Sanquhar Burgh Cross. 241 



29th llateJi, 1911. 



Chairman — Mr G. Macleod Stewart. 



Sanquhar Burgh Cross. By Rev. W. M'Millan, A.C.P. 



The precise date at wliich tlie Cross of the ancient Burgh of 

 Sanquhar was erected is lost in the dim ages of history. In all 

 probability it would be erected when our town first became -a 

 Burgh of Barony, and tradition tells us that this took place when 

 William the Lion was King over Scotland. The tradition, too, 

 has a certain amount of support in history. The first charter of 

 which the provisions are certainly known was that granted by 

 King James III. in 1484. In this charter mention is made of 

 our town as being anciently a " free Burgh of Barony " (Ex anti- 

 quis temporibiis reiroactis fuit liber Burgus in Baronia), and it is 

 further stated that the earlier charters had been lost in the tumults 

 of those stirring times (Cariae ejusdem per guerras et alias 

 desiructae sunt et combustae). This charter, then, of date 1484 is 

 sufficient to show that in that year Sanquhar was considered as an 

 ancient Burgh, and that previous to that date at least two charters 

 had been granted to her citizens. In addition, the fact that King 

 William was related to the Rosses of Ryehill (his natural 

 daughter, Isabel, having married Sir Robert Ross) makes it quite 

 probable that he should have given a charter to the town of San- 

 quhar. Be that as it may, however, the charter of 1484 above 

 referred to gave the Burghers the right to hold a market and to 

 have a Cross, the words of the charter being: — Rex fecit et de 

 novo infeodavit prefaiam villam de Sanquhar liberum bur gum in 

 baronia cum omnibus liberiatibus et privilegiis et concessit ut habe- 

 rent critcem et forum perpeiualiter die sabbate singulis ebdomatis. 

 The King makes and anew infefts the aforesaid Burgh of San- 

 quhar a free burgh of barony with all liberties and privileges and 

 grants that they may have a cross and a market every week on the 

 Sabbath day (Saturday). It is, of course, quite probable that 

 this charter gave to our forefathers rights which they already pos- 

 sessed, but of which the charter evidence had been lost. At any 

 rate the Market Cross must have been erected in Sanquhar by the 

 15th century at the latest. It stood at the Corseknowe (hence 

 the name). This knoll was the highest portion of the Burgh so 



