TRANSACTIONS, 261 
The following accounts not being now extant in the Town 
Council books may be of value : 
The Provost who most improved it was C——ston, who hath left an 
Account of his management from Michaelmas, 1702, to Michaelmas, 1708, 
which is as follows :— 
Accompt of Debts paid by Colistoun Jor the Town of Drumfries from 
Michaelmas, 1702, to Michaelmas, 1704. 
Mks. 
To Arbigland of prinl. and @ rent which was owing to his 
Father, p. Bond ... et ys i oe 7 .. 3700 0 0 
To J. Irvine, Lady Terraughty, of prinl. and @ rent conform 
to Bond ... oak an at a Se ae . 3300 0 0 
To B. Ewart £1900 prinl. and £18 str. of @ rent owing by 
Bond eae ee Dy as ase See oes .. 3174 0 0 
To Mrs Reid, relict of B. Reid of bygone, @ rents £36 str. ... 0650 0 0 
Mrs R.’s prinl., 2600 merks. 
To Janet Real, daughter of J. R. C., of prinl. and @ rents p. 
Bond a a ee RA te at ba .. 3080 0 0 
To 41 Firelocks, @ £9 p. peice... ae one vie .. 0554 0 0 
To Lochaber Axes, Partisans (or Halberts), and Drums 2) OLS0" 0870 
To a part of the Expense of Bridging Lochermoss ee .. 0400 0 0 
To Sr. David Cunningham in full of several years’ salaries 
accepted by him and discharged are xe ee ... 0200 0 0 
To Mr Wm. Veitch 50 merk of bygone @ rent of the prinl. 
sum of £20 str., which I would have paid him, but he could 
not uplift it without the Presbyrs. consent ... ‘ .. 0050 0 0 
To Dean Johnston the balance of his Treasurer accompts ... 0600 0 0 
To 2 years’ rent of Mr Robt. Patoun’s house, at £12 str., P. .. 0216 0 0 
And this beside the Ordinary Salaries and spendings on the 
Town’s affairs, which in one of these years was only about 
£10 sterling. 
1. Nota.—I assert that the Town’s revenue the said two years 
at my first entry was only £3000. 
2. At Michaelmas, 1704, when Provost Rome succeeded me in 
the office of Provost, the Town’s debt was only about 3000 
merks due to B. Ried’s children and Mr Vietch as above, 
and the oldest debt of £600 sterling by Dr Johnston’s 
mortification, which the Town borrowed in 1649, for com- 
pleating their outreik at the Duke’s Levie, for which the 
Town gave security on the Milnhole Miln (which, as it is 
known, Provost Crosbie and others have ruined) and which 
2 _the Church Members should look into. 
_ 3. I procured a Compliment from the Royal Burrows of £200 
Scots to the poor people burnt out by the fire in the Friars’ 
‘Vennel in May, 1702, and which I brought home and dis 
tributed amongst them according to their several circum- 
stances and necessities. 
