FORFAR

FORFAR, a town of Scotland, and capital of the county of that name, situated in N. Lat. 56. 25. W. Long. 2. 32. This town, with Dundee, Cupar, Perth, and St Andrew's, jointly send one member to the British parliament. It stands in the great valley

Forfar. valley of Strathmore that runs from Perth north-east to the sea, almost in a straight line, about 50 miles long and betwixt four and five miles broad, bounded on the south side by gentle hills, and on the north by the Grampian mountains.

Forfar is a very ancient town, and was once a royal residence. Here Malcolm Canmore held his first parliament in 1057. The ruins of his palace are still to be seen on the top of an artificial mound of a circular form, resting upon a base of about three acres of ground, and rising 50 feet high above the plain. The lake of Forfar, stretching two miles in length from east to west, and half a mile in breadth, and covering the palace on the north, afforded not only a plentiful supply of water for every purpose, but also added to the strength of the place. This lake which abounds with trout, pike, perch, and eel, has been greatly reduced by draining; and fine mair has been found in strata from two to six and eight feet deep, with moss below ten feet deep.

Within this lake were formerly two islands raised by art, with buildings on each; to which Margaret, Malcolm Canmore's queen, retired after the decease of her husband. Part of the ruins of these edifices are still to be seen.

Little is known of Forfar till the middle of the 17th century, except an act passed in the 13th parliament of James VI. 21st July, 1593, in the following words, which affords a specimen of the manners and language of the times, "Our sovereigne Lorde, understanding that be acte and ordinance maid anent obseruation of the Sabbath-daie within this realme, the mercatte-daie of the burgh of Forfare, being the head burgh of the schire, quhilk was Sundae, is taken from them; and his hieneffe not willing that they in onie waies shuld be prejudged hereby, therefore his hieneffe, with advice of the estates of this present parliament, alteris and changis their said mercatte-daie from Sundae to Fridae, and willis the samen Fridae oukly to be their mercatte-daie to them in all times hereafter; and the famin to stande with the like privileges and freedomes as the Sundae did of before." The market day has been held on Saturday.

During the usurpation of Oliver Cromwell, a detachment of his forces, after sacking Dundee, came to Forfar and burnt all the public records of the place; and the only charter the town now has is one granted by Charles II. after his restoration, confirming all its ancient rights and privileges.

As an evidence of the ignorance and barbarity of the times, it appears from the records of the trials kept in the charter-chieft of Forfar, that nine persons were condemned and burnt here for witchcraft betwixt the years 1650 and 1662. These innocent people were all tried by a special commission from the lords of the privy council at Edinburgh; and although the commission expressly discharged torturing them on purpose to extort a confession of their guilt, yet, as it was then thought meritorious to obtain confession of guilt by whatever means, many inhuman cruelties were exercised upon the unfortunate objects; particularly, an iron boot was drawn upon one of their legs, and a wedge driven with great force between it and the leg. Another instrument, still carefully preserved here, was likewise used, and is called the witch bridle. It is made of iron in the shape of a dog's collar, with two pikes

on the inside, about four inches distant and two and a half long. These pikes were put into the mouth, and the collar afterwards buckled fast on the back of the head, to which was affixed an iron chain, whereby the condemned persons were led to the place of execution called the Play-field, about a quarter of a mile to the northward of the town.

The streets of Forfar are rather irregular; but many of the houses are neat and well built. Olinaburgs and coarse linens are manufactured here; and many of the inhabitants are employed in making a coarse kind of shoes.

Forfar-Shire, a county of Scotland, of which Forfar is the capital. Including Angus, Glenila, Glenesk, and Glenprossin, it extends between 40 and 50 miles from east to west, and 16 were broadest, though in some places the breadth does not exceed five miles. On the north it is divided from the Brac of Mar by a ridge of the Binchinnan mountains; it is bounded on the south by the frith of Tay and the British ocean, on the east by Mearns, and on the west by Perthshire. Part of the Grampian mountains runs through this county, which is agreeably diversified with hill and dale. It produces some lead and iron, together with freestone, slate, and limestone. Coarse linens and fail-cloth are the chief manufactures of the county. It is well watered with lakes, rivers, rivulets, and fountains, shaded with large forests, roughened with brown mountains and waved with green hills interspersed with fields and meadows, and adorned with fine seats and plantations. Their heaths and woods abound with hart, hind, roebuck, and moor game; their streams are stocked with trout and salmon. Their hills are covered with flocks of sheep, and their fields afford plentiful harvests of wheat and all sorts of grain. The mountains to the west and north are inhabited by Highlanders; but the Lowlanders possess the towns and champaign country, and are remarkable for their politeness and hospitality.

The population of this county in 1801 amounted to 97,778. But in the following table is exhibited a view of its population, at two different periods.