ÉRICHIN.
B ish o p r ic k .
C o n v e n t .
form the voyage round Britain, retired by flow marches into wini
ter quarters. 1
Defcend, ’and after travelling three miles, reach
-B r e c H i n ;
a town confiding of one large and handfome ftreet, and tw«
fmaller, feated on the top and fide o f a hill, waihed by the rim
North-EJk. At the foot of the town is a long row of houfes, i|
dependent of it, built on ground held in feu from the family si
North-EJk. It is a royal burgh, and with four others fends I
member to parliament. In refpedt to trade, it has only a final
ihare in the coarfer linen manufadture. It lies at no great dif
tance from the harbour of Montrofe; and the tide flows within tJ
miles of the town, to which a canal might be made, w h ic h per
haps might create a trade, but would be of certain fervice in com
veying down the corn of the country for exportation.
Brechin was a rich and antient bifhoprick, founded b y Daiilil
about the year 1150 : at the Reformation its revenues, in monej
and in kind, amounted to feven hundred a year; but after that
event were reduced to a hundred and fifty, chiefly b y th e aliens!
tion of the lands and tythes by Alexander Campbell, the firft proj
teftant biihop, to his »chieftain the Earl of Argyle; b e in g recoil
mended to the fee by his patron, probably for »that very end. |
The Culdees had a convent here: their abbot Leod was witnt!
to the grant made by King David to his new abbey of DumfrmU.
In after-times they gave way to .the Mathurines, or Red-friw|
The ruins of their houfe, according to Maitland, are f t i ll to be fe*
ip the College Wynde,
i f