IRONGRAY IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 61 
An “ UGLIE’’ PERSON. 
The other case of 1715 is that of the Currows (Curries). 
James Currow called John a thief, a dog, and a liar, a remover 
of landmarks, and worse, and John’s wife he described as a thief 
and a witch. John complained to the session, but not getting 
the satisfaction he hoped paid back James in his own coin—for 
he called James a murderer, on the ground that he took away 
his good name, and James’s wife, “a gipsie and uglie person.’’ 
The session records do not tell us how this case ended, but it is 
hard that Mrs Currie should go down to posterity “as a gipsie 
and uglie person.”’ 
Though the records from July, 1743, to June 25, 1756, are 
much better kept than those preceding they are rather uninterest- 
ing. There are few cases which can be quoted; most deal with 
the filthy vices of a rural parish. ‘There are no witchcrafts, no 
Sabbath breakings, only one case of slander, and that a mild 
one, two cases of drunkenness, both in Shawhead in the year 
1743. 
Money MATTERS. 
The session’s attention is mainly devoted to money’ matters 
during these years, and at the meeting held on 25th June, 1756, 
after Mr Guthrie’s death, a very full statement of the church 
affairs is given. ‘The session had no less than eight bonds on 
money lent to farmers and merchants. This was the only way 
they had of investing the poor’s funds. Sometimes the invest- 
ments were risky. A bond of Thomas M‘George of Auchenreoch 
and John Kirk in Auchengate caused the session much anxiety. 
The interest was unpaid in 1748, and 1755 they had to put the 
matter into the hands of Mr Malcolm, writer in Dumfries, who 
sent to Edinburgh for a “ charge of horning against the foresaid 
Auchenreoch,”’ and at Mr Guthrie’s death the session “ charged 
Arch. Malcolm, writer in Dumfries, to diligence thereon to 
obtain payment lest the said money be lost.”’ 
BENEFACTIONS. 
I have only been able to trace the source of two benefactions 
to the poor. Among Mr Guthrie’s paper was a copy of the will 
of William Welsh, surgeon and apothecary in Chelsea, in the 
county of Middlesex, who left £20 to his brother, Robert Welsh, 
b 
