John Watson in Scottstown, his rent, . David Lawson in Whitesauch, his rent, with James Neitherie, his rent for honiehaive, 59 10 10 63 7 111 43 0 0 56 5 0 28 14 7 30 9 2 To his rent for Bonetoun, anexed to Spurriehillock, 1 10 0 20 16 11 Alexander Mill, for half Bonetoun & Laurencekirk, 11 9 3 7 3 51." The list shows that the rents of the farms named, over a hundred years ago, were probably, on an average, about one-tenth of the present rental. A roup-roll of 1750 bears that full-grown cattle sold at prices from £1, 5s. to £2, 5s., and horses from £3 to £6 per head. The following is the valuation of the Mains of Haulkerton in 1756, the farm consisting then of three hundred acres. given in sterling money : The prices are The entire value of the stock thus amounted to £276, 8s. 4d.; while the buildings, including the farmhouse, were valued at less than £30. Wheaten bread was a luxury seldom tasted by the families of working-men. A woman, well advanced in years about half a century ago, remembered her mother, on returning from a funeral, bring home, carefully wrapped up in her handkerchief, a bit of loaf-bread for the children to taste as a rarity. At a much later period than the time to which she referred, a quartern-loaf was the weekly allowance usual in a farmer's family. A gentleman full of years remembers an occasion when he was at tea in the house of a neighbour of good position, and his companions and he were addressed by the guidwife: "Noo, lathies, grund yersel's weel wi' ate-bread, for you wad eat the muckle sorrow o' loaf!" CHAPTER XLI. FAIRS. For many years the parish and burgh have given abundant facilities to the surrounding district for the ordinary traffic in cattle, horses, grain, and other agricultural produce, not to speak of the still more perishable goods in which juvenile frequenters of the market delight. In modern times the fair has in a great measure ceased to serve the purposes for which it was instituted. Formerly people were much more dependent upon the yearly or half-yearly gathering, and the miscellaneous articles offered for sale, many of which may now be purchased at the humblest shop in town or country. For clothing, furniture, and nearly all the articles required for ordinary domestic use, the next market was looked forward to, and a year's supply provided when it came. "Sweetie-stands" were not indeed awanting at a very early date, but, in the experience of our predecessors, they were only subsidiary to the booths. at which the more essential commodities of life were to be obtained. At the first Katie's market, a stand was loaded with all the varieties produced at William Bowman's starch-work. Willie Blacklaws, mistaking the article exposed for a smaller kind of sweeties, purchased a number of packages, which he distributed among the sweethearts who were claiming their "fair." He found time at last to help himself, when he contentedly remarked, "Od, lassies, they're no' very sweet, but they'll mooler awa!" In olden times in Scotland, as in many parts of Europe at the present day, the different festivals of the Church afforded an opportunity, of which the assembled people availed themselves, of combining what they conceived to be their religious duty with the more ordinary business of life. A religious festival almost invariably resolved itself into a fair, for the purposes of barter and sale, and occasionally into something much worse; for the season, which was supposed to begin with devotion, not unfrequently ended with amusements of a reprehensible kind. was from this custom, doubtless, that so many of the fairs have derived their names from one or other of the saints of the Romish calendar. It Three of these old established fairs are still held in the parish. Taunton Fair, or St Anthony's Fair, established in 1646, is now held within a short distance of the original stance, which was upon the Haulkerton estate. It has been suggested by Mr Jervise that the name implies "that there had been either a chapel in the district, or an altar in the church of Conveth, dedicated to that saint." There is no trace of such a chapel; and the supposition of the altar's existence is unnecessary, in the light of what has already been observed of the origin of such fairs. Perhaps one of the earliest notices to be found now of this fair, apart from the Haulkerton writs, is the one quoted elsewhere from the Black-book of Kincardineshire,' when a theft was committed at a house at Commieston "upon Tantone-market evening" in 1698. St James's Fair has been held at Laurencekirk since 1846. Its original site was on Barnhill; and the turf seats which accommodated the frequenters of the tents are still in existence, and easily distinguished. Its name was derived from the patron saint of the parish of Garvock, in which Barnhill is situated. The right of custom belonged to the proprietor of Kirktonhill. St Laurence Fair, better known as Louran Fair, is the last of the three. It was established in the beginning of the seventeenth century, and has lately been removed to near its original site. For many years it was one of the principal markets in the district. Its site was on the barony and within the burgh of Haulkerton, the proprietor of which had a chartered right to the usual custom. There is a tradition, not very well authenticated, of an adventure in Louran Fair, in which the heir-apparent of one of the Lords Falconer was concerned. A Highlandman had a herd of cattle at the fair, for which he refused to pay the dues exigible by the lord of the barony. The Master of Haulkerton, who was in the neighbourhood, was sent for, to exercise his influence on the recalcitrant dealer. He made the demand in the name of Haulkerton's son, only to receive the uncourteous reply, "I've aften heard o' Haulkerton's cow, but I never heard o' his son afore." The insult, of course, could only be met with a prompt challenge to "draw and defend," and the swords of the two combatants were speedily unsheathed. After a few preliminary passes, the Celt remarked, "Tak' care o' the button on the breist o' your sark." The button particularised was shortly detached, as neatly as if it had been operated on by a lady's scissors. The Master continued to strike and parry, when he was cautioned, "Tak' care o' the button on the neck o' your sark." The button in question duly shared the fate of its predecessor. Astonished, but not daunted, the youth continued the combat, when a third caution was addressed to him, "Tak' care o' your neck." This was a warning not to go unheeded. So at least thought the Master of Haulkerton, and he was to be excused in the circumstances. He dropped the point of his sword, in token of surrender; and the custom on the Highland herd rests owing to the present day. There have been many conflicts in Louran Fair since then, but fortunately the practice of carrying swords in civil life has long been discontinued. The Highlandman's considerate coolness, and the Master's openness to conviction, are not universal characteristics in a hot dispute. Katie's Market is comparatively a modern institution, having been established by Lord Gardenstone, |