22 May 1754 :- "The Meeting appoints...That the Inhabitants of the lands of Aird, Ronadill & Duppin in Glencaradill, in place of the usual Work on the high roads, do work three days this Season in making a Key at the Ferry of Aird Under the Inspection of Dugald Campbell, late of Lochransay & Hector Campbell his Brother."

4 May 1763 :- £50 10s for two bridges on the Water of Clachan.

During the reign of Elizabeth trouble again broke out in Ireland, and the Earl of Sussex, the Irish Deputy, made a raid into Kintyre, where the MacDonnells were closely allied to those of Ulster. From his good ship the "Mary Willoughby" then lying in Lochkilkerran, Sussex wrote on 3rd October, 1588, an account of his actions, which is quoted in the Rev. George Hill's "MacDonnells of Antrim" recently republished by the Glens of Antrim Historical Society, by whose courtesy we reproduce that letter:

"I landed and burned the whole countrye; from thens I went to Arren, and did the lyke there, and so to the Isles of Combras, whych I also burned. After ryding at Anker between Combras and Bute where alsoe I thowght to have landed, there rase soddenly a terrybel tempeste in which I sustained some losse." On the 19th, Sussex arrived at "Lowghe Gylkerran in Kyntyre. On the same day I landed and burned eight myles of length, and therewith James McConell's chiefe howse callit Saudell, a fayre pyle and a stronge. The nexte day, I crossed over the lande and burned twelve myles of lengthe on the other side of the Lowghe, wherein were burned a faire howse callit Mawher Imore (Machrimore) and a strong castell called Dunalvere (Dunavertie)."

In 1794 there were 4 millers, 6 tailors, 8 shoemakers, 9 weavers, 3 wrights, 3 coopers, 1 boat carpenter in the parish of Saddell. Almost all the young men were employed in the herring-fishing.

A few years ago Dr. McKenna of Tarbert showed a few members of the Kintyre Antiquarian Society how to clean and record the pre-1855 gravestones in our area. We started at Kilcousland cemetery which is small and convenient to the town. This work is necessary because there are no official records of deaths at the Register House, Edinburgh, before 1855, when the only records kept were by church officers or in family bibles.

To decipher the writing on old stones it is often necessary to wash them with water, which makes the letters stand out, or to use a wire brush to take off moss and lichen, bur crumbling stones are best left alone. Sunlight also helps, and a stone difficult to read in the morning light, can somtimes be quite easily read in the evening. It is worth noting whether the stone faces the traditional East, and whether it is an obelisk, flat stone, or table stone.

After some practice, it is fairly easy to date the stones by their style of writing. Late 17th Century stones have lettering in large square capitals, but mid 18th Century stones are often carved in old style writing, which can make them difficult to decipher, particularly in a poor light.

The oldest stone we found at Kilchousland is dated 1692 and is very clear to read. There is a photograph of it in the Kintyre Inventory. Some of the 18th and 19th Century stones have very interesting carvings on their reverse side, mainly symbols of mortality, like skulls,cross bones or, sometimes,a man's occupation is depicted by his tools of trade. A few also have a poem, and one, popular in the 18th Century is:

"So let me live / So let me die / That I may live / Eternally."

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