of the collieries, there having been only one pit open at the former period. The people of all ages were carefully numbered in November and December 1792, when none of the fummer lodgers were here, and amounted as follows *; 1. In the Burgh.

The number of fouls in 1755, when Dr Webster took up his lift, was 4645

Increase t,

747 The

* Those belonging to the burgh of Muffelburgh make one division of the parish, and thofe in the country, not under their jurifdiction, make another.

This increase, as was already obferved, is chiefly to be imputed to the thriving state of the coal-works: for, though the number of buildings

in

The number of registered baptisms has been, at an average for seven years preceding this year, (1793,) not quite 183, which, multiplied by 26, gives only 4758, a number far below that of the actual enumeration at this time.

The BAPTISMS, MARRIAGES and DEATHS, during those years, were as below:

in the towns is much increased, and there are many handfome houses, where there were only cottages before, yet feveral of these must have been demolished, to make room for one good houfe: as the towns are likewife much reforted to in summer for sea-bathing, there are many good houses, which are not more than half inhabited in winter. There is ground to believe, that this parish was nearly as populous last century as it is now, because it is certain, that at that time, when every perfon arrived, at a mature age, was obliged to communicate, there were 3000 communicants in the parish. In thofe days there were fome small, but populous villages fcattered about, and many finall farms that are now no more. This applies to the first part of this century likewife; for, on an average of the burials for 12 years, from 1717 to 1728, there died annually 159, which multiplied by 36, produces 5724; whereas from 1769 to 1780 inclufive, the average was only 121, which produces 4356. This laft period, however, was probably that of the lowest population, as all the small farms were abolished, and the diftilleries, ftarch. works, &c. were. not introduced, and few coal-pits were open. The number of baptisms does not form fo juft a rule of computation as that of deaths, as many children die without baptism, and not a few of the fectaries fhun entering the names of their children in the regifter, which affords a good reason for abolishing a tax that is fo little productive.

INCORPORATIONS.

Wrights and Smiths,

Occupations. The trades of Muffelburgh, with the num

ber of masters in each trade, are as follows:

Ecclefiaftical State *.-There are four places of worship in this parish, 1. The Established Church; 2. The Epifcopal meeting-houfe, which has exifted in fome shape ever fince the Revolution, and is attended by a few gentlemens families; 3. A Burgher Seceding meeting-house, which was built about 25 years ago; 4. A Church of Relief, which was erected in the year 1783, but would not have been built had the church been large enough for the parish. St Michael's of Inverefk, the parish-church, is of great antiquity, but uncertain date. It is moft likely, that it was built foon after the introduction of Christianity, out of the

ruins

* The minifters of this parish fince the Reformation have been, firft, Mr Andrew Blackhall, who was admitted previous to the year 1591, and died in 1609; to him fucceeded Mr Adam Colt, who, with his fon, Mr Oliver Colt, filled up the rest of that century till the year 1679. Mr Arthur Millar was ordained in 1680; to whom Mr Richard Howifon fucceeded about the year 1690. Mr John Williamfon was ordained here in 1701; on whofe death in 1739, Mr Frederick Carmichael was ad, mitted minister; who having been tranflated to Edinburgh in the year 1747, the prefent incumbent was ordained here on the 2d of August 1748, who is married, but has no children alive.

ruins of the Roman fort. The ftone it is built of The stone it is built of appears to be the fame with thofe difcovered in the ruins of the pretorium. There are evidently many old ftones, and many Roman bricks in the building. There feems befides to have been no good reason, for chufing a fituation so distant from the towns, which have always been the most populous parts of the parish, had it not been for the conveniency of ufing the old materials. The body of the church is 102 feet long, and only 23 feet wide within the walls; but there are four aifles, two on each fide of the church, that have been built at different periods, and double rows of galleries in the ends of the church. The whole is now in a ruinous condition, and is truly a difgrace to the parish. Several attempts have lately been made to have it rebuilt, either in its prefent fituation, or on one more commodious, which have failed. This state of the church is not only of no small disadvantage to the poors funds, but to the religion and morals of the people, as it leaves fuch a number of them to be infected with fectarian principles, which, without laying any thing to the charge of the present incumbents, are at beft uncertain. The fituation of the church is remarkably fine, not only on account of the extenfive view of the country which it commands, though the hill is not more than 50 feet above the level of the fea, but likewife as a military station, as was formerly obferved. There are two mounts or ramparts, one on the north fide, and another on the east end of the church-yard +,

that

* Oliver Cromwell's cavalry lay there for 6 or 8 weeks, in 1650, while his foot were encamped on the links of Muffelburgh. The church ferved Oliver as a stable for his cavalry. The place, where his own tent was erected, is still fhewn on Muffelburgh links.

†The eastern rampart having been levelled 5 or 6 years ago to extend the burying-ground, and a foundation for a monument having been lately. dug

that are called Oliver's Mounts, and are fuppofed to have been batteries of Cromwell's, one to command the bridge, and the other to defend his magazine which was in the village of Inverefk. Lord HAILES uted to alledge that they were of greater antiquity than Cromwell, and might have been ramparts of a Roman camp; but the circumstance mentioned in the note affords a ftrong prefumption of the contrary.

The stipend, from 1650 till 1781, was I chalder of wheat, I of barley, and I of oats; and L. 66, 10 s. in money. In 1781, the present incumbent obtained an augmentation, and the ftipend is now 2 chalders of wheat, 3 of barley, and 3 of oats, paid in money, at the fiars of Mid-Lothian, and L.62 in money, including communion-elements. There is likewife a glebe of 5 acres inclofed by the prefent incumbent, together with a house and garden, and a field before the house, making in all an acre, which were given by the town of Muffelburgh to the minifter of the parish, when "the manfe was built in 1681; for an addition to which field, made in 1758, he pays I s. yearly of feu-duty. Since 1702 there has been an affiftant probationer, for whom there is a very flender support, out of certain funds allotted for that purpose. The Duke of Buccleugh is patron of the parish.

Burgh.-Muffelburgh is a very ancient burgh of Regality*, and was once called Muffelburgh-fhire. The mill, VOL. XVI.

D

to

dug, as deep as 7 feet below the furface of the church-yard, and 11 below the top of the mount, there were found many human bones in full preservation, which feems to furnish proof that the ramparts had been erected since the field was inclofed for a church-yard.

*Before the Reformation, it was an ecclefiaftical burgh belonging, inter alia, to the abbacy of Dunfermline. It was disjoined by King James VI. from that abbacy, and given in donation to one of the family of Lauderdale; and when the whole abbacy was given to Queen Ann of Denmark, she reclaimed the regality of Muffelburgh, as comprehended

under