42 Earty ECCLESIASTICAL History OF DUNSCORE. 
In the year 1823 the church was taken down and rebuilt on 
‘ 
its present site.® 
II. 
Let us turn now from the church itself to its incumbents. 
We have very little information as to the early occupants of 
the cure. A notice belonging to the year 1366 tells us that 
Sir Thomas de Balcaska obtained and resigned the vicarage 
of Dunsieur (Dunscore), from which he had received no 
fruits.2 The next vicar of whom we hear is Sir William 
M‘Newyne, who was witness to an instrument dated 14th 
November, 1439.20 More than one hundred years later—on 
26th August, 1548—we find Sir Andrew Hanying, vicar of 
Dunscore, witness to an instrument of sasine.19 Of the next 
vicar we have more than a mere notice. Sir John Welsh 
dealt on several occasions with the Kirklands, with the con- 
sent of the commendator and convent of the monastery of 
Holywood. Thus on 12th August, 1561, he granted a char- 
ter! of part of the glebe and kirklands to Gilbert Grierson in 
Laich (Laight), in the parish of Tynron, a brother of the 
laird of Lag; and on 16th December, 1565, he granted a 
charter!® of another portion of the lands to Oswald Porter. 
A memorandum of an instrument! dated 2nd December, 1566, 
narrates that ‘‘ John Fergussoun of He, having the right and 
kindness of a third part of the vicarage of Dunscore, as at _ 
more length contained in a contract between him and Sir John 
Welche, vicar of Dunscoyr, grants him to have received from 
Cuthbert .Greirsone, tutor of Lag, now feuar of the said 
Kirklands, on behalf of the said Sir John, 20 for the 
redemption of his right in the said third part, and the lands 
to be lawfully redeemed and renounces all right therein.’’ 
On the 17th of the same month Gilbert Greirsone gave sasine 
of these lands to John Welche, junior, of Collustoun, Sir 
John Welche appearing and stating that he had tacks of the 
said kirklands for his lifetime, and protesting that the sasine 
given by the said Cuthbert Greirsone should be no hurt to 
his tacks.14 Again, in an instrument dated 8th May, 1568, 
he is mentioned as a witness.15 
On roth June, 1573, John Jameson, who, aceording to 
