Exhibits. 15 



therein. There is, first, his (Mr Murray's) ancestor, Jolin 

 Murray of Morewhat, who is infeft in the 40s lands of Eclneni- 

 land. Then there is tlie name of the first known bailie of 

 Annan, Andrew Wilkin. The names of the witnesses — six in 

 number — are of great interest as showing that the names of 

 worthy burghers three centuries ago are the same familiar 

 names of later times. They are John Carruthers of Holmend, 

 Archibald Carruthers, William Irving, Herbert Irving, Edward 

 Irving, and Nicholas Richardson. Very interesting is it that 

 the name Edward Irving is three centuries later made famous by 

 being borne by one of Annan's most famous sons. Then there is 

 the name of the writer of the sasine, Thomas Coianelsonne 

 (another form of M'Connell), a Notai-y Public and a priest of the 

 Diocese of Glasgow. Before the Reformation all notaries were 

 priests or monks, and were appointed to the office of " Notar " 

 by ecclesiastical authority. Before the Reformation also the 

 year of the Pontificate of tlie reigning Pope was inserted, in 

 place of the year of the reign of the Sovereign of the Realm, as 

 was afterwards enacted. Accordingly this sasine was executed 

 in the ninth year of the Pontificate of Clement VII., " by the 

 divine providence Pope." 



The following are a Transcript and Translation of the 

 Sasine referred to, kindly done by Mr George Neilson, who is 

 widely recognised as an expert in the translation of ancient 

 MSS. :— 



/. Transcript. 



The Land of In dei nomine amen per hoc presens publicum 

 Moriquht instrumentum cunctis pateat evidenter et sit 

 Sesing of notum quod anno incarnacionis Domini mill- 



xl. s. Land, esimo quingentesimo xxxij'^°- raensis vero Julij 

 die xvj^'o- indictione quinta pontificatusque sanc- 

 tissimi in Christo patris et domini nostri Domini Clementis 

 divina providencia pape septimi anno nono In mei notarij publici 

 et testium subscriptorum presentia personaliter constitutut 

 Andrea Wilkin balliviis pro tempore burgi de Annand accessis 

 ad quadraginta solidatas terrarum Johannis Murray de Morethuat 

 vocatas Ednemlandis jacentes infra territorium dicti burgi et 

 ibidem ipse ballivus virtute sui officij ballivatus statum 

 hereditarium* possessionem corporalem et sasinam omnium et 



* The MS. has " hereditariam, " which is contrary to the usual construction. 



