836
the cure was served by a vicar (i). In Bagimont's Roll the prebendal rectory
of Erskine was taxed £8, and the vicarage of Erskine £2 13s. 4d, being a
tenth of the estimated value of the spiritual revenues of each. At the Reform-
ation the prebend and rectory of Erskine were held by David Stewart, who
reported that the revenues of his benefice were let to David Hamilton of
Bothwellhaugh for 200 marks yearly (k). In the reign of James VI., John Earl
of Mar acquired a right to the patronage of the church of Erskine, both parson-
age and vicarage, and his son, John Earl of Mar, sold this patronage in 1638,
along with the barony of Erskine (l) and other lands, to Sir John Hamilton of
Orbiestoun, one of the lords of session, and afterwards lord justice clerk (m).
In 1703 his grandson, William Hamilton of Orbiestoun, sold the barony of
Erskine and the patronage of the church to Walter Lord Blantyre, and they
now belong to his descendant, Robert Lord Blantyre, who has a large estate in
this parish, and a beautiful seat at Erskine-house on the banks of the Clyde.
[The parish church (1813) has 256 communicants; stipend, £376. Langbank
quoad sacra church has 108 communicants. A Free church has 128 members,
and a U.P. church at Langbank has 79 members.]
6. The parish of HOUSTON and KILALLAN comprehends the two old parishes
of those names which were united in 1760. The ancient church of Houston
parish was dedicated to Saint Peter, and was called Kil-peter, by prefixing the
Celtic cil, signifying a church, to the name of the saint (n). Kilpeter was also
the name of the parochial district which was attached to the church. In the
reign of Malcolm IV., Hugh de Padynan having obtained from Baldwin de
Biger a grant of the lands of Kilpeter, he settled there, and gave to the place
the name of Hugh's-toun, which acquired the form of Houston (o), and this
appellation supplanted Kilpeter as the name of the parish.
(i) Walter Rwl was vicar of Erskine in 1362. Chart. Lennox, ii. 154. Mr. Archibald Craufurd,
the vicar of Erskine, obtained a charter of the lands of Midlee, alias Overlee, in Renfrewshire, on the
31st January 1504-5. Regist. Mag. Sig., xiv. 92.                      (k) MS. Rental Book, fo. 32.
(l) The lands and barony of Erskine were the most ancient possession of the family of Erskine, who
became earls of Mar. From their first possession they assumed their local surname of Erskine, and
they derived from it the title of Lord Erskine, when they obtained the peerage in the reign of James
II. Henry de Erskine held the lands of Erskine under Walter the Stewart in 1225, and he appears
as a witness to a charter of Alexander II. on the 12th of March 1225-6, confirming a grant of Amelec,
the brother of Maldowyn Earl of Lennox, to the monastery of Paisley. Chart. Lennox, ii. 96 ; Chart.
Paisley, No. 304.                         (m) Crawfurd's Renfrew, 81; Acta Parl., viii. 406,
(n) A copious spring of excellent water near the church is called Saint Peter's well, a rivulet in the
vicinity is called Peter's burn, and an annual fair held at the village, adjacent to the church, on the
last Friday of June, old style, is called Peter's day.
(o) In some charters in the reign of Alexander II., it is called in the Latin, " Villa Hugonis," and