88 Arms of the Royal Burgh of Sanquhar. 



the burg-h accounts it would appear that at one time part 

 at least of the burgh officer's uniform was red, for under 

 date August 20th, 1779, we find that the Treasurer paid 

 3s 6d for a quarter yard of red cloth for livery to John 

 M'Call, officer. One feels that a quarter yard would not do 

 much for the officer, unless he simply wished it for patching 

 purposes. But if the officer did not get much in quantity, 

 it should have been good in quality — 14s a yard seems a 

 fairly stiff price for cloth, when it is remembered that at 

 the time in question a working man's wages were about 

 IS 6d a day. John M' Call's salary for a whole year was 

 only IDS. Of course he had perquisites over and above. 

 For instance, he got a guinea per annum for attending to 

 the town clock. On February 27th, 1772, he is given six- 

 pence for drink for his trouble in warning the people to pay 

 teind, and on nth April, 1774, he gets a shilling for warn- 

 ing the publicans in the burgh to compete for the ale pre- 

 miums. 



The colours of the first football club in Sanquhar were 

 those of our burgh, and the present club keeps up the same. 

 At the riding of the marches in igio the colours were in 

 great evidence. Both the cornet and ensign wore sashes 

 of blue and silver, as did others in the procession. Small 

 flag-s of blue and white marked the boundaries of the burgh 

 land, while the ribbons attached to the silver medals were 

 of the same colours. The Marquis of Bute in his book, 

 before referred to, suggested that the roofs of the towers 

 and the flags surmounting them might be coloured yellow, 

 so that with the blue and white of the Crichtons might be 

 conjoined the yellow of the Rosses. No such chang-e has, 

 however, been made, but the pipers' banner, on which the 

 burgh shield and crest are embroidered, is of red fring-ed with 

 yellow, these being the Royal colours in Scotland. 



The Burgh Crest. 



No crest is mentioned in the blazon of our burgh 

 arms, as given by the Marquis of Bute, but a thistle with 

 leaves outspread appears on the burgh seal over the castle 

 and also on the certificate of membership of Sanquhar 



