Transactions. 45 



mathematics in the Academy of Dumfries, it is called St. 

 Guerdun's Well, and the saint is a female, the daughter of 

 Barold. But the author of the poem professes no antiquarian 

 knowledge on the subject, and the poem gives us no legen- 

 dary or traditional information respecting the Well. The 

 poem was written in the year 1789, and was printed anony- 

 mously by Mr Eobert Jackson of Dumfries in 179.5. 



In the Statistical Account of the parish of Troqueer, in 

 which parish the Well is situated, reference is made to Mr 

 White's poem ; yet here the Well is called not St. Guerdun's, 

 but St. Querdon's Well. And in the Ordnance Map the 

 name given is St. Jardan's Well. The Well is further known 

 by the name of St. Jergon's Well. 



These various names are probably versions or corruptions 

 of the true name, and none of them occur in any of the Lists 

 of Saints that I have seen. But in Keith's Calendar of Scot- 

 tish Saints there is the name of St. Queran, and he may be 

 the true saint — the names of Querdon, Guerdun, Jardan, and 

 others being corruptions. 



The first St. Queran is an Irish saint, St. Kieran or 

 Queran, whom the Irish style the first born of their saints. 

 He was somewhat older than St. Patrick, but is thought to 

 be one of the twelve whom St. Patrick consecrated Bishops 

 in Ireland to assist him in his labours. In his old age he 

 passed over to Cornwall, where he ended his days in prepara- 

 tion for eternity, and the spot on which he died is called 

 from him St. Per an in the Sands. 



The next saint of the name is St. Kieran or St. Queran 

 the younger. He also was of the island of Saints, and was 

 an abbot in Ireland. He founded numerous monasteries, and 

 his monastic rule, or the Law of Kieran, was very austere. 

 This saint died in the year 549. 



Butler adds a note to his account of this saint, in which 

 he says : — " The Scots honor on this day (9th Sept.) another 

 St. Kieran or St. Queran, Abbot of the Monastery of E'eale, 

 in the county of Ayr, in which province stood the celebrated 

 Abbey of Paisley." Butler continues thus : — " Some Scotch 



