The Grii'-vfriars' Convent of Dumfries. 29 



describes it as leading to our choir. The door therefore entered 

 the churcli between the uave and the choir, exactly corresponding 

 in this respect to the position of the door of Elgin Friary Church. 

 Further, there is evidence of another door at the west end of the 

 church, an inner door, not in the west gable, but adjacent to 

 " our great dormitor_\, " which it may be presumed formed a com- 

 munication between the church and the con\-entual offices. This 

 door was approached from the passage corresponding with the 

 present St. David Street by a stair known as " The Friars' Steps." 

 The site is now so much obscured by buildings that its character 

 is not readily obser^■ed, but Avhen examined it is found to consist 

 of an elevated plateau rising abruptly eight or ten feet above the 

 level of St. David Street, a circumstance which accounts for the 

 provision of the Friar_\' steps. The cloisters were more frequently 

 attached to the south side of the church, as at Elgin. Here, 

 however, they were on the north side apparently owing to the 

 requirements of the site. The great dormitor)-, as before men- 

 tioned, occupied, as usual, the west side of the cloister court or 

 garth. The kitchen and refectory are usually found on the north 

 side, and the sacristy and chapter-house on the east side, and 

 there would be other apartments. 



It is requisite for the completion of the plan to discover the 

 length and width of the church. Of these there is no direct 

 evidence, but from the frontage available the length of the build- 

 ing may be inferred approximately. The two front gardens 

 descriljed extended to twenty-eight and twenty-six ells in length 

 respectively, and allowing two ells as the width of the passage 

 between them, the total frontage between the passage now St. 

 David Street and Logan's tenements at the " Vennelheid " occu- 

 pied by Christopher Lowrie and Andre"w Mathesoun would extend 

 to fifty-six ells, or one hundred and seventy-three feet in length. 

 Tliere is reason to believe that the Dumfries Friary was .somewhat 

 more important and not likely to be of less dimensions, as it cer- 

 tainly was more ornate, than that of Elgin, and considering the 

 limits of the available space it would appear not to have been 

 materiallv longer. Elgin Church measured about one hundred 

 and eighteen feet in length over the walls, being fifty-five feet 

 sliort of our available frontage ; and taking the internal divisions 

 as corresponding with those at Elgin the west gable of the church 

 woulil stand back twentv feet from St. David Street, a distance 



