Transactions. 43 



in the year 1744, while the Old Church was yet standing, to 

 enquire into the condition of the fabric. These reports furnish 

 important and reliable information, from which, when supplemented 

 from other sources and considered in connection with the founda- 

 tions and other remains brought to light, may be obtained a fairly 

 complete idea of the design of the Old Church. 



The church had long been in a state of dilapidation, and from 

 time to time comjdaints were made, followed by ineffectual 

 attemjJts to put the building in order, but it was evidently worn 

 out and ruinous. At last several families removed from it and 

 declined to worship there owing to its unsafe state. In these cir- 

 cumstances the Presbytery was called in, and on the 22nd March, 

 1744, that reverend court held a visitation at the church, when a 

 remit was made to tradesmen in the following terms : " To inspect 

 the state of the church as to the walls, ruof and windows, accord- 

 ing to their respective crafts, and bring in against the afternoon a 

 just report of the state and condition of the church as to these par- 

 ticulars, and what articles and pieces of reparation would be 

 needful for putting the same in good and sufficient condition, as 

 also to make up an estimate of the expense at which the needful 

 reparation might be wrought and completed." It will be observed 

 that the terms of the remit would exclude the reporters suggesting 

 that a new church ought to be built, and accordingly, altliough 

 reparation of the old one would practically mean renewal, they 

 proceed in these reports to describe in detail one portion of it after 

 another as insufficient and to be re-built, until nearly every several 

 feature of the old church receives mention, rendering the reports 

 much more valuable for our jjurpose than they would otherwise 

 have been. 



From these sources I proceed with the description of the Old 

 Church as it stood in the year 1744, immediately before its 

 demolition, in order to make room for the existing one. It com- 

 prised three divisions, frequently referred to in the reports on 

 which we are drawing, tiie central one being described as " the 

 body of the kirk," and the other two as " the two side aisles." 

 " Middie walls " are mentioned as separating the aisles from the 

 body of the kirk, and supporting the roof. These rested on 

 arcades of three bays, each with a fourth bay on each side, not 

 arched over. The pillars were six in nundjer, with four half ones 

 at the wall, giving four bays to each arcade, but only six arches 

 are mentioned, not eight, as the number of spaces would require. 



