MONTROSE

MONTROSE, a royal burgh and sea-port town of Scotland, in the county of Forfar, distant seventy miles north-east from Edinburgh, thirty north-east from Dundee, and about forty south from Aberdeen, in longitude 2. 10. west, and latitude 56. 34. north. It is pleasantly situated on the west side of a narrow sandy peninsula, formed by the German Ocean on the east, the South Esk river on the south, and on the west by a large basin, into which the tide, flowing up the South Esk, spreads itself after passing the town. It is a burgh of high antiquity, and received its first charter from David I., although, from the tenor of that charter, it seems to have been a burgh even before that time. The petty-customs, weigh-house and flesh-market dues, &c. are levied in virtue of a charter granted by David II. James IV. also granted a charter, dated 1493, by which the magistrates are still empowered to levy shore-dues, anchorage, and plankage, at the harbour, for the purpose of upholding piers, buoys, and moorings. The magistrates likewise hold a writ of privy seal from James VI. dated 1600, authorizing them to hold a weekly grain-market on the High Street. Owing to an informality in the election of its magistracy in 1816, the burgh was disfranchised by the Court of Session; and in 1817 a new charter was granted by the crown, by which the old practice of self-election was abolished, and every year ten of the council were renewed by the suffrages of the gildry and trades. But the municipal reform act improved on this charter, and now the magistrates and councillors are elected by the parliamentary

voters. The town-council consists of nineteen members, Montreuil including the provost, three bailies, dean of guild, treasurer, and master of the hospital. Their jurisdiction extends over the royalty of the burgh. The Constable Hill, which the town acquired by purchase, is beyond their jurisdiction, although included in the parliamentary boundaries.

The name of the town is connected with some important events in Scottish history. It was here that in 1295 John Baliol surrendered his crown to Edward I. of England; and it was from the port of Montrose that the celebrated Sir James Douglas embarked in 1330, with a numerous retinue, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to bury the heart of King Robert Bruce in the Holy Sepulchre. It is distinguished as the first place in Scotland where the Greek language was taught, and as having sent forth from its seminary the learned scholar and divine, Andrew Melville. It is likewise the birth-place of the celebrated Marquis of Montrose. This was the only town in Scotland, so late as the commencement of the eighteenth century, where an individual could be found who understood the management of pumps in coal-works. In December 1715, James, the first pretender, landed here from the French fleet, which had passed the Frith of Forth, the place of its destination; and here also, in February of the ensuing year, he and his suite again embarked for France.

The town is in general well built, and has of late years been considerably enlarged by the erection of several new streets. The principal street extends, under various denominations, the whole length of the town; and the centre part of it, named the High Street, is spacious, and contains many elegant buildings. From the east side of this main street run several cross streets, which connect it with the different smaller streets and buildings lying in that direction. The town-house, which stands in the High Street, is a handsome edifice of two stories, with an arcade below, and contains the council-room, guild-hall, court-room, news-room, and public library. The old parish church, which is collegiate, is a large, plain building, measuring 98 feet in length by 65 in breadth. It has two tiers of galleries, and is seated for 2500, but contains nearly 3000. A new steeple was attached to it in 1835, consisting of an elegant and massive Gothic tower, upwards of a hundred feet high, surmounted by a spire nearly of the same height. This is said to be the highest steeple in Scotland. St John's Church, formerly a chapel of ease to the old parish church, but to which a parish was annexed in 1835, is a handsome edifice, seated for about 1500 individuals. There are also two congregations belonging to the United Associate Synod, two of Episcopalians, one of Independents, one of Methodists, two of Baptists, and one of Glassites. St Peter's Chapel, belonging to the Episcopalians not connected with the Scottish communion, was founded in 1722, and is a neat and commodious place of worship. The Academy, erected in the year 1814, is a fine edifice. It is under the patronage of the town-council, and is conducted by a rector, who teaches mathematics, geography, and modern languages; and it has, besides, two teachers of English, two for writing and arithmetic, and two for Latin and Greek. In 1832 a spacious seminary was erected by the seven incorporated trades, for affording education on cheaper terms than those of the Academy. There is a free school, founded by Mr David White, in which a hundred boys are taught; and another supported by Miss Straiton's, endowment, in which forty-two boys and thirty-five girls are educated. Besides these, there are numerous private schools throughout the town. The Lunatic Asylum, situated in the Links, is a plain and commodious edifice. It was erected in 1780, but has since then been considerably enlarged, and is now capable of containing eighty patients. It is considered as being one of the best institutions of the kind in Scotland. A portion of the

Montrose building has hitherto been used as an infirmary and dispensary; but the managers are now (1837) preparing to erect a separate building for these purposes. In 1833 a commodious new jail was erected.

There are in the town two libraries, one of which was established in 1785, on a liberal plan, and now contains about 7000 volumes. The other, called the Montrose Reading Society, possesses about 2200 volumes, and is supported chiefly by the working classes. The two parish churches have likewise libraries attached to them. A newspaper was established in 1811, named the Montrose, Arbroath, and Brechin Review, which is published every Friday morning; and another, in 1837, called the Montrose Standard, every Thursday. There are here numerous associations for the encouragement of commerce, literature, and science, as well as for benevolent and charitable purposes.

It has already been stated that the town is bounded on the west by the Basin. This is an extensive level, over which the waters of the ocean, flowing up the South Esk, spread at flood, but which again becomes dry with the ebbing of the tide. During high water it presents the appearance of a vast lake, being about seven miles in circumference, and not only adds greatly to the beauty of the scenery, but is highly advantageous in a commercial point of view, as it affords sufficient depth of water in the channel of the river for allowing small vessels to be navigated to the distance of three miles above the harbour; whilst the vast quantity of water by which it is filled, running back to the ocean with a strong current at the ebbing of the tide, prevents the formation of a bar at the mouth of the river, and thereby renders the harbour at all times accessible to large vessels. The harbour is commodious, and the entrance to it is easy, except during easterly winds, the average depth on the bar at low water of spring tides being eighteen feet. Two light-houses, with fixed lights, were erected on the north side of the river in 1818, by which vessels are now enabled to take the harbour with safety in the darkest nights. The lights are seen in clear weather at the distance of eight miles. Accommodation for shipping, to the extent of about 6000 tons, is about to be provided, by means of a wet dock on the north side of the river, which will greatly promote the commercial prosperity of the port.

The great northern turnpike crosses the South Esk by means of two bridges; one of stone, with a revolving drawbridge in the centre, to allow vessels to pass up and down the Basin, on the south side of the small island of Inchbrayock; the other a magnificent suspension bridge, from Inchbrayock to the north side of the river. The foundation-stone of this bridge was laid on the 18th of September 1828. It was designed by Captain Brown, the patentee, and finished at a cost of about £20,000. The distance between the towers at the two extremities of the bridge, measuring from the centre of each, is 432 feet. There are four main chains, supported by two stone towers, seventy-one feet in height; these form the grand entrance to the bridge on each side, through an archway sixteen feet wide by eighteen feet high. The four counter-abutments for securing the back-stay chains are 115 feet distant from the tower, reckoning from the centre of the tower to the face of the farthest wall of the chambers, and consist each of an arched chamber, a strong counterfort or abutment, a tunnel, and lying spandrel arch. From these main chains the platform is suspended; this forms a roadway twenty-six feet in breadth, constructed upon iron beams, to which the planking or platform is bolted. It is about to be strengthened by an additional back-stay chain. To prevent the hollow sound arising from the tread of horses on the wooden platform or roadway, a composition of coal, tar, pitch, and broken metal, is laid over the planking, which, besides preserving it, is impervious to water. There is a pontage levied at the bridge, which yields about £1,300 a year.

Montrose is a town possessed of considerable commerce. It is a port of the customhouse, and, as such, includes the havens and creeks from Bervie Brow to the Tay. The gross receipts for the year ending 5th January 1835 amounted to £7369. 2s. 9d.; for the year ending same date 1836, to £6827. 3s. 2d. Nett receipts, after deducting all expenses, for 1835, £2135. 9s. 6d.; for 1836, £1672. 7s. 8d. The vessels belonging to the port amounted, in 1837, to 105, registering about 11,050 tons. A great proportion of these are engaged in the importation of flax from the different ports on the Baltic. A number are also employed in bringing coals from Newcastle and Sunderland for the use of the town and neighbourhood; and there are two large vessels engaged in the whale-fishery. A very large steam-vessel, and two regular traders, are now employed in the London trade. The exportation of cured herrings and salmon is considerable. Ship-building is carried on to a considerable extent; and there is a commodious patent slip for repairing ships. The principal business of the town consists in making sail-cloth, sheeting, and linen; and there are now several extensive flax spinning-mills connected with this trade, besides two rope and sail manufactories.

There are here very extensive links or downs between the town and the sea, which afford one of the best golfing grounds in Scotland, a game practised by all ranks. The race-ground on the links is admirably fitted for the purpose, but for several years it has not been used.

The inhabitants of Montrose have availed themselves of the general police act for burghs, passed a few years ago; and the town is now properly protected by an efficient body of police. Very great improvements have also been made in the paving and cleaning of the streets. The town is well lighted with gas, and abundantly supplied with water conducted by pipes from a distance of three miles.

Montrose unites with Forfar, Brechin, Arbroath, and Bervie, in sending a member to parliament. The number of voters in the parliamentary burgh is about 400. In September 1836, the burgh funds were estimated at £54,344. 2s. 7d. and the debts and obligations at £29,609. 11s., leaving a balance in favour of the town of £24,734. 11s. 7d. The revenue of the town, arising from land, feu-duties, and shore-dues, is nearly £3000 a year.

The population of the town in 1811 amounted to 8955; in 1821, to 10,338; and in 1831, to 12,055. The number of inhabited houses in the latter year was 1190. The population is now (1837) estimated at 15,000.