MADDERTY, a parish, in the county of Perth,
6 miles (E.) from the town of Crieff; containing, with
the hamlet of Bellyclone, the burgh-of-barony of Craigof-
Madderty, and the village of St. David's, 634 inhabitants.
A religious house was founded here in the year
1200 by Gilbert, Earl of Strathearn, and his countess
Matilda, and dedicated to the honour of God, the Virgin
Mary, and St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. It was
called luch-Effray, and took its name from its situation
on an eminence surrounded, or nearly so, by the river
Pow, and from the nature of the institution; the Latin
appellation was insula inissurum, or "the island of masses".
David I. and Alexander III. conferred upon it many
valuable privileges and immunities, and it was esteemed
one of the richest abbeys in the kingdom. The abbot
Mauritius was present with Robert Bruce at the battle
of Bannockburn, and is reported to have had with him
the arm of St. Fillan, to which relic much importance
was attached as to the issue of the conflict. James
Drummond, son of David, Lord Drummond, having become
possessed of this monastery by favour of the commendator
Alexander Gordon, Bishop of Galloway, was
styled Lord Incheffray, and afterwards, in 1607, was
created Lord Madderty by King James VI., who erected
the estate into a temporal lordship. The title, however
was forfeited in 1715. The extensive buildings of the
establishment have at different times supplied stones for
various purposes; but there are still a few remains,
which, with si-x or seven acres of land in the vicinity,
belong to the Earl of Kioaoull, who, in consequence of ,
this property, possesses the right of patronage to twelve
parishes formerly attached to the abbey.
The PARISH comprises 3430 acres, of which 28'20 are
under cultivation, 450 in plantations, and the remainder
waste. The climate is wet and cold; and much of the
land is still marsh and moor, requiring thorough draining,
which has been carried on to a considerable extent
in some parts for several years. The Pow, which rises
in the Red moss, about a mile eastward, runs through
the parish in a canal or cut about twenty-four feet wide
and six deep, dug about a century ago in order to
straighten its course. A part of the stream takes an
eastern direction, and falls into the river Almond, while
another part travels westward, and empties itself into
the Erne at InnerpefFray. The latter portion has the
appearance almost of stagnant water, from the gentleness
of the declivity; and on account of the adjacent lands
lying so low, they occasionally suffer much from inundations.
In 1846 an act was passed, for repealing "an
act" of 1696 "in favour of the heritors adjacent to the
Pow of luchaffray"; and for more effectually draining
and improving lands near the said stream. The mansion-
houses are Dollerie and Woodend. The village of
Craig has become nearly extinct; and in its place has
sprung up the village of St. David's, consisting of about
fourteen feus. At this village a school has been erected
within the last few years, by the proprietor. Lady PrestAi
Baird, consisting of commodious and ornamental premises.
It is intended for the instruction of children in
sewing and knitting, and in the first rudiments of education,
preparatory to admission (of some of the scholars)
into the parochial school; the teacher receives a salary
of £10 per annum, a free house, and other perquisites.
In the parish is also the hamlet of Bellyclone. A turnpike
road runs through the district; the inhabitants
communicate principally with Crieff, but the dairy produce
is generally sent to Perth. The annual value of
real property in Madderty is £3.500. It is ecclesiastically
in the presbytery of Auchterarder, synod of Perth and
Stirling, and in the patronage of the Earl of Kinnoull;
the minister's stipend is about £2'25, with a manse, and
a glebe of nine acres valued at £11 per annum. The
church is a plain edifice erected in 1 668. Madderty
parochial school affords instruction in the usual branches;
the master has a salary of £34. 4., with a house and
garden, and £12 fees.