PARISH OF MONIMAIL.

THIS PARISH, which lies on the north side of the "Howe of Fife," is bounded on the east by Cupar, on the south by Cults and Collessie, on the west by Collessie and Abdie, and on the north by Dunbog, Creich, Moonzie, and Cupar. Its length south south-eastward is six miles, and its greatest breadth four miles. It contains the village of Letham, and the several hamlets of Monimail, Bow of Fife, and Easter Fernie. The northern part consists of a fine range of hills, the highest of which is called the Mount Hill. The southern portion is comparatively level, but diversified by soft and gentle undulations, beautifully wooded, and well cultivated and inclosed. The prevailing rock in the northern district is trap, but the rocks of the southern section comprise some sandstone, and belong to the coal formation. The soil in the north is partly a mixture of decomposed trap and vegetable mould, and partly a clayey loam, less fertile than the former; and that in the south is generally a light thin alluvium, superincumbent on gravel. The total area amounts to about 6000 acres, a large proportion of which is under cultivation, and the remainder in pasture or wood. There is no public work or manufacture of any kind carried on in the Parish.

Among the mansion-houses is Fernie Castle, in the north of the Parish, close by the northern turnpike road leading from New Inn to Newport. It is a place of great antiquity, and, being formerly surrounded by marshy ground, must have then been a place of considerable strength. Cunnoquhie, the residence of William Pitcairn, Esq., is a little to the west of Fernie, and is a good modern mansion, amidst well laid out grounds. Melville House, the residence of Lady Elizabeth Leslie Cartwright, eldest daughter of the late Earl of Leven and Melville, and heiress of his entailed estates, is near the west border of the Parish. It was erected in 1692, by George, 1st Earl of Melville, in the fashion then prevalent in Scotland. It is a large square building, consisting of two principal stories, and a basement and attic. Two deep projecting wings enclosed a court at the original front; but that has since been changed, and a new entrance made at what was formerly the back elevation. The name of Melville, as applied to the house and grounds, is comparatively modern; for the park and inclosures include part of the lands of Halhill, Letham, and Monimail. Anciently, the lands of Monimail belonged to the Bishops of St Andrews, who there had a castle, originally built by Bishop William Lamberton, who died in 1328. Cardinal Beaton repaired the castle and resided in it, in 1562. The square tower belonging to it still stands within the inclosures of Melville gardens, and is in such a state of preservation as to be habitable as a residence for the journeyman gardeners. Over, or Upper Rankeillour is a very elegant house, built by General John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopeton; and the grounds around it are magnificently wooded. The mansion of Balgarvie, at the eastern extremity, is a modern building, plain and commodious.

A monumental pillar, to the memory of the late Earl of Hopeton, stands on the summit of the Mount Hill. It is a plain Doric column, 92 feet in height, and surmounted by a square capital of 15 feet. It is hollow within, and has a narrow spiral staircase, by which there is an ascent to the top, from whence a fine view of the valley of the Eden, and of the Firths of Forth and Tay, is obtained. The Mount, near to the Mount Hill, was the residence of Sir David Lindsay, Lord-Lyon-King-at-Arms, in the reign of James V. It is now the property of Mr Hope, of Rankeillour.

The Parish is traversed by the north turnpike road from New Inn to Newport, and by the roads from Cupar to Newburgh and Fernie Mill. It has also ready access to the E. P. & D. Railway, by the stations at Cupar, Collessie, and Ladybank, though the railway intersects no part of the Parish.

The village of Letham is in the western section of the Parish, near to the turn-pike road leading from New Inn to Newport. Most of the inhabitants are either linen weavers, village artizans, or agricultural labourers. The Bow of Fife, Monimail, and Easter Fernie, are small hamlets, in opposite sections of the Parish.

The Parish Church is at Monimail, on the western border, a locality not very suitable for those who live in the eastern section of. the Parish. It was built in 1796, and is a rather handsome building with a tower, and contains nearly 600 sittings. The only other place of worship is a Free Church, at the Bow of Fife. The Parish School is at Letham, in which village there are also a Subscription School and a Female Industrial School. There is also a Subscription School at Fernie, and a Female Industrial School at Bow of Fife.

The POST OFFICES for the Parish are Ladybank and Cupar, with a Sub-Office at Letham, William Ballingall, Sub-Post Master.- A walking postman leaves Ladybank about 8.45 A.M., and delivers letters along the road by Collessie, Monimail, Letham, &c., and returns in time for the afternoon's despatch, at 3.15 P.M,. Another walking postman leaves Cupar about 9.20 A.M., and travels along the road by Springfield to Bow of Fife; and, after meeting the postman from Ladybank, returns along the road in time for the afternoon's despatch.

BLACKSMITHS.

Hunter, James, Letham

Kinsman, John, Fernie

Low, James, Lindifferon

Yorkstone, Thomas, Monimail

BOOT & SHOEMAKERS.

Norrie, James, Letham

Sime, James, do

Walker, Thomas, do

CLERGY.

Brodie, James, A.M., Free Church, Bow of Fife

------,-----, Parish Church, Monimail

DRESSMAKERS & MILLINERS.

Bonthron, Miss, Letham

Clunie, Misses, do

Wallace, Miss Isabella, do

Webster, Miss C., do

FARMERS.

Alexander, John, Westhall, by Cupar

Anderson, William, Carslogie, by do

Bell, John, Uthrogle, by do

Beveridge, David, Letham

Brown, George, Easter Balgarvie, by Cupar

Cartwright, Thomas R. B. Leslie Melville, Esq., Home Farm, Melville, by Ladybank

Edie, George, Nisbetfield

Husband, David, Rankeillour Mains, by Cupar

Inglis, William, Kilmaron by Cupar

Landale, Andrew, Easthall by do

Landale, David, Heirs of Late, Lindifferon

Millie, George, St Marys, by Cupar

Mitchell, Andrew, Pathcondie

Mitchell, David, Hilton of Carslogie, by Cupar

Mitchell, Robert, Cunnoquhie Mill

Peat, George, Ballantager

Pitcairn, Hope, Mount

Pitcairn, Wm., Home Farm, Cunnoquhie

Walker, Andrew, Letham

GARDENERS.

Anderson, Alexander, Rankeillour Hope

McLean, John, Cunnoquhie House

Smith, Thomas, Melville House

Urquhart, David, Fernie Castle

GENTRY & PEOPLE OF INDEPENDENT MEANS.

Anderson, Mr, Barham Cottage

Balfour, J. W., Esq., Fernie Castle

Cartwright, Thomas R. B. Leslie Melville, Esq., Melville House, by Ladybank

Lawrie, N. D., Esq., Balgarvie, by Cupar

Low, Mr David, Letham

Millie, George, Esq., St Marys, by Cupar

Montgomery, Captain, Rankeillour Hope

Pitcairn, William, Esq., Cunnoquhie House

Ramsay, Mr Robert, Letham

Spence, William, Esq., do

Walker, Miss, Letham

GROCERS.

Baird, Mrs C., Letham

Beveridge, David, (&, Draper) Letham

Brown, John, Bow of Fife

Patrick, Mrs Thomas, Letham

JOINERS & WRIGHTS

Carsewell, Archibald, Lindifferon

Inglis, John, Letham

Leitch, David, Fernie

LIBRARIES.

Letham Subscription Library, open at all hours in the House of the Librarian- James Norrie

Monimail Parochial Library, open every Sunday, in the Parish Church Vestry, William Brunton, Librarian

TAILORS.

Bonthron, James, Letham

Lumsden, James, do

Thomson, John, do

TEACHERS & SCHOOLS.

Brunton, Wm. ,Subscription School, Letham Parish School, do

Kello, Miss, Female Industrial School, do

Small, George, Subscription School, Fernie

Whyte, Miss M., Female Industrial School, Bow of Fife

VINTNERS.

Allan, Mrs, (Porter & Ales) Bow of Fife

Walker, Mrs, Crown Tavern, Letham

MISCELLANEOUS.

Beveridge, Wm., Baker & Brewer, Letham

Birrell, George, Corn & Barley Miller, Fernie Mill

Brown, John, Builder, Bow of Fife

Brunton, Wm., Registrar (Interim) Letham

Clark, William, Carter, do

Kidd, David, Sexton, Monimail

Myles, William, Inspector of Poor, Letham

Roy, Alexander, Saddler, do

Smith, George S., M.D., Medical Practitioner, Letham

Walker, Mrs T., Midwife, Letham

Webster, Thomas, Cooper, do

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