Wemyss. Wynnefield confifts of 650 acres. The farmer's houfe is a little more than an English mile upon a public road, very gradually floping from Hilton-hill, and the fertility and value of the land fenfibly declines as it recedes from Hilton; and this decrease in the goodness of the foil is most perceptible on the north fide of the road. Population. According to Dr Webster's report, the population in 1755 was 399. At prefent, this parish contains. in all 590 fouls; of which number, 206 are men; 246 women; and 139 children at or about 10 years of age. One of these men is 93, and one woman 94; this old woman is found and healthy, and as she came in with the century, fo there is good reason to believe she may see it out. Ecclefiaftical State. The prefent incumbent is Mr John Waugh, in the 82d year of his age. He was ordained a diffenting minifter in Alnwick in 1743, and admitted minifter of Whitfom at Whitfunday 1755; he is a widower, and has 3 children; the eldeft, a daughter, marriedto the minister of Swinton; the fecond, Robert Waugh,. furgeon of the 93d regiment; and the third, John Waugh, minister of Menmoor in Angus-fhire, in the prefbytery of Brechin. The ftipend, by a very recent augmentation, now modified, but not localled, is in money L. 82 And for communion-elements now given, Along with two fmall bolls of wheat, value One chalder of barley, value in money One chalder oat-meal, value ditto The whole being With two glebes, amounting together to 28 5 0 0 2 12 O 12 16 The annexation, which had been fome years before decreed, took place in 1735, by the tranflation of Mr George Home from Hilton to Whittingham in Eaft Lothian. Mr Waugh's immediate predeceffor in Whitfom was a Mr. Calder, brother of Cadwalleder Calder, Efq; author of a very neat account of the Five Nations of Canada. The church was, in my remembrance, a miferable thatched building, which, though now flated, is ftill very ill feated, narrow and incommodious. It will be acceptable to all concerned, if the Earl of Wemyfs, patron and principal proprietor, refume a plan of John Stewart, Efq; his predeceffor in the estate of Vaults, and in the patronage of Whitfom, (as Robert Johnfton, Efq; of Hilton was in the estate and patronage of Hilton), of building a handfome church. upon Handie's-hill, a moft commodious fituation both for the villagers and the parish at large, and not more remote. from the manse than the prefent church, which is most inconveniently detached both from the village and from the manfe. All the parishioners are ftaunch Prefbyterians, either of the Establishment or of the Seceffion; the Seceders are not above 1 in 12 in proportion to the adherers to the Kirk. Poor. The poor have, till very lately, been fupported by the ordinary collections on Sunday, and the box was rather rich; but of late a very flender tax has become neceffary. School. The schoolmafter of the united parish has a falary of about from L. 8 to L. 9 Sterling, a house, a school, and a very small garden, with kirk-dues, and some perquifites arifing from his collecting the road-money. However, by the prudent choice of schoolmafters, fome able teachers have occupied this place, and have had great numbers of Scholars in penmanship, languages, mathematics, and the practical practical arts derived from them; and fome very worthy members of fociety in the learned profeffions, and in inferior lines, owe their education to Whitfom fchool, till they went either to the Universities, or to their apprenticeships. Mifcellaneous Obfervations.-The grains fown in this parish are oats, barley, wheat, pease, beans, veatches, rye very feldom; and the roots cultivated in the fields are potatoes and turnips; no graffes have I met with but rye-grafs and clover, red or white. No animals are to be found, but horfes, by which the whole tillage is performed; black cattle, fheep, and here and there an afs for medical purpofes. No curiofity occurs here, except that Deadriggs certainly derives its name from fome skirmishes of the hoftile borderers; and that Eaft and Weft Vaults got their names from certain Vaults, formed of old in feveral places of this parish, for fecreting their effects, upon any alarm from the fouth. It is rather extraordinary, that no one heritor or proprie tor has so much as a house within the parish, except Joshua Tait, Efq; This circumftance cannot have a good effect, but must retard the civilization of the parishioners, and tend to circumfcribe the religious and political views of the people; as gentlemens feats, where the owners refide any part of the year, never fail to diffuse a degree of urbanity, politeness, and fubordination, very falutary to society; industry is rewarded, ingenuity and arts flourish. This inconvenience of the absence of the great is gradually abating by the rapid improvement in the education, manners, opulence, and mode of living of the present farmers. Some of them have a tafte for books; and not a few live in a style which their lairds 40 years ago did not exceed. One of these tenants, if he had his abftemioufnefs and felf-denial, would would be truly the untutored and unlettered fage described by Horace, "Abnormis fapiens craffaque Minerva." "His native energy despises rules; "Nor takes he fenfe or science from the fchools." The common people are moderate, fenfible, and sober; nor have any of them for these 40 years been charged with a capital crime. Nor do I recollect either riot, violence, or disorder among them. Such as have had an opportunity of a better education, have imbibed it with docility and fuccefs. Nor do I know, on the other hand, any inftances. of very fplendid abilities, or extraordinary exertions among them. Any thing like commerce with them confifts in the fale of corn, eggs, poultry, &c. to Berwick. ADDEND A. 1. I have not been able to ascertain the acres nor the rents of each farm of Bofwell of Blackadder; but his acres, on the whole, are nearly about 960, and his rent very exactly L. 560. 2. Neither the acres in general of the Earl of Wemyss, nor the particular acres or rent of each of his farms, do I know; but his rent is certainly about L. 1100. NUM NUMBER XX: PARISH OF PETERCULTER, (COUNTY, SYNOD, AND PRESBYTERY OF ABERDEEN.) By the Rev. Mr George Mark, Minister. Origin of the Name. HE latter part of the name is variously written, THE fancy fuggefts. By fome it is written Coulter; others write Culture, &c. In our oldest parish-register, which begins with the year 1674, it is uniformly written. Culter. This, probably, is nearest to the original word, which feems to be a Gaelic compound, confifting of cul, "the back," and tir, " a country *." Extent, *To account for this etymology, it is to be observed, that the parishchurch stands on the north bank of the river Dee, which separates two Large tracts of country. Near to the church are ferry-boats, which conmeet the lines of communication between the two countries. Here are |