Maryculter 1792
Maryculter - By Rev. John Glennie 1791
The original orthography of this parish seems to have been Maria cultura. It is of an oblong form; 6 English miles in length and 2 in breadth; extending from the river Dee to the Grampian mountains. The soil on the river side is naturally thin and sandy; on the rising midland it becomes deeper and blacker, with a bottom of clay in some parts; and more southward, the ground turns swampy, turfy, and mossy. The extremities of the parish are in some places rocky hills and mosses; in others, green hills with large stones, rushy muirs and heath. Indeed the whole district is rocky and stony, except for some small haughs and dales on the river side; and thoroughly to improve, incloce, and render tolerably fertile, a piece of waste ground here, may be almost termed a new creation. The old farms extended across the whole breadth of the parish, from the Dee to the Grampians, y which means every tenant had a portion of all the different soils.
The Dee, which washes the north side of the parish for above 6 miles, is famous for its salmon, which are caught by flat-bottomed skiffs and nets. There are 5 salmon-fishings in the parish. This stream frequently overflows its banks, particularly in May and June, after a snowy winter, which often damages the sown land: but the most hurtful floods usually happen in September, when they carry off great quantities of cut grain, and level the standing corn among the sand. A remarkable flood occurred on the 17th September 1768, by which many suffered considerably. There is a ferry for horses, carriages, &c. opposite to the manse.
Including the farms in the possession of the heritors, and the fishings, the rent of the whole parish will amount to £1000 sterling. There are 28 ploughgates of land in this district; 20 of which belong to one heritor, and other two gentlemen have 4 each. Black cattle have been fed here, that sold from £20 to £25 each. The produce of the parish more than supplies the inhabitants with provisions. The old rents were made up of money, meal, bear, sheep, hogs, lambs, poultry, butter, eggs, and manual services; but, of late years, those called ipsa corpora are all converted into money.
Red and white clover and rye-grass are sold by many of the farmers, as also turnips. Some of the best arable land is let at 20s. and some of the worst pasture at 5d. per acre. In the minister’s glebe is a quarry of granite. A large portion of the parish is covered with wood. In Kincausie-wood are some deer of the roe kind, of a small size, increasing in number every year. The parish in general is unenclosed, but have neither money, nor length of leases, sufficient for that purpose.
Spinning and knitting stockings is the general employment of all females from 7 years old and upwards. The combed wool for that purpose is given out by hosiers from Aberdeen, in different parts of the parish, on certain days, called Factory Days, on which also the wrought stockings are received. Each pair costs, for spinning and knitting, from 1s. to 3s. 6d. the cheapest are accounted the most profitable, both to the worker and the merchant. The common fuel is peat and furze, but the peat-mosses are now quite exhausted. Peats are bought in Fetteresso parish, at the rate of 1s. a small cart load: coals can be got cheaper in Aberdeen.
The prices of provisions are the same as at the Aberdeen market. The day’s wages of a common labourer are from 8d. to 10d.; of house carpenters, 10s. to 1s.; and of taylors, 6d. and victuals. Male servants receive from £5 to £6; female ditto, £2, and upwards, per. Ann. Male shearers, from 20s. to 30s. female ditto, from 15s. to 20s. for the harvest season.
The state of the parish, as to population, is as follows:
Number of souls in 1755 - 746
Number of souls in 1790- 630
Males- 280
Females- 350
Taylors - 4
Weavers -10
Wrights -3
Norfolk plough-wrights - 1
Sailors- 4
Shoemakers-4
Gardeners- 4
Discharged soldiers- 3
Chelsea pensioners- 2
Roman Catholics- 25
Episcopalians- 8
Seceders- 2
Annual average of births -16
Annual average of deaths- 11
Annual average of marriages - 5
Married men - 120
Batchelors and widowers -14
Inhabited houses- 145
Ploughs - 36
Carts - 40 to 50
Waggon- 1
Coach - 1
Heritors- 3
Minister’s family (not included above) - 34
This parish was more populous 70 or 80 years ago than it is at present. The decline of population is owing to the failure of peat and turf for fuel, and the removal of several persons from hence to Aberdeen, with the view of getting constant employment.
The value of the living will be from £70 to £75 sterling, including a glebe, 10 acres of which have been rendered arable by the present incumbent, at a great expense. The minister, for some years past, has kept an academy, taught by two of his sons; at which are usually from 20 to 26 young gentlemen, some from the West Indies and America, and others from England. The poor receiving alms constantly, are from 30 to 35, and several are occasionally relieved; the sum of collections, annual-rents, and penalties, for their use, is from £30 to £38 per annum, of which about £4 is collected for, and given to the infirmary of Aberdeen. In 1782 and 1783, many lived very sparingly and hardly in this parish: the kirk-session bought meal and pease repeatedly at Aberdeen, when they could be got, and distributed or sold them out at reduced rates; but the people have not yet recovered the extraordinary stress and expense of these years. The heritors are always doing good, and contributing to the relief of the distressed.
The people are generally sober and industrious; and must be economical, as they cannot afford luxuries. Some are 6feet 2 inches in height; and a man who died lately, was 6 feet 7 inches high. A widow woman died last year aged 102, and a man lately at the advanced age of 104. Potter’s-earth is found in the parish. The road along the south side of the Dee is in general good. The statute labour is both exacted in kind, and commuted for money. No turnpikes are needed or wished for in the parish.
The original orthography of this parish seems to have been Maria cultura. It is of an oblong form; 6 English miles in length and 2 in breadth; extending from the river Dee to the Grampian mountains. The soil on the river side is naturally thin and sandy; on the rising midland it becomes deeper and blacker, with a bottom of clay in some parts; and more southward, the ground turns swampy, turfy, and mossy. The extremities of the parish are in some places rocky hills and mosses; in others, green hills with large stones, rushy muirs and heath. Indeed the whole district is rocky and stony, except for some small haughs and dales on the river side; and thoroughly to improve, incloce, and render tolerably fertile, a piece of waste ground here, may be almost termed a new creation. The old farms extended across the whole breadth of the parish, from the Dee to the Grampians, y which means every tenant had a portion of all the different soils.
The Dee, which washes the north side of the parish for above 6 miles, is famous for its salmon, which are caught by flat-bottomed skiffs and nets. There are 5 salmon-fishings in the parish. This stream frequently overflows its banks, particularly in May and June, after a snowy winter, which often damages the sown land: but the most hurtful floods usually happen in September, when they carry off great quantities of cut grain, and level the standing corn among the sand. A remarkable flood occurred on the 17th September 1768, by which many suffered considerably. There is a ferry for horses, carriages, &c. opposite to the manse.
Including the farms in the possession of the heritors, and the fishings, the rent of the whole parish will amount to £1000 sterling. There are 28 ploughgates of land in this district; 20 of which belong to one heritor, and other two gentlemen have 4 each. Black cattle have been fed here, that sold from £20 to £25 each. The produce of the parish more than supplies the inhabitants with provisions. The old rents were made up of money, meal, bear, sheep, hogs, lambs, poultry, butter, eggs, and manual services; but, of late years, those called ipsa corpora are all converted into money.
Red and white clover and rye-grass are sold by many of the farmers, as also turnips. Some of the best arable land is let at 20s. and some of the worst pasture at 5d. per acre. In the minister’s glebe is a quarry of granite. A large portion of the parish is covered with wood. In Kincausie-wood are some deer of the roe kind, of a small size, increasing in number every year. The parish in general is unenclosed, but have neither money, nor length of leases, sufficient for that purpose.
Spinning and knitting stockings is the general employment of all females from 7 years old and upwards. The combed wool for that purpose is given out by hosiers from Aberdeen, in different parts of the parish, on certain days, called Factory Days, on which also the wrought stockings are received. Each pair costs, for spinning and knitting, from 1s. to 3s. 6d. the cheapest are accounted the most profitable, both to the worker and the merchant. The common fuel is peat and furze, but the peat-mosses are now quite exhausted. Peats are bought in Fetteresso parish, at the rate of 1s. a small cart load: coals can be got cheaper in Aberdeen.
The prices of provisions are the same as at the Aberdeen market. The day’s wages of a common labourer are from 8d. to 10d.; of house carpenters, 10s. to 1s.; and of taylors, 6d. and victuals. Male servants receive from £5 to £6; female ditto, £2, and upwards, per. Ann. Male shearers, from 20s. to 30s. female ditto, from 15s. to 20s. for the harvest season.
The state of the parish, as to population, is as follows:
Number of souls in 1755 - 746
Number of souls in 1790- 630
Males- 280
Females- 350
Taylors - 4
Weavers -10
Wrights -3
Norfolk plough-wrights - 1
Sailors- 4
Shoemakers-4
Gardeners- 4
Discharged soldiers- 3
Chelsea pensioners- 2
Roman Catholics- 25
Episcopalians- 8
Seceders- 2
Annual average of births -16
Annual average of deaths- 11
Annual average of marriages - 5
Married men - 120
Batchelors and widowers -14
Inhabited houses- 145
Ploughs - 36
Carts - 40 to 50
Waggon- 1
Coach - 1
Heritors- 3
Minister’s family (not included above) - 34
This parish was more populous 70 or 80 years ago than it is at present. The decline of population is owing to the failure of peat and turf for fuel, and the removal of several persons from hence to Aberdeen, with the view of getting constant employment.
The value of the living will be from £70 to £75 sterling, including a glebe, 10 acres of which have been rendered arable by the present incumbent, at a great expense. The minister, for some years past, has kept an academy, taught by two of his sons; at which are usually from 20 to 26 young gentlemen, some from the West Indies and America, and others from England. The poor receiving alms constantly, are from 30 to 35, and several are occasionally relieved; the sum of collections, annual-rents, and penalties, for their use, is from £30 to £38 per annum, of which about £4 is collected for, and given to the infirmary of Aberdeen. In 1782 and 1783, many lived very sparingly and hardly in this parish: the kirk-session bought meal and pease repeatedly at Aberdeen, when they could be got, and distributed or sold them out at reduced rates; but the people have not yet recovered the extraordinary stress and expense of these years. The heritors are always doing good, and contributing to the relief of the distressed.
The people are generally sober and industrious; and must be economical, as they cannot afford luxuries. Some are 6feet 2 inches in height; and a man who died lately, was 6 feet 7 inches high. A widow woman died last year aged 102, and a man lately at the advanced age of 104. Potter’s-earth is found in the parish. The road along the south side of the Dee is in general good. The statute labour is both exacted in kind, and commuted for money. No turnpikes are needed or wished for in the parish.