Greyfriars' Convent of Dumfries. 307 



and to leid stains to the brig for the rest of the said 5 merks 

 at the sicht of the brig-maister. " 



There is also an interesting and definite entry of date 2nd 

 December, 1534. 



" Quo die the Inquest deliuers and ordains John briss to 

 be fre of brig custom swa lang as the said John kepis scott 

 and lott vach vard siklik as wtheris fre burgesses in the burgh 

 and fallzeand that the said John brice keip not the foirsaids to 

 pave as ane vnf reman of all dewties." 



Earlier than any of these entries occurs the appointment 

 of a brigmaister. On the 3rd of October, 1520, Cuthbert 

 m'byrne is appointed to that office, and continued to hold it 

 for some years. On 21st January, 1521-2, is the entry : — 



" The quhilk daye Cuthbert m'byrne hais maid his compt 

 of the zeir that he buyr office, with David Cunygham before 

 the alderman and balleis and commonite of Drumfress of the 

 males and annuels pertenand to the burg of Drumfress and 

 the saids alderman balleis and commonite quitclamis and dis- 

 charges the said Cuthbert tharoff his ayrs and assignais and is 

 in awand to the said Cuthbert m'byrne — xix ss iiij d of siluer." 



These appointments of " brigmaister " continue through- 

 out the sixteenth century. We have now gathered sufficient 

 evidence to show that the duties of the brigmaister were to 

 oversee the repairs of the bridge and that he had control of 

 the fund for that purpose. 



The burgh, then, was in possession of a right to col- 

 lect a bridge toll long prior to its acquirement of the half 

 in 1623, and this leads us to suggest that some time about 

 the middle of the fifteenth century an arrangement was made 

 by which half of the custom was conveyed to the town by the 

 Friars, and that the former then became responsible for the 

 fabric of the bridge. 



The divided imposition may also serve to explain the 

 existence of the two ports on this route to Galloway, the 

 "brig port" and the "frier port." A faint echo of the 

 enthusiasm with which the burgesses of the town welcomed 

 their young Queen in 1563 is preserved in the record that the 

 town spent a considerable sum " upon the Brig Port and the 



