
inches long, and half-an-inch in diameter. A broad ring
of silver round it has an inscription on it.
