78 CuurcH or St. JoHN THE Baptist, DALrRy. 
the king’s expenses at Wigtown, “‘ tempore itineris sul apud Sanctum 
Ninianum.” Apart from this casual notice in the Exchequer Rolls, 
although his preliminary outlays for the journey are given up to 
the same date, and as minutely as the Queen’s, in curious contrast 
to those of his consort just given, the object of the journey is not 
once indicated. To the Queen herself, and those accompanying 
her, the interest of the journey must have been largely enhanced 
by the fact, that in terms of the arrangement made with her father, 
King Christiern, she was to enjoy a revenue equal to one- 
third of the Crown lands of Scotland, there was assigned to her 
the entire Lordship of Galloway, with the customs and burghal 
fermes, or rents of Kirkcudbright and Wigton, together with 
Threave Castle. Well might the Scottish people rejoice over 
the alliance, for the first time in their history were the outlying 
islands, north and west, embraced within the sway of a united 
monarchy. 
No further record has been preserved till the fatal year 1488. 
Margaret of Denmark and her murdered husband now lie in 
their last resting-places at Cambus-Kenneth, and the five-month 
old infant, now a lad of fifteen, thrust into the throne over the 
body of his slaughtered parent, on the fourth of August sends 
eighteen shillings “ with Schir John of Touris to offir for the King 
in Quhitherve,” the first of a long series of penitential observances. 
In November, 1491, King James IV. paid his first visit to 
“ Quhitherne,” going and returning by the west coast. Although 
no references to it occur in the Lord High Treasurer’s Accounts, in 
the autumn of 1493, James IV. must have traversed the route by 
St. John’s Kirk and Clachan. We learn this from the Register of 
the Great Seal, he having, on the 29th of August, granted a 
charter at Durisdeer to William Douglas, son to the Harl of 
Angus, and on the 2nd of September, ‘‘apud Quhithirn,” he con- 
firms Alexander Makke, and Katharine, his spouse, in the lands of 
Balgarno. One entry in the accounts for July, 1496, gives us a 
glimpse of another visit. ‘‘ Item, that samyn day, the King raid 
fra Edinburgh to Quhithyrne, and given to himself in his purs, 
xxlt vel.” 
In the succeeding year, by far the most minutely detailed 
account is given, embracing, one woull imagine, almost every 
outlay. The royal visit was paid in the early part of September, 
1497, and was one of thanksgiving for the cessation of hostillties, 
