The parish of Denny was originally a part of the parish of Falkirk, from which it was separated, as is supposed, (for the records are lost), about the year 1618. The rector of Falkirk had a vicar at Denny, who, besides the small tithes, had a valuable glebe of 28 acres, which was by the last vicar, before the Reformation in 1560, in some way, secured to some of his family connections. The vicar's name was Oswald. The property was confirmed to the family by a formal approbation of James VL Excerpts from that proceeding, written in Latin, are before me. The text is not complete. The property continued in the name of Oswald until the death (about twenty-five years ago) of James Oswald of Dryborough. Dryborough is adjacent to Denny, and is the name by which the ancient glebe lands are at present known. The Protestant minister had 4½ acres Scots provided for him out of the glebe lands,- a provision which is still enjoyed by his successor, and which constitutes the whole glebe land which now belongs to the cure. There are deeds among the sasines of Stirlingshire from 1520 to 1620, kept in the Register-Office, Edinburgh, which the curious will be rewarded by consulting on the subject of church lands, as applicable to the parish of Falkirk, and to Denny, as part of that parish. The minister of the parish of Polmont, disjoined also from Falkirk about a century ago, draws from the heritors in Temple Denny, in this .parish, the equivalent for his grass glebe, a satisfying evidence that both parishes were, at one time, portions of the parish of Falkirk.

Chief Land-owners.-William Forbes, Esq. of Callendar is the principal land-owner in the parish. He has lately added to his extensive domains in various parishes in Scotland, the fine estate of Donovan, on the opposite side of the Carron, and is now principal heritor in Dunipace as well as in Denny. Mr. Forbes holds the fourth part of the valued rent of Denny John Graham Esq. of Myothill is the other principal heritor of Denny, and resident in the parish, whose estate is about one seventeenth part of the valued rent. The remaining heritors are about 120 in number.

Parochial Registers. -The parochial registers consist of nine volumes. The births and marriages commence about 1679; but both the volumes are in a dilapidated state. They are merely a list of names, having no speciality connected with them but the date.

The minutes of session commence in 1742. There are great gaps in them, not from decay, but from no minutes, so far as appears, having ever existed.⁴

Since the commencement of the present century, the session records exhibit all the meetings and the business done; and are subscribed by the moderator. The births and marriages are also entered in properly bound volumes. It is to be regretted, however, that there are some who do not record the baptisms or births of their children. Not a year passes in which parties do not suffer from this neglect.

Antiquities.- On the southern boundary of the parish, about Bankier (Fair-fort), are circular places said to be the sites of Caledonian camps. The great Roman station at Castlecarie, a small portion of the remains of which, after seventeen centuries, is still in good condition, is opposite and near to Bankier; and the Fair-fort, it seems not unreasonable to conclude, once stood there to guard the terra invicta of Scotland.

The only other antiquity in the parish is that mentioned in the history of Stirlingshire. "In digging at Woodgate, (Woodyet), on the Carron, for the foundation of the newly built house, there, (now called Headswood Cottage,) a rude stone coffin, made of flags, about two-thirds of the ordinary length, placed nearly perpendicular, and containing the bones of an adult person, was found. It is dated, as we have learned, 1301." The stone is placed in the lobby of the cottage, and is seen by every one who enters i~ Some of the bones found were, for a while, in the manse of Denny. They are supposed to be the bones of some distinguished person, who fell in connection with the invasion of Edward L in 1298.

Modern Baildings.-The parish church, built in 1813, is the principal modern building. Next in point of date, is the church built at Denny Loanhead, for members of the United Secession. These two churches are very much alike in external appearance and interior arrangement. They are nearly the same in size, the latter having only about 40 sittings fewer than the Established Church. The parish church has a turretted steeple, about 75 feet in height, which was erected at the east end of the church by voluntary subscription, chiefly of churchmen. Hag's Church, opened 19th July 1840, and built by voluntary subscription, is the neatest church in the parish, and has about 700 sittings.

There is a decent place of worship in Denny, of a square form, belonging formerly to the Burghers, but now to the United Associate Synod Members. It contains nearly 200 fewer sittings than any of the other two. There are various modern buildings, in all parts of the parish, erected since this century commenced. Two-thirds and more of the present town of Denny have been built with-in that space. The houses are generally of two stories, with garrets, slated roof of blue slates, and finished with sashed windows, &c. Around Denny, and also in the village of' Hag₅ and its vicinity, there are different neat cottages as well as some houses of two stories. The most remarkable erection &t Hags is a handsome row of collier cottages, amounting to twelve in number, terminated on the east with a large building as a store for the workers at the colliery. These were built in 1836. A manifest improvement is taking place in the farm~steadings on the estate of Herbertshire. The smaller proprietors have done much, within these last thirty years, to improve their dwellings. Increased comfort and tasteful arrangement are gradually advancing. One now meets with boarded floors, plastered walls and ceilings, and in some instances, with parlours furnished with tables, sofas, and carpets.

A commodious building, adjoining to the town of Denny, for the parochial school, is now in progress. This structure will be an ornament to the town, and serves, among other parochial improvements, to give evidence of the care with which Mr Forbes attends to the educational interest of the youth of the parish, and the domestic comfort of the teacher.

Mills and Manufactories.-There are eleven of these on the banks of Carron, within a mile and a-half of the town of Denny. There are seven of them modern buildings; one for manufacturing oatmeal and pot-barley, one for millboards, one for dye-stuffs, and three for spinning sheep's wool. Herbertshire Mill, the oldest establishment in the parish for manufacturing paper, and the other mills, were the work of last century. Two distilleries have been also erected, one in Denny and another at Bankier, already mentioned. A spade-manufactory about a mile and a-half down the Bonny from Bankier, has been set agoing, within these few years; and, lastly, a considerable wheaten, flour, oatmeal, and pot-barley mill, with a small saw-mill, were built, some time since, at Bonnyford, in the eastern extremity of the parish. The waters of Bonny not furnishing adequate power for meeting the demand for the manufactories here, a steam-engine is erected and put to work, when necessary.