304 Greyfriars' Convent of Dumfries. 



Lands. Since then I have completed an extract of all the 

 entries in the records regarding^ the Friary and the Friars, and 

 have also found a number of separate documents bearing- on 

 the same subject. On these the following- paper is based. 

 All who work on the Greyfriars of Scotland must be indebted 

 to the researches of Mr W. Moir Bryce, and I have used his 

 book, The Scottish Grey Friars, freely for my present purpose. 



There is nothing in the new matter before us to disturb 

 the general conclusions arrived at by Mr Barbour, though 

 some doubt as to the exact position of the Friary east and 

 west must always exist from the removal of the two boun- 

 daries by the construction of Castle Street and St. David 

 Street, but at the most the dubiety is limited to a few yards. 

 There are a few minor points of interest on which we are able 

 to throw some fresh light, and before passing to my subject 

 I may deal with these. 



It has never been understood why the Friars at the time 

 of the Reformation had rights to half of the bridge custom 

 only, for there is no such limitation in the confirmation 

 charters granted by the Douglases in 1425-6 and 1452-3. 



Following Mr Bryce, we may assume that the Earls of 

 Douglas, as owners of the bridge, provided for its upkeep 

 prior to their fall in 1458, though it is clear from the Papal 

 Relaxation of 143 1-2, ^"^ which marks what was probably the 

 commencement of the building of the stone bridge, that the 

 total cost was not borne by the Douglases. That some chang-e 

 took place about the time that family fell seems clear, for 

 James II., when visiting Dumfries in 1455, appointed a master 

 of works — " magister fabricae pontis de Nith " — the Vicar 

 of Kirkbean, Master John Oliver, 2 at a salary of ^6 13s 4d, 

 " to be known as the alms of the King to continue during his 

 pleasure." Payments to him of jQ^) 6s 8d, £11 5s lod, and 

 ;^6 13s 4d were made for bridge repairs until the year 1465 

 as alms in memory of the late King. " Thereafter," says 

 Mr Bryce, " the Exchequer appears to have discontinued the 

 grant ; and it was this question of upkeep that indirectly com- 

 pelled the Chapter to lease or feu the right of toll." 



At what time the Friars leased the bridge custom is not 

 known, for it is not until loth July, 1557, that the lease of half 



