Sanquhar Burgh Cross. H^ 



and a considerable amount of snow had fallen in the morning. 

 Just as the Provost was getting well into his work of reading the 

 document the snow slid from the roof of the house behind Avhere 

 the Council were standing and for a moment or two they ceased to 

 take any interest in the proceedings, while the onlookers, who 

 were clear of the fall, joined in a roar of laughter. After the 

 ceremony proper was concluded the crowd, led by Mr W. 

 M'Gowan, joined in singing " God Save the King." 



Another ceremony which took place at the Cross during 

 Pro\-ost Waugh's term of otitice was the address which General 

 Booth, the veteran leader of the Salvation Army, delivered by its 

 side. The General was then on tour through England and Scot- 

 land, and he stopped at Sanquhar. A semi-official Avelcome was 

 extended to him by the Town Council, and a large crowd of the 

 townspeople assembled to hear him speak. In the course of his 

 address he paid a noble tribute to those men who, according to 

 their light, had endeavoured to obey God rather than men. 



Last year (1910) Provost Tweddel at the same place pro- 

 claimed King George with appropriate ceremony. 



Although I have stated above that King Edward was pro- 

 claimed at the Cross, this statement requires some qualification, 

 for sometime in the beginning of last century the ancient Cross of 

 the Burgh was remo\ed. It had been ruinous for some time, 

 and appears to have been allowed simply to fall to bits, parts of 

 it being taken by one and other of the burghers to repair their own 

 premises. 



In 1682 the Council of Sanquhar made application to the 

 Convention of Royal Burghs for a grant in aid of their burgh 

 funds in order to improve their public buildings, including the 

 Cross. Nothing appears to have been done then, and so a peti- 

 tion bearing that " the tolbooth, the cross, and the bridge is alto- 

 gether rowinous " was presented again in 1688. This time the 

 petition received more attention, and on the report of three com- 

 missioners .£10 sterling was paid to the Burgh in 1697. In 1704, 

 and again in 1727, the burgh recei\"ed sums from the Convention 

 for the repair of the " Tolbooth and other public works," which 

 latter, of course, included the Cross. 



Some time about 1810 the Cross was, as I have mentioned, 

 remo\-ed, and the meeting place of the burghers and the spot 

 where demonstrations were held was shifted to the " pump well,"' 



