It would produce much more profit were they not disperfed in fo many places, and at fuch a diftance from each other. Mackerel, haddocks, whitings, and cod, are caught on every bank in large quantities. A fingle boat, with four or five hands, has been known to take twenty ftone of them in a day. In 1793, when a number of boats were employed, it is computed, that, for the space of a month, they took, at an average, 18 ftone every day. They are fold, at the village of Largs, from 1 s. 6 d. to 2 s. per stone; and, when carried to Paisley and the neighbouring towns, they bring at the rate of 3 s. 4 d. Confiderable quantities of herrings were formerly taken on this coast, and smaller quantities are still taken at a little distance from it. Proprietors.-The proprietors in this parish are, the Earl of Glasgow, Thomas Brisbane of Brisbane, Colonel Hugh Montgomery of Skelmurly, William Blair of Blair, and Thomas King of Blackhouse, befides William Wilfon of Hailley, and Daniel Fraser of Hangenheugh, who hold of the family of Brisbane, and thirteen feuers upon the eftate of Brisbane. Of the more confiderable proprietors, Mr Brisbane of Brifbane is the only refiding one. There have been few changes of property in this parish. The lands of Kelburn have been in poffeffion of the Earl of Glasgow's ancestors upwards of 500 years. Colonel Montgomery's ancestor was a fecond fon of Alexander Lord Montgomery, who lived in 1440. They continued, in a direct male line, till the eldest daughter, and heirefs of Sir Robert Montgomery of Skelmurly, married Alexander Montgomery of Colsfield. She was mother to the prefent proprietor. Mr Mr Brisbane of Brisbane, chief of that name, of an incient family in Renfrewshire, has had fome of the land he now poffeffes, belonging to the eftate, upwards of 200 years. About two years ago, the part of the late James Banny. tan of Kelly, lying in this parish, was fold, after having been upwards of 300 years in the family. The fmall property of Hailley, the poffeffion of Mr William Wilfon, has belonged to his forefathers fince 1516, as appears by a feifine of Alexander Master of Semple to James Wilfon. Valuation, &c.-The valuation of this parifh is 3801 1. Scotch. The real value is about 3500 1. Sterling. The value of land has rifen confiderably of late. In 1754, the parks of Kelburn rented In the year 1794 L. 149 6 3 471 5 There is a fmall inclofure, called Fairley Mill Park, containing about 9 acres, 2 of which are very bad pafture; it gives 411. yearly rent. Hangenheugh and Routdonburn, feu from Brisbane eftate, rented in 1762 at L. 9 0 In 1794, at L. 52 Likewife the fmall property of Hailley was, in 1764, rented at 91.; yields, in 1794, 601. per annum to the proprietor, in fetting it out in small lots to the inhabitants of the village of Largs for potatoes. Church, &c.-The church is an old building, erected be.. fore the Reformation, but at what period is uncertain. In the north fide is an aile, containing an elegant monument, belonging to Colonel Montgomery of Skelmurly. It forms an arch and two compartments, fupported by 18 pillars, of the Corinthian order, furmounted with cherubims. Above the arch is a small pyramid, finished at top with a globe. It 1 ! is very richly carved, and with great taste, confidering the time in which it was built, namely, in 1636. On the roof of the aile are painted the 12 figns of the zodiac, and feveral views of the houfe of Skelmurly; with the premature death of a lady of the family, who was killed by the kick of a horse. It is likewife adorned with feveral texts of Scripture, and various efcutcheons of the different members of that ancient family. Below is a vault, built by Sir Robert Montgomery, who, becoming ferious in the after part of his life, repaired hither at night for devotional exercifes; by thefe means burying' himself as it were alive. There are two niches in the walls for coffins; and Sir Robert himself, with his lady, Margaret Douglas, daughter to Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig, anceftor to the Duke of Queensberry, lie in two leaden coffins. She died in 1624. On Sir Robert's is the following infcription: Ipfe mitri praemortives fui: Fato funera, This plainly alludes to the Emperor Charles V. who had his funeral obfequies performed before his death. Colonel Montgomery, the lineal defcendent of Sir Robert, is patron; the Reverend Mr Stephen Rowan, minister. At the Revolution and establishment of the Church of Scotland, in 1689, Mr John Wilfon was fettled. He died in 1699, aged 44. He was fucceeded, in 1701, by Mr Andrew Cummin, who died in 1762, aged 88, in the 61st year of his miniftry. Upon his death followed Mr Gilbert Lang, who had been settled as his affiftant and fucceffor from 1756. VOL. XVII. 3 T He He died in 1791, in the 66th year of his age. His fucceffor is the present incumbent. The ftipend is 8 chalders, befides half a chalder for communion elements, commuted for money according to the fiars of the College of Glafgow, The glebe is 7 acres and a half, arable, but no grafs, with a good manfe, fituated at about quarter of a mile north of the church. The poors funds are 1032 1. befides the weekly collections, which are, at an average, about 401. per annum. On the roll there are 20 people, who receive from one guinea yearly to 41.; three weekly penfioners, at 2 s. 6 d. per week; befides 21 poor, who receive fmall fums, as their exigencies require. John Morrice of Craig, Efq; who was born in this parish, and acquired an opulent fortune in the Weft Indies, left 50l. to the poor in 1788. The late Countess-Dowager of Glasgow, with that humanity and goodness which fo eminently diftinguished her character, when she left this parish in 1775, upon the death of her Lord, ordered 10l. per annum to be distributed at the difcretion of the minifter. The funds of the parifh school are liberal. Mr Hannibal Hall, furgeon at Dublin, a native of this parish, left to the fchool 1751. The mafter's falary is about 20 1. He has from 60 to 70 fcholars, from whom he receives quarterly, The present schoolmafter is Mr John Macqueen. There are likewise two smaller schools at the fouth and north ends of the parish, at the village of Fairley, and at Skelmurly. The The greater number of the inhabitants are of the Eftablished Church. About 50 families are Burghers; and, to the honour of both parties, they live together in mutual amity, without exhibiting, in almost any instance, the smalleft alienation of affection on account of different religious fentiments. Antiquities. There are feveral caftles, and houses of confiderable antiquity, in the parish. Skelmurly caftle was built in 1502, and had a new addition in 1636. The old castle of Knock was built above 300 years ago. It was the property of an ancient family, of the name of Frafer, defcended from John Frafer, third fon of Hugh Frafer of Lovat, and his wife Ifabel, daughter to Sir David Weems of Weems. They had a grant of these lands from King Robert III. in 1402. It is now in ruins, and belongs to Mr Brisbane of Brisbane. The caftle of Fairley, formerly poffeffed by the ancient family of Fairley, faid to be descended from a natural son of King Robert II. is now alfo in ruins. It was built in 1521, and is now the property of the Earl of Glasgow. The old part of Kilburn-house was built in 1581. In Brisbane-houfe is an old chair, made of oak, dated 1357. The arms of the family are carved on the back, which are, Sable, a cheveron, cheque or and gules between three cushions of the fecond, with the initials of J. B. and E. H. This chair, being still in excellent prefervation, may ferve for many centuries to show the name and family of Brubane to fucceeding generations. There are two moats, or mounds of earth, at each end of the village of Largs, of that kind called Law-hills, at the distance of four miles up the water of Nodefdale, at a place called Tourgill. There |