GLEANINGS OF OLD DUMFRIES. 39 
granted to Hugh Makgilhanche, burgess of Dumfress, to his heirs, 
and assigns the tenement in the burgh of Dumfresse which was 
formerly John Smerles’s, & has come into the king’s hand by 
reason of escheat, lying on the west side of the great street of the 
same between the land of the Provost of Linclouden on the one 
side and the land of Thomas Gibson on the other side. The farm of 
and the land of Thomas Gibson on the other side. The farm of 
the burgh & other services owed & accustomed to be paid to the 
king ; and to the heirs & assigns formerly of D. Duncan de’ Kyl- 
patrick of Thorthorwald, knight, 5 shillings & 4 pence yearly. 
Ist December, 1906. 
Chairman—The PRESIDENT. 
New Memper.—Mr A. Weatherstone, Bank of Scotland, 
Dumfries. 
Oxp Pusiic LIBRARIES IN DumFRIES. By G. W. SHIRLEY. 
1717.—That is the first date I can find on which mention of a 
library in Dumfries is made. It occurs in Dr Burnside’s MSS. 
“History of Dumfries ’’ among his extracts from the Presbytery 
records. The portion relating to the Presbytery library is as fol- 
lows :—“ 4th September, 1717—The first regulations anent the 
library. 11th March, 1730—The library purged. 2nd February, 
1731—Ten pounds received for the books sold. 4th March, 
1729—A house for the library to be built. The town to pay £60 
and the Presbytery £30 upon their obtaining a legal transmission 
of the piece of ground, and of such a share of the house as is con- 
descended upon. For this sum the ministers gave their bill, Ist 
April, 1730.” 
I have here an old MSS. catalogue, unfortunately incomplete 
and without date, of the books belonging to the Presbytery of 
Dumfries. It is possibly the original MS. of the catalogue printed 
in 1784 by Robert Jackson, Dumfries, which is preserved among 
the books of the Antiquarian Society. This catalogue runs to 50 
pages. It is well printed, and shows the press and shelf of each 
book. The majority of the books are theological and ecclesiasti- 
