OS1/25/19/75
| List of names as written | Various modes of spelling | Authorities for spelling | Situation | Description remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAIL (on site of) TOLBOOTH [Crieff] | Jail on site of Tolbooth | Alexander Monteath, Esqr. Thomas Soutar, Esqr. Mr Robert Arnott |
095 | "In the year 1665 the present tolbooth was erected in Crieff, for the accommodation of the Steward & Court, (which from this point ceased to be held in the open air,) and for the despatch of other public business. Originally the tolbooth contained several apartments, which have been converted to other uses,. Some alteration have doubtless been made; but one part of what once belonged to the tolbooth is now a dwelling house, another is a shop, with one of the dungeons for a coal cellar. This last appears to have been the strongest in the whole building. It is an arched dungeon of small dimensions, which was secured by a strong iron door. It contained the celebrated Crieff cage - a netted iron safe, large enough to contain a man, and covered on the top with a lid of solid metal. And sunk in the ground, under the spot where the cage stood, was what was called the black hole, into which atrocious and desperate offenders were sometimes thrust; though it is believed that this dreaded place was tenanted only on rare occasions. The cage is remembered by several of the present inhabitants of Crieff; and the top, or at least part of the top of it, is still preserved in the store cellar already mentioned. It now contains a jail in the ground flat, where offenders are occasionally lodged for a night or so; a court-room, where the justices hold a small debt court, on the first Monday of every month; and another apartment above, where a public library is Kept; There is also a spire attached to it, which contains the town clock, and a good bell, of which tradition says that it was that which was rung at Scone when the Kings of Scotland were crowned. If the tale be true the bell must have been recast; for it bears a later inscription, setting forth, that it was gifted in the year 1725 by John Lord Drummond, uncle of James the third Duke of Perth. The bell was recast, perhaps we should have said re-recast, in the year 1821, at the expense of the inhabitants of Crieff. The original inscription was replaced, but an addition was made to it. The motto to the Drummond aims is inserted between the old inscription and the new addition, and the whole is, as nicely as possible, a fac-simile of the old" New Statistical Account "In 1842 the old tolbooth was taken down, and in 1850 the present building erected on its site. It is a small but substantial structure, having a strong square steeple or spire, which contains the town clock, rising from its centre. Its interior arrangements, etc., are fully described in the second or last paragraph of of the above extracts. |
Continued entries/extra info
[Page] 75Parish of Crieff
Transcribers who have contributed to this page.
Nora Edwards, Bizzy- Moderator, John Dunlop
Location information for this page.
Linked mapsheets.
