Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-09-04

Plague. Before July closed, Montros,
passed and repassed with his forces OF
the western side of the Fair City, in de
fiance of his enemies, and although tn,
Covenanting army was drawn out il
pursuit, every attack was vigorously re
pelled; and the 18th of August gave hin
his crowning triumph at Kilsyth.
1t was at this crisis that the Pestilence
was adding its horrors to those of the
Civil War, Sir James Balfour records
that on Monday, the 4th of August, 1915
the Scottish Parliament, then sitting in
Perth, became aware that the Plague
was in the city: "The House ordains,
since that it pleased God to call the
Laird of Craigies of the Pest, who was
lodged in the Sheriff Clerks house, Mr..
Patrick Maxwell, that these that are
within the said house shall inter him
in remote place Of the ordinary burial
place of the town." The House hurried
day. Immediately on the rising of the
Parliament, and the departure of the ar
my, the Plague smote st. Johnstoun
with more than its usual virulence On
the first manifestation, the Magistrates
thought to dispel the contagion by burn
ing down house beyond the Castle Ga
BILE Port (which belonged to George Rob,
ertson, Glover; but the fatal miasma
diffused itself, and this visitation proved
the deadiiest which the city had ever un-
dergone. A contemporary manuscript
account, cited in the NeaO Statistical Ac-
count of Perth, states that the disease
"raged with great fury; whole families
{ were seized Herewith. At first, when
one person in family was seized, he
was carried into separate place in the
house, where he was visited by the ply
sieians. Such as recovered were of sim
gular use in assisting the sick, it being
always the case, that if once they re-
covered. they never fell into relapse,
for which reason they were called
Cleansers. But the calamity still in
creasing, and the 'contagion spreading
family, nay, whole families, and several
families in lodging, were taken with
the distemper. Wherefore new meth
cd was fallen upon of shutting up the
dwelling-houses where the distemper
was, allowing none to enter them except
the Physicians and Cleansers. All COM
munication between them :and the in
habitants who were whole was entirely
stopped. But this method being found
inconvenient, by reason that persons
evil-disposed among the Cleansers en-
tered the houses of the whole, and there
by spread the infection through the
town, it was thought proper for the fu-
ture to put those out of the town at some
distance who were sick. Accordingly
they went out and builded huts for them
selves in different places around the
town. particularly in the South Inch,
the Vicar Knoll in the grounds of Friar-
town, Witch-hil1, near the Parish Kirk
RinnnTIII n ond tho rpro1r,6o M
River Almond, at the mouth thereof, in
all which places there are as yet the re-
mains of their huts which they lodged
in. The persons who died were buried
deep in the open fields, none being al
lowed to be buried in the precincts of
the town, or, if they were, it was in
certain place allotted for that purpose,
as in the west side of the South inch.-
The wearing apparel, goods and gear of
the persons affected were burned, and
their houses shut up for..some time, and
their money was afterwards given to
persons employed to boil it, who re-
turned the same to the relations of the
departed. This calamity not only ragged
in the town, but was severely felt
through the adjacent country-great
dying of it. Three thousand of the in
habitants died of it during that time, be-
sides many who died afterwards, it not
ceasing for several years, though not
raging with such violence. 1t almost
depopulated Perth; many houses in diff
ferent places being shut up, which after
wards in back places went to ruin and
what houses stood to the streets unin-
fected were inhabited but by few
Several houses were Infected in a great
degree to the front, and even some streets
were entirely forsaken, particularly one
between the church and the Meal Ven
mel. And the inhabitants being few in
number, had no courage to carry on
! trade or manufacture and buildings for
many years" In 1866, the Town Coun.
Gil allowed $50 merks as compensation
for the house which was burned down
at the North Port in 1915; but they did
SO to square accounts with the proprie-
tor, George Robertson, who was due the
town that sum as balance of the dues
of the Castle Gable Port of which he
had been tacksman.
| While the Plague thus ravaged the
city, numbers of the Inhabitants fled to
the country, many betaking themselves
to the parish of Rhynd, where the salu-
brity of the air was expected to secure
them against the danger. The like anxi-
ETY. to avoid the infection by judicious
retirement, determined two young la
dies to seclude themselves on the banks
of the Almond, several miles from Perth;
and their simple but mournful story,
full Of the highest elements of romance,
is perhaps the most touching in all the
records of the Plague, while their mem
ories have acquired the immortality of
being embalmed by the Scottish muse.
What names more familiar than those
of Bessy Bell and Mary Gray-heroines
of a domestic tragedy which will never
According to tradition, Bessy Bell was
daughter of the Laird of Kinvaird, in
Moneydie parish, and Mary Gray,
daughter of the Laird Of Lednoch or
| Lynedoch, in the parish of Methven.-
| They had been playmates in childhood,
and their ripper years cemented more
firmly the ties of mutual regard and af-
fectionate companionship. Both en-
dowed with rare grace and beauty, they
were in the heyday of youth, when the
Plague settled on st. Johnstoun, and
thence scattered it's contagion over the
environing districts. Bessy Bell was on
a visit to her friend at Lynedoch when
the enemy's near approach was an
nounced; and seclusion being thought
their best resource in 30 perilous time,
it was arranged that they should retire
to some leafy solitude on Almonds
banks, where amid the sylvan freshness
and purity they might abide perchance
in safety until the Destroyer's hand was
stayed: So it was done. A green, wat
tied, rush-covered bower arose in soli-
tary place, where strangers foot rarely
intruded-at sweet spot called Burn
braes, by the side of Brachie Burn, near
the Almond, and about three-quarters
OF mile distant from the present man
sion-house of Lyndoch. The site of this
verdant refuge is still pointed out. It is
reached after pleasant walk-the wa
tiers of the Almond occasionally glanc-
ing on the eye at turns of the winding
path. Arriving at the scehe, the visitor
is shewn a small plot of ground, about
four yards square, circumscribed by a