14 THE GREYFRIARS AND THE Moat Brae. 
convent was also possessed of lands in the neighbourhood of 
Dumfries.* 
The history of the monastery as such was brought to a close 
in the autumn of 1560. Friar James Cant conformed to the 
new religion, and was in receipt of a pension. The burgh 
records show that the Town Council, when it was decided to use 
the monastery as the parish church, appointed him to take 
charge under the title of “ Kirkmaster.’’ The appointment was 
annual, the salary being three merks. Cant had an additional 
merk for looking after the Tolbooth, and in 1578 the kirk session 
authorised him to make a charge of “two shillings for every 
marriage, and twelve pence for the baptism of every substantial 
man’s child and sixpence for the simple folks, the said Kirk- 
master finding a form and book to the bridegroom and bnde, 
and conveying them to the solemnization and having a basin and 
towel to the baptism.’’ 
The Town Council showed little desire, in common with 
others, t¢ taxe possession of the fnary or its church and crofts, 
or to app-y the rents and buildings for the maintenance of 
schools and hospitals and other godly purposes. Even the 
request formulated by the General Assembly in June, 1564, for 
“obtaining the gift of the Freirs’ Kirk of Kirkcudbnght to be 
holden hereafter as the Parish Kirk of Kirkcudbright ’’ passed 
unheeded.t One other glimpse of the Friary we obtain about 
this period. An English officer, or spy, making a report on the 
defences of the town and neighbourhood, says that “at the full 
sea thei (ships) may pas up and lye at all tymes under the freres 
of the town.’’ 
Five years later, on 6th December, 1569, Sir Thomas 
M‘Clellan of Bombie, the Provost of the burgh, obtained a 
charter of the site and buildings of the place and church. It 
is difficult indeed to believe that the buildings could be in the 
state described in the charter. It is more than probable that 
the astute Provost, seeing the apathy of the Council, obtained 
the charter for his own aggrandisement, and the use of the 
* Moir Bryce, II., 169. 
+ Moir Bryce, I., 254. 
