734 
P E R T H. 
that nation againft pirates, and a gain ft being detained on 
flight pretences in any foreign port. In confequence 
of the care which he exercifed about the trade of the 
kingdom, which, for fome years during his minority had 
been on the decline, multitudes of (hips foon came from 
divers regions loaded with goods of various kinds to be 
exchanged for the commodities of this country.” The 
German merchants, or Flemings, alfo early frequented 
the port of Perth with mercantile views ; and many indi¬ 
viduals of that nation converfant in the linen and woollen 
manufactures,and in ftaining of cloth, appear to have fixed 
their abode in the town, and to have been received as bur- 
gefl'es. King William, however, following the example 
of his grandfather king David, put the foreign merchants 
of Perth under great reftriCtions; and, to prevent theTet- 
tlement of foreign manufacturers there, granted in his 
charter already mentioned, that the burgelfes might have 
a merchant-guild of their own, “ fullers and weavers ex¬ 
cepted.” 
Edward I. of England added greatly to the importance 
of Perth, by increafing the ftrength of its fortifications, 
and making it the refidence of his deputies. King Ro- 
bert'Bruce, conceiving its occupation to be of fignal im¬ 
portance to his caufe, attacked this town in 1306, but 
was repulfed by the earl of Pembroke, who fallied out, 
and defeated the king at Methven. In 1311, however, 
Bruce renewed the attack ; and, after an obftinate fiege of 
fix weeks, fucceeded in ftorming the fortifications, which 
he levelled with the ground. After the battle of Duplin, 
thefe were re-edified by Edward Baliol, but were foon 
again razed by the patriotic Scots. In 1335 king Ed¬ 
ward III. took poffeffion of Perth, and redded in it for a 
confiderable period. According to the Englifh hiftori- 
ans, John earl of Cornwall, brother to that monarch, died 
here, in OCfober 1336 ; but they omit a fingular circum- 
llance mentioned by Fordun, which is, that he received 
his mortal wound from the king’s own hand. In 1339 
Perth flood a long fiege againft the regent Robert, but 
was taken by draining the ditch. In 1437 king James I. 
of Scotland was murdered at the Black Friars monaftery, 
by Robert Graham, who wounded him in twenty-eight 
different places, and the queen twice, during the fcufffe 
between them. At this period the town-walls feem to 
have been in a ftate of demolition ; as we find them re¬ 
paired, at a very confiderable expenfe, by king James II. 
from whofe reign nothing of a political nature worthy of 
notice occurs on record, till the year 1600, when the earl 
of Gowrie’s houfe here was the lcene of one of the moft 
problematical events in Scottifh hiftory. We allude to 
the execution of what is commonly defignated the “ Gow- 
rie confpiracy,” by John Ruthven, the then earl, and his 
brother Alexander. Thefe two young men, according to 
the ftory publifhed by the court, having prevailed upon 
king James VI. to vifit Perth, (on the pretence of ftiowing 
him a fufpicious perfon whom they had apprehended,) at¬ 
tempted to murder him, but were foiled in the attempt 
and both (lain by his majefty’s attendants. 
After the battle of Tibbermoor, in 1644, Perth was 
feized by the marquis of Montrofe; and in 1651, it was 
taken by Cromwell, and fortified with a citadel on the 
South inch, capable of containing a garrifon of five hun¬ 
dred men. In 171 5 the earl of Marr, at the head of a de¬ 
tachment of the rebels, obtained poffeffion of it, and oc¬ 
cupied it as a place of arms till after the battle of Dun¬ 
blane, on Sheriffmuir, when they were dillodged by the 
duke of Argyle, and compelled to retreat further to the 
north, with the Pretender. The fame party likewife 
held this town in 1745, when prince Charles was pro¬ 
claimed king, and new magiftrates were appointed. The 
modern prosperity of Perth may be dated from this period ; 
for, being the centre of the rebellion, it was the refort of 
all the difaffeffed from the north during a confiderable 
length of time. Thus its ancient aftivity was in fome 
degree revived. The inarch and refidence of the conten¬ 
ding armies produced a market here for all forts of goods; 
capital was gained by indu‘ftriou 3 perfons; and advan¬ 
tage taken of its favourable fituation to render it a place 
of trade. Hence it has been remarked, that Perth is a 
fingular inftance of a town that owes its profperity in a 
great meafure to the calamities attendant on rebellion 
and civil war. Since that turbulent period ft has increa- 
fed nearly one half in extent and population. 
Perth, in its municipal capacity, is a royal borough, 
and joins with Dundee, Forfar, Cupar of Fife, and St. 
Andrew’s, in fending one member to parliament. It is 
governed by a provoff, three bailies, a dean of guild, a 
treafurer, and nineteen counfellors, moft of whom are 
defied from the incorporated trades. The funds of the 
corporation are very confiderable, and of late years have 
been expended with great judgment in various improve¬ 
ments. Perth being the county town, the (heriff’s court 
meets here ; and the lords of judiciary hold a court here 
every fix months, when they go on their circuits. The 
provofts have been (heriffs within the town fince the time 
of king Robert III. They bear alfo the office of coroner, 
which office however is never exercifed in Scotland. 
This town, confidered in reference to its buildings, is 
one of the handfomeft in Scotland. It occupies a fcite 
which might, indeed without impropriety, be felefled as 
the feat of government, and the emporium of commerce. 
The Tay, which is navigable up to the quays at common 
tides for floops and fmall craft, and in fpring-tides for 
vefiels of large burden, admits of great extenfion of trade. 
This river flows here in a direction nearly north and 
fouth ; but at a ffiort diftance below Perth it runs to the 
weftward, and is loft behind the hill of Kinnoul. Over 
it is a handfome bridge of ten arches, which coft about 
25,000k It is 906 feet 9 inches in length, and 22 in 
breadth, with the parapets. The piers are founded ten 
feet beneath the bed of the river, upon oaken and beechen 
piles. The architedl of this magnificent ftrudlure was 
Mr. Smeaton. Itconnedls Perth with Kinnoul, which is 
a borough of barony under the fuperiority of the noble¬ 
man who holds that title. 
The two chief ftreets in Perth are called the High-ftreet 
and South-ttreet, both of which run from eaft to weft, and 
are nearly parallel to each other. Along the fide of the 
river runs another confiderable ftreet. The new town, 
which was begun in 1798, contains a circus and a terrace 
of very handfome appearance. This portion of Perth is 
fituated on a plot of ground, where formerly flood the 
monaftery of black friars, in which James I. of Scotland 
was murdered, as has been already mentioned. The 
king was buried in a very ftately monument in this place, 
which was called monajlerium vallis virtutis, one of the 
moft magnificent buildings in the kingdom, which with 
the reft was deftroyed by the populace. James VI. cre¬ 
ated George Hay commendator of the Carthulian priory, 
giving him all its emoluments, with a vote and feat in 
parliament; but, thefe not being fufficient to fupport the 
title, he furrendered it back to the king. The only re¬ 
mains of this magnificent ftrudlure is to be feen in the 
carved ftones with which the fouth eaft porch of St. John’s 
church is built, now greatly decayed. The king’s gar¬ 
ment full of flabs was preferved here after the reforma¬ 
tion. 
Among the public buildings are feveral worthy of at¬ 
tention. The town-houfe, which forms the eaftern ter¬ 
mination of High ftreet, is a large well-built ftrudlure, as 
is likewife the guildhall, which Hands about the middle 
of the fame ftreet. Several of the incorporated trades have 
halls, of which that of the glovers is the moft elegant. 
The parifh-church, which was formerly the property of 
the abbey of Dumfermline, is a large and ancient edifice, 
but now feparated into three diviiions, called the Eaft, 
Middle, and Weft, Kirks ; befides there is another parifli- 
church, dedicated to St. Paul, a chapel of eafe, and a va¬ 
riety of chapels and meeting-houfes appropriated to the 
public worfhip of difl'enters. St. John’s church is remark¬ 
able from the circumftance of the reformation in Scot¬ 
land 
