or ARBROATH, one of the royal boroughs of Scotland, situated in the county of Angus, about 40 miles N. N. E. of Edinburgh, in W. Long. 2. 20. and N. Lat. 56. 56. 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 last forty years, and the number of inhabitants greatly augmented; which is owing to the introduction of manufactures. The population in 1801 was above 7000. The inhabitants consist chiefly 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 ofnaburgs, were manufactured here before any encouragement was given by government, or the linen company erected at Edinburgh. 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-feed, and timber, from the Baltic. The coaling 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 burgheers of Aberbrothick, in 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 borough. 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 à Becket. The founder was buried there; but there are no remains of his tomb, or any other, excepting that of a monk of the name of Alexander Nicol. The monks were of the Tyroleanish 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 Andrew's, 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 the great seal, he exempted it a tenetum et comestudine in every part of England, except London. At Aberbrothick is a chalybeate water, similar to those of Peterhead and Glendye.