Dear Sir

Among the various papers I received from the Clergy was one of the survey of the Highlands & isles in 1760 by order of the general assembly.¹ none was of more use in ascertaining the parishes to me; but unluckily it does not comprehend Ilay, & Jura & the little isles dependent on them. neither does it take in Cantyre, nor the isles of Giga & Cara:

Probably somebody has surveyed those also, therefore permit me to trouble you with obtaining the accounts of those parts as far as relates to the Parishes places of worship in them, the boundaries, number of inhabitants. perhaps these may be found in the office of the General assembly.

Can you also tell me how the D. of argyle obtained his share of Mull; & in what year. was it not by forfeiture?

M^r Menzies sent me a general account of the annexed estates; which he says amount to 8000^L per. an: but pray were there any other estates forfeited & not annexed & what might be their amount?

I am Dear Sir with true regard Y^rs

Tho. Pennant

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Downing Oct^r. 17^th. 1773.

Downing

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Editorial notes

1. Prior to his tour of Scotland in 1772, Pennant solicited local information through the publication of letters and questionnaires. These 'Queries' appeared as an appendix to the first edition of Pennant's Tour in Scotland 1769 (1771), and were 'Addressed to the Gentlemen and Clergy of North-Britain', pp.282-298. A note to Pennant's Supplement to the Tour in Scotland, (1772), states that: 'These queries were originally composed and printed by order of the Society of Antiquarians, and dispersed thro’ several parts of England. As the spirit of enquiry seems at present reviving, I took the liberty of reprinting them, in hopes of their meeting with better success than they did formerly; and that gentlemen may be induced, from them, either to form local histories, or to transmit them to so respectable a society such matters relating to the history of their country as will merit it’s attention.' pp.17-18. The 'Queries' also appeared in the Scots Magazine 34 (April 1772), 173-4, accompanied by a letter (probably written by Robert Ramsay), which commended them 'to the curious in general, but more directly to the clergy of Scotland', and attempted to curry favour by quoting Pennant's 'encomium upon the established clergy of Scotland' in his Tour in Scotland 1769 (1771) pp.134-135.