St. Inan; for a charter
of James IV. in 1509, confirms the donation of John, Lord Sempill, of
a perpetual Mass therein.

24--St. Yrchard or Merchard, Bishop, 5th or 6th century.

This saint was born of pagan parents in the district of
Kincardine-O'Neil, Aberdeenshire. {121}

In his early youth he embraced the Christian Faith, and was ordained
priest by St. Ternan, who associated the young man with himself in
his missionary labours. In later life he journeyed to Rome, and was
there consecrated bishop. Returning to Scotland he ended his days in
Aberdeenshire. At Kincardine-O'Neil a church was erected over the
spot where the chariot which was conveying his remains to burial was
miraculously stopped. A fair was formerly held there annually on St.
Merchard's feast and during the octave.

One of the saint's churches was in Glenmoriston. The ancient burial
ground which adjoins it is still in use, and some few stones of the
old building are yet to be seen there. The local tradition tells that
the saint when labouring as a missionary in Strathglass with two
companions, discovered, by previous revelation, three bright new
bells buried in the earth Taking one for himself, he gave the others
to his fellow-missionaries, bidding each to erect a church on the
spot where his bell should ring for the third time of its own accord;
undertaking to do the same with regard to his own. {122} One of these
companions founded a church at Glenconvinth, in Strathglass, the
other at Broadford, Isle of Skye.

St. Merchard travelled towards Glenmoriston. His bell rang first at
_Suidh Mhercheird_ (Merchard's Seat), again at _Fuaran Mhercheird_
(Merchard's Well), near Ballintombuie, where a spring of excellent
water treasured by both Catholics and Protestants still bears his
name, and a third time at the spot where the old churchyard, called
_Clachan Mhercheird_, close by the river Moriston, recalls his
memory.

The bell of the saint was preserved there for centuries. After the
church fell into decay's early in the seventeenth century, the bell
remained in the churchyard. The narrow-pointed spar of granite on
which it rested still stands there. The bell, unfortunately, was
wantonly removed, by Protestant strangers about thirty years ago, to
the great indignation of the inhabitants of the glen, Protestant as
well as Catholic; it has never since been discovered.

Tradition has it that the bell was wont to ring of its own accord
when a funeral c