stoun, swore fealty to Edward 1. In Bagimont's Roll, the rectory of Covintoun, in the deanery of Lanark was taxed L. 4, being a tenth of the estimated value of its spiritual revenues. In the southwest of the old parish of Covintoun was formerly a chapel dedicated to St Ninian, the patronage of which belonged to the proprietor of the lands of Warrandhill.

The church of the old parish of Tancardstoun was dedicated to St John, and hence it was called St John's Kirk. In the period between 1175 and 1199, the monks of Kelso obtained from Anneis de Brus a grant of the church of Tankardstoun called Wodekyrch, which was confirmed by the Bishop of Glasgow, and afterwards by Symon Lockard. In the reign of Robert I. the rectory of the church of Tancardstoun continued to belong to the monks of Kelso; but, as they received from it only an allowance of forty shillings yearly, they appear to have afterwards relinquished it. The parochial district of Wodekirk comprehended only the territory of Tancardstoun, and the church stood in the south-east corner of the parish, about a mile and a half from the village. The lands and barony of Thankerton, with the patronage of the church, belonged to Lord Fleming at the close of the reign of James V. In Bagimont's Roll, the rectory of Thankerton was taxed at L.4. Lands of considerable extent formerly belonged to the parish church of Thankerton, which, at the Reformation, passed into lay hands, and have since formed a property called St John's Kirk. The two small parishes of Covington and Thankerton were united some time between 1702 and 1720. The patronage of the united parish belongs to Sir Norman Lockhart, as patron of the old parish of Covington, and Sir Windham Carmichael Anstruther, as patron of the old parish of Thankerton, who present by turns.

It was at Covington Mill in this parish, that the celebrated covenanting clergyman, Daniel Cargill, was taken prisoner by Irvine of Bonshaw, in the house of " Andrew Fisher, and his spouse, Elizabeth Lindsay." He was executed at Edinburgh along with four others in July 1681.

Land-owners.-The principal land-holders of this parish are, Sir Norman Macdonald Lockhart, Bart.; Sir Windham Carmichael Anstruther, Bart.; James Howieson, Esq. of St John's Kirk; and Michael Carmichael, Esq. of Eastend. There is only one mansion-house in the parish, that of Mr Howieson of St John's Kirk.

The number of acres in the parish which are either cultivated or occasionally in tillage is about 2000. About 3500 acres are pastured by black-faced sheep, which may be worth annually about 5s. 6d. per head. About 600 acres might be added to the cultivated land, and might be kept in occasional tillage. And there are about 80 acres of planted wood in the parish. The rent of land varies from 2s. 6d. per acre to L. 2, 2s. The real rental of the parish is supposed to be about L. 2500. Agricultural improvements in this parish have kept pace with the progress of husbandry in the neighbourhood. The old Scots plough, in general use when the former Account was printed, is now laid aside; furrowdraining is practised to a considerable extent, and the turnip husbandry and sown grasses are an important part of the agricultural course. There is no land in the parish in a state of undivided

common.

Wages.-The wages of farm-servants are from L. 10 to L.12 ayear, and of women-servants L. 6 or L. 7. Masons get at present 3s. 6d. a-day; common labourers 1s. 6d. to 1s. 8d.

ton.

V. PAROCHIAL ECONOMY.

There are two villages in the parish, Thankerton and CovingThe bridge over the Clyde at Thankerton was built by public subscription in 1778. The distance from Biggar, the nearest post-town, is about three miles.

Fuel. The fuel in universal use is coal, brought from a distance of about nine miles.

Education. The parochial school is the only one in the parish: it stands in the village of Covington. Salary of the master, L.28 per annum. Fees about L.16 per annum.

Ecclesiastical State. The parishes of Covington and Thankerton were united towards the beginning of last century, when the old church of Thankerton was permitted to go to ruin, and an addition made to that of Covington to contain the people of both

parishes. The value of the stipend in 1755 was L. 56, 16s. 8d.; 1791, L. 80; in 1798, according to Chalmers, L. 112, 2s. 8d. The extent of the glebe is about eight acres, and it may be worth L.1, 10s. per acre. The manse, built about forty years ago, is at present undergoing extensive repairs and additions to its accommodation.

Poor. The number of poor who received parochial aid for the year ending November 1838 was 12. The amount of contributions for their relief for that year were L. 30, 11s. 1d.; of which L. 8, 8s. 2d. were from church collections; L.16, 8s. from interest of stock; L. 5, 10s. 14d. from voluntary contribution by the heritors; and the remainder from mortcloth, proclamation, and other dues.

Mortification. In 1790, Mr James Scot, surgeon in Peebles, mortified one acre and one rood of land in the neighbourhood of that town, for educating poor children belonging to the parish of Covington.

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. At the period when the former statistical report of this parish was published, there were not more than 630 acres in tillage. There are now nearly 2000. The rental of the parish in 1791 was L. 920 per annum; it is now about L. 2500. The farmhouses and offices are of a better description than formerly; and the farmers are intelligent and enterprising. There is still, however, a want of wood in the parish; and much might be done by a judicious arrangement of belts of planting, to improve the climate, and shelter the inclosures.

September 1840.

PARISH OF EAST KILBRIDE.

PRESBYTERY OF HAMILTON, SYNOD OF GLASGOW AND AYR.

THE REV. HENRY MONCREIFF, MINISTER.

I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.

Name.-THE last syllable of the word Kilbride is a contraction for Bridget or Brighid, the Gaelic name of a saint, greatly famed in the legends of the Church of Rome. Disputes have been raised as to the place of her nativity, and it was supposed by Archbishop Usher, that there might be two saints of the same name, one belonging to Ireland, and the other to Scotland. However this may be, many places in Scotland have been dedicated to St Bridget. It is probable that the church of East Kilbride was originally one of the buildings erected in honour of her. The syllable Kil comes from Cil, a Gaelic word for a church or buryingplace; and the name signifies the church or burying-place belonging to St Bridget. The parish is called East Kilbride, to distinguish it from West Kilbride, in the county of Ayr.

Boundaries, Extent, Situation, Topography, &c.-The village of East Kilbride is seven miles distant from Glasgow, as the crow flies. By the best and most frequented road, the distance is nearly eight miles. The position of the village may be represented as rather more than six miles and a half to the south, and somewhat more than a mile and a half to the east, of the western metropolis. The most northern point of the parish lies about a mile to the north-east of Kittockside, which has been described as the pleasantest village in it, and which is not far from its northwestern boundary. This point is about four miles from Glasgow, as the crow flies, and about two miles to the west of the point at which the parish is most frequently entered, and which is situated about six miles from Glasgow by the main road, a short way to the north of the village of Nerston, the name of which is a contraction for North-East Town. The circumference of the parish is very irregular and undulating in its outline. In other respects, the shape is that of a sand-glass, the breadth in

the northern and southern portions being considerable, while it is very much diminished towards the centre. A line drawn across the northern half of the sand-glass, through its centre from east to west, would give a breadth of very nearly five miles. From the north-western corner, near which the road from Kilbride to Busby enters the parish of Carmunnock, to the north-eastern corner, which is not far from being in a direct line eastward, the distance is about five miles and a half; the breadth is nowhere else so great. At one part of the southern half of the sand-glass, the distance is about five miles from a point on the east, at which a bye-road, leading from the direct Strathavon and Kilbride road towards a place called Blackburn, crosses the Powmillon rivulet, to the point on the west where the road from Alderstocks to Eaglesham enters the parish of Eaglesham. In the centre of the parish, at the narrowest part, the breadth is not so much as two miles and a half, and, at the south end, it is only three miles. From the most southern point beyond Browncastle, a place considerably farther south than Strathavon, to the most northern already mentioned, the distance is nine miles and three-quarters, being the extreme length of the parish. The number of square miles is 35.50.

East Kilbride is in the middle ward of Lanarkshire, and is bounded on the north by the parishes of Carmunnock and Cambuslang; on the east, by Blantyre, Glassford, and Avondale ; on the south, by Avondale and Loudon; and on the west, by Loudon, Eaglesham, and Carmunnock.

The least elevated ground in the parish is at Crossbasket, the seat of Alexander Downie, Esq. which lies on the road leading from Kilbride by Blantyre to Hamilton, about half a mile from the northeastern corner, close to the border of Blantyre parish, and about 200 feet above the level of the sea. The highest ground is the top of Eldrig, a hill situated about the centre of the western side of the southern half of the sand-glass, extending into Eaglesham, and about seven miles distant from Crossbasket in a direct line. Its height is at least 1600 feet above the sea. From Crossbasket to Eldrig there is a gradual ascent, consisting of a regular succession of small hills, with very little level ground between them. A considerable part of the parish is moor-land, which commences about two miles to the north of Eldrig, and continues a considerable way down the south side of the ridge where Kilbride borders with Loudon. Eldrig is the highest part of that ridge formed by the hills in Eaglesham, Mearns, Neilston, &c.