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Earl of Dunbar founded the Cistercian nunnery at Coldstream, he gave it the
church of Layn-el, with half a carucate of land at Layn-el, and another half
carucate at Brigham ; and Derder, his Countess, granted to the same nunnery
the church of Hirsel and a carucate of land, which the Earl confirmed (m). In
this manner, then, were the churches of Leinhall and Hirsel invested in the
same religious house ; but the church of Hirsel came afterwards to be considered
only as a chapel, subordinate to the church of Leinhall. The church of Hirsel
stood on the lands of Hirsel, which form the south-western part of this parish.
In the ancient Taxatio, the church of Leinal was rated at 30 marks; hut the
church of Hirsel does not appear therein, being even then deemed a chapel.
The church of Leinal continued in the possession of the prioress of Coldstream
till the "Reformation, and it preserved its ancient name for a century and a half
after that epoch. In 1716 a new parish church was built at the village of
Coldstream, and the designation of the parish became afterward the name of
the kirktown. The ruins of the church of Leinal stand about a mile northward
from Coldstream, on the steep bank of the Tweed, which has carried away a
part of the church-yard. The village of Lennal disappeared amidst the waste
of the border wars. The mansion-house of Lennal still appears on the bank of
the Tweed, above the ruins of the ancient church. Coldstream stands below
the influx of the Leet, which winds around the town before it loses itself in the
Tweed ; and from this stream, the Kirktown probably acquired its name from
the Saxon settlers on this pleasant site, which now forms a prosperous post
town, which gives its name to the connecting bridge of Coldstream with
England (n). Thus much, then, with regard to the several parishes in the
presbytery of Chirnside. [The parish church of Coldstream was erected in
1795 ; communicants, 574 ; stipend, £469. A Free church has 337 members ;
and two U.P. churches, East and West, have 236 and 338 members respectively.]
The reformation led on to the establishment of the seat of a presbytery at
DUNS (o). The parish of Dunse is ancient. Its name was written of old Duns.
This appellation is merely the Celtic Dan, signifying a hill, which was applied to
the beautiful height called Duns-law. In this vicinity, there are several hills
which may have occasioned the application of the English (s), the sign of the
plural to the singular Dun. The advowson of the church, with the property
of the parish, belonged from early times to the Earls of Dunbar. During the
reign of David II., Earl Patrick, when he founded the collegiate church of Dun-
(m) Dougl. Peer., 438 ; from Chart. Coldstream, 70-71.
(n) For other particulars, see the Stat. Acco., iv., 410. and the Tabular State annexed.
(o) Melville's MS.; Caldenvood's Hist., 100.
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