Report of Meetings for 1880. By J. Hardy. 357 



town's folks when slipping home at over-late Lours, lie con- 

 ducted us across to another street, where several old dwellings 

 were being replaced by new, to shew us what the ''out-shots" 

 were whose corners were decreed in some old acts of the Town 

 Council, which were read, to be knocked off as encroachments on 

 the public streets ; and then brought us to the Tolbooth, and 

 described the card-playing, revelry, and neglect of discipline 

 once prevalent among the prisoners. The interior rooms were 

 vaulted like those of an old keep. We saw a few houses still 

 entered from the streets from an outer stair protected by a rail- 

 ing. Thatch is nearly disused as a rooting material. Altogether 

 the town is a creditable clean-looking place. Neither cholera 

 nor plague have ever invaded it. Most of the houses have the 

 privilege of back-gardens. The very limited survey terminated 

 in the church, which is of the singular shape of a Greek cross, — 

 a cross with four equal limbs. It was built thus to accommodate 

 the galleries for the different proprietors. The galleries are those 

 of the Earl of Lauderdale, the Marquis of Tweeddale, Trabroun 

 Barony, and the Burgh of Lauder. The date of the present church 

 is 1673. The communion plate was shewn. There are four silver 

 cups, of plain forms, and a jug or tankard, given by the Countess 

 of Dysart, inscribed, "A Gift to the Church of Lauder. Ann D. 

 Laudr 1677." There is another set more recent, of silver, in 

 which the tankard is only electrotyped. Mr T. Craig Brown 

 ascended to the belfry, and supplied me with the following 

 observations : — 



Lauder Church, 28th July 1886. At the top of the centre tower 

 there is a window (door by which the belfry is reached) with 

 lintel bearing date of 1631 in raised figures. N.B. — This is 42 

 years before 'date of erection of church.' The parish minister 

 says that an Act of Parliament was got fully 40 years before 

 its erection, authorising removal of church. 



INSCRIPTION ON THE BELL. 



" Given by Charles Maitland of Hatton,his Majesty's Treasurer- 

 depute, 1681. Eecast by James, Earl of Lauderdale, out of the 

 vacant stepedns (stipends) 1751. Recast by Robert Watson, 

 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, June 1834." 



On the Bell are cast the Royal Arms — with the motto 



"DEO IUVANTE. 

 ('ONSILIO ET ANIMO." 



