Grecian architecture, and is in good repair; it bears the date 1771. As, however, it cannot accommodate more than 500, not onefourth of the population, it is greatly too small. Plans, are, however being made out, with the view of adding 300 sittings; and it is to be hoped, that another year will not pass without seeing them completed.* At present there are upwards of 100 free sittings. The manse, which was built about forty years since, is large and commodious, but is a very insufficient building. The contractor, who had undertaken its erection on too low an estimate, failed before he had completed it, and the work was carried on by his creditors, who run it up in the slightest manner. The glebe contains from 6 to 7 acres of good ground, which let with the farm offices for L. 26 per annum on lease. The stipend amounts to L. 78, all in money, and the teinds are exhausted. It comes, of course, under the benefit of the Act for Augmenting Poor Livings.

There is a meeting house of the Secession denomination at Howgate, built in the year 1750, which may accommodate about 400. The stipend is raised wholly by seat rent. Of the population, 1434 reckon themselves adherents of the Established Church; 852 are Dissenters, chiefly of the Secession body. There are not 10 Roman Catholics in the parish. Divine service is well attended in the church. At the last summer communion, there were 540 communicants; but there are upwards of that number on the roll. The roll of heads of families entitled to exercise the veto contains 190 names. The church is lighted by gas. The collections for the poor average about L. 30; an extraordinary contribution may amount to from L. 6 to L.8, although L. 18 has been obtained. There is an association in connection with the Established Church for religious purposes both at home and abroad. Its receipts by subscriptions and otherwise have, for the first six months, amounted to upwards of L. 20. This sum has been mainly raised by very small individual contributions.

Education. There are eight daily, and four Sabbath schools. Of these, two are infant schools,-one maintained by the Misses Cowan, and the other much aided by the grant of a house, &c. by the proprietor of Eskmills. The number of pupils constantly

These plans were fully carried out in the year 1837, at an expense of nearly L600 Sterling, including a heating apparatus. Of this sum, about L.400 was raised by subscription, the remainder was borrowed, and the debt so contracted is being li quidated by a very small pew rent on the new sittings. These are all eagerly secur ed and fully occupied ; and no experiment of the kind could have been more successful or gratifying to the kirk-session, by whom it was carried through.

under instruction varies; but on an average it may be stated as high as 340 or thereabouts, or about one-seventh of the whole population. The parochial school alone can be said to be endowed, though two or three others are assisted by the heritors, &c. The parish teacher draws the maximum of salary, but does not, from the infirmities of age, act as schoolmaster. The office is filled by an assistant, who is wholly dependent on fees. Little beyond the common branches of reading, writing, and arithmetic, is in demand or actually communicated. The usual fees for these branches may amount to L.45 or L.50 per annum. His other emoluments may amount to L.6 per annum. I am not aware of any persons betwixt five and fifteen years of age who are not capable of reading, and of very few who cannot write, at least at the last mentioned age. In general, the people have been, and are quite alive to the benefits of education, as the number of schools testifies; and an additional one will be opened in a month or two, making in all 9 schools, or one to every 255 inhabitants; nor is any of these so far removed from parishioners, as to prevent their sending their children.

Literature. There is one Subscription Library, containing upwards of 1200 volumes, to which 50 subscribers belong; another, in connexion with the Secession meeting-house at Howgate, is set up, and another is contemplated in connexion with the church.

Friendly Societies. There were lately four Friendly Societies in the parish, but the oldest of them has been given up. The next in order is not in a flourishing way; but the latest, which was established nearly forty years since, has now a capital of upwards of L. 1200. It may be questioned, however, if any of them has produced beneficial effects. Their annual parades are sometimes attended with not a little riot and intemperance.

Savings Bank.-A Savings Bank was established some years ago. In 1885, the contributors amounted to 60, and the stock to little short of L. 900. From L. 10 to L. 20 may be deposited monthly, sometimes more, but generally less than this is drawn out. It has increased in its transactions, for in the year 1821 the deposits were only L. 250. The manufacturing class deposit the greatest amount, and the effects on their habits are very beneficial.

Poor and Parochial Funds.-There are at present about 40 paupers on the roll, who receive from 5s. to 8s. per month. There were lately no fewer than four lunatic paupers, but one only now remains. The funds for the support of the paupers are raised

from an assessment on the real rent, imposed twice a-year, the average yearly amount of which for the year 1838 was L. 160; from mortcloth* dues, which, from being resisted by the Dissenters, chiefly yield little; and from collections, which, from the great number of Seceders who contribute nothing, do not bring more than L.30 per annum. Total amount of contributions for the poor upwards of L.200 a-year. The kirk-session made a strenuous attempt in the year 1831 to act on Dr Chalmers's views, as to doing away the compulsory assessment, and supporting the ordinary poor by voluntary contribution. It was, however, unsuccessful, and ended by the heritors imposing the assessment according to the real, and not, as had previously been the case, by the valued rent. This has involved them in a series of law pleas with the manufacturers and feuars, occasioning great expense, and much heartburning. The questions which have arisen are now (1839) all adjusted. The poor are pressing on the funds, and often endeavour to make good their claims by having recourse to law. Pauperism is not held so much in horror as it once was, and ought to be. The first regular assessment was imposed in the year 1800,-one of unexampled scarcity. Matters with respect to the poor are otherwise, however, well managed. The parish is divided into seven districts, over each of which there is at least one resident elder and one deacon, whose duty it is to examine minutely into every case of pauperism. The deacons are generally farmers, or others of business habits, and well acquainted with, and looked up to, by their respective districts. Their appointment, which took place in 1834, has been productive of the happiest effects, and may be recommended for adoption elsewhere. So large and efficient a session seems to produce a most beneficial action and effect on the religious and secular interests of the parish.

In the year 1833, a number of persons associated themselves to deprive the poor of the profits of the mortcloth dues, though the kirk-session had reduced these to onefourth nearly of their former amount, in the hope of accommodating matters with out one. The session were, accordingly, constrained to have recourse to legal mea sures, and obtained a decreet in their favour in the year 1836, in which the other party has acquiesced.

Drawn up in 1836,
Revised July 1839.

PARISH OF TEMPLE.

PRESBYTERY OF DALKEITH, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE.

THE REV. JAMES GOLDIE, MINISTER.*

I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.

Name.-THE parish retains its ancient name, derived from an establishment for the Templars, or Red Friars, founded by King David I. of Scotland.+

Extent and Boundaries.-Its extent may be about 9 miles at its greatest length, and its greatest breadth is about 5. Besides this, however, there is another portion, four miles eastward, entirely separated by a section of Borthwick parish, consisting of about 300 acres. It is bounded on the south and south-west, by the parishes of Eddleston and Innerleithen; on the west, by Penicuik; on the north-west and north, by Carrington; on the north-east and east, by Borthwick; and on the south-east, by Heriot.

Topographical Appearances.-The only mountain range is that of Muirfoot, a continuation of Lammermuir, and running almost north-east to south-west. The highest of this range appears from the survey of Generals Roy and Mudie, to be 1850 feet, while Lawrie's Map of Mid-Lothian states it only at 1500 feet. In Knox's Map of Mid-Lothian, taken from actual survey, the principal elevations of this range are stated thus: Huntly Cot-hills, 1606 feet above the level of the sea; Long-Shank Hill, 1687; The Kips, 1785; Bowbeat Hill, 2096; Blakehope Scaurs, the highest in the county, 2193.

Hydrography.-The South Esk takes its rise from the Muirfoot Hills, and runs through the parish for about twelve miles in a north-easterly direction, when it is joined by the North-water,

In drawing up this Account, the minister has to acknowledge the assistance of the Rev. Hew Scott.

For an account of this ancient religious fraternity, see Spottiswood's Account of Religious Houses, appended to Keith's Catalogue of the Bishops, original edition, p. 265, and Chalmers' Caledonia, ii. 767 and 812.

EDINBURGH,

D

which, taking its rise from the West Loch, in the parish of Eddlestone, runs in a more circuitous course, bounding and watering the parish on the north-west. After leaving the parish, it flows in a similar direction, until it joins the North Esk in Dalkeith Park, when they proceed until they join the Frith of Forth at Musselburgh. The Gore-water, one of the tributaries to the South Esk, also bounds the eastern district of the parish on the west.

Geology and Mineralogy.—The Muirfoot Hills are of greywacke, and most part of the parish abounds with lime and freestone, while the detached district in the eastern part is full of coal.

The only species of fossil organic remains hitherto found are shells in limestone.

Soil. The lower part of the soil of the western district of the parish is chiefly dry and sharp on a gravel bottom. In the higher part, there is a considerable portion of mossy soil, from three inches to four feet deep. The eastern district of the parish is chiefly made up of strong clay. The light soils are much infested by quickens and tussilago.

Zoology. The cattle bred here are chiefly of the short-horned species, and the sheep of the black-faced kind. The rivers contain trout, &c. Formerly salmon and sea-trout came up for spawning; since the erection, however, of dam-heads, &c. for carrying on various manufactories, farther down the rivers, their ascent in this direction has been entirely prevented.

Botany. The parish has been much adorned by plantations formed by the late Lord Chief-Baron, Messrs Hepburne, formerly proprietors of the lands of Clerkington and Muirfoot, and the present Earl of Rosebery, now in possession of these estates. The largest ash-tree is in the garden belonging to the manse, and cannot be equalled in appearance and value by any in several of the surrounding parishes.

II. CIVIL HISTORY.

An old account of the parish is lodged in the General Register House at Edinburgh,* drawn up about 1627, apparently with a view of ascertaining the teinds, from which it appears, the parishes of Clerkingtoun and Muirfut were united to Tempill “be ane decreet of the platt, anno 1618;" that a school was then established, though no provision was made for it; and that the communicants amounted to 300, being much the same number as at present. In

* Printed with forty-eight others of the same period, for the use of the Maitland Club.