Crieff Past and Present : The Cross of Crieff and Drummond Cross 14 January 1888



About forty years ago, a neighbouring distiller allowed information to reach the ears of the Excise that a number of respectable people in the Town had obtained smuggled spirits though his servants. A little panic was caused, and the books of the establishment were placed in the hands of the local Sheriff – Clerk’s hands .Next morning placards were posted over the town offering a reward of £50 to any person who would give information as to who broke into the Sheriff- Clerk’s Office and stole the Distillery books. The knowing ones did not hesitate to say that the books would never turn up. It was surmised that they were burned .The carters of the distillery also disappeared, and the case went no further.

The Cross of Crieff stands between High Street and East High Street, and was for long the market place where farmers and their wives appeared each week to dispose of their butter, cheese and eggs and tradesmen and butchers retailed their wares.

The Cross Stone is said to have been at Trowan (2 miles Westwards) beside Tom – a- chastle, or the Castlehill, on which the Earls of Strathearn had their seat .Its origin is unknown . It stands 6 feet 3 inches high by 2 feet wide and 6 inches deep. Amongst curious carving on one side a cross is embossed .The other side is unhewn, and the remains of an iron hoop or staple appears, from which it is conjectured that a pillory or some such instrument was attached. The stocks of Crieff is a formidable instrument of iron and attracts much notice. It is placed at the foot of the steeple at the Court – House and must be of great age. Beside the stocks stands a cross surmounting a long,  slender  octagonal stone , which was the cross of the Burgh of Royalty of Drummond, set up before the Revolution of 1688 .It had got into  disuse and for many years lay neglected, but was again erected  where it now stands in  1852 .


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