282 Scottish Life in the 17TH Century. 



to have been performit by thaim without His Majesty's help" 

 — a help, by the way, which had been invoked and refused — 

 and by way of reward the formerly existing right of the magis- 

 trates to levy bridge dues was renewed and confirmed. 



The caul at this time was above the bridge, instead of below 

 it; and the Town Mills were on the Dumfries side of the water. 

 The change to the Maxwelltown site was made after the destruc- 

 tion of the old mills by fire in 1780. The town, like most 

 towns of any importance at that time, was enclosed by a wall 

 for purposes of defence, except on those sides where it was 

 protected by the river. The wall started at about the 

 Moat House, was carried in a line to Sir Christopher's 

 Chapel, then made a curve towards St Michael's 

 Church; and terminated at the river a little below Swan's 

 Vennel. Part of it was built of stone to a height of 8 feet; 

 other portions consisted of an earthen bank, strengthened by 

 stake-work and protected by a deep ditch on the outer side. 

 There were three gates. One was the South, or Nether Port, 

 near St Michael's; another the North Gate, at Townhead ; the 

 third, the East Gate, near the site of St Mary's Church. 

 There was also a gate, or " port, ' ' on the bridge ; and there was 

 an inner gate, or "port," half-way up Friars' Vennel: hence 

 the name " Port of the Vennel." 



Having said so much of the town, let us turn to the inhabi- 

 tants and see how they fared, using the word in its literal 

 sense. Some of the dishes which we have come to regard 

 as necessaries of life were absent from their tables. Potatoes 

 were not yet cultivated in this country, and tea was only begin- 

 ning to be known as an expensi\e luxury of the rich, the price 

 being as high as 30s a pound, and money being verj' scarce. 

 Butcher meat was little known at the tables of the common 

 people. Even a Protestant Parliament, which must have been 

 indoctrinated with vegetarian \-iews, passed a law forbidding 

 the eating of flesh either on Fridays or Wednesdays, because of 

 the great scaith said to be occasioned to the realm by its too 

 great consumption; and this prohibition was repeated, I know, 

 in the Acts of the Town Council of Kirkcudbright, and I sup- 

 pose in those of other burghs. But whether the danger appre- 

 hended was to the health of the king's subjects or to the wealth 

 of his realm, this sumptuary law could not be required to 

 restrain the over-indulgence of the peasant or tradesmen classes. 

 A well-informed writer on the condition of Galloway about this 

 period (the Rev. Mr Mackenzie, author of the " History of 

 Galloway") says (Hist. Gal. ii., 335-6): — "The food of the 

 common people consisted of the meanest and coarsest materials, 

 besides being dirty and ill-cooked. Those lived comfortablv 

 who could obtain a sufficient supply of brose, porridge, and 

 sowens, perhaps made of meagre grain, dried in pots, and ground 



