Village -Markets- Means of Communication, &c - Drymen, the only village in the parish, contains a population of 404. With the exception of the ordinary trades-people, the inhabitants are chiefly employed in country labour. There used to be a fair, almost every month held here: but of late years, in consequence of the improved meaps of communication, and the increased facilities of obtaining commodities from other quarters, they are redu ced to four; chiefly for the hiring of servants. The people of this parish mostly avail themselves of the Glasgow markets, eighteen miles distant. In the populous districts of the Leven, about seven miles to the west of Drymen, and of Duntocher, about twelve miles to the south, the farmers find a convenient outlet for their produce.

There are ten miles of turnpike road in the parish, viz. the great road leading from Glasgow and Dumbarton, by Drymen, to Stirling. And thirty-five miles of parish roads. The latter are kept in repair (not the best) by converted statute labour money; the annual amount of which is L. 120.

There is a very handsome bridge over the Endrick, within a mile of the village, connecting this parish with that of Kilmaronock. This bridge was built in 1765. There is another called the Finnich bridge, (recendy widened and improved,) stretching over a deep romantic ravine, through which the burn is seen strug gling far below. There is a stage-coach three times a week to Glasgow; starting at 1a.m.and returning same day by 8 p.m. There is a weekly carrier, and a daily post.

Ecclesiastical State.- The parish church is situated near the village of Drymen-but set down most inconveniently for more than half of the inhabitants of the parish. It is within half a-mile of the west extremity of the parish ; and there is a population to the north and east of it, of upwards of 700, from six to twelve miles from the church. This inconvenient state of things has been somewhat remedied, of late, to the inhabitants of the east parts of the parish, by the erection of a church in the village of Buchlyvie, within the parish or Kippen. To this church a population of 400 belonging to this parish, have been attached quoad sacra;now many, who, from their distance from the house of.God, could seldom be there, have a church so conveniently placed for them that they can enjoy the ordinances every Lord's day :-one of the good fruits of church extension.

The inhabitants of the north of the parish, (about 300), being separated from the church and its ordinances by a wide and desolute muir,-seldom, excepting on sacramental occasions, come across. The minister has been in the habit of officiating among them twice a-year. But they generally avail themselves of the be next of public worship in the churches of Aberfoil and Gartmore; with which, however, they have no privileged connection.

The parish church is a plain substantial building, erected in 1771, and is at present in good repair. It affords accommodation for about 400, and is sufficiently large for all who can attend. The seats are parcelled out among the heritors, according to their valuations.

And their tenantry, servants, and poor, occupy their respective allotments.

The sacrament of the Lord's supper is dispensed twice a-year, in June and November. 444 communicants are at present on the roll, of whom 145 are male heads of families.

The manse was built in 1748, and has, from time to time, received repairs and additions. It is a substantial and commodious house; delightfully situated on a bank overlooking the Endrick, and is perhaps not surpassed, in the beauty of the situation, by any manse in Scotland.

The extent of the glebe, including garden and policy at tached to the manse, is about seven acres. Its yearly value in rent may be about L.2o. There is no grass glebe; but the minister has an allowance of L.1, las. 4d. in lieu thereof. The stipend, by do. creet of the Teind Court in 1831, is 17 chalders, half meal, half barley. But the heritors having since surrendered their teinds, it is now 319 boIls, 2 pecks of meal, and L. 7, as. 9d. of vicarage.

By the statements laid before Her Majesty's Commissioners, when they visited Drymen in 1837, there are 340 Dissenters in the parish, belonging chiefly to the United Secession and Relief. The remaining 1350 belong to the Established Church. In the village of Drymen, there is a United Secession Chapel, built in 1619, at an expense of L. 370. The minister's stipend is L.85, and a house valued at L. 15 per annum, raised from the seat rents, by ordinary and extraordinary collections, and by occa sional aid from the synod fund. Those of the parish who are connected with the Relief dissent attend the Relief chapels in Balfron and Kilmaronock.

Education.- The parish school is within half a mile of the village of Drymen; but, like the parish church, is inaccessible to more than half of the population. The teacher has L.31 of sa lary, and an excellent school and dwelling-house, together with the legal quantity of ground for a garden.

There is in general a laudable desire on the part of the parents to give their children a good, useful education. But classical learning appears to be fast on the decline in this quarter, there being only two Latin scholars in the parish school, and only one college student resident in the parish.

With the exception of about half a dozen, and these incomers into the parish, there are none above fifteen years of age who can not 'read.

There are two schools in the northern and eastern districts of the parish, in which the ordinary branches are taught; the former having, in addidon to the school fees, L. 5, 11 s. of salary, granted from the roots of the bishoprick of Dunkeld; the latter having the interest of L.88, left by the late Miss McLachlan of Auchintroig. There is also, in the village of Drymen, an infant school, taught by a female; the building and ground granted by His Grace the Duke of Montrose; and, in addition to the school fees of 2d. a-week, a few pounds are raised by contribution by the friends of the institution.

Thereare two Sabbath schools; the one taught by the minister of the parish, the other by the Dissenting minister.

The number of scholars in the parish is as follows, viz.-
 
 

Parish School	111
Do, evening	36
Infant	30
Dlmary	36
Auchintroig	28
Private	12

 

Being rather more than one seventh of the population.

Library.-A Parish Library was instituted in 1829. it consists of nearly 400 volumes, well selected, and consisting chiefly of books of history, travels, and religion. It is in a flourishing condition, and has tended not a little to diffuse a taste for reading.

Savings Bank.-A Savings' Bank was begun here in 1829, and has proved most beneficial to many of the contributors, both in the habits of economy they have been thus led to practise, and in the means it has put in their power of improving their condition in life. There am at present forty depositors; two-thirds of whom are servants. The following statement will show its progress for the last seven years:
 
 

Deposits in :	L.	Due at the year's end
1831	104	256
1832	91	311
1833	49	246
1834	74	305
1835	45	336
1836	129	416
1837	67	413

 

Besides this, a considerable sum in small bills belonging to some of the depositors, is lodged in the may be in all about L. 700.*
 

* The funds of this savings bank have been transferred lately to the National Savings Bank, of Glasgow -the minister still acting as receiver .-1841.
 

Poor and Parochial Funds.-There is no assessment for the poor in this parish. The funds available for their support, and at the disposal of the kirk-session, are such as arise from the church collections, mortcloth money, donations, and the interest of L.185, which has been realized from mortifications, and savings from church collections. The collections, on an average of the last seven years, amount to. L. 35, 9s. 3d. Tbere are at present on the roll 17, who receive, according to their circumstances, from 7s. 6d. to L1, l2s. 6d. per quarter, besides occasionally coals, cordials, and extra help, when in sickness or destitution.

There is still much of the good old Scottish feeling among the people, of reluctance to receive parochial aid. The fact, that, at the period when the last Statistical Account was written, there were 88 poor on the roll and now only 17, is aproof that the people are either in better circumstances, or that they are, if possible, more unwilling to receive such help. It is no uncommon occurrence for the parishioners to raise by subscription, a sum of money in aid of some individual or family who have been thrown into destitute circumstances, by affliction or bereavement, rather than that they should be subjected to the humiliation of becoming parish, paupers. An instance has just occurred. A poor, industrious family had their eldest son (a promising young man, a student ) brought home to them in fever, ;-and he died. The fa her and mother were seized. The father died; their means were exhausted, and there were eight young children to provide for and the poor, widowed, disconsolate mother, from her sick-bed, entreated of the minister who offered her relief, that whatever he bestowed should not be from the parish funds. The people's sympathy and prompt liberality have done for her what the parish funds could ill afford. Such a spirit, while it may be characterized as that of honest pride, it is to be hoped, has respect to the promise, " Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive-let thy widows trust in me." Such a spirit, there is no doubt, will lead to industry, and will raise up friends to help, and so will God fulfil his promise.

Police, Prison, &c.-There is not a justice of peace, nor magistrate of any kind resident within the bounds of this parish; neither is there a jail or lock-up house from the most westerly verge of the county onward to Stirling,-a distance of nearly fifty miles. The consequence is, that crime and misdemeanour frequently go unpunished, the arm of the law not being long enough nor strong enough to reach so far; and parties who have been injured, preferring to suffer damage rather than be put to the trouble and expense of seeking redress at a distance. This is the cause of much  complaint. *

* Within the last year one of the recently appointed Rural Police has been stationed at Balfron. But one man, who has the supervision of five parishes, can do us very little good.-l841.

Inns, &c.-There are 12 inns or public-houses in the parish; of these, there are 7 in the village, certainly by far too many for any good or salutary purpose. Their influence on the morals and circumstances of the people is exceedingly injurious. There is but one opinion among all well-thinking people in the community here, as to the necessity of something being done towards the reduction of the number of licenses.

Fuel, &c.-In consequence or the distance and expense of coal, its use is limited among the lower orders here. Their chief fuel is peat, which is to be had in abundance in the moors in the neighbourhood. The nearest good coal is to be had at Garscube, thirteen miles from Drymen. The price of a cart of 14 cwt., including carriage and tolls, is from l3s. to 14s.

Written December 1838-Revised March 1841.