dumfries-1920/04-005

Transcription

SEVENTH REPORT
OF THE
ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE ANCIENT AND
HISTORICAL MONUMENTS OF SCOTLAND.

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY, -
We, your Majesty's Commissioners, appointed to make an Inventory of the
Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions connected with or illustrative
of the contemporary culture, civilisation and conditions of life of the people in
Scotland from the earliest times to the year 1707, and to specify those which seem most
worthy of preservation, humbly present to your Majesty this our seventh Report.
In doing so, we must refer with deepest regret to the death of our esteemed colleague,
Lord Guthrie, upon whose counsel we had become accustomed to rely and whose
historical knowledge we have found invaluable in the discharge of our duties. We
regret also that we have since lost another colleague in the death of Mr Francis
C. Buchanan.
Appended to the Report is a list of the monuments and constructions of Dumfries-
shire, which, in the opinion of your Commissioners, seem most worthy of preservation,
divided into two classes, viz. (a) those which appear to be specially in need of pro-
tection, and (b) those worthy of preservation but not in imminent risk of demolition
or decay.
Your Commissioners have found it desirable to adopt a different format for their
Reports and Inventories in order to present the material, and particularly the illustra-
tions, in a more adequate manner, and the present volume is the first in this new style.
On the eve of its issue, in the early summer of 1916, a fire in the printers' works totally
destroyed the whole material, which had to be assembled afresh for publication.
Your Commissioners have again to express their thanks to proprietors and others
for affording facilities and assistance in the prosecution of their work; particularly
to E. J. Brook, Esq., of Hoddom Castle, Dumfriesshire, and to Mr James McKillop,
formerly of the Hoddom Estates Office, Ecclefechan, also to Mr G. W. Shirley of the
Ewart Public Library, Dumfries.
In the preparation of the Inventory they have to thank George Macdonald, Esq.,
LL.D., C.B., F.B.A., for assistance in the field of Roman antiquities; George
Neilson, Esq., LL.D., for a contribution and other material; the Rev. J. King
Hewison, D.D., for the use of blocks; the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland for
the use of illustrations; and Professor Halliday, Liverpool, for the illustration of
the Bruce stone, which stone is in the possession of his family.

-- iii

Wt. 6209/626-500-3/21.-N. & Co., Ltd. Gp.3.