124 DervorGILLA BALIOL AND OLD BRIDGE OF DUMFRIES. 
Mr W. A. MacKinnell, in seconding, said this was an age 
in which some of the most cherished traditions were swept away, 
but he thought that after hearing the paper from Mr Barbour 
there could be very little doubt remaining that the association 
of Devorgilla with the building of the Old Bridge had been con- 
clusively proved. They were also glad to hear that the bridge 
was likely to be a structure for a considerable time to come. He 
thought its artistic value could not well be over-estimated, and 
it would be difficult to imagine what Dumfries and the river 
would be without it. 
In reply to some questions by the Chairman, Mr Barbour 
said whether there was a toll-house at the end of the bridge or 
not he could not tell. The central pier, however, was carried 5 
up, and in those days it was at this part where chapels were 
erected. At the present time there was only one bridge chapel 
in existence, but he did not recollect at the moment where 
that was. It was quite possible there might have been a chapel 
at the centre, and if there was a gate, it would be at the end, 
the same as in the case of London Bridge. Comparing the Old 
Bridge with Ayr Bridge, Mr Barbour pointed out that, while the 
latter had four arches, the former had originally nine. At a 
meeting of committee held earlier in the evening they had been 
discussing the excursion to Dundrennan, and one of the reasons 
for going there was to see a fine old bridge, which had scarcely 
been noticed. It had been widened, but he believed that one- 
half of it was co-eval with the abbey and the other half was 
modern. 
Mr S. Arnott said he wished to express his own personal 
obligation to Mr Barbour for his most interesting and valuable 
paper. He was sure that all Dumfriesians regarded the Old 
Bridge with very special reverence. It was part of their lives, 
and they felt a special liking for the Old Bridge, with its pic- 
turesqueness and beauty. When they compared it with the Ayr 
Bridge, he thought they would feel specially proud of the archi- 
tecture and the construction of the Old Bridge of Dumfries. 
On this occasion they owed Mr Barbour a special vote of thanks, 
because he was in a sense a guardian of this bridge. On a 
former occasion that society intervened with very satisfactory and 
happy results, in order that the character of the Old Bridge 
might not be destroyed. He believed that at that time Mr 
