or Aberroth, one of the royal boroughs of Scotland, situated in the county of Angus, about forty miles N. N. E. of Edinburgh; its W. Long. being 2. 29. and N. Lat. 56. 36. It is seated on the discharge of the little river Brothick into the sea, as the name imports, Aber in the British implying such a situation. It is a small but flourishing place, well built, and still increasing. The town has been in an improving state for the thirty last years, and the number of inhabitants greatly augmented; which is owing to the introduction of manufactures. The number, at this time, is said to be about three thousand five hundred: these principally consist of weavers of coarse brown linens, and some sail-cloth; others are employed in making white and coloured threads: the remainder are either engaged in the shipping of the place, or in the necessary and common mechanic trades. The brown linens, or Osnaburghs, were manufactured here before any encouragement was given by Government, or the linen company erected at Edin-

burgh. It appears from the books of the stamp-office in this town, that seven or eight hundred thousand yards are annually made in the place, and a small district round. Besides this export and that of thread, much barley and some wheat is sent abroad. The foreign imports are flax, flax-seed, and timber, from the Baltic. The coasting trade consists of coals from Borrowstounness, and lime from Lord Elgin's kilns in Fife.—At this place, in default of a natural harbour, a tolerable artificial one of piers has been formed, where, at spring-tides, which rise here fifteen feet, ships of two hundred tons can come, and of eighty at neap-tides; but they must lie dry at low water. This port is of great antiquity: there is an agreement yet extant between the abbot and the burgheirs of Aberbrothick, in the year 1194, concerning the making of the harbour. Both parties were bound to contribute their proportions; but the largest fell to the share of the former, for which he was to receive an annual tax payable out of every rood of land lying within the burgh.—The glory of this place was the abbey, whose very ruins give some idea of its former magnificence. It was founded by William the Lion in 1178, and dedicated to our celebrated primate Thomas a Becket. The founder was buried here; but there are no remains of his tomb, or of any other, excepting that of a monk, of the name of Alexander Nicoll. The monks were of the Tyronenian order; and were first brought from Kelso, whose abbot declared those of this place on the first institution to be free from his jurisdiction. The last abbot was the famous Cardinal Beaton, at the same time archbishop of St Andrews, and, before his death, as great and absolute here as Wolsey was in England. King John, the English monarch, granted this monastery most uncommon privileges; for by charter, under his great seal, he exempted it a tenetis et confestutio in every part of England, except London.