557
into lay hands after the Reformation (s). In 1603 the patronage and tithes of
the church of Dunlop were granted to Hugh, Earl of Eglinton, with many other
churches that belonged to the monks of Kilwinning. After that date the family
of Dunlop of Dunlop appears to have claimed a right to the patronage of the
church of Dunlop (t). The patronage was, however, held by the Earl of Eglinton
at the Restoration (u), and it has since continued with that family. The parish
church of Dunlop was rebuilt about the year 1765. It stands at the village of
Dunlop, which contained in 1821 about 200 inhabitants. A small part of this
parish is in Renfrewshire. [The present parish church (1835) has 568 com-
municants ; stipend, £372. A Free church has 105 members.]
42. The parish of BEITH had its name from the village where the church
stands, and the village and lands of Beith obtained their names from the
Scoto-Irish beith, signifying birchwood. Bedw in the Cambro-British has the
same signification. The village of Beith is no longer adorned with birchwood,
but the number of birch-trees that have been dug from under the ground, in
the vicinity of this place and in various parts of the parish, show that
birchwood formerly grew in great abundance here, as well as oak and
hazel. The parish of Beith in Fifeshire derived its name from the same
significant source. The church of Beith belonged of old to the monastery of
Kilwinning. The monks enjoyed the tithes and revenues, and found a curate
to serve the cure. At the Reformation, the tithes of the church of Beith
produced yearly to the monks of Kilwinning 169 bolls and two pecks of meal,
9 bolls 3 firlots and 2 pecks of bear ; and £43 5s. in money, for a part of the
tithes which had been leased for that sum (v). The lands which belonged
to the church of Beith passed into lay hands after the Reformation (w). In
the parish of Beith there were two chapels before the Reformation, one of
these stood where the present parish church now stands, but it has been
almost entirely demolished ; the other chapel, which was dedicated to Saint
Brigid, stood on the lands of Trearn, which is now called Treehorn, and
had two acres of land belonging to it. This chapel and its lands belonged to
(s) In 1566 the church lands of the vicar of Dunlop were granted in fee firm to William
Cunningham of Aiket, by Mr. John Houston, the then vicar of Dunlop, with consent of Gavin Hamilton
the commendator of Kilwinning, the patron of the said vicarage. The vicar reserved, however, to
himself and his successors the manse, garden, and an acre of land adjacent to the mnnse. Privy Seal
Reg., xxxv. 43. The lands thus granted, being two mark lands of the ancient- extent, continued with
the family of Cunningham of Aiket at the end of the seventeenth century. Inquisit. Speciales, 689.
The rectorial church lands of Dunlop appear to have been acquired by the Earl of Eglinton,
Ib., 510.                   (t) Inquisit. Speciales, 162 ; An., 1617.                   (u) Ib., 510; An., 1661.
(v) MS. Rental Cook, fo. 61.                                                        (w) Inquisit. Speciales, a 10.
6                                                      4 B