NEWBYTH, a village and quoad sacra parish (for a time),
in the parish of King-Edward, district of Turriff,
county of Aberdeen; containing 1396 inhabitants,
of whom 335 are in the village, 21 miles (N. N. E.) from
Curainestown. This place is comparatively of recent
origin, taking its name from the estate of Byth, the proprietor
of which, James Urquhart, Esq., in 1764 granted
various allotments of land upon feu for its erection.
The village is situated on gently-rising ground, in the
south-eastern portion of the parish, and consists of two
regularly-formed streets intersecting each other nearly
at right angles; the houses are neatly built, and to many
of them are attached small pieces of land. A public
library is supported by subscription; there are two good
inns, and several shops amply supplied with merchandise
for the adjacent district. No manufactures are carried
on, except the weaving of linen dowlas for a house in
Aberdeen, in which fourteen handlooms are employed:
a distillery, on a moderate scale, has been established
some time. There is a post-office under that of Turriff;
and a fair for cattle, merchandise, &c., is held on the
Tuesday after the 11th of May. A chapel, now in connexion
with the parish church of King-Edward, was
purchased by subscription of the inhabitants of the district,
about the year 1792, and adapted to a congregation
of 400 persons. The minister receives a stipend of
£80, one-half paid by the Society for the Propagation of
Christian Knowledge, and the other from the collections
and seat-rents; he has also a manse, and a glebe of
from five to six acres. There is a school, the master of
which has a salary of £6, with a house and garden, from
the heritors, in addition to the fees.