Topography or Dumi-kies. 187 



building with vaulted cellars, bearing the distinctive name, the 

 New Wark. Its origin is as yet hidden from us; we come 

 across it first in 1442.^'' It is thus the earliest secular building 

 in the town, except the mill, of which we have record, 

 and it was a prominent feature for nearly four centuries. ^^ 

 At various other times it was used as a barracks and prison. 

 The surmise that it was of a defensive nature, perhaps re- 

 placing the Castle at Castledykes, and prior to the building 

 of the Maxwell's strong town house in the i6th century, may 

 be correct. Our first definite information about it is that it 

 was a " tenement of Kirkland," and formed the endowment 

 of the Altar of St. Nicholas in St. Michael's Church, admini- 

 stered by the Provost or Provost and Magistrates. It was 

 occupied prior to 1564 by a dozen or so tenants, and a severe 

 struggle took place between the Council and Provost 

 Archibald M'Brair before the latter was infeft in it. The 

 original deed of gift, the terms of which were in dispute, 

 could not be produced, deliberate concealment being alleged 

 by the one side, and accidental destruction by the other. ^9 

 M'Brair evicted the tenants, and appears to have largely 

 reconstructed the building. ^0 



The Painted Hall. 



Immediately to the north of the New Wark was another 

 historic building, the tenement from which William Cunning- 

 ham endowed the Altar of the Holy Blood in St. Michael's 

 Church, ^^ and in which it is probable both James I\'. in 

 1504^2 and James VI. in 161 7 were entertained. At the latter 

 date it had a " painted hall." It was also in the " fore-hall 

 of Robert Cunninghame," almost indubitably the same 

 chamber, that William Harlow on the 23rd of October, 1558, 

 first preached the Reformation in the burgh. ^ 



Two terms indicate the open character of the town 

 about this part. The knoll above the Market Cross was 

 known even in 1577 as the " gyrss hill," and Cunningham's 

 house was bounded on the east by " le Perissoun herbare," 

 or " arber,"^'' while the portion of the High Street from the 

 Market place northwards was, apparently, known as the 

 Cowgate.^ 



