381
old in this parish two chapels, which were subordinate to Childinkirk; the one
at Glengelt (a), and the other at Carfrae (6). The rights of mother churches,
which in ancient times were carried full far enough, were ail abolished by the
Reformation ; when such chapels were neglected for greater objects (c). [The
parish church, erected in 1817, has 181 communicants ; stipend, £298].
The parish name of MErTOUN is merely the Saxon Mere-tun, the habitation at
the marsh or pond. This name is very common from so usual a circumstance,
among the fens in North and South-Britain. The Mere, which furnished a
name to this place, has been improved into glebe. The marsh here is supposed
to have been chiefly drained by a rivulet which flows from Lochflat, by the
east of the church, and falls into the Tweed below the mansion-house of Mer-
toun. The Abbey of Dryburgh was founded by David I. within this parish;
and this munificent founder gave the parish church with its pertinents to his
favourite canons of Dryburgh (d). In the ancient Taxatio the church of Mer-
ton, within the deanery of the Merse, is rated at forty marks. While the church
thus belonged to the canons of Dryburgh, the cure was served by a vicar (e).
The church of Mertoun continued to belong to the canons of Dryburgh till
the Reformation introduced a very different regimen (f). [The parish church
was erected in 1658, and repaired in 1820. Communicants, 191; stipend, £304.]
The name of the parish of EARLSTON is plainly a modern corruption of the
celebrated appellation of Ersildun. In the charters, from the 12th century to
the 16th, the name is written Ersildun, Erseldon (g). It may be derived from
the Cambro-British Arcwl-dun, signifying the prospect hill. The church and
(a)  Henry de Murdeville, who enjoyed the lands of Glengelt, during the reign of William the Lion
granted to the canons of Dryburgh an indemnity that the chapel of Glengelt should not injuriously
affect the mother church of Childin-kirk.    Chart. Dryb.. 139.
(b)  In the 13th century, John de St. Clair, who possessed the lands of Carfrae, granted an indemnity
to the canons of Dryburgh that his chapel of Carfrae should not injure the mother church of Childin-
kirk.    Ib., 143.
(c)  For modern notices of Channelkirk the inquisitive reader may consult the Stat. Acco., xiii.,
384, and the Tabular State annexed.
(d)  Oh. Dryb. ; Dug. Monast., ii., 1054.
(e)   In  1483, Dene David Dewar, the vicar of Mertoun, had some pretensions to the Abbey of
Dryburgh, and in this character he leased to Adam Bell the tithes of the church of Salton, which
Bell collected ; and being prosecuted in  parliament by  the abbot, Bell brought his action against
the vicar.     On the  23rd  of January  1488-9,  the lords found that Dene David being a spiritual.
person, and the abbacy litigious, the abbot ought to summon him before the spiritual judge.    Parl.
Rec., 352.
(f) For more recent particulars of that parish, see the Stat. Acco., xiv., 586, and the Tabular State
annexed.
(g) In Pont's Map of the Merse, during the reign of Charles I., the name appears in the form of
Ersildun.