60 Transactions. 



Relics of Covenanting Times in the Parish ok 

 Irongray. By the Rev. Thomas Underwood, Irongiay. 



When I considei- the more special work and aim of this 

 Society it is with some degree of hesitation that I venture to 

 read in your presence the paper which I have prepared upon 

 the above-named subject. The reUcs to Avhich I shall short- 

 ly refer belong to a dark and gloomy period in the history of 

 Scotland — particularly in the histoiy of Scotland's Church. 

 In the belief that the memorials of covenanting times still 

 existing in the Parish of Trougray possess some interest for 

 us as an Antiquarian Society, I beg to treat them merely 

 as objects of Archaeological value. 



I may refer for a moment to the name of the Parish — 

 Kirkpatrick-Irongray — I have not been able to find any ex- 

 planation of the name Irongraj'' — Kirkpatrick is of course 

 easily accounted for. I have discovered in old documents, 

 viz., Presbytery and Kirk-Session records, that there have 

 been various ways of sj)elling this name. In 1653 it is spelt 

 Irnegray, and in 1694 the Presbytery records have it Airn- 

 gray, while the Kirk-Session records of same date have it 

 Irongray, the present form. In an inscription upon the 

 Communion Cups, of date 1694, it is Irengray. 



It is well known that this Parish occupies a prominent 

 place in the history of Covenanting times in the South of 

 Scotland, and that some very intere.sting and characteristic 

 memorials of those times still exist within its bounds. Re- 

 membering that we have excluded from our notice the 

 religious aspect of the times, we may nevertheless deal with 

 the question as antiquarians. How came this Parish to be 

 thus distinguished ? What is the history of the relics which 

 remain, and what reliable information can be produced re- 

 garding them 1 



I. In answer to these questions I remark firstly, that the 

 situation of the Parish, its natural or topographical features, 

 are such as must have been well suited to the circumstances 

 of the Covenanters. It formed a convenient meeting place 



