Glass

"GLASS, a parish, partly in the county of Banff, but chiefly in the district of Strathbogie, county of Aberdeen, 5 miles (W.) from Huntly; containing 886 inhabitants, of whom 321 are in the county of Banff. The name of this place, in the Gaelic language signifying "grey", is descriptive of the uncultivated portion of the surface. The parish is about eight miles in extreme length, and five miles in extreme breadth, comprising an area of nearly 19,000 acres, of which 4500 are arable, and the remainder meadow, pasture, and waste. Its surface is diversified with hills, which towards the west increase in elevation, forming the boundary in that direction. . . In general the soil is a light loam, yielding chiefly oats and bear, with potatoes and turnips: wheat has been sown, but remunerating crops of it have not been produced. The system of husbandry is improved: the farms are of moderate extent, few of them exceeding 150 acres; and the farm-buildings, usually of stone, with thatched roofs, are substantial and commodious. Considerable numbers of sheep were formerly reared in the pastures; but great losses having been frequently sustained during severe seasons, a few hundreds only, of the Highland black-faced breed, are now kept; and the pastures are more profitably stocked with cattle. . . Ecclesiastically the parish is within the bounds of the presbytery of Strathbogie, synod of Moray. The minister's stipend is about £198, with a manse, and a gleb valued at £20 per annum; patron, the Duke of Richmond. Glass church situated in a green, near the river, is a neat plain structure containing 550 sittings; it was built in 1782, and is in good repair. The members of the Free Church have a place of worship. . . More"
[From Samuel Lewis A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland (1851) - copyright Mel Lockie 2016]