140 THE GLENKENS IN THE OLDEN TIMES. 
a level holm close to the river Ken, two miles south of Dalry, and 
fully one mile from New Galloway, and there they fought a bloody 
battle. The Scots were victorious. The Danish sea-king was 
killed, and was buried where he fell. A tall stone still marks the 
spot, and stands about 100 yards from the public road. About 
seventy years ago a little thatched cottage stood beside the stone. 
I have been in the cottage when a very little boy. One of the 
lairds of Holme made excavations near the stone, where he found 
an entire antique sword, which was long preserved in his family. 
About ninety years ago pieces of rusty armour were frequently 
turned up by the plough on Dalarran holm. 
The events next in order of time are the repeated visits of 
King James IV. through Dalry on his journeys to the shrine of 
St. Ninian at Whithorn, where his confessors sent him to do 
penance for his sins. The church at Dalry was dedicated to St. 
John, and the place at that time was called St. John’s Kirk, and 
the village St. John’s town. Dalry was the name of the parish, 
and the name Dal-7igh signifies the king’s valley. But in Scottish 
history the village was named ‘St. John’s Clauchan.” 
King James, on his journeys from Edinburgh to Whithorn, 
rode on horseback along with his attendants, as the roads then 
were only bridle paths. From details of the king’s expenditure 
found in his treasurer’s accounts we find that the first mention of 
his visit to St. John’s Kirk was in 1491, when he gave 2s to the 
priest, and paid 5s for being ferried ‘ower the water” with his 
retinue. He next passed through to Whithorn in 1497, when he 
gave 8s 6d to the “ puir folk” and 5s for being ferried over the 
Ken. Again he passed in 1501, and paid 18s for Jdelchatr or 
breakfast and ds for the ferry. King James passed several times 
after these dates, but there are no more payments recorded. The 
ferry mentioned was over a pool in the Ken, still calied the 
‘ Boat weil,” where a ferry boat plied until 1800, when the bridge 
was built at Allengibbon. I have seen the boatman’s house stand- 
ing and inhabited. The materials were carted away thirty years 
since to make an addition to Waterside farm-house. The road by 
which the king rode down to the river is still a public road, and is 
called by the villagers ‘the water road.” The old kirk was 
situated low down in the churchyard, and is now converted into a 
tomb. The present church stands on a bank overlooking the 
river. The old holy water font is placed by the side of the 
