I.J8 



KINCARDINE SHI RE. 



Kincardine- denominated The Mcarns, and is considered as deriving 

 shire. t |jis designation from the ancient inhabitants, the Verni. 

 '"Y"^*' cones of 1'tulemy. In theGaeliclanguage.it is still called 

 Mhearn, pronounced Vearn. It is divided into 18 entire 

 parishes, and contains also part of Nether Banchory, 

 Drumoak, and Edzel. Thirteen of these parishes, com- 

 posing the whole of the districts to the south of the 

 Grampians, form the presbytery of Fordoun, which is 

 comprehended in the synod of Angus and Mearns. On 

 the north of the Grampians, the two western parishes 

 are attached to the presbytery of Kincardine O'Neil, 

 and the more easterly to that of Aberdeen. In what 

 regards the administration of justice, the whole county 

 is considered as cne district, of which the county town 

 is Stonehaven ; and is classed in one justiciary circuit 

 with Aberdeen and Banffshire. But, in maritime mat- 

 ters, it is divided into two districts, one of which, north 

 from Stonehaven, and inclusive of that town, is connect- 

 ed with the seaport of Aberdeen,' and the other to the 

 south with that of Montrose. 



Antiquities. The principal antiquities observable in this county 

 are, a small artificial island, founded on oak piles, in 

 the loch of Leys, on which are the ruins of an ancient 

 edifice ; tumuli raised over the slain in the battle of 

 Corrichie, near the estate of Glassil ; Fenella's castle, 

 about a mile and a half west from Fettercairn ; Green, 

 or Queen, castle, on the end of the hill of Strathfenella ; 

 Kame of Mathers, about six miles north from Montrose ; 

 Whistleberry castle, about two miles north from Ber- 

 vie ; and Dunnotar castle, about a mile south from 

 Stonehaven, all placed on the summits of lofty insula- 

 ted rocks on the sea shore ; a Roman camp remarkably 

 entire, near the mansion house of Fordoun, and similar 

 vestiges near Stonehaven and Ury, supposed to have 

 been the encampments of Agricola and Galgacus. 

 Property. The state of property is similar to that of Forfarshire, 

 to the account of which we refer our readers. 



The valued rent of the county is . 6,243 

 The real rent in 1813 was nearly . 84,900 

 The number of freeholders is about 75. There is only 

 one royal burgh in the county, namely, Bervie, which 

 unites with Montrose, Brechin, Arbroath, and Aber- 

 deen, in sending a representative to parliament; but 

 Stonehaven, a burgh of regality, and Laurencekirk, a 

 burgh of barony, are more populous and flourishing 

 towns; and there are also many thriving villages in 

 the county, particularly Fettercairn, Auchinblae, Drum- 

 lithie, and Johnshaven. 

 Population. The population of Kincardineshire contained, 



In 1801, males 12,102 In 1811, males 12,722 



Females . 14,245 Females . 14,85!) 



~26,"347~ 27,581 



Of these, about one half are engaged in agriculture, 

 and the other half in manufactures, fisheries, &c. 



The size, rent, and management of farms, the style 

 of the houses, and the articles of produce, bear so great 

 a resemblance to what has been stated under these 

 heads in the description of Forfarshire, that we must 

 again refer our readers to that article ; but the follow- 

 ing table, from Mr. Robertson's survey of the county 

 in 1807, will afford a concise view of the state of culti- 

 vation and crops at that period : 



English Acres. 

 1,847 Potatoes . 1,160 



Agricul- 

 ture. 



Wheat 

 Bear 

 Oats 

 Pease 



Turnips 



Cultivated . 74,949 



Wood . . . 17,6n!> 



Improveable by tillage * . 27,816 



Hills, &c. unfit for tillage . 1234JO 



Total . . . 843,444, 



There is an equal similarity between the kinds of live 

 stock reared in these two counties ; and, in the same 

 work, and at the same period, it is computed that Kin- 

 cardineshire supported 



Cattle, comprising cows, oxen, calves, &c. 24,825 

 Horses of all descriptions . . 3,487 



Sheep fed on the Grampians . . 21,50.5 

 Sheep fed on the lower grounds . 3,392 



Swine 



Kincardine- 

 shire. 



If 



King's 

 Bench. 



9,806 

 22,784 

 1,742 



Flax 



Gardens 

 Sown grass 

 Fallow 



236 



472 



28,641 



2,619 



The manufactures of Kincardineshire are extremely Mamtfcc- 

 limited ; and it is chiefly in the towns upon the coast turc?< 

 that any articles are produced beyond what the wants 

 of the vicinity require. In Stonehaven, Bervie, and 

 Johnshaven, about one half of the population is suppo. 

 sed to be occupied in the manufacture of osnaburgs, 

 sacking, canvas, and coarse linens; and there are a 

 few spinning mills and bleachfields on a small scale. 

 At Laurencekirk is an elegant manufacture of beauti- 

 fully varnished snuff-boxes ; but the art i* carefully 

 kept concealed, and the few hands employed in it are 

 not able to supply the demand for these articles. 



The fisheries are by no means so numerous as might Fisheries. 

 be expected in so extensive a line of coast, and have of 

 late years considerably declined. The sea, or white 

 fishery, is estimated to produce only about j6000 

 yearly, and to employ about 300 hands, whose families 

 included would make about 900 of a fishing popula- 

 tion. The salmon fisheries, the most valuable of which 

 are on the North Esk, let at nearly 3000, and give 

 occasional employment to above 130 hands. 



The principal exports by sea are grain, about 50 Trade, 

 tons of salmon sent annually to London, and a few 

 tons of dried fish to Leith. The chief imports are 

 coal, lime, foreign timber, flax. The shipping belong- 

 ing to the different ports and creeks amounts only to 

 about 800 tons burden, employing about 50 seamen ; 

 but a very great proportion of the traffic of the county is 

 conveyed through the ports of Aberdeen and Montrose. 



The roads of Kincardineshire in all directions are, Roads, 

 generally speaking, commodiously planned and pre- 

 served in good repair. There are several bridges over 

 the North Esk, one of which is mentioned in the ac- 

 count of Forfarshire ; but a very fine one, lately built 

 by subscription near Marykirk, is particularly worthy 

 of notice. 



A canal has frequently been proposed to be carried 

 through the How of the Mearns, and the Vale of Strath- 

 more, to join the Tay about four miles above Perth ; 

 and as the middle space, for about 50 miles, is almost 

 an entire level, a few locks at the extremities only 

 would be required. See Robertson's Agricultural Sur- 

 vey of Kincardine* hire ; Description of t lie Strata which 

 occur in the Eastern District of the Grampians, by Lieu- 

 tenant Colonel Imrie ; Trans. Royal Soc. Edinburgh ; 

 and Statistical Account of Scotland, (q) 

 KING. See GOVERNMENT and LAW. 

 KING'S BENCH, Court, of, (Bancus regius,) is the 

 supreme court of common law in England. It is call, 

 ed the King's Bench, because the king used to sit there 

 in person, and is still supposed to do so. This court 

 consists of a chief justice, and three puisne justices; 

 who are, by their office, the sovereign conservators of 

 the peace, and supreme coroners of the land. 



The Court of King's Bench is the remnant of the 



