OS1/14/6/38

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[Page] 38

Town of Arbroath sheet 46-15 No.4 Trace


The parish church is situated near the centre of that part of the town which is on the east
side of the Brothock. There are no means apparently of ascertaining the date of its foundation. In
the year 1764 it was considerably enlarged by removing the south wall eight feet back and by
adding to the accommodation in the aisle on the north side of
the church. In each end and in the aisle there is a double tier of galleries. By recent measurement
it has been found to contain 1412 sittings allowing 18 inches to each. Some of the seats in the galleries are
very inconvenient being so near to the ceiling that it is difficult for a man of ordinary sized to stand in them
upright. There are no free seats for the poor the whole being the property with of individuals or of cor-
-porate bodies who let generally to the highest bidder the sittings not required for their own imme-
-diate use. This has often proved a very serious evil and has been justly complained of.

The Minister of the parish has neither manse nor glebe. In the year 1701 the arable ground and grass
within the abbey garden (which had been bestowed on the Bishop of Brechin during the reign of Protestant epis-
-copacy, and had reverted to the Crown at the Revolution) were granted in lease-hold to Mr Ferguson then
minister of Aberbrothock in aid of his stipend. But after his death, the magistrates petitioned for a lease
of the said grounds which was granted to them in 1737. And again in 1753 they applied for and obtained a grant
of them in perpetuity for payment of annual feu-duty of £8 Sterling. All that was assigned to the minister
in lieu of the abbot's house and garden was the yearly sum of £4.8.11 Sterling in the name of house-rent.
New Stat. Acct. [Statistical Account] of Forfarshire p. [page] 94

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Alison James- Moderator, dafadowndilly

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