54 A Century's Changes. 



Kirkpatrick of Fenton £20 sterling of the poor's money, and 

 took his bill payable to the Kirk Treasurer for the same at £4 

 per cent, per annum interest." The sum in the poor's box in 

 bills and casli at this date was £34 5s lid. A notable feature 

 is the base coin that was found put into tlie collection boxes, and 

 which the Kirk-session sold from time to time when it had 

 accumulated. In 1751, e.g., they sold 7s 6d worth at Is 72d, 

 and another occa.sion, in 1747, "The one pound (evidently 

 sterling) bad money that was in the poor's box, weighing six 

 pounds and one half, was sold at 8d per pound, which comes to 

 4s 4d, was put into tlie poor's box." On another occasion there 

 is the following entry, the date 1762: — "Total bad copper 

 18s 22d. The Session appoint Mr Barclay, James Jardine, and 

 George Bell, Elders, to dispose of the Bad Copper to the best 

 advantage." 



Coming into the present century, within the memory of persons 

 still living, this official mode of assisting the poor was supple- 

 mented by voluntary effort, mostly, I understand, by the lower 

 classes of the people. It was a case of the poor corning to the 

 aid of the poor. These voluntary efforts sometimes took the 

 form of what was called a "drinking," and at other times it would 

 be a raffle. The word would go round that Annie Ferguson, t.(j., 

 an old woman who lived in a thatched cottage at the mill, was in 

 need of a " Drinking." Whereupon young men would set out 

 among the farms, and collect for her doles of meal, cheese, butter, 

 ham, and such like, which they brouglit to Newton Inn, their 

 rendezvous. They met again there after handing over tl)eir 

 spoils, and spent an hour or two in dancing and conviviality. 

 Hence the term a "drinking." This Annie Ferguson had a 

 peculiar gift of being able to lick motes out of people's eyes, and 

 chaff " pickles " out of cattle's, with her tongue, and her gift in 

 both capacities was not unfrequently made use of. 



I have been led away from the Kirk-Session by consideration 

 of the poor ; but take an illustration of the Ses.sion discharging 

 its duties as guardian of the religion and morals of the parish : — 

 "17 Sept. 1756. The which day Samuel Reid in Nr. Borlands 

 went down the water the length of Barnsdale and did shear some 

 sheaves of corn before he was told his Error by a woman in the 

 neighbourhood that came to liim, and his wife Margaret Smith 

 preparing to follow him to shear was prevented by her neigh- 



