256 Site of the Monastery of Dumfries. 



following this up it proved to be a drain or culvert leading from 

 the old well, also marked red on plan, to where it entered the 

 property of Mr Haining, where at one time stood the Grej" 

 Horse Inn, where the convent kitchen fireplace used to be shown 

 in our memory. This duct had clear water running in it when 

 we opened it up. 



On cutting a tunnel between two cellars we came on a heavy 

 piece of masonry, also marked on plan, being an old wall of 

 4^ feet broad and only supporting a 9 inch wall. 



Owing to the fact that there were no inscriptions found, it 

 is impossible to state whose the skeletons were, but, as is 

 shown by historical references, the two found to the south 

 of the altar were probably the Red Comyn and his uncle. 



The best of the stones disco\-ered were the font, which had 

 been broken into three, and used in the building now removed. 

 It measured when set up 21 inches across the lip and 13 inches 

 in diameter; inside the lip this stone was i8j inches deep. 



We also found a small procjeneum, 6 inches by 4^ inches 

 inside measure ; also a mullion of a window, showing good work- 

 manship; and several rebates for windows or doors. There 

 had been a small pilaster at one of the angles, with a diameter 

 of 2J inches. In one case this pilaster entered a right angle, 

 showing the lentil of a door or window. 



All hewn stones had mason's marks on them, as is the 

 custom in ancient church remains. 



Behind the back wall of the church were numerous skele- 

 tons. These were found when the street was paved nearly as 

 far as the Burns Statue, where a wall runs from near to Messrs 

 Low & Johnstone's shop, so that the graveyard had extended thus 

 far east of the church, and after passing this wall no human 

 remains were found towards St Andrew Street. 



After quotations from John of Fordun and other ancient 

 writers, supporting the conclusions at which he had arrived, 

 Mr Lennox proceeded : — 



The record of John of Fordun that the friars laid Comyn 

 behind the altar is borne out by the discovery that the altar 

 was nine feet from the back wall of the church. The only 

 definite facts we have established by these excavations are 

 these : — We have fixed the site of the altar and the breadth of 

 the choir. 



