853
which were let for payment of ,£186 13s. 4d. yearly (m). The ancient church
which existed before the Reformation continued to serve as the parish church
till 1790, when the Earl of Eglinton built a handsome new church of an octa-
gonal form, with an elegant steeple, which is furnished with a good clock and a
fine-toned bell. It stands at the village of Eaglesham, which has a weekly
market and four annual fairs. The old village was demolished in 1769, and
there was built a new village, which contained 943 inhabitants in 1811, and
about 1250 in 1821. The barony of Eaglesham and the patronage of the
church still belong to the Earl of Eglinton's family. [The parish church has
280 communicants; stipend, £390. A Free church has 50, and a U.P. church
180 members. There is also a Roman Catholic chapel.]
17. The parish of CATHCART derives its name from the British Caeth-cart,
which signifies the strait or confined part of the Cart. The church, the village,
and the ruin of the ancient castle of Cathcart stand on the eastern bank of the
river "White-Cart, which at this place runs in a very confined channel between
steep rocks, but in other parts of its course it spreads out considerably. The
territory of Cathcart was granted with other estates by David I. to Walter
the son of Alan the first Stewart. The church of Cathcart, with all its per-
tinents, was granted by Walter, in 1164, to the monastery which he founded at
Paisley (n). It continued to belong to this monastery till the Reformation.
The monks enjoyed the rectorial tithes and revenues, and the cure was served
by a vicar. In 1227 it was settled that the vicar of Cathcart should have the
altarages, and five chalders of meal yearly (o). A permanent vicarage was
afterwards established, whereby the vicar had a right to the vicarage tithes
and dues. In Bagimont's Roll the vicarage of Cathcart was taxed £2 13s. 4d.,
being a tenth of the estimated value of its spiritual revenues. At the Refor-
mation the vicarage of Cathcart was held by Mr. John Rattray, who reported
that the revenues of his benefice were let for £48 yearly, but this included
corps presents, pasche-fines, and some other duties the payment whereof was
stopped (p). At the same epoch the rectorial revenues of the church of Cath-
cart, which belonged to the monastery of Paisley, were let for 40 yearly (q).
After the Reformation the patronage and tithes of the church of Cathcart
belonged to the commendators of Paisley till 1587, when they were vested
heritably in Lord Claud Hamilton, the last commendator, and they were
(m) MS. Rental Book, fo. 64.
(n) Chart. Paisley, Nos. 7-9. This grant -was confirmed by William the Lion. Ib., 10, 84. It
was also confirmed by Pope Alexander in 1172, and by several subsequent popes. Ib., Nos. 11, 92,
93, 149. The monks also obtained a confirmation of this church from Jocelin the bishop of Glasgow,
and from several of his successors in that see. Ib., 89, 90, 91, 98.
(o) Chart. Paisley, No. 356.        (p) MS. Rental Book, fo. 22.        (q) MS. Rental Book, fo. 28.
6                                                                 5P