FERRYPORT-on-CRAIG (Tayport) PARISH

Thus showing a gradual and pretty uniform increase during near a century. The increase may be accounted for partly from the encouragement given for feuing by the proprietor of scotscraig, and partly from the circumstance of the average of births being greater than that of deaths, as appears from the following averages for the seven years preceding 1831. Average of births for these seven years, 41, deaths, 27 marriages, 13

The principal part of the population is in the village, which the census of 1831, contained 1538, while there were in the other parts of the parish only 142. The number of families was 417, and the number of inhabited houses 311. The greater number of the houses are only one story in heighth, and contain two and sometimes three apartments. But there is also a number of two-story houses, generally containing four apartments, and sometimes the, same number of families. The houses more recently built, however, are both more handsome and more commodious. On many of the feus taken within the last seven years, very handsome houses have been erected, and covered with blue slate, by which the appearance of the village has been greatly improved.

EDUCATION.-Besides the parish school, there are two private schools, one of which is taught by a female, and is chiefly attended by girls. The salary of the parish schoolmaster is L. 30, with house and garden. Besides the ordinary branches of education taught at the parish school, navigation, French, and Latin, are taught. The teacher's school fees amount to L. 22 per annum, and his yearly emoluments from other sources may be about L 12.

There are always five bursars or free scholars at the parish school, whose education is provided for by the investment of a sum of money by the late William Dalgleish, Esq . of Scotscraig, the interest of which is paid to the schoolmaster. The heritor and the minister of the parish have the power of appointing to the benefit, which is restricted to boys. Every child admitted to this privilege enjoys it for five years, and the preference is always given to poor children, the benefit being expressly designed for such. The schools are all well attended, the people generally manifesting a laudable desire to have their children educated. Here, however, as well as in other parts of the country in these days, the want of a due attention to the spiritual interests of the young on the part of the parents, was seen and lamented ; and to remedy as far as possible the evil resulting from such neglect, several Sabbath evening schools have been instituted. These schools are conducted by elders of the Established church, and other benevolent individuals, who gratuitously give their time and labour to the important purpose of instructing the young in the truths of religion. In winter there are about 200 children attending these schools. There is a library in connection with them, composed of small religious books, which are kept in constant circulation among the children. The funds for the support of this library arise from collections made in the parish church, where an evening sermon is occasionally preached for that purpose, and on which occasions the children all attend with their teachers.

LIBRARIES.-A subscription library for the use of the parish was instituted in 1829. Each subscriber pays 2s. of entry-money, and thereafter 2s. annually, or 6d. quarterly, and on these easy terms he enjoys the use of a valuable collection of religious and literary productions.