Meldrum, Patrick Duncan, Alexander Duff, and John Inglis, the prefent incumbent.

State of the Poor.-There are no begging poor in the parifh; but there are commonly about 12 penfioners on the roll of the kirk feffion, to whom every allowance is made for rendering them comfortable, that would not operate to the difcouragement of industry. Befides the interest of 60 1. Sterling, and the collections at the church, &c. a small parochial affeffment is made for their better fupport; one half of which is paid by the heritors, and the other by the farmers, &c. the mode of the affeffment being regulated by an act and recommendation of the county, founded upon the different acts of Parliament relative to the poor. It is pleasant to remark, that the kirk-feffion never find cause to reject any application for charity, none being ever made without real neceffity: Long may the lower claffes of people in Scotland be diftinguished by that laudable pride of independence, which makes them ftruggle, to the laft, to maintain themselves on the fruit of their labour, rather than depend, unneceffarily, on the charity of others!

Antiquities.-The canal, already mentioned under the article of manufactures, can be traced to a very early period, which, compared with the nature of the work, must give it importance in the view of the antiquary. It is nearly 18feet broad, 3 feet deep, and, according to the course of the water, about 4 miles long; and though its fource be in this parish, through which it alfo runs for about 3 miles, it appears to have been originally intended for the benefit of

the

There are a few diffenters of other claffes than the two above mentioned.

the town of Perth, where it not only ferves the corn-mills, and supplies the inhabitants with water, but has also contributed, probably, in former times, to ftrengthen the fortifications of the place; for, when it approaches Perth, it divides itself into two branches, which furround the town in a deep bed, close to the fite of the ancient walls. But it is chiefly in its connection with the corn-mills, that we are enabled to trace its antiquity. The mills of Perth, as ferved by this canal, or lead, having been originally the property of the kings of Scotland, are mentioned by them in feveral very ancient charters; and in the year 1244, we find Alexander II, granting to the Monaftery of Black Friars of Perth, a pipe of water from this canal, which he there denominates his Milllead, conformably to the name of The King's Lead, which it ftill bears. Upon this evidence alone, the canal in question may undoubtedly be ranked among the earliest work of utility in our country, of which we ftill enjoy the advantage. It is difficult, indeed, to give credit to our own ancestors at fo early a period, for all the enterprise and industry which it required. And when we recollect its probable defign, originally, as an aid to the fortifications of Perth, it will not perhaps be unnatural to fuppofe it a Roman work ;—at least, this idea will not appear improbable to thofe, who, from different circumftances, and particularly from the form and arrangement of the streets of Perth, afcribe the town itself to the Romans t.

Hunting

* See the chartulary of the black friars of Perth in the Archives of King James's Hofpital there.

+ Whatever there may be in this fuppofition refpecting the canal, it appears to derive fome additional countenance from the family-history of the Mercers of Aldie, which enables us, as far as we may confider it authentic, to trace the corn mills of Perth, and confequently this canal or lead upon which they depended, to a period, at leaft, confiderably earlier than the year

1244

Huntingtower Caftle, formerly Ruthven Caftle, which is fituated in this parish, may perhaps be entitled to attention, as the ancient feat of the Ruthven or Gowrie family, forre markable for its fingular and myfterious catastrophe But ans event which has been the ground of fo much controverfy as that which is known by the name of Gozurie's Confpiracy, is evidently too great a fubject, either for examination or detail

1244 above mentioned. Upon the authority of tradition, and fome infcriptions of uncertain date, together with the circumftance of three mill rynds being still a part of the Mercer's arms, it is generally believed, by thofe who have inquired into the fub. ject, that the corn-mills ferved by this canal were originally the property of that family, and granted by them to the king, who, in return, gave them a burial place in the church of Perth, which the family ftill poffeffes. And if we compare thefe cir cumstances with a charter of confirmation granted by David 1. to the Abbey of Dunfermline in the year 1140, (See Sir James Dalrymple's Collections) we find that the tranfaction al-' luded to, muft have taken place, and confequently, that the car a nal itself must have exilted, prior to the date of this charter: For the king, therein, either gives away for the first time, or confirms what his predeceffors had done in giving away, the whole property of the church of Perth to that Abbey, in whose poffeffion it accordingly remained till the period of the reformation; and confequently, the royal grant of a burial-place in that church to the family of Aldie, as a return for their gift of the mills ferved by this canal, must have been of earlier date than the year 1140, from which period the church and its appendages were no longer at the difpofal of the kings of Scotland. If this fort of evidence, then, can warrant us to believe that the canal in queftion belonged to the Mercers of Aldie before the year. 1140, there alfo arifes ftrong prefumption of its having been a work of still earlier execution; for the nature and defign of the work will scarce admit of our believing it to have been originally executed by the Mercers, or any private family whatever, but naturally lead to a fuppofition of its having been, in the first inflance, a public concern, which, from circumftançes now unknown, had at length come into the hands of a private] family, perhaps only as far as regarded its connection with the corn-mills.

I

in this Statistical Report. The caftle itself is more particularly diftinguished, as the place where King James VI. was for fome time confined by the Earl of Gowrie, and others, who had entered into a combination for taking the young King out of the hands of his two early favourites, the lately created Duke of Lennox and Earl of Arran. James,"

after having refided for fome time in Athol, where he enjoyed his favourite amusement of hunting, was now return⚫ing towards Edinburgh, with a fmall train. He was invit ed to Ruthven Caftle, which lay in his way; and, as he fuspected no danger, he went thither in hopes of farther sport. • The multitude of strangers whom he found there gave him • some preafinefs; and as those who were in the fecret ar •rived every moment from different parts, the appearance • of so many new faces increased his fears. He concealed his uneafinefs, however, with the utmost care; and next • morning prepared for the field; expecting to find there fome opportunity of making his escape; but just as he was ready to depart, the nobles entered his bed-chamber in a 6 body,

in a n

The tradition of the country upon this fubject is preferved paper written by the late Mr Alexander Duff minifter of this parish, and prefented by him to the Antiquarian Society of Perth. And it may here fuffice to obferve farther, respecting this family, whofe general history is incorporated with that of the nation, that, from their ancient proper names, as these are found in charters of early date, they appear to have been of Danish extraction. In a charter, (formerly quoted) granted to the monaftery of Scone by Walter the Lord of Ruthven, in the reign of William the Lion, he is denominated the son of Alan, grandfon of Suane, and great-grandfon of Thore; and it is al To perhaps worthy of notice, in this view, that the ford of a riyulet, which runs through the ancient manor of this family, and has now fcarce any diftinguishing name, is, in the fame charter, denominated the Ford of Lochlin, which is known to be an an cient name for Denmark. The family is now reprefented by Lord Ruthven of Freeland.