Sir Alexander Fraser, Thane of Cowie, with whom he got the lands of Touch, Fraser, Aboyne, Glentanir, Glenmuik, and Clunie. And, by his second wife, Ægidia Hay heiress of Bog of Gight and a part of Enzie, he obtained these lands. In a confirmation of his lands by King James II. anno 1457, the onerous cause, (says Burnet of Crimond) was, For keeping the Crown on our head: But this Charter is now lost. Dying anno 1479, his son (12) George, was Lord Chancellor, founded Gordon-Castle, erected the Priory of Kingussie, and left three sons, viz. Alexander, Adam who married the heiress of Sutherland, and William of Gight. (13) Alexander, was made Hereditary Sheriff of the county, and Constable of the Castle of Inverness: And, by a Charter, 24th March 1505, got the Castle of Inverlochie in Lochaber, and the adjacent lands (pub.

day have been counted to the number of twenty.

The foundation of the pier first built in the Spey, in the summer of the year 1803, was laid nearly twelve feet deep below the surface of the water in its lowest state; the pebbles, gravel, and stones having with much labour, difficulty, and repeatedly renewed exertion, been previously scooped off to the bed of rock, over which the river in that part maintains its course. Although a wall one yard thick, of stiff compacted clay, supported on both sides by a close frame of plank vertically placed, and bound in in the strongest manner together, was in the third summer completed, after several disappointed endeavours, yet the weight of the river pressing heavily on the space within, forced this fence, either beneath the clay, or through the fissures of the rock, in such quantities, that the united exertion of the workmen, aided by pumps, constructed on every known principle, scarcely permitted the first course of the foundation to be laid upon the rock. The basis of the other piers were with less difficulty established, the business being better known, and the obstructions, from the depth and weight of the stream not so considerable; and, in the autumn of the succeeding year, this elegant and substantial structure removed forever all that vexation by which the traveller had formerly been so much distressed. The piers are 36 feet in length along the course of the stream, and each one occupies 12 feet of its breadth; they are all raised to the height of 18 feet from the rock on which they are laid, opposing to the attacks of the river a bulk of masonry of nearly 8000 cubic feet, united as a rock into one solid mass by substantial cramps of iron, bound in with lead. The piers oppose the stream, not in a sharp or salient angle, which of itself creates an undermining vortex, but in the round form of the prow of a ship, which not only sustains the weight without exciting the violence of the torrent, but, instead of opposing only one single stone, presents a large surface compacted of many loads, obviously diminishing the pressure in the ratio of its extent: in this form it is contrived also to have the stone cut and placed so as to bear in such a manner on each other, that instead of being shaken, they are, by the pressure, more firmly locked together: and could one of them be dashed out, by the concussion of the corner log of a loaded raft, or by a heavy mass of ice drifted violently by the torrent, it could be again inserted with little

Archives). And dying 1523, was succeeded by his Grand-son, son of John who died 1517. viz. (14) George, a man of unbounded ambition. He was Lord Chancellor, and the 13th February 1548, got a charter of the Earldom of Moray, the Lordships of Abernethie, Petty, Brachlie and Strathern, the castles of Tarnua, Abernethie and Hall hill, the fishing of Spey, Lossie and Findhorn. He had likewise the administration of the Earldoms of Marr and Orkney, the Lordship of Shetland and Bailiery of Strathdee. In the Queen Regent's tour to the North, he entertained her so sumptuously, that (says Straloch) Monsieur D'Osel advised her to humble him: And in 1554, he was divested of his said acquisitions, and rebelling

prejudice to the building; whereas driving out the stone of the salient angle would be attended with serious consequences.

The abutments are founded on the rock as well as the piers, and the exterior courses bound togethe: in the same manner with cramps. Four circular arches, with their appropriate ornaments, rise from the piers, at the height of 6 feet above the ordinary level of the river. The two narrowest arches rest on the abutments, each opening to the span of 75 feet measured along the diameter, being one foot less while the two in the middle, each of 95 feet span. are 19 feet wider than the largest arch of Westminster Bridge, presenting a free water-course of 340 feet, which is 146 feet more than the water way of the Thames at London Bridge.

When this structure was completed, the height of 28 feet from the southern abutment to the plain obstructed the passage. This was foreseen and provided for in the contract, by the addition of eight arches, decreasing in height as they receded from the bridge, the expence of which had been limited to £398. But, by the suggestion of the Duke of Gordon, and the approbation of Messrs. Telford and Jessop, the civil engineers of government, when surveying the execution of the work, a mound of earth was afterwards deemed preferable, partly as being more ornamental, (because the bank on the northern abutment was to be cut through down to the level of the path of the bridge,) and partly to confine the river to its proper course. The architect undertook to make this alteration, thus sanctioned, and to cut down the bank on the northern, and form the mound on the southern abutment, at the rate of 1s. 3d. for the cubic yard. At the abutment, where its height is 18 feet, its base is 115 feet in breadth, decreasing, as it rises to 35 feet at the top, where it forms an inclined plain, gradually diminished at the base, as its height decreases, till it runs out on the level at the distance of 1043 feet from the bridge, containing 23.000 cubic yards of earth and gravel. The sides of this mound are now clothed with verdant grass, its bottom is decorated by flourishing trees, and its steepness on either side is guarded by substantial timber rails. Its bulky mass suggests the doubt of its being the work of man; but rather a Ridge fortuitously by nature presented, to which the Bridge, had been only on the account of its accommodation adjected. The parapets of the bridge, instead of common rubble stone walls, which had been originally provided for by the contract, were improved into handsome hewn ashlar work. A commodious toll-house, the most elegant perhaps in the kingdom, was also built. These alterations, with the increase of the charge

E

against Queen Mary, lost his life in the battle of Corrichee, anno 1562. Brevity only allows me to mention his son (15) George, whose son (16) George, fought the battle of Glenlivat 1594, was created Marquis 17th April 1599, and died 1636: His son (17) George was beheaded in 1649, whose son (18) Lewis died 1653, and was father of (19) Duke George.

In 1650, the family of Huntly was indebted to Argyle, a million of merks Scots; and the judicial rent of Huntly's estate was 50,000 Merks, whereof 10,000 annually were allowed to the Marchioness Dowager and the Earl of Aboyne (Vide Argyle's trial). And Lord Lorn lived in Gordon Castle from 1653 to February 1st 1661. The family of Huntly was saved from being sunk under this debt by Ar

£5,848

£14,880

for the mound above the cost of the eight mean arches, made an addition of £3,100 to the sum stated in the contract, making the whole amount equal to From the £6000 of the national money, there were £152 retained as the fees of the grant; the sum, therefore, which was actually granted, amounted only to Several of the subscribers having died, and some having left the country, and from other circumstances, there could only be recovered of the amount subscribed, the sum of 3,100 To this is to be added the sums subscribed by the Duke of Gordon, and the Marquis of Huntly, amounting together to

1,105

Making the whole contribution equal to

10,053

Leaving his Grace under the obligation to advance farther, from his own private fortune, the balance, amounting to

4,827

£14,880,

exclusive of £100 of yearly rent for the ferry, which is now wholly lost. This may be, perhaps, in some degree compensated by the manifold conveniencies, and the certainty, on every emergency, of a ready passage by the bridge; while the amount of the capital at once advanced is to be recovered only by the small and distant returns of the toll, which, by the act 1804, cap. 81, is restricted to the ancient rates of the ferry-boat, with even the diminution for the return of empty carts and carriages on the same day. These rates are let for the year ending on the 26th of May 1810 for £338 Which, after the payment of the legal interest of the debt due by the bridge amounting to £244 Leaves a yearly fund for the discharge of this debt only equal to

94

£338

If the receipt from this toll should rise to £400 yearly, the highest sum which is expected, the sinking fund would be only increased to £156 yearly, the efficiency of which, for many years, at the begin. ning, will be but inconsiderable.

gyle's forfeiture in 1661, when the King remitted the whole of it. George was created Duke of Gordon 1st November 1684. His son (20) Alexander. His son (21) Cosmo-George. And his son (22) Alexander, is now Duke. And thus the noble family has flourished during two and twenty generations.

The Duke of Gordon beareth quarterly. 1. Azure, three Boars' heads couped Or, for Gordon. 2. Or, three Lions' heads erased Gules, for Badenoch. 3. Or, three crescents within the Royal tressure Gules, for Seaton. And 4. Azure, three Frases Argent for Fraser of Cowie. Crest. A hart's head proper, attired with ten tynes, issuing out of a Marquis' coronet Or. Supporters, two deer hounds Argent, collared Gules, and on each collar three buckles Or. Motto. BY DAND.

THE PARISH OF DUNDURCOS.

This parish is next to Bellie up the river: So called from Dun a Hill, Dur Water, and Cos Foot, for there the river runneth at the foot of the hill. It is situated on both sides of the river. On the west side, the church standeth about half a mile from the south end of the parish; about three and a half miles S. of Speymouth church, and one mile N. of Rothes. North from the church lie the lands of Gorbatie, the property of Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonston; and below these on the river, are the lands of Orton, lately belonging to a branch of the family of Innes, and now to the Earl of Fife. Near to the church is a part of the Lordship of Rothes, and now the perty of the Earl of Findlater.

pro

On the east side of the river, the parish stretches about four miles in length, and in some parts more than a mile in breadth. In the north end is Ordewhish pertaining to the Duke of Gordon. South of which, on the river side, is Cairntie, lately purchased by Sir Ludovick Grant from Alexander Hay, whose ancestors had been for some generations heritors of it. And south and east of Cairntie, is

the barony of Mulben, the freehold of Sir James Grant. This, it is said, was the first land that the Family of Grant had on the River Spey, and which they obtained by marriage with the daughter and heiress of Wiseman of Mulben, about 350 years ago. A brook that falleth into the river at the passage boat, called the Boat of bridge, was formerly called Orkil; and the lands on the banks of it were called Inverorkil, which lands Muriel de Polloc mortified, in the thirteenth century ineunte, for building an hospital there, of which hospital some vestiges still remain (Appendix No. II.): And at the mouth of this brook, there was a bridge of wood over the river, the pier of which, on the east side, is yet to be seen. It was called Pons de Spe (Append. No. III.) I have found upon that river till of late. parish, on the river's bank, are the lands of Aitkenwa, for several generations the property of a branch of the family of Rothes, and now pertaining to the Earl of Findlater, as a part of the barony of Rothes. The whole of this parish is in the county of Elgin. Next to it is,

And was the only bridge

In the south corner of the

THE PARISH OF ROTHES.

This parish in Erse is called, Rauis, q. Raudh-uis, i. e. Red water, from the red banks of the river and brooks. It extendeth on the river side, in a beautiful plain, from N. N. E. to S. S. W. about two miles, and in the lower end, a defile, called the Glen of Rothes, stretcheth among the hills towards Elgin, three miles to the N. N. W. The church standeth upon the side of a brook, a quarter of a mile from the river, and half a mile from the north end of the parish. One mile S. of Dundurcos church; three miles N. of Aberlour, and about five miles N. E. of Knockando. In the year 1238, Eva de Mortach (daughter of Muriel de Polloch, who was daughter of Petrus de Polloc) was Domina de Rothes (Chart. Mor.) In the end of the reign of King Alexander the III. Norman Lesly of