TIBBERMORE, or Tibdermuiu, a parish, in the
county of Perth, 4^ miles (W.) from Perth; containing,
with the villages of Hillyland and Ruthvenfield,
1651 inhabitants. This place was anciently the residence
of several of the bishops of Dunkeld, of whom
Bishop Geoffrey died here in 1249, and Bishop Sinclair
in 1337. A convent for Carmelite friars was founded
by Bishop Richard in 1262; and the prelates continued
to hold their synods at Tibbermore till the year 1460,
when they were removed by Bishop Lauder to his
cathedral. The barony was once the property of the
Earls of Gowrie, whose seat of Ruthven Castle is distinguished
as the scene of the Raid of Ruthven, an attempt
made by the earl and his confederate lords to
force James VI., whom Gowrie had invited to the castle
on a hunting excursion, to dismiss his ministers, the
Duke of Lennox and the Earl of Arran, for which purpose
that monarch was for some time detained in confinement.
After the attainder of the earl for this conspiracy,
Ruthven Castle, the name of which was changed
to Huntingtower, and the barony, were conferred by
James VI. on the Tullibardine family, from whom they
passed by marriage to the Duke of Atholl, whose descendant
divided the barony into small portions, and sold
it to various persons. An engagement between the
Covenanters, under Lord Elcho, and the forces of the
Marquess of Montrose, took place in this parish, when
the former, amounting to 6000 men, were totally routed
with the loss of 2000 slain on the field, and 2000 prisoners.
The PARISH is bounded on the east by the Tay, and
on the north by the river Almond and the rivulet called
the Pow. It is about six miles and a half in length,
varies from one mile to three miles in breadth, and
comprises an area of about 5900 acres, of which 250 are
woodland and plantations, 180 heath and peat-moss,
and the remainder arable land in high cultivation. The
surface is in some places boldly undulated, and the
scenery agreeably diversified. A narrow level tract
nearly three miles in length, and inclosed on the north,
south, and west by steep banks rising from fifty to 100
feet in height, opens gradually towards the Tay into an
extensive plain, through which flows a branch from
that river, called the Mill-Lead, originally formed to
drive some mills at Perth, and which has contributed
greatly to the prosperity of this parish. On the banks
of the Almond the soil is a sandy loam; towards the
south-east, a tenacious clay; on the higher lands, a
light gravel; and in the western portion, cold and wet;
but, by draining and good management, generally fertile.
Agriculture is in a highly advanced state, and every improvement
has been adopted. The crops are wheat,
oats, barley, peas, potatoes, and turnips; the farm houses
and offices are substantial and well arranged, and the
inclosures in excellent order. The plantations, which
have been much extended, are mostly Scotch fir; and
on those of older date is some valuable timber. In this
district the substratum is chiefly of old red sandstone,
in some places intersected with trap-dykes affording good
materials for the roads. The sandstone is of superior
quality, and has been extensively quarried: three quarries
are now in operation, from which much of the stone
used in the buildings of Perth and the vicinity was raised.
The annual value of real property in the parish is £9996.
Huntingtower Castle, the property of General Cunningham,
is in tolerable repair, but occupied by a tenant; it
does not appear to have been a place of much strength:
the two towers that defended the entrance are still entire.
Newton, the residence of General Cunningham, is a handsome
modern mansion, pleasantly situated in grounds
embellished with plantations.
There were formerly several villages; but they have
mostly disappeared, and the only villages worthy of
notice at present are the buildings in connexion with
the bleaching and the calico-printing works at Huntingtowerfield
and Ruthvenfield, respectively. The bleachgrounds
at Huntingtowerfield, belonging to Messrs.
Turnbull and Son, are very extensive; the quantity of
cloth bleached ann\ially is about 1 ,500,000 yards, and
from eighty to 100 tons of linen yarn are bleached for a
power-loom factory in the neighbourhood. The works
afford constant employment to 150 persons, of whom
nearly one-third are women and children. A little below
these works, and on the same stream, are large flour
and barley mills belonging to the company. Ruthven
printfield, on the same water, and belonging to Messrs.
Duncan, of Glasgow, is also on a very extensive scale;
and in addition to the calicoes, the printing of mousselinsde-
laine is conducted here with great success. The
quantity of calico and muslin produced annually averages
2,000,000 yards, of which about two-thirds are
printed by blocks, and the remainder by machinery.
These works give employment to nearly 400 persons, of
whom about one-half are women and children. Facility
of communication is afforded by good roads, of which
the turnpike-road to Crieff passes through Tibbermore
for nearly three miles; the parish roads are kept in
excellent order, and the Perth and Forfar railway intersects the parish.
Ecclesiastically this place is within the limits of the
presbytery of Perth, synod of Perth and Stirling; and
the patronage is in the Crown: the minister's stipend is
£255. 12. 10., with a manse, and a glebe valued at £20
per annum. Tibbermore church, rebuilt in 1632, and
enlarged in 1810 by the erection of an aisle for their
work-people by the Ruthvenfield company, is in good
repair, and contains COO sittings. Tlic parochial school,
sittiated near the church, is attended by about forty
cliildren; the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4., with a
house and garden, in addition to the fees. A school has
been estalilishcd at Ruthvenfield, to the master of which
the proprietors of the works allow a house rent-free, and
guarantee a salary of £50, in the event of the fees not
amounting to so much. There is also a parochial library,
supported by svibscription.