BUILDINGS Jurifdiction. The Buildings ftood four miles South-west from the town of Elgin, near the entry of the valley, at the foot of the North Hill, which reverberating the Sun-beams renders the place very warm. The walls of the Precinct are almost entire, and make near a square figure. The Church ftands about the middle of the fquare; a fine edifice in the form of a crofs, with a fquare tower in the middle, all of hewen afler. The oratory and refectory join to the South end of the Church, under which is the dormitory. The Chapter Houfe is a piece of curious workmanship; an Octogonal Cube, whereof the vaulted roof is fupported by one pillar. The lodgings of the Prior and Cells of the Monks were all contiguous to the Church. Within the Precinct were Gardens and Green Walks. In a word, the remains of this Priory fhew, that thofe Monks lived in a ftately palace, and not in mean cottages. The PRIOR was Lord of Regality within the Priory lands, and had a distinct Regality in Grangehill, called "The Regality of Staneforenoon." At the Reformation, Sir Alexander Seaton, afterwards Earl of Dunfermline, was anno 1565 made Commendator of Plufcarden. He difponed the Church lands of Durris and the patronage (Vid. page 132) and the lands of Grangehill (Vid. page 98) and the Barony of Plufcarden and Old Mills, 23d February 1595, to Kenneth MacKenzie of Kintail, who got a Novo Damus, dated 12th March Conveyance. 1607, of that Barony, "* Cum omnibus et fingulis decimis "garbalibus totarum et integrarum terrarum et Baroniæ, cum "fuis pertinentiis, quæ a Stipite, le Stock, earundem nunquam feparatæ fuere, et quarum Prior et Conventus, eorumque "Prede *" With all and fundry the Teind-fheaves of the whole Lands and Barony, "with their pertinents, which were never feparated from the stock, and of which "the PRIOR and Convents and their predeceffors, were in poffeffion in all times. " past.” "Predeceffores, in poffeffione, omnibus temporibus præteritis, "exftitere." May 9th 1633, George of Kintail brother and heir of the faid Kenneth, difponed the Barony to his brother Thomas MacKenzie; From whom Sir George MacKenzie of Tarbet evicted it, by a charter of apprifing anno 1649, and difponed it anno 1662 to the Earl of Caithness and Major George Bateman. The Earl transferred his right to the Major anno 1664; and the Major fold the whole Barony to Ludowick Grant of Grant anno 1677. Here let it be remarked, that Alexander Brodie of Lethin, father-in-law to Grant, paid the purchase money L. 5000 Sterling, and Grant possessed Plufcarden only as tutor or trustee for his second son James, and in 1709 refigned in his favour. From the faid James Grant, (the late Sir James) William Duff of Dipple purchased it anno 1710; and now it is the property of the Earl Fife. PRIORY. The PRIORY of KINGUSIE in Badenoch was founded by KINGUSIE George Earl of Huntley about the year 1490. Of what Order the Monks were, or what were the revenues of the Priory, I have not learned. The Prior's house and the cloysters of the Monks ftood near the Church, where fome remains of them are to be feen. The few lands belonging to it, were the donation of the family of Huntley; and at the Reformation were justly re-affumed by that Family. I now proceed to The CONVENTS, &c.. The CONVENTS of MONKS, FRIARS and NUNS within this CONVENTS Province. The MONKS and FRIARS differed in this, that the former were feldom allowed to go out of their Cloysters; but the FRIARS, who were generally predicants or mendicants, travelled about and preached in neighbouring parishes. MONKS, at: BLACK GRAY GRAY SISTERS. at first lived by their induftry, and by private alms, and came to the parish Church. But a reclufe life was not fo ferviceable to the Romish Church; and therefore FRIARS were under little confinement. Every MONK and FRIAR used the Tonfure or Shaved Crown; an emblem, they faid, of their hope of a Crown of Glory. They vowed chastity, poverty, and obedience, befides the rules of their respective Orders. They had few Convents in this Country. The DOMINICANS, called BLACK-FRIARS, because they wore a Black Crofs on a white gown, were inftituted by DoMINIC a Spaniard who invented the Inquifition, were approved by the POPE anno 1215, and brought into Scotland by Bishop Malvoífin. These, with the Franciscan Gray-Friars, and Carmelite White Friars, were Mendicants, allowed to preach abroad, and beg their fubfiftence. The Dominicans, notwithstanding their profeffed poverty, had fifteen rich Convents in Scotland. And we had their Convents at Elgin, Forres, and Inverness. The FRANCISCANS, called GRAY-FRIARS, wore a Gray Gown and Coul, a rope about their middle, and went about with pocks to beg. St FRANCIS an Italian established them anno 1206. King Alexander II. fettled a Convent of them in Elgin, where they had a spacious Church and fine dwellings.. Their principal house is now the feat of William King of Newmiln. I may add, The GREY-SISTERS, or NUNS of Sienna in Italy. They wore a Grey Gown and a rochet, followed St Auftin's rule, and were never to go forth of their Cloysters, after they had made their vows. They had a Nunnery at Y-colum-kill, de dicated dicated to St OR AN; and at Sheens, i. e. de Sienna, near Edin- The PRECEPTORY of MAISON DIEU. of MAISON DIEU. Near Elgin, was an Hofpital for entertaining Strangers, and Preceptory maintaining Poor Infirm People. The Hofpital stood close to the town at the Eaft, where fome parts of the buildings remain. The lands of this Hofpital granted to the town of Elgin by King James VI. by charter 22d March 1594, confirmed ultimo Februarii 1620, for maintaining Poor People, and sustaining a Teacher of Church Mufic, who fhall precent in the Church. King Alexander III. mortified the lands of Monben and Kelles to this Hofpital (Appendix N° XV.) and King Charles I. by his charter to the town of Elgin, 8th October 1633, confirms to them, "The Preceptory of Maison Dieu, with the patronage "thereof, and all belonging thereto, with the arable lands of "Maison Dieu, and the crofts and pertinents thereof; the lands "of Over and Neither Monben with the haugh thereof called "Broomtown; the lands of Bogfide, with the miln thereof, mill-lands, adftricted multures and fequels; the lands of Car"dells Over and Nether, alias Pitcroy, Delnapot, Smiddy "croft, with the miln, miln-lands, multures and fequels there"of; with the Salmon fishing on the water of Spey; and the "lands of Over and Neither Pitinfeir.' ST NICHOLAS' HOSPITAL. Another fuch Hofpital, called St NICHOLAS HOSPITAL, ftood St NICHO. LAS' Hofpion the east bank of Spey, at the boat of Bridge, where fome tal. remains TEMPLARS, remains of the buildings may be seen. Muriel de Pollock gave the lands of Inverorkile, for building a house there (Appendix, No II.) Andrew Bishop of Moray gave the Church of Rothes with its pertinents to this Hofpital (Appendix, No IV.) Walterus de Moravia filius Willielmi granted to it the lands of Agynway (Char, Mor.) and King Alexander II. anno 1232, granted four merks annually of the farm of the Mills of Nairn for maintaining a Chaplain. (Appendix, No III.) The lands of this Hofpital are now the property of feveral Gentlemen. TEMPLAR and JOHANNITE KNIGHTS. I shall add a few things concerning the TEMPLAR and JoHANNITE KNIGHTS. The TEMPLARS were religious KNIGHTS established at Jerufalem about the year 1118, and vowed to defend the Temple, and to guard and entertain Pilgrims and Strangers. They wore a white habite with a red crofs, and were called by fome the Red-Friars. They became immenfely rich, had above 9000 houfes in Europe, and the Crofs of the Order was on the top of every houfe. They had fome lands in Arderfier and a jurisdiction of Regality. In 1312, the Pope and the King of France fuppreffed this Order, and, under pretence of abominable crimes and errors, caufed deftroy the KNIGHTS in one night, then fhared their riches, and gave a part of the lands to the JOHANNITES. The TEMPLAKS had a house in the town of Elgin: and at Kinnermonie in Aberlaure, there are the walls of an old Gothic house, and the tradition of the country is, that it was a religious houfe, and that all the religious in it were maffacred in one night. The |