THE GREYFRIARS AND THE Moat BRAE. ‘21 
If further confirmation were needed, it was supplied in the re- 
mains which were extensively found at various times. 
The Committee on 26th January, 1734, agreed to set to the 
petitioners for one merk Scots yearly, a space of 30 feet from 
their westmost wall to the east gavel of the church, no passage 
being preserved from the Creek through the churchyard. 
From the foregoing it will be inferred that the Chapel of the 
Friars occupied approximately the same site as the church of 
1730, and was probably no greater in extent than its modem 
successor. It is worth while pointing out, in connection with 
this latter church, that in the present Parish Church we have the 
Moat Brae Church reproduced on a much larger scale, and it is 
more than probable that the Friary Church was on the same 
plan. The ancient churchyard must have been of comparatively 
small extent, and my opinion in this respect is borne out by ex- 
Provost M‘Ewen, who tells me that, in the course of his business, 
he had to excavate part of his yard on the north-east corner of 
the Brae, and that there was no sign whatever of burials ever 
having taken place there. 
Passing over fully a century, from the building of the new 
church, we find, on 11th September, 1835, a committee of the 
Council reporting that they had attended a meeting of the land- 
ward heritors the preceding day. ‘The report showed that the 
building was totally inadequate for the needs of the population, 
and that there was imperious need for a new and more com- 
-modious building. Immediate steps were taken to erect a new 
church, the foundation stone being laid with great ceremony on 
22nd April, 1836. On 26th February, 1839, notice was given in 
the Council that steps be immediately taken, in conjunction with 
the Earl of Selkirk, to remove the old church on the Moat Brae, 
with the exception of the Castle Aisle, reserved by Lord Selkirk. 
It was also resolved that a wall be built round the Moat Brae, 
material being reserved from the church. From the terms of 
Mack’s contract, one may infer that much of the Friars’ Chapel 
was used in the building operations of 1730, and again a con- 
siderable portion of the Parish Church was used in building the 
wall round the mound. The materials of the old church realised 
the gross sum of £99 3s 2d. The only portions of the old 
edifice which can now be traced is a doorway, forming a Gothic 
