et quas idem Symon non vi aut metu ductus nec errore lapsus sed mera et spontanea voluntate sua nobis per fustem et baculum sursum reddidit [etc.] Tenendas et habendas eidem Willelmo et heredibus suis de nobis et heredibus nostris in feodo et hereditate per omnes rectas metas et diuisas suas cum omnibus et singulis libertatibus [etc.] Faciendo inde seruicium debitum et consuetum. In cujus rei testimonium presenti carte nostre nostrum precepimus apponi sigillum Testibus venerabilibus in Christo patribus Willelmo et Johanne cancellario nostro Sancti Andree et Dunkeldensis ecclesiarum Episcopis Johanne primogenito nostro de Carric senescallo Scocie. Roberto de Fife et de Menteith filio nostro dilecto Willelmo de Douglas et de Marr consanguineo nostro comitibus Jacobo de Lyndesay nepote nostro carissimo et Alexandro de Lindesay consanguineo nostro militibus. Apud Abirbrothoc vicesimo sexto die mensis Decembris anno regni nostri octauo · (A.D. 1378.) Preceptum Regis pro sasina earundem terrarum1 Robertus Dei gracia Rex Scotorum vicecomiti et balliuis suis de Kyncardyn salutem. Quia concessimus hereditarie Willelmo Burnard filio Symonis Burnard omnes et singulas terras cum pertinenciis in Foresta de Drum infra balliam vestram que fuerunt dicti Symonis patris sui et quas idem Symon [etc.] nobis [etc.] resignauit. Vobis mandamus et precipimus quatenus eidem Willelmo vel suo certo actornato latori presencium saisinam dictarum terrarum cum pertinenciis juste fieri faciatis et sine dilacione secundum tenorem carte nostre quam inde habet. Et hoc nullo modo ommitatis Teste meipso. Apud Abirbrothoc xxvj° · die Decembris anno regni nostri Octauo · 1 [From a copy in the Library of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. On the fourth of July, 1494, there was an "actioune and causs persewit befoir the lordis of consale be Archibald erle of Anguss chancellare of Scotland aganis Alexander Cumyn of Culter for the wrangwis detencione and withthalding fra him of the landis of Arbady and Inchmerlache." (Acta Dominorum Concilii, p. 354.)] THE PARISH OF STRACHAN.1 A DESCRIPTION OF THE PARISH OF STRACHAN, IN THE MERNS. T HE parish of Strachan, in The Merns, hath, on the south, the Grampian hills, above Fettercairn; on the west, Birss, in Aberdeenshire; on the north, Trinity Banchory; on the east, Durres. The church stands near the north-west syde of the parish, on the water of Feuch, two miles south-south-west of Banchory. The house of Blackhall is closs on the north side of Dee, a mile and a half north-north-west of the church. Here is, at the east thereof, the wood of Blackhall, about three quarters of a mile long, and half a mile broad. Cutties-hillock is a publick house, a mile and a half south-west of the church, and stands on a publick highway, which passes north over The Carne of Month, 3 above and below which are timber growing. On which road, and in 1 [See Collections for a History of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, pp. 651, 652.] 2 [From Macfarlane's Geographical Collections for Scotland, MSS. Bibl. Adv.] 3 [ November 9, A.D. 1729. Mr William Brown tells me the following accompt he had, when last in Perth, from Mr James Mercer, minister at Aberdalgie, as what was generally belived as to Dr Rule, principal [of the College] at Edinburgh [from A.D. 1690 to A.D. 1703]; and the thing was so notour that it could not miss to be observed. The Doctor hapned to be going to the north, to some church meeting, and road with a servant; came to knouen Carnie Mount, that lyes in the high and nearest road. Before the Doctor gote to the foot of The Mount, it was turning dark, and the night drauing on him. Ther is a change-house at the foot of The Carnie Mount, wher he expected lodging. When he came there, the landlord told him ther was not a bitt of room for him in the house; that the shirrefe of the shire, and a good number of the gentlmen about, wer to lodge with him, and he expected neither he nor any of the family could have a bed that night. The Doctor told him hou unwilling he was to venture throu The Mount so late, and asked the landlord if he kneu of no remedy for him; that he would be glad of any place where he could be free of the open air, and his horses have meet. The landlord said, he could find room for his horses, and they should be weel enough for himself, he kneu no place for him, unless he pleased to lye in yonder large house, about a quarter or half a mile distance, and he should take care to send over bed-cloaths, and a fire and candles: only, he told him, it had not been inhabited for thirty years, and it was said to be haunted with an apparition. said parish, are the bridge of Feuch, on the water of that name, two miles west of the church; and the stone bridge of Dye, on the water of Dye, of one arch, where is a publick house also of that name, three miles south-west of the The Doctor said, if no better might be, he would rather chuse that than to stay in the open air. His servant, houever, would not go. "The landlord was as good as his word; sent over his servants with bed-cloaths, fire, and candles; and the Doctor went over. The house was a good house, and the rooms good. After his room was ordered, and every thing well, he was left alone in it. He walked some time in the room, and committed himself to God's protection, and went to bed. Ther was two candles he left on the table, and these he put out. Ther was a large bright fire remaining. He had not been long in bed till the room dore is opened, and an apparition, in shape of a country tradsman, came in, and opened the courtains, without speaking a word. Mr Rule was resolved to do nothing till it should speak or attack him, but lay still with full composure, committing himself to the divine protection and conduct. The apparition went to the table, lighted the two candles, brought them to the bedside, and made some steps toward the dore, looking still to the bed, as if he would have had Mr Rule rising and follouing. Mr Rule still lay still till he should see his way further cleared. Then the apparition, who the whole time spoke none, took an effectuall way to raise the Doctor. He caryed back the candles to the table, and went to the fire, and, with the tongs, took doun the kindled coals, and laid them on the deal chamber floor. The Doctor, then, thought it time to rise, and put on his cloaths; in the time of which the spectre laid up the coals again in the chimney, and, going to the table, lifted the candles, and went to the dore, opened it, still looking to the Principal, as he would have him follouing the candles; which he nou, thinking there was somewhat extraordinary in the case, after looking to God for direction, inclined to do. The apparition went doun some steps with the candles, and caryed them in to a long trance, at the end of which ther was a stair, which carryed doun to a lou room. This the specter went doun, and stooped and set doun the lights on the louest step of the stair, and streight disappeared. Mr Rule, after a litle waiting to see if any further should cast up, lifted the candles, went up, the way he came, to his room, and went to his bed again, wher he was no more disturbed. Revolving in his thoughts what had passed, the Doctor began to think there was murder in the case. In the morning, the landlord came over to see hou his guest was, and hou he had rested. The Principal told him he was very weel, and asked him if the shirriff was still with him. The other answered he was. The Principal desired him to give his service to him, and to tell him who he was, a minister and Principal at Edinburgh, and tell him he would willingly see him in the house wher he was; but if that wer uneasy, he could come to him, because he had somewhat of weight to communicat. The shirriff came over, and Mr Rule told him what had hapned, just as above, and that he was much of the mind ther was murder in the case. The shirrif said it might be so, but it was certainly long since, for it was upwards of twenty, near thirty, years since that hous was uninhabited. The other begged the shirriff to cause lift the stone and open the earth where the candles wer left by the spectre; and he yielded. When the ground was opened, the plain remains of a human body wer found, and bones, to the conviction of all. church. The bridge of Dye is from Cuttie's-hillock one mile and a half south. The water is also of that name, and falls from the mountains westward, running in a glen about five miles, till it falls into Feuch, a quarter of a mile west of the church. Dr Rule next intreated the shirrife that he would send orders to the country people, especially such above thirty or forty, to come to the place, and he would give them a sermon, and see if any hint could be had of the murder. The shirriff was not for this, and insisted that the murder was certainly so old that nobody now could probably give any accompt of it. The Doctor insisted ther was no hazard of their meeting for a sermon, and we did not knou what providence might discover. The shirriff condescended, and that day warning was sent for some miles about. The people conveened; the Doctor preached upon some subject suitable to the occasion, and told what had hapned, and earnestly dealt with the consciences of his hearers, if they kneu any thing of that murder to acknowledge it, nou that God, in his providence, had brought it to light. In the time of his sermon, an old man, near eighty years, was awakned, and fell a weeping, and, before all the company, acknouledged that, at the building of that house, he was the murderer. He and one of his fellou masons fell into a debate, and came to high words, on a summer morning, when the rest of the workmen wer not come up to their work; and he killed the man with one stroak of a hammer, and buryed him under the first step of the stair; and the matter was never knouen. My informer knoues no more of what folloued, whither the murderer was punished, and, as is probable, dyed penitent." (Analecta : or Materials for a History of Remarkable Providences, mostly relating to Scotch Ministers and Christians. By the Rev. Robert Wodrow, minister of the gospel at Eastwood, vol. iv., pp. 87-90. Printed for the Maitland Club. 1843. 4to.) "Though there is a good road over The Cairn o' Mount, it is in some places very steep. Though I apprehended no danger from robbers in crossing the mountain, I recollected a circumstance which happened to an Aberdeen gentleman about thirty years ago. About the middle of The Mount he overtook a single foot passenger, and was very glad to keep company with him, as he dreaded falling in with a set of vagrants, who had long infested the country, called Gun's crew, then said to be in that corner. The gentleman asked his fellow-traveller what he heard of these people. They have been seen in this country very lately,' said he, but I hope we shall meet with no trouble.' A little before they reached the foot of the hill, the stranger turned off at a cross road, and, to the gentleman's great surprise, took leave of him, in words to this effect: You are now, sir, out of danger of John Gun's crew, but, though you had met with them, you would have sustained no damage while under my protection, for I am the very man of whom you were afraid.' The poor man was apprehended some years after, and tried for his life, at Aberdeen, by the lords of justiciary, when this story was deposed to, in exculpation of his character. He was condemned to die, but, on application to his Majesty, the sentence was commuted into banishment." (F. Douglas' General Description of the East Coast of Scotland, pp. 273, 274.) See Sir Walter Scott's Lady of the Lake, cant. v., stanzas viii-xi., and note.] 1 [" Glendy Spaw rises at a very small Distance from the famous Kairn on the Top There is another bridge on Spittelburn, on the said highway, one mile southwest of the church. The bridge of Spittleburn is, from bridge of Dye, one mile south. There is another bridge on Feuch, called of Feuch or Whitestain, one mile west of the church; one end whereof stands in Aberdeenshire, and the other in that of The Mearns. The burn of Camie, in parish of Strachan, runs from the hills, north-northwest, and falls into the south-east side of Feuch, a little below the church, with a stone bridge of one arch, a little before the infall into Feuch. There stands a great high hill, with a big stone on the top thereof, called Clach-na-bane, four miles south-west of the church, and on the north syde of the water of Dye, about a mile therfrom. From the foot of the said hill, runs another water, north-north-east, till it falls into Feuch, a quarter of a mile above the bridge of Feuch, called the water of Auen; from which it is thought the parish had first its name. The house of Gellan is one mile south-east of the church, with some timber about it, and on the north syde of Feuch, half a mile distant therfrom. 1 Carta Waldeui de Stratheihan de terra de Blaregeroge (circa A.D. 1200.) Omnibus sancte matris ecclesie filiis presens scriptum visuris uel audituris Waldeuus de Stratheihan eternam in Domino salutem. Noueritis me ex consensu Ranulfi heredis mei dedisse et concessisse et hac carta mea confirmasse Deo et ecclesie Beati Andree apostoli in Scocia et canonicis ibidem Deo seruientibus et seruituris in puram et perpetuam elemosinam pro salute anime mee et pro animabus patris mei et fratris et antecessorum et successorum meorum totam terram de Blarkerocche extra siluam per rectas diuisas suas cum communi pastura inter Feyhan et of the Grampion Hills, in a Bog, with Moss round about, and no Rock near it : It mounts up in Bubbles, as if boiling, through the Moss, which is loaded with Ochre. The Virtues of the Waters are very considerable; they may be drank with little or no previous Preparation, and are very serviceable in removing gravelly Complaints, in most Scurvies and cutaneous Distempers; but are particularly beneficial in nervous Cases, and in a general bad Habit of Body." (Dr. John Campbell's Political Survey of Britain, vol. i., p. 111. Lond. 1774. 4to, citing Medical Essays and Observations, vol. ii., p. 45. Edinb. 1747. 12mo.)] 1 [From the Liber Cartarum Prioratus Sancti Andree in Scotia, pp. 276, 277. See the Registrum de Dunfermelyn, pp. 36, 52, 53, 90, 116. Edinb. 1842. 4to.] |