supposes the battle of the Grampians to have been fought), that of Battle-dykes is not only the largest in the district, but nearly two-thirds greater than that of Ardoch in Perthshire. It is believed that this camp was employed by Agricola in the year 81, and connected with those of Ardoch and Grassy-walls by a Roman road, which passed through the south-eastern part of Angus-shire, and from thence to Rae-dykes, by the camps of Keithock, near Brechin, and Fordoun in the Mearns. In corroboration of this, when General Roy made his survey of the Roman camps throughout Scotland, he says, in reference to that of Battle-dykes :-" It appears to me to be one of the most entire of the kind hitherto discovered; at the same time that the similarity of its figure and dimensions prove indisputably that it held the same army formerly encamped at Ardoch and Grassy-walls."* 66 It is also worthy of remark, that the names of some of the the places in the district of Finhaven are curious. These are the King's Palace, the King's Seat, and the King's Bourne— all of which are on the farm of Battle-dykes, and within the limits of the Roman Camp, and, perhaps, refers to the time when the lands were in the hands of royalty. At the King's Palace, six clay urns were found about twenty years ago, but nothing is preserved of the style of their manufacture. At the same place, about six hundred cart loads of stones were taken away for building purposes, and it is supposed that nearly as many more are still there; and as stones are comparatively scarce on the adjoining ground, it is probable that those which composed the "palace" had been gathered from these parts. Stone coffins with human remains have been found throughout the whole district. Three of these were exhumed some years ago in the hillock adjoining the dove-cot, and were all composed of rude stone flags, and about four feet and a half long, with the heads lying towards the east, while one of them contained the additional and interesting relic of a large iron spur, which was unfortunately carried off by the workmen, and In reference to the Camp of Rae-dykes, General Roy says, "In this neighbourhood we are to look for the scene of the celebrated battle [Mons Grampius]; for, the nature of the country seems to point out that the Caledonians would take post on the Grampian Mountains towards their eastern extremity, where the plain becomes narrow, from the near approach of that lofty range to the sea.”—Military Antiquities, pp. 85, 86, 87. U lost. But the most important of these discoveries was that of a solitary coffin, found near the Gallow path-road, in the neighbourhood of St. Mary's Well in Oathlaw, in which, along with human remains, there was a large gold ring or chain, which, from its position in the coffin, is supposed to have been the necklace of the person interred.* Although all enquiry has been fruitless regarding the custodier of this ring, it is said to be still in the district, and, being described as a thin twisted hoop, is perhaps of a construction and age similar to the Largo and Rannach Armilla.t *Information from Mr. George Stuart, Parochial Schoolmaster. CHAPTER V. Ferne. SECTION I. "The kirk an' kirkyard on the hillock sae green, Where friends an' gude neebors on Sundays convene." "The district is further remarkable as the birthplace of men of genius." THE church of Ferne was situate within the diocese of Dunkeld, but history is silent as to the name of its donor and the period of its gift. A piece of land, consisting of about five acres Scots measurement, a little east of the kirk, is called "Dunkeld rigs," and sometimes abbreviated into Dun's rigs. There is no fountain in the immediate vicinity of the kirk bearing the name of any saint; but at Wellford, about a mile to the south-west, a spring is called St. Innen's, which is probably a corruption of the name of St. Ninian, the apostle of the Picts, to whom, in Romish times, the kirk may have been inscribed, for no field or knoll near Wellford bears any name which would lead one to suppose that a chapel had ever stood there, though within the last half century there were two or three large rude boulders near by, which were called Druidical stones. The first parson of Ferne of whom we have found any record, was Thomas Hamilton, who officiated towards the close of the fifteenth century, and having his stipend very irregularly paid by the tacksmen of the teinds, he raised an action against them before the Lords of Council, who were pleased to ratify his claim. As the names of the renters of the teinds, and the amount paid from certain of the lands are given in detail, the facts may be quoted for the purpose of shewing the amount of these at the early period referred to.—John of Fothringham was charged "xii merkis and thre wedderis " for Auchinlochy, and the third part of Bochquharne; Johne of Ferne, “iv merkis, or ellis half a chalder of vitale," for the Mill of Ferne; and David Lindesay, and Paule of Fentoune (? of Ogil), "viii merkis, ii wedderis, and a Scottis bow, the price of the bow x s, for the teyndis of Duchre."* The parishes of Ferne, Menmuir, and Kinnell, were under the charge of one minister after the Reformation, for the serving of all of which he had little more than eleven pounds sterling. The minister of the period was James Melville (fifth brother of the celebrated Andrew), whose father was laird of the small estate of Dysart, near Montrose, and had in all nine sons, of whom Andrew was the youngest. Thomas Schevand, the contemporary reader of Ferne with Mr. Melville, had a yearly salary of about thirty-three shillings sterling; but, at a subsequent period (the exact date of which is unknown) the reader's stipend was augmented by a "Lady Lindsay" to the extent of eight bolls of meal, which was converted into money about the beginning of this century; and, not unmindful of the poor, the same charitable person also mortified an annual of two-and-ahalf bolls of meal to them. A Mr. Cramond was minister in Ochterlony's time; and his successor, Mr. James Watson, the last Episcopal minister, taking part with the Earl of Southesk in the rebellion of "fifteen," was deposed "for praying for the Pretender under the name of King James the Eighth," and for keeping "the fast and thanksgiving appointed by the rebells ;" and his coadjutor, the schoolmaster, joining in the same cause, was also deposed about the same time. The old part of the present manse was erected during Mr. Watson's incumbency, and a stone dated 1702, and initialed "E.I.S." (Earl James of Southesk), is still in the wall. Mr. George Wemys, a determined friend to the Hanoverian family, supplanted Mr. Watson, and was followed in turn by his son, who, being translated to Errol, in Perthshire, was succeeded by Mr. George Tytler, a native of Aberdeenshire. And, it may be remarked, that although little attention has been paid for * Acta Dom. Concil., Oct 25, 1488. + This eminent reformer is commonly called a son of Richard Melville of Baldovie, and one of nine brothers who followed the ministry. This, however, is a mistake, his father being John Melville of Dysart, and the Richard alluded to his second brother. Besides Richard and Andrew, John's other sons were, Thomas, "secretar deput of Scotland;" Walter, burgess and bailie of Montrose; Roger, burgess of Dundee; James, minister, first at Ferne, and then at Arbroath; John, the contemporary reader at Maryton with his brother Richard, who was minister there; and Robert and David, who were both "craftsmen."-Scc James Melville's Diary. long to parochial registrations, it appears from a curious dispute which occurred between Mr. Tytler and John Dildarg, or Dundas (the schoolmaster pro tempore), that at and before the year 1778, these were better attended to, since the keeping of these was one of the reasons which induced Mr. Tytler to employ Dildarg. Still, these Registers throw extremely little light either on the history of Mr. Tytler, or his predecessors; but as the father of James and Dr. Henry William, both of whom were famous in literature, Mr. Tytler's name has a more than ordinary interest. But, it may be inferred, from the curious dispute which arose betwixt him and Dildarg about "the unlawfulness of blood-eating," that, although men of learning and genius, both sons inherited much of the eccentricity of their parent.* The eldest, James, was compiler of the greater part of the Encyclopædia Britannica, and many other works of acknowledged merit; but being an unsuccessful rival of Montgolfier and Lunardi, he is best known by the sobriquet of Balloon. In addition to his scientific writings, he was author of the well-known Scottish songs of "The Bonnie Bruiket Lassie," "Loch Erroch-side,” “I canna come ilka day to woo," and several others. He married young, and being ill-requited for his literary labours, his life was a continued struggle with poverty. turally liberal in politics, and fond of novelty, he joined in the reforming movement of the times, and made himself so conspicuous by his pen and otherwise, that but for the prompt interference of his friends, who sent him to America, he might have had a like fate as Baird and Hardie. Tytler died in the town of Salem, New England, in 1805, where he had conducted a newspaper from the time of his arrival there.t Na His brother, who is famous as the first Scotsman who published a translation of the Greek classics, was bred a surgeon, and married a sister of the historian Gillies. He began life as a practitioner in Brechin, but finding little encouragement there, he went to India, and on his return, published some original poems, amongst which was a "Voyage from the Cape of Good Hope," and died at Edinburgh in 1808. He was known as an author See APPENDIX No. VI., for an epitome of the dispute alluded to. For many interesting particulars of the checquered life of this extraordinary person, see a biographical notice of him, published at Edinburgh, in 1805. |