N, B. In the fea-town of Boddom, always reckoned part of the country, in 1769, there were 93 males, and 92 females, total 185; familes 45. In the whole parish there were about 346, under 7 or 8 years of age.

In the town of Peterhead in 1790, the population was as follows:

1790. Town of Peterhead, males,

Ditto, females,

Total in the town,

Under the age of 2 years,

From 2 to 5,

1097

1453

2550

104

165

There was alive in 1790, and she is not yet dead, a poor woman, who declared the was then 105 years old, and a few days ago told me he was now 109 years of age. This declaration appears to be fufficiently authenticated from answers the gives to queftions refpecting past events, and other collateral circumstances. She is by no means decrepit, as one might naturally expect; fhe ftill continues to travel through the country as a beggar, and says, the only uneafiness fhe feels, is a fmall degree of weariness from carrying her meal bag, which is generally pretty full. She has the appearance of being only betwixt 70 and 80 years of age. When the laft lift of the inhabitants of the town of Peterhead in 1790 was taken, there were two persons from 90 to 95 years of age, one perfon of 87, one of 86, two of 85, and 21 from 80 to 85. In the fame lift the females exceed the males 336; that is, they are nearly as 131 to 10. The number of houfes was about 500.

The population in the country part of the parish in 1794 was as follows:

1794. Males,

Females,

Total in the country,

518

623

1141

In the fea-town of Boddom, always confidered as part of the country, there were, females 106, males 86, total 192. Families in the country 259; of which, in the fea-town of Boddom there were 49. From the rapid progress of manufactures in the town of Peterhead fince 1790, I fuppofe there is at present in the whole parish about 4100.

Dr Webster's account in 1755 questionable.—I find in Dr Webster's report in 1755, the inhabitants of this parish are reckoned to be 2487. I have great doubts of this being accurate, and therefore have not stated it in my account of

the

ختم

the population at different periods. When I was fettled in 1763, 1 never heard of any list being taken by Dr Webfter; and when I vifited my parish next year, and took an accurate lift both of the town and country, many in the parish were much offended at me; they had never heard of fuch a thing being done before, and compared my conduct to the fin of David in numbering the people. I should not have apprehended there would have been a great in-' crease in the population, but there is no reason to fuppofe there would have been 60 people fewer in 1764 than in. 1755, unless the long continuance of the war fhould have had any influence in diminishing the numbers in the parish. If Dr Webster calculated the number of the parishoners from the register of baptifms, I am certain there were not sufficient data on which he could proceed.

Religious Sects. In the lifts of 1764 and 1769, which were accurately taken by myself, by visiting every family in the parish, there were no Diffenters from the Established Church but Episcopals, that perfuafion for a long time was the prevailing mode of religion in this parish, and it is ftill profeffed by the wealthieft inhabitants of the town. They. were all then of the Scotch Epifcopal Church; fince that time they are divided into Scotch and English Episcopals. From two notes, which I have received from the minifters of both these congregations, I find there is at prefent nearly 1100 Epifcopals. Since 1769, there were a few Roman Catholics in the parish for a few years; there are none at present with whom I am acquainted. Somewhat more than 20 years ago, a Seceder meeting houfe was erected about 8 or 9 miles from this place; fince that time a few Seceders have been in this parish, but they are not at prefent numerous; I really do not know their precise number, nor could I eafily ascertain it; a church was built by the

a

!

a few years ago; they have worship there frequently, and a congregation is collected from different parishes; but in fo far as I can difcover, it has made little impreffion on the members of the Established Church here, who are more numerous than at any former period, if one can judge from the number of communicants, the regular progreffive increase of the collections for the poor every Lord's day, and the numerous complaints for want of room in the church, which is now far from being fufficient for those who wish to attend public worship there, and many are obliged to take feats elsewhere, for want of room in the church. There have been at different times attempts to collect a congregation by Bereans and Methodists, but they have hitherto failed. In general I believe it will be found, there is lefs of animofity from a difference of religious fentiments in this parish, than in most parishes that are so populous, opulent, commercial, and in particular where fo many manufactures are established.

Valued and real Rent.-The valued rent of this parish is L. 4525:11:8 Scotch money. The real rent is not eafily ascertained; I think it is from L. 2800 to L. 3000 Sterling, and is much more than double of what it was 30 years ago.

Farming.There is a confiderable alteration on the mode of farming during that period. Forty years ago, excepting about the town of Peterhead, there was no fown grafs, turnips and potatoes were not cultivated, and were brought by shipmafters as rarities to their families from Norway and Ireland. For fome years paft it has been common to export, of one crop, 1000 bolls of potatoes to Norway and England from this parish.

About the town of Peterhead crops of fown grass have been raised for thefe laft 40 years; the mode of manage

ment

ment at first, and many years afterwards, was very parti cular; a perfon was engaged at the rate of 10 s. to mow and cure an acre of grafs. There was a great deal of work employed in this operation; it required four days to mow the grass; it was permitted to lie in the fwarth several days, afterwards carefully exposed to the fun for a confiderable time, and then put into fmall cocks; these were turned over regularly every other fair day, to bafk in the fun, feveral weeks paffed before it was thought out of danger, and then put into a rick, or carried to the corn-yard. This practice continued till Dr Anderfon's method of curing hay was published; fince that time there are many instances of large fields of hay being entirely out of danger in the course of eight days, after beginning to mow the grafs, without any exposure to the fun, excepting what is unavoidable in reducing the number of cocks. I wish I could fay the practice was univerfal. There are many instances which might be mentioned of good farming in this parish, both by the proprietors and farmers, at some particular times; and in many places the land is in a very high ftate of cultivation. At prefent I fee no fteady plan of good husbandry, and in particular no proper rotation of crops; there is not an acre of wheat nor of lint in the parish; very little fallow, and very little expence bestowed on liming or dunging, though both lime and dung may had in fufficient quantity, and on moderate terms, compared with thofe in other places.

be

Thirty years ago perfons were hired to carry the dung of the town of Peterhead to the fea; it was confidered as a nuifance, and might have been obtained by any farmer without paying any price for it; it has for many years been purchased at a pretty high price, and fome of it carried into neighbouring parishes; but ftill there is a great deal neglected, and caft into the fea.

It