A.D. 84. town now stands, or perhaps reached their summits;* while the turf-thatched hovels were scattered along the bank of the river Dee, from the confluence of the Denburn, eastward towards the rising ground of the Shiprow. This stream, for many centuries, at low tide, took an easterly direction, gliding along the Trinity Friars Place: hence it obtained the name of the Trinity-burn. On reaching the Quay-head, which, for ages, extended no farther than the present Weigh-house, it directed its course along the southside of the town, where Virginia-street is now situated, and discharged itself in the low grounds near the foot of the Castlehill, to which place the tide would occasionally flow. The stream continued to run in this direction till about the year 1648, when, by the extension of the Quay eastward from the Weigh-house towards the village of Futtie, the course of the Denburn was turned directly into the tideway. That this was the local situation of the town in ancient times, is confirmed by many authentic charters and public writings still extant. From these, it appears that the Green, and lower parts of the town, as far as the head of the Shiprow, have the best claim to considerable antiquity. In process of time, the town expanded itself gradually northward, along the rising ground of the Broadgate and Gallowgate, * The Author has had occasion to see pretty large trunks of fallen oak timber, and deep strata of peat, dug up in the foundations of houses, when re-building, in the higher parts of the town. + Council Register, vol. 51. p. 76.—Vol. 53. p. 155, 557, 828.-Vol. 54. p. 7. The Green, and lower parts adjacent, for a long course of time, were exposed to frequent inundations from the Denburn, arising, chiefly, from the narrowness of the arches of the bridge, over it, on the entry to the town, and much damage was often occasioned to the inhabitants. In 1747, the old bridge was removed, and in its place one arch, of very neat workmanship, was constructed, which still remains, forming an entry from the south to the lower part of the town.§In the year 1758, very considerable improvements were made, by streighting the burn, and forming it into cascades, as it runs at present. At the same time, a public bleaching-green was laid out on the west side of the burn, at the public expence, for the accommodation of the inhabitants. || Chinese bridges of communication were also constructed over the burn, which were both ornamental and useful; but, in the course of a few years, they were completely destroyed, a circumstance not uncommon in a populous town. The rising ground on the west was planted with wood and shrubbery, about the year 1776, and has lately been enclosed and laid out with some degree of taste, by the proprietors of houses in the vicinity. § Council Register, vol. 61, p. 283. Council Register, vol. 62. p. 216, 224.- Vol. 64. p. 10, 221. Gallowgate, and to the precincts of St. Nicholas Church, till at length A. D. 84. it occupied the summit of the hill which forms the site of the Castlestreet. So late as the year 1525, the area of this street was levelled and enclosed by a wall on the south side, in consequence of an order of the Magistrates and Town Council.* The ancient name applied to the town was Aberdon, or Aberdoen. By both these names it was distinguished in two several charters granted by King William the Lion to the burgesses. † In modern times it obtained the name of Aberdene, and, lastly, that of Aberdeen, by which it is now known. Its etymology is neither doubtful nor uncertain, although some very strange and absurd definitions of the etymon have been given. The Gaelic name is Obairreadhain, pronounced Oberrayn, signifying the town situated on the bank or space of ground near the entrance of two rivers. This appellation, in the opinion of the best informed Gaelic scholars, is derived from Aber, a well-known Celtic word, and Da-awin, two riversnamely, the Dee and the Don; it being an incontrovertible fact, that so late as the beginning of the eighteenth century, the efflux of the latter was almost as near the town as that of the former, although it now discharges itself into the sea, about a mile and an half northward. This etymology is also further confirmed by the latinized name, which is invariably found to be Aber, or Abre-donia.‡ Previous Council Register, vol. 11. p. 592. + Archives of the Borough. Mr. Maclachlan, of King's College, whose acute researches, and valuable information, regarding the Celtic language, are well known, has favoured the Author with the following Note. "The Gaelic Name for Aberdeen is Obairreadhain, (pron. Oberrayn.) This vocable, according "to some etymologists, is resolved into Abair, (Aber) the mouth of a river, and Deadhain, (Dain) "the Don. According to others, it is compounded of Abair, (Aber) the bank, or space of ground "near the entrance, and Da abhuinn, (Da-awin) two rivers, viz. the Dee and Don-an analysis "exactly descriptive of the local circumstance." In ancient records, the name is found to be variously spelled-Aberdoen, Aberdon, Abirden, Aberdene, Abyrdene; in modern times, invariably Aberdeen. On the coins of David II. the impression is Aberdon. In former times, the river Don took a southerly direction in the hollow ground of the Links, till it reached the south end of the Cunningairehill;§ hence it directed its course easterly, almost at a right § Warren for rabbits, now known by the name of the Broadhill. A. D. 84. Previous to the time of King Malcolm III., our national history is extremely imperfect, fabulous, and involved in obscurity. Nor can we trace from it any material information regarding Aberdeen. Some ancient authors relate, that Gregory the Great, King of Scotland, conferred upon the town certain marks of royal distinction, and bestowed upon its church privileges and grants of property.* From this circumstance, tradition has gone so far as to assert, that Gregory had erected Aberdeen into a royal borough. Little regard, however, can be had to such authorities. This monarch, whose principal residence was at Dunodeer, † about twenty-five miles north-west of Aberdeen, may have afforded his protection to the town, and conferred benefits upon its church; but, undoubtedly, no such erection could have taken place at so remote a period: for the institution of royal boroughs, angle into the ocean, having a considerable portion of sandy hills betwixt its left bank and the sea.§ Such was its course in the latter end of the sixteenth century, and here it was fordable at low water. After this period, it appears to have taken a more direct course, and so continued for some time, when it again resumed its former bed. In the year 1727, the proprietors of the salmon-fishings, conceiving that it might be of importance to their property to confine the course of the river, and divert it streight from the bridge into the sea, adopted artificial means for that purpose, under the direction of Dr. James Gregory, then one of the professors of King's College. This had the desired effect. || The old efflux of Don was at the distance of about fifteen hundred yards from the market-cross of Aberdeen. In ancient times, a muscle and cockle bed was in the mouth of this river, of which mention is made in the record. From these, and other circumstances, one would be apt to conjecture, that, in more ancient times, the Don had continued its course still further southward down the hollow of the Links, till it formed a junction in the harbour with the river Dee, and both would unite in one efflux into the ocean.— This conjecture is greatly confirmed by the maps in the works of Ptolemy and Richard, in which no such river as the Don is delineated, nor even mentioned in their tables; while the Diva, the (Dee) and Ituna, (the Ythan) in the district of the Taixali, are particularly laid down. In the earlier records of the borough, the river Don is solely distinguished by the name of Aqua Borealis. Council Register, vol. 28. p. 567, 461. Vol. 29, p. 307. Revocation by King James VI. in favour of the Community, in the Archives of the Town. Proof in the Case of Fraserfield against the Proprietors of the Salmon Fishings on the Nether Don, in the year 1795. * Boctius' His. lib. 10. cap. 75. + Part of the walls of the castle said to have been erected by Gregory, and where he died, still remains, the materials being chiefly composed of vitrified, or, rather, volcanic matter. Its name is derived from the ancient Celtic word Dun-an-diridh, signifying the fort on the acclivity of the hill, which is descriptive of its local situation. The ruins of this ancient structure are duly preserved by the proprietor of the lands. Leslie, p. 178. boroughs, as corporations, was not introduced till several centuries A. D. §76. after his time; nor was this the æra for written charters in North Britain. Although, however, the establishment of such corporations was not then known, yet there were towns forming communities, situated within the demesnes of the king, or under the jurisdiction of great barons or churchmen, whose patronage was purchased by annual contributions from the inhabitants.* These towns were denominated burgs, and their inhabitants burgenses, who were under the absolute controul of such superior lords. † At this period, Aberdeen was undoubtedly under the domain of the sovereign, and continued to be so, which will readily account for Gregory having bestowed upon it particular marks of his royal favour. At the æra of the Norman conquest, the chief towns in England were scarcely superior to the country villages at the present day. They were neither incorporated, nor regarded as a body politic, or worthy of being represented in the great council of the nation. The first charter of King William the Conqueror to the city of London, now the metropolis of the British dominions, was merely a protection. The mighty privilege conferred upon the citizens by the king is, that they shall be "law-worthy, and that they shall be capable of inheritance."‡ The institution of royal boroughs in North Britain would seem to have been borrowed from England. But at what precise time it was introduced into Scotland, cannot with any degree of certainty be ascertained. The earliest charters to boroughs were given by King A.D. 1165. William, known by the appellation of William the Lion.§ These, however, are to be considered rather as protections, or grants of immunities and particular privileges to the inhabitants, than as charters conferring upon them the rights of a corporation, with power to choose their own magistrates. Aberdeen Leges Burgorum, cap. 1. + Glasgow, St. Andrew's, and Brechin, were holden originally of their respective Bishops.Haddington held of Ada, widow of Prince Henry; and many other boroughs, of Lords of Regality, and Barons. Caledonia, vol. 1. p. 776.--Crawford's Peerage. Dalrymple's Essays on the Feudal Law, p. 33. § Wight, p. 331. A.D. 1179. Aberdeen was probably among the earliest of the boroughs found entitled to any royal mark of distinction. King William, by his charter, dated at Perth, granted and confirmed to his burgesses of Aberdeen, and to all burgesses of Moray, and to all his burgesses residing on the north part of the mount,* power of enjoying their free trade of merchandize, as they pleased, and when they pleased; as freely, quietly, fully, and honourably, as their ancestors enjoyed their trade, in the time of Malcolm, his grandfather.† King William afterwards granted to his burgesses of Aberdeen two other charters, whereby their goods and chattels were declared to be exempted from tolls and customs in all markets and fairs within the kingdom. Both these charters, dated at Aberdeen, 28th August, are pretty much The Grampian Hills. ↑ W. đi grã Rex Scott̃. omib' pb hoib' toti tre sue salut. Sciant psentes & fut'j me concessisse & hac Carta mea confirmasse Burgēsib' meis & Abdoen. & oñib' Burgēsib' d Morauia & omib' Burgensib' meis ex Aqlonali pte de munth manētib' libũ Ausū suū tenēdū ů voluerit & q'ndo voluerit. Ita libe & qete. plenarie & honorifice sicut Añcessores eoz tepe Reg M Auj. mei ausū suù libi & honorificēti habuerunt Q're phibeo firmit Ne qs eos ind vexet aut disturbet sup mea plenaria forisfactura Test Andr. Epō de Katenes Comit. Duneč. Justic Gillebto Comit d Sidhern. Comit G. d. Aneg' Ricardo de MoreuiH. Cōstab. Walto de Berket. Cam. G. d Malieut Hugōe Giffard. Malisio fre Comitis. d S'th Apd PERT. This charter was probably granted in the year 1179, when King William and his brother David were advancing with an army to Ross, for the purpose of quelling some disorders in that quarter. This conjecture is strongly supported by the circumstance of the witnesses, whose names are mentioned in the testing clause, holding public offices about the time. They are:-Andrew, Bishop of Caithness, who died in the year 1185; Dunecan, or Duncan, Earl of Fife, Justiciary of Scotland in 1165, who died in 1204; Gilbert, Earl of Strathern, or Stradhern; Gilchrist, Earl of Angus, one of the hostages for King William to Henry II.; Richard de Moreville, High Constable of Scotland in the reigns of King Malcolm IV. and King William; Walter de Berkeley, Chamberlain of Scotland, who succeeded Nicolas in 1171; Galfred de Malevill; Hugo Giffard, son of Hugh Giffard, proprietor of lands in Lothian, and one of the hostages for King William to King Henry; Malisius, the brother of the Earl of Strathern. Index to Anderson's Diplomata—Rymer's Fædera, vol. i. 39—Crawford's Officers of State-Chalmers' No charters of an earlier date to any borough in Scotland have yet appeared. Mr. Wight, in his treatise on elections, mentions the charter of the borough of Ayr; but it is evidently of a later date, having been granted posterior to the year 1202, in which year Florence, elect of Glasgow, Chancel lor, the premier witness in the testing clause, was appointed to that office. § |