A DESCRIPTIVE AND HISTORICAL GAZETTEER OF THE COUNTIES OF FIFE, KINROSS, AND CLACKMANNAN, WITH ANECDOTES, NARRATIVES, AND GRAPHIC SKETCHES, MORAL, POLITICAL, COMMERCIAL, AND AGRICULTURAL; BY M. BARBIERI, SURGEON, FORMERLY CHEMIST TO THE LATE EARL OF ELGIN. EDINBURGH: MACLACHLAN & STEWART, 64, SOUTH BRIDGE. THE TRADE SUPPLIED BY MACNIVEN & CAMERON, 23, BLAIR STREET. MDCCCLVII. PREFACE. The Author has frequently felt surprised at, and deeply regretted, the extreme ignorance of working-men as regards the description and history of the county of which they were natives; notwithstanding the torrent of books that issues from the press. The surprise vanishes, however, when we reflect that such works as have been written on the subject are, to the working-man, virtually sealed books; as none of them can be had under one, two, or even five pounds sterling. To avoid this expense, and supply the requisite information, are the objects he has in view. Before we dabble into politics, arts, or sciences, we should be familiar with the geography and history of our own kingdom and county. These form the only sure foundation on which to erect the future superstructure; they do so by laying open an inexhaustible source of intellectual materials, by which much time and labour bestowed under opposite circumstances are saved. The present work has not been hastily got up. A residence of 35 years under favourable circumstances, in three important parishes, has enabled the Author to inspect most of the other parishes, towns, villages, estates, and public works at his leisure. The information of such as were not personally visited, was collected from written correspondence with the |