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campaign in 1300 (r). The church of Girthon belonged to the bishops of
Galloway till the Reformation (s). The patronage was vested in the king by
the Annexation Act of 1587, and in the following year it was granted for life to
Mr. William Melville, the commendator of Tongland who died in 1613 (t). On
the re-establishment of prelacy it was transferred to the bishop of Galloway (u).
The revolution restored it to the crown (v). [The Parish Church erected in
1817 has 378 communicants : stipend £218. A Free Church has 129 members.
A U.P. Church has 76 members. There is an Episcopal Chapel at Cally.]
The name of the parish of ANWOTH furnishes another instance of the
abbreviation of the avon. In Bagimont's Boll the name of this place is
Avin-vethe. This name is derived from the river Fleet, along which it lies,
and which it separates from Girthon. Now, Avon-waith in the British
speech signifies the river course, or Avon-wyih, the river channel. In the
twelfth century, David the son of Terri, who held the manor of Anwoth,
granted to the monks of Holyrood abbey the church of Anwoth and the
chapel of Cardoness, with all their pertinents ; and these were confirmed to the
monks by John the bishop of Galloway in the beginning of the thirteenth
century (w). The church of Anwoth and the subordinate chapel of Cardoness
were afterwards transferred to the prior and canons of Saint Mary's Isle,
which was anciently a dependent cell of Holyrood abbey. The prior and
canons of Saint Mary's Isle enjoyed the rectorial tithes and revenues of the
(r) On the 9th of August 1300, that prince, who was studious of religious observances, offered an
oblation of seven shillings at the altar of his chapel at Girthon, and he repeated this ceremony on the
subsequent day. Wardrobe Acc., 1300, p. 41.
(s) At the epoch of the Reformation the revenues of the parsonage and vicarage of Girthon were
let to John Gordon of Lochinver for £113 6s. 8d.; but this rent was then reduced to £83 6s. 8d. by
the non-payment of the pasch fines, cors presents, and umest claithes. MS. Rental Book, fo. C7, 86.
(t) Acta Parl., iv. 307-8.
(u) By a grant of King James in 1605, which was to take effect on the death of Melville.    Id.
(v) The present church, which is too small for the parishioners, was placed very inconveniently in
the south end of this extensive parish, which stretches from the Solway northwards, more than six-
teen miles, with a very disproportionate breadth of two to three miles. The village of Girthon
greatly declined after. it had been honoured by the presence of Edward I. It fell to nothing during
the disasters of the seventeenth century. It retained an inn and a weekly market for cattle.
Sympson's MS. Acc. in 1684, Near the site of the old village, a new one, which was called from the
inn the Gatehouse of Fleet, began in 1760, and has since risen by industry to great population, to
enterprise and wealth. Stat. Acc., xi. 312.
(w) Macfarlane's Coll., MS. Culeness is afterwards called Cardiness and Cardoness. The chapel
of Cardiness continued in existence till the Reformation.