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PRESBYTERY OF DEER, SYNOD OF ABERDEEN.
,--------. --------- MINISTER.
I.—Topography and Natural History.
Name.—The name of the parish is said to be of
Gaelic origin, and to signify "the King's house." Tradition bears that a
religious house once existed near the site of the present church.
Mountain ranges, &c.—At the westerly extremity of
the parish there is a range of high grounds,—the continuation of the
Auchmedden ridge, and of those high grounds which, crossing the adjoining
parish of New Deer, form a part of the eminences skirting the western
extremity of Buchan. Those eminences in the lower part of the parish seem,
in fact, to be continuations of the Hill of Mormond, distant only about
three miles.
Meteorology.—In the spring and summer months, a
dense cloud, charged often with the electric fluid, is frequently seen
hovering over that range of highlands terminating in the Auchmedden ridge,
and, after hanging in collected masses for a while, it generally breaks
into two divisions, one of which branches off in a southeasterly direction
towards Mormond, the other traversing the waters of the Moray Frith,—each
dissipating itself in copious falls of rain.
Hydrography.— We can boast of many and valuable
springs, copious, perennial, salubrious, spread abroad with a lavish hand
through all the parish, and adapted to the necessary wants and
accommodations of the people. Many of them are of a tonic mineral
description, impregnated more or less with carbonate of iron. There are
two streamlets, — the one running south-east, in the upper part of the
parish, is one of the tributaries of the river Ugie, which flows into
the sea near to the town of Peterhead; but, so long as it continues with
us, it is but a puny stream, flowing generally with a sluggish pace. The
other streamlet has one or two of its fountains on the eastern side of
the elevated grounds which bisect the parish. In a natural amphitheatre,
scooped out, it may be, by some convulsion of the elements, and
protected from every blast that blows, there bubbles forth from a grassy
knoll a most copious stream, denominated the Mourning or Murnan Well,
the waters of which, in conjunction with other streams, finally merge in
those waters which constitute the rivulet of Philorth, as it falls into
the sea about two miles south of Fraserburgh.
Geology and Mineralogy.—It may be said that the course of the
discoverable strata lies in a north-easterly direction, and that its dip
is at an angle of about 45°. The ascertained strata are either composed
of gravel or sand, or clay, sometimes pure, sometimes mixed, and it is,
for the most part, imbedded on a basis of granite rock. There is a
species of rotten rock of the clayish mica kind, held together by a
cement of crusted ferruginous sand, arising in the adjoining parish of
Pitsligo, entering this one on its northern frontier, opposite to the
church, traversing it in a southerly direction for about a mile, dipping
occasionally, and finally losing itself at the base of one of the
eminences which protrudes from the mountainous range formerly mentioned.
This species of rock, unfit for any kind of building, is adapted solely
for road-making ; but the difficulty and consequent expense of quarrying
render it ineligible even for this purpose. On this strata of rock,
however, is deposited the richest land in the parish.
On the eastern extremity of the parish, there is a
limestone quarry, formerly wrought, but now disused, owing to the
difficulty and expense of extracting the under-ground accumulating
water. This vein of limestone is only a small branch of that great
strata which, originating in the rocks on the shores of the Moray Frith,
close by Kinnaird's Head, traverses, in a south-westerly direction,
parts of the parishes of Fraserburgh, Rathen, and Tyrie, dipping
occasionally, underlying
the foundations of Mormond, exhibiting itself
afterwards at the lime quarries of Strichen, and pursuing still its way
in the same direction far into the interior of the country. The breadth
of the strata of limestone, from the
place where it manifests itself in this
parish to where it terminates in
Rathen, may be
estimated to be about three or four miles.
The great strata of granite rocks pursue the same
south-westerly course. The stone itself is composed of quartz, shorl,
fel-spar,
and mica,—the last, however, in very minute
quantities. It is of a
pale-grayish hue. Examples of it are found in all shades of formation,
from the loose and uncompressed to the closely packed and the
firmly-cemented blocks, capable of receiving the finest polish, and
adapted for the most durable buildings. Occasional blocks of granite are
discoverable in every valley; but they most frequently appear to form
the frame-work on which are deposited all the superincumbent strata of
the mountainous range bisecting the parish, and also the greater part of
the massy plains, &c. of the upper part. The granite quarries which have
been opened, furnish blocks of about ten tons weight; but what farther
sizes might be procured it is impossible to say, without deeper
excavations than what have been hitherto made. The stones already
procured have been obtained with comparative ease, and consequently with
comparatively little expense. From these quarries have been taken the
materials for building great part of the dressed work of the pier of the
harbour of Fraserburgh, and for the ornamental work of the modern
building's of that town, as well as of those in our more immediate
neighbourhood. Such a trade, if we may call it a trade, has been a
source of some revenue to the proprietor, and to several industrious
artisans and labourers; and, as long as the facility of transportation,
furnished by means of the adjoining turnpike road to Fraserburgh,
exists, combined with the little cost in clearing away the
superincumbent rubbish or soil, and the easiness of quarrying, and the
little expense of dressing, owing to the comparative softness of the
stone when newly quarried,—so
long will, in all probability, such a source of revenue to the
proprietor continue. Iron undoubtedly we have; but not in sufficient
quantity to render it a profitable speculation to embark in the process
of smelting it.
Mossy soils we have in vast abundance. With a few
solitary exceptions, these are confined to one continuous plain,
measuring about three miles long by two and a half or three miles broad.
They not only supply fuel, but are capable of being converted into
productive land.
This
parish seems, from the nature of its soil, to be
adapted not so much for
a grazing district, as for the production of oats, its
staple, nay, almost sole species of grain, and for the growth of tur-nips
and potatoes, which, in favourable years, it
grows in great abundance. A powerful auxiliary to the other kinds of
manure which our vicinity to the sea enables us to command, has been
found in the bone manure, which is suited to the generality of our soil,
and of which a considerable quantity is annually imported A vast
quantity of herring refuse and of sea-dogs, (the livers of the last of
which are converted, by the thrifty farmers' wives, into oil for the
replenishing of their winter's evening lamps), are also annually brought
into the parish.
Botany.—Our plantations are few. Placed in small,
irregular insulated patches or in narrow continuous beltings (amounting,
however, in whole to about 270 acres, 40 of which have been planted
since 1826, at the rate of 7000 trees per acre, thus giving at an
average, since 1826, 21,000 trees annually), in the vicinity of New
Pitsligo, in the upland district of this parish, exposed, from their
elevated and unprotected position, to every blast that blows, yet the
trees have made tolerable progress. They prove that ash, plane, fir,
aller, mountain-ash, the constituent trees of these plantations, are
fitted to grow in this country.
II. —Civil History.
Eminent Men.—The first individual connected with
this parish, where history and fate possesses any degree of public
notoriety and interest, is Mr Forbes of Boyndlie, a scion of the noble
family of Pitsligo, the first possessor and builder of the first house
of Boyndlie, and who was killed at the battle of Craibstone in 1575.
2. His descendant, John Forbes of Boyndlie, was taken
prisoner on the 12th September 1644 at the battle of Aberdeen, by the
celebrated Montrose; but was liberated shortly after on his parole of
honour, to return in case he could not, along with his liberated
fellow-prisoner, by the united influence with the Covenanters, procure
the liberty of the young Laird of Drum, and also under the provisionary
generous clause, not to return in case his captor should sustain a
defeat before the stipulated period. With a spirit worthy of a man and a
Christian, he, like Regulus, did return, upon finding insuperable
obstacles in the way of the liberation of the stipulated prisoner. And
when others, frightens by the apprehended dangers and privations of a
winter's retreat, and perhaps a winter's campaign, amidst the wilds and
fastnesses of the Highland mountains, were in crowds deserting Montrose,
he nobly abode in the camp, determined to brave all things rather than
break his plighted word. It is pleasing to record, that this honourable
man died in peace and in honour at an advanced age, at his chateau in
Cremar.
3. Mr John Forbes, second son of Sir William Forbes
of Mo-nymusk, resided at Pitfichie near the Hill of Bennachie, but
purchased the estate of Ladysford in this parish ; was out in 1715;
occupied the official station of collector of cess for the rebel army;
was, after the issue of that ill-planned and timidly executed
enterprise, obliged to leave his native country, embarking, after having
collected what property he had time to realize, on board of a vessel
bound for Holland ; but was heard of no more. Suspicions arose that he
had not received fair play at the hands of the crew, as one of them was
seen a few years after, wearing a part of the dress which an aged and
attached servant of the family recognized as having once belonged to her
master. He left a widow, with a family of ten or more children ; but He
who provides for the widow and the fatherless in their afflictions,
raised up friends and protectors to them, and, in course of time, one of
his daughters was married to her cousin, Sir William Forbes, and from
her is descended the present family of the Baronet of Pitsligo. [There
is in the possession of his great-grandson, the present proprietor of
Boynd-lie, the original cess-book which he used for levying the
cess-money. It is neatly written, is well preserved, is a curiosity in
its kind, contains some curious statistics of contract between the
ancient and present proprietary and estates of the county. It proceeds
on the principle of making an enemy pay double of what is exacted from a
friend,—for those who were against what it would account the good cause
are represented as charged double cess. There is a picture of him and of
his wife in the pre-sent Mouse of Boyndlie.]
4. Connected with this parish, though not by birth or
burial, yet certainly by occasional residence, was the venerable and
attainted Lord Pitsligo, whose memory is still cherished, and whose
hair-breadth escapes from the hands of his pursuers are dwelt upon with
enthusiasm by those dwelling amidst the scenes of his wanderings and
perils,—whose piety is attested by the thoughts which he has left,—and
whose character and history are embodied in that interesting record
which his relative, Lord Medwyn, has recently drawn up and made public.
5. Connected, too, with this parish by property are
the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Saltoun, and the late Sir William Forbes, the
author of the Life of Beattie. These are, indeed, historical personages.
The annals of diplomacy and of state policy will immortalize the name of
the first; the history of the campaigns of the Peninsula under Sir John
Moore and the Duke of Wellington, and the defence of Huguemont at
Waterloo, will transmit the name of the second with honour to posterity;
while deeds of active benevolence and of extensive public spiritedness
will embalm the memory of the last in the grateful remembrance of
present and future generations. [It may be
here noticed, that Major George Phillips, a descendant of the
above-mentioned Forbesses of Boyndlie, born and educated in this parish,
and, after going to India, and serving there in a most gallant manner,
and after realizing a considerable fortune, died there about the year
1806, bequeathing the munificent sum of L. 600
Sterling, the interest whereof to be expended for the behoof of the poor
of this parish. It may be noticed
also that William Anderson, who occupied the humble sphere of a
blacksmith in this parish, bequeathed to the parish the sum of L.40
Sterling, the interest where to be expended on the education of poor
children.]
Land-owners.—Two of the chief land-owners, the
Earl of Aberdeen and Lord Saltoun, have been already mentioned. The only
other two are Sir John Stuart Forbes and Mr Forbes of Boyndlie,—men who,
by the benevolence of their hearts, by the public spirit they manifest,
have done, and are doing, an immense deal of good to the community at
large.
Antiquities.—A few years ago, there was standing,
in the immediate vicinity of the church, a sort of circular mound,
called the Moat, the work of a very remote era, but at what time, or for
what purpose erected, we do not pretend to conjecture.
Barrows or tumuli we possess, as well as other minor
indications of battles and frays fought in our neighbourhood. Connected
apparently with the authenticated coast-wise line of march of the Danish
army, though partially diverging from, but afterwards converging to
their line of march through the fastnesses of Auchmed-den to the bay of
Gamrie, our principal tumuli seem to point out the scenes of successive
conflicts and defeats of the retreating army, and to mark the graves of
some slaughtered Danish or Scottish chieftain.
About three miles farther west, almost in the
entrance of the defiles of Auchmedden, stands the Law Cairn. This has
been partially explored for the purpose of antiquarian research, but
nothing was discovered. Not far distant, however, there were found,
about twenty-two years ago, in the course of quarrying some outlying
stones, remains of ancient armour, probably Roman.
In recently digging up the foundation of the old
church, (a building most unquestionably existing long previous to 1598,
the oldest date legible on its oldest pews), there was found deposited
in the north-eastern corner, as the foundation stone, a rough unhewn
shapeless mass of blue clayish-mica-stone, with a hieroglyphic or other
figure, which has puzzled the conjectures of the most learned of our
antiquarians.
Modern Buildings.—The only mansion-houses in the
parish are those of Bovndlie, and the old mansion-houses of Ladysford
and of Tillanamols.
III.—Population.
IV, —Industry.
Agriculture.—Vast, indeed, have been the
improvements made within the last twenty years, in the reclaiming of
waste, and the draining of wet lands. These improvements have been
carried on by almost every farmer, but the principal have been the
result of the exertions of a number of poor families, located on various
pendicles of what was once a vast and unproductive surface of moor and
moss. An extensive colony of these are in our immediate neighbourhood,
and we have had many opportunities of witnessing their exertions. The
parents of twenty-nine families, containing 156 individuals, who would
have otherwise been held down in the most abject misery, or been
eventually thrown as burdens on their respective parishes, have been
empowered, under the blessing of God, to bring up their families in
comparative comfort, and to look forward to comparative independence
under the approaching infirmities of age. It must be confessed, that the
experiment of this cottage or portionary allocation is as yet in its
infancy, and its ultimate results cannot yet be properly foreseen. One
great means of guarding against any apprehended evils would be, to
extend the duration of the present leases, (nineteen years, and all
leases for that period are by far too short, and are obstacles to
improvement), to three nineteen years at the least, taking care,
however, at the expiry of each nineteen years, to secure the interest of
the landlord by a new valuation of the land, at a rent to be affixed by
two scientific agriculturists mutually chosen.
The general course of rotation is a seven years'
shift, and, in some solitary instances, an eight years' one, and these
are carried out with spirit upon the most approved system of husbandry,
with the exception of liming and plough trenching, previous to the
preparation for turnips. Liming, however, is not so necessary, from the
superabundance of hot dung brought up, bulk for bulk, in exchange for
peats from the sea towns, with which most of our lands are saturated,
and also from the adoption and application of bone manure. It
may be stated, as an exemplification of the vast advantage
attendant on plough trenching, that one of our proprietors has gone over
the whole of his farm, consisting of 150 acres, with a trench-plough
drawn by six horses, breaking up the soil to the depth of thirteen
inches at an average, piercing through the iron-bound pan, and following
up this process with a sufficiency of lime, and an extra quantity of
dung, and, by these means, he has rendered his farm even more than
doubly productive, and has superseded the necessity of manuring his
lea-fields previous to ploughing them for cropping. From seeing the
benefits resulting from this procedure others have been induced to
follow his example as far as their means permitted.
A Horticultural Society was established a short time
ago, at New Pitsligo, under the auspices of Sir John S. Forbes, and it
has excited a considerable emulation among the villagers and tenantry;
and the beneficial effects are attested by the superior mode in which
their gardens are now kept, and the superior crops of cabbages and
turnips, &c raised on their fields. Many of our farmers have joined the
Buchan Agricultural Society, and some of them have been successful at
the different competitions for seed oats.
Many of our farmers are in the practice of exporting
their grain and cattle, directly on their own adventure, to the London
markets, and have been successful in their speculations; and one
individual amongst us, (Mr Catto, at Mains of Tyrie), has dealt very
considerably and successfully of late, in the purchase of grain for the
London and other markets.
V. —Parochial Economy.
Market-Town.— The nearest market-town is
Fraserburgh, situated to the east about five miles.
Village,—New Pitsligo is the only village in the
parish. Placed as it is with its two main streets, lined with rows of
neatly built houses, (one of its streets extending fully a mile in
length,) on the brow of the hill of Tirlundie, and partly surrounded
with occasional small beltings of wood, or with scattered patches of
plantations, it presents, when viewed from certain spots, rather a
pleasing and picturesque appearance. In former times, and in the days of
Lord Pitsligo, its present site and the adjacent cultivated grounds were
occupied by two or three farm-houses, with their patches of miserably
cultivated fields, scattered here and there on the moor and moss, and,
from its connection with the history of that unfortunate nobleman, it
presents a scene of historical interest and associations. It was only
about the year 1790 that its ancient name of Cavoch was transformed into
its modern one of New Pitsligo, and that the former external aspect of
the scene around it began to change, for about that year the village was
founded; and it has, through the persevering industry of its
inhabitants, been increasing year after year, till it has reached its
present population of 1262. One great cause of its increase has been the
cheapness of fuel furnished from the inexhaustible mass of moss around
it, and the attachment to every feu of a few acres of arable ground,
with abundance of reclaimable land given by the proprietor on a lease of
two nineteen years, thus affording from the produce of their land the
means of subsistence to their families, and tempting many an industrious
labourer and mechanic to settle there, from the prospect of steady
employment, and an adequate remuneration for his toil. In fact, its
present inhabitants, with the exception of ninety employed in the
manufacture of cotton and of linen cloth, derive their livelihood from
the produce of their small allotments of land, or from undertaking
agricultural jobs to their neighbours, or the farmers in the adjoining
districts. Of late years, the proprietor has ceased to give off new feus,
and therefore the village may be said, independent of other causes, to
have reached its greatest size. Its police is under the superintendence
of the proprietor's factor.
Means of Communication.—The only post-office in
the parish is in the village of New Pitsligo; and there is a daily
mail-bag dispatched from it. There are about eight miles of turnpike
road in the parish.
Ecclesiastical State.— Situated about three miles
from the east-ern end of the parish, about seven from its western, two
and a-half or three miles from its southern, and about 200 yards from
its northern, the parish church could not have well accommodated all
within the bounds of the united parish; but now that the people in the
upper district have been detached from it, it is well enough situated
for the comfort and convenience of all in the lower district.
It was built in 1800; is a neat and substantial edifice, kept in
admirable repair; made to contain with ease 400 persons, allowing
eighteen inches to each individual, and its sittings are all rent
free. The public benefactions were bequeathed by Major Phillips
and William Anderson. The manse was built in 1763. and was augmented in
1809. The glebe measures 4¾ acres including
site of manse, offices, and garden, and may be worth about L.8 or L.9
Sterling. The stipend is L.150.
For the accommodation of the people in the village of
New Pitsligo and the adjacent lands, whom the distance of six miles from
the parish church precluded from regular and convenient attendance, and
from the benefit of a constant pastoral superintendence, a Chapel of
Ease was erected by the proprietor in the above village; and a district
of the parish, amounting to about four miles long, by two and a half or
three miles broad, was attached to it. And, in accordance with the
recent Act of the General Assembly, the district assigned to this Chapel
of Ease has been erected into a parish quoad spiritualia. This
Chapel of Ease contains about 400. The stipend of the minister amounts
to L.80 Sterling, and is paid by the proprietor, who has also given a
manse and a glebe of about 18 acres. One Episcopal chapel, (a new and
elegant building in the Gothic style), capable of containing about 260,
has been recently erected by the proprietor, and its clergyman's
stipend, L.80 Sterling, is paid by the same, who has also furnished a
portion of land for a glebe.
We have no Dissenting places of worship in the
parish, save that of the Baptists; who, however, only occasionally meet
in the Society's Hall, in New Pitsligo. Divine worship is generally well
attended.
Education.—Scattered as our schools are over the
parish, they are easily accessible to all. Two are parochial. One of
these, situate beside the parish church, has the maximum salary, and in
addition, the master receives L.2 Sterling (the interest of Anderson's
bequest) for educating some poor children. The other is in New Pitsligo,
and has the minimum salary, inclusive of the supposed annual value or
rent of a dwelling-house and garden given by the proprietor of the
village. A school is established at New Pitsligo by the Society in
Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge; has a salary of L.5
Sterling from the Society, and L. 10 Sterling paid by the sisters of Sir
John S. Forbes, with a dwelling-house, commodious school-room, and
garden given by the proprietor. About 120 scholars attend Sabbath
schools.
Poor and Parochial Funds.—The average annual
amount of contributions during the last three years for the relief of
the poor may be stated as under: church collections, including L. 2
Sterling regularly given by Mr Forbes of Boyndlie, as his probable
collection if he was attending the church (for he is an Episcopalian),
L. 61, 18s. 8½d.; the average interest of L.
467 Sterling, lodged in the hands of the Banking Company in Aberdeen, L.
12, 4s. 1d.; the average interest of L. 613, 18s. 4d. bank three per
cent. annuities (Major Phillips's legacy), L. 17, 15s. 8d.; average
amount of mortcloth money and penalties, L. 6, 5s.; total, L. 98, 3s. 5½d.
That sum has been divided in proportions suitable, as far as can be
judged, to their respective necessities, among 87 poor persons, 69 of
whom were on the ordinary and permanent poor's roll, and who have 18
dependents on them; while other 18 are only occasionally supplied with
aid. It must be adverted to, that almost all are able to do something
for themselves by means of their personal industry, and that there is a
silent active spirit of charity abroad in the parish, which contributes
to eke out a subsistence to the necessitous. There is also a very
considerable relief afforded to many poor families by the distribution
from the proprietor's girnal at New Pitsligo of seventy-two bolls of
meal, at the rate of one-half peck per week to each individual. This
charity, furnished by the liberality of Sir John S. Forbes and his
ancestors, is, however, confined to indigent and decayed feuars of that
village.
Fairs, Inns, Alehouses, &c.—Four cattle-markets
are annually held at New Pitsligo, and each of these uniformly takes
place in the months of March, May, August, and September. A fortnightly
corn-market has been recently established there. There are two
respectable inns and six alehouses in New Pitsligo..
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