Maryton, a parish in Forfarshire, bounded on the N by the river South Esk, parish of Dun, and the Montrose Basin, E by Craig, S by the German Ocean and Lunan, and W by Farnell. It consists of three detached portions-Maryton proper, Dysart, which is separated by a part of Craig, and Grahamsfirth, which lies to the W of Farnell. Its extreme length, from N to S, including the interjecting part of Craig, is about 4 miles; and its breadth, exclusive of Grahamsfirth, about 2 miles; the area is 3687 acres, of which 41 are water and 84 foreshore. The soil partakes of all the varieties of strong clay, rich loam, and land of a lighter character. The rocks along the sea-coast are precipitous and picturesque; and intersecting the parish is a ridge of hills extending from E to W, the highest of which is Maryton Law (335 feet), believed to have been formerly a site for the administration of justice, from which there is a magnificent view of the district. The land is well adapted for all the usual crops, and, as a rule, a system of high farming prevails. This is especially the case on Old Montrose in the hands of Mr Charles Lyall, whose ancestors for many generations have been among the most distinguished agriculturists of Forfarshire, and who is himself one of the best known and most enterprising farmers in Scotland. The landed proprietors are the Earl of Southesk, who owns the whole of Maryton proper, and the Misses Carnegy of Craigo, who are in possession of the Dysart estate, excepting a small part held in feu by the joint proprietors of the neighbouring estate of Dunninald.
The ancient divisions of the parish were, about the 13th century, the lands of Old Montrose, which were erected into a barony in 1451, and into an earldom in 1505; the lands of Bonniton or Bonnington, erected into a barony in 1666; the lands of Ananie; the lands of Fullerton; the Abthen of St Mary's, consisting of the lands of Over and Nether Maryton; the lands of -Drum, and of Balnanon. These lands formed the parish of Maryton proper. Dyserth, including Over and -Nether Dysart, constituted a separate parish which was first annexed to Brechin and afterwards disjoined in 1649 and added to Maryton. A romantic account has been given of the annexation of Grahamsfirth, there being a legend that it was given as pin-money to the Hon. Magdalene Carnegie when espoused to the Earl (afterwards Marquis) of Montrose, but it is more likely to have come into the possession of the Grahams as their share in the division of Monrommon Muir, of which it forms a part. There is a tradition that Hospital Shiells, a farm in Marykirk, belonged to Maryton parish, having probably been gifted to St Mary's of Old Montrose. The name of Ananie, unfortunately, is lost to the parish, though it lingered until the present century in the Den of Ananise, by which name the pretty Den of Fullerton was known. The lands to which the name applied had centuries before been added at different times to Bonniton, Fullerton, and Old Montrose.
The most distinguished of the families connected with the parish have been the Grahams of Old Montrose (13251668). The several titles of the family were derived from Old Montrose, and not from the town of Montrose, with which the estate had not the slightest connection, the identity of name (Alt Munross) being purely accidental. Sir David Graham, a devoted follower of Robert the Bruce, received from the King the lands of Old Montrose in exchange for those of Cardross. James, fifth Earl of Montrose, who is best known as the Great Marquis, was born at Old Montrose, and there remains a fragment of the house in which the birth took place. The next family in point of fame is that of the Melvilles of Dysart. The first whose name is found in connection with the parish is Sir Robert Melweill of Dysert, who perished at Harlaw in 1411. The last mention of the family is also in the case of a Robert Melville, whose name appears in a retour of the dominical lands of the Mains of Meikle Dysart in the barony of Dysart. Their interest in the parish soon afterwards ceased. The Woods of Bonniton were a notable family, connected with the parish from 1493 to the beginning of the 18th century. There were several knights in the family, and its representative was created a baronet in 1666, for service rendered to Charles II. The famous Earl of Middleton succeeded the last Marquis of Montrose in possession of the estate, and it was forfeited along with the titles when the second Earl was outlawed in 1695. The first Fullerton of that ilk was Geoffrey, falconer to Robert Bruce, whose name appears in connection with the estate (Fowler-town) in 1327. It was held in the family for at least 120 years, after which they transferred themselves and their name to the lands in Meigle parish still called Fullerton. Other noted families having an interest in the parish were the Cranes and Schakloks of Annanie, Arrats of Balnanon, Inverpeffers and Tullochs of Bonniton, Crawmounts and Durhams of Fullerton (the latter being of the Durhams of Grange). Wisharts of Drum, Lyells, Guthries, and Mills of Dysart; Mills of Bonniton, and Hays (Dupplin); Stratons, Mills, and Stirling of Old Montrose. The Abthen seems to have continued mainly in the bands of the ecclesiastics. There is evidence, indeed, that the Fullertons more than once obtained some interest in it, but the right was held of' tholance' of the bishop. After the Reformation, Bishop Alexander Campbell made over the whole lands of Maryton to his kinsman and chief, the Earl of Argyll. They were transferred eventually to the owner of Old Montrose, and have since continued to be a portion of that estate. By-and-by portions of Ananie and Fullerton were added, the remainder being annexed to what became the barony of Bonniton. Towards the end of the 18th century the two estates were purchased by Sir David Carnegie, and have been included since in the fertile domain of the lords of Kinnaird.
The ecclesiastical history of the parish is interesting. The church of Dyserth, belonging to the priory of Rostinoth, is mentioned in early charters, but there is no trace of where it stood. Until 1649 the inhabitants communicated at the kirk of Brechin' quilk was thair paroche kirk.' At their own request they were transferred by Act of Assembly to the kirk of Maryton.
The kirk of Marinton was a vicarage of the cathedral of Brechin, and it was gifted (1178-98) to the abbey of Arbroath. It was dedicated to the Virgin, and named St Mary's of Old Montrose. There is a St Mary's Well in the parish, but on the western border. The first Protestant minister was Richard Melville, who was also laird of Baldovie. His father, younger son of Melville of Dysart and laird of Baldovie, had fallen at Pinkie, leaving a large family, of which Richard was the eldest, and Andrew Melville, the distinguished Reformer, was the youngest. James Melville was the younger son of Richard. In the 17th century two of his descendants by the elder son were successive lairds of Baldovie and ministers of Maryton, viz., Richard (1613-1639) and Andrew (1639-41). The brother of the latter, Patrick, was probably the last laird; he was served heir in 1642; and he was one of the followers who accompanied the Marquis of Montrose in his exile. The next parish minister was John Lammie (1642-1673), who was tutor and servitor of the Marquis of Montrose. When the house of Old Montrose was searched for ` wreitis ' to serve as evidence, ` they took to Edinburgh with thame also the erllis secretar, callit Lamby (the minister), to try what he kend. ' The bell of the church is dated 1642, and that is understood to be the date of the erection of the previous church. An aisle of the old church was the burying-place of the Wood family, and the church contained a monument, which has been transferred to the present one, to David Lindsay (16731706), minister of the parish. The present church, built in 1792, is a plain but neat structure, the walls covered with ivy, and a well-kept graveyard surrounding it. It has been renewed in the internal arrangements more than once, the last occasion being 1883, when the area was fitted with handsome and substantial pews. Stipend, £205; manse, £25; and glebe, £24. There is a Free church at Barnhead, a handsome building with a fine exposure, which serves for the parishes of Maryton, Dun, and Farnell. Stipend, £198; and manse, £25. The public school is a commodious building, with a handsome and convenient schoolmaster's house in immediate proximity. The average number o scholars on the roll is 75, and in actual attendance 60. For a series of years the average Government grant has amounted to £64. The valuation in 1857 was £5245; in l881, £6079; and in 1884, £5800, plus £899 for railway. Pop. (1755) 633, (1801) 596, (1831) 419, (1861) 417, (1871) 396, (1881) 389. See Maryton Records of the Past, by Rev. William R. Fraser, M.A. (Montrose, 1877).
Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and
optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical
errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from
the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be
different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original
text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity.
This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer
