Banchory-Davinick
NUMBER LIX.
PARISH OF BANCHORY DAVINICK.
(COUNTIES OF ABERDEEN AND KINCARDINE.)
By the Mr GEORGE MORISON.
# # #Banchory-Devenick, County of Kincardine, OSA, Vol. IV, 1792
Name, Situation, Surface, Air, etc.
Banchory, the name of the parish, is said to signify in Gaelic, 'an opening between two hills,' and is descriptive of the situation of the church and manse. It is not agreed as to the meaning of the word Davinick. - This parish is divided into two parts by the river Dee, which being the boundary between the counties of Aberdeen and Kincardine or Mearns, that part which lies on the north side of the river, is in the former county, and that which is on the south side, in the latter. Although the church stands in the county of Kincardine, the parish is in the Synod and presbytery of Aberdeen. The boundings and figure of that part of the parish which lies in the county of Kincardine, will be best understood by consulting Garden's map of that county; the other part is a strip about 1 mile in breadth, and about 4 in length, lying along the bank of the river, and stretching both farther E. and farther W. than the parish does upon the opposite bank. On the E. of this part is bounded by the parish of Old-Machar, or Old Aberdeen, on the N. by Newhills, and on the W. by Peterculter. A line drawn from one extremity of the parish to the other, would, I suppose, measure 7 miles. The general appearance of the country is rugged and stony.
The kind of stone which prevails is blue granite, of which several quarries are wrought for the purpose of sending to London, as well as for building at Aberdeen. The hills are covered with heath, and the air by no means unhealthy.
There is no distemper, so far as I know, that can be said to be peculiarly prevalent here; and the people might enjoy good health, did they not drink too freely, particularly of ardent spirits. Besides the quantity of gin smuggled in upon the coast, which by the way is not so great as formerly, we have two whisky distillers in the parish, and 10 or 12 public houses. The soil in this parish is not naturally rich; it is in general light, and either mossy and sandy, but when properly managed it is not ungrateful, and produces good grain, particularly on the river side, and on some parts of the sea-coast.
Agriculture, etc. - A spirit for agriculture has begun within these few years to make its appearance in some parts of this parish. Still, however, it is with a few exceptions confined to those farms which lie near the river, particularly on the north side. On that side the soil and exposure are good, and the heritor, Mr Menzies of Pitfodel, has wisely granted leases of 19 years and a life, with an obligation to take off houses and fences to a certain extent, at the expiry of the lease. The change which this has effected on that part of his estate, within these five years, is astonishing.
On this side there is not the same encouragement, and less consequently is done. Besides, in all the parish south of the river, there is a vast quantity of moss, and being in the vicinity of Aberdeen, the tenants who pay upwards of L. 1 an acre for small bits of land, depend for a livelihood upon driving peats to town, where they find a ready market for them. This is one cause why the cultivation of the land is very much neglected. Another bar to agriculture, is the high price of labour. A day labourer, if a good hand, earns 1 s. a day for 9 months of the year, and 9 d. the other 3; and the wages of a capable farm servant, who has his victuals found, are seldom under L. 6, and sometimes as high as L. 9 Sterling a year. And a third cause of the uncultivated state of our fields, is the poverty of the people, which renders many of them unable either to stock or manage their farms to advantage. I must, however, for the honour of spirit and exertion, relate one instance of the increased value of land, which is remarkable. I allude to Mr Fordyce of Ardo, one of those brave men who circumnavigated the globe with Lord Anson, and suffered so many hardships in the service of their country. This gentleman, after accomplishing the voyage, returned to Scotland in the year 1744, with the well-earned wages of his soil, and purchased the estate of Ardo in this parish, where he has resided ever since. When he took possession of his estate, he found the mansion-house, such as it was, with the garden, and about 40 acres of land, in the hands of a tenant, who paid about L. 3: 6: 8 Sterling annually. Having it in contemplation at that time to go abroad again, he asked the man if he would renew his lease, which was expired, at the annual-rent of L. 5 Sterling, his answer was 'Na, by my 'faith, God has seen me mair wit.' Mr Fordyce settled, and employed himself in improving the land, which is now in a good state of cultivation, and would rent at L. 1, 5 s. an acre. Little has hitherto been done in the way of planting, although a great deal of the ground is fit for nothing else. Some plantations that were made about 40 years ago, being chiefly of Scotch fir, are not in a very thriving condition.
River, Sea-coast, etc. - The river Dee is not navigable here, but produces excellent salmon. The different proprietors upon the river let their fishings; but as the fish are not got in great quantity at this distance from the mouth, they fetch but small rents. I suppose the gross rent of all the salmon-fishings in the parish, would be found to be short of L. 100 Sterling. The river Dee, from its long course, and the mountainous country through which it runs, is subject to very sudden and very high floods. In the year 1768, one of these happened in the middle of harvest, which swept the whole crop of the haughs, and also a great many sheep from the inches, or small islands, which are frequent in the midst of the river. We had another swell of the river, not much inferior to the former, in November last, the water rose 9 1/2 or 10 feet above its usual level.
This swell was occasioned by a storm of wind and rain from the S. E. and it is remarked here, that rain from the E. always fills the river more than from any other quarter.
Luckily when this flood happened, the harvest was nearly over. The ravages which it made in overthrowing bulwarks and fences, tearing up the cultivated land in some places, and covering it with sand and stones in others, were truly astonishing.-The sea-coast, which extends 3 or 3 ½ miles from N. to S. is throughout high and rocky. No part of it affords a safe harbour for any vessel larger than a fishing boat. Of these we have a good many. At Findon, (which gives name to haddocks when split, and dried in a particular way by the smoke of peat, and which are known and esteemed in most parts of Scotland,) there are 2 fishing boats, each of which requires 6 hands, and 3 smaller ones of yauls, wrought by four men each. At Portlethen, about a mile farther S. there are 3 of the larger boats, and 1 yaul, manned as those of Findon, and at Dounies, still farther to the southward, there is 1 yaul employed. The fishermen at Findon, have each an acre of land, a house, garden, liberty of fuel, and a right to the harbour, for L. 3 Sterling annually. Those at Portlethen have not a full acre of ground, and on that account pay 5 s. less of rent. They fish pretty successfully for skate, ling, turbot, cod, haddocks, whitings, flounders, crabs, lobsters, etc. The vicinity of Aberdeen secures a good price. Haddocks this season, which has been a bad one for fishing, have sold from 2 s. to 6 s. the dozen, according to their size.
- Whilst speaking of the coast, a remarkable incident may be mentioned, of which this parish was the scene.
On the 19th August 1710, 7 boys, about 15 years of age each, sailed out of the harbour of St Andrew's in a little boat, and losing one of their oars, were driven into the ocean. After 6 days and 6 nights of continued fishing and labour, they got to shore alive, 4 miles south of Aberdeen, and 50 north of St Andrew's. A humane country man, John Shepherd, kindly received them into his house, and sent information of so moving an accident to the magistrates of Aberdeen, who dispatched their dean of guild, a physician, and a surgeon, to attend them. All of the boys were preserved in life, except the two youngest, who died soon after they came ashore. John Shepherd was presented with a silver cup in form of a boat, by Robert Bruce goldsmith in Edinburgh, father of one of the boys, in testimony of his gratitude for the active part he took in recovering his son.
Population. - At the time of Dr Webster's report, the numbers were 1495. The population at present amounts to about 1700. Of these 1700, no more than 744 are males, which leaves 956 females. I suppose this disproportion will be found to be greatest in country parishes in the vicinity of large towns.
Stipend, Poor, etc. - The stipend at present, amounts to no more than L. 54: 2: 3 1/2 Sterling, 42 bolls 1 peck of meal, and 24 bolls 1 peck of bear; in which is included communion element money, and L. 16 Scots allowed for grass carried off by the river. The glebe is very little above the legal minimum. There are 10 heritors, 3 of whom reside.-The number of poor who are supplied quarterly, are from 20 to 30, besides a good many who receive occasional aid. Our funds consist of L. 5 Sterling, appropriated by a special deed for that purpose, out of the rents of the estate of Banchory, L. 3: 6: 8 out of those of Ardo, a piece of ground which yields L. 6 of free rent, and the interest of L. 25 of stocked money; besides our weekly collections, so much for the use of the parish mort-cloth, and so much for the use of the burying-ground, exacted from every person who uses it, and who does not reside in the parish, and such fines or penalties as are levied from fornicators, etc. From all these sources together, we have an annual income of L. 45 Sterling at an average.
I cannot help here expressing a wish, in which I am by no means singular, that fornicators and other scandalous persons were entirely turned over to the secular arm. Our discipline has no effect to check the evil, and exposes us to witness very disagreeable scenes of equivocation, falsehood, and perjury.
Miscellaneous Observations. - We have in general good materials for making roads, but the statute-labour, which is partly commuted, and partly paid in kind, is not sufficient for keeping them in repair. I am persuaded we never shall have good roads till turnpikes are established. Many of the country gentlemen are, I believe, sensible of this; but the measure would be strongly opposed by the town of Aberdeen, which would be severely affected by it, and which has an interest in the parish. - There are several very large cairns, both on the north side of the river, and towards the coast, and in one place in particular, a number of smaller ones are scattered over the moor near them. There is also in the south side of the parish, a Druidical temple the is worthy of notice. It is situated on an eminence about a mile and a half from the coast, and was till within these few years remarkably perfect. It consisted of three circles of stones within each other. The outer circle, which was about 45 feet in diameter, consisted of 12 large stones placed on end. The inner circles were composed of smaller stones, placed in the same manner, and between the two outermost upon the east side, there was a stone chest sunk in the earth, about 3 feet long, and 1 1/2 wide, which having been accidentally uncovered by a country man, he found an urn, which disclosed nothing but a little dust or ashes. A little farther down the hill, towards the S. E. there is another erection of the same kind. It consists of 1 circle of pretty large stones.
Vol. IV. No. LIX. P. 450.
Parish of Banthory-Davinick.
Corrections and additional Communications, by the Rev. George Morison.
A very important inquiry was, By what means may the interests of the parish be advanced? In reply, I mentioned the very great distance between my church and that of Fetteresso, the adjoining parish; and gave some account of two chapels of ease, one in each parish, which this distance has occasioned: and by officiating at which, Mr John Scorgie, a licentiate of our church, earns a scanty subsistence. Of this, not one word appears in your volumes.
One phrase, which escaped my pen, I could have wished altered; I mean secular arm, (Page 455. Vol. IV ); where the cognizance of the civil courts, or some such expression, would have been less exceptionable.
What farther information I have it in my power to give, with respect to the state of this parish, I shall now, with the utmost pleasure, communicate; and which I have uniformly refused to others, whose aim perhaps might be to reap the fruits of your industry and perseverance.
If the present state of population in this parish differs at all from the former return, it is so inconsiderable, as to merit no notice. Tables of births, deaths and marriages are not kept here; and a variety of local circumstances renders it difficult to procure the wished-for information. I shall only mention (relative to the first) the unconquerable inattention of the people to the registration of the names of their children; many of whom are baptized by an episcopal clergy-man, who resides in the parish of Fetteresso, and in the vicinity of that part of this parish which is most; distant from the church.
The valued rent of this parish is 3112 l. 1 s. 4 d. Scotch.
By a late decree of the court of teinds, obtained in consequence of a process of augmentation, the stipend amounts, at present, to 62 l. 4 s. 9 8/12 d. sterl. in money; 55 bolls, 1 peck, 2 2/5 lip. of meal; and 27 bolls, 1 firl. 1 peck, 1 2/5- lip of bear.
It was the intention of the court to exhaust the teinds; but unfortunately, owing to the inattention of those concerned, they have gone a little farther on one estate, which has involved me in a process of reduction, which is still in dependence.
The glebe, including garden, stance of houses, etc. measures only five acres and a quarter; and, on the pasture, the river Dee has made such incroachments, that the heritors have for many years been in the practice of granting some allowance in money to the incumbent.
With respect to the management of such a glebe, I shall only observe, that, after having tried different schemes, in a period of five or six years, I found that I purchased the accommodations which it afforded at a very high rate. This determined me to become tacksman of a small adjoining farm which happened to be vacant; and which, with the glebe, gives employment to a couple of horses. So that now the question with me is not, what is the most profitable mode of managing a small glebe? but, what is the most profitable mode of managing a small farm consisting of between 30 and 40 acres? a question, the discussion of which, were I equal to the task, would encroach upon your patience.
I shall however take this opportunity of remarking, that, on such a farm, it must be of the utmost importance to raise the weightiest green crops possible; on this account, broadcast turnips are to be preferred, as affording from one third to one fourth more per acre, cateris paribus, than those which are horse-drilled. But, to hoe broad-cast turnips well, is a very nice operation. A turnip, when young, is a very delicate plant; and if earth is thrown upon it with the hoe, especially in wet weather, and it happens immediately after to be trod upon, it never recovers. To obviate this, and other inconveniences attending broad-cast, I have, for five or six years, sown my turnips with a hand drill, which, at each time it is drawn across the field, makes 3 drills at 18 inches distance, sows the feed and covers it. By this means, my turnips require little dexterity in hoeing them, and are never smothered with earth. If such a machine appears a desideratum on small farms, I shall with pleasure send you a model or drawing of it, with directions how to use it.
The parochial schoolmaster here is Mr Robert Cormack. He had his education at Marischal College; but never raised his views higher than his present situation. He is a most industious and successful teacher; labouring in his vocation from Sunday to Sunday, and from morning to night. He has the merit of having established a Sunday school here as far back as 1782. Not fewer than 70, on an average, attend regularly in the course of the day; young men before public worship, and young women after it: and this indefatigable teacher attends them gratis from six o'clock in the morning till late in the evening. How inadequate is this man's salary, although amongst the highest enjoyed by country school-masters! It is 11 l. 3 s. 10 d. sterling.-The number of daily schools last year was upwards of 60; but before the commencement of the present war it was greater.
The number of poor upon the roll is 25, on an average; but a good many more receive occasional assistance from our funds, which are so good, that there are no vagrant poor belonging to the parish. The capital stock of the peers' funds consists of land yielding 6 l. sterling of yearly rent, and nearly 200 l. in money at interest. The annual collections amount to 23 l.; and for the use of mortcloths, burying ground, dues on placing gravestones, etc. about 32 l. is drawn.
Besides these sources of income, one estate in the parish is burdened with 5 l. and another with 3 l. 6 s. 8 d. annually, to be distributed to poor householders within the parish.
It is unfriendly to the interests of this parish, in many respects, that although there be no fewer than ten heritors, none of them reside in the parish, except Mr Thomson of Banchory, who resides during summer.
Agriculture appears in this parish in all its various forms; insomuch, that to give any particular account of the treatment of the land were impossible. I am happy, however, in being able to state, that a spirit of improvement is diffusing itself fast; and to this the turnpike roads, which are made in different directions through the parish, contribute not a little.
There are three midwives in the parish; and from the vicinity of Aberdeen, where is an infirmary and many professional men of abilities, the parishioners here can be at no loss for excellent medical and surgical aid, when necessary.
But it unfortunately happens that the cheapest is often preferred; and any half-taught apothecary, who places a Cullen's head over his door, and impudently has the word Doctor painted under it in large characters before his name, procures more employment among the lower classes, than the most able physician.
Prejudice against inoculation is so deeply rooted here, that very little progress has as yet been made towards removing it.
436
NUMBER LIX.
PARISH OF BANCHORY DEVENICK
(COUNTIES OF ABERDEEN AND KINCARDINE.)
PRESBYTERY OF ABERDEEN, SYNOD OF ABERDEEN.
THE REV. GEORGE MORISON, D. D. MINISTER.
Banchory-Devenick, County of Kincardine, NSA, Vol. XI, 1845
Title Page for the county of Kincardine, NSA, Vol. XI, 1845
CONTENTS.
ARBUTHNOTT, . . . PAGE 153
BANCHORY-DEVENICK, . . . 178
BANCHORY-TERNAN, . . . 323
BENHOLME, . . . 51
BERVIE, . . . 1
DUNNOTTAR, . . . 212
DURRIS, . . . 170
FETTERCAIRN, . . . 111
FETTERESSO, . . . 244
FORDOUN, . . . 66
GARVOCK, . . . 22
GLENBERVIE, . . . 165
KINNEFF, . . . 209
LAURENCEKIRK, . . . 128
MARYCULTER, . . . 189
MARYKIRK, . . . 297
NIGG, . . . 195
ST CYRUS, . . . 269
STRACHAN, . . . 231
I.--TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.
Name. – IN the Advocates' Library there has been found a document confirmation of what was formerly traditional that the distinctive appellation of Devinick is derived from a wonder-working saint of the name of Davinicus, who flourished about the year 887; and of whose ministrations this parish was at one period the scene.
Situation, Boundaries, &c. – The figure of the parish is extremely irregular. It is situated partly in Kincardineshire, and partly in Aberdeenshire,--the River Dee being here the boundary of both counties. The most elevated part of the Tollohill, the easter-most of the range of Grampians, is in the Kincardineshire division of the parish, and afforded a station for the gentlemen who were employed by Government to make the trigonometrical survey of the island. About three miles of this parish is bounded by the sea.
Topographical Appearances. – The coast is bold, rocky and picturesque. Its undulations are numerous, with many inlets and projections frequented by migratory sea-fowls, and wild pigeons, but has no caves of great depth inland, and affords no safe anchorage; and only three harbours for fishing-boats --Findon, Portlethen, and Downees. At Portlethen, in favourable weather, lime and coals may be landed from small vessels, but the road from the shore is very steep, insomuch that the tenant of the adjoining farm has erected a machine for bringing up sea-weed for manure.
The climate is healthy, and no disease is peculiar to the district.
Hydrography. – The Dee, which rises amongst the highest mountains of Aberdeenshire, after a course of sixty miles, passes through this parish, and is here, as has been said, the boundary between Aberdeen and Kincardine shires. Its breadth here may be about 250 feet. It is liable to great floods, rising nine, ten, or eleven feet above its usual level; and as its haughs are extensive and valuable, the have been embanked by the proprietors at a very considerable expense. As, however, land of this description suffers chiefly from running water, whilst that whose flux and reflux is still and quiet, rather enriches the soil, it seems now to be pretty well understood, that no embankment is of much use, farther than effectually to defend haughs at the upper end, where they come first in contact with the stream. At this point, the river, meeting with obstruction, will rise a foot or eighteen inches higher than at any other. The embankment, therefore, may be formed so as to slope gradually till past the middle or belly of the haugh, when it may be permitted to fall to the level of the land, taking care that the natural banks below be properly sloped and turfed.
This mode of embanking is executed at little more than half the expense, and answers a better purpose than embanking the whole; for daily experience shows that no embankment is proof against back water, and finding its way through the embankment in a filtered state, it can, to say the least, be of no service to the soil over which it has flowed. Besides, the water admitted in this way is much longer in making its escape, and has been found on that account materially to injure a turnip crop subjected to its chilling influence.
The Dee empties itself into the bay of Aberdeen, about a mile and a half below the eastern extremity, of this parish, and meets the tides when highest at that point; immediately above which on the property of Mr Menzies of Pitfodels, it gives out the water which, under the late Act of Parliament, supplies the town of Aberdeen and its vicinity; and to effect which important purpose works have been erected and metal pipes laid at an expense of nearly L. 40,000.
It is worthy of remark, that on the whole course of the Dee, from the Linn, above Mar Lodge, to its mouth, which may be about sixty miles, exclusively of its windings, it does not drive one water-wheel. Several attempts have been made to render it available, for this purpose, but they have always proved abortive, after considerable expense had been incurred.
Geology and Mineralogy. – On these subjects, this parish presents nothing deserving particular notice. Its soils are of all varieties from the purely alluvial to hard till, on the one hand, and from rich learn to deep moss on the other; and when this last is exhausted, by being carried off for fuel, no marl has been found, and the subsoil is, in general, extremely worthless. Abundance of blue granite is to be found in the hilly parts of the parish; but it is of so hard a quality, that it is not quarried to any extent, and is chiefly formed into causeway stones, for home consumption, or for the London market.
Zoology. – We have all the common wild animals, both such as are indigenous, and such as are migratory, and sometimes a stray bird or two of rarer species, but none deserving of particular notice.
The gooseberry caterpillar is here and all over the country very prevalent. About forty years ago, my busher were annually stripped of their leaves, and the crop destroyed. By careful observation, I found the worms deposited in the chrysalis-state, at the depth of from one and a half to two inches below the surface of ground, under the bushes. This cover, provided by nature for their protection, I removed, scattering it over the adjacent ground, and thus exposed the nymphae to the winter frosts. This operation I repeated three successive seasons, since which time I have never lost a crop of gooseberries by caterpillars.
Salmon. – The natural history of fishes is a difficult subject, and consequently theory in place of well established facts has been adopted; and in the case of salmon, it has even been made the foundation of legislative enactments. That salmon spawn in all rivers I presume there is no doubt; but that an infinitely greater, number deposit their spawn on sand banks in the sea, I hold to be more than probable, and the statement has never been disproved.
The winter of 1830 was rather a severe one; – the ice in our river attained a considerable thickness, and when it broke up, it was remarked, that a great deal salmon spawn was thrown out upon the banks by the floating ice, and destroyed. From this circumstance it was predicted, that in the season of 1831 there would be very few grilses or young fish. Now the very reverse of this took place; the number of grilses bore a much greater proportion than usual to that of the old fish.
Botany. – Under this head, I know not if it be worthy of notice that in this parish we have a considerable variety of indigenous plants of great beauty, such as the Menyanthes or bogbean, the Trientalis Europaea, the Hyperician pulchrum, the Anthericum ossifragum, the Pyrola rotundifolia, the Drosera rotundifolia, or sundew, and many others, more beautiful then some which are brought from the Cape of Good Hope; besides several Alpine plants, brought down from the mountains, and deposited by the Dee upon its shores.
Plantations. – On the subject of plantations it may be remarked, that so much has not been done hitherto as might be wished. In that part of the parish which lies along the sea-coast, forest trees will not thrive. Shelter from the immediate influence of the east wind seems indispensable. But although much barren surface possessing this advantage remains in a state of nature, the plantations of Mr Thomson of Banchory, covering about 250 acres, and one on the property of Pitfodels of considerable extent, are well attended to, and are in a thriving conditions. *
(*Since the above was written, Mr Thomson of Banchory has added considerably to his plantations; and 12 or 15 acres have been planted on the estate of Ardo and a few on that of Mr Thurburn of Murtler. )
II.--CIVIL HISTORY.
Land-owners. – There are seventeen land-owners in this parish. Mr Thomson of Banchory is the first heritor in point of valued rent, and Mr Menzies of Pitfodels the second. There are, however, several others whose properties are of considerable value, as
Mr Symmers of Cults;
Mr Anderson of Dee Bank; and
Mr Corbett of Buildside, in the Aberdeenshire district; and
Miss Fordyce of Ardo; #
(# This lady is now dead and has been succeeded by a family named Watson, to whom she bequeathed the property. John Garioch, Esq. of Heatbeat has now become a proprietor by the purchase of the flashing village, and part of Findon connected with it.)
Mr Nicol of Badentoy;
Mr Gammel of Portlethen;
Mr Shand of Hillside; and
Mr Boswel of Auchlee, in the Kincardineshire district. None of the heritors, however, reside in the parish all the year, except two; and only four during the summer months.
Parish Registers. – We have no parochial registers of earlier date, than the beginning of last century. Since that time, they have been regularly kept, with the exception of a hiatus from April 1713 to March 1716.
From the early part of the record, it appears that the principal feasts and fasts of the Church of England were regularly observed: and at date 19th October 1712, we find the following minute: – "The said day, intimation was made to the congregation, the next Lord's day, the excellent liturgy of the Church of England was to be used in the worship of God in this congregation, and, accordingly, the people were exhorted in to perform this method of worship in a spirit of devotion, and with that becoming gravity and decency that was expected from those who had been so exemplary heretofore in the worship of God." 26th October 1712, the following is inserted :-- "The said day, according to the fore-said intimation, the liturgy of the Church of England was first used in the public worship of God in this parochial church, in order to the continuance thereof – for advancing of which excellent worship, there were 200 books of common prayer given to the minister out of the charity books, sent from England to Scotland to be distributed gratis, charges of freight excepted, which 200 books were distributed some weeks before, among such of the parishioners as were capable of using them, as also a folio book for the minister, and a quarto for the clerk "–" KneeIing-boards were also placed in the pews."
This mode of worship appears to have been used till April in the following year, when the hiatus in the register occurs; after which there is no farther mention of it.
Antiquities. – There are on the property of Auchlee, belonging to Mr Boswell of Kingcausie, two of those circles of stones commonly called Druidical temples, very perfect. One of these is composed of a double row of stones, in the centre of which a stone-coffin was discovered many years ago, but containing neither urn nor bones. In August 1817, an ancient stone-coffin was discovered, in repairing a road on the farm of Glashfarquhar, the property of Mr Thomson of Banchory. The spot lies about a quarter of a mile from the sea, and on the top of a bank of gravel. The coffin was composed of eight stones, two at each side, one at each end, and two forming the cover, and contained the remains of a human skeleton and two vases. The skeleton, although a good deal decayed, appeared from the jaws to be that of an adult. The larger of the vases, which was broken by the labourers, must have been about 10 inches in diameter, and 5 across the in height. The smaller is 6 1/2 inches high, and 5 across the mouth. They appear to be made of pounded granite and mica slate, commonly found in that vicinity, and covered with a coating of clay, which is ornamented with small patterns executed with some care. The vases are as round as if turned in a lathe, and appear to have been merely dried in the sun. At what period this deposit was made, must be purely matter of conjecture.
There are also in an elevated situation on the north side of the river, three very large tumuli. None of these have been completely cleared out, although they have been greatly diminished in size by the removal of stones for the purpose of inclosing.
In forming that Part of the turnpike road which passes through the estate of Ardo, a stone coffin, in the formation of which no tool appeared to have been employed, was dug up. It was bedded in shingle (not sand,) was only two feet and a half long, and two broad, and contained an urn within, which was a human scull of a small size, but apparently that of an adult.
III.-POPULATION.
At the time of Dr Webster's report, the population amounted to 1495. In 1792, when the last Statistical Account was published, it amounted to 1700, of whom 744 were males. According to the census of 1821, it had increased to 2222, and by the census of 1831, it is as under:
Aberdeenshire district.
Males, 378}
Females, 305} 683
Kincardineshire.
Males, 940}
Females, 965} 1905
2588
Showing an increase of 356 in the course of the preceding ten years.
Yearly average of births in 7 preceding years, 69
do. do. deaths, 69
do. do. marriages, 15
Number of families in the parish, 359
chiefly employed in agriculture, 107
trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 31
Illegitimate births during the three years preceding 1st January 1838, 11
The increased population of this parish during the present century, is to be ascribed chiefly to two causes--the introduction of vaccination in 1803, and the parcelling out tracts of uncultivated land, with proper encouragement to small tenants, who, whilst they earned a subsistence by labour in the granite quarries and peat-mosses in, the vicinity of Aberdeen, improved, the land allotted to them; by which means much useless land has been cultivated. This plan is still in operation. It was introduced by Mr Menzies, and has been followed up by Mr Thomson and Miss Fordyce, with considerable success.
Character of the People, &c. – The general habits of the people are decent and orderly. They are attentive to the duties of religion, and violations of the Sabbath day are, much to their credit, extremely rare. Poaching, and, I may add, smuggling, are unknown among us.
IV.--INDUSTRY.
Wages. – The ordinary wages of day-labourers are from 2d. to 2 1/2d. an hour, summer and winter. In time of harvest, they have victuals over and above.
The cultivation of waste lands is proceeding as rapidly as could be expected; but much still remains in a state of nature, and it would be extremely difficult to ascertain the extent of cultivated and uncultivated land.
Fisheries. – There are only four salmon-fishing of any importance on the river Dee, in its course through this parish,--two belonging to Mr Menzies of Pitfodels, one to Mr Thomson of Banchory, and one to Mr Watson of Ardo. In point of value, they have suffered great fluctuation, and are at present very low, from the great and unaccountable scarcity of fish in the river, for these twelve or thirteen years back.
There are three white-fishing stations in the parish, Findon, Portlethen, and Downies. In these, the ordinary number of boats employed is eighteen, manned with from four to five hands each.
They never go far out to sea: but since the herring fishery in the Moray Frith became an object of attention, the men have fitted out thirteen herring-boats with nets, at a very considerable expense, and pass about six weeks every summer on that coast, more profitably than they could at home.
V.--PAROCHIAL ECONOMY.
Market-Town--Means of Communication. – Aberdeen is our nearest market-town, and is only about two miles from the lowest extremity of the parish. Stonehaven, the county town of the Kincardineshire district, is about seven miles from those parts of it which are contiguous to the parish of Fetteresso on the south.
The great turnpike road from Edinburgh to Aberdeen passes through the parish from Bourtrybush, near the sixth, to the tenth milestone from Stonehaven, where it enters the parish of Nigg; and upon the north side of the Dee, the Deeside turnpike passes through that division of the parish, leaving the parish of Old Machar, a little short of the second milestone, and entering that of Peterculter about the fifth. We have also the benefit of a good commutation road along the south side of the river, which enters third parish from the great south turnpike, between the second and third milestone from Aberdeen, and leaves it between the fifth and sixth, where it enters the parish of Maryculter.
A suspension bridge for foot-passengers has been erected over the Dee about half a mile above the church, by the present incumbent, for the accommodation of the parish. The span between the main pillars is 185 feet, and the length of the whole bridge 305 feet. It cost about L. 1400, independently of an embankment of about a quarter of a mile long on the south side, forming the approach to the bridge. This embankment cost above L. 50, and was erected chiefly by subscriptions from those heritors whose properties profit most by the bridge. Mr John Smith of Aberdeen was the architect, who has contrived to give the bridge such a degree of firmness, that its motion is scarcely perceptible in the heaviest gales of wind. This bridge completely connects the Aberdeenshire district of the parish, containing a population of at least 700, with the church and school, to which there is now easy and safe access in all states of the river.
A turnpike road has been contracted for, and is in progress along the south bank of the river, and is intended to supersede the commutation road already mentioned.
Ecclesiastical State. – The parish church was built in the year 1822, on the site of the old one, which, although not ruinous, was pulled down by the heritors, much to their credit, merely on account of its inadequacy to accommodate the parishioners. Indeed, the population had so much increased, and by consequence the number of communicants, that these last could not be contained in the old church. There was no date on the old church. The bell was cast at Gotin in 1597; and on the coping-stones of the church-yard gate is the date 1608.
The church is seated for 900 sitters, and none of the seats are let. The distance of the church from the south and south-east extremities of the parish may be about five miles; from the wester-most, and easter-most, not more than two; but these last being on the opposite side of the river, the situation of the church, in point of convenience, may be regarded as sufficiently centrical. Besides, at Portlethen there is a chapel which contains about 300 sitters, and in which a licentiate of the Church of Scotland preaches every Lord's day. His salary, L. 30, is paid from the seat rents, the collections being applied to the maintenance of the poor.
This chapel is situated about three or three and a half miles from the parish church, in a populous district. It was a family chapel previous to the Reformation, and has been recently repaired and enlarged, partly by subscription, and partly by an application of some part of the poor's funds, – which last will soon be replaced from the surplus of the seat rents. Before this was done, the preacher had not more than L. 24 a year, although drawing the whole seat rents and collections. When the present incumbent was admitted minister of the parish in 1785, the chapel at Portlethen was occupied by any strolling preacher who chose to hold forth to the people; but ever since that time, a licentiate of the church has been appointed to it, at first by the minister, with concurrence of the proprietor of Portlethen, but latterly, by the minister along with such of the heritors as contributed towards its repair. *
(* The chapel at Portlethen has been enlarged by an aisle, so as to accommodate about 500 sitters, and in the hope of aid from Government towards its endownment; and Mr Thomson of Banchory having subscribed L. 50, with a promise, at no distant perform of four acres of land for a glebe. A subscription is going on for building a manse and offices, in order to the district around it being erected into a separate parish quo-ad sacra – the necessity of which must be perceived at once by looking at its populousness and distance from the parish church.)
In this parish, there are very few Dissenters or Episcopalians, and only three Roman Catholic families and three families of Seceders: the two last consisting in all of fifteen individuals.
The teinds of the parish are exhausted, and the minister has an allowance of L. 22, 18s. 10d. to make up his stipend to L. 150 per annum.
Education. – Besides the parish school, there are in the parish three others which may be considered as established: 1. At Portlethen, where a substantial school-room and accommodation for the teacher was built some years ago by the present minister of the parish, on a building lease from Mr Gammell of Portlethen, and L. 200 lodged in the hands of the treasurer of Aberdeen, the interest to be applied in the shape in a small salary for the support of the teacher. The district is populous, and the school well attended. 2. A female school situated near the church; it was built and endowed by a bequest of L. 200 to the kirk-session for that purpose, by the late George Hogg of Shannaburn, whose father had been for many years schoolmaster at Banchory. L. 1OO was allotted by Mr Hogg for purchasing a site and building the school; and L. 100 to afford a salary to the schoolmistress.#
(# The minister of the parish has added L. 100 towards the endownment of this school,--the teacher of which has now for salary the interest of L. 220 in whole.)
3. Mr Symmers, proprietor of Cults, built upon his property, in the Aberdeenshire district of the parish, a good house, affording accommodation for the scholars and teacher, which he gives rent-free to a schoolmaster of his own choosing; but the teacher has no permanent salary, and depends entirely upon a subscription of five guineas by Mr Menzier of Pitfodels, (who has shewn himself ready on all occasions to lend his aid to every measure for the good of the parish, and who has a considerable property in the vicinity of this school,) and a few other lesser gratuities, along with the fees of teaching.
The ordinary branches of education are taught at the first and third of these schools; and in addition to these, Latin is taught at the parish school, but few Latin scholars are entered. These are all open for an hour and a half or two hours on the Lord's day under regulations agreed to by the minister of the parish along with the Trustees of the late Mr Gordon of Murtle, who make allowance of L.10 annually, which is divided among the teachers, who have no other remuneration for this part of their duty. These schools are open before sermon in winter, and in the afternoon in summer.
Meetings under night are not permitted. Besides being exercised in the catechism, and in reading the Scriptures, such of the scholars as have been taught to write are, permitted to copy, a short passage from the New Testament. This institution is of decided and obvious advantage to those who attend.
The parish schoolmaster has a salary of L. 30, with about one-third of the usual proportion of the Dick bequest, there being only about one-third of the parish in Aberdeenshire; he likewise receives L. 5 per annum for teaching a Sabbath school, being his proportion of the annual grant for that purpose by the Trustees of the late Mr Gordon of Murtle, and L. 20 per annum for teaching twenty children recommended by the session. This last is an endowment by a benevolent gentleman in India; but the plan is as yet experimental, and the emoluments of the teacher from that source are of course contingent. The plan, if permanently adopted, is likely to prove a great blessing to the parish. It is conducted under the most judicious regulations.
The amount of fees actually paid to the schoolmaster is probably about L. 20 per annum.
There are three other schools in the parish, unendowed.
From what is above stated, it will be seen that few parishes are better accommodated with the means of education in all branches most proper and necessary for the lower classes of the community. The average number of scholars may range from 120 to 140:
Library. – A good many years ago, a parish library was formed under the charge of the parish schoolmaster, and consists of a considerable number of volumes; but the demand for books has almost altogether died away, although the subscription was only one shilling annually.
Lunatics. – There is at Aberdeen a lunatic asylum under excellent regulations, where the pauper lunatics within the bounds of the synod are admitted at a board of L.1 5 per annum: and the thirteen country parishes of the Presbytery of Aberdeen, in order to avail themselves of the advantages which it affords, entered into association in the year 1803, with a view to aid one another in the maintenance of their lunatics. They agreed to make a public collection annually, to be thrown into a joint stock for the above purpose; and this fund has, till within these few years, been adequate to the demands upon it. For some years back, there have been from eight to ten patients in the asylum, entirely dependent upon this fund, which has occasioned an arrear against it, to the amount of from L.50 to L.100; but, upon the whole, the advantage derived from the institution has been, and continues to be, very great.
Friendly Society. – There is a Friendly Society here, of more than fifty years standing, which has done, and continues to do good, although its allowances to the sick and aged are not very ample. It has resolved to comply with the regulations, and avail itself of the benefits, of the act 1829, an act which, being complex, and not very easily understood, has occasioned the breaking up of a great many Friendly Societies in this part of the country.
Savings Bank. – There is also in the parish a Savings bank, established about sixteen years ago, whose funds exceed L.3000, and whose subscribers are not fewer than 120. It is open for business quarterly, and has been the means of saving a large sum which would otherwise have been dissipated uselessly, and to the deterioration of the morals of the people.
State of the Poor and Poor's Funds. – The average number of poor may be about 64. Our funds for their relief consist of interest of lent money, L.50; mortifications, mortcloth, penalties, &c. L.14; collections at the doors of the church, and Portlethen chapel L.71; total L.135--not averaging 1 1/2d. a day to every poor person,--an allowance totally inadequate to their support; and, as we have no strolling poor belonging to the parish, it sets in a striking point of view the private charity of the community at large, and more especially of the working classes in whose vicinity paupers are situated. It is much to be regretted that charitable bequests are nopt exempted by legacy duty for surely no tax that could be substituted in the place of it, could be half so exceptionable as one by which a duty of 10 per cent. is levied upon the poorest and most deplorably destitute class of the population.
Public-houses. – Notwithstanding every endeavour on the part of the minister, and of the most influential heritors of the parish, to get rid of the nuisance of public-houses, we have still eight in the parish, none of which can be said to be necessary, but the one at Bourtrybush, the half-way house between Stonehaven and Aberdeen. There are indeed two others, – one in each of the great fishing villages of Findon and Portlethen, for which, being situated on a rocky coast where wrecks sometimes occur, there is a plausible pretext.
Fuel. – Although there are extensive peat mosses in the Kincardineshire district of the parish, coals are consumed in considerable quantities by all classes, and are unquestionably the cheapest, fuel.
Revised March 1838.
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