218 Field Meetings. 



distress of times which were extremely hard, by buying in quan- 

 tities of oatmeal and Indian meal and selling them out at or 

 below cost price. Ruthwell was not singular among the parishes 

 of Dumfriesshire in ha\ing such a society. In the end of 

 October, 1800, Dr Duncan was commissioned to consult with the 

 Dumfries societies regarding the purchase of grain, and the 

 society entrusted him with a bank bill of £85 to be used at his 

 discretion for that purpose ; and we read of him again attending 

 " a meeting of delegates from the friendly societies in Dumfries 

 and its neighbourhood." Purchases of oatmeal were made in 

 January, 1801, at five shillings per stone for 150 stones and 

 4s 9d for a lot of 200 stones. The committee resolved to sell 

 it at a loss, in view of the prevailing distress. It was to be sup- 

 plied to any residents in the parish of Ruthwell who had not 

 meal of their own at 4s 6d per stone, and to any members of the 

 society who might be resident beyond the parish at the same 

 rate; but to no other persons. And the amount which any 

 person was allowed to purchase was regulated by the size of his 

 family ; the largest families not to have above a stone and a half 

 per week; ordinary families, one stone; and those with one or 

 two in a family, not to exceed half a stone. Indian meal was 

 also bought, and sold at the same price ; and in order to husband 

 the oatmeal it was made a regulation that anyone obtaining a 

 supply must take an equal quantity of the Indian. The quan- 

 tities allowed had not been found sufficient for sustenance, and 

 on 2nd April the committee resolved that each member should 

 receive at the rate of half a stone of meal a week for each indi- 

 vidual in his family; but with this .stipulation, that if any mem- 

 ber sold any of the meal or otherwise disposed of it out of his 

 own family he should be expelled ; and anyone who took advan- 

 tage of the society's store while he had corn or meal the produce 

 of his own land was also to be expelled. We also read of the 

 society, "in conjunction with the Dumfries societies," importing 

 American flour, which was brought by water to Kelton, and 

 taken thence to Dumfries. They resolved to sell the flour at 

 4s 6d per stone, but to charge non-members 5s. The price of 

 Indian meal was at the same time reduced to 2s 3d. A second 

 cargo had come to grief, for on 1st October Dr Duncan was 

 appointed a delegate to consult with those from other societies 

 respecting flour which they had ordered from America, and which 



