Reginald de Boscho the lands of Easter Duddingston, with the half of the peatery of Camberun, for which he paid 10 merks yearly, and this was confirmed by his successor to Thomas, the son of Reginald, and his heirs in these words:- "The whole lands of Easter Dodinestun, etc., with all its pertinents, etc., which Richard, the son of Hugh, quit claimed (or renounced) to us,” i.e., to the Abbot. This document bears the signature, among many others as witnesses, of William de Boscho, the then Chancellor of Scotland, and Ricardo de Dodinestun. But though we have thus in evidence three generations of the family of Dodin, it is not at all improbable that the connection of this family with the parish dates further back than even the year 1147; and it seems beyond all dispute that from them the parish, with ite two villages, derived the name it now bears.
At this early period we do not, of course, expect to find a high condition of civil or religious development. Neither in agriculture, trade, nor commerce is there much to boast of, but we shall endeavour, as we go along, to unfold the various elements that go to the making of the community of even so small a parish as this.
Before the twelfth century we have no documentary evidence throwing light on our local history. Conjecture, founded upon general history and antiquarian discoveries, must satisfy our curiosity. The social condition of the country from the earliest known times was one of unrest. The people were few, and yet there was a constant and eager competition among them for the possession of the land. Strife and bloodshed among the original natives were of constant occurrence, until a more formidable foe appeared among them. Then, in the hour of common danger, a common cause united them against the invader.
The Roman power, which from the days of Agricola (A.D. 81} had overrun and occupied a large part of the country south of the Forth and Clyde, and afterwards extended its conquests considerably north of these rivers, was the first formidable outside enemy with which the natives had to contend. Their resistance, though stubborn and fierce, was ineffectual against the vastly superior arms and tactics of the well-disciplined Roman Legions, and with them came the first lessons to the native tribes in civilisation and Christianity. Before the superior race the inferior bowed and submitted to be taught, yet without abating any of its bravery and hardihood. The most ancient name by which the Romans designated
