NO. XIX.

REPORT OF SUMMER MEETING, AND EXCURSION TO HAGGS AND CROOKSTON CASTLES, &c., UPON 27TH AUGUST, 1863.

DR. SCOULAR, one of the Vice-Presidents, Preses.

The members proceeded to Haggs Castle, belonging to Sir John Maxwell, Bart., of Poloc, and were received by Mr. Colledge, his factor, under whose guidance they made a minute inspection of the building.

From the following inscription in a panel over the entrance-door, 1585-NI DOMINUS EDES STRUXERIT FRUSTRA STRUIS. S' JOHN MAXWELL OF POLLOK, KNYGHT, AND D. MARGARET CONYNGHAM HIS

WYF BIGGET THIS HOUS, it would appear that the building was erected towards the latter part of the sixteenth century, the characteristics of the architecture of which period are very beautifully exhibited. The plan of the house is one which was common at the period, viz., L-shaped, and although not possessing the same strength. as houses of a similar class erected at an earlier and more turbulent period, still the vaulted first storey, with its small windows, shews plainly the feeling of insecurity which was not yet removed.

The building is described by Mr. Baird as being about 55 feet in length, 39 feet in width at the west end, and 24 feet at the east end, and is three stories in height. The principal apartment is about 28 feet by 18. While partaking of the features of the Scotch manorial buildings in its high-pitched roofs, crow-stepped gables, dormer windows, and circular stair-turrets, it wants the very common feature of corbelled angle-turrets.

The details are very effective and well arranged: for example, the jambs of the entrance-door, which are of the Early Pointed period, are enriched with the dog-tooth ornament, the whole enclosed with a cable-moulding continued round the panel, containing the inscription before quoted, and three panels above it, which originally, as now, were evidently filled with armorial bearings. The cornice on the principal front is exceedingly rich, the upper member being the cable-moulding, and the under portion being formed with small dentils, so as to give the effect of chequer-work. The dormer

windows are very beautiful, the same cornice being continued round them also.

The castle was fully two years in building, as would appear from a letter of Sir John Maxwell to his father-in-law in 1587, which says, "the house was near an end, wanting only the reparrelling within, and that he was ashamed that it should stand like ane twme Kirne." The hint thus gently conveyed would appear to have been kindly taken, for Sir John shortly afterwards made the "Haggs" his principal residence.

At what time this ceased to be the family mansion-house is not precisely known, but the "Haggs" appears subsequently to have become the jointure-house of the dowagers of the Poloc family up to about the middle of the last century, when it was allowed to fall into a ruinous condition. To prevent its further decay the present baronet, a few years ago, commenced its reparation, and it has now been made the residence of the factor on the estate.

Historically, Haggs Castle is connected with the religious troubles of the West of Scotland, and relative political events of the seventeenth century. The Maxwells of Poloc at that time favoured the Covenanters, and having sometimes attended conventicles, they incurred the displeasure of the Government. In 1667 a conventicle held in the Haggs formed the subject of an inquisition by the Episcopal Presbytery of Glasgow, and we learn, from the records of the Privy Council, that on more than one occasion the Baronets of Poloc were heavily fined and imprisoned at Edinburgh for their nonconforming views.

The members next proceeded to the remains of a circular intrenchment, or camp, in the Norwood of Poloc. This fort has an area of about one-fourth of an acre within its fosse, and may have been a military post for observation, such as the Roman armies while in Scotland placed along or near their roads in connection with their camps and garrisons. Their camps usually had a regular square form, and were laid out with approaches and roads after one uniform design. Their outposts were round or elliptical, or of whatever form best suited the slopes of the knolls on which they were commonly placed.

The intrenched fort in Poloc Norwood crowns the summit of a small hill, and if the trees in and around it were away, it would command an extensive view towards Glasgow, Paisley, Renfrew, and Dumbarton.

We cannot venture to say when or by whom this fort and some others in the neighbourhood were made, seeing there is no record of details for identification. We may, however, search back into history to learn who were likely to need such intrenchments, and to be at the trouble of constructing them. Back to the beginning of the eleventh century we are safe in assuming that they could not have been required for any army. During the five centuries earlier we are in the dark, or have only such a faint glimmering that it is hardly safe to assume anything; yet if there had been considerable battles, or bodies of troops contesting or holding the district, some writer would probably have recorded the fact. Then if we go

farther back, we come to the time of the Roman occupation, and we learn from their writers the following facts:-About A.D. 80 Agricola constructed camps and forts between the Forth and the Clyde as a base for his operations northwards. He then proceeded, fought the battle of the Grampians, and having subdued a considerable tract of country north of the Forth, he returned to his base, and strengthened it by additional camps and forts, extending them along the Clyde firth opposite Ireland. In 120 the Emperor Hadrian ordered the abandonment of these northern works, and the construction of a regularly fortified wall from Newcastle westward across the island, as he considered the country north of that either too difficult to hold or perhaps not worth holding. The Caledonians and their allies, however, gave so much annoyance during the next twenty years, that the Romans resolved to resume Agricola's line of works, and to make it stronger than before. Their general, Urbicus, therefore, in 140-142 constructed the Forth and Clyde wall, with its garrisons, repaired the camps and outposts already existing, and constructed others. Regular roads were formed for communication between this wall and that of Hadrian, with branches parallel to, and a few miles inland from the north wall. Along these roads there were constructed such camps and forts as manifestly were necessary for their system of occupation. One branch ran from the central north road west by Bothwell, Glasgow, and Paisley, at which last place there was a camp regularly fortified, and having an area of forty acres within its fosse, which might hold eight thousand troops with their baggage, according to Polybius. It occupied the height called Oakshawhead, which commands a wide view of the neighbouring country. Two outposts were placed, one southward and the other westward, each being about a quarter of a mile from

the camp. Looking eastward, we see that a fort at Crookston, another at Poloc Norwood, and another at Camphill, complete the chain up to Glasgow, so that the Clyde was defended along its ford, near the west end of the wall, where from the hills along its north side it was necessarily weak. It is probable, therefore, that the Poloc fort was one of the outposts near to the road which led to the Paisley camp.

Thereafter the party was conducted by Mr. Colledge to other objects of antiquarian interest upon the estate lying on the north of the river Cart. There are here several interesting remains, which probably indicate that the neighbourhood of Poloe was a station of considerable importance to the ancient population of the district. Of these, perhaps the most ancient are two circular mounds, not tumuli, but what in Ireland are called "raths," consisting of earthen mounds surrounded by a fosse. One of these in far later times has been selected as the site of a square tower or castle, some remains of which still exist.

On the invitation of Sir John Maxwell the members then examined various articles of antiquarian interest in Poloc House: among these was a ciborium set with garnets, for holding the consecrated wafer, which was used by Mary Queen of Scots on the morning of her execution at Fotheringay.

The members next proceeded to inspect the opening of a tumulus situated in the Poloc grounds on the south of the river Cart. The Society has on this occasion to acknowledge the kindness and liberality of Sir John Maxwell, who not only afforded permission to inspect the many interesting antiquities on his estate, but sent a number of workmen to open the tumulus, and have everything prepared for the inspection of the Society. The tumulus is situated in the park, in alluvial and sandy soil formed by the Cart. The mound is a truncated cone, having a diameter at base of 56 feet, and at top of 26 feet, with a height of 6 feet. The materials to the height of 3 feet from the ground surface are sharp fine sand and land stones, none larger than what a man might conveniently carry, disposed roughly somewhat like a low wall round the base and near its outer edge. Over the stones and the sand is a mass of ordinary soil. In the interior of the tumulus there was no appearance of any artificial arrangement, either as a gallery or stone coffin. In the centre of the mound, on the natural surface of the ground, was found, with its mouth downwards, an unglazed earthen cinerary urn,