KirKCUDBRIGHT IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 137 
appointit thairto as said is: Thairfoir statutis and ordains that 
na person nor personis be bureit or eirdit [earthed?] in the 
paroche kirk of the said burgh, sumtyme callit the Freiris Kirk 
thairof; and gif ony contravenis the samen, ordains the Kirk- 
master to poynd the executors of the defunct persone bureit 
thairin or the [effects?] of the defunct in the said kirk for the 
soume of x lib (£10) money; and he to keip the samen and be 
anserabill thairfor to the toun.”’ 
HovusE BuILDING. 
Although timber was commonly employed in the construc- 
tion even of the better class of houses, building material of a 
more durable kind was also in use. We find occasional mention 
of payments to masons. One of that craft received 25 merks 
for building a house. Another was feed (in April, 1580), at 
the rate of 20s yearly, to uphold the tolbooth in slates. And a 
still earlier tolbooth had been a stone building, for on 22d 
January, 1577, the Council granted an acknowledgment to 
James Lidderdale of £110 paid to them for a piece of land and 
“for the stanis and tymer of the auld tolbuith.”’ 
THe Rev. JoHN WELsH. 
In a minute of date 2d April, 1600, we have incidental 
mention of the Rev. Mr Welsh, son-in-law of Knox, and for 
some time minister of Kirkcudbright, in the capacity of defender 
in a civil action before the magistrates. “The saidis Bailleis 
decernis Mr Johnne Welshe, minister, pnt. [present] in jugement, 
be his awin grant, to pay to Williame Fullartoun, burgess thairof, 
xx lib. money, for the Witsonnday and Mairtimas maill of his 
houss he occupyit in anno 1599 yeir, with ijs. expenses.”’ 
THe MINISTER’s STIPEND: A NOTABLE MINISTER. 
In 1602 the Council stipulated to pay to a successor of Mr 
Welsh, the Rev. Robert Glendinning, an annual stipend of a 
hundred pounds. This, no doubt, would be supplemented by 
the heritors of the landward part of the parish. At least we 
know this was the case in 1692, when the burgh’s share of the 
stipend had increased to £183. 
This same Robert Glendinning was a man who took a 
decided stand in troublous times. After he had been settled 
