FERN-ITS ARCHEOLOGY. 267 like the lone shepherd's cot, and the Highland clachan or village. They are most plentiful in tracts of spongy moss and arid heath, and in solitudes where the plough has never penetrated; but as ages have elapsed since they were the scene of busy life, the richness of the soil has so greatly fostered vegetation, that their sites can only be discovered with great difficulty, and, if it were not for their floors, hard-crusted by burning, they could scarcely be distinguished from bothies or illicit distilleries, or, as already mentioned, from shepherds' sheltering-places. CHAPTER VI. Caraldstone, or Careston. SECTION I. Sir Alexander Carnegy built a very fyne little church, and a fyne minister's manse, upon his own expenses, and doted a stipend, and gave a glebe thereto, out of his own estate.-OCHTERLONY. Blest be the man that spares these stones, ON SHAKESPEARE'S TOMB AT STRATFord. Careston-Origin of name-"Keraldus judex "-Erection of parish-" Fyne little church"- Succession of ministers-Churchyard-Rev. John Gillies-Formation of kirk-session-Rev. Dr. John Gillies of Glasgow-Mr. Robert Gillies of Brechin-Dr. John Gillies, Historiographer-Royal of Scotland-Lord GilliesDr. Thomas Gillies. THERE are various theories as to the origin of the name of Caraldstone, or Careston. In the Old Statistical Account it is derived from the Ossianic hero Carril, who is said to have been killed in the neighbourhood, and to have had a monument erected to him, which, towards the close of last century, was represented by three large rude stones. These stood on a hillock about a mile south-east of the church, near the farmhouse of Nether Careston, but their site is now barely traceable, though the story of the fall of Carril (who, under the name of Carald, has been metamorphosed into the leader of a band of Danish fugitives) still lingers in the neighbourhood.1 It is also said that Careston was known at one time by the name of Fuirdstone. This is assumed from a decreet of valuation of the teinds in 1758, in which the expression occurs, of "the lands and barony of Caraldstone, formerly called Fuirdstone, with the 1 Old Stat. Acct. ii. p. 483; New Stat. Acct. Forfar. p. 518. CARESTON-ITS EARLY HISTORY. 269 tower, fortalice, manor-place," etc. But, according to Lord Spynie's charter of the lands in 1606, this passage admits of a more likely interpretation, and merely signifies that a part of the lands of Careston was so called.1 In the Preface to the old Registrum de Aberbrothoc, attention is directed to a different and more probable source than either of those mentioned, for the etymology of the name of the parish:-" A person of the name of Bricius occurs in very early charters as 'judex' of Angus, probably holding his office under the great Earls. In 1219, Adam was 'judex' of the Earls' court. Some years later he became 'judex' of the King's court, and his brother Keraldus succeeded to his office in the court of the Earl; for in the year 1227, we find the brothers acting together, and styled respectively 'judex' of Angus, and 'judex' of our Lord the King. The dwelling of Keraldus received the name of Keraldiston,' afterwards Caraldstoun; and the office of 'judex' becoming hereditary and taking its Scotch form of 'Dempster,' gave name to the family who for many generations held the lands of Caraldstoun and performed the office of Dempster to the Parliaments of Scotland."2 The parish of Careston is of recent origin, having, down to a late period, formed a part of that of Brechin. The site of the kirk is said to have been a place of family interment from a remote age; and, although the endowment was given and conArmed by Royal Charter in 1631, and a church was built in 1636, the Act for erecting the district into a separate parish was not obtained until the year 1641, when, on Sir Alexander Carnegy of Balnamoon (who was sole heritor, holding under the superiority of Maule of Panmure, as proprietor of the Lordship of Brechin and Navar), "takand christeanlie to his consideration the ignorance of his tennentis, and seriowslie pondering with him selff, fynding the case, cause, and occasion 1 Orig. Dukedom of Montrose Case, p. 218; so also Inquis. Spec. Forfar. No. 187, A. D. 1629. 2 Reg. Vet. Aberbr. pp. xxvi, 94, et al.; Acts Parl. ii. pp. 76 (1455). ... thereof to proceid frome the distance of thair dwelling to thair paroche kirk of Brechine, . . . and that be consent of the ministers of Brechine, it was thought expedient that the said lands of Carrestoun et Pitforkie should be disjoynted from the said paroche of Brechine, and erected into ane severell and distinct paroche be it selff."1 The erection of the parish was opposed by Sir Patrick Maule, the minister of Navar, and the Commissioner of Brechin, in name of that burgh and parish; still, the General Assembly "appoints and ordanes the inhabitants of the said lands, with the pertinents, to repair to the Newe kirk, built be the said Sir Alexander vpon the saids lands of Carrestoun, as thair paroche kirk in all tyme thairefter, for divine service, receaveing of the sacraments, and to vse the kirkyard thereof for buriell of thair dead." Carnegy reserved the patronage of the kirk to himself, and the stipend, paid out of the teind sheaves of Careston, Pitforkie, and Balnabreich, amounted to forty-five bolls two firlots victual, two parts meal, and third part bear, and forty-five pounds Scots money, "as the samene are and hes been in vse to pay yeirlie to the late pretendit Bishope of Brechine."2 The "fyne little church," as Ochterlony calls it, of 1636, is still a substantial plain building, with an aisle on the north side. The aisle has a special entrance from the west, and used to contain the pew of the laird's family and domestics. The burial vault, which is below the aisle, is entered by a flight of steps, but the approach is covered up by the flags in the floor. In 1870 the church and aisle received a new roof, and the inside seating was rearranged. The pulpit now occupies the east end, instead of the south side. The proprietor's seat, with its baldachino, stands in the west end, and the 1 Reg. Episc. Brech. ii. p. 311; Acts Parl., A.D. 1641, v. p. 568; Fraser, Carnegies of Southesk, i. p. lxxxviii sq. It may be worthy of note that a stone bearing the Carnegie and Blair arms, with initials, etc., similar to that at Menmuir, was found at Careston Church, and is there preserved, being built into the wall (infra pp. 304. 315). 2 Acts of Parl. v. p. 568, Ratification of Mortification, Nov. 2, 1641. CARESTON-PARISH MINISTERS. 271 aisle is partitioned off for a vestry. In this there is preserved a plain hand-bell about ten inches high, with a flat hammered loop for a handle, and having cut upon the side above the rim, A F 1756 C F. On the apex of the north gable wall there is the date 1636. In the churchyard there lies the upper part of the bowl of a small octagonal sandstone font. It is probable that Mr. David Campbell,1 who married a daughter of Carnegy of Cookston, was the first minister of Careston after its formation into a parish. Mr. Campbell was soon translated to Menmuir, and was succeeded by Mr. John Ramsay in 1649, whose successor was perhaps Mr. Thomas Skinner, master of the Grammar School of Brechin, who was inducted to the charge in 1663. Mr. Skinner was translated to Dailly in 1666, and in December of that year he was succeeded in Careston by Mr. Gilbert Skein, master of the Grammar School of Montrose. In June 1679, Mr. William Carnegie was admitted minister, and, being translated to Hoddam in October 1681, he was succeeded by Mr. John Murray in March following. This gentleman, and his assistant, Mr. Alexander Lindsay, were among the "Jacobite intruders" who caused their brethren so much annoyance on the overthrow of Episcopacy, and from that time till the induction of Mr. Gillies in 1716 the parish was without a settled minister. Mr. Gillies' successor, William Morrice, demitted the charge in 1772, and Andrew Gray was ordained there in the following spring. To his pen we owe the first statistical account of the parish (1792), which is very carefully written, while to that of a later minister we owe the second account (1842). This latter, David Lyell, was presented in 1800, married the Hon. Catherine, youngest daughter of John, seventh Viscount Arbuthnott, and died 1853. The present minister, the Rev. W. L. Baxter, A.M., appointed in 1862, is the third since Mr. Lyell's death.3 1 "April 4, 1643; This day Mr. Dauid Campbell, minister of Carralstoun, was contractit with Marat Carnegy in this paroch; caur for them both Alex Carnegy of Cuikstoune."-(Br. Sess. Rec.) 2 Presby. Record of Brechin. 3 Scott, Fasti, vi. pp. 818 sq., 851. |