Report on the State of the Parish of Inveresk in 1627

INUERESK alias MUSSILBURGH

ANSUERIS maid be Mr Adame Colt Minister of the Evangell at the kirk of Inueresk alias Mussilburgh within the presbiterie of Dalkeith, and be Johne Wernour ane of the bailleis of Mussilburgh, Robert Dowglas and Robert Wernour all portionaris of Inueresk, and Thomas Hunter in Cowsland all Inhabitantis within the said parochine, and electit and chosin be the said Minister, and sworne before the Lordis Commissionaris, To the articles set doun be thair Lordschipis and contenit in the charge direct to the said Minister.

I. IN THE FIRST We declair that thair ar of Commwnicantis within the said parochine of Inueresk iijm or thairby.

2. The haill landis and rowmes within the said paroche ar about ane myle to the kirk except the toun and landis of Cowsland, quhilk is twa myles.

3. Oure said kirk is not vnited to na vther kirk, and it is ane of the paroche kirkis of Dumfermling, and the Kingis Majestie is patrone thairof.

4. I the said Mr Adame Colt Minister declaires that I have of yeirlie stipend for serving the cure at the said kirk iiijc merkis money and 1 chalder aittis payed to me be Sir Henry Wardlaw Chalmerlane to his Majestie out of his Hienes renttis of the Lordschip of Dumfermling, With ane part of the vicarage of the said parochine of Inueresk possest be the gentilmen and heritouris of the landis within the same, ilk man for his awne part, ffor the quhilk they sould pay me yeirlie fourtie schillingis for ilk pleuch of land, Ane vther part of the said vicarage (quhilk is the teind fische) wer possest be the vmquhile Erle of Dumfermling, and now be his Countess, for the quhilk hir takismen payis hir yeirlie iiijc money And the vicarage teindis of the croft of land callit the Holmes pertening to the burgh of Mussilburgh and the teindis of the croft callit Hudiscroft, and of the aiker callit Thomas aiker pertening to Dauid Rammage and Henry Calderwode, and the teindis of the aiker callit the Rude aiker and of foure croftis of land besyde Mussilburgh pertening to the Laird of Craigmiller, and the teindis of sum burrow riggis and taillis besyde Mussilburgh, ar possest be Jeane Blakhall in Mussilburgh be pretendit richt and tollerance of the said Sir Henry Wardlaw and Mr Williame Wardlaw his sone, for yeirlie payment to thame of 1 chalder beir Morover I have a jc lib. of the toune of Mussilburgh for the vicarage.

5. We declair that thair is ane grammer schoole in Mussilburgh, and it is verie necessar that ane schoole be thair, becaus our said parochine is populous But thair is na fundatioun nor provisioun for ane schoole (except xvij lib. scottis or thairby of annuellis payit out of certane houssis in Mussilburgh dotit of auld to the chaplanreis callit Alareit and St James besyde Mussilburgh.

Item thair is ane musick schoole in Mussilburgh, quhairvnto vmquhile King James quha lait deceissit of worthie memorie giftit iijc merkis money furth of the yeirlie dewtie of the erectit Lordschip of Newbotle. This pensioun wes gevin be the vmquhile Kingis Majestie to vmquhile Mr Andro Blakhall Minister for the tyme at the said kirk of Mussilburgh, and to his sone Mr Andro Blakhall present Minister at Abirlady, to the vse and behove of the said musick schoole, and the said Mr Andro hes sauld and disponit the said pensioun, Sua that the parochine and the schoole is frustrat of his Majesties gift.

6. Thair is na hospitall within our said parochine It is necessare thair be ane In respect thair ar mony honest decayit persones within the same, And thair ar sindrie small teindis and dewteis foundit and dotit for ane, And speciallie thair is ane chappell callit Magdalene chapell giftit to Mr Robert Creichtoun for the quhilk he gettis yeirlie xvj lib. fra Dauid Prestoun of Quhythill. Item thair ar foure croftis besyde Mussilburgh possest be the Laird of Craigmiller, and ane aiker callit the Rude aiker, and twa riggis We knaw not be quhat forme and maner, nor for quhat dewtie But we suspect they belang to sum alterage within our said paroche And thair ar sum annuellis vpliftit be Mr Robert Creichtoun furth of certane houssis in Mussilburgh, We knaw not quhat way, nor be quhat richt and title.

7. We knaw of na vther chaplanreis, prebendareis nor freir-landis within our said paroche.

And fforder we have tane cognitioun and tryell of the validitie baith of stok and teind of the haill landis rowmes and possessiounes heirefter following lyand within our said parochine according to our knawledge.

COWSLAND.

In the ffirst We declair the landis of Cowsland pertening to the Lord Chancellar of Scotland to extend to ffourtie husband landis
The stok and teind thairof tuentie yeir syne payit xx chalderis victuall
Now the stok payis yeirlie xij chalderis 10 bollis
And the teind payis now yeirlie xj chalders
And we find thir landis and teindis may pay sameikle yeirlie in tyme cuming, gif thair lyme continew.
Thir landis and teindis ar possest be the said Lord Chancellar and his Lordschipis tennentis.

CARBARRIE.

The landis and maynes of Carbarrie extendis to xlviij oxingait of land Inde xij pleuchis
The stok and teind of auld wes worth xij chalderis victuall
Now the stok is worth yeirlie xiij chalderis viij bollis
The teind is now worth yeirlie vj chalderis xij bollis
We find thir landis and teindis may pay sa meikle in tyme cuming.
Thir landis pertenis to James Rig of Carbarrie and ar in maynsing as he hes tak of the teindis of the same, and ar possest be himselfe.

SMETOUN.

The landis and mayness of Smetoun pertening to Sir James Richardsone of Smetoun Knycht extendis to xxxij oxingait of land Inde viij pleuchis
The stok and teind of auld wes worth yeirlie viij chalderis
Now the stok is worth yeirlie xij chalderis
The teind is now worth yeirlie iiij chalderis viij bollis
And we find thir landis and teindis may pay sameikle in tyme cuming gif his Lyme continew But he has the landis cum decimis inclusis in his Infeftmentis.
Thir landis ar in maynsing and ar possest be the said Laird of Smetoun him selfe.

INNERESK.

The landis of Inueresk pertening to the fewaris portionaris thairof extendis to lij oxingait of land Inde xiij pleuchis
The stok and teind of auld wes worth xiij chalderis
Now the stok is worth yeirlie xxii chalderis
And we find the stok may pay sameikle in tyme cuming.
The teindis ar led and possest be the saidis portionaris, as takismen to the Kingis Majeftie and payis presentlie thairfore xi chalderis vi bollis
Quhilk we find and declair to be at over heich rait.

MONKTOUNHALL.

The landis of Monktounhall pertening to the fewaris portionaris thairof extendis to xxxij oxingait of land Inde viij pleuchis
The teind and stok of auld wes worth viij chalderis
Now the stok is worth yeirlie xv chalderis
And we find the stok may pay sameikle in tyme cuming.
The teindis of the saidis haill landis of Monktounhall, ar led be Sir Thomas Otterburne of Reidhall Knycht, takisman thairof to the Kingis Majestie ffor yeirlie payment of ane small syluer dewtie contenit in his tak.
We find the saidis teindis the last tyme they wer led be the heretouris and fewaris of Monktounhall payit be yeir vii chalderis viij bollis
Quhilk we think to be at over heich raitt.

MONKTOUN.

The landis of Monktoun pertening to Alexander Hay of Monktoun, ar in maynsing Extendis to xx oxingait of land Inde v pleuchis
The stok and teind of auld wes worth v chalderis
Now the stok is worth yeirlie vj chalderis viij bollis
The teindis thairof ar led be the said Alexander him selfe as takisman thairof to the Kingis Majestie, and We think the said teindis ar now worth yeirlie iij chalderis
We find thir landis and teindis may pay sameikle in tyme cuming.

QUHYTHILL.

The landis of Quhythill pertening to Dauid Prestoun of Quhythill extendis to xij oxingate of land Inde iij pleuchis
The stok and teind of auld wes worth iii chalderis
Now the stok is worth yeirlie iiij chalderis viij bollis
The teindis thairof ar possest be the Erle of Dumfermling, and we think thame now worth yeirlie i chalder xi bollis
And we find the stok and teind may pay sameikle in tyme cuming.

STANYHILL.

The landis of Stanyhill pertening to Robert Dobie of Stanyhill Extendis to xij oxingait of land Inde iij pleuchis
The stok and teind of auld wes worth iij chalderis
Now the stok is worth yeirlie iiij chalderis viij bollis
The teindis thairof ar possest be the Erle of Dumfermling and We think them now worth yeirlie i chalder xi bollis
And We find the landis and teindis may pay sameikle in tyme cuming.

PINKIE.

The landis of Pinkie pertening to the Erle of Dumfermling, extendis to xvj oxingait of land Inde iiij pleuchis
The stok and teind of auld payit iiij chalderis
Now we ar informit that the stok and teind payis presentlie xx chalderis
In respect of the multitude of Lauboraris, and We think the stok and teind may pay yeirlie communibus annis in tyme cuming x chalderis

QUHYTSYDE.

The landis of Quhytsyde pertening to Mr Robert Fawsyde of that ilk, extendis to iiij oxingait of land Inde i pleuch of land
The stok and teind of auld wes worth i chalder
Now the stok is worth yeirlie i chalder ii bollis
The teindis ar possest be him selfe as takisman to the Kingis Majestie, We think them to be now worth be yeir ix bollis
And we find thir landis and teindis may pay sameikle in tyme cuming.

CROFTIS BESYDE MUSSILBURGH.

Item foure croftis of land, with ane aiker callit the Rude aiker, and sum riggis and taillis besyde Mussilburgh perteining to the Laird of Craigmiller
We knaw not quhat they payit of auld.
We think the stok thairof is now worth yeirlie i chalder
The teind thairof is now worth yeirlie viij bollis
And We find thir landis and teindis may pay sameikle in tyme cuming.

TARRESS CROFT.

Item the croft of land callit Tarress croft pertening to Hew Broun We knaw not quhat it payit of auld.
The stok and teind is now worth yeirlie vj bollis
And we find they may pay sameikle in tyme cuming.

Subscryvit with our handis at Inueresk kirk the aucht day of Maij The yeir of God Im VIc Tuentie Sevin yeiris.

Mr ADAM COLT Minister at Inueresk.
JOHNE WERNOUR.
R. DOUGLAS.
ROt VERNOUR.