Field Meetings. 217' 



The building itself, which is now rented by the United Free 

 Church for religious services, has an interesting history. It is 

 known as the Society's Hall, and takes its name from a parochial 

 predecessor of the great national friendly societies of the day. 

 The Ruthwell Friendly Society was in existence before Dr 

 Duncan's settlement in the parish. Mr Angus was able to 

 exhibit to the visitors on Saturday an old minute book, which 

 goes back to the 2nd of June, 1796. It was on the 19th of 

 September, 1799, that Dr Duncan was ordained. He was bal- 

 loted for and elected a member of the society on 2nd January 

 following, and on the 1st of July he was elected to the office of 

 preses, which he held continuously thereafter. The objects of 

 the society were to provide a modest insurance against the loss 

 of wage by illness. Each member was required to pay an entry 

 fee, which was first fixed at 3s 6d, but raised after a year's 

 experience to five shillings ; and to pay thereafter a sum of 2s 5d 

 per quarter. Of this quarterly fee Is 6d went to provide the 

 fund for sick pay, and was called " box money ; ' ' ninepence was 

 assigned to a widows' fund ; and twopence was set apart for the 

 expenses of the meetings. The sick benefit did not begin until 

 a member had been enrolled for three years. Thereafter, if he 

 should be rendered unable by sickness or injury to follow his 

 lawful employment, and provided the illness was of longer dura- 

 tion than a week, he was entitled to receive three shillings a week. 

 If his inacapacit} should continue more than a year his sub- 

 sistence money was then to be reduced to eighteenpence per 

 week. The rules also provided that if at any time the funds of 

 the society exceeded £100, the weekly allowance was to be 

 raised to five shillings and the reduced allowance to two shillings. 

 The payments were to be made by stewards. The society 

 depended more upon the personal knowledge ot the members 

 than upon medical certificates in judging of claims made upon 

 the fund; but in any case of doubt as to the genuineness of the 

 incapacity the stewards were empowered to consult a surgeon. 

 The rules further interposed a barrier against any selfish desire 

 to dissolve the society and divide the funds, by providing that 

 in the event of dissolution the funds were not to be appropriated 

 i)y the members, but to be divided among the widows and chil- 

 dren of deceased members. In addition to the function for 

 which it more properly existed, the society helped to relieve the 



