Imperial gazeteer of Scotland, or, Dictionary of Scottish topography > Volume 1

CULLEN.
330
CULLICUDDEN.
called Fishertown or Seatown. The main part,
called the old town, stood more inland: it was
meanly built, and of little comparative importance,
and about the year 1822 was utterly demolished, in
order to make way for the improvements of Cullen
House. The new town, by which it was replaced,
stands close to the eastern extremity of Fishertown,
on ground elevated considerably above it. It is a
very neat little town. The houses are good, and
the streets laid out on a regular and tasteful plan;
only about one - half of which, however, has yet
been executed. But the Boundary commissioners
observe, that the town " being favourably situated
for fishing, and in a well-cultivated district, may be
expected to increase." In the middle of Seafield-
street, and apparently intended as the centre of the
future town, is an open market-place. Upper Cas-
tle-street, running south-west, parallel to Seafield-
street, and at right angles with the street leading
through the market to the burying-place, at the
north-eastern extremity of the ground-plan of the
town, is another principal street. The length of
Seafield-street is about 400 yards, and of Upper
Castle-street 300 yards. The street running to the
burying-ground, though as yet built for only half
its length, extends to between 500 and 600 yards,
according to the plan. The Banff and Elgin road
branches off through the two first streets, forming
between them, at their south-eastern extremities, an
angular area of ornamental ground at the entrance
to the town. The principal public building is one
erected in 1822, at the cost of £3,000, in the central
square, disposed partly in a commodious hotel, and
partly in a burgh council-room, a large court-room,
and an elegant ball-room. The symmetrical form
of the new town — which enjoys a circle of genteel
society, consisting of persons of moderate incomes
— presents a curious contrast to the contiguous un-
usually 'awkward squad' of fishermen's houses
constituting Fishertown, and which display a total
independence even of anything like partial subordi-
nation to the ' rank and "file ' of streets. A natural
local disadvantage of Cullen is the want of a plenti-
ful supply of good water. There is but one good
spring ; and to Cullen Water there is considerable
difficulty of access, from the steepness of its banks.
The town, however, has been supplied through
pipes from the annexed district of Rathven parish.
A harbour, in a situation convenient for the town,
was formed in 1817; and enlarged in 1834, by the
Earl of Seafield, at a cost of upwards of £10,000. It
has at the pier's head a depth of 8J feet at neap
tides, and of 12 feet at spring tides, and is one of
the best artificial harbours in the Moray frith.
Several vessels of from 40 to 100 tons, and a great
many fishing-boats, belong to the town. The chief
imports are barley for distillation, coals, salt, and
staves; and the chief exports are herrings, dried
fish, oats, potatoes, and timber. The trade in fish
is extensive, large quantities of cod, skate, ling, and
haddocks being cured and dried for sale at Montrose,
Arbroath, Dundee, and Leith, to which they are
carried in the Cullen fishing-boats. The Edinburgh
and Inverness steamers call at Cullen. Abundant
supplies of peat fuel are obtained from the vicinity
of the town and from Deckford parish. Cullen has
offices of the Union and the North of Scotland banks,
a public news-room, a public library, and a gas-light
company. Fairs for cattle and horses are held on
the 7th of January, the third Friday of May, the
last Tuesday, old style, of September, and the second
Friday of November.
Though Cullen is now principally a modern town,
it is a burgh of considerable antiquity, as is proved
by a charter of James I., dated 6th March, 1455;
ratifying another of Robert I., by which were granted
to this burgh the usual liberties, privileges, and ad-
vantages. Similar to Banff, it was at one time a
constabulary, of which the Earl of Findlater was
hereditary constable, by virtue of an ancient right.
He ultimately became hereditary chief-magistrate,
without either the Scotch title of provost or the
English dignity of lord-mayor, but merely under
that of preses. Thus far the old constitution of this
royal burgh was peculiar. The acting magistracy
consisted of 3 bailies, a dean-of-guild, a treasurer,
and 21 councillors, — in all 26; the jurisdiction ex-
tending over a district of about 2 miles from east to
west, and 2 from north to south; but for many years
no burgh-courts were held. There have been here
no corporations ; eveiy one being entitled to buy,
sell, and manufacture as he chose. Burgess-ship
was constituted simply by giving a ' Burgess act.'
Merchant-councillors were chosen from the sellers
of goods, trades' councillors from handicraftsmen.
The burgh is now governed by a provost, and 12
councillors. Municipal constituency, in 1865, 44.
The territory over which the jurisdiction of the
burgh is now exercised extends from the water mouth
of Cullen, along the bay to Maiden- paps; thence
due south to the Loggie road; thence in straight
lines, to the point at which the Deskford and the
Banff roads meet ; thence to the point at which the
Seafield and the Slacks roads meet; and thence to
the bridge over Cullen water, the boundary ter-
minating at the water mouth. Though the sheriff-
court be within a few miles, and town-courts at the
door, the amity and good feeling of the inhabitants
are stated in the Old Statistical report, to have been
so great, that " hardly such a thing as a lawsuit was
heard of among them." The only place of confine-
ment is a lock-up house, erected about 30 years ago
for the short imprisonment of petty delinquents,
and, in case of need, for the safe custody of prisoners
on their way to the county-jail at Banff. This
lock-up house consists of 3 cells, vaulted, paved,
and lighted, but without fire-place or airing-ground.
The property of this burgh was in ancient times
considerable; but it was alienated to the Seafield
family. There were no alienations during 40 years
previous to 1833. The property recently consisted
of feu-duties, houses, and money. The value of
the feu-duties in 1833, was nearly £411 3s. 4d., and
the sums of money amounted to £325 10s., of
which £250 were lent to the curator of the Earl of
Seafield. The revenue of the burgh, in 1833, was
£73 0s. 1-ftd.; expenditure £42 3s. lid. There
were no debts. In 1864-5 the revenue was only
£54. The appointment, during pleasure, of the
dean-of-guild, procurator fiscal, treasurer, town-
clerk and town-officer, with almost nominal sal-
aries, constitutes all the offices under the patronage
of the burgh; but there are two mortifications said
to be under the management of the magistrates and
kirk-session. These are Lorimer's and Latta's bur-
saries; the first for educating a student at the uni-
versity of Aberdeen; the second for educating a boy
at the school of Cullen. The permanent assess-
ments are land-tax, stent, burgh-mail, and cess and
land cess. Cullen unites with Elgin, Banff, Kin-
tore, Peterhead, Macduff, and Inverary, in return-
ing a member to parliament. The parliamentary
constituency in 1865, was 44. The parliamentary
borough-boundaries are not nearly so extensive as
the royalty. Population in 1841 of the new town of
Cullen, 712; of the Fishertown of Cullen, 711.
Population of the municipal burgh in 1841, 2,622;
in 1861, 3,543. Houses, 657. Population of the
parliamentary burgh in 1861, 1,818. Houses, 331.
CULLICUDDEN, an ancient parish, now forming