168
of Nisbet formed part of the revenues of this well endowed house (g). There
were of old a chapel with an adjoining cemetery at the Spited in Nisbet, and
hence, in the records of the presbytery, the united parish is sometimes called
" the united parishes of Crailing, Nisbet, and Spital" (h). The united parishes
emerged from their long continued dependence at the epoch of the Reforma-
tion (i). [Samuel Rutherford, the eminent divine, was born in this parish, and
Calderwood, the church historian, was minister here in 1604. The Parish
Church was built about 1755. Its communicants number 119, and the stipend
is £437. A Free Church has a membership of 187, with a stipend of £238.]
The parish of ANCRuM consists of the old parishes of Ancrum and of Lang-
newton, which was annexed to it at the end of the seventeenth century. The
former lies along the south-west side of the river Ale, and the latter on the
north-east side. Ancrum is obviously a mere abbreviation of Aln-crum, the
ancient name which the site of the village derived from its location in a bend
of the river Aln, that is now called Ale. For Crum, and Crom, in the Cambro-
British and Scoto-Irish languages, signify a bending, or concave (k) ; and
hence, the British settlers near the remarkable bend of the Aln gave it the name
of Alncrum. The Inquisitio of Earl David in 1116 A.D., found that Alnecrum
belonged to the bishopric of Glasgow (l). In Bagimont's Roll the " rectoria de
" Ankrum" is valued at £6 13s. 4d. In the ordinance of the bishop and chapter
of Glasgow during the year 1401, respecting the prebends of that episcopate,
Alnecrum is rated at forty shillings (m). The bishops of Glasgow appear to have
(g) Charter of David I. Banulph de Soulis gave to the same house half a carucate of land in
Nasebith. By the forfeiture of William Soulis and from the grant of Robert I., Nisbet barony became
the property of Walter, the Stewart of Scotland. Robertson's Index, 10—21. During the reign
of David II., Robert, the Stewart of Scotland and Earl of Strathearn, who became Robert II. in 1371,
granted to Sir Robert Erskine and Christiane de Keth, his spouse, the baronies of Nesbet and
Enam, " Cum eorum multuris, et sequelis, cum advocationibus ecclesiarum et hospitalium, si que
" fuerunt cum tenandiis, et serviciis, libere tenencium, cum bondis, bondagiis, et nativis ac eorum
" sequelis." Chart. Aberdon, 807.
(h) Stat. Acco., ii. 322. The old church of Nisbet was demolished many years ago, but its
cemetery is still used by the old families, who love to lie among their progenitors.
(i) Other particulars of those united parishes may be seen in the Stat. Acco., ii. 323. On the 28th
of June 1633, there issued a commission to the commissioners of surrenders, concerning the kirks of
Nisbet and Crailing. Unprinted Acts of that year.           (k) Davis and Owen ; O'Brien and Shaw.
(l) Chart. Glasgow, No. 1. The church of Alnecrumb was confirmed to the bishopric by the
popes, Alexander, Lucius, and Urban, all before the year 1186. Chart. Glasgow. In 1353, Edward
III. issued a writ, " de presentatione ad ecclesiĉ de Alnecrom." Ayloffe's Cal., 211. John de Con-
veth, parson of the church of Alnecrom, swore fealty to Edward I. at Berwick, on the 28th of August
1296. Prynne.                                (m) Chart. Glas.