38 Report of the Meetings for 1894. 



(younger), was of that date ordained an elder ; and no 

 doubt was a son of Thomas Hardie and Midside Maggie. 



It thus appears to be established that Barbara Cranston, 

 afterwards Lady (Dame) Seton of Gordon, was the first owner 

 of the Girdle, and as it had been made in Edinburgh only 

 two years before her marriage, it was probably acquired as a 

 wedding gift. It may have come into the possession of the 

 Duke of Lauderdale when he acquired Corsbie in 1671, and 

 it was presented by him to Maggie before 1682, when he died. 

 The Duke probably thought it would be a more welcome 

 and valued gift, from its personal association with his family 

 history, and that Midside Maggie would worthily wear so 

 honoured and treasured a relic, which had no "maik." 

 "Every bannock has its maik, but the bannock of ToUieshill," 

 or, according to the variation, "Ilka cake has its maik," 

 etc. 



The President farther stated that an interesting archaeological 

 discovery had been made at Stichill village. In the course 

 of the excavations for the foundations of the handsome 

 cottages which Mrs Baird of Stichill is at present building 

 in this village, the workmen, whilst digging a deep and wide 

 trench, came upon two cists resting on the solid rock. In 

 the first, which the men opened, unaware of the interesting 

 nature of their discovery, no remains were found. When the 

 second cist was exposed, Mr Bruce, the builder, informed me, 

 and we had it opened, when fragments of bone were found. 

 These fragments have been submitted to Dr Christison, Hon. 

 Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries, Edinburgh, and Dr 

 Joseph Anderson, Curator of the Antiquarian Museum, and 

 were pronounced to be the calcined remains of a young 

 person. The cists belong presumably to a pre-Christian 

 period. The one first unearthed was composed of four slabs, 

 with a cover slab. The sides measured 3 feet 7 inches ; 

 depth, 20 inches; width, 19 inches. The second consisted 

 merely of a cover slab, somewhat smaller in size. The 

 recurrence of the two cists at a distance of only a few feet 

 from each other, suggests that the place has been the site 

 of a tribal burying ground, and that other similar discoveries 

 may be made in the vicinity. No implements or weapons 

 of any kind were seen. 



