THE GREYFRIARS AND THE Moat BRAE. aT 
great a financial burden on the town, the Council, before further 
consideration of the matter, appointed a committee to wait upon 
Mr Hamilton and Mr Lidderdale of Torrs (the latter the repre- 
sentative of the Lidderdales of St. Mary’s Isle), two of the prin- 
cipal heritors of the parish, desiring their advice as to procedure. 
The conference took place the following day, when both gentle- 
men, with the concurrence of Mr John Brown, the proprietor of 
the lands of Bank and Howwell, and the other heritors of the 
landward part of the parish, engaged that they would at their own 
expense build a sufficient “Jamm” to the church capable of 
accommodating themselves and their tenants, and to keep the 
same in repair after it was built, in all time thereafter, which 
jamm was to be in the centre of the church and the pulpit to be 
fixed opposite thereto on the other side of the church. The 
town also engaged to put the church, or at least so much as they 
should see proper, for accommodating themselves, in good and 
sufficient condition, and to keep the same so at their own proper 
charges in all time thereafter. 
On the second day of December, 1729, John Mack, mason, 
who was a native of Perthshire, and the builder of Tongland 91d 
bridge, appeared before the Council, and stated that, in zeneral, 
very little of the old fabric would stand; but the Magistrates 
wished to have a particular estimate, and this was furnisned te 
the Council a few days after. An estimate had been received 
from Mack, which, after deduction of £28 for two lofts, amounted 
to £121 5s, the whole work necessary for the kirk being included. 
The Council unanimously judged that the sum mentioned, con- 
sidering the state of the town’s revenue, and the many burdens 
it was charged with, was too great to be raised on the credit cl 
the town’s common stock, and therefore that it was proper and 
convenient to try what sum might be raised by the voluntary -ub- 
scription of themselves and the other burgesses and inhabitants. 
On 25th February, 1730, the Magistrates and Council 
ratified the contract for building the church made between .hem 
and John Mack, mason, the contract being signed on the 20th. 
The financial obligation on the part of the town was evidentlv a 
serious matter, and the Council met repeatedly to consider as 
to ways and means of raising £135, which was to be paid at 
different periods. Subscriptions, however, appeared to have 
