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Continued entries/extra info

[Page] 89

The monastery which was founded in the year 1217 by Malcolm Thane of Fife lies northwest from St.
Mungo's at the head of the town on a rising ground, commanding a beautiful and extensive prospect
of the Firth; considerable remains of it are yet; on the north side of it was the Abbey Church which
had a tower or Steeple in the middle of it which continues Still entire as also the part of the church which
is now made use of for the parish church. The Abbey church was dedicated not only to the Virgin Mary
but also to St. Serf; who was considered as the tutelar Saint of this place in honour of whom there was
an annual procession on his day: viz. 1st July, early in the morning of which all the inhabitants,
men and women young and old assembled and carried green branches through the town decking the
public places with flowers, and spent the rest of the day in festivity. The procession is still continued
the day is changed from the Saint's day to the present King's birthday.
The Earls of Argyle who were formerly wont to reside at Castle Campbell, a strong hold of theirs
on the south side of the Ochils are said to have been heritable, bailies of the abbey; by them it
was disposed to Colville of Ochiltree in whose family the office continued till the heritable jurisdictions
were taken away anno 1748.
The Argyle family had a chapel adjoining to and communicating with the church, a part of which still
remains; and some of the family were buried there.
A Convent was sent to this abbey from the abbey of Kinloss with Hugh the first Abbot.
John Hog was abbot of this place 14th April 1484 when Culross was erected into a burgh of barony
The last abbot of this place was Alexander son of Sir James Colville of Ochiltree who was admitted
a Lord of Session anno 1574. Sir James brother to Alexander was raised to the dignity of Lord Colville
of Culross at which time the King gave him a grant of the dissolved abbey.
At the Reformation the rental of this abbey amounted to £768:16:7 of money 3 chalders 3 bolls wheat
14 chalders 10 bolls 2 firlots barley: 13 chalders 12 bolls 3 firlots 3½ pecks oats 1 chalder 2 bolls, salt; 10 wedders
22 lambs 7 doz. [dozen] of Capons 28½ doz. [dozen] poultry 7½ stones butter 79½ stone cheese, and 8 trusses straw at that time there
were 9 monks in the Convent of the Cistertian Order,
Old Stat. Acct. vol. [Statistical Account volume] 18 pp [pages] 652, &. 653.