Mercer Chronicle

THE MERCER CHRONICLE. d
Carrick and Athole, 7 with a glorious band
Of northern nobles, left their native land —
The martial throng of devotees to swell,
And prove their prowess on the infidel.
Among these heroes none had ampler store
Of wealth than he who first this blazon bore,
Sir Lawrence Mercer, 8 chieftain of the race,
Did then the office of " Thesaurer" 9 grace,
Of lineage ancient as the noble Tay,
Our chronicles and old traditions say —
" For sicker 'tis as anything on earth,
The Mercers aye are older than old Perth : " —
Old Perth, that when King William ruled the realm,
Almond and Tay combined to overwhelm, 10
And to the German sea indignant hurled
All traces of the conquerors of the world,
At Orred and Bertha, where the twain
Unite their streams to sweep towards the main.
Soon after this to Perth the Mercers gave
The Inches, and acquired their vaulted grave ;
Whence rose — " The Mercers tried the toivn to cheat,
When for twa inches they obtained six feet." xx
7 The connection of the Mercers with the Athole family, themselves
also of Flemish origin, will be hereafter shown.
8 "ad. 1270."
9 " Treasurer."
10 " a.d. 1210," during a great flood.
11 " Under the old structure" (the Perth Cathedral), the Mercers of
Aldie have a sepulchral vault, now covered by the street, but still having
access from the interior ; and it is the local tradition, that many
centuries ago, this vault was obtained by the gift to the city of the
North and South Inches, hence the rhyme : —
' Some say the Mercers tried the town to cheat,
When for two Inches they did get six feet.'
See " A Ramble in the Streets of Perth," published by James B. Clarke,
bookseller, 39, St. John's Street, and edited, we believe, by a very clever
antiquary of this ancient city. See Appendix A.
B 2