Oxtp Friars’ CaRse. 5 
Messrs James Barbour, James Davidson, James U. R. Macdonald, 
robert Murray, John Neilson, George H. Robb, James M. Ross, 
James 8. Thomson, and James Watt. 
The Secretary then read a very instructive paper by Dr R. 
II. Taylor of Liverpool, entitled “ Travelling in the Air.” 
SE 
Sia 
Oup FRIARS’ CARSE. 
The following is the paper read by Mr Andson, describing 
“Old Friars’ Carse” :—As far as I can gather, Friars’ Carse was 
originally the property of Melrose Abbey, and seems to have been 
the site of a monk’s cell—whence, in all probability, the name. At 
a later period it belonged to a branch of the Kirkpatricks of Close- 
burn, from whom it passed to the Maxwells of Tinwald. Then it 
came into the hands of the Riddells of Glenriddle, who were the 
possessors in the time of Grose, the antiquarian, and Robert Burns. 
The pen-and-ink sketch of the old house, which I now produce, is 
dated 1773, and is identical with that figured in Grose’s “ Anti- 
quities of Scotland.” It is known that Grose visited Scotland on 
his antiquarian tour in 1789, and that in the course of it he paida 
visit to Friars’ Carse, where he was the guest of Captain Riddell, 
and it must have been at that time that he met with the poet, 
who had entered on the farm of Ellsland in the previous year. 
