Rirkintilloch Town.

THERE are nineteen different ways in which the name of the great poet Shakespeare may be spelt. Sir Herbert Maxwell tells us that there were twenty five different ways of spelling his native place, Galloway; and in ancient charters and other documents the name of the old town of Kirkintilloch has been pretty well twisted in the same manner. It appears as Caerpentulach, Caerpentilloch, Cairpentaloch, Kyrkyntulok, Kirkyntulach, Kirkyntulloch, Kirkentulacht, Kirkintholach, Kirkintulach, Kirkintullocht, Kerkentuloch, Kirkintolach, Kirkintullach, Kirkentilloch, Kirkintulloch, and finally settles down into Kirkintilloch.*

The original name was Caer-pen-tulach, signifying in the Cambro-British speech, the fort on the head or end of the hill, and this would describe exactly its appearance when the Roman fort at the Peel-near the present parish church— stood prominently at the end of the hill on which the town is now built. The name Caer-pen-tulach was applied to the district as well as the fort, and the origin of Kirktilloch thus dates from the first or at least the second century.

Possibly no other town in Scotland has an equal record; and if the Lord Mayor of London invited all the Provosts in the kingdom to a banquet, and gave each precedence according to the period when the town he represented had a name and a beginning, however humble; it seems certain

* Sir William Brereton who visited the town in 1636, calls it "Cuntellon "-and Jorevin de Rocheford who saw it in 1661, in a book published in Paris, terms it "Cartelock."

that the man who would take precedence of all others would not be the Provost of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, or Paisley, but the Provost of Kirkintilloch.

It is most likely that the erection of the fort-always containing a garrison-would induce natives and, perhaps, old veterans of the Roman army, to settle down and cultivate their crops under the protection of the troops, and the nucleus of a village thus formed would, in course of time, grow into a town.

Be that as it may, it had attained to some importance in the reign of William the Lion, who gave a "Grant of liberty of a burgh at Kirkintilloch" to William Cumyn (or Comyn), a translation of which we are enabled to give.

The document conveying this grant unfortunately gives no year-and this, it seems, was a common omission in charters of the time-otherwise it is in good business shape. The year of its execution is, however, problematical, and all that we can be certain of is, that it was not later than December, 1214, when William died. Most writers give 1170 as the year, and others 1184, but on what grounds we are unable to discover.

"GRANT OF LIBERTY OF A BURGH AT KIRKINTILLOCH.

"William, by the grace of God, King of Scots, to all honest men of his whole realm, clergy and laity-Greeting, -Know those present and to come; that I have granted, and by my present charter confirmed, to William Cumyn and his heirs that they should have a burgh at Kirkintilloch, and a market upon the Thursday, with the liberties and privileges belonging to a burgh; as freely, and quietly, and honourably as any of my barons have a burgh from my gift within my realm.

"Witnesses,-Alan son of Ronald my constable;

William de Boscho my chancellor; Philip de Valen my chamberlain; Phillip de Mowbra; Alexander my sheriff of Stirling; Harbert de Camera; Adam his son.

"Given at Foreis the second day of October, and extracted out of the register of the dean, canons, and chapter of the Metropolitan Church of Glasgow, by me, Richard Harbertsoun, notary public, and clerk of the said chapter, pro tempore. Witness my hand. Signed."

Following the above grant was a charter by William Cumyn to the burgh, which unfortunately is not extant, but we give a confirmation of it by William, Earl of Wigton, with additional privileges.

"To all who shall see or hear this Charter. William Earl of Wigtown, Lord Fleming and Cumbernauld, Lord Superior of the Lordship and Barony of Lenzie, of which barony the burgh and lands of Kirkintilloch with their pertinents underwritten are proper parts and pertinents, Greeting. Forasmuch as by authentic instruments and documents, and other ancient evidents, It clearly appears to us that William, formerly King of the Scots, erected the foresaid town and burgh-lands thereof with houses, tenements, yards, and other pertinents of the said town and burgh of Kirkintilloch into a burgh of barony, In favour of William Cumming; And also that the said William Cumming in feu farm and heritage for ever—Gave, sold, alienated, and disponed, In favour of certain inhabitants or burgesses of the said burgh, and their successors; the foresaid town, burgh lands thereof, with the houses, tenements, and others above written with the pertinents. And Sicklike that he gave and granted to them and their foresaids, the liberty of a free burgh of barony, with power of courts, election of bailies yearly, and other privileges, as at more length expressed in the above charter granted to the said burgesses as the same of date with the

Sasine following thereon more fully bears. And Sicklike that divers others our predecessors holding of the Kings of Scotland the said free burgh of Kirkintilloch with all and singular the privileges of a burgh of barony; particularly Malcolm, Lord Fleming, High Chamberlain of Scotland, and baron of the said barony of Lenzie,

our predecessor of famous memory, by charters with his own hand subscribed and duly sealed, whereof the first of date at Cumbernauld the tenth day of the month of December 1525, and the other of date at Boghall the tenth day of the month of February 1527, heritably gave and granted to the foresaid burgesses and possessors of the said burgh and lands thereof for the time and their successors. All and Haill the burgh lands and tenements lawfully and by right and custom anciently pertaining and belonging to the said burgh of Kirkintilloch lying in the said barony, and within the Sheriffdom of Dumbarton. To be holden by the said burgesses, their heirs and assignees of the said Malcolm Fleming, his heirs and successors in feu farm and heritage for ever, with the haill liberties of a feu Charter, with Courts, and their exits and amerciaments, with power also yearly of choosing, continuing, on-putting, and off-putting bailies, sergeants, officers, writers, and clerks of court, buying and selling such burgh lands and tenements, making and receiving resignations of said lands and tenements, in the hands of the said bailies state and sasine giving and delivering thereon, with all other liberties and rights belonging to a free burgh of barony, and as freely as any other burgh lands and tenements within a burgh of barony within the Kingdom of Scotland have been held or possessed by any persons whomsoever. Paying therefrom yearly the said burgesses and feuars of the said lands and tenements their heirs and successors to the said Malcolm Lord Fleming, his heirs and successors whatsoever, of twelve merks usual money of the Kingdom of Scotland of yearly feu duty, at two terms of the year, viz. Whitsunday, and Martinmas in winter, by equal portions, As at more length specified in the foresaid charters of the dates foresaid containing in themselves the boundings of the said lands and precepts of sasine with full and ample warrandice. And that the foresaid burgesses and feuars of Kirkintilloch have been infeft and seized in the foresaid burgh lands and tenements of the said burgh, with their liberties, profits and righteous pertinents set forth in the charters above mentioned, and by virtue of the precepts of sasine in them contained as is more fully expressed in the instruments of sasine following thereupon whereof the one is dated 1st January 1527, and the other 9th June 1528, under the hand and seal of Gavin Clarke Notary Public, and duly registered. And that John, sometime Earl of Wigtoun therein designed Lord Wigtoun our Grandfather by his letters of ratification