64 Anniversary Address 



Cantharellus tuboeformis, Fries. This last Mr Paul has found at 

 Loch Awe. During the day's excursion, Coprinus comatus, which 

 is edible, was seen in great perfection and abundance between 

 Haining Loch and the garden waU ; Sygrophorus chlorophanus, 

 Fries, was found at BowhiU, on the lawn, close by the house. 



Soon after 4 o'clock dinner was announced, and the following 

 27 gentlemen sat down at table : — Eev. James Farquharson, 

 M.A., Selkirk, President ; Dr. F. Douglas, and Mr Hardy, Secre- 

 taries ; Sir Walter Elliott, F.E.S., etc. ; Eevs. John F. Bigge, 

 Stamfordham; Paton J. Gloag, D.D., Galashiels ; D. Maclean, 

 Allanton ; D. Paul, Eoxburgh ; W. Snodgrass, D.D., Canonbie; 

 E. H. Williamson, Whickham ; H. S. Anderson, M.D., Selkirk ; 

 Messrs Charles Anderson, Jedburgh ; George Anderson, Heath- 

 erlie Hill, Selkirk ; Wm. L. Blaikie, Holydean ; James Bogie, 

 Edinburgh ; A. H. Borthwick, Melrose ; John B. Boyd, Cherry- 

 trees ; Wm. B. Boyd, Faldonside ; James B. Brown, Selkirk ; 

 T. Craig Brown, Selkirk ; Wm. Currie, Linthill ; W. H. John- 

 son, Edinburgh ; George Muirhead, Paxton ; Eobert Eenton, 

 Fans ; Peter Eodger, Senior Town Clerk, Selkirk ; John Turn- 

 bull, Abbey St. Bathans ; and James Wood, Galashiels. 



After dinner a most interesting paper on the "Sutors of Selkirk" 

 was read by Mr T. Craig Brown, for which he received the 

 thanks of the Club. He suggested the probability of the trade 

 being a survival from the time before the death of Alexander 

 ni., when all the skins from Ettriek Forest were brought to 

 Selkirk to be tanned by the king's tanner. This was confirmed 

 by the mention in a papal letter (recorded in the "Liber de 

 Calchou") of a portion of the lands of Selkirk called "Sutorcroft." 

 Although there was no reason to believe that the trade reached 

 great dimensions, the fact that there were 26 masters when the 

 Corporation was formed in 1609, pointed to a considerable sale 

 of shoes and boots outside the burgh. Mention was made of the 

 heavy requisition of shoes from the souters of Selkirk by the 

 rebel armies in 1715, and in 1745. After reading copious ex- 

 tracts from the Eecords of the craft, which are still for the most 

 part extant, Mr Craig Brown traced its gradual decay until 1832, 

 when the Eeform BiU, by depriving it of its votes in the election 

 of a member of Parliament, dealt it a fatal blow. 



The party broke up in time to allow of the members taking tea 

 at Dovecot and the Manse, before those from a distance left for 

 home by the 7.25 train. 



