Notp:s ox Cummertreks. 91 



There is notliiu^' notewortliy eitlier as regards the ministers of 

 Cunnner trees or its church. Two of its incumbents do stand out 

 among the rest in a way — John Turing, in having deserted his 

 charge at the lievolution. and Gilbert Ramsay, in ha\ing deserted 

 his cliarge in 1700. and in being- deposed in 170'J for enlisting as 

 a private dragoon. The church is a plain cruciform building, 

 destitute of all ornamentation. In 17.5.') the Presbytery reported 

 to tiie Synod that the Church of " Cumbertrees was and had been 

 for a long- time by-gone in a ruinous state, to the great discourage- 

 ment and marring of the public worship of Uod in that parish." 

 It does not ajjpear whetlier anything followed immediately on this 

 representation. It is likely enough that the heritors were in no 

 great hurry to move, and that little or nothing was done till 1776 

 or 1777, when the church was renewed. 



There have been several finds in the parish, but scarcely any 

 of the finders would seem to have had enough of the antiquarian 

 spirit to preserve them or to put them into hands that would be 

 likely to preserve them. 



With the exception of a stone-celt found by a labourer when 

 clearing out the foundations of a house on the farm of Charlesfield 

 about 35 years ago, nothing- in the shape of prehistoric or Roman 

 remains is known to me as having been discovered in the parish. 

 It used to be in the possession of the late Mr Charles Carruthers, 

 farmer there, and is now in the possession of his son, Mr Peter 

 Carruthers of Portrack. 



A great many English and Scottish coins were turned up 

 on the farm of liurkledale in 1833. About 28 years ago I saw 

 one of the English coins, and am not able at this distance of time 

 to describe it accurately, but from the description given of both by 

 the writer of the New Statistical Account, who evidently had the 

 opportunity of examining- them and has described them minutely, 

 I take it that they were English and Scottish silver pennies of the 

 reigns of Edward I. and Alexander III. respectively. Many years 

 after coins of the same description were found on the farm of 

 Nethertield, and one also of silver and of the reign of Edward I., 

 but of the size of a florin, was picked up near Moorbeck. I am not 

 aware of anyone who is more likely to have one or more of these 

 coins than Mr Carruthers of Portrack. (Appendix C.) 



Considering the situation of the parish it was to be expected 

 that some traces would be left to speak of battles fought between 



