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PRESBYTERY OF ABERDEEN, SYNOD OF ABERDEEN.
THE REV. ADAM CORBET, MINISTER.
I.—Topography and Natural History.
Name.—This parish has two names, Dalmaik and
Drumoak, both of which have been written differently at different
periods. The first is the name generally given to it by the people in
the parish and neighbourhood, and seems, indeed, to be the most ancient,
for, so early as the year 1157, there is mentioned in a bull of Pope
Adrian IV.
"Ecclesiam de Dulmayok," [Chartulary of the See
of Aberdeen, fo. 43.] whereas the latter name, Drumoak, has not been
observed in any writing earlier than 1407, at which date, a charter
granted by Bishop Gilbert is subscribed, "Alexr. de Kynloch,
prebendarius de Drumaok." [Regist.
Capellanorum, fo. 66.]
After that period, both names seem to have been used indiscriminately,
so that in 1541, the copies of a charter, and the precept of sasine on
it, are signed "Robertas Lockhart de Dulmaok,"
and, in 1543,
a charter of obligation by the vicars of the choir is signed by the same
individual, "Robertus Lockhart de Drumaok." [The gradual change of the
original name of this monastery into that which
it now bears,—a change corresponding exactly with
that which has taken place on the
name of this parish,—is distinctly shown by the
variations in its orthography, as found ill several acts of
Parliament;—thus, in an act of date 1469, it is Portmollok,
in, 1471, it is Portmowok; and in 1567—8,
it is Portmook.]
[Necrol.
fo. 22. - The writer begs to acknowledge his obligations to the Rev. A.
Taylor, minister of Leochel-Cushny, for the kind assistance which he
rendered him while librarian of King's College, in fixing the etymology
of the name of the parish, by furnishing him with extracts from the
Chartularies of the See of Aberdeen, which are preserve in that
library.]
Drumoak, which thus appears to be the more modern
name of the parish, is derived from the Gaelic word Drum, the
ridge of a hill, and Moloch (Molochus), contracted into Moak,
the name of a celebrated saint, in honour of whom a monastery was
erected in St Servanus's Isle, on the water of Leven, which gave its
name to the parish of Portmoak, so that the word Drumoak signifies the
hill of St Moloch, a name which is very applicable to the parish.
Dalmaik is compounded of the Gaelic word Dal,
a haugh or valley, and the name of the saint, contracted into Maik
instead of Moak, as in the former case, hence the word Dalmaik signifies
the valley of St Moloch, a name which is very descriptive of that part
of the parish where the ruins of the old church stand. And this
derivation is supported by the circumstance, that, beside the old church
(although within the boundary of the parish of Peterculter), there is a
holy well, which is known by the name of St Maik'sWell. [Camerarius in
his book, De statu Hominis et Sanctis Regni Scotia?, gives the following
account of St Molochus: "25 die Junii. Sanctus Molonachus siue Molochus
Episcopus et confessor qui pro viribus in Maria Scotie prouincia
proximorum saluti studuit. De eo vide Boetium, Leslaeum, et alios.
Argadenses Scoti constan-ter semper tenuerunt apud se Sancti Molochi
reliquias esse in Lismorensi Basilica illius nomini dicata."—P. 214.]
Extent, Boundaries, &c—This parish is situated in
the counties of Aberdeen and Kincardine; is 6 measured miles in length,
averages about 2 in breadth, and contains an area of nearly 12 square
miles. It is bounded by Banchory-Ternan, Echt, Peterculter, and Durris;
being divided from Echt and Peterculter, on the north, by the burns of
Gormac and Culter,—and from Durris, on the south, by the river Dee. Its
figure is somewhat triangular, but very irregular, on account of the
manner in which it is indented or dove-tailed into the neighbouring
parishes of Peterculter on the east, and Banchory-Ternan on the west. No
part of its surface is much elevated, the Drum Hill (which is the
highest, and stands in the centre of the parish,) being only 500 feet
above the level of the sea. From this elevation the ground falls on all
sides, with gentle undulations, to the different boundaries, except on
the east side, where the Ord Hill rises rather abruptly to the height of
about 430 feet above the sea, and runs its ridge to the extremity of the
parish in that direction. The southern peak of the Drum Hill affords a
magnificent and extensive prospect, the eye ranging almost from the
German Ocean, on the east, along the valley watered by the river, and
bounded on the south by the chain of Grampians, till it rests, in the
far west, on the snow-clad mountains among which the Dee has its source.
Meteorology.—Dee-side is proverbially dry and
thirsty, and to no part of that extensive district is the remark more
applicable than to this parish. The soil in that division of it which
lies along the bank of the river is not only light, but generally rests
on a bed gravel, through which the rain easily filters away, and, in consequence
of its southerly inclination, the rays of the sun beat upon it
intensely, and quickly dry up any moisture which might have lingered
about the plants. To add to this disadvantage, less rain seems to fall
here than on places in the vicinity, for the clouds which appear on the
west pouring out their watery treasures on the high grounds of Banchory
and Strachan, instead of continuing their course down the valley, which
a stranger would think inevitable, are often attracted by the Grampians
on the south, and the Hill of Fare on the north; so that the anxious
farmer frequently sees, day after day, heavy rains falling in the
immediate neighbourhood, while his parched crops, unrefreshed by a
single shower, languish beneath the sun's unclouded influence. This
inconvenience, indeed, is partially remedied by the sea-fogs, which,
towards the evening of a sultry day, creep up the course of the river
from the east, and roll over the Grampians from the south, filling the
valley with a refreshing mist, which continues spread over it through
the night; but as this, although very beneficial, is quite inadequate to
raise a luxuriant crop of straw, the smaller farmers, unable to purchase
and drive it from a distance, are frequently in dry seasons obliged to
bruise whins for their cattle to supply the deficiency.
Climate.—The air, especially on the south side of
the parish, is pure and dry, and its temperature mild and salubrious. No
ende-mical diseases are known : and the most common complaints are,
rheumatism, affections of the bowels, and disorders proceeding from a
scrofulous habit. A satisfactory proof of the great healthiness of the
parish is furnished by the fact, that in our small population, there are
at present, (1840), twenty individuals alive upwards of eighty years of
age, six of whom are above the age of ninety. The oldest are two
sisters, who have attained the respective ages of ninety-six and
ninety-four; both are in the enjoyment of very good health, and have the
comfortable use of many of their faculties.
Hydrography.—Perennial springs, issuing generally
from gravel, supply the parish with abundance of excellent water. We
have also two chalybeate springs of considerable strength, but, as they
have never been analyzed, their virtues are as yet unknown to fame —one,
called "The Parson's Well," is near the House of Park, and the other,
(which is the stronger of the two), is in the neighbourhood of the Loch
of Drum.
The river Dee, which flows along the southern
boundary of the parish for nearly four miles, is the highest river in
Great Britain, its source being on Braeriach, a mountain in the head of
Braemar, 4000 feet above the level of the sea. From that alpine region
it descends impetuously in an easterly direction, and, after pursuing a
winding course through scenes of acknowledged grandeur and magnificence,
falls into the German Ocean at Aberdeen, nearly eighty miles from its
source. The superabundant waters of about 900 square miles feed its
current, but so clean are its gravelly banks and pebbly channel, that
its water rivals in purity the most limpid streams in Scotland. Having
run between sixty and seventy miles from its source, and fallen 3870
feet, it enters this parish at an elevation of 130, and passes its
eastern extremity at the old church, 90 feet above the medium level of
the sea. When at an ordinary summer height, its stream on this part of
its course varies in depth from 2 to 12 feet, and its breadth from 10 to
70 yards, its average fall being 10 feet per mile, [This
may be regarded as the average fall of this river from Aberdeen to
Aboyne.] and its velocity about 3½
miles an hour. At the great flood in August 1829, the height which it
attained on the lawn at Park, where a wide expanse of haugh allowed its
water to spread on both sides of the channel, was 14 feet above its
ordinary summer level. This beautiful river, though much superior to its
gentler neighbour, the Don, in the value of its salmon-fishings, has
never, like it, been rendered serviceable to the manufacturer; for, at
no part of its course, is its fine stream employed as a moving power to
any kind of machinery. Nor does it compensate this unprofitableness to
the manufacturer by rivalling the Don in usefulness to the agriculturist
; for instead of fattening his meadows with a rich alluvion, its
inundations carry off the best part of the soil, and deposit in its
place a bed of sand possessed of little or no vegetative power; while
its wintry torrent, unwilling to be restrained, contends powerfully with
the embankments which have been raised to protect the haughs from its
destructive ravages, and occasions great trouble and expense to the
proprietors, in repairing the breaches which it too frequently makes.
This difference between the two rivers, and the value of their
respective banks, are well contrasted in the proverbial lines,
"A foot o' Don's worth twa o' Dee,
Except it be for fish and tree."
The Loch of Drum is a fine oblong sheet of water,
which covers a space of 84 acres, 3 roods, 7 poles. Its margin is
fringed with alders, and on three sides it is bounded by a thriving
plantation of larch, birch, and Scotch fir. The average depth of its
water is now reduced to about four feet, the late proprietor having
allowed Sir Robert Burnett to draw off four feet in order to dry a low
tract of ground belonging to him at its western extremity. This is much
to be regretted, as the water on many parts is now so shallow that a
very few summers must cover them with aquatic plants, which, at no
distant period, will convert this beautiful loch into an unsightly
morass. [Dr Keith, in his survey of
Aberdeenshire published in 1811, (before the above mentioned drainage
took place), estimated the extent of this loch at 300 acres.— P. 72.]
Geology and Mineralogy.—Nothing of much interest
to the geologist and mineralogist has hitherto been discovered in this
parish. The only rocks which appear above the surface are gneiss and
granite; and these are at present so little exposed that they cannot be
subjected to accurate examination. Boulders of the same kinds occur
abundantly, and are employed in the erection of fences and farm-steadings.
On that part of the glebe which is called the Keith's moor, flint of a
black and yellow colour is found. Soil—The soil is various, but
mostly of an inferior quality. That which lies along the river side is
light and sandy, recumbent on gravel, and consequently dry and early. In
other places, it is thin and moorish, and frequently rests on till, or
an equally hard and retentive moor-band. Some spots, however, which have
long been under cultivation, are loamy, and, when properly treated,
carry abundant crops. There are several mosses in the parish from which
the inhabitants dig fuel; but, with the exception of that part of the
red moss which lies in it, and is of great depth, they are all nearly
exhausted, and much of them might be profitably converted into arable
land. Many oak, alder, birch, and fir trees, the wreck of the noble
forests which once adorned this part of the country, are found imbedded
in them. And as these relics are often discovered with their roots
attached, and lying-in an easterly direction, they must be regarded as
memorials of some westerly storm's destructive effects, of which, amid
the revolution of centuries, even tradition itself has lost the record.
Zoology.—The woods of Park and Drum are
frequented by roe-deer. Foxes and polecats infest the same coverts; but
their depredations seldom extend to the poultry-house, as they can
always prey with more safety on the common hare and rabbit, which are
very numerous. Among the brush-wood and furze, the hedgehog is
increasing rapidly; and in the cairns and drystone fences, the weasel or
common whitret abounds. The otter is often seen pursuing his destructive
occupation in the river; and the badger, though less abundant than
formerly, is still occasionally met with on its banks.
Ornithology.—The extensive plantations which have
been reared, and the progress of agricultural improvements, have
increased in the parish the number of many species of birds, diminished
that of others, and rendered some altogether extinct. Upon the moors the
lapwing and plover are found in their season. In fenny copses, the
woodcock appears about the beginning of October; and on the open
marshes, which generally abound with common snipes, the jack-snipe (Scolopax
gallinula), is frequently met with, and the whistle of the lonely
curlew is also sometimes heard. In the fields partridges are numerous;
but black-cock (Tetrao tetrix), became
extinct in the parish about three years ago, and only two or three packs
of moor-fowl (Tetrao Scoticus), are now hatched annually in the
Red moss. In belts and young plantations, the chaffinch, bulfinch,
red-breast, common wren (Troglodytes Euro-pceus), and several
creepers, are abundant. The golden-crested wren (Regulus auricapillus),
though sometimes seen, is rare; and the goldfinch (Fringilla
carduelis), must also be regarded as uncommon. In the same coverts,
the blackbird and thrush have become so numerous, that the sweetness of
their song no longer protects them in the garden from the fate of other
depredators. The woods afford a suitable retirement for ringdoves, and
some of the most common species of hawks and owls ; and the wood of
Drum, in particular, is frequented not only by the Royston or
hooded-crow (Corvus cornix), the jackdaw (Corvus monedula),
and the magpie (Garrulus pica); but a numerous colony of rooks
(C. fnigilegus), have occupied part of it as a nursery for many
years. This last species pair about the middle of February, build their
nests early in March, lay four or five eggs, which are hatched in April,
and towards the middle of May their young appear upon the branches. The
myriads of birds which belong to this rookery, and inhabit it throughout
the year, except for a few weeks in summer, when many of them are
supposed to migrate in quest of mountain-berries, are not only of great
benefit to the country for many miles around; but from the commencement
of incubation to the time at which their young become capable of
providing for themselves, they are particularly so to the farmers in
their immediate neighbourhood, for, being unable at that period to go
far from their nests in search of food, they are daily seen actively
employed in turning clods, and clearing of vermin the newly sown fields,
so that few complaints are heard in this parish of the destructive
ravages of grub.
Water-Birds.—Among the gulls which come up the
Dee in spring are seen the common gull, the laughing or black-headed
gull (Larus ridibundus), and the kittiwake (L. rissa). On
its banks are found the water-ouzel (Cinclus aquaticus), the gray
wagtail (Motacilla alba), the yellow wagtail (Motacilla
boarula), the common sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucos), and,
though more rarely, the ring-sandpiper or dottrel. The oyster catcher
(Hamatopus ostralegus) abounds in the same locality, making its
appearance early in February. This bird, according to Buffon, "never
inhabits the marshes or the mouths of rivers, but remains constantly on
or near the beach; probably because fresh waters do not afford the
proper subsistence." In this country, however, its habits are different;
for it collects sustenance not only on the fresh water beach of the Dee,
but even in the neighbouring fields, in which it may be seen feeding
almost daily ; and that not in the vicinity of the sea-shore, but in
this parish, every little inch in the channel of the river, and every
extended bed of pebbles on its margin, being annually occupied by so
many of these wakeful and noisy birds, that the ear is fatigued by their
shrill unceasing cry. In the loch of Drum there is a great variety of
water-fowl, among which may be specified, the water-hen (Gallinula
chloropus), the common coot (Fulica atra), and the little
grebe. It is also frequented by the heron, golden-eyed duck (Anas
clangula), and the widgeon (A. penelope). The mallard (J.
boschas), teal-duck (A. crecca), and wild goose are abundant.
In severe winters, a few swans generally pay it a visit; and in such
seasons also, the goosander (Mergus merganser), sometimes appears
on it and the Dee, but so rarely, that only two of them have been shot
for several years. Ichthyology.—In the burns of Gormac and Culter,
common trout are sufficiently numerous, especially in the latter stream,
to afford tolerably good sport to the angler. In the loch of Drum) eels
are plentiful; and some perches (Perca fluviatilis), which were
put into it a few years ago by the late proprietor, have increased
considerably. Pike are also abundant in it, and attain a large size.
Their fry which escape, and inhabit the still pools of the
river, become superior in quality to those which remain in the
loch, the pureness of the water and greater abundance of food making
them whiter, firmer, and more delicate; those which average from two to
three pounds are esteemed the best. In the Dee, all the kinds already
mentioned occur more or less frequently; also par, sea-trout (Salmo
trutta), white trout or phinoc (Salmo albus), and flounder.
But the fish for which it has long and justly been celebrated is salmon
(Salmo salar). They formed, in ancient times, the principal
article of exports from Aberdeen, and were esteemed of so superior a
quality, that a small barrel of them formed part of the provisions of
the ship, which was sent in 1290, to bring over the infant Queen of
Scotland from Norway. Although less abundant now than formerly, they
still retain their character for excellence, and generally bring the
highest price both in the home and foreign markets. They ascend the
river heavy with spawn about the end of September, and are found
returning to the sea until the close of February. The state of the
salmon-fishings here, and the cause of their unproductiveness, will be
noticed afterwards.
Botany.—As the soil of this parish is generally
of inferior quality, and none of its surface much elevated, a great
variety in its botanical productions cannot be expected. The Dee,
however, enriches its flora with many beautiful specimens of alpine
species; a considerable number of aquatics are furnished by the loch of
Drum; and a few plants, of rather rare occurrence, have been observed in
other localities. It would be useless to particularize many of the more
interesting species, such as
as they have already been noted, and their localities
indicated by Mr Dickie in his Flora Abredonensis, and by the late Dr
Murray in his Northern Flora. But the following plants, to which these
writers have assigned no habitat in this parish, may be mentioned with
propriety, as they are either rare in Scotland, or of infrequent
occurrence in the surrounding district.
*
These plants were also gathered, by the writer, a good many years
ago, on an inch in the river opposite Bieldside; and in a field upon
that property, he found,. about the same time, the rare and beautiful
Verbascum thapsus.
Woods.—Within the last thirty years, extensive
plantations of larch and Scotch fir, interspersed with birch and other
hard-wood trees, have been reared upon the different estates, and have
added greatly to the beauty, comfort, and fertility of the parish. They
are at present in a very thriving condition, and may be expected in a
few years, amply to repay the proprietors. In the policies of Drum,
there are a good many old oak, ash, plane, and elm-trees, which have
attained such a size as indicates that they are congenial to the soil
and climate; and near the house are two large and beautiful hollies, the
stem of one of which is 7 feet high from the ground to the lowermost
branches, and is 7 feet 6 inches in circumference.
II. — Civil History.
[The writer is not aware of the existence of any historical account of
this parish, except one in manuscript, which is said to be in the
Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, but with the contents of which he has not
been able to make himself acquainted.]
The estate of Drum, which at present constitutes
one-half of the parish, was originally part of a royal forest, and one
of the hunting-seats of the Kings of Scotland. The park of Drum formed
part of the chase, and a powerful spring, at the north-east end of the
loch, is still known by the designation of the King's Well. This estate
has long been possessed by the family of the present proprietor, Irvine
of Drum, being a name which is recorded with honour in the national
annals. William de Irwin, the first of that line, (who belonged to the
family of Irwin of Bonshaw, in Dumfries-shire, and is supposed by some
to have been its chief), was chosen by Robert Bruce, when struggling
with Edward I. for the Crown of Scotland, to be his armour-bearer,
receiving, at the same time, the device which Bruce himself had borne as
Earl of Carrick, viz. three bunches of holly leaves, supported by two
savages, wreathed, with the motto, "Sub sole, sub umbra virens;" and
having accompanied his royal master in his wanderings, participated in
his narrow escapes, and attended him while performing those deeds of
desperate valour which have thrown an air of romance around his history,
was rewarded by him for his great zeal and fidelity with a grant, by
charter under the Great Seal, of the forest of Drum, anno 1323.
[This charter of the forest of Drum (for the park of Drum was
reserved by Robert Bruce, and not conveyed with the forest lands to
William de Irwin), is still extant, and is dated, "Apud Berwicura super
Tweddam, primo die Februarii anno Regni nostri septimo decimo." Among
the family papers, there is another charter by Robert I., dated at
Kynros, 4 October, eighteenth year of his reign, in which are the
expressions, "Cum furca et fossa soc et sac thol et them et
infangandthef." ]
Some time after this, a deadly feud seems to have
arisen between the Keiths, hereditary great Marischals of Scotland, and
the Irvines of Drum; and tradition tells of a fight which took place
between them on a moor on the north bank of the Dee, which now forms
part of the glebe, and is known by the name of the Keiths' Muir. In that
battle the Irvines were victorious, and drove their enemies across the
river, at a deep and rocky part of its channel, which still bears the
appellation of the Keiths' Pot; and a rock, which occasionally appears a
few inches above the water, on which, as is said, one of the fugitives
took refuge and was killed, retains the name of the Keiths' Stone. In
order to stop this bloody feud, the states of the kingdom interfered,
and enjoined Alexander Irvine, the third in descent, to marry Elizabeth
Keith, daughter of the great Marischal. Drum so far tempered his
resentment with that spirit of loyalty which has always distinguished
the family, as to enter into the proposed alliance, by submitting to the
performance of the marriage ceremony ; and this external union, which
seems to have been all that took place between the parties, had the
desired effect of binding the two families together in bonds of
friendship, which remained long unbroken. But this powerful Baron not
only distinguished himself in feudal fights with the great Marischal,
but also when opposed to the more formidable forces of Donald, Lord of
the Isles. That chieftain having taken possession of the Earldom of
Ross, and ravaged the fertile provinces of Moray, Strathbogie, and the
Garioch, was met by the Lowland army, under the Regent's nephew, at
Harlaw, about nineteen miles west from Aberdeen. There a bloody conflict
ensued, during which, Irvine of Drum (who had a command in the Lowland
army), and Maclean of Dowart (Donald's Lieutenant-General), encountered
each other, and fought hand to hand with such determined bravery, that
both were killed. Drum was buried on the field of battle by his
followers, who also raised a cairn of remembrance over his grave; and
the following stanza, in the popular ballad of the battle of Harlaw,
composed at the time, records at once his gallantry, and the high
respect with which his countrymen regarded him:
"Gude Sir Alexander Irvine,
The much renounit Laird of Drum.
Nane in his dais wer better sene,
Quhen thai wer semblit all and som.
To praise him we sud not be dumm,
For valour, wit, and worthiness;
To end his dais he ther did cum,
Quhois ransum is remedyles."
It is said, that when hastening to Harlaw at the head
of his vassals, and accompanied by his brother Robert, he halted upon
the hill of Auchrony, in the parish of Skene, from the summit of which
the house of Drum was visible on the one hand, and the field of battle
on the other, and there seated on a stone, which still bears the
appellation of Drum's Stone, he advised Robert (if he himself should be
slain), to marry his sister-in-law on his return, with whom, as he
assured him, he had never consummated his marriage. Robert having
escaped the slaughter, married the lady according to this advice, and,
upon succeeding to the estates, changed his Christian name to Alexander.
He was one of the Scottish Commissioners who went to London in 14'23, by
appointment of the States, to effect the liberation of James I. from his
long captivity in England, and received the honour of knighthood from
that Prince in 1424. During the confusion which followed the murder of
the King at Perth, the inhabitants of Aberdeen, whose interests the
family of Drum had always been ready to promote, solicited the services
of Sir Alexander for the defence and protection of the city, and, in
1440, the burgesses unanimously consented to his being appointed Captain
and Governor of the burgh, an office which the exigency of the times
rendered expedient, and which invested him with an authority in the town
superior to that of the chief magistrate. This honourable situation was
held by Sir Alexander for two years, and there is no other instance upon
record of the existence of the office in Aberdeen. His second son
distinguished himself so highly at the battle of Brechin in 1452, that
he received a charter of the lands of Beltie from the Marquis of Huntly,
under whom he served, as a reward for his services on that occasion.
At the turbulent period when James
V. ascended the throne, and while the reins of Government were
held by the Earl of Angus, we find this family still pursuing the same
honourable course, and maintaining the high name by which they had
hitherto been distinguished; for the King bestowed upon the eldest so of
Sir Alexander, a gift of non-entry to the lands of Forglen, dated 4th
December 1527, and bearing to be given "On account of Drum, his said
son, and their friends, their good and thankful service done to the King
in searching, taking, and bringing his rebels to justice." The young
laird, whose loyalty and zeal are recognized in that document, took an
active part also in the stirring events which occurred during the
minority of Mary, till, having joined the Regent near Musselburgh, to
aid in repelling the English invasion by the Duke of Somerset, he was
killed in his father's lifetime at the fatal battle of Pinkey, where so
many of Scotland's best and bravest fell.
The son of this gentleman succeeded to the estates on
the death of his grandfather, and married Lady Elizabeth Keith, daughter
of the Earl Marischal. Their eldest son obtained the lands in 1583, and
distinguished himself as a patron of learning, and a benefactor to the
poor. [As the Earl of Mar eked out the
scanty wardrobe of his sovereign, by sending, at his request, "a pair of
silken hose, with goud clocks at them," to enable him in a befitting
manner to give an audience to the French ambassador, so this Laird of
Drum seems to have ministered to the pecuniary wants of the same needy
monarch, and to have rendered him his debtor; for there is extant in the
charter-chest a holograph bond by King James VI.
to Drum for 500 merks, dated at Dalkeith, 27th November 1587, and
payable at Whitsunday thereafter.] In 1629, he devised L. 10,000
Scots, for the maintenance of four bursars in philosophy and two in
divinity at the Marischal College, and four at the grammar-school of
Aberdeen, vesting the right of presenting to them in the family of Drum.
He also mortified 32 bolls of meal to persons on his property in this
parish, viz. 12 to poor scholars, 8 to the parochial schoolmaster for
teaching them, and 12 to decayed tenants,—all of which are annually
divided at the sight of the kirk-session. His lady (Lady Marion Douglas,
daughter of the Earl of Buchan,) also mortified 3000 merks, anno 1633,
to endow a hospital in Aberdeen, for the widows and aged daughters of
decayed burgesses, the patronage of which is exercised by the
town-council.
This benevolent man was succeeded by Sir Alexander,
his eldest son, who married Magdalen, daughter of Sir John Scrimzeour of
Diddup, Constable of Dundee. He was sheriff principal of Aberdeen in
1634, and several following years; and obtained a patent from King
Charles I. creating him Earl of Aberdeen, which the breaking out of the
civil war prevented from passing the Great Seal. During the subsequent
troubles he suffered much in his person, his family, and his property,
on account of his attachment to the Royal cause. His house and lands
were frequently occupied and plundered by the army of the Covenant; and
he himself was warded, fined, and more than once obliged to flee for
safety to the court of England.
He was succeeded by his son, Alexander, who married
Lady Mary Gordon, fourth daughter of the Marquis of Huntly—a marriage
which did not lend to weaken, but rather to strengthen and confirm in
him those political principles which he had inherited from his
forefathers. Accordingly, he and his brother Robert, during the lifetime
of their father, joined the banner of Charles, and distinguished
themselves so highly in his service, that they were excommunicated,
(14th April 1644,) and had a price set upon their heads—18,000 merks
being offered for the young Laird, dead or alive, and 9000 for his
brother Robert. These measures rendered their situation in Scotland so
perilous, that they sailed from Fraserburgh with the intention of going
to England ; but, being obliged to re-land near Wick, in Caithness,
where a committee happened to be sitting, they were made prisoners, and
warded in the castle of Keish. Thence they were conducted under a strong
escort to Edinburgh, and lodged in the city jail. Robert, after a
rigorous confinement of six months, died, and was buried at midnight.
The young laird, who occupied the same apartment, and whose health had
also become impaired, was then removed to the castle under sentence of
death, and without hope of mercy. His execution, however, was happily
stayed by the defeat of the Covenanters at Kilsyth, and Montrose having
marched to Edinburgh restored him to liberty. Upon the restoration of
Charles II. the magistrates of Aberdeen
prepared a loyal address, and deputed Mr Irvine to present it to His
Majesty. The King, out of gratitude for his faithful services, and as
some remuneration for the sacrifices which he had made in supporting his
cause, renewed to him the offer of the peerage which Charles I. had made
to his father; but, as Drum's fortune and estates were so dilapidated
that he could not without difficulty have upheld the dignity of the
title, and as it was refused to give this patent the date which the one
formerly granted had borne, he declined to accept of the high
distinction. About twenty years afterwards, however, the King, in
granting a charter, containing a novodamus of Drum's whole estates
holding of the Crown, took occasion to express in it the deep sense
which he had of the family's loyalty, of the valuable services which
they had rendered to the country, and of Mr Irvine's personal sufferings
in his cause. He died in 1687, and was buried in his own aisle,
(Drum's aisle,) in the parish church of St Nicholas, Aberdeen, his
funeral being attended by the magistrates and citizens under arms.
Alexander Irvine, Esq. the present venerable
proprietor, succeeded to the estates upon the death of his father, in
1761, and is the nineteenth laird, and the fourteenth in descent,
being both the heir of line and the heir of entail of this ancient and
honourable family. He holds the patronage of the church, and, in point
of valued rent, is the principal heritor, and resident in the parish.
Leys.—That part of the land of Leys which is
situated in this parish, and forms the next great division of it, lies
within the boundary of the county of Kincardine, and has, for upwards of
five hundred years, been in possession of the family of the present
proprietor, Sir Thomas Burnett, Bart. The family seat is at Crathes, in
Banchory-Ternan, which renders it unnecessary to enter minutely into the
history of the family here, as that will be done with greater propriety
in the account of the parish in which the family is resident. It may,
however, be suitably observed, that a charter of the lands of Kilhenach,
Clerach, &c, (in this parish,) was granted to Alexander Barnard, by King
Robert Bruce, in the eighteenth year of his reign, (1324,) and was
confirmed to his successor, Robert Burnard, by a charter under the Great
Seal, granted by King David Bruce, in 1358. The first time that we find
the name of this barony assumed as the distinguishing title of the
family is in 1409; and King James III., in 1481., gave a charter under
the Great Seal of the lands of Cannoglerocht to Alexander Burnett of
Leys. In the year 1621, Thomas Burnett received the honour of Knighthood
from James VI.; and, about five years
afterwards, "Charles I. created him a Baronet, by his Royal patent, to
him and his heirs-male whatever, terrarum baroniae et re-galitatis de
Leys-Burnet, in Nova Scotia in America." [Baronage
of Scotland.] Sir Thomas Burnett, who succeeded to the
patrimonial honours and estates in 1838, is the nineteenth Laird, and
the eight Baronet of Leys, and ranks as the second heritor in this
parish.
Park.—The lands of Park (described in the
original charter as situated in Kincardineshire, but now rated in
Aberdeenshire,) formed, as has already been observed, part of a royal
chase, and, having been reserved by Robert I. when he gave the forest
lands to William de Irwin, were granted, by Charter from King David
Bruce to Walter Moigne. In 1348, John Moigne, Lord of the Park of the
Drum, executed a disposition of it to Alexander Irvine, Lord of the
Drum; and, in 1393, the said John Moigne granted a charter in favour of
said Alexander Irvine of a chalder of meal, paid of old to him by
William de Burnard, for sustentation of the Park of Drum. These lands
continued in the possession of the family of Drum till 1737, when the
entail having been reduced, they were sold to Mr Duff of Culter. From
his family they passed, in 1807, into the hands of Thomas Burnett, Esq.
Advocate in Aberdeen, and Purse-bearer to her Majesty's High
Commissioner to the Church of Scotland; who sold them, in 1821, to
William Moir, Esq.; from whom they were purchased, in 1839, by the
present proprietor, Alexander John Kinloch, Esq, who ranks as our third
heritor, and is resident in the parish.
Culter.—That part of the lands of Culter which
lies in this parish, and forms the last and smallest division of it,
belonged also to the family of Drum, and was purchased from them by Mr
Duff, along with the lands of Park, in 1737. Robert Duff, Esq. the
present proprietor, ranks as our fourth heritor, and is non-resident.
Land-owners.—The four proprietors just mentioned
are the only land-owners in the parish, viz. Alexander Irvine, Esq. of
Drum; Sir Thomas Burnett, Bart. of Leys; Alexander John Kinloch, Esq. of
Park; and Robert Duff, Esq. of Culter.
Eminent Characters.—This parish has the honour of
being the birth-place of James Gregory, the celebrated inventor of the
re-fleeting telescope, and the first who employed the transits of
Mercury and Venus in determining the sun's parallax. His father, the
Rev. John Gregory, was minister of the parish, and suffered much during
the troubles for his outstanding against the Covenant, having been fined
1000 merks, imprisoned, plundered, and deposed. His mother, Janet
Anderson, from whom he apparently inherited his mathematical talent, was
sister to Alexander Anderson, Professor of Mathematics in the University
of Paris, and daughter of David Anderson of Finzeauch, who constructed
the lofty spire of St Nicholas Church, Aberdeen, and performed the
mechanical feat of removing Knock Maitland,—a large rock which
obstructed the entrance to the harbour of that city. Their son, James
Gregory, was born here in 1638, and was educated in Aberdeen. A short
time after he had completed his course at Marischal College, and when
only twenty-four years of age, he published the Optica promota, a
work which excited the attention of the scientific world, and rendered
his name illustrious. He then went to Italy to prosecute his studies at
the University of Padua, and published there, in 1667, Vera circuli,
et Hyperboles Qjiadratura. Upon his return to London, in the
following year, he was chosen a Fellow of the Royal Society, published
his Exercitationes Geometricce, and was appointed to till
the Mathematical Chair in the University of St Andrews. While in
that situation he married Mary Jamieson, relict of------Burnett of
Elrick, and daughter of George Jamieson, the celebrated Scottish
painter, by whom he had three children. In 1674, he was removed from St
Andrews to the Professorship of Mathematics in the University of
Edinburgh, and died in 1675, in the thirty-seventh year of his age.
Parochial Registers.-—The parish registers are
voluminous. The record of doctrine and discipline consists of eight
volumes, all of which are complete, (except the first, which wants two
leaves at the beginning), and contain an interesting account of
ecclesiastical transactions in the parish from 17th September 1682, the
date of the earliest entry. The baptism register (two vols.) was begun
3d January 1692, and the register of marriage contracts 2d June 1715;
and, from these dates, both have been carefully brought down to the
present day. A cash-book, in three volumes, contains an account of the
intromissions of the session with the poor's funds from Whitsunday 1750.
No register of deaths has ever been kept in the parish.
Antiquities.—The Fort or Tower of Drum stands
upon the east side of the hill of that name, and is a large and
venerable building. The date of its erection cannot be ascertained, as
it existed when the estate was conveyed to the family in 1323; but it is
conjectured, from the character of its architecture, that it must have
been built about the twelfth century, while the forest of Drum was a
royal chase,—probably by King William the Lion. It is of an oblong form,
somewhat rounded at the corners, being 50 feet 6 inches by 39 feet at
the base, and 70 feet 6 inches in height to the top of the battlement.
Its interior is divided into three stories—the roofs of which are of
vaulted mason-work; but as the two uppermost seem to have been
subdivided into two apartments each (the one over the other), by a
wooden floor, fixed to stones which still project from both sides of the
wall, the whole interior, when inhabited, may have been divided into
five stories. There are at present two entrances to this tower, one on
the south-west corner, which communicates with the house, and another,
which seems to be the original one, is near the south-east corner of the
building, 12 feet from the ground, on entering by which there are two
inner doors immediately in front. Within the one towards the right is a
dark narrow stair of 19 steps, which leads down to the dungeon (which is
the first story), an apartment 28 feet 6 inches by 15 feet 6 inches, and
11 feet high, having a draw-well in one corner 9 feet deep, and a hole
in the roof communicating with the apartments above, through which, it
is imagined, the prisoners were supplied with food. The wall here is 11
feet thick. The other inner door opens into the second storey, which is
32 feet by 20 feet 6 inches, and 22 feet 9 inches in height. Upon the
right of the common entrance, and near the door of the dungeon, is a
narrow stair, which winds up through the centre of the wall to the third
storey, which is 24 feet 9 inches high, and of much the same area as the
one just described. In the east end of its vaulted roof is a small door,
which leads out to the battlement, access to which was obtained from the
apartment below by means of a moveable ladder. This ancient edifice is
kept in complete repair, and its walls are apparently as entire as when
newly erected.
Under this head may also be noticed a carved stone,
which was removed from the farm of the Gallow-burn (now called Bakebare)
by the workmen employed in building the House of Park, and which,
although much defaced, was happily saved from destruction by the
interference of the proprietor. It would be difficult to determine the
purpose for which that stone was erected, as there exists no tradition
regarding it to throw light upon its history. Its original situation was
on the west end of the Keith's moor, not far from the spot where, in
times of baronial jurisdiction, the gallows stood; but it can scarcely
be supposed to have had any connection with the latter circumstance, and
must be of a much earlier date than that defeat of the Keiths by the
Irvines, which occasioned the field on which the battle was fought to be
called the Keiths' moor. The remains of it now stand beside a
summer-house, on the top of the Hawk-hillock, within the policies of
Park.
Many tumuli still exist in different parts of the
parish, but nothing uncommon has been observed in any which have been
opened, except in one which had been raised on the top of the
Hawk-hillock, and was levelled to afford a site for the summer-house
already mentioned. During that operation three stone-coffins were
disinterred, containing an urn and the ashes of the dead, which, by
order of the proprietor, were again carefully buried in the place where
they were found.
Arrow-heads are occasionally picked up by the
inhabitants, and one, beautifully formed of yellow flint, was lately
found on the Keiths' moor. A few silver coins were discovered about
thirty years ago on the farm of Dalmaik; but as they had all
disappeared, except one, before the writer of this Account became
connected with the parish, he can give no description of them,—the one,
however, of which he has obtained possession, is a coin of Mary
Stuart's, Queen of Scotland.
Modern Buildings.—The House of Drum, which
adjoins the tower, is a large and spacious mansion. It was erected in
1619, and belongs to the Elizabethan style of architecture. Several
important alterations were made upon it, at different times, by the
present proprietor, who also removed the garden to a more suitable
distance, and effected many great improvements on the pleasure grounds.
The House of Park is a beautiful Grecian building, and was erected by
the late proprietor in 1822, who also laid out the garden and
surrounding policies with much taste and judgment.
III.—Population.
The last Statistical Account of this parish contains
the amount of its population at different dates from the time of Dr
Webster's Report in 1755 to the year 1790; from which we learn, that it
amounted at the latter period to 708, of whom 321 were males and 387
females. The following table shows the state of the population since
that time:—
The increase which has taken place is to be
attributed chiefly to the agricultural improvement of the parish ; much
waste land having been reclaimed and formed into new tenements.
The people seem to be generally satisfied with their
circumstances, and, on the whole, enjoy, in a reasonable degree, the
comforts and advantages of society. They are very sober and attentive to
the ordinances of religion, and are possessed of many estimable moral
qualities. Irregularities were common amongst them at funerals some
years ago; but the present incumbent drew up a set of regulations, in
1830, which was signed by the male heads of
families in the parish, and has been followed by the most beneficial
effects,—funerals being now conducted in the most regular and solemn
manner.
IV. —Industry.
This parish contains of standard imperial acres as
nearly as can be ascertained,
The kinds of trees most commonly planted are larch,
Scotch and spruce firs, beech, birch, oak, ash, and elm; and much more
attention is paid now than formerly to the pruning and thinning of the
plantations.
Rent of Land.—The average rent of land in the
parish is 12s. 6d. per acre. An ox or cow may be grazed in the
Kincardineshire district for L.2, and in the Aberdeenshire district for
L.3. A full-grown sheep grazed throughout the year in the former
district may cost 2s. 6d., and in the latter, 7s.
Breed of Live-stock.—It is stated in the last
Statistical Account of this parish, that it contained at that period
"about 2000 sheep, a great deal of the soil being fit only for sheep
pasture;" but so great are the recent improvements, that two or three
English ewes which are kept by some of the principal farmers, and a few
Highland wethers, which are fattened in the parks of the resident
proprietors for their own table, are the only stock of this description
now kept in the parish. [Since writing the
above, the farm of Sunnyside, which is enclosed and nearly
all under cultivation, has been partially stocked for two years
with 100 ewes; but that change is so recent, that I am unable to say
whether or not it has any advantages, on such a farm, over a full
stocking of black cattle.] The black-cattle are generally of the
Aberdeenshire polled breed, more or less pure, to the rearing and
selecting of which much greater attention is now paid than formerly, so
that the stock of several of the farmers is of a very superior and
valuable description. A considerable number of pigs are fed by the
inhabitants, which are either killed for family use, or disposed of to
the pork-curers in Aberdeen.
Husbandry.—Most of the farms are under a
seven-shift rotation of cropping, viz. 1. grain; 2. grain ; 3. turnips
and potatoes; 4. grain sown out with rye-grass and clover; 5. hay; 6.
and 7. pasture; but as top-dressing is difficult to be procured, and as
the light soils are much pulverized by the frequent ploughings to which
they are subjected under this rotation, it is thought by many too
exhausting. Several farmers have, therefore, tried a six-shift rotation,
under which only one crop of grain is taken before the fallow crop—a
system which is certainly preferable in many respects to the former, as
much labour and seed are saved, without any serious diminution being
experienced in the yearly quantity of grain, on account of the improved
condition into which it brings the land. After a few years trial of this
course of cropping, however, some complained that it did not produce a
sufficient quantity of straw, in consequence of which they abandoned it,
and have returned to the seven-shift rotation. Before the powerful
effects of bone-dust were discovered, the expense attending the carriage
of night-soil from Aberdeen rendered it necessary, in a great measure,
to regulate agricultural operations by the contents of the farm-yard;
but this excellent manure being now extensively and successfully
employed here in the raising of turnips, the farmer is enabled to apply
the home-manure to his other crops, and when a portion of the turnips is
eaten off with sheep, the light soil is thereby consolidated, and
rendered much more fertile.
Draining and Embanking.—A considerable breadth of
marshy land has been reclaimed by draining; but the system of thorough
draining has not yet been introduced, although it might be applied with
great advantage to different parts of the parish. The increased
exertions which, of late years, have been made throughout the country
generally, to effect a more perfect drainage of wet land, have rendered
the Dee subject to more frequent and much higher floods than formerly,
so that embanking is now absolutely necessary for the protection of its
haughs. This operation, however, has hitherto been confined in this
parish to the estate of Park, on which an embankment, 2320 yards in
extent, was begun by Mr Burnett, and completed by the late proprietor in
1821, and cost upwards of L. 1000. It was finished in the most
substantial manner, and according to the most approved plans, but was so
breached and otherwise injured by the great flood in August 1829, that
an additional sum of L.1000 had to be expended in repairing On that
occasion it was considerably strengthened, and piers were projected at
the curves to break the force of the stream, so that
no apprehension was entertained of its speedily giving way a
second time. But the river having risen in the autumn of last year, to
within a few inches of its height in 1829, a considerable portion of the
embankment again yielded to its pressure, and the torrent, charged with
drift-wood, swept with irresistible violence over the haugh and lawn,
destroying the crops on the former, and committing great devastation
among the clumps and belts which ornamented and enclosed the latter. The
present proprietor, however, is about to repair it in a more judicious
manner, at the estimated expense of L. 1500; and when that sum shall
have been expended, this embankment, which protects only 60 or 70 acres
of indifferent haugh land, will have cost, within twenty years, upwards
of L.3500,
Leases and Farm-Buildings, &c.—The leases of the
farms are for nineteen years; a term which seems to be satisfactory to
both landlord and tenant. The farm-steadings are much improved, those
lately erected being neat, substantial, and commodious. A great deal of
the arable land has been enclosed with stone dikes within the last
twenty years, and many of the fields, especially upon Park, are well
sheltered by belts of thriving wood; but much of this kind of work
remains to be done in different parts of the parish. It may not be
improper to state, as a proof of the extensive nature of the
improvements which have been effected upon Park alone, that, in 1807, Mr
Burnett purchased that estate for L.9000, and, in 1839, Mr Kinloch, the
present proprietor, purchased it from Mr Moir for L.28,500.
Fisheries.—On that part of the Dee which bounds
this parish, there are three stations where the salmon-fishery is
prosecuted with the drag-net and cobble. They were formerly very
productive, and brought high rents annually to the proprietors; but
their value is now much reduced on account of a deficiency of fish,
which has of late years been so great, that the number taken in a season
has frequently been inadequate to cover the actual expense. Various
causes have been assigned for this deficiency, but it is chiefly to be
attributed to the employment of stake and bag-nets in the fishery. These
destructive engines are so thickly planted along the coast, and placed
so close to the river's mouth, that when the salmon instinctively
approach the beach in search of fresh-water, the greater number of them
are entangled in these snares, from which escape is impossible. The
fishery is also prosecuted with them as actively on Sunday as on the
other days of the week; and this circumstance, when viewed in connection
with the fact, that the success of the upper river fishings depends
almost entirely on a strict observance of the Sunday's slap, is quite
sufficient to account for the deficiency complained of, so that we no
longer wonder at so few fish being now taken at stations which were
formerly more productive, but rather feel astonished that so many
succeed in effecting an entrance into the river while its mouth is beset
with such formidable obstructions.
But this mode of prosecuting the fishery is not only
thus injurious to the property of the river heritors, it also tends, in
no small degree, to render the breed of this fish extinct; for, if fresh
water be its native element, (which seems placed beyond a doubt, not
only by the absence of all proof on the other side, but by the fact of
their regularly and universally frequenting it at the spawning season,
and also by the difference more or less observable, which enables
experienced fishermen to distinguish from each other the fish of various
rivers), then the high spawning-ground must be the most eligible, and
the productiveness of the ensuing season be mainly dependent on the
spawn which is there deposited; because the upper fords and shallows,
where the spawning-beds are formed, are liable to little or no
alteration by traffic and the violence of winter-floods, so that the
spawn rests there in safety. Whereas spawning-beds on the lower part of
the river are continually exposed to accidents, for, when the water is
low, the passing and repassing of carts and cattle, and the grounding of
rafts and driftwood upon the fords must be very injurious, and when the
stream is swelled by the accumulated waters of a flood, its violence can
scarcely fail to remove the gravel with which the beds are covered, and
expose the spawn to the ravages of trout, which are known to devour it
greedily. Sometimes, indeed, when the flood has been high, the receding
waters leave the spawn upon the bank, furnishing thereby irresistible
evidence of the destruction which it has occasioned. Every mode of
fishing, therefore, which makes the stock of salmon dependent on the
spawn deposited in the lower part of the river, where the beds are so
insecure, must tend ultimately to destroy the breed of this valuable
fish. But the present mode of employing the stake and bag-nets has that
effect, because, by infringing the Sunday's slap, the ascent of the fish
to the upper spawning-ground is in a great degree prevented. No greater
number, indeed, may have ultimately escaped formerly than now, during
the six days of the week; but when the Sunday's slap was observed, the
shoals, which entered the river early, had no difficulty in passing the
highest net-station long before the fishing recommenced on Monday
morning, after which, they were only exposed in their farther ascent, to
the trifling hazard of being lured by the skill of an occasional angler.
It may be thought however, that such a number will attain the higher
parts of the river when the nets are removed at the end of the season,
as will be sufficient to preserve the breed, and even secure an abundant
fishing for the ensuing year. But this cannot be the case, for the fish
are in general so dull and heavy at the end of the season, that, having
little inclination or ability to go far up the river, they pot
themselves, as it is here called, in the first eligible pool, and shed
their spawn on the low fords and shallows, where it is exposed to all
the dangers which have already been enumerated.
The truth of these remarks may be proved by the
following statement of the number of salmon exported from Aberdeen
during the last six years; for, if it be remembered that the salmon
trade of that city is not only supplied from the river, but chiefly from
an extensive range of coast, that statement will demonstrate that the
present mode of employing the stake and bag-nets in this fishery is
tending rapidly to render the salmon-breed extinct.
Machinery.—There are at present in the parish
three meal-mills, fifteen thrashing-mills, one saw-mill,* and one
carding-mill.
V. —Parochial Economy.
Market-Town, &c.—Aberdeen is the nearest
market-town, and is also the post-town, and is about eleven miles [Since
the above was written, a second saw-mill, of the most approved
construction, and containing boring and turning apparatus, has been
erected in the parish by Mr Kinloch of Park, at an expense of L.350; and
another is at present in course of erection by the same spirited
proprietor, on the outlet from the Loch of Drum.] distant from
the centre of the parish. The Aberdeen and Braemar turnpike road passes
through the whole length of the parish, an extent of six miles, along
which the Aberdeen and Ballater mail-coach runs daily, and, in the
summer months, a stage-coach between Banchory and Aberdeen.
Ecclesiastical State.—The Bishop's see having
been translated from Mortlach to Aberdeen by King David I. in 1154,
Bishop Edward instituted a college of canons, which was apostolically
confirmed by Pope Adrian IV. anno 1157, in
whose bull (already referred to) there is mentioned among the other
churches of the bishopric, "Ecclesiam de Dulmayok cum pertinentiis suis."
[Chartulary, fo. 43.]
In 1368, Bishop Kinynmond II. added the pastor
of Drumoak to the chapter of the cathedral, "ad instantiam discreti viri
magistri Johanis de peblis;" [Epistolare,
fo. 168.] and in a list of the value of
the different prebends made by Bishop Ingram in 1448, the last entry is
"Dulmayk X lb." [Chartulary,
fo. 26.]
The former parish church was very inconveniently
situated for the inhabitants, being placed upon the extreme point of a
narrow strip of land which protrudes along the side of the river into
Peterculter. There is no record nor traditionary account of the time at
which that house of God was erected, but when abandoned, in 1837, it was
probably about three hundred years old. Within its gray ruin is the
tombstone of Mr David Lindsay, elder, who was minister of this parish at
different periods between 1654 and 1702; and near it, upon the adjoining
wall, is another, which marks the grave of his successor, the
inscription on which is almost obliterated by the hand of time. The
surrounding churchyard (considering the circumstances of the parish)
contains many grave-stones, the epitaphs on which are in general simply
but well expressed; and one, which is in excellent preservation, bears
the date of 1634.
The present church, which is situated nearly in the
centre of the parish, was founded in the spring of 1835, and opened for
Public worship on the 13th November 1836. It is built in the Gothic
style, from a design by Mr Archibald Simpson, architect in Aberdeen, and
is finished in so neat, comfortable, and even elegant a manner, that it
is the best specimen in this part of the country of what a parochial
church ought to be. The expense of its erection was L.1002, 14s. 2d.;
and it is calculated to contain about 630 sitters, allowing 18 inches to
each. The seats are all free, having been divided by the heritors among
the tenants after they had set apart 11 sittings to the minister, 5 to
the schoolmaster, 10 to the elders, 10 for the accommodation of persons
attending baptisms, and 22 for poor people who have no land attached to,
their dwelling-houses. It also contains a small room in which the
religious department of the parish library is managed, and a very
comfortable vestry for the convenience of the minister.
The manse is about half a mile distant from the
parish church, and was erected in 1836, from a design by Mr Smith,
architect in Aberdeen, and, with the offices which were furnished at the
same time, cost L.800. It is a handsome and commodious building,
pleasantly situated by the side of the river, on a barren piece of
ground in the centre of the glebe, containing about four acres, which,
although exceedingly worthless for any other purpose, is well adapted
for being laid out as pleasure ground, on account; of the beautifully
diversified form of its surface. In front is a terraced garden, now
almost finished, which contains, 1 rood, 28 falls, 14 perches. To that
little spot the present incumbent has carried upwards of 2000 cart-loads
of earth, collected from the banks of the river and other waste places
on the glebe ; and the heritors, who always study his comfort and
convenience, have enclosed it, in the most liberal manner, with a stone
and lime wall, which cost L.105.
When the church and manse were removed to their
present situation in 1836, the old glebe (including a piece of ground
which had been given in mortmain by a laird of Culter to the minister of
Drumoak) was exchanged for the new one, which, according to the land
surveyor's report, contained, of arable land, 17 acres, 3 roods, 28
falls, and of pasture, &c. 10 acres, 1 rood, 6 falls; total, 28 acres, 0
roods, 34 falls; and was valued at L.21, 16s. 8d.
The teinds of the parish are exhausted, and the
minister receives from the Exchequer L.59, 7s. 10d. to mate up his
stipend to L.150, exclusive of L.8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements.
The only place of public worship is the parish
church, at which Divine service is well attended. The number of families
at present belonging to the Establishment is 161, and of individuals,
763. The average number of communicants yearly for the last three years
is 412, inclusive of a few strangers from the neighbourhood ; and the
average amount for the same period of collections made at the church for
the General Assembly's four schemes, the Presbytery's lunatic fund, and
the Aberdeen Infirmary, is L.15, 12s. 6¼d. The
number of Dissenting families in the parish is 6, and of individuals,
34, viz. Episcopalian families 2, individuals, 9; United Christian
Church, families, 1, individuals, 7; Independents, families, 3,
individuals, 18. [In 1842, the number of
Dissenting families in the parish is 4, and of indi-pjals, 22, viz.
Episcopalian families, 1, individuals, 2; United Christian Church,
families, 1, individuals, 7; Independents, families, 2, individuals, 13.]
Ministers of Drumoak. - 1.
The Rev. John Gregory was minister of this parish previous to
the year 1654. 2. The Rev. David Lindsay was ordained 1654, and ejected
1682, for refusing to take the oath and test imposed by Parliament. 3.
The Rev. David Lindsay, younger, (son of the preceding,) was ordained
1682, and died 16th June 1691. The Rev. David Lindsay, elder,
"re-entered to the exercise of the pastoral function in this parish,"
21st June 1691, and died 30th September 1702. 4. The Rev. Alexander
Shank, ordained 4th August 1703, and died 6th March 1749. 5. The Rev.
John Glennie, ordained 10th January 1750, translated to Maryculter June
1763. 6. The Rev. Alexander Rose, ordained 9th May 1764, translated to
Auchterless November 1774. 7. The Rev. John Fullerton, ordained 17th
August 1775, died 27th May 1785. 8. The Rev. James Fraser, D. D., was
ordained 15th June 1786, and died 31st January 1828. 9. The present
incumbent was ordained as assistant and successor to Dr Fraser 27th July
1826.
Education.— There are three schools in the
parish, the parochial school, the session's school, and Miss Irvine of
Drum's school. The branches taught in the parochial school are, English
reading and grammar, writing, geography, arithmetic, mathematics, and
Latin. The quarterly fees are, for reading, 2s. 6d.; reading and
writing, 3s. 6d.; arithmetic, 4s. 6d.; Latin, 5s.— nothing additional
being charged for English grammar and geography. The teacher has the
legal accommodation, and draws yearly about L.20 as school-fees, L.30 of
salary, 8 bolls of meal for teaching poor scholars on Drum's
mortification, and what may be awarded him by the Trustees of the Dick
Bequest. The session's school at Glashmore is in that part of the parish
which lies in the county of Kincardine, and is under the patronage of
the kirk-session. The branches taught in it are elementary, and the
scale of fees is the same as at the parochial school. The teacher has at
present only a free house and small garden, the privilege of procuring
fire from a neighbouring moss, a salary of L.5, which is raised by
subscription, and school-fees, which may amount to about L.8 annually;
but his situation will soon be more comfortable, as a legacy of L.200
has been left by a benevolent parishioner for the endowment of this
school, (under the management of the treasurer of the kirk-session,) the
interest of which will be available to the teacher after it has
accumulated to the amount of the legacy tax. Miss Irvine of Drum's
school was established last year, and is intended chiefly for affording
instruction to girls in needle-work. The mistress has a free house, and
draws a quarterly fee of 2s. 6d. for sewing, and of 3s. when the first
lessons in English reading are added. The number of scholars at present
attending this little but useful seminary is 22. In the parochial and
Glashmore schools the religious instruction of the young is attended to
on the week days, and in the latter, also, on the Sabbath.
Literature.—A parish library was instituted in
1827, and contains about 300 volumes. Subscribers are supplied with
books of a historical nature every Monday evening at the parochial
school, and with religious publications at the church, every Lord's day
after sermon. The terms of subscription are 6d. per quarter.
Poor and Parochial Funds.—The number of poor on
the regular roll last year was 8, and the average amount of supply given
to each was L. 3, 3s. 10½d. There were also 17
who required temporary relief, and received the average sum of L. 1, 2s.
11½d. The amount of ordinary collections at
the church during the same period was L.84, 18s. 10
3/4d.; interest of mortifications available to the poor, L.3,
14s.; interest of savings in the hands of the heritors at 5 per cent.,
L.19, 18s. 10 3/4d.; mortcloth and
proclamation dues, L.l, 3s.; legacies and donations, L.4 ; and 12 bolls
of mortified meal are annually divided among decayed tenants in the land
of Drum. There are frequent instances among the poor of unwillingness to
accept of parochial aid.
Fairs.-—Five fairs are annually held in the
parish, chiefly for the sale of cattle; but, being of recent
appointment, they are exceedingly ill-attended, and consequently little
business is transact-ed in them.
Inns.—We have two inns, both of which are in some
measure necessary, the one being a stage between Aberdeen and Banchory
Ternan, the other between Aberdeen and Kincardine O'Neil.
Fuel—The fuel most commonly employed is peat and
wood; but coals carried from Aberdeen are frequently used, especially in
the lower part of the parish, where the mosses are nearly exhausted.
Written February 1840.
Revised August 1842. |
