LOGIE-PERT, a parish, in the county of Forfar,
about 5 miles (N. W.) from Montrose; containing, with
the villages of Craigo, Logie, and Muirside, 1560 inhabitants.
This parish was formerly called Logie-Montrose;
but, upon the annexation to it of the parish of
Pert about the year 16)0 or 16 15, it assumed its present
name of Logie- Pert. The word Lvgie, so frequently
used in Scotland, is of Gaelic origin, signifying a " flat
or low situation ", and is strikingly applicable to the situation
of the old ihurch of Logie, in a hollow or piece of
low ground close by the North Esk river. The name
Pert is very old, and of uncertain derivation: the ancient
church of Pert, like that of Logie, is still standing,
but both have fallen into disuse since the erection of a
central church for the accommodation of the united parish
in the year 1775. The parish is about five miles
in length and three in breadth, and is bounded on the
north by the North Esk, which separates it from Kincardineshire;
on the south by the parish of Dun, on the
east by the parish of Montrose, and on the west by the
parish of Strickathrow. The lower part lies along the
banks of the river, which here makes a beautiful curve;
the upper part is tolerably high, and generally with a
gentle declivity to the river, though a considerable portion
of it has a southern exposure. The North Esk,
sometimes called the North Water, gives the title of
Earl to the noble family of Carnegie, Earls of Northesk,
who formerly held a large tract of land in Pert and
its vicinity, on both sides of the stream: this property
now belongs to the Earl of Kintore and others. The
river takes its rise, like the South Esk, from the Grampian
torrents, and falls into the sea about three miles
north of Montrose; it abounds with excellent trout and
salmon, and the fisheries yield a considerable revenue to
the different proprietors.
The SOIL in the lower part of the district is a fine
deep loam, and in the upper part generally a black earth
resting upon a subsoil of clay. About 3795 acres are
under cultivation; 300 are waste, and 1100 are occupied
by wood, consisting mainly of larch, spruce, and Scotch
fir. Oats and barley are the grain chiefly grown, the
amount of wheat being small; and potatoes and turnips
are produced in considerable quantities, with other green
crops. A good revenue is also derived from the dairy
produce, the greater part of which is disposed of at the
Montrose market. The system of husbandry here followed
is of the best kind; and the crops, especially the
grain, are of excellent quality: the cattle are of the
Angus breed, and a few sheep are kept for the purpose
of consuming the turnips in the winter. The farm
houses and offices are in general in superior condition,
and some of them built even in a handsome manner.
There are but few thorn hedges, and scarcely any stone
fences, the inclosures being mostly formed of a strong
and moveable paling. The chief improvement recently
carried out has been extensive and effectual draining;
hardly any other improvement is required. Some limeworks
formerly in operation are now given up; but
there is an excellent freestone-quarry on the estate of
Craigo: the expense, however, of working it is so considerable
that few stones are sent out of the parish.
There are two large manufacturing establishments at
Logie and Craigo respectively, situated on the banks of
the North Esk, about a mile distant from each other.
The Logie works belong to a company at Montrose, and
comprise a bleachfield and flax-spinning mill, the former
of which has existed nearly eighty or ninety years, and
is at present employed in bleaching linen-yarns, to be
afterwards manufactured into different kinds of cloth for
the home and foreign markets: between forty and fifty
persons are engaged in bleaching, and the mill occupies
about 130 hands. The works at Craigo, which belong
to Messrs. Richards and Co., of London, comprise
a flax-spinning mill, a bleachfield, some cloth-finishing
machinery, and an alkali manufacture: about 2S0 hands
are employed at these works. The annual value of real
property in Logie-Pert is £6206. Brushwood, which
abounds in the parish, is frequently used by the people
as fuel; but the chief article of consumption is English
coal, procured at Montrose. Two fairs are held every
year for the sale of cattle and horses, one on the second
Tuesday in May, and the other on the third Thursday in
June. The Aberdeen railway, and two turnpike-roads,
pass through the parish. Tliere are two great bridges,
one of which, the old North-Water bridge, consists of
three arches, and was built above 300 years ago; the
Marykirk bridge, a handsome structure of four arches,
was built by means of shares, in 1814, at an expense of
£7000, and has proved of great benefit in facilitating
the intercourse between the counties of Forfar and Kincardine.
The Aberdeen railway, also, has a bridge over
the same river, which, like the two preceding bridges,
connects the counties. Craigo House, built about sixty
years since, is a spacious and excellent mansion; and
the house of Gallerj-, of older date, is romantically situated
on the bank of the North Esk.
For ECCLESIASTICAL purposes the parish is within
the limits of the presbytery of Brechin, synod of Angus
and Mearns; patrons, the Crown, and St. Mary's
College, St. Andrew's, alternately. The stipend of the
minister averages £240, with a manse, and a glebe of
nine acres, valued at about £1 per acre. The present
church, which is situated in the centre of the parish,
was built in 1840, and is a plain substantial structure,
capable of accommodating about 700 persons with seats.
There is a parochial school, where the usual branches of
education are taught; the master has the maximum
salary, with at least £1.5 fees, and a house and garden.
Unendowed schools have been built at each of the
mills, where the same instruction is given as at the
parochial school; and there arc two small parochial
libraries, and two or three savings' banks, in the parish.
The poor have the interest of £189, left by the late
David Lyall, of Gallery. Among the antiquities are
three tumuli, on three laws of Craigo; in which human
bones of an extraordinary size have been found, with
several urns and other relics. The late James Mill, Esq.,
author of Jiritish India, was a native of the parish: he
died in the year 1836.