TOPOGRAI'HY OF UuMl-KIEb. 207 



grandfather of Archibald M'Brair, and it was on the above sasinc 

 that the Court was forced, after the Reformation, to infeft the 

 hitter in the New Wark (28th January, 1563), although the 

 M'Brairs refused to produce the Charter of Foundation of the 

 Altarage of St. Nicholas, and the Provost, George Maxwell, pro- 

 tested that the Burgli had j^aid four i)ence of annuel yearly theieof 

 "past memor of man," while two witnesses swore that the Chap- 

 lain, Sir Mark Carruthers, had stated that the Charter was in his 

 possession, and a third witness swore that he had read it and that 

 the donation was in the gift of the Provost and Bailies ; and, if 

 they failed to settle a chaplain within fortj' days after the deatli 

 of the last incumbent, it was to be given to the King of this realm. 

 Two members of the inquest protested to the last against the infeft- 

 ment, and M'Brair had a great deal of trouble in evicting the 

 tenants. 



58 Most of the New Wark was removed in 1764. What was left 

 was incorporated in a range of dwelling-houses, which remained until 

 1846, when the buildings were cleared away as an encumbrance to 

 the Square (Diinifrics (iiid Bound .-ibaiit, by W. Dickie, 4th ed., 

 p. 18). A portion of its vaults was laid bare when the lavatory was 

 built in 1908, and in one of them an iron cleek was found in a fire- 

 place. 



59 These details are gathered from the Burgh Court Books and 

 from the Sheriff Court Book of Anch'ew Cunynham. In the latter 

 it appears that Sir Mark Carruthers, the last Roman Catholic chap- 

 lain of St. Nicholas altarage, disponed the New Wark to Archibald's 

 father, and that John Sinclar, reader in St. Michael's, and Thomas 

 M'Brair, chaplain of the altarage, alleged themselves entitled to 

 the thirds of the chajilainry on different grounds, as did also Adam, 

 Commendator of Cambuskenneth atid collector-general of the thirds. 

 All raised actions against Archibald (Sheriff Court Book, I'Jth 

 December, 1580. and 4th June, 1582). 



60 Of the New Wark Edgar, in his MS. Hist<iry, c. 1746, gives 

 the following account: — "There is an ancient great Tenement or 

 Building called New-wark lying on the North-east of the Cro.ss, 

 which had Vaults or Cellars, four in the foreside and two in the 

 backside, [and] having four shops before and dwellings and .shops 

 for Fleshers on the back parts, with many rooms and apartments 

 which are now all thrown down and demolished. The vera on the 

 Stair Case of the front of this Old Building was 1583 or 1585 with 

 the King of Scots Arms and also .some Families' Arms, cut out in 

 stone. It hath certainly been a laborious Building, but not clearly 

 known who were the Builders, which Building certainly 

 of old ornamented the Town and Street, tho" now it deforms the 

 same, lying in a ruinous heap." 



61 7?f(/. Ma(j. S'kj. (1424-1513), Nos. 3010 and 3513 (10th 

 October, 1510) : —15th November, 1606.— " Willelmi Cunynghame 

 . . . ad altare Sancti Cruoris Christi perse fundatum infra 



