Excerpt from The Church and Other Bells of Kincardineshire: Being a Complete Account of All the Bells in the County, Their History, Uses, and Ornaments; With Notices of Their Founders, and an Article on the More Interesting Belfries; To Which Is Prefixed a Short General Survey of Bells in Scotland

IN the following pages an attempt has been made to do for a county in Scotland what has been done for several in England with such successful results. The work has been carried out on the lines favoured by English Ecclesiologists, only such modifications being introduced as experience suggested or as the altered circum stances of the case appeared to render necessary. For example, while English books on bells are usually restricted to a consideration of those of the Parish Churches, it has in the present instance been deemed advisable to notice not only the bells of other places of worship, but also such as occur in municipal and private possession. Cases like Dundee and Crail showed from the first that in Scotland town bells would always have to receive notice. But the work of investigation had not gone far before the writer found that the circumstances of the country made it very hard to know where to draw the line in matters ecclesiastical, with the result that he thought it better to include all bells rather than run the risk of excluding any that were of value.

As so little is known about Scotch bells, an introduction has been prefixed which treats of the matter at some length, the object being to bring into a readily accessible form all the information at present obtainable on the subject, besides the results of the author's own observations. It is hoped by this means to furnish a foundation for future work, and also to stimulate interest in an at present obscure subject by showing from examples how many attractions it possesses.

The parish boundaries as they existed at the Revolution have as far as possible been followed, and the parishes have been arranged in alphabetical order. In cases where they are not coterminous with the counties, the rule is followed that overlapping portions be included in the county in which the Parish Church is situated.

All ancient sites are specified whether they have bells or not so are all Epis copal and Roman Catholic Churches; other places of worship are only mentioned when they have bells.

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