is half a mile south-west from the church and house of Rothemay, the next parish below Grange. A large bourn, called The Loan Bourn, runs eastward about half a mile northward from the church, and falls into the river Ylay a little below Miltoun. The principal gentlemen's houses are these following: The house of Achynanye, lying a mile and a half south-east by east from the church, at the north side of The Ballach Hill: it belongs to Thomas Grant of Arntilly, esquire, who is one of the justices of peace in that country. A short mile westward from which is the house of Birkinburn, belonging to William Gordon, esquire. A little to the north from these two houses, there is a small bourn, called The Bourn of Drum, on which is a mill called The Mill of Tarnash, wonderfully situated betwixt two rocks, one whereof hangs very much over the mill, the water falling from a very great height upon the wheel thereof. Two miles west and by south from the church, is the house of Achanacie, now possest by the widow of one Cadie Mitchel, who built it. A quarter of a mile westward from this house, is a large Episcopal meeting house, at a place called Rosarie, where the minister has a very great auditory. This is the most westward place of the parish, and has The Loan Bourn running closs by the south side thereof, which bourn runs by the north side of the house of Achanacie. A short mile north from Achanacie, and two miles west from the church, lies the ruinous house of Allanbuie; a little above which is the house of Muldarie, where the Episcopal minister uses to live. Near a mile from Allanbuie lies the house of Haughs, also ruinous, a large mile north-west from the church. A quarter of a mile north from Haughs is the house of Tarmore, lately possessed by Alexander Sutherland of Kinmenity, who, in the beginning of the year MDCCXLII., fell over a fore stair at Fochabers, and broke his scull; of which he died, leaving a poor widow and a numerous male family in great misery. Half a mile from Tarmore, eastward, lies the house of Kinmenity, which is going to ruin. A short mile east from Kinmenity is the house of Newmill, possessed by George Gordon of Glengerach, esquire: it is a mile and a half northward from the church. These places are each below Haughs, about a quarter of mile, on the north side of the river. A little bourn runs southward into Yla, a little to the east of Kinmenity. In this bourn are many steep rocks, one of which the bourn falls over about eight foot the rock forms a circle on each side of the place where the water falls; which circle is about six paces wide, within, at the foot; but the rock hangs inward so all around, that it is not above five paces at the top, and on every place it is a good deal higher than that where the water falls over; and the only way to get within it, is by wading up the bourn, where the rock divides to let it out. Opposite to the house of Newmill is the ruinous house of Kempcairn, on the south side of the river Yla, a long mile eastward from the church. And half a mile east by north from Newmill, lies the small house of Glengerach, two miles north and by east from the church. A large bourne runs by the east side of this house, and takes its course southward: it has a bridge of one arch, and runs into the Yla near two miles below Keith, dividing the parish from that of Grange, of both which Sir Arthur Forbes of Craigivar is patron. The parish of Keith contains about sixteen hundred examinable persons, and has for its minister Mr. John Gilchrist, who has been there almost all the time since the revolution.1 ["Tradition has recorded two skirmishes, that have happened in the parish: one, in 1746, when about seventy of the Campbells, and thirty of Kingston's horse, were surprised by the rebels in the old village, and dispersed or taken after considerable slaughter; the other, about a century before, when a Peter Roy Macgregor, the head of a band of robbers, who infested the country, was taken, and his gang completely dispersed by Gordon of Glengerack, then one of the heritors, after a desperate resistance." (The Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. v., p. 427.) "This parish cannot boast of having given birth to any distinguished characters, if we except the illustrious Mr. James Ferguson, well known for his mechanical and philosophical genius and publications." (Id., p. 429.) But see above, p. 226, note. Malcolm, vicar of Keith, ("ego Malcolmus vicarius de Keth subscribo") is one of the clergy of the diocese of Murray who adhibit their consent to the charter of Bricius their bishop, erecting eight prebends in the cathedral church of the Holy Trinity at Spyny, between the year 1208 and the year 1214. (Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, p. 43.) And he is one of the clergy, in synod assembled, who subscribe the new constitutions of Bishop Andrew de Moravia, at Elgin, within the church of Saint Giles the Abbot, on the fifth of May, 1226. (Id., p. 76.) Master Johne Gordoun appears as vicar of Keith from the year 1540 to the year 1547. (Id., pp. 1., 395, 400, 410, 415, 419.) A manuscript rental of the see of Murray, for the year 1565, preserved in the library of the Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh, bears, on its last leaf, this note: "This rentall was writtin by maister Wm Wysman wicar of Keith quhae was the best wryttar within the bisschopreik of Murray at that tyme." (Id., p. VI., note.) The worthy and pious Patrick Forbes of Corse was parson of Keith from his admission into holy orders, in the year 1612, until his election to the bishopric of Aberdeen, in the year 1618. See Dr. George Garden's Vita Johannis Forbesii a Corse, §. vii., ap. J. Forbesii Opera Omnia, t. i. Amstel. 1704. fol.; Bp. Burnett's Life of Dr. William Bedell, pref. Lond. 1685.; Wodrow's Biographical Collections, vol. ii. MSS. Bibl. Universitatis Glasguensis. De ecclesiis de Dulbathlach de Ket et de Edendiuach 1 (A.D. 1203— Frater Jacobus domini Pape penitentiarius et capellanus apostolice sedis legatus venerabili in Christo patri Bricio Dei gratia episcopo Moraviensi salutem in Domino Solet annuere sedes apostolica piis votis et honestis petentium precibus benevolum impertiri consensum. Eapropter karissime pater in Christo tuis justis precibus grato concurrentes assensu personam tuam cum omnibus bonis que in presentiarum rationabiliter possides aut in futurum justis modis dante Domino poteris adipisci sub Beati Petri et nostra protectione suscipimus specialiter autem de Dulbathlach de Ket et de Edendiauch ecclesias quas quidam laici tibi et mense tue pietatis intuitu concesserunt sicut ea omnia juste ac pacifice et canonice possides et in donatorum auctenticis dicitur contineri tibi et per auctoritate legationis qua fungimur confirmamus et presentis scripti patrocinio communimus. Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre confirmationis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire Siquis autem hoc attemptare presumpserit indignationem Omnipotentis Dei et Beatorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum Datum apud Kelcho xv Kalendas Maij · . te mense tue Confirmatio Honorii Pape de ecclesiis pertinentibus ad mensam Episcopi Moraviensis (A.D. 1222.) 2 Honorius episcopus servus servorum Dei dilecto filio electo Moraviensi salutem et apostolicam benedictionem Solet annuere sedes apostolica piis votis et honestis petentium precibus favorem benevolum impertiri Eapropter dilecte in Domino fili tuis justis postulationibus grato concurrentes. assensu de Elgyn de Dyke de Dunbathelac de Keth et de Edendyauch ecclesias ad episcopalem mensam spectantes sicut eas juste et canonice possidetis et quiete tibi et per te ecclesie tue auctoritate apos . . His successor in the cure of Keith was the very learned and pious Dr. Robert Baron, who held the charge until the year 1624, and was afterwards professor of theology in The Marischal College at Aberdeen, and Bishop-elect of Orkney. A catalogue of his writings will be found in Gordon's History of Scots Affairs, vol. iii., pp. 235-238, note. also The Miscellany of The Spalding Club, vol. ii., pp. liii., 150, 151.] [From the Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, pp. 16, 17.] 2 [From the Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, p. 63.] See tolica confirmamus et presentis scripti patrocinio communimus. Nulli ergo hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre confirmationis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis autem hoc attemptare presumpserit indignationem Omnipotentis Dei et Beatorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum Datum Lateran iiii. Idus Maii pontificatus nostri anno vii. Compositio super decimis de Strathylif. (A.D. 1229.) Noverint omnes hoc scriptum visuri vel audituri quod cum mote essent plures controversie inter Archidiaconum et Precentorem Moraviensis ecclesie super quibusdam decimis nomine prebendarum de Forays de Rathed et de Alvays et rectores ecclesie de Keth nomine ejusdem ecclesie super decimis de Strathylif ex parte una et Abbatem et conventum de Kynlos ex altera. de consilio proborum virorum et de voluntate et assensu partium nomine prebendarum et ecclesiarum predictarum sic amicabiliter est inter eos compositum et ordinatum scilicet. Quod predicti archidiaconus et precentor nomine prebendarum et ecclesiarum suarum de Forays et de Rathed et de Alvays et rectores ecclesie de Keth nomine ejusdem ecclesie de consensu et assensu totius capituli Moraviensis totum jus quod dicebant et credebant se habere vel habebant in rebus petitis quietum clamaverunt pro se et successoribus renunciantes liti mote et movende impetratis et impetrandis super premissis in hac forma quod de terra de Strathylif sita in parochia de Keth et terris suis sitis in parochiis de Forays Rathed et de Alvays cum date fuerint ad firmam vel ex asse vel ex parte de terris ad firmam datis ecclesie parochiales in quarum parochiis dicte terre sunt site a firmariis omnes decimas et rectitudines ecclesiasticas percipient De terris autem non datis ad firmam ratione privilegiorum suorum a prestatione decimarum iidem monachi erunt immunes. Episcopus autem Moraviensis omnes donationes dictis monachis rationabiliter factas et omnes libertates et jura quorum confirmatio ad Episcopum pertinet juxta officium sue administrationis confirmavit eisdem · Preterea dictus Episcopus Moraviensis nomine Moraviensis ecclesie ob certas causas et eidem ecclesie necessarias omni juri et exactioni sibi et ecclesie Moraviensi competentibus de illa parte terre que appellatur Kyrkeburne de assensu decani et capituli Moraviensis pro se et successoribus suis penitus et in perpetuum renunciavit. Omnia 1 [From the Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, pp. 84-87.] . autem instrumenta super premissis confecta nisi sint indulgentie vel privilegia quacunque parte fuerint inventa irrita sint et prolata nullam habeant firmitatem ut ex eis jus aliquod habeatur vel adquiratur nisi ad probationem et declarationem in hoc instrumento contentorum. Abbas autem et conventus de Kynlos quo ad terras sitas in parochiis prebendarum et ecclesiarum predictarum quieti erunt et immunes in perpetuum ab omni exactione et prestatione decimarum juxta tenorem privilegiorum suorum. excepto quod pro bono pacis utilitate et incremento episcopatus archidiaconatus precentarie ecclesie Moraviensis et ecclesie de Keth episcopis Moraviensibus ex debito tres solidos et iiii. denarios. archidiaconatui tres marcas precentarie x · solidos . et ecclesie de Keth vi marcas singulis . annis persolvent sub hac forma scilicet quod si dicti monachi totas terras suas sitas in parochiis de Forais de Rathueth de Alvays Keth vel in aliqua istarum parochiarum totam terram suam ad firmam dederint ecclesia in cujus parochia sita est terra ad firmam data omnes decimas et rectitudines ecclesiasticas a firmariis predictarum terrarum plene percipiet et integre et dicti monachi quieti erunt a solutione portionis dicte pecunie que contingit archidiaconum vel precentorem si in eorum parochia vel ecclesiam de Keth si in ejus parochia sita est terra data ad firmam. Si autem aliquotam partem dederint monachi ad firmam terrarum in predictis parochiis sitarum de tota portione pecunie predicte quieti erunt et absoluti quota portio terre ad firmam data fuerit • quoad eos in quorum parochiis terre site fuerint ad firmam date et residuum integraliter persolvetur. Ita tamen quod predicti tres solidi et quatuor denarii singulis annis in perpetuum solventur episcopis Moraviensibus decimis domini Regis de Burgyn et hec supradicta singulis annis pro secundum formam singulis solventur ad Festum Sancti Martini in hyeme Terra quidem ad monachos termino firme elapso devoluta contenti erunt predicti archidiaconus precentor et rectores ecclesie de Keth necnon et omnes eis in posterum successuri· suprataxata pecunie summa eisdem annuatim persolvenda juxta predictam distinctionem. Ad hec igitur fideliter tenenda et servanda dicti Episcopus Archidiaconus et Precentor Moraviensis nomine episcopatus de Forays de Rathueth de Alvays prebendarum et rectores ecclesie de Keth nomine ejusdem ecclesie . Abbas et monachi memorati per solempnem promissionem et presentem scripturam se obligaverunt quibus omnibus auctoritas Episcopi cum consensu capituli sui interveniente accessit et hec omnia confirmavit juxta . |