901
§ VIII Of its Ecclesiastical History."] In this county there does not appear
to have been any monastic establishment (2), and the only religious houses in
it besides the parochial churches were the collegiate church at Dumbarton, and
an hospital for beadmen at the same place.
A collegiate church for a provost and six prebendaries was founded at
Dumbarton in 1450, and dedicated to St. Patrick by Isabel, Duchess of
Albany and Countess of Lennox, who endowed it with the parish churches
of  Bonhill, Fintry, and Strathblane, and with the lands of  Stucroger,
Ferkinch, Balernic-beg, Knockdourie-barber, and part of the lands of
Strathblane. The patronage of this collegiate establishment belonged to the
Earls of Lennox. In Bagimont's Roll the provostry of Dumbarton was
taxed £22, being a tenth of the estimated value of its spiritual revenues. At
the Reformation the rental of this provostry as reported to government
amounted to £233 6s. 8d. in money, and five chalders of meal, besides
cane, fines, and other duties. From this rental there were paid to six pre-
bendaries six chalders of meal and 54 marks, being a chalder of meal and
nine marks to each prebendary yearly (a). In 1570 John Cunningham of
Drumquhassil obtained for his son Cuthbert Cunningham, a boy under age,
a presentation to the provostry of the collegiate church of Dumbarton, in
order to support this boy at his education till he should be twenty-six years
of age (b). From this infant provost his father, above mentioned, obtained a
grant in feu farm of a great part of the lands which belonged to this col-
legiate establishment, to be held of the provost for payment of a feu duty of
£30 6s. 8d. yearly, and this grant was confirmed by a charter from the
crown on the 10th of March 1571-2 (c). The superiority and feu duties
(z) It has been supposed that there was a monastery of canons regular founded at Rosneath by
the old earls of Lennox, and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Spottiswood's Appx. to Hope's
Minor Practicks, 421. Of such an establishment at Rosneath no evidence can be discovered any-
where, and there is no intimation of such a monastery in the chartularies of Lennox and Dun-
barton, where it would have appeared if any such had existed.
(a) MS. Rental Book, fc. 36.
(V) Privy Seal Reg., xxxix. 25. This presentation was obtained on the resignation of Robert
Stewart, the Bishop of Caithness, the brother of the Earl of Lennox, who had held the provostship
many years.
(c) Ib., x1. 67, The lands that were thus granted, were, the five mark lands of  Ladytoun, in
the parish of Bonhill; the 40-shilling lands of Ferkinch ; the 40-shilling lands of  Stuckrogart, in
the parish of Luss; the 40-shilling lands of Ballernick-beg, in the parish of  Cardross; and the five-
mark lands of  Knockdoribarber, in the parish of Rosneath; all in Dunbartonshire. The said
John Cunningham also obtained the provost's mansion, gardens, and orchards, at  Dunbarton.
Inquisit. Special., 15.
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