History and traditions of the land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns

PREFACE.
It may be proper to remark that this volume is the first which
the Author has published — a fact which will perhaps account
for its numerous defects in composition and arrangement. The
Writer has devoted much of his leisure to the study of the
history and antiquities of his native district — has felt the greatest
pleasure in doing so — and has occasionally published scraps on
the subject in provincial newspapers. These notices (which were
all very defective) related chiefly to churchyard matters, and to
descriptions of remarkable antiquarian and historical peculiari-
ties. In course of time, these not only gained provincial favour,
and the good opinion of several gentlemen of literary note at a
distance, but were so far useful, from the fact, that greater care
has been shewn for antiquarian relics since their publication, and
a marked improvement has taken place in the mode of keeping
many of the churchyards and tombstones in the district.* The
present volume owes its origin to the general interest which one
of these papers created at the time ; and from the kindness and
courtesy of the Right Hon. Lord Lindsay, who was pleased to
remark, in reference to the notice referred to, — " I wish your
account of Glenesk had been published in time to have enabled
me to avail myself of it in the ' Lives.'"
No apology is necessary, it is presumed, for the title of this
volume. The Lands, of which it is intended to preserve the
History and Traditions, have been purposely selected, and were,
at one time or other, under the sway of the powerful family of
Lindsay-Crawford. Glenesk was the birth-place of the first Earl
* From the favour with which these notices were received, the Author
purposes, at some after period, to publish them in an enlarged and improved shape.