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monks enjoyed the rectorial revenues and the cure was served by a vicar (/).
In Bagimont's Roll, the vicarage of Sanwick was taxed £2 13s. 4d. (g). The
church of San wick continued to belong to the monastery of Tongland till it
was transferred by the Reformation to the crown (h). In 1588 the church
of Sanwick was granted for life to Mr. William Melville, the commendator
of Tongland, and on his death in 1613, it passed with the other property
of Tongland monastery to the bishop of Galloway, by a grant of the king in
1605 (i). This right reverted to the crown on the abolition of episcopacy in
1689. The old parish of Sen wick forms the southern part of the present
parish of Borgue. The ruins of the old church still exist on the side of the bay
which gave the name to the parish. Tradition relates that this church was
sacrilegiously plundered of its plate by French pirates, at some previous period
to the Reformation. But a storm wrecked the vessel on a rock which is
nearly opposite to the church, where the pirates perished, and which has since
been called the Frenchman's rock (j)
The parish of Kirkandrews acquired its name from the dedication of its
church to Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. In early times, this church
belonged to the far-famed monks of Iona. When the devastations of the
Danish pirates left them without an establishment, William the Lion trans-
ferred their churches and estates in Galloway to the monks of Holyrood,
between the years 1172 and 1180 (k). The church of Kirkandrews continued
with the monks of Holyrood abbey at the accession of Robert Bruce to
the throne. It was afterwards transferred from them to the Lord of Gallo-
way, and when the Earl of Douglas forfeited the lordship of Galloway in
(/) At the epoch of the Reformation the rectorial tithes were let by the bishop of Galloway, who
then held the abbey of Tongland for 204 bolls of meal, and 112 bolls of bear yearly. MS. Rental
Boot, fo. 67. A few years afterwards these tithes were let to Gordon of Lochinver for the small sum
of £20 Scots yearly. New Rental Acc., 1566. Ib., fo. 86.
(g) At the epoch of the Reformation, and for some time before, the revenues of the vicarage of
Sanwick were let for £40 Scots yearly, but they then fell in value one third of that sum, as the cors
presents, umest claiths, and pasch fines were no longer paid. Ib., fo. 84.
(h) After the Reformation, the church lands which had belonged to the vicar of Sanwick, were
granted to Maclellan of Balmangan. Inquisit. Speciales, 70.
(i) Acta Parl., iv., 306-8.
(j) Stat. Acco., xi., 41.
(k) Dalrymple's Col., 271. These monks also obtained from Uchtred, the son of Fergus, a grant of
the church of Kirkandrews, and it was confirmed to them in the beginning of the thirteenth century
by John, the bishop of Galloway, whose charter is witnessed by Walter, the Parson of Kirkandrews.
It was again confirmed to them by Henry, the bishop of Galloway, in 1287. Macfarlane's Coll.,
MS.