Dr. John Stuart on the History of Dunbar. 425 



acter, and of a date not earlier than the first quarter of the 

 twelfth century, although of course they might have re- 

 placed a structure of earlier date. 



This little church was the Parish Church of Aid-Camus, 

 which in later times was annexed to the parish of Colbrands- 

 path. Among the many lands with which the Scottish 

 Edgar endowed the house of St. Cuthbert at Coldingham, 

 was the "mansio" or territory of Aid-Camus, and it is 

 possible that the erection of the church was consequent on 

 its acquisition by the monks, when the territory of Ald- 

 Camus would become a parish. The grant to Coldingham 

 was made in the year 1097 — a date which synchronises 

 very closely with that attributed to the ruined church by 

 Mr Muir — and we may infer that these, with the other 

 lands granted b}?- the Scottish King, formed part of the royal 

 territories which had been held in demesne by the North- 

 umbrian Princes, and afterwards by their successors the 

 Kings of the Scots. 



The parish of Dunbar was one of great importance, and 

 the most valuable of any within the diocese of St. Andrews. 

 Besides the present boundaries, it originally contained 

 several chapelries subject to the mother church of Dunbar, 

 which in later time became parochial districts. These 

 chapels were at Hederwick or Belton, at Pinkerton, at 

 Whittingham, at Stenton, at Spot, and at Penshiel in the 

 Lammermoor. 



In the old taxations, the church of Dunbar, with the 

 chapel at Whittingham, was rated at 180 marks ; while 

 Haddington, which originally was a much more extensive 

 parish than it now is, comprehending a considerable part of 

 Athelstaneford and a large part of Glaclsmoor, and including 

 several chapelries, was only rated at 120 marks. 



From the earliest times, the Earls of Dunbar were pro- 

 prietors of the whole parish, and patrons of the church and 

 subordinate chapels. The establishment of collegiate 

 churches commenced in Scotland about the middle of the 

 fourteenth century, and becoming a fashion with the power- 

 ful nobles of the day, a large number of these institutions 

 were founded within the century which followed. 



The first collegiate church in Scotland was that of Dun- 

 bar, which owed its foundation to the piety and munificence 

 of Patrick, ninth Earl of Dunbar, in the year 1342. This 

 powerful nobleman, who, in right of his wife, became also 



