Bell of Langside rent, wherein News came that Earl Marischal had qualified

At Leith, Monday, June 22d, ‘twixtbetwixt
one &and two o’ Clock, 1761. when SrSir William
Dunbar of Durn, the RevdReverend Mr Alexander
Mitchel of EdrEdinburgh, the RevdReverend Mr John Skin-
ner of Langside, &and his Son Mr John Skin-
ner, were dining with me &and Mrs Forbes,
the said RevdReverend Mr John Skinner gave
the following Narrative, to which, he said,
five hundred &and more could give their
Attestation, &and upon which he would make
no Observation. That it had been a
common, constant Practice in the said
Parish of Langside in Aberdeenshire
to have Bonfires, &and even to ring the
Parish-Bell on April 2d, O.Old S.Style the
Birth-dayBirthday of Earl Marischal; &and
that on Thursday, the 12th of FebryFebruary,
1761. being a general Fast throughout
Scotland, when the Bellman was ring-
ing the first Bell, the News came to
Langside containing the Accounts of the
Earl Marischal’s having taken the Oaths
[a]t London, &and at that very Instant the
said Bell rent from Top downwards,
&and then across near the Mouth, &and that
likewise soon after the Bell had be-
gun to ring.

A Gentleman, walking in his own
Garden about a quarter of a Mile
from the Church of Langside, asked at 1862 (1862)
at a Man passing by, what the Mat-
ter was with the Bell in stopping so
suddenly. The Answer being, that she
was rent, “Well, said the Gentleman,
“do you know what the Bell says by
“that? even, the Deel a Cheep1 mair
“sall I speak for you, Earl Marischal!”