in a fertile and pleasant plain on the banks of the Ithan; the furrounding eminences being covered with firs, and other foreft trees. When the addition, which is at present making to the houfe is finished, it will be one of the largest and most commodious houfes in the county. The present rent of the parish may be from L. 2500 to L. 3000 Sterling. In 1634, there was a valuation of the parish made, in order to fix the value of the teinds, which I fubjoid, to show the then proprietors, and rental of the parish *.

By this valuation, the rent of the parish, at that time, was 1360 merks

Scots money, 6 chalders of bear, 121 chalders 10 bolls of meal, and I

chalder 2 bolls of malt.

Church, Stipend, School, Poor, &c.-The church is an old building 90 feet in length within the walls, and 22 feet wide. It was repaired in 1776, at which time the feffion gave L. 20 for liberty to erect a loft or gallery in the weft end, the feats of which they let at a moderate rent, for the benefit of the poor, for which they draw about 10 per cent. for their money. There is an old defk in the church, erected by one Watfon in 1502, which is ftill quite fresh and found. It is now one of the beft and most commodious old churches in the county.-The manfe was built in 1762, but the offices ftand greatly in need of repairs. The ftipend was augmented in 1783, and is 1000 merks, including communion element money, and 6 chalders of victual, one of which is bear. The glebe is fmall, and in 4 different parcels. Patron, General Gordon. Near the church, on the banks of the Ithan, are the ruins of a priory, faid to be founded by Fergus Earl of Buchan, in the year 1179, and his donation of it to the Abbacy of Arbroath was afterwards confirmed by Margaret, Countess of Buchan, his daughter, who married Sir William Cumming, Knt. who, by that marriage, became Earl of Buchan. From the appearance of the foundations, which were extant fome years ago, it fhould feem to have been 3 fides of a court, the middle of which was the church, and the 2 fides the cells and offices of the monks. It does not feem to have been richly endowed, for the lands that belonged to it in this neighbourhood, amount only to L. 200 Sterl. of rent at this day.-To the weft of the church is the parishschool, which in fummer is generally attended by about 30 children, and 40 in winter. The falary is paid to the mafter in meal, by the farmers and crofters, which he is obliged to collect, and amounts (if exactly paid) to 12 bolls of meal annually. The fees of the scholars are low. He has L. 2 as feffion-clerk; and here, it is but juftice to obferve, that

the

A

the education of youth is at prefent carried on at this school on the most approved plan; and befides what is generally taught at grammar schools, the French and English languages are taught here with as much purity and exactnefs as in most of the English academies, (the present mafter having been several years in one of the best academies in the neighbourhood of London), a circumftance which deserves to be remarked, as few country parishes enjoy the like advantages.-The number on the poor's roll at prefent amounts to 24. The only funds for their fupport are the weekly collections, fines, mortcloth-money, and the rent of the above mentioned gallery. There are few in the parish who go about begging, except in very hard times.

Roads. The public road from Aberdeen to Banff, goes through the parish. It is kept in pretty good repair by the ftatute-labour. There is a poft-office on it at Leffes of Fyvie, not far from the church.

Manufactures.-The manufacture in which the women are chiefly employed, is that of spinning wool, and knitting it into hose. The hose manufacturers in Aberdeen come out to different stations every 4 weeks, and give out their wool, which they receive knit into stockings. Thus, the workers are not put to the trouble and expenfe of providing materials for their work, but receive their wages punctual

Several of the men fervants

ly when their work is done. also employ themselves in the winter evenings, in knitting their own stockings. A much better way of employing their time than frequenting the ale-house, of which there are only 3 in the parish.

Mifcellaneous Articles.-There are in the parish 13 cornmills, in each of which there is a fanner and winnower, turned by the machinery of the mill, which not only faci

litates

litates the peoples labour, but enables them to work in good and bad weather; 2 fulling-mills, a barley-mill, and a lint-mill, which was erected in 1782, before which time there was scarce any lint-feed fown in the parish; but now there are few farmers who do not fow fome quantity. There is one threshing machine, and another going to be erected, which is to be wrought by water. There are few farmers who have not a winnower in their barns.

Population. According to Dr Webster's report, the population then was 2528. The number of fouls at prefent in the parish is 2194, of which 1059 are males, 1135 females, 22 widowers, 74 widows; 300 Diffenters, of whom 3 are Roman Catholics, 12 Seceders, and the reft Nonjurors, who have 2 places of worship in the parish. The births and burials are not exactly registered, the small tax impofed operating as a kind of prohibition; but, from the beft information that could be procured, the following is an average of the births, burials and marriages for 4 years preceding 1793, viz. Births, males 29, females 26, in all 55; burials, males 25, females 22, in all 47; marriages 11.

Tradefmen.-Shoemakers 9, weavers 10, fmiths 7, tailors Ic, wrights 11, dyers 2. There is also a midwife regularly bred to the bufinefs at the expense of the feflion.

VOL. IX.

3 N

NUM.

NUMBER XXXII.

PARISH OF DRON,

(COUNTY OF PERTH, SYNOD OF PERTH AND STIRLING, PRESBYTERY OF PERTH.*)

By the Rev. Mr DAVID DOW.

Name, Extent, Surface, &c.

HE prefent and ancient name of this parish, as far

THE

back as can be traced, is Dron. Dronn, in the Gaelic language, is faid to fignify a Ridge or Projection, a Hunch or Bunch; and this probably is the true etymology of the name; for it is obviously defcriptive of its fituation; of that part at least where the church and manfe are placed. They stand on the eastern extremity of a rifing ground, detached from

In order to give fome idea of the populoufnefs of this part of the country, it may not be improper to obferve, that there are 20 parishes in this prefbytery exclusive of the town of Perth, all of which lie round it as their common centre, and are all, except 4, within 6 miles of it. Thefe 4 are about 9 or 10 miles diftant from Ferth. Six parishes lie fouth of Earn; S, north of Tay; and the rest, including Perth itself, between the Earn and the Tay.