Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Hardy. 19 



little square dial brought from the old farm-house at Bloodylaws, 

 with W. K. H. C. 1737 inscribed on it. 



Professor Geikie points out in the low ground here what he 

 considers a good example of a lake that once extended from the 

 village of Oxnam to the foot of the Row hill, and was afterwards 

 drained away by the stream cutting for itself a gorge in Silurian 

 greywackes and shales.* 



The party now walked to Oxnam, where once there was a con- 

 siderable village, which is now reduced to a few humble houses. 

 " In the village of Oxnam," says Mr James Tait, "there were 

 twenty-two tenants in the beginning of the 18th century; before 

 its close they had dwindled down to three." There is an alms- 

 house of the foundation of Lady Yester (1630-38), inhabited by 

 an old woman, a widow, which is thatched and white-washed ; 

 then two cottages equally venerable ; and turning the corner 

 another thatched house called " the Hottle," supposed from the 

 name to have been an ale-house to refresh travellers when there 

 was a trade route past the village ; and then there are the joiner 

 and blacksmith's shops. There is also a one-and-a-half story 

 thatched house on the way up to Cleughside. The " Old Manse " 

 is still known ; this may or may not be it. 



The church is quite modern, built in 1738, the old one having 

 become ruinous. It has more recently been refitted in the 

 interior. The jougs are suspended at the church-door. The 

 ministers' burial place used to be at the back of the church ; but 

 the tomb of the Eev. Alexander Colden is near the eastern wall 

 of the churchyard, and is very much dilapidated. One cannot 

 expect much taste at the period when it was erected, but there 

 were two sandstone pillars, which the housewives have carried 

 off to convert into sand ; only the carved capitals being spared 

 out of some feeling for art. The inscription placed on a semi- 

 cordate shield is damaged. The heritors propose to repair it, as 

 it is hoped for their credit they will. Colden was one of 

 the most eminent ministers of the Eevolution Settlement, f and 

 his advice or recommendation was sought after both by people 

 and candidates in the matter of " calls." His name appears to 

 have been pronounced " Couden " or " Cowdon." The inscrip- 

 tion has been copied as follows : " Here lyes the body of the 

 Eeverend Mr Alexr. Coldon who as a Divine, a Christian, as a 

 * The Cheviot Hills, in Good Words for 1876, p. 552. 

 f J. H. Burton's Hist, of Scotland from Revolution, etc., i., p. 251. 



