Grevfriars' Convent of Dumfries. 309 



Scott s at Freir port," a " foir part " of which Maxwell, who 

 was a brother of George Maxwell, Provost of Dumfries,^'* had 

 sold to John Kirkpatrick, The latter stated that Scott's pro- 

 perty extended " hot to the Frier Vale and not without the 

 sainin"'^; to a "little stone houss at the end of the frier 

 greiss "2; to " ane foirland and tenement in newton betuix 

 petir amulgans on the vest and the entre to the yard at the 

 bak therof on the est "9; to " ane yard in newton betuix the 

 lands of vmqle petir amilgane on the vest part and zard and 

 land in the hands of Jon carrutheris on the est part "1°; and to 

 various other properties which are less definitely described, 

 but were seemingly also in Friars' Vennel.^^ 



That the approach to the bridge should not be in a 

 straight line with the structure is entirely in accordance with 

 mediaeval usage. The approaches and even the bridges them- 

 selves were intentionally constructed with sharp curves for 

 purposes of defence. ^^ 



I turn now to the obscure question of the sites and extent 

 of the possessions of the Friars on the west side of the Nith 

 in Troqueer parish. Mr Bryce says that " after the Reforma- 

 tion no further trace of these lands can be discovered," but 

 himself supplies a record of loth March, 1652, of " five roods 

 of land lying at the Corbellie Hill within the Parish of Tro- 

 queer of auld perteining to the Freir Minors of Dumfries." 

 While it may be " impossible to ascertain the total extent of 

 these disjoined lands," yet the interesting fact emerges that 

 the lands of the Friars in Troqueer were of greater extent 

 than those they held in Dumfries. Fourteen acres would be 

 a moderate estimate of their extent. They did not, however, 

 all lie together as the Dumfries lands lay, and are thus much 

 more difficult to define. 



The earliest mention of them is that given by Mr Bryce, 

 who shews that in 15 13 the Friars were in litigation with 

 William Maxwell of Cruvestanes [Curriestanes], who for nine 

 years had withheld payment of thirteen shillings " perteining 

 to the f liars be reason of aid gift of almons." In 1542 we 

 find the Wardane, Herbert Stewart, giving a tack of " vii 

 ruddis of the landis of Corbre hill " to Richard Maxwell, 

 burgess of Dumfries, for six firlots of meal measure of Nith 



