230 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 



of the funeral (the original intention being probably to 

 scare away evil spirits) is very ancient, and held its ground 

 till quite lately in many parishes throughout Scotland and 

 Wales. Formerly every parish in Scotland boasted such 

 a utensil, the Mort-Cloth and Mort-Bell being regarded as 

 essential adjuncts at every funeral. The function of the 

 latter is now to some extent discharged by funeral letters. 

 Two good specimens are those of Linton and Sprouston. 

 The Linton dead-bell, now preserved within the restored 

 Church, measures 5f inches in diameter, 4-1 inches in 

 height, and is inscribed : — 



M 

 R KER LINTOVN, 



Robert Ker being minister there (1619-1658). This bell, 

 long lost, was recovered at a sale of scrap iron in Kelso 

 for the sum of two-pence. It came home from its 

 wanderings, alas ! cracked and voiceless. The Sprouston 

 bell, in more perfect condition, is inscribed : — 



MR. WM. BAXTER, 1728. IAS EDGAR FECIT. 



In Henderson's " Annals of DumfermlinG."'' may be 

 found an excellent woodcut of one of the last of the 

 Dead-Bell-Men, apparently drawn from the life in 1789. 

 The office of the bellman has been secured from oblivion 

 by David Hume's jeu cVesprit — 2'he BellmoM's Petition.^ 



In almost all the Border parishes a custom still prevails 

 of ringing the Church bell on Sunday 

 Church morning at 8 a.m., and again, in man}' places, 



Bells rung ^^ ^ ^•™- Various prosaic reasons are 

 out of assigned for this practice, but there can be no 



Service doubt that these bells are the survival of an 



Hours — ancient usage. Some find here a clue to the 



Significance Service hours of the Media3val Church, the 

 of Custom. 8 o'clock bell being the call to Matins and 

 the 9 o'clock the call to Mass. Others, how- 

 ever, see in them, perhaps with greater likelihood, a relic 



7 p. 525. 



Reprinted in " A Scots Haggis." 



